MAn charged extra €20 for drinking his own wine in his own hotel room...

Captain Darling

I've stayed there a few times. They are fairly tight in general, they charge guests for use of the car park.

Fairly lousy when you consider a place like the Ashling (close to Heuston Stn) doesnt charge for parking and is in a far more central location. I think they know they'll get alot of guests with cars going to the airport, and therefore shaft them.

cson

Captain Darling wrote: »

I've stayed there a few times. They are fairly tight in general, they charge guests for use of the car park.

That'll start becoming a lot more prevalent in Ireland in a few years I reckon. The hotel I worked for in Chicago charged ~$45 per night :eek:

Captain Havoc

I'm a qualified hotel manager and that sounds illegal to me. The hotel room is generally considered your own space. Anyway, I'd love to see them explain the charge to the credit card company, I've had to do this a good few times in the past and if you don't have your paper work in order the cc companies probably won't allow the charge. If how as ever he's entered the pin number, he don't have a leg to stand on.

There is though a culture to go and make crap up and moan, I've had to deal with guys screaming their innocense at me the next day despite the fact I saw them do stuff while pissed. If they are doing this then it's nuts, fücking crazy to charge someone for consuming beverages in there own rooms. He might have been charged a corkage charge though if he called room-service to open the bottles, but I couldn't see why he'd be charged after he left for this, unless of course he prepaid for the room only and left a pre-autho of his card at reception.

All of the hotels I've worked for outside of Ireland charge for parking.

dyl10

Don't be ripping on Joe, he's a national hero!

mahamageehad

My God. tut tut tut

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

pebbles21 wrote: »

Few years ago i booked a suite in the Westbury to suprise the wife on our first anniversary

So trying to be smart i brought in my own drink ,took all the drink out of the mini bar and replaced it with mine to keep it cold

I didnt know the fcuking mini bar had sensors in it ! cost me a fortune :mad:

Silyl boy. Fill sink with cold water, place bottle in sink. If they've got a a bath, use that.

orourkeda wrote: »

Can you get charged for **** in the shower of your hotel room?

Yes, if you bring your own porn in rather than using that provided by the hotel.

LadyJ

I used to work in The Regency in Drumcondra and I can tell you that the staff there are the most horrible people I have ever encountered in all my life. I actually had to quit after a few weeks due to their disgusting behaviour towards me. They are the most arrogant, unhelpful, thick and ridiculously rude bunch of people. I can't believe any of them chose to go into the hospitality field.

This doesn't surprise me one, little bit. We actually got a complaint in the box one time which said "I will be forwarding a letter to the manager outlining my continuous disappointment with this hotel".

Shíttest. Hotel. Ever.

Linku

I've heard people talk about minibars with sensors so many times, but never come across one. I often use the stuff in minibars like cans of coke or bottles of water and replace them myself, if I know it's something that'll be easy to find in a shop. I was under the impression they're just manually checked by the chambermaids, because I've never been charged?

donkey balls

orourkeda wrote: »

Have to take a break bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye

Good afternoon to you
ah is that so Shiela

byrner51

:eek: disgraceful!!

phill106

Linku wrote: »

I've heard people talk about minibars with sensors so many times, but never come across one. I often use the stuff in minibars like cans of coke or bottles of water and replace them myself, if I know it's something that'll be easy to find in a shop. I was under the impression they're just manually checked by the chambermaids, because I've never been charged?

most modern hotels have them. How it works is the system registers if a drink has been moved in the minibar. if it it moved and immediately replaced, on the system it shows that tray space as yellow, meaning needs to be checked. If it is removed altogether, it goes red.
Generally the charges immediately go onto the room if an item is moved, then if the guest says they didnt have it etc, it would be removed from bill, you are allowed to check out, and the minibar is checked later when the room is being serviced. If the item is then missing, you get charged onto your creditcard (if supplied).
Be careful though, those who try to replace items. Lots of them have the trays set so that the trap the items are in closes once item is removed, so you cant put back in your coke bought from tesco instead!
Personally i would never touch a minibar, so overpriced!

ScumLord

Latchy wrote: »

He should have left the empty wine bottles outside next doors room .

Orla K wrote: »

I've left a hotel room with loads of empty bottles, wrappers and half eaten food, I even took one of the bottles down to the foyer(if that's what it's called) and drank it there. I never got charged anything extra.

