Whispering Pines Retreat

Unfortunately it is my word against that of Mr[redacted] I followed the protocol clearly as stated on my websiteI never stated that I would change my protocolMy husband did not say there is a grace period because there is not one and he is not involved with my business so he always has me return all callsIt is clear that he is just does not want to pay for his cancelled reservation and is willing to lie because he is upsetHe cancelled within twenty four hours of his chetimeThe cabin was reserved for him for weeksA reservation can be cancelled days in advance and only the 20%reservation fee would be chargedAs a result of his late cancellation I could not rent out my cabin to someone elseI feel my policy is more than fair I appreciate your thoughtful consideration and feel certain that I was true to my clearly stated policies I look forward to a quick resolution of this matter

I am the owner of Whispering Pines RetreatThe disputing party made a reservation to stay at of my cabinsHe agreed to the"TERMS OF STAY" agreementHe canceled day prior to his stayWe have no hour grace periodOur terms are very clear (see below)My husband did indeed speak with this
individual and says that he told him simply that I would call back because it is my businessI charged his card the full amount as I am entitled for a cancellation within days of the reservationThis policy is standard practice in JulianI am extremely flexible and have often changed reservations at the last minute and not charged the guest because they had an emergencyHe said his friend had a change of plansI stand by my decision, in good conscience, to charge this guesthttp://www.whisperingpinesjulian.com/home/pricing-and-availability
Terms of Stay
Prices include a 20% non-refundable reservation fee (credit card required to make a reservation). We accept Visa, MasterCard and/or cash at che
Big Pine rates are based on person occupancy and Little Pine on 2 person occupancy , additional guests are an additional per night
Cabins are NON-SMOKING
Pets are welcome- guests must sign that they will take full responsibility for cleaning up after their pet/s
Responsibility- Guests agree to respect the cabins, their contents and furnishings and the Retreat property in generalAny damage, accidental or intentional, is the financial responsibility of the registered guestThe credit card used for the reservation will also serve as the agreement of responsibility and will be used to pay for any damage incurred during a visit to Whispering Pines Retreat. Guests who are disrespectful to the property, other guests, or the management will be asked to leave and will not be refunded fees paid
Cancellation policy- In the event of a cancellation (or no show) within week of a reservation, full payment will be charged to the reservation holder's credit card
Cheis at 3pm and check-out is at noon
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration in this unfortunate matter
Sincerely ,
*** ***
Owner of Whispering Pines Retreat

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I am always truthful and I expect that people will keep their word.  The owner's word was that she would charge me 20% i.e. $32 for the cancellation.  I confirmed this *3 times* with her on the phone.  I confirmed the date of my stay with her **3 times**.  
 
She for some reason did not have the credit card number I gave her when I made the reservation.  I again gave her my credit card number a second time on the phone, and she confirmed she would be charging $32.  Within 30 minutes of hanging up she sends an email saying she had charged me 100% i.e. $160 without forewarning or authorization.
 
It is my understanding that a verbal agreement constitutes a binding contract which supersedes verbiage which might be buried somewhere on a website.  I expect a reputable business owner would keep her word.  I believe this conduct is unethical, probably illegal, and just plain dishonest.  It surely is bad business practice to break a verbal contact like this.
 
Please Note - Contrary to what the owner states, I reported truthfully what her husband told me regarding being within the 24 hour grace period.
 
I see nothing in the owner's response to this complaint addressing her repeated confirmations that I would be charged only 20%.  Why would a business person with any integrity repeatedly say one thing directly to a customer on the phone to get a credit card number, then turn around 30 minutes later and charge that card for **5 times** the authorized amount verbally agreed to?
 
She told me she liked to work with people and be flexible regarding their reservations.  I have no idea what she might mean by this now.  Her actions and responses have not reflected this in the least.  My friend did have an unexpected last minute urgent situation which required immediate attention, thus the need to change plans. The cancellation was not done lightly, and was done immediately after learning the news.  The owner did not seem at all interested in the reason for the cancellation, and was not forthcoming with any alternatives.
 
In my opinion the owner's actions have reflected poorly not only on her establishment and professional integrity, but on the Julian business community as a whole.  I have never lodged a complaint against any business until now.  It is indeed a sad state of affairs.
 
I again kindly state that the $160 charge should be reversed and that only the stated $32 should be charged.
 
Regards,
[redacted]

Unfortunately it is my word against that of Mr.[redacted]. I followed the protocol clearly as stated on my website. I never stated that I would change my protocol. My husband did not say there is a grace period because there is not one and he is not involved with my business so he always has me return all calls. It is clear that he is just does not want to pay for his cancelled reservation and is willing to lie because he is upset. He cancelled within twenty four hours of his check-in time. The cabin was reserved for him for weeks. A reservation can be cancelled 7 days in advance and only the 20%reservation fee would be charged. As a result of his late cancellation I could not rent out my cabin to someone else. I feel my policy is more than fair.
 
I appreciate your thoughtful consideration and feel certain that I was true to my clearly stated policies.
 
I look forward to a quick resolution of this matter.

Review: I reserved a cabin for 2 nights. I had to cancel my reservation. I called and talked with [redacted] and her husband (owners). Her husband told me that I was within the 24 hour grace period.I told [redacted] 3 times the date of my reservation that I was canceling. I asked and she confirmed 3 different times during the conversation that she would be charging me only 20% of the total as a cancellation charge i.e $32. She asked for my credit card information as she had not written it down correctly when I first made the reservation. A few minutes later I receive an email stating that she had charged me the full $160 since my cancellation was within a week of my reservation.I consider this behavior unacceptable, unethical, and illegal - lying to a customer on the phone that he would be charged one amount and then charging a different amount.Subsequent email follow-ups requesting her to charge the agreed upon amount have turned out to be futile.Desired Settlement: Refund of $128 ($160 - $32) to align with our verbal contract regarding the cancellation charge.

Business

Response:

I am the owner of Whispering Pines Retreat. The disputing party made a reservation to stay at of my cabins. He agreed to the"TERMS OF STAY" agreement. He canceled 1 day prior to his stay. We have no 24 hour grace period. Our terms are very clear (see below). My husband did indeed speak with this individual and says that he told him simply that I would call back because it is my business. I charged his card the full amount as I am entitled for a cancellation within 7 days of the reservation. This policy is standard practice in Julian. I am extremely flexible and have often changed reservations at the last minute and not charged the guest because they had an emergency. He said his friend had a change of plans. I stand by my decision, in good conscience, to charge this guest.

http://www.whisperingpinesjulian.com/home/pricing-and-availability

Terms of Stay

Prices include a 20% non-refundable reservation fee (credit card required to make a reservation). We accept Visa, MasterCard and/or cash at check-in

Big Pine rates are based on 4 person occupancy and Little Pine on 2 person occupancy , additional guests are an additional 10.00 per night

Cabins are NON-SMOKING

Pets are welcome- guests must sign that they will take full responsibility for cleaning up after their pet/s

Responsibility- Guests agree to respect the cabins, their contents and furnishings and the Retreat property in general. Any damage, accidental or intentional, is the financial responsibility of the registered guest. The credit card used for the reservation will also serve as the agreement of responsibility and will be used to pay for any damage incurred during a visit to Whispering Pines Retreat. Guests who are disrespectful to the property, other guests, or the management will be asked to leave and will not be refunded fees paid.

Cancellation policy- In the event of a cancellation (or no show) within 1 week of a reservation, full payment will be charged to the reservation holder's credit card.

Check-in is at 3pm and check-out is at noon.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration in this unfortunate matter.