BEWARE! double check your hotel bill...
 

Because the last two times I have stayed in a name brand hotel they have charged me for things we did not use. First time, Doubletree, they charged me 17.87 for a movie we didn't see. And last month Westin charged us twice for $25 parking and mini bar which we didn't use. A total of $42. Both hotels refunded on the cc as soon as I called them and brought it to their attention.

Now for both stays we used Priceline. Maybe that is just a coincidence. I hope.

I know mistakes happen, and I will give them the benifit of the doubt, but please check your cc when you get home and make sure they didn't charge you for services you didn't use. And get the checkout bill so if they do mischarge, you will have the statement. These extra charges can add up.

Trust me, I think $25 is plenty for parking.

Hi Heavens, I have had that happen a few times. I prefer to go to the desk, get the bill and read it. Or if the hotel wants to slip in under the room door that is OK..but I again I read it. Isn't is amazing how the "errors" are never in the guest favor, lol.

Regarding the minibar/refrigerator..if you are not going to use it(and I don't in the states) then refuse the key to the refrigerator. That takes care of that problem or it should.

I'm at my p/t job right now; at a hotel front desk.

Why single out hotels? You should check any invoice (or guest check) before you pay it. Mistakes happen in every business. You don't think my boss sits around and thinks of ways to p*ss off the guests, do you, and that we obey like sheep? Sure, we want all the revenue we earn, but guests who feel they've been "had" don't return, and tell 20 of their friends, or thousands of strangers via the internet.

The only charge problem I've had with a hotel (yes, Priceline) was a Residence Inn that charged me for the room directly (gave them my CC for incidentals) even though it was prepaid through Priceline. Two calls to the hotel front desk were answered with "the manager's not here, she'll deal with it first thing tomorrow" which were both ignored a week later. So I called American Express to dispute the charge and they resolved it.

But you should always check your hotel bill carefully, whether you use Priceline or not. This is not to single out hotels as being rip-offs, rb_travelerxATyahoo, but hotels seem much more likely to have billing issues simply because of the numerous people involved, the multiple guests, and the various possibilities for charging. Sure you should check your bill at a restaurant, too, but hopefully it's just your waitperson doing the charges.

Andrew

RB, I am not picking on hotels but I have to say there have been several times where hotel bills were not correct.

I was charged for the parking fee..but I didn't have a car..I had arrived by a taxi. The charge was deducted of course.

I was charged for room service..which I had not had..the charge was deducted.

I was charged for telephone calls which I had not made as all of my telephone calls were made via my cellphone. The charges were deducted.

All these incorrect charges were at various hotels.

Yes other business sometimes make errors but IMHO hotel make more errors on guest bills to a greater degree then most other businesses. And I say that although I have a family member who is high up in the accounting department of a well know hotel chain.

So it is prudent for every hotel guest to carefully check their hotel bill IMHO.

My first reaction is: "You mean you don't automatically check over your hotel bill before checking out?" That's a given to me!

It seems the more expensive the hotel we stay in, the more likely it is that we have incorrect charges on the bill...

Don't wait until you get home to check your hotel bill. Do it as you check out. It's way easier to make corrections then.
And no, it's not just hotels that make mistakes. I have to double check my Taco Bell order every time i stop at the store down the street.

Well, actually, these "extra" charges showed up only on the cc, a month or two after the fact. So, check the bill, of course, before you leave. Then keep it for reference. That is the bill that you signed. Both of these situations, or mistakes, showed up on my cc bill, and had I not checked them out, I would have been charged for them. I never signed for them, they were just "add ons". Who decides this? The maid calls down and says that some things are missing from the mini bar so they just tack it on the bill after you have left? If I had the service, I'll pay for it, but don't charge me twice for parking. I am already uphappy about paying it once.

Just be careful. If you read my post, this is no slam to any chain. I only used the names bc these were higher grade hotels which often we think these mistakes wouldn't happen. Or I would anyway. I also said I will give them the benifit of the doubt, but if it keeps happening, then, well...hope not.

Always do and B4 I check out. Have to be careful.

I recently stayed at a hotel in Salt Lake City that charged $1 a day for the safe but said they would refund it if I didn't use it. The $5 was on the express checkout bill so I called the desk and was told it would be removed. I checked my credit card account for three weeks and it never showed, so I finally called the hotel and they refunded it immediately. I'm convinced that they only issue refunds to people who pursue the issue. Most people would forget about such a small charge, but it's the principle of the thing!

Sometimes the error is in the customer's favor. We once got undercharged by about $500 for a stay at a resort. We had a deluxe room, and they charged us for the cheapest room.

This happens to me several times. Each time I solved it through e-mails by using website's "contact us".

Sure, everyone should ask for a detailed print-out upon check-out, and check each credit card statement, and not only hotel charges.

The last time I stayed in a hotel they charged me for a penthouse suite. My real room was on a floor in which an entire high school football team was staying. Still can't figure out how a high school could afford a hotel like that.