I would say it's just the hotel being chancers or getting píssed off that everybody does it.

orourkeda wrote: »

Can you get charged for **** in the shower of your hotel room?

I have no idea why I quoted all these posts. I'm awful stoned.

I'd like to congratulate the hotel.

zeus faber

orourkeda wrote: »

Can you get charged for **** in the shower of your hotel room?

Only if your caught.:eek:

Jesus Wept

It's a complete hole of a place filled with awful people. I wouldn't stay there for free.

BaconZombie

If they charged his card again after then orignal bill was paid then they are in break of the law and the Credit Cards T&C as a Merchant { PCI violation}.

He should ring his bank and get the charages reversed since he did not autherise them.

JohnCleary wrote: »

For shame, I was listening to Joe Duffy earlier today (Wasn't my fault, was on in the place I was eating)

Fella on the radio, had stayed in the Regency Hotel in Dublin (Is that the one in Drumcondra?) with his wife and 2 young kids. They couldn't go to the bar because that would be illegal, so he brought 2 of his own bottles and drank them in the room (He left the empties behind him)

Few days later (he paid leaving with his credit card) he was charged an extra 20euro (seperate bill). He emailed, got a reply 13 days later saying that it was because he consumed his own alcohol in the room.

What a fcuking disgrace (imho) - What they've made in that 20euro I reckon they'll lose in future business. Let this be a lesson, take your empties with you! I often bring a cheeky bottle of vodka when staying in a hotel for a drink before/after I go out... bit shocked tbh

The questions:
Has this ever happened anyone here?
Anyone ever hear of it happening before?

Canis Lupus

BOFH_139 wrote: »

If they charged his card again after then orignal bill was paid then they are in break of the law and the Credit Cards T&C as a Merchant { PCI violation}.

He should ring his bank and get the charages reversed since he did not autherise them.

Read the thread, it all got sorted out.

ballsymchugh

pebbles21 wrote: »

Few years ago i booked a suite in the Westbury to suprise the wife on our first anniversary

So trying to be smart i brought in my own drink ,took all the drink out of the mini bar and replaced it with mine to keep it cold

I didnt know the fcuking mini bar had sensors in it ! cost me a fortune :mad:

blame craig johnson, former liverpool midfielder. he invented that system. and predator football boots!!

Cabaal

Magnus wrote: »

Their T&C
Feckers

Fair enough but that doesn't say they have the right to charge you,

Sofiztikated

Actually, they do have the right to charge you. Look at the regcard you sign when you go in, in the small print somewhere, it will say you are responsible for all charges incurred, and the signature on the regcard may be used as a legal alternative for the one on the credit card.

However, bad form on the hotel for charging for drinking in the room, BUT we don't know the real story, just cos it was on Joe Duffy, doesn't mean it was true.

People are pigs the minute they set foot in the door of a hotel.

WindSock

phill106 wrote: »

most modern hotels have them. How it works is the system registers if a drink has been moved in the minibar. if it it moved and immediately replaced, on the system it shows that tray space as yellow, meaning needs to be checked. If it is removed altogether, it goes red.
Generally the charges immediately go onto the room if an item is moved, then if the guest says they didnt have it etc, it would be removed from bill, you are allowed to check out, and the minibar is checked later when the room is being serviced. If the item is then missing, you get charged onto your creditcard (if supplied).
Be careful though, those who try to replace items. Lots of them have the trays set so that the trap the items are in closes once item is removed, so you cant put back in your coke bought from tesco instead!
Personally i would never touch a minibar, so overpriced!

Didn't know that. Thanks. I'll be careful next time. Thievin backstards.

Sofiztikated

WindSock wrote: »

Didn't know that. Thanks. I'll be careful next time. Thievin backstards.

Ah, but do you know how many people abuse the minibars? Its unreal. I had one guy swear blind he only had a bottle of water from the minibar, when he asked me the night before to get the minibar restocked with Heineken, and not Sol, as he didn't like the beer.

Or the people that open the drinks IN the minibar, and proceed to lie on the floor, and use a straw to drink them, so the sensor doesn't work!

xzanti

That hotel is sh1thole anyway

xzanti

Sofiztikated wrote: »

Or the people that open the drinks IN the minibar, and proceed to lie on the floor, and use a straw to drink them, so the sensor doesn't work!

