Survfan

I just got back from Ireland 2 weeks ago and had a blast but there is something that I must report for all future travlers to Doolin to be aware of. Aprox a week before I left I made a change of plans and decided to spend the first full day on the west coast staying over in Doolin. I contacted the Doonmacfelim House to see if they had any twin rooms available. The owner wrote back saying that one was indeed available for the night I was seeking and I could reserve it with my credit card number. After he asked I sent my information to him and never got a confirmation number back. Therefore, the next day I sent him an email asking if he got my card info and reserved the room for me and I got no answer. The next day I emailed him again and still I got no reply with a confirmation number. The next day the morning before my departure I got a calling card and called the B&B asking if my room was reserved for the next night and I spoke to a women who said my name is not in the books there is no reservation and no available rooms for that night. Right away I saved all emails incase I needed to dispute the case in the future and called other B&b for hope that with hardly any notice that they would have availability. We ended up staying at the Doolin Activity Lodge which was just fine for the night and no problems! 10 days later I arrive home to the states and a few days after I get my credit card statement and sure enough their was a charge for the Doonmacfelim House WHERE I NEVER STAYED. Now keep in mind I understand that when owners have a "no show" they have the right to bill the guest. However, I made all possible attempts to make a reservation and it was my understanding that there was no reservation for me and then I made other plans. I emailed the owner right away and gave them three days to reply. I never heard from the owners and I told them everything I told you. Today I called them and they had told me that they just read my email. He then proceeded to tell me that he was out of town the day that I called and the only person who I could have talked to was his sister in law who said she only got one call that day and it was about another matter all together. Then I began to explain that I never got a confirmation number and he said yes I usually do reply I do not know why I didnt give you one. Then I said well sir with all due respect how can you bill me what I never got a confirmation number and I was told there was no reservation in my name. He kept pushing the fact that no one at that b&b spoke to me and I know dam well I called the right place. Then he said well the room was empty for the night the best I can do is charge you half price 35.00 instead of 70.00 euro. I then went on to explain how I still thought this was bogus and I was paying for his mistakes. Then he said what time did you call. I told him I called about 10 a.m. and he said well no one was home till 1 p.m and this is where I know I caught him cause I said that is 10 am USA time it would have been 3 p.m in Ireland. He then said well maybe you spoke with my wife! And I said well doesnt your wife have access to the same reservation book as you and why didnt she see my name then and he said I dont know but the best I can do is half price NOTHING IS FREE IN THIS WORLD! That set me off and I kept telling him how unprofessional this was and poor customer service and finally he said fine I will refund you full price and dont call back again and slammed the phone down in my ear! Now bear in mind I am not hard to appease but I thought what he was doing is complete Bull shi*! My goal is not to tell you all not to stay at this B&B as I know many have had great things to say about it in the past which is why I contacted them in the first place. However, please be aware to keep every email and fight tooth and nail for your rights when you feel you are being ripped off! Good luck!

Holly_uncasdewar

1. Just contact your credit company and lay it all out for them. You shouldn't have any problem getting the charge removed.

2. Good thing this isn't your first post here.

Patrick

Too late for this time, but whenever I don't hear back from a first email, I click that gizmo that notifies me if and when the party at the other end reads my email. Then I keep that "receipt" with copies of my emails. Those would come in very handy when pleading a case with the credit card company.

Meanwhile, here's a good one. I once had a similar experience with a motel in Alaska. When I called they couldn't find any record of a reservation so I made a new one and did in fact stay there. Yet when I got home they had billed me for two rooms -- once for the room I used and once for "not showing up" for my original reservation. I finally figured out they had reversed my first and last names on the first reservation and that's why they couldn't find it. They refused to budge on crediting me for "not showing up" even though I was there! Visa came through though and credited it after I gave them the story.

Survfan

Patrick that is to funny about your experience in Alaska. Not really funny cause I know it prob pissed you off but its nuts to think that these hotels/b&b conduct business like this. I called MBNA as soon as I hung up with the b&b owner and they said if the merchant credit doesnt show by my next statement then send in all the email documentations and there should be no problems. I just couldnt believe this guy on the phone though at the b&b in Ireland it was like he was accecpting fault but saying you still have to pay half price.

