Unjustified hotel cleaning fee
July 14, 2010 12:32 PM Subscribe
A hotel where I stayed charged me an unjustified $250 cleaning fee. What can I do?
I'd like this question to be anonymous to protect my privacy.
I recently stayed at a hotel which charged me a $250 cleaning free after I left. The hotel person I spoke to about this said that my dog "made a mess" in the hotel room and that the room couldn't be used for several days.
I just don't see how this could be true. I have a service dog who helps me with a disability; the dog didn't go to the bathroom in the room. In fact, he was in his crate most of the time when we were in the room. I also checked the room carefully (mainly looking for possible lost stuff) before we left and it was clean.
Perhaps it's a misunderstanding, but I fear that the hotel is charging me just because I had a dog. What can I do?
I'd like this question to be anonymous to protect my privacy.
I recently stayed at a hotel which charged me a $250 cleaning free after I left. The hotel person I spoke to about this said that my dog "made a mess" in the hotel room and that the room couldn't be used for several days.
I just don't see how this could be true. I have a service dog who helps me with a disability; the dog didn't go to the bathroom in the room. In fact, he was in his crate most of the time when we were in the room. I also checked the room carefully (mainly looking for possible lost stuff) before we left and it was clean.
Perhaps it's a misunderstanding, but I fear that the hotel is charging me just because I had a dog. What can I do?
Now that they have presumably cleaned anything, if there was anything to clean, you'll have a hard time proving that your dog did not, in fact, make a mess.
Perhaps paying with a terse, "I will be certain to let [one or more organizations associated with your disability] know that they must be careful with their service animals when staying at your hotel." may get the ball rolling. Mis-send the payment to the PR department.
posted by adipocere at 12:39 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Perhaps paying with a terse, "I will be certain to let [one or more organizations associated with your disability] know that they must be careful with their service animals when staying at your hotel." may get the ball rolling. Mis-send the payment to the PR department.
posted by adipocere at 12:39 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Perhaps you should call the hotel and dispute the charges with their management. Many hotel staff fabricate additional costs and charges for their own revenue. If you know for a fact that you're not responsible for the alleged mess you must firmly make them aware of this. Otherwise it sounds like they might get over on you.
However, if you weren't looking a mess your pet could have made, it's possible you may have overlooked it. But again, if you know for sure there never was such a mess, then by all means challenge that you don't owe the cost.
posted by xbeautychicx at 12:46 PM on July 14, 2010
However, if you weren't looking a mess your pet could have made, it's possible you may have overlooked it. But again, if you know for sure there never was such a mess, then by all means challenge that you don't owe the cost.
posted by xbeautychicx at 12:46 PM on July 14, 2010
Call up your credit card company, tell them that you're disputing the charge. Then call (or better yet fax a letter to) the hotel and tell them that you're doing it, why you think the charge was unjustified (dog was in crate, dog is a trained service animal, etc.). Retain a copy for the CC people later on.
Generally CC companies take the side of customers, not merchants, so the onus will be more on them than on you to prove that the charge was correct. It would require time and effort on their part to respond to the dispute, and they'll probably realize it's not worth their time.
It's possible -- although I think unlikely -- that you could end up banned from that particular hotel or even hotel chain, but for 250 bucks I'd probably chance it. I suspect they're just screwing you because they think they can.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:52 PM on July 14, 2010 [5 favorites]
Generally CC companies take the side of customers, not merchants, so the onus will be more on them than on you to prove that the charge was correct. It would require time and effort on their part to respond to the dispute, and they'll probably realize it's not worth their time.
It's possible -- although I think unlikely -- that you could end up banned from that particular hotel or even hotel chain, but for 250 bucks I'd probably chance it. I suspect they're just screwing you because they think they can.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:52 PM on July 14, 2010 [5 favorites]
Perhaps you should call the hotel and dispute the charges with their management. Many hotel staff fabricate additional costs and charges for their own revenue.
Hope this isn't too much of a derail, but could you expand on this? I'm having difficulty seeing how the money from a bogus credit card charge, made in the name of the hotel, would be diverted to the pocket of the desk clerk/cleaning staff/etc. without the collusion of management.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:56 PM on July 14, 2010
Hope this isn't too much of a derail, but could you expand on this? I'm having difficulty seeing how the money from a bogus credit card charge, made in the name of the hotel, would be diverted to the pocket of the desk clerk/cleaning staff/etc. without the collusion of management.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:56 PM on July 14, 2010
I would start with the hotel. Unfortunately a LOT of hotels are sneaking post-stay charges onto their bills to kick up revenue which is completely unethical, and a rip off that few of us can afford to ignore.
I have had mini-bar charges, gym fees and late charges, etc. that were false - After calling the hotel and calmly and explaining to them that they made a mistake, they reversed the charges, but mine were all relatively minor.
If they won't, ask them to provide proof of the mess and details of the cleaning and explain that you will be placing a fraud charge back on your card. Then they can fight it out with your credit card.
Good luck to you!
posted by inquisitrix at 12:58 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
I have had mini-bar charges, gym fees and late charges, etc. that were false - After calling the hotel and calmly and explaining to them that they made a mistake, they reversed the charges, but mine were all relatively minor.