Does that work?

homerjay2005

The guy wrote: »

Is anyone else reading this thread in Joe Duffys voice?

sure, sure....

Euro_Kraut

WindSock wrote: »

Didn't know that. Thanks. I'll be careful next time. Thievin backstards.

Empty the minibar. Put your own drinks in to cool them. Than put the drinks back into the minibar before you leave. You will be asked on check out if you had anything from the minibar. You say 'no' and you will not be charged.

After all they can only charge you for consuming items in the minibar not re arranging them in the room.

If they do try to charge you dispute the bill and it will be dropped. This thing about sensors is a bit of an urban myth. It may exist someplaces but is not the general rule.

rubadub

pebbles21 wrote: »

Few years ago i booked a suite in the Westbury to suprise the wife on our first anniversary

So trying to be smart i brought in my own drink ,took all the drink out of the mini bar and replaced it with mine to keep it cold

I didnt know the fcuking mini bar had sensors in it ! cost me a fortune :mad:

So you paid for it??!? even though you didn't drink any.

I have cleared out the mini bar and fill with my own booze plenty of times with no trouble.

phill106 wrote: »

Be careful though, those who try to replace items. Lots of them have the trays set so that the trap the items are in closes once item is removed, so you cant put back in your coke bought from tesco instead!
Personally i would never touch a minibar, so overpriced!

But you still have not drank it, so you should not be charged, e.g. I clear the minibar out to use it as a fridge, I am not replacing the drink with one bought in tesco, I put the same one back, if the. This would be like me taking something off the shelf in tesco to have a look at the pack and then being forced to buy it!

Sofiztikated wrote: »

Actually, they do have the right to charge you. Look at the regcard you sign when you go in, in the small print somewhere, it will say you are responsible for all charges incurred, and the signature on the regcard may be used as a legal alternative for the one on the credit card.

I wonder if it was on the reg card. And did it clearly say corkage is €10 per 750ml bottle of wine. If not like I said before I doubt they could legally charge €20,000 for corkage, so how can they get away with any figure (presuming it was not stated).

Kipperhell

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

This thing about sensors is a bit of an urban myth. It may exist someplaces but is not the general rule.

It really depends on the type of hotel and generally quality. Modern hotels of a medium standard do tend to have them (Holiday Inn types). Fancy ones don't as they see it as unnecessary for the amount of hassle, older and cheaper hotels tend to use pen and paper.

It really is quite an efficient way to do things some hotels have a disclaimer about removing products from the fridge which I think negates the idea that you can question the charge. Most hotels are reasonable about this one way or the other. It is often best to have a policy of not arguing with the customer but there is always staff which are a bit over zealous.

There used to be a plastic tab on fridges that once broken meant you were charged for at least the least expensive item. I would say some places might still use that system.

phill106

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

If they do try to charge you dispute the bill and it will be dropped. This thing about sensors is a bit of an urban myth. It may exist someplaces but is not the general rule.

While i agree if you dispute it, they will drop the charge on checkout (until they check the room), i can gurantee you its not an urban myth. I have worked for 2 well known hotel chains in ireland and they both use similar systems by bartech
Have a look at their brochure here and see if you recognise the minibar from your last stay.
No where it can fall down is if they are not maintained properly, ie checking stock daily.

krudler

If they do try to charge you dispute the bill and it will be dropped. This thing about sensors is a bit of an urban myth. It may exist someplaces but is not the general rule.

If the hotel has a tv channel where you can see your room bill it'll show up on it if you life the drink out of the bar, I know this for a fact as the last time we went away my missus opened the bar and started lifting stuff out of it 2 mins after we got into the room and clocked up a charge on the bill, i rang reception and said she didnt realise but they said it happens all the time and waived the charges, so the sensor thing isnt a myth, but it depends on the hotel

Sofiztikated

rubadub wrote: »

I wonder if it was on the reg card. And did it clearly say corkage is €10 per 750ml bottle of wine. If not like I said before I doubt they could legally charge €20,000 for corkage, so how can they get away with any figure (presuming it was not stated).

I doubt the €10 was on the reg card, christ, if every little thing was on the reg card, it would end up being 15 pages long, and some div would still find out something that wasn't there.

I don't agree with the €10 charge for the corkage in the room, but I was just explaining how hotels can charge you for items after you have left.