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Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

pagesix.com

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Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#11

Post by Nursie »

valarauca1 wrote: post #5

What I wonder is how this is traced. If I leave a review ~6months after would my sisters bridal party be charged or the party that is currently renting the hall? I assume the later since they assume reviews are placed within a short span of time. Which then if there are several books one-day-after-the-next how do you migrate reviews? Or do you split the difference between all parties? Even if the policy is clear, and…

I would presume you'd be safe to leave the review much later as the $500 is withheld from returned deposits.

Wait for deposit return, make bad review. All is well :)

Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#12

Post by ulfw »

rrrx3 wrote: post #10
baddox wrote: post #3

If the hotel is clear about these terms, then I don't see much of a problem with this. It makes it really easy to know to pick a different hotel.

I should be stating the obvious here, but the fact that I even have to post this means that obviously, I am not. Just because something is written into the terms of an agreement doesn't make it legal.

!00% agree. It sure as hell doesn't make it right either.

Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#14

Post by chatmasta »

ebbv wrote: post #7
baddox wrote: post #3

If the hotel is clear about these terms, then I don't see much of a problem with this. It makes it really easy to know to pick a different hotel.

Doesn't matter where they claim this fee is legitimate, if the person refuses to pay (which I would), there's no way this would be upheld in civil court.

According to the article, charges come out of your deposit. So that means it's on you to bring it to civil court after they take your money.

Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#15

Post by [deleted] »

Nursie wrote: post #11
valarauca1 wrote: post #5

What I wonder is how this is traced. If I leave a review ~6months after would my sisters bridal party be charged or the party that is currently renting the hall? I assume the later since they assume reviews are placed within a short span of time. Which then if there are several books one-day-after-the-next how do you migrate reviews? Or do you split the difference between all parties? Even if the policy is clear, and…

I would presume you'd be safe to leave the review much later as the $500 is withheld from returned deposits. Wait for deposit return, make bad review. All is well :)

[deleted]

Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#16

Post by dm2 »

What a horrible policy, it won't end well for them.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/union-street-guest-house-hudson?sort... 10 negative Yelp reviews have been posted today (so far), ouch...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g47931-d490934-Revie...

Their website navigation is a very discrete image map in the middle of the page, http://www.unionstreetguesthouse.com/ obviously this was someone's first website.

It's probably not legal, if it is then it is unenforceable in court, even if it was in their terms contract.

Here is the page with their $500 review fee policy: http://www.unionstreetguesthouse.com/events_weddings.shtml

I don't condone leaving negative reviews if you haven't stayed there, but if you do be sure to note that you have not stayed at the hotel and are just commenting on their policies to warn people, unless that is against the review sites policy, then don't do that.

Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#17

Post by owksley »

rrrx3 wrote: post #10
baddox wrote: post #3

If the hotel is clear about these terms, then I don't see much of a problem with this. It makes it really easy to know to pick a different hotel.

I should be stating the obvious here, but the fact that I even have to post this means that obviously, I am not. Just because something is written into the terms of an agreement doesn't make it legal.

I think they know it's illegal / unconstitutional. They're banking on self-censorship by people who aren't certain where they stand legally.

Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#18

Post by Nursie »

[deleted] wrote: post #15
Nursie wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would presume you'd be safe to leave the review much later as the $500 is withheld from returned deposits. Wait for deposit return, make bad review. All is well :)

[deleted]

>> Yes but then you just pass the fine on to somebody else, which isn't fair.

How? If the place has returned the deposit then they have nothing to withhold the fine from ... ?

Am I missing something here?

Re: Hotel fines $500 for every bad review posted online

#20

Post by Maskawanian »

chatmasta wrote: post #14
ebbv wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't matter where they claim this fee is legitimate, if the person refuses to pay (which I would), there's no way this would be upheld in civil court.

According to the article, charges come out of your deposit. So that means it's on you to bring it to civil court after they take your money.

Easy to work around, make your review after the deposit comes back.
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