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How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

philip.greenspun.com

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Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#51

Post by pmiller2 »

noncoml wrote: post #44
miguelmota wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not all policies are fair and there should be exceptions during times of crisis. Hotels do questionable advertising practices all the time to lure in customers and then hit them with arbitrary fees during checkout which seems like bad faith to me.

How is it fair for the hotel to pay for the consumer's gamble in booking a non-refundable room? They just got unlucky and they should suck it up. If the hotel has to refund everyone, it will either have to go under, or if it is too big to fail, be bailed out with my money. I don't see why I should pay for someone's else gamble.

Nobody prices in a once in a century, global pandemic when looking for a hotel room: not the customer and not the hotel. If the room was booked more than 3 months ago, the agreement was based on false information and should be able to be renegotiated in light of the current state of the world.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#52

Post by [deleted] »

fortran77 wrote: post #50
rosybox wrote: post #20

Just FYI, if you're lying to get out of paying for something, or to get reimbursed on false pretenses that is called fraud and is illegal. It's also wrong to do, it is an action taken in bad faith.

The Hacker News "hackers" have no moral compass, especially when it's "the little guy" vs a "corporation" of any sort.

[deleted]

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#53

Post by wolco »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #39
LanceH wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it the kind of place if you can't pay for a month they would keep watching your kid? (serious question) If it isn't, then you should cancel the monthly. It's pretty simple.

If you don’t pay, you lose your place in line and there is usually a waiting list (though with the upcoming recession, those might go away). You also don’t endear yourself with the staff if you don’t plan on switching.

Do you think putting your kids in daycare will be a popular choice going forward? There will be plenty of spaces for a while after this ends.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#54

Post by noncoml »

pmiller2 wrote: post #51
noncoml wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it fair for the hotel to pay for the consumer's gamble in booking a non-refundable room? They just got unlucky and they should suck it up. If the hotel has to refund everyone, it will either have to go under, or if it is too big to fail, be bailed out with my money. I don't see why I should pay for someone's else gamble.

Nobody prices in a once in a century, global pandemic when looking for a hotel room: not the customer and not the hotel. If the room was booked more than 3 months ago, the agreement was based on false information and should be able to be renegotiated in light of the current state of the world.

That's not how the adult world works. Sorry.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#55

Post by gnaritas »

nexuist wrote: post #28
rosybox wrote: post #20

Just FYI, if you're lying to get out of paying for something, or to get reimbursed on false pretenses that is called fraud and is illegal. It's also wrong to do, it is an action taken in bad faith.

> it is an action taken in bad faith So is a hotel denying you a refund during an epidemic. There is an obvious power differential here between Joe Blow and some billion dollar hotel chain. You need the money for basic survival far more than they need it to pad their quarterly earnings.

> So is a hotel denying you a refund during an epidemic.

No it isn't. They're not your family, they don't owe you a refund, you agreed to the cancellation policy at purchase time. Abide by the terms or you are the one in the wrong.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#56

Post by Scoundreller »

I see a lot of law on Force Majeure being clarified over the next 12 months: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_majeure

Or Frustrated Contract Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frustration_of_purpose

And it's not just for businesses to use against consumers.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#57

Post by gnaritas »

lmartel wrote: post #42
chadash wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By booking a non-refundable rate, which is generally cheaper, you took that risk. So long as the hotel is open, it's not really their problem. The fact that they have more money than you doesn't give you the right to steal from them. If you really need the money for basic survival, fine, we can argue about the morality of it . But even with a possible recession looming, it's unlikely that the price of a hotel stay is…

Nonrefundable rates are not marketed as a bet against global catastrophe. They're a commitment that you won't change your mind. This epidemic is more similar to the hotel burning down. I would expect my money back in that scenario and do whatever I could to retrieve it.

No, non-refundable means non-refundable. You don't have a right to expect your money back under any circumstance.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#58

Post by freepor »

noncoml wrote: post #54
pmiller2 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody prices in a once in a century, global pandemic when looking for a hotel room: not the customer and not the hotel. If the room was booked more than 3 months ago, the agreement was based on false information and should be able to be renegotiated in light of the current state of the world.

That's not how the adult world works. Sorry.

It is, force majeure is a legal concept in many jurisdictions and was not invented by toddlers.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#59

Post by conception »

wolco wrote: post #53
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don’t pay, you lose your place in line and there is usually a waiting list (though with the upcoming recession, those might go away). You also don’t endear yourself with the staff if you don’t plan on switching.

Do you think putting your kids in daycare will be a popular choice going forward? There will be plenty of spaces for a while after this ends.

People generally don’t choose daycare. It’s a requirement because they have to work.

Re: How to get your money back on a non-refundable hotel

#60

Post by jjeaff »

parallel wrote: post #41
miguelmota wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not all policies are fair and there should be exceptions during times of crisis. Hotels do questionable advertising practices all the time to lure in customers and then hit them with arbitrary fees during checkout which seems like bad faith to me.

This is the "two wrongs" argument. They do bad things so we should be able to do bad things back.

Pointing out the type of argument doesn't negate that argument. While I don't think it's ok to simply commit fraud because I think the company is committing general fraud in most areas... If someone runs up and steals my phone but drops their own, I'll be keeping their phone until they make things right.

The same goes especially for multi-billion dollar corporations.

You cheat me out of something, I will first attempt to right that wrong through the proper channels. If I am unsuccessful, I will right that wrong through unofficial channels. Within reason, of course.

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