On June 30th I stayed at the Marriott Spring Suites Hotel in Gahanna Ohio with my wife and (3) children. I learned that on July 5th, my credit card was charged an additional charge of $250 for an alleged violation of smoking in a non smoking room.
I called the Hotel on July 5th and spoke to the general manager to discuss the situation. He states that house keeping alleged finding cigarette ashes around one of the sinks and that the house keeper also thinks that he or she smelled an odor of smoke in the room. He states that since ashes were found and there was an odor, that smoking had to have occurred in the room and that is no other possible excuse.
Well, guess what? There is an excuse.
I explained to the general manager several times that no one including myself smoked in the hotel room at any time during our stay. There is a very simple explanation for this. I am a heavy smoker. I smoke over a pack a day. I traveled from Cleveland to Gahanna Ohio to attend a family picnic. After the day came to an end, I returned to the hotel with my family to retire for the night. While my children made there way back to the room, my wife and I cleaned and removed all the trash from our van including emptying my van's ashtray's which did include cigarette butts and ashes into a plastic bag. We returned to our room and I threw the bag into the trash can located near the bathroom sink in our room.
The ashes that the hotel staff found simply came up from the bag after it was deposited into the trash can. The supposed odor of smoke in the room was coming from the stale cigarette butts that were also located in the trash.
I asked the general manager what evidence he has to back up his findings that smoking actually occurred in the room. He stated that he does not have any evidence as proof. Only the comments of his hotel house keeper (s) who believe that smoking occurred in the room. He is basing this situation clearly on a sense of smell and opinion.
I did not violate or break a non smoking rule at this hotel just by throwing away old cigarette butts in to the trash from my van. There is no rule that says I can only deposit certain kinds of trash in to a trash can. All the general manager had to do was to call me to discuss the situation.instead, he rushed to a conclusion that someone smoked in the room, case closed.
Does the Marriott hotels think that throwing a plastic bag full of garbage including cigarette butts and ashes from my van in to a trash can in our hotel room is such a far reach to come up with such an elaborate out of this world excuse to smoke in their hotel room? Is this such an outrageous feat, that no one in their right mind would ever think to do such a thing? I would have been better off dumping my trash in their parking lot. This never would have happened.
The Marriott hotels must understand that these are hotel rooms and not operating rooms. I paid a hotel rate to stay at this hotel which includes his house keeping staff to clean and freshen up a room for the next guest to arrive after I leave. They have no right to charge a fee if a room has an "odor" after a guest leaves. Some guests leave trash, piss on bed linens and may spill beer in a hotel room. What's the charge for these types of odors?
*how to get your money back for a smoking violation*
I as well as a lot of other hotel guests have been duped by Marriott hotels for a $250.00 smoking violation charge. It is my pleasure to share some important information on how and why you will get your money back just like I did. It is important to understand that if this hotel chain is going to charge guests a $250.00 charge, the Marriott hotels must follow some very important rules that they don't want you to know about.
The Marriott hotels can verbally advise as well as post their no smoking policy all they want. They can even go as far as wall papering the walls with it. A hotel guest must be given the policy in writing as well as getting the cardholders signature acknowledging their acceptance to the policy at check in. If the Marriott hotels do not have your signature, you can smoke all you want in your hotel room. You will get your money back.
In addition to a valid signature, this hotel chain must provide clear irrefutable and conclusive evidence that smoking has or had occurred. You must be provided with proof. This hotels current policy of obtaining evidence with regards to opinion, I saw, I smell, I assume, I think, I believe, he said, she said, will not be sufficient anymore.
In addition to clear irrefutable and conclusive evidence that smoking has or had occurred. You must be provided with proof that services for a room recovery were actually completed by the hotel. The hotels verbal word that an odor neutralizing device was used or additional cleaning was required after you check out is all a matter of he said, she said.
*Now the good part. How to get your money back*
For example, it is Visa's policy that the cardholder's signature on card-present transactions is required. Failure to obtain the cardholder's signature could result in a chargeback for "no signature" if the cardholder denies authorizing or participating in the transaction. Most credit card companies and banks follow this very important rule. (This is your life saver)
Immediately notify your Credit Card Company or bank to dispute the charge. Put it in writing. Don't wait another day. You have a limited amount of time.
