After paying $750.75 in advance on March 13, 1998, and regretfully cancelling six weeks before my scheduled weekend, Judy, the owner, refuses to honor her own cancellation policy (at least three weeks notice. She will not refund my money or allow me to reschedule. Any ideas on what I should do?

That is just insane! You have given her SIX weeks notice. She needs to honor her policy. Being that she isn't, I would speak with her one more time about it. If you get no resolution, you may want to think about taking her to small claims court. I know that may cost you, but sometimes only the threat of a lawsuit will make a person change their mind. You could also report her to the Better Business Bureau. You could report her to your local newspaper to give her some bad press. I would at least do something for the principal of it all and for peace of mind. Good luck!

You don't mention what state you or shea are in - legal specifics vary from state to state. Depending on when the deposite was made, if it was by credit card you may be able to contest the charge. Most important is to immediately document all correspondence, dates, times etc, and put your cancellation request to her in writing(stipulating details of your agreement and previous conversatuions)and send it by registered mail wiht return receipt requested. Tis provides proof that she either receieved you request or refused it. Skip the BBB - they're not particularly effective - at least not where I live. Once your documents are in place, if she still stonewalls you, contact the appropriate state Attorney General's office and aks for their consumer fraud division. They can usually assist directly or by referring you to the proper agencies in their system. I live in NY state and was being rooked by a the largest furniture dealer in the state, who refused to refund the price of a couch that fell apart within a month after purchase. When I contacted them to notify them of the Attorney Genral's office involvement they suddenly became cooperative.

JCleland,

Could you give more details about the place that is doing this. This post reaches many, many people, and the bad publicity from here may have an effect. If she gets enough correspondence stating the facts you posted, she may change her mind. The more people that know about this the better. Perhaps even a few well worded phone calls from readers of this post will make her re-think her position. Keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

An additional thought... if the establishment is part of any B&B reservation or referral system, find out who administers the group and present your case. I'd also suggest contacting the travel & tourism council fpor the specific area. If it's in a torusit heavy destination, these groups often have some influence over merchants/operators in their area by virtue of peer pressure.

If you paid by credit card, you definitely have an excellent chance of your credit card provider reversing the charge - but you must carefully document the facts and forward your request and supporting documentation to the proper address within the time contraints prescribed (directions should be on the back of your monthly statement, otherwise, call the number on your card and ask what to do). And, this is an excellent reason to always pay for things such as this with a credit card. If you paid by check, your best bet is to contact whatever associations this establishment maintains membership. Or, the local Chamber of Commerce or tourist or visitor's office. Be SURE to have someone call now, and on the days you planned to stay and inquire about availability. If your room is booked for the period, this strengthens your case. Agree that you may get some action from the Attorney General's office in whatever state. Be sure to let us know the outcome, and be SURE to provide more details...