[Tom Otley]

Whinge.

Yes, you’re right, I broadly agree, but the devil’s in the detail.

BTW – thank you for that summary of the investor broadcast. Can you direct me to the page where the details of the “espace” seat are mentioned? thanks

[Prof.Gupta]

I wanted to post an update after more than 2 weeks. I have so far not heard from this hotel. All my e-mails, repeated reminders, letters by registered mail and a letter asking them to respond by June 10 (specially for the unauthorised charge on my credit card) have remained unreplied. No one from the hotel has bothered to reply and they have ignored all my complaints. There is no explanation offered by them. I have no idea what to make out of this?

[MartynSinclair]

Prof Gupta

I would suggest you have a couple of choices.

1. Speak to a UK solicitor becasue taking funds from a credit card in an unauthorized manner, could be considered as fraud or theft.
2. You must make a report to your credit card company
3. Find a number from Google for a UK polcie station and make a report to the police and obtain a refernce number
4. Contact the nearest British Embassy tourist section to your home and register a complaint with them.
5. Write to the help seciton of BT, you never know they may take up your casue.

I would add that I am sure the hotel has a ‘version’ of events bit having not been privy to them – I am non the wiser

Good luck to you and I look forward to hearing how you get on.

[Prof.Gupta]

Hi MartynSinclair

Thanks as always for your valuable suggestions. All the options look good. Let me see how to move forward on this. UK solicitor looks to be a very good option but I am not sure how to manage this specially when I do not live in the UK. I will consider all these options and then take up the matter further. Best regards.

[VintageKrug]

I would personally pursue other options before engaging a solicitor; the hassle and cost involved vs. the potential payback is something you should consider, especially given your distant location.

I think you should consider posting your tripadvisor review on as many sites as possible.

I would also recommend you engage with the hotel’s corporate management, letting them know you will not let this drop.

Further, you might consider involving the professional bodies which rate and review hotels.

Finally, you need to be very clear what outcome you are seeking from this. Is it simply financial restitution, compensation or punitive damages, or are you looking for more? Be clear to those to whom you communicate this complaint exactly what it is you are expecting to close off the issue.

Do bear in mind that you are making some pretty serious allegations which could involve the police at some stage, and could potentially cost someone not just their job and that of their management, but could also impact their broader career; you need to be 100% certain this is not a misunderstanding (though there is no evidence that this is the case).

[MartynSinclair]

Professor

A cheaper option is to issue a county court summons (google Count Court Summons). You can make a claim agais the hotel by completing an on line documents and then submitting through the county court. I beleive that the filing fee is £80. The hotel will be forced to respond to the claim, otherwise it will recieve a bad debt notice which could casue the establishment trading problems.

The process allows the establishment to respond you your allegation.

I read Vinatage’s comments and as I stated above, I am sure that the hotel has its version of events. If indeed your card was debited frauduently and for no reason, who ever is accountabilty not only needs to repay your funds, but deserves any consequences that may result. If this had been an unfotunate sequesnce of events, then the hotel is being very ‘cool’ in ignoring the issue. I am sure that they are aware of this situaiton.

Good luck to you and I am happy to provide any assistance you need. I hate to see guests to our country being taken advantage of.

[Prof.Gupta]

Thank you so much (VintageKrug and MartynSinclair) for detailed directions and guidance. Let me explore these. From my side, I have detailed out exact facts and sequence of events (in brief on these posts and in details to the letters and e-mails written to the hotel). The two broad areas of concerns have been (a) the way we were ‘treated’ by the hotel and (b) the charge on my credit card even when we did not stay in the hotel. I am checking out the process with my credit card company in the mean time and then look at options available to me. Thank you so much for your help, sympathy, and valuable guidance. Best regards.

[PatJordan]

Delighted to see this thread back. I was in the process of writing a post when it was deleted recently!

I am an avid reader of this forum. Many of the suggestions and advice given are very helpful. Whist I wouldn’t think it appropriate to use it to highlight routine grievances, it serves a very useful function in giving individuals such as Prof.Gupta an opportunity to make others aware of his plight, and to receive advice from some of the most experienced travellers around.

Hopefully Prof.Gupta will be able to resolve these issues without the need to go to law. I trust this hotel will do the right thing.

[Prof.Gupta]

Finally here is an update from my side on this long pending issue:

1. Hotel never replied to any of my e-mails written to them over last several months and all the reminders were also ignored.
2. I had written long and detailed letters to them (one dealing with the way we were treated at the hotel and our experience and second letter about how my credit card was fraudently charged even when we did not stay in the hotel). These letters were sent through registered mail and I never received any reply.
3. I wrote yet another letter (sent through registered mail) as advised to me by Consumer Direct asking the hotel to get back to me for deficiency in service etc. under The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. This letter was also ignored by the hotel.
4. Finally I took up the matter with my credit card company and made a detailed case under “Charge Dispute” with all the details of the case and supporting documents. My credit card company immediately took up the matter for further investigation.
5. I have now received a letter (first response from the hotel after about 4 months) from one of the directors of the hotel. The letter offers a casual apology (written in a vague manner) and fails to offer any explanations to what we had experienced. Letter (though cliamed to have been written after thorough investigation) has factual errors as well. However, I quote one sentence from the letter that is significant fact to report on this forum, …” we understand that you have requested a full refund for the room from your credit card company. As a gesture of goodwill,…… under the circumstances we did not contest your refund and the money was deducted from our account on the 13th July 2010.”

It is certainly too little and too late. But I have been able to salvage my money which was wrongfully charged by the hotel on my card. Though the stress and experience that we went through far exceeds this refund of money but I at least feel happy that some kind of small justice has been done in the matter. I wish this hotel could have handled this case in a better manner but who am I to suggest that to this hotel.

I am extremely grateful to many members on this forum who helped me with their suggestions and also with their emotional support and sympathy. I certainly feel disappointed that original thread on this topic was deleted by the system administrator for the reasons that I could never appreciate. I am sure they had reasons to do so.

[VintageKrug]

It did seem to me rather unnecessary for BT to remove your original post though the reasons behind this were set out above: readers new to this thread can read the original post, now with a Management Response from the hotel, here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d254579-r68889191-La_Suite_Executive_Hotel-London_England.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

To be fair to La Suite, there aren’t lots of dissatisfied customers here, so perhaps this was just one bad employee and an assumption by management that as you lived far away, they could get away with it. Either way, not acceptable behaviour on the part of the hotel.

Glad to hear to got your refund, at least.

[MartynSinclair]

Prof Gupta

Delighted to hear that you received a refund, however, I am extremely concenred that it appeared to be as a “gesture”! I am sure that there are 2 sides to every story but when one side refuses to explain, it does make you wonder.

I hope your credit card company takes this further and I am sure readers will make their won conclusions.

By the way, I see nothing wrong with emotional posts (factually based). They still put the point across,

Happy days.

[PatJordan]

Dear Prof Gupta,

glad you were eventually refunded your money. It’s just a pity it took so long.

I have no doubt readers will draw their own conclusions regarding staying at this hotel in the future.

[NTarrant]

I too am pleased you have had an outcome Prof Gupta. It is just a shame that it has taken so long.

Not somewhere where customer service is high on the agenda.

[Author]

Posts