MAJOR ISSUE - Wedding Hotel rooms cancelled 2 weeks before wedding

connundrum

Apologies for the screaming headline - but we're in a bind and could use all help.

Basically, we and several of our guests used the website Roomsnet.com to book rooms in 1 particular hotel in Spain for our wedding week - 19th Sept onwards.

Roomsnetcom emailed us about 1 month ago to let us know that 3 of the rooms we'd booked were cancelled as one of the operators they had booked with had gone bust. Not a problem, we simply transferred the 3 rooms over to another agent at no cost.

Yesterday I got an email from the hotel's reservation dept, saving that 6 rooms had been cancelled by Roomsnet.com. I haven't received an email from Roomsne.com confirming or denying this. The hotel are 100% sure that the rooms are cancelled, and they haven't received a bean from Roomsnet.com.

Now, I've tried calling Roomsnet on every available number since yesterday, and have emailed every available email address. I've read on UK forums that the Roomsnet 'office' is located above a taxi cab office - and that no one has actually been visible in the office for days now.

I've been on to the ITAA (who can't help, but I understand that its out of their remit), I've to call the ABTA for advice shortly.

All I want is my money back, as I have another 'reputable' agent who has the same cancelled rooms re-booked for me.

Do I have to go back through the credit card company - is this easy?

Sorry if this is scatty btw.

Danno

chargeback the cc

nava

connundrum wrote: »

Apologies for the screaming headline - but we're in a bind and could use all help.

Basically, we and several of our guests used the website Roomsnet.com to book rooms in 1 particular hotel in Spain for our wedding week - 19th Sept onwards.

Roomsnetcom emailed us about 1 month ago to let us know that 3 of the rooms we'd booked were cancelled as one of the operators they had booked with had gone bust. Not a problem, we simply transferred the 3 rooms over to another agent at no cost.

Yesterday I got an email from the hotel's reservation dept, saving that 6 rooms had been cancelled by Roomsnet.com. I haven't received an email from Roomsne.com confirming or denying this. The hotel are 100% sure that the rooms are cancelled, and they haven't received a bean from Roomsnet.com.

Now, I've tried calling Roomsnet on every available number since yesterday, and have emailed every available email address. I've read on UK forums that the Roomsnet 'office' is located above a taxi cab office - and that no one has actually been visible in the office for days now.

I've been on to the ITAA (who can't help, but I understand that its out of their remit), I've to call the ABTA for advice shortly.

All I want is my money back, as I have another 'reputable' agent who has the same cancelled rooms re-booked for me.

Do I have to go back through the credit card company - is this easy?

Sorry if this is scatty btw.

In the contact us they have eric@ roomsnet.com, I also tried calling the 1800 for Ireland and US listed on the website but goes into a queue but no answer and after a couple of minutes asks to leave a message.

To get a refund best option now will be to contact your credit card, Roomsnet might have already process the refund I used them a couple of time and found them very good.

Have you tried booking directly with the Hotel or a similar website in Spain might get better deals.

RangeR

2nd Floor,
45 Craven Road,
London W2 3BX,
United Kingdom.

If it was me, and if the amount of money was large enough, I'd be on a flight over asap. It's only an hour away.

connundrum

nava wrote: »

In the contact us they have eric@ roomsnet.com, I also tried calling the 1800 for Ireland and US listed on the website but goes into a queue but no answer and after a couple of minutes asks to leave a message.

To get a refund best option now will be to contact your credit card, Roomsnet might have already process the refund I used them a couple of time and found them very good.

Have you tried booking directly with the Hotel or a similar website in Spain might get better deals.

I've left messages (starting off nice, ending not so nice ) and have emailed Eric (whoever he is).

I've also got onto our bank so hopefully they'll have a solution.

Thanks for advice

Jumpy

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/roomsnetcom-c235992.html

You are not alone.

One of the last commenters in that thread said something about roomsnet going bust.

connundrum

Dear Connundrum,

Thank you for contacting our customer support division and bringing this matter to our attention.

First of all please accept our sincere apologies for the inconveniences caused.

I have checked this with the relevant teams. We do not deal with the hotel directly and we get hotel rooms from the supplier. They have canceled this booking. There is an issue in the payment gateway and our finance team was no able to make a payment to the supplier. Therefore our supplier has canceled the booking.

Since the system is down we could not check which booking are got affected. Our finance department cannot make payments to suppliers until we fix the issue. Therefore they will refund the full amount which was charged back to the card as a reverse of a payment.

Please allow 7 working days for the refund of the original amount to appear on the statement.

