ottawamom
The "Air Miles" Lady
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2005
This is way off topic for this thread but I feel like I've had a workout or two over this. I was booking hotels this morning for our trip to Texas. First reservation, Best Western San Antonio, no issues. Second reservation, Best Western Austin, price seemed high. Different web page than the previous Best Western reservation I just did but I thought OK they are all independently owned. Put in all my info read through things (I'm really careful when I make reservations because I want to maintain flexibility) then the confirmation page pops up and I have booked a non-refundable, prepaid room on a site I've never heard of before.
Ok we are going anyway, I pay for it now, alright. Then I went on trip advisor and read the reviews of the reservation company I just booked with. Horror stories about scams etc. People getting to the hotel and the hotel never having heard of them etc. Company booked with not forwarding payment to the hotel. I'm now panic striken. It's 2 nights (not the end of the world) but I hate to make mistakes. I want all my ducks in a row when I travel.
Call the credit card company to see if they can put a stop to all this (1.5 hours on the phone, a lecture from their disputes people) and no they can't do anything until it all falls apart when I'm on holiday. Then I can file a dispute and get my money back after the fact. Meanwhile I will have to pay big $$$ for another room.
I'm thoroughly stressed at this point. Sent DH off to visit his parents on his own because I'm too wound up. He leaves I keep stressing. Then I decide to heck with it I'll just call the hotel directly and see if they got the reservation from this company. CC company said it will likely take a few days to come through. I call, they look it up, they have the reservation and that it is listed as prepaid. All is good (or is it, I still have to wait until they forward the payment to the hotel, of course I haven't paid my CC yet so there's that too).
I may book another room (on the hotel website) in DH name that I can cancel two days before our arrival date just to make sure we have a room.
I don't do well when things take a sidestep from the norm. Thanks for letting me vent.
Ok we are going anyway, I pay for it now, alright. Then I went on trip advisor and read the reviews of the reservation company I just booked with. Horror stories about scams etc. People getting to the hotel and the hotel never having heard of them etc. Company booked with not forwarding payment to the hotel. I'm now panic striken. It's 2 nights (not the end of the world) but I hate to make mistakes. I want all my ducks in a row when I travel.
Call the credit card company to see if they can put a stop to all this (1.5 hours on the phone, a lecture from their disputes people) and no they can't do anything until it all falls apart when I'm on holiday. Then I can file a dispute and get my money back after the fact. Meanwhile I will have to pay big $$$ for another room.
I'm thoroughly stressed at this point. Sent DH off to visit his parents on his own because I'm too wound up. He leaves I keep stressing. Then I decide to heck with it I'll just call the hotel directly and see if they got the reservation from this company. CC company said it will likely take a few days to come through. I call, they look it up, they have the reservation and that it is listed as prepaid. All is good (or is it, I still have to wait until they forward the payment to the hotel, of course I haven't paid my CC yet so there's that too).
I may book another room (on the hotel website) in DH name that I can cancel two days before our arrival date just to make sure we have a room.
I don't do well when things take a sidestep from the norm. Thanks for letting me vent.