Couple 'fined' £100 for leaving bad hotel review.

[anonymous-user]

Couple stay in hotel and pay the bill upon leaving.

They then leave a bad review about the hotel on the Internet.

They then discover that their credit card had been billed £100 by the hotel.

Phone hotel to be told that it's hotel policy to charge guests £100 if they leave a bad review on any internet sites.

Article here: http://www.cumbriacrack.com/2014/11/18/hotel-guest...

[Eric Mc]

Theft.

Abuse of Credit Card authorisation.

Complain to the credit card company - as well as the hotel.

[nikaiyo2]

Eric Mc said:

Theft.

Abuse of Credit Card authorisation.

Complain to the credit card company - as well as the hotel.

And send them an invoice at £18p/h for dealing with the "fine."

[BlackLabel]

What an idiotic thing to do - if the hotel thought one negative online review would harm their business then just wait for the fallout from this 'fine' to develop. I would still stay at a hotel if it had a few bad reviews, I would not however stay at a hotel which did this.

[OllieC]

Eric Mc said:

Theft.

Abuse of Credit Card authorisation.

Complain to the credit card company - as well as the hotel.

I'd be amazed if this didn't result in a successful chargeback.

what a terrible idea by the hotel ! the mind boggles

[paranoid airbag]

They couldn't give the hotel name?

I'm up there in a bit, this would be a useful instance of Streisand Effect.

[Ayahuasca]

Eric Mc said:

Theft.

Abuse of Credit Card authorisation.

Complain to the credit card company - as well as the hotel.

Not sure it is theft if it is in the hotels terms and conditions which presumably the guests agreed to and signed.

Amazing piece of shooting yourself in the foot Ratner-style PR. I wouldn't be surprised if the place is infested by Siberian hamsters and porters from Barcelona.

[Eric Mc]

Ayahuasca said:

Not sure it is theft if it is in the hotels terms and conditions which presumably the guests agreed to and signed.

Amazing piece of shooting yourself in the foot Ratner-style PR. I wouldn't be surprised if the place is infested by Siberian hamsters and porters from Barcelona.

I wonder if people read the "Terms and Conditions" in detail before they accept a hotel room? I bet it was buried deeply in the small print.
If the person taking the booking had verbally emphasised this condition than, maybe, the guests might struggle to say they didn't know.

And just because someone puts an unreasonable condition in a contract does not mean that it is enforceable.

[BlackLabel]

paranoid airbag said:

They couldn't give the hotel name?

I'm up there in a bit, this would be a useful instance of Streisand Effect.

I'm sure it will be identified in the Wail and other tabloids soon enough.

[Jasandjules]

Ayahuasca said:

Not sure it is theft if it is in the hotels terms and conditions which presumably the guests agreed to and signed.

Well, the Unfair Contract Terms Act would apply, this sounds like it would not be valid.....

ETA - and as above, this hotel is likely to deeply regret this when their bookings go through the floor..

[Vocal Minority]

Ayahuasca said:

Eric Mc said:

Theft.

Abuse of Credit Card authorisation.

Complain to the credit card company - as well as the hotel.

Not sure it is theft if it is in the hotels terms and conditions which presumably the guests agreed to and signed.

Amazing piece of shooting yourself in the foot Ratner-style PR. I wouldn't be surprised if the place is infested by Siberian hamsters and porters from Barcelona.

I see the point on theft specifically, as you could argue it was a contractual agreement.

However, you cannot contract out of statute and if it feels dodgy, its probably dodgy and against some law or other. This feels dodgy.

[Mermaid]

Sharp practice, hope the credit card company rescind their contract.

[mrpurple]

Sounds dodgy to me.... a PH legal eagle might know better but would this not come under The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/2083/conte...

[Zod]

mrpurple said:

Sounds dodgy to me.... a PH legal eagle might know better but would this not come under The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/2083/conte...

It would be unenforceable thanks to UCTA. In any case, such an unusual term in a contract would always risk being stuck out if not brought to the attention of the guest.

[karma mechanic]

In the inexorable Streisand-effect sort of way of these things it is now on the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30100973

The Broadway Hotel. Seems like a very lovely place...
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186332-...

[BlackLabel]

karma mechanic said:

In the inexorable Streisand-effect sort of way of these things it is now on the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30100973

The Broadway Hotel. Seems like a very lovely place...
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186332-...

At 100 quid per negative review they must be making a fortune.

[bitchstewie]

Well they're now on the front page of the BBC News website, and doubtless will be on the Mail tomorrow.

Who says there's no such thing as bad publicity? Utter muppetry.

[mrpurple]

karma mechanic said:

In the inexorable Streisand-effect sort of way of these things it is now on the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30100973

The Broadway Hotel. Seems like a very lovely place...
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186332-...

Blimey with that many negative reviews it must be making a fortune.

[Mermaid]

mrpurple said:

Blimey with that many negative reviews it must be making a fortune.

Core business

[Bill]

What a bunch of idiots! It'll be interesting to see how many of these fines have been missed on people's statements as I suspect the collective chargeback will bankrupt them.