Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Asia
Reload this Page >

Ockpoptok warning

Search

Ockpoptok warning

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 31st, 2008 | 05:10 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 776
Likes: 0
Ockpoptok warning

Check your credit card statements carefully.
Ockpoptok, supposedly a very reputable store, charged me twice for the same item, 9 days apart. I had already returned to the US. I tried calling the store to resolve the issue. They now don't understand English!

I'm going thru the credit card company to have the charge reversed.
nibblette is offline  
Old Mar 31st, 2008 | 09:05 AM
  #2  
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,509
Likes: 0
Where is this store?
kmkrnn is offline  
Old Mar 31st, 2008 | 09:37 AM
  #3  
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
It's in Luang Prabang.

It is renowned to be highly reputable. I have to say I've occasionally had double billing from business in the US. When it's been called to the business's attention or to the credit card, it's been taken care of immediately.
Kathie is offline  
Old Mar 31st, 2008 | 10:57 AM
  #4  
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Ha-ha-ha-ha. I once had a similar experience at George's (hair salon) on Orchard Road in Singapore. Unbeknownest to me, for close to SGD 300, George himself cut my hair on the day before he was due to get a tonsillectomy. He was a nervous wreck, and my "0.5mm trim" turned out 6.0mm shorter on one side than the other. Woof! I was devastated!

By the time I returned to my hotel, discovered the dicrepancy, and returned to the salon the following day to demand a refund, George was on sick leave for an ext4nded period that out-lasted my stay in Singapore. Thus, I too left the refund to my credit card company, and the process became complicated. I had, after all, "received" the haircut and had not "returned" it. We went around and around for months.

At last, I designed a free web page on virtualtourist.com, featuring a graphic photo of me in wet tresses, with a ruler to my shoulder, showing the 2 1/2-inch discrepancy in hair length. The web page warned travellers not to frequent George's and read: "If you are viewing this web page, it means that George's has still not issued a refund to my account."

Zip-zoom! Almost immediately after I emailed the web page address to George's, the salon re-charged my card for an additional full amount of the haircut (a second obvious error due only to their now blatant incompetance). At this point, I was out close to SGD 600. Amazing!

Alas! The charges inevitably got strainghtened out. But what a rigamorole! The web site worked wonders. If all else fails, and the amount you're talking about is worth it, I highly recommend the idea.
Ladyhawk is offline  
Old Apr 1st, 2008 | 01:49 AM
  #5  
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 441
Likes: 0
In fairness, the person who took your call may not have spoken English. My wife had the same experience at a hotel in Kampot (Cambodia) and a couple of emails saw it all sorted out.

Tourism is not as developed in Laos as in some other countries and it could have been a genuine mistake.

I was very impressed with the quality at Ockpoptok but i admit I paid cash.
silverwool is offline  
Old Apr 1st, 2008 | 04:28 AM
  #6  
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,749
Likes: 0
The only times I have been billed 'twice' over the past few years was once by a 'good' hotel in Australia and once by a 'good' hotel in Singapore.

They were simply errors which c/card company sorted easily.

These things happen and should not necessarily be though of as more than just errors.
JamesA is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Angela_m
Europe
133
Dec 11th, 2011 06:53 AM
marksfour
Asia
5
Mar 5th, 2008 10:20 PM
kingbonza
Asia
8
Jan 23rd, 2007 02:33 PM
jiffer
United States
10
Feb 6th, 2005 08:05 AM
Michelle
Europe
7
Oct 8th, 2002 07:21 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement -