American Host

This motel charged us for a mistake they made and employed inadequate customer service practices when addressing the issue.Me and my wife booked a room over the phone at this motel for Friday July 26th, 2013. Without our inquiry, the woman on the phone (named [redacted]) said we could take advantage of a 'special package' which included a one night stay at the American Host Inn for two people and two tickets to the Mac Woods Dune Ride for $113.00 plus taxes. We had seen the special on the website but did not bring it up because it stated that it was a Monday through Thursday deal excluding holidays. When the woman told us about the deal we told her that we were booking for a Friday and therefore we could not take advantage of it, to which she sounded confused and proceeded to tell us 'Nah it works for any day'. With her assurance that it was being offered to us on a Friday at the same rate we proceeded to book the room with the 'special package' rate for Friday July 26th, 2013. About an hour later we decided we would spend one extra night around the area and therefore we called American Host Inn again to book a room for Thursday. When we called the same [redacted] woman picked up, so we mentioned we had just booked a room for the Friday and wanted the same room for Thursday July 25th. She told us that there were no rooms for two available on Thursday and the only ones left were more expensive. We had already called another motel so we told her that we would just stick with the Friday reservation we had already made. Thursday morning we drove from Brampton, Ontario to Hart, Michigan for 8 hours and arrived to the Hart motel where we had a reservation for the Thursday. Around 10:30 p.m. my wife received a call from a man at the American Host Inn asking where we were (I have traveled all over the world and I have never received a call from a hotel asking me where I am or if I am coming that night), to which my wife replied puzzled "we are at the Hart Motel, we will arrive to your motel tomorrow around 2 p.m.". The guy on the phone started yelling at my wife on the phone saying that we had booked for that night, that he was going to charge us regardless and that we would never find a hotel or motel around that area for Friday and hung up. We had booked the room with my wife's credit card and immediately contacted the credit card company in order to make them aware of the situation and record what had happened in case any charges came through and had to be disputed. The next morning I drove to the hotel to speak with the manager and to my surprise the guy who had rudely spoken to my wife on the phone was in fact the manager and owner of the motel. I tried to explain the situation and also demanded an explanation of why he had talked so rude to my wife on the phone. He began yelling at me, called the woman who booked us on the phone (who at the time was cleaning). The woman blatantly lied to my face saying that 1. She called us back to say the Friday rate was different (when we were the ones that called back) and 2. that we had decided to change our booking for the Thursday (when they had originally said they did not have rooms for two available). When I questioned them about my booking at the Hart Motel which would mean I would have double booked they said "either they offered you a better rate and forgot about your booking here or you are stupid". I was stunned at the inappropriate use of language and the deficient customer service provided specially coming from the owner. I told them that I was going to file a complaint with the Revdex.com, he stated that he did not give a (explicit), and threw 2 receipts at me one for the deposit for $35 and one for a no show for $67.75 and told me to get off his property. I left in order to avoid any further confrontation. I have disputed the charges with my credit card company since the services were not rendered and I am doubtless that the charges from this scam are going to be dismissed. But I could not let this pass without reporting the substandard customer service provided and the rudeness and bullying from the owner.Desired SettlementFirst of all I want a written apology from the owner for his rude behavior both to my wife on the phone and to me in person. Second I want a full refund of the $35 dollar deposit and the $67.75 no-show fee since it was their mistake for booking us the wrong night that led to both charges.Business Response RE: Case #[redacted]August 8, 2013I am writing this letter in response to the complaint made by [redacted], with whom our hotel has had no dealings with. However, with respect to the Revdex.com we will concede to respond, as we have indeed had a business transaction with a woman named [redacted], referring to herself as [redacted]'s girlfriend. Please refer to the notes below, provided by our front desk associate ([redacted]), in reference to this incident."On July 18, 2013, [redacted] called the hotel and inquired if the Mac Woods package listed on our website was also available on the weekend. I informed her that it was as stated on our site; Monday - Thursday only. She commenced to pressure me into giving her the package on Friday. I informed her that I only work here (Hotel) and that I could not, and would not, be able to offer it to her on Friday as it was against our policy. I also informed her that we did not have any availability on Friday, July 26, that we were totally booked for the weekend. She said she would discuss it with her boyfriend and get back to me with her decision. She called back shortly, stating that they had booked a room at another hotel (which I had kindly given her, the number to), for Friday night, and that they would move there after staying with us on Thursday night in order to take advantage of the package."In reference to the statement that I, [redacted], owner of American Host Inn, gave a courtesy call to Miss [redacted], to confirm her reservation for July 25, 2013, is correct. When she did not show up at the hotel by 10:30 pm, I called her three times to be sure that she was not having any difficulties in finding our establishment or having any holdups, as we close the lobby at 11:00 pm. We wished to accommodate her, if possible, in staying open until she arrived. Unfortunately, she stated that it was "too expensive" to answer her phone, or return the call due to (roaming?) charges. Finally, she did call us back from her hotel room located 1 mile down the road. She seemed to be quite confused as to her booking arrangements, stating that she "had called so many hotels" and that she "had been unable to find ours". [redacted] arrived at our hotel Friday morning, with her boyfriend, [redacted] came into the hotel alone, demanding in a very loud voice to be given a room and asking why I had talked rudely to his (wife??) on the phone. He was very aggressive and tried to intimidate my desk clerk by yelling and accusing her of lying, in a very threatening manner. He threatened to call the Revdex.com and to also sue the hotel for discrimination (Canadian???). I asked them to leave or I would need to call the police as they were disturbing our guests with their loud behavior. He left only to return 4 more times! When my desk clerk informed him that she was frightened and would call the police because she was feeling harassed and at risk, he then left the premises shouting that he would contact Revdex.com and sue us for the alleged discrimination that had taken place, because we had no rooms available.When making a reservation with us, we require a $35.00, non-refundable deposit to hold the room, this deposit is then deducted from the bill when the guest arrives, and pays the balance. As everyone knows, this is a common policy when booking a reservation at a hotel (rate amounts may vary by hotel).This policy was explained to [redacted]. She obviously and willingly provided her credit card information to the desk clerk for this purpose. **Please note that the credit card information had to have been given by Miss [redacted], how else would the desk clerk obtain such information? Why would she (Miss [redacted]) give this information for no apparent reason, other than in response to the information provided to her regarding the policy?A copy of the reservation card made out on July 18, 2013, by our desk clerk for [redacted], is available for your review upon request (I saw no attachment option on your response website). The reservation card made out on July 18, 2013, by our desk clerk for [redacted] displays that she reserved a package that included one room with two, Mac Woods Dune ride tickets, for Thursday, July 25, 2013. However, as she was a no-show, we have only charged [redacted] for the room at the regular rate of $89.00, plus tax in the amount of $9.79, a total of $98.79. ($35.00 deposit and the remaining balance of $67.75). She was not given, nor charged for the Mac Woods tickets.Respectfully,[redacted]Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I do not accept the response from American Host Inn for two simple reasons. First and foremost it is really insulting from the so called hotel "owner/manager" to bluntly lie. If the hotel recorded their calls, sent e-mail confirmations of bookings or had cameras to prove that what they are saying is true then his lies would all come to light. By not providing e-mail confirmations for bookings or even reference numbers to check possible alteration of bookings the hotel is preventing any type of information to be documentation in case they want to change any prior arrangements made with their customers and as demonstrated in this case place all the blame on their customers. To demonstrate this I am going to point out the deliberate alterations the owner has made to the story to give his side more credibility and once again make it seem as if all the blame should be placed on the "customer". We ([redacted] and [redacted]) called the hotel together and booked a night for Friday July 26th as we intended to stay in Michigan for one night only Friday to Saturday. The lady on the phone offered us the package deal for the Friday (we did not even know this package option was available and therefore we accepted it as we wanted to go on the Mac Woods Dune Rides). We booked Friday and after realizing we could leave Thursday night we called to book a night on Thursday as well, however they told us that they did not have rooms for two available and therefore the other rooms were more expensive so we decided to stick with the Friday booking only and look for another place for Thursday. It is true that the hotel owner called around 10:00pm on Thursday and we did pick up (another lie), only for him to start yelling at my girlfriend on the phone because apparently we had not arrived to his hotel (obviously we had booked somewhere else since they did not have rooms for two available on the Thursday). The next day I only went to the hotel to make sure no charges were placed on the credit card as it was not our fault that the incompetent and rude staff made a mistake and booked us for the wrong night I only went into the hotel ONCE (another lie) and only mentioned the Revdex.com when the owner began yelling and using inappropriate language. We never said we were never able to find their hotel (this is a really small town and as someone that lives in a metropolitan city such as Toronto this is highly unlikely to happen - another lie). We also never mentioned we wanted another room (another lie), who in this world would want to stay at a hotel where the manager insulted and yelled at their wife the previous night over the phone?.Due to the amount of false facts and the unwillingness of the owner to provide true facts and continuously blame the customer for the whole situation without even apologizing for using offensive language, a rude attitude and yelling I refuse to accept this response. We have already dealt with the Credit Card company and have already been credited all of our money back for services not rendered. But it is not only about the money, it is about the principle, and as a customer to be able to be treated with respect and when a situation like this arises to be able to receive proper CUSTOMER SERVICE.Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: I paid with my credit card and was charged a fee. I am under the impression that if a business signed up to accept credit card as a form of payment, they are not allowed to charge the person paying a fee, it falls within the contract not to charge. The other thing is that each time it's a different misc cc feeDesired Settlement: They need to stop charging people a "misc credit card fee"I have notice that a lot of merchants in Lompoc do this & the fee ranges from $ .15- $1.75.