"Hidden" hotel cancellation fees

[Mal]

Do others get frustrated when you book on major hotel websites and get information like:

"Unrestricted change and cancellation" on the rate, but when you boil it down to the actual T&Cs, you see clauses like:

"Cancellation policy :
Hotel will charge the first night, if booking is cancelled between 30 and 14 days prior arrival, 16:00 (local time). Beyond that time, deposit is not refundable, even if the booking is cancelled or modified"

I'm sick of seeing this type of clause. Really removes the whole flexibility of a booking.

 

[oz_mark]

Do others get frustrated when you book on major hotel websites and get information like:

"Unrestricted change and cancellation" on the rate, but when you boil it down to the actual T&Cs, you see clauses like:

"Cancellation policy :
Hotel will charge the first night, if booking is cancelled between 30 and 14 days prior arrival, 16:00 (local time). Beyond that time, deposit is not refundable, even if the booking is cancelled or modified"

I'm sick of seeing this type of clause. Really removes the whole flexibility of a booking.

If it was an Australian hotel I would probably challenge it, is I had to make a change. It's either unrestricted or it's not!

 

[anat0l]

Which websites are doing this?


I know that some of the accommodation "resellers" (or whatever you call them - wotif, Agoda, LastMinute, etc.) had a banner saying "No Cancellation Fees!" some time ago (I think it sparked a mini-war on said fad). What was actually meant was that the booking site would not charge their cancellation fee, but you would still be subject to whatever the hotel you booked charged with respect to their fees (e.g. one nights stay).


This reminds me a lot of those old broadband ads where they'd say "Unlimited" downloads (or traffic) but then they'd shape you once you hit some magic bandwidth amount. I believed that practice was cracked down.

 

[eastwest101]

What anat0l said, are these T&C's on the hotel websites or on the re-sellers like wotif etc? For example I am guessing if you book a hyatt room through the wotif website you would be bound by the hyatt and the wotif terms and conditions.

But - if it is using the actual hotel website and there is contradictory information about banner "unrestricted change and cancellation" and then you find tricky T&C's when actually booking then all I can advise is screen capture everything as you book it and then be prepared to argue the point if you change or cancel your hotel room booking. If its my own money I screen capture everything when booking accom, car rental and flights (a bit paranoid I know) but it is really useful to avoid some unscrupulous companies that try to "value add" with retrospective sneaky charges.

 

[Mal]

This was on the Accor website for an Australian hotel. To me, Unrestricted change/cancel basically means until 5pm on the night you are due to stay ... Granted, many hotels have started moving the goal posts, but perhaps the ACCC needs to crack down on Australian hotels doing this.