We have taken all necessary steps to rectify the issue and hope this isolated incident does not deter you from using roomsnet.com in the future.

Once again please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.

Thank You
Regards
Warren
RoomsNet Customer Support
www.roomsnet.com

That is that I guess. I'll still be following up with the bank though.

Miaireland

You should be protected by your credit card so you will get your money back.

Hope you got other rooms sorted.

darcey1971

Booked 2 rooms in Paris through Roomsnet in late June 2009. Paid 315 Euro per room for 3 nights, breakfast incl. Presented accommodation voucher to hotel on 3/09/09 to be told our rooms had been cancelled on 25/08/09 as Roomsnet had failed to pay the hotel. We received no email/notification from Roomsnet that we had no rooms. Rang emergency number on accommodation voucher, got through to Jacob on-line, the provider for Roomsnet. Roomsnet had not paid them. They gave us a number for Roomsnet which was based in Sri Lanka. They appear to be completely uncontactable by any means of communication. Had to pay another 525 Euro per room to stay in the hotel. This did not include breakfast. Visa are investigating matter and should be able to claim back initial payment of 315 Euros. Horrible experience and not a good start to a holiday.

foggy_lad

They gave us a number for Roomsnet which was based in Sri Lanka. They appear to be completely uncontactable by any means of communication.

says it all really, i know it doesnt help but people should do more research before trusting their cash to online companies.

darcey1971

I've used them twice before for hotels in UK and Rhodes and had no hassle at all. I will in future be booking directly with the hotel itself.

bennyob

this issue was brought up on liveline earlier. sounds like a good few people got stung.

connundrum

Yeah I was one of the callers.

Ah I dunno anymore. I've left it in the hand sof AIB anyway.

darcey1971

I have just received a full refund for my original booking from Roomsnet. It was lodged into my Visa account. They have also said they will refund the difference I had to pay to stay in the hotel, so it appears it is worth sending them emails help@roomsnet.com.

Lenny

darcey1971 wrote: »

I have just received a full refund for my original booking from Roomsnet. It was lodged into my Visa account. They have also said they will refund the difference I had to pay to stay in the hotel, so it appears it is worth sending them emails help@roomsnet.com.

Well I had the same problem when i had booked a hotel with roomsnet back in october,
arrived at hotel was told roomsnet had canceled it,
I had to pay to stay in the hotel, more than what I had paid roomsnet.
I was told they would refund my orgional ammount & the difference..
I got the orgional refund back within 2 weeks
but I have not been refunded the difference yet, this is 14 weeks on
From about 40-50 calls, loads of emails I just keep getting told the refund is on the way & they're dealing with other people first..
14 weeks they've been issuing refunds?!
Anyway just a heads up people - avoid this company.

darcey1971

I am also still waiting for my refund for the difference I paid! I was promised this in September. After hundreds of emails sent almost daily, a 'customer service manager' said that a cheque would be issued to me. I requested a cheque as I refused to give them my credit card details. I was then told that the cheque had been posted on Dec 2nd. Just before Christmas I was told that the cheque was never posted. I threatened a solicitor's letter (again!) and they said they were looking into it. They have been 'looking into it' since the second week in September. I had resigned myself to the fact I was never getting the money back (the levels of frustration dealing with these horrible people being too much) when I got an email only yesterday from them saying that they cannot draw a cheque in Euros but will pay me in GBP instead if this suits. I still don't hold out much hope of receiving this money but will let you know.

Lenny

Yep I've been getting that "looking into it" too for months,
I want the charge reversed to my cc

MOH

They seem to be based in the UK, so European small claims court might be an option

connundrum

As an update, we asked our credit card companies to perform a chargeback on all fees paid to roomsnet, which they did in a matter of 3 weeks. 4 weeks after that roomsnet actually did refund me the full amount too, then our credit card companies re-refunded roomsnet the amount they'd given us via the chargeback.

Very messy, but at least we're not out of pocket any more.

The fuckin stress levels roomsnet caused though, assholes.

Lenny

yea see i can't really ask for a charge back becasue rooms.net did refund me the ammount that was orgionally charged,
Because I arrived at the hotel, and had to pay the hotel themselfs, they ended up being dearer than what rooms.net had charged me. rooms told me they would refund me the difference that I had paid to the hotel - which they haven't

darcey1971

I just got a cheque this morning from Roomsnet Finance Dept (in Sri Lanka) for the difference of 200 Euros that I had to pay to stay in the hotel. Keep trying. Good luck.

Lenny

might just start picking up the phone again thanks..