First time traveler?!

[uthdentroll]

I'll tellya working in a hotel meets all sorts of people from stupid to dumbest.

I had these 2 ladies came to the desk to check in. I asked for their ID, and credit card. (credit card for imprint, and ID... well just to make sure she is the right person for the correct credit card) I had her to sign the reg card, and ran the credit card for incidental charges (mini bar, breakfast, dinner, room service, etc etc)
the card came up declined. So I asked her for another credit card. That's when the fun started.

ME: Me
SC: the lady

SC:I already paid for the room!
ME:I understand, but I will need $100.00 per day for incidental charges. you are staying for 2 days, so $200.00 for incidental charges.
SC:well I don't have another credit card.
MEo you have $200 cash? I cannot let you into the room without deposits.
SC:well no one told me that
ME:Its common practice for all hotels to put a certain amount of credit during check in, room and tax plus incidentals
SC:No one told me that. and I dont have the money. and I am not paying for the incidentals. I already paid for the room.
ME:unfortunately. I will not be able to give you the keys to the room if you refuse to pay for incidentals. (ME thinking you stupid or what? no money to go out. and not even 200.00 on your credit card... stay home)
SC:i need to talk to a manager.
ME:he will say the same thing, but sure (so i went to the manager, he came out he said the same thing)


Then she called her travel agent, and the travel agent talked to my manager... and we stood our ground. and she asked her daughter to put her credit card up for incidental charges....

[i4wolves]

I have never had that

I have stayed at many hotels and i have never had to put a deposit on for my room. They have taken my information and credit card number and made me sign a form in case somethings damaged that i will pay for it and it will be charged to this credit card. But I have not had to pay for the deposit upfront.

[ArenaBoy]

First off, Welcome to CS, we have quite a few hotel workers on this forum. Back on topic, has this woman considered picking up a few books on traveling? I swear SCs can never understand that things happen and they can be unexpected.

[BusBus]

That's something that is new to me as well. I have travelled plenty and have yet to give an actual deposit. I have had to provide a CC# many times, but I was never charged up front. If she booked through a travel agent, then the travel agent should have known about it!

[powerboy]

Yeah, I never knew about it either. Last couple of times, we just had to give a CC#, just incase.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I think they want the CC# so if you do run up any incidental charges, they can charge your card and not have to worry about giving you