hotels.com - be warned!

This is a duplicate posting from a few days ago. I don't blame RLM for being mad with the hotel, but that's why credit card companies have the right of chargebacks.

I used Hotels.com for a couple of hotels in Nova Scotia in May. I prefer not to pay for a room when booking, as it's often 2-3 months away.

I've found Booking.com to not charge you until your arrival at most properties, and their terms are very clear online. And I've never seen so many available accommodations as on their web site.

Thanks for the comments folks....As a fellow traveller, just wanted to provide a 'heads up' of my negative experience with Hotels.com. Yes my credit card is involved and it appears they will be able to refund the outstanding amount to me. Anyways, as originally stated, wanted to provide a 'heads up/warning' if you happen to deal with Hotels.com in the future. Happy and safe travels to all!

Wanted to advise that through the RS Travel Helpline, I received a different number for Hotels.com to call (1-800-997-9138) re: the outstanding balance. I called this number and the agent I spoke with was super helpful, courteous and more importantly, able to refund the outstanding balance - so easy! Not sure why the general 1-800 agents and supervisors could not (and would not) provide this same service. Regardless, I'm happy to report this issue has been resolved. Many thanks to this fellow RS traveller for the number they provided : )) Safe & happy travels to all!

Thanks for letting us know how it went.. frustrating what you had to go through... I never pre pay any hotel reservation simply because of issues like this !

When a credit card number is needed for a reservation, even though no advance payment is required, you can still be charged for what you don't use. I uses another website (venere) a couple of years ago and was changed for a night at a hotel after cancelling within the time limit. When I challenged venere on this they said that was the hotel' s policy. I re-read the hotel info and found no reference to this policy. I could have notified the credit card company, but didn't.

I go to Europe every summer and am often asked for a credit card number to guarantee the reservation. I make sure to ask that no charges are to be make against the CC# until I arrive or do not show up and that there are no charges if I cancel within a specified number of days. If the place I am trying to reserve can not guarantee this, I look elsewhere. One reason I have never used VRBO is that every time I have tried to book a place, the place has wanted the entire cost of the stay before I even get there. There are too many places to stay that are within my liking and budget to have to risk loosing any money due to a misunderstanding or misrepresentation. If I do reserve a place with those stipulations, I monitor my CC account frequently to make sure that no charges have appeared.

A few years ago, we booked a hotel on Hotels.com for New Orleans for 4 nights. About a month before our trip, I called the hotel directly to advise that we would arrive very late (flight arrived around 11pm). The hotel said there was no reservation, after further looking, they advised me that hotels.com had cancelled our reservation the day after I made and paid for the reservation. So then I called hotels.com and after 30 minutes on hold finally spoke to someone. They had no idea why the reservation had been cancelled even though I pre-paid. So they reinstated my reservation at the original hotel. Upon arrival, it only got worse. Despite the fact that I'd called the day before to confirm we wanted a no smoking room, there were only 2 smoking rooms left. So I asked if we could check both rooms out. Then front desk person answers the phone, has a short conversation, and advises us that there is only 1 room remaining. We check into the room, it's now about 1am and the room is disgusting. Toilet not clean, stains on the carpet, ripped carpet, not to mention on the stench of stale cigarette smoke. After calling the front desk, and asking to be moved to another room in the morning, the front desk person said we'd have to talk to the front desk in the morning.

About noon the next day we were moved to a more acceptable room. Had we not prepaid through Hotels.com, we would have gone across the street to the Mariott and checked in.

Moral of the story: Think twice about using Hotels.com or other websites that have you prepay. Even if you keep the reservations, you have no recourse with the hotel for refunds, reimbursement, discounts, or cancellations.

I use booking.com and reserve with an Amex card since they are very helpful if things go awry. Booking.com also lets you choose to pay with a different card when you pay for the room. Occasionally (3 times in almost 150 reservations), a property has charged my card at the time of reservation, but that is the hotel's policy, not booking.com's.