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[DDavidson]

Booked a room in Oklahoma at Best Western using the www.bestwestern.com Web Site on 09/29/11.

The Web Site automatically puts in a date in the "Arrival Date" section. I assumed the date was the current days date but was wrong and found out today that they automatically put in the next days date 09/30/11. (I actually didn't check the current days date. Since it was automatic I assumed they put the current date in. I was supposed to click on the calendar instead of trusting their automatic date.)

Made the reservation then arrived about two hours later and the staff stated the reservation must not have made it through the system yet, but that was okay and I got a room for 09/29/11 anyway. The desk clerk checked their system using my credit card # for the reservation.

After looking at my Credit Card statement I noticed I was billed for two nights, though I only stayed one night.

After contacting the Best Western Motel they stated that once I made the online reservation I should have received a message stating there'd be no refunds and I had to have agreed to that. If I did agree I was thinking the reservation was for that current night not knowing it was for the next night. Because I agreed online then there'd be no refund.

So then I contacted Best Western's customer service desk to no avail.

After researching their Web Site I noticed their system uses "tomorrows date today". I mentioned this to them and they stated it was my fault for not putting in the current date as their system has always been that way. I asked their purpose for using tomorrows date today and she didn't know.

So I quickly looked at four other motel sites (Motel 6, Super 8, Holiday Inn, Marriott) and noticed none of them put in the next days date in the arrival date entry field. Mentioned this as well and they basically said the computer has always done their dates this way. And I said "But I don't always use your site, and no other site puts in the next days date."

She stated "I was the only one this has ever happened to so it was my fault. What if I wanted a room in Canada, wouldn't I change the country? There is nothing they can do and there is nobody else to talk to."

Out $72.00

Beware of the Web Site dates if you book a night for the current date at Best Western! Sure benefits them I guess.

[1sharprdkg]

Don sounds like a real good money making scam...I think we all know you are not the only person this has happened to. You caught it because lots of people don't check there cc statements they just make a payment. Thanks for the heads up. If they wrote reservations down on a yellow legal pad like they do in Maggie Valley you would still have $72.00 to spend on something else. 

[Fired00d]

Don't know if you are a HOG Member and take advantage of the Best Western Ride Reward offered through them but if you do you may want to give HOG a call. Even if you don't belong to either may still want to let HOG know of this practice.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[2k]

Call your credit card company and contest the charge.........no need to go into mass details, just tell them you were billed for a night you did not stay.

[knothead]

Charging your card for a 2 night stay, while only staying one is a common practice in the low end motels. Due to the fact most people don't check there cards!

 Also be careful staying at Best Westerns, they require a 24 hour cancellation...Even though it was impossible to stay due to Thunderstorms and RAIN  / HOG Member or not...American Express worked for me....!!

[porthole]

Out $72.00

I have been involved with credit cards disputes both ways, filing them and answering the disputes from customers.

File it, odds are you will be refunded. There is also a pretty good chance the dispute will go unnoticed, ignored and you will by default, be refunded.

Several years ago in MV I had gotten gas at a station with a car wash. The whole enter credit card was for the most part normal, the adding on a car wash was rather deceptive.

Got charged for a car was on my $10 fill up, station people were useless.
The car wash was credited to my account.

[cvobiker]

Call your credit card company and contest the charge.........no need to go into mass details, just tell them you were billed for a night you did not stay.

i agree with this suggestion and also think a letter to the Oak attorney general is in line, you can do this real quick on-line and takes only a few minutes...This is defiantly a scam and the more the AG hears this the more inclined they will get into their 'cherreos'    

[DDavidson]

After trying to get Best Western to correct my billing with a polite "NO!" from them I was forced to use the big guns.

Contacted American Express and they said "No problem" and they got my refund for me.

[Midnight Rider]

After trying to get Best Western to correct my billing with a polite "NO!" from them I was forced to use the big guns.

Contacted American Express and they said "No problem" and they got my refund for me.

One of the advantages of traveling on a Credit Card instead of a Debit Card.  Glad you got it fixed, Don! 

[C2CRider]

I have not used Best Western for a very long time. I rack up 40 - 60 stays a year.   The HOG discount is nominal, AAA  and other traveler programs often surpass what they offer us.  The folks at HOG that negotiated this alleged program certainly did the membership no favors, that also goes for the Shell gas push ~ it only benefits the so called sponsor, granting them exposure on the travel planner but again, offering no benefit to the membership.

 Nice to see you rectified the issue, albeit AMX had to as the Best Western would not provide this assistance for a customer, speaks volumes in my book.