If they won't, ask them to provide proof of the mess and details of the cleaning and explain that you will be placing a fraud charge back on your card. Then they can fight it out with your credit card.
Good luck to you!
posted by inquisitrix at 12:58 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
i used to clean high end seaside hotel rooms, and i will say that with few exceptions, if an animal stayed in a room we had to close it down for at least a day. fur gets everywhere and it's not fair to the next guest who may have allergies. my employer took care of this by charging (non-service) animal owners an extra pet fee and it ended up covering most of what we had to eat in terms of not being able to rerent the room immediately. people with service animals were exempt from this and only had to pay a fee after if the animal caused actual damage to the furniture or something.
the $250 is about what we'd charge though if someone didn't tell us they had an animal or smoked in nonsmoking rooms.
i second the suggestion of calling a group that represents your particular disability and seeing if they have any avenues you can pursue.
posted by nadawi at 1:22 PM on July 14, 2010 [4 favorites]
the $250 is about what we'd charge though if someone didn't tell us they had an animal or smoked in nonsmoking rooms.
i second the suggestion of calling a group that represents your particular disability and seeing if they have any avenues you can pursue.
posted by nadawi at 1:22 PM on July 14, 2010 [4 favorites]
To DevilsAdvocate: Not personal revenue, more money for the hotel(through false charges).
posted by xbeautychicx at 1:31 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by xbeautychicx at 1:31 PM on July 14, 2010
I am only speaking from what I learned at the hotel I work for. (It does belong to a very very large worldwide chain, so I believe this is standard for all hotels under the same brand.)
Service animals should not be treated like pets. This is (or should be) a very hot button for hotels. Whether they like it or not, the service dog needs to be treated with same respect as the guest who require their service.
If the hotel's restaurant does not allow pets, they still have to allow a person with their service animal. Your party should not be seated differently.
If the hotel charges a fee for pets, the fee DOES NOT apply to the service animal. Service animals are highly trained and although not impossible, it is unlikely they make a mess.
Call the hotel, ask to speak to NOT FINANCE, but FRONT OFFICE first. Speak to a manager or director. Front Office are more likely to see things from your point of view and do a service recovery. Be firm, be polite, but let them know your frustration.
If that fails, talk to your credit card company and do a charge back. Also send an email/letter to the General Manager of the hotel and tell them about your experience.
posted by jstarlee at 1:58 PM on July 14, 2010 [9 favorites]
Service animals should not be treated like pets. This is (or should be) a very hot button for hotels. Whether they like it or not, the service dog needs to be treated with same respect as the guest who require their service.
If the hotel's restaurant does not allow pets, they still have to allow a person with their service animal. Your party should not be seated differently.
If the hotel charges a fee for pets, the fee DOES NOT apply to the service animal. Service animals are highly trained and although not impossible, it is unlikely they make a mess.
Call the hotel, ask to speak to NOT FINANCE, but FRONT OFFICE first. Speak to a manager or director. Front Office are more likely to see things from your point of view and do a service recovery. Be firm, be polite, but let them know your frustration.
If that fails, talk to your credit card company and do a charge back. Also send an email/letter to the General Manager of the hotel and tell them about your experience.
posted by jstarlee at 1:58 PM on July 14, 2010 [9 favorites]
Service animals should not be treated like pets
This, this, a million times this. The hotel in question can get into TONS of trouble.
It is entirely possible that the Housekeeping/Rooms staff has standing orders to charge the "cleaning fee" to any room that houses a pet. I'll wager this charge was applied to your room, most likely without the communication to the front office that there was a service animal in there, and not a pet.
Call the hotel directly, and ask for the Manager on Duty or the Rooms Executive. Let them know your circumstances, and that it would be a shame if their hotel/chain was put on a watch list by the National Organization for ???, for being a difficult place for guests with service animals. Also let them know that if this "charge" is not removed from your bill, you will be disputing it with the credit card company.
If you get no love from the Rooms Department, ask for the General Manager. If you are gated through his or her Assistant, tell your story to them, they can do a lot!
Don't put up with this nonsense. Hotels are jacking up charges all over the place and this is one that should be adjusted.
posted by lootie777 at 2:14 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
This, this, a million times this. The hotel in question can get into TONS of trouble.
It is entirely possible that the Housekeeping/Rooms staff has standing orders to charge the "cleaning fee" to any room that houses a pet. I'll wager this charge was applied to your room, most likely without the communication to the front office that there was a service animal in there, and not a pet.
Call the hotel directly, and ask for the Manager on Duty or the Rooms Executive. Let them know your circumstances, and that it would be a shame if their hotel/chain was put on a watch list by the National Organization for ???, for being a difficult place for guests with service animals. Also let them know that if this "charge" is not removed from your bill, you will be disputing it with the credit card company.
If you get no love from the Rooms Department, ask for the General Manager. If you are gated through his or her Assistant, tell your story to them, they can do a lot!
Don't put up with this nonsense. Hotels are jacking up charges all over the place and this is one that should be adjusted.
posted by lootie777 at 2:14 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
When you write to them, ask to see their documentation of the problem. They may be charging you for having an animal, which is not supportable, not for an actual mess.
posted by theora55 at 2:47 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by theora55 at 2:47 PM on July 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mr_roboto at 12:34 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]