Diplomatic Stay

Review: I paid for a month long stay at Diplomatic Stay in March 2013. I was in the process of moving back from living for a few years in Thailand and Cambodia and paid $700 for my stay at this hotel while I set up residence. I brought two pieces of luggage with me, which comprised my possessions. The website said the hotel provided luggage storage and upon arrival, I asked about storage. The manager then took one of my bags and brought it to a room which he said was the storage unit. He represented that it was secure. I brought the other piece of luggage with me to my room. Upon my checkout of Diplomatic Stay, in late March 2013, I went to retrieve my suitcase. It was no longer there. I asked the Manager and he said that it was probably moved. I waited another day and I followed up. The luggage never turned up. Suspecting that someone stole it, I contacted the police and filed a police report, on April 2, 2013. I received horrible customer service. I had to searched the house myself for it and even the adjoining house, which was also being used as long-term stay/hotel. At one point, the Manager offered that he would buy me a new luggage to substitute the lost one. The level of disinterest in helping a customer, who had lost half of her belongings, was incredible.

After many attempts and phone calls, I reached the Manager/Owner, **. *---[redacted] (omitted letters of last name due to public nature of complaint). We spoke and he was resistant to help but on April 4, 2013, [redacted] wrote:

I get touched when you email me of how you have been looking for your luggage. I have been through something similar. Contact me back on the 20th of April and if no one has emailed us back I may be able to pay you for the bag. I will list the bag around $300 or more that way my business partners will not see it as a refund. Lets wait and see. Also, contact me at [redacted] that is my private email.

Out of that conversation, he agreed to file an insurance claim and I forwarded him the police report. I checked on the status of the claim again in May 2013 and several times over the course of the next few months. [redacted] said that the claim can take a while, so I waited.

Since that time, I did not hear back from Muzuma. I have emailed him several times, the most recent times in 2014, to ask if he still intended to honor his agreement to pay me for my luggage lost.Desired Settlement: I would like a partial refund of my month-long stay at Diplomatic Stay.

Review: Hello,

1. Unauthorized credit card transactions

My name is [redacted], I stayed four nights (July 28-August 1) at Diplomatic stay and paid $428.23 via my credit cared on July 29 to [redacted], a hostel manager.

I have booked the accommodations via Internet website, [redacted] on May 2nd. When I made the booking, I paid $36 of deposit via same credit card as I paid on July 29.

When I got back to Canada I found credit card payment details that my credit card has been paid on July 24, when I have never been to US, at Diplomatic Stay three times: $370.98, $370.98 and $324.00 ($1068.09 of total amount).

An agent of credit card company confirmed that the payment have been requested by Diplomatic Stay on July 24.

2. Refund request

I asked Diplomatic Stay to refund the unauthorized payments on August 4th as I recognized the situation firstly.

On August 7th, Diplomatic Stay responded that "Diplomatic Stay is aware the problem. We have received 4 emails from you and we will work to refund the balance very quickly" and "Okay, we will look into this. Give us until Thursday. Once again, very sorry for this...."

However, I did not receive the refund and emailed questioning the process.

On August 13th, Diplomatic Stay emailed "Can you please give us the last 4 digit of your credit card number, so that we can refund you through Square?"

For the email, I gave diplomatic Stay last four digit numbers. I asked Diplomatic Stay again to refund but they did not.

On August 29th, Diplomatic Stay emailed "if they is a delay, we will then have to do the refund through western union. Would that work for you..?" I responded [redacted] does not work for me and gave them my checking account information asking money transfer.

On September 3rd, Diplomatic Stay emailed "Thank you for the information. I will do so this Friday when when the manager goes to the bank for deposit. Are you that is all the information we need?"

I confirmed the questioning but I should have asked again since any refund has not been made until next Friday.

On September 11th, Diplomatic Stay emailed "Sir, can you create a [redacted] account?"

I responded to them with my [redacted] account.

On September 18th, I got an email from [redacted] "Hello, an eCheck payment from [redacted] was declined by the sender's bank."

I asked the situation to Diplomatic Stay but they never responded.

On September 25th, [redacted] emailed:

"An eCheck payment from [redacted] ([email protected]) could not be processed from the sender's bank. Please do not ship any items. We have canceled this transaction and advise that you contact the sender to make new payment arrangements.

Please contact [redacted] regarding this payment."

I have contacted Diplomatic Stay again, they responded "My merchant service says they have made the refund claimed." without any further explanation and apologize for the inconvenience for two months.

Any help from you to get the refund of $1068.09 of unauthorized transactions ($370.98, $370.98 and $324.00), that would be great.

Thanks. I look forward to seeing your response.

Best,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: $1068.09