SiobhanP

Do report this to Board Failte wether they are a member or not as they should be aware of people being ripped off. They are desperate for travel in the west these days and this is definately no how to get it. Check www.ireland.ie for any contact details for the tourist board.

JOHNOD

This might be a little off message but I have stopped sending my CC info to unsecured sites. This year I made my B&B reservations through Town and Country and their secure site. I paid the booking fee but it was worth my peace of mind. They send a confirmation right away with a number. Print it out and give it to the B&B when you arrive. If you have your CC infor stolen it can be a nightmare. Other booking organizations also have secure sites. Just a thought.

Kate

I've had the same problem before with a reservation in Italy (Umbria). I cancelled a reservation which the hotel later claimed they hadn't received (I telephoned and emailed). Unfortunately for me, the Credit Card company refused to help (it was a Visa card issued by my bank), and said it wasn't their problem. Charming!

ira

Hi JOHNOD
>...I have stopped sending my CC info to unsecured sites....<

Do you ever hand your cc to a waiter who walks off with it for a few minutes?

JOHNOD

Hi Ira,

Your point is well taken. The world is not fyet perfect but we should do what we can. Portabel scanners that can read and store your information are out there and you read about that all the time. Just read a story about a car dealership in New Jersey that would get a CC card number under the guise of a credit check and then steal the information. The point is do what you can to protect yourself.

chatham

Survfan, I'm sorry about your problem in Doolin. Would you post some more about your trip, please. I've been wondering how it was. Thnaks, Joan

Survfan

Chatham:
The vacation was great! I loved Ireland and wish I could just take a year off of teaching and travel but it is quite costly to do so. The night I spent in Doolin was great had a blast in the town and visited the Cliffs of Moher. I really loved Dublin even though some advised against going there. We spent 2 days and 3 nights there. In Dublin, we did alot of shopping in Stephen's Green, Temple Bar. Also toured Guiness, Book of Kells, and National Mus. Then we drove to Cashel but stopped in Kilkenny, and toured the Castle and town for a few hours. We arrived at the Rockside House b&b in Cashel around 7 p.m. ate dinner and went to the Bru Bour Show which was fantastic. I loved the owners at the B&B in Cashel. Never got to meet Joan but her husband Rem was great! I recommend this place to everyone! I actually left a few shirts there and two pairs of pants and I called them once we got to our next destination and they were nice enough to ship my clothes back to the U.S after I sent them a money order. The next morning we toured the Rock of Cashel and stopped for lunch in Cahir and toured the castle there. We then drove to Cork City as I have a friend from college who lives there and we stayed in Cork for 3 nights. The first night we arrived late so went to the outdoor market there to get food and went to the pubs. The second day in Cork we walked the city and went shopping and on the last day we drove to Kinsale and Cobh. The seafood in Kinsale was wonderful! After Cork we drove to Killarney and spent the day and night there. We walked through town and ran in Killarney National Park on the first day. Before leaving Killarney on the second day we toured Ross Castle and the Muckross House. In Killarney we stayed at the Great Southern Hotel which was great! We got a mid week special so the cost wasnt that high. After spending much of the afternoon in Killarney we headed North for our last night in Bunratty and stayedd at the Bunratty Lodge. Mary the host at Bunratty Lodge was great, very friendly and helpful. Our last night we didnt do to much just ate at Dirty Nellys and prepared for our flight the next morning. I loved Ireland and though the Irish were amazing people. I cannot wait to come back to Ireland again someday and visit other places which I did not get to see. To all future travelers however long your trip may be take time to enjoy what you see and do not cram to much in. Many people think we did alot of driving in 10 days but I never felt rushed and thought it was perfect timing. We there places I wish I stayed longer? Sure but I think that will always happen.

walkinaround

>>>>>>>
Hi JOHNOD
>...I have stopped sending my CC info to unsecured sites....<

Do you ever hand your cc to a waiter who walks off with it for a few minutes?
>>>>>>>>>>>&gt ;

hardly ever anymore, most have portable card readers so it is never out of your site. anyway, if you do hand it to a waiter, you are risking the CC with one person...on the net, the information is retained on: who knows how many servers, for how long, and accessable by how many people. i'm not at all paranoid but entering your CC number on an unsecured site or sending it by email is stupid while giving it to a waiter is a measured risk IMO...although i can't remember the last time i had to do this.