Advise your financial institution in writing that you did not sign, authorize or participate in the transaction. The burden of proof is now on the shoulders of the hotel to prove otherwise. Don't waste your time arguing with the hotel. They will stand firm on the situation.
Since this hotel will have a very hard time with trying to validate the charge with regards to the above, the following chargeback cycle will occur so that the Marriott hotels will eat the $250.00 charge in addition to a chargeback fee from the mechant's Acquirer.
1. The cardholder disputes the transaction.
2. The card issuer sends the transaction back electronically to the Acquirer.
3. Acquirer receives the chargeback, resolves the issue or forwards it to the merchant (Marriott hotel).
4. The merchant (Marriott hotel) either accepts the chargeback or addresses the chargeback and resubmits it back to the Acquirer.
5. The Acquirer reviews the information received from the merchant (Marriott Hotel). If the Acquirer agrees that the merchant (Marriott hotels) information addresses the chargeback, the Acquirer represents the chargeback electronically to the issuer.
6. Issuer receives the represented item. If appropriate, the issuer re-posts it to the cardholders account. If the chargeback issue is not appropriately addressed, the issuer may submit the item to Visa (for example) for a financial liability decision.
7. The cardholder receives the dispute resolution information and may be re-billed or credited.
Keep in mind that the chargeback cycle is for all transactions in general. Not just for the Marriott hotels. You need not to worry at all that you will have to pay for the smoking violation.
If the Marriott hotel that you have done business with suspects that a smoking violation has or had occurred during your stay, be prepared. They will put a $250.00 charge on your credit card without your signature faster than you can say Marlboro Man. This is called pre-compliant. This basically means that they have authorized and validated a charge that has been verbally agreed upon between you and the Marriott hotel.in the eyes of your financial institution, if you don't complain and dispute the charge you now have a verbal agreement and just let them get away with it.
Have you ever made a reservation online or over the phone with a credit card and noticed that during check in that the hotel swipes your card but does not ask for a signature? That's pre-compliance. They only have an electronic signature from your card. With some hotels like the Marriott, when you wake up the next day and find your hotel rooms receipt slipped under your door, it states your room charge along with the statement "electronic signature on file".
If you do stay at a Marriott hotel or any hotel, do yourself a favor. Sign and agree to the room charge at check in. If you don't sign at check in and agree to the rate, a hotel can charge anything they want for the room. For example, if you go to the Marriott's website and read their no smoking policy. It states the following:
A Breath of Fresh Air —
Marriott Goes 100% Smoke-Free in North America
What measures will Marriott take to enforce this policy?
This policy will be part of our Quality Assurance process. We are training our associates to respond. For example, housekeepers will be taught to look out for signs of smoking in the hotel. Guests will be reminded at the point of reservations and upon arrival that smoking is not allowed. Pre-arrival email notifications will also include a reference to the policy. There will be a significant room recovery fee for guests who do not comply in order to cover the extensive cost of restoring guest rooms to a smoke-free condition.
Do you notice how they do not state what the actual charge is? If you were to sign a statement that you agree with their terms but don't get the actual charge in writing, what is to stop them from charging $250, $500 or even more? Pre-compliance.
Remember, the Marriott hotels need your signature to validate a charge and you need proof that a violation has or had occurred and proof that services were rendered. I hope that this helps in clearing up a lot of confusion with regards to your rights.
If you have been charged. Do what I did. Don't let them get away with it.
1. Dispute the charge immediately in writing with your financial institution.
2. File a complaint with your local Better Business Bureau.
3. File a complaint with your states Attorney General's office.
4. Don't ever stay at a Marriott hotel now or in the future. If you do visit their hotel, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
If you have a complaint and you are getting nowhere with the Marriott Hotels general customer service department or the idiot behind the front desk at the hotel in which you have mistakenly done business with and you want to go right to the top. The following information is now available.
*Marriott Corporate Office*
Sara Terkelsen (Mr. Marriott's personal leiason)
1-800-422-0728
E-mail address: Sara. [email protected]
Regards,
Monmikf
Monmikf
North Olmsted, Ohio
U.S.A.
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