massagediva

Survfan-FYI- Paragraphs are so much easier on the eyes than one big chunk!

chatham

Survfan, Thanks for letting me know about your trip. I've been thinking of you these weeks and wondering how you got on. Sounds as if you fall in love with Ireland also. You saw alot in your ten days and seem to have enjoyed it. Where did you stay in Dublin. I find it so expensive there. Again thanks for your report. My Best, Joan

saoi

I just got back from Ireland 8/17, spent some time in Doolin at the Aran View Hotel...just outside Doolin. We've stayed there many times over the years; good prices, great food in their on site restaurant. The view of the Atlantic is fantastic from there, and you don't have the noise of the town at night.

The best thing I like about traveling to Ireland is that it is still one of the few countries you can travel to without any kind of reservations, and have no problem getting any kind of accommodation you want.

I never book accommodation until I get there, then use the Tourist Board offices in every town to book for the night. I recently found out that Bord Failte approved accommodations will book your following nights for free, so you don't have to pay the 4 Euro "booking fee"!

Doolin has always been a tourist locale, but it seems the tourism has taken a toll on it. I saw a sticker on a cash register in a pub in town that said "Don't piss off the locals". Later that day, a 5 year old gave me the "finger" in both Irish (2 fingers) and American...the middle one, when I used his driveway to pull a U turn!

The newspaper carried the story of a feud between the "Fast Ferry" and the Aran Ferry owners. When we tried to book a ferry to Inis Mor, we were told by Aran Ferry that Fast Ferry had left a boatload of tourists on Aran Mor overnight because the Ferry broke down. I don't know if it's true, or just part of the feud. The paper reported that the two Ferry companies owners had come to blows, and it is now in the courts. We never got to the Aran Islands; Fast Ferry told us they no longer travel to Inis Mor, just to Inis Oir, though their brochure said they did both. Very strange.

Doolin has changed.

Clifton

Survfan, thanks for sharing this about Doonmacfelim House. We are Ireland fans (in fact, just sent in citizenship papers today!) but have not yet stayed overnight in Doolin. When we do, it won't be with that fella!

walkinaround, I haven't seen so many of the portable card readers yet. Very few. But, did you hear the story about the Wagamama noodle chain in London? Their readers, like most of those handheld items, transmit back to a central hub nearby. Sort of like the free Wi-fi internet spots. But their handhelds weren't at all secured. They sent your card number back to the router in the restaurant there in clear, unencoded text. The router would be secured to the main company network, but anyone in the general area could sniff and read the card numbers at will, and were doing so. Card numbers collected and sold by those diligent students and workers with the laptops at the next table. So, you just never know really.

Survfan

Massagediva:

Thanks for the advice with the paragraphs. I should realize that when typing I guess I get so wrapped up in my posts that I do not take time to review.

Chatham:
When in Dublin we actually got a good deal at the Jurys Inn- Burlington Inn Hotel. The cost was 99 Euro per night for a twin room. I thought this to be a good price considering the quality of the hotel as compared to other prices in the City. It was about a 15 minute walk to Stevens Green and 20-25 minute walk to Temple Bar. But I thought it was a rather enjoyable walk and safe as well. It is so sadd when I think about all the planning that went into the trip and the fun I had and now its over! I am trying to figure out where to travel next summer.

carkat

survfan,

If you haven't driven thru England, that is a great trip. 4 of us rented a car and drove 3 weeks and it was wonderful.

Did you like Doolin even though you had a bad experience?

The same four are planning a trip for next May. two have been there already, but can't wait to go back.

Survfan

Carkat:

No I have not driven through England but it sounds wonderful. I went to London twice though once in 99 again in 2003. I loved London but never did make it to the England countryside but when I go back to England some day that is my goal the countryside. Have a blast next spring! I know there are so many places to visit in this world I am trying to decide where I want to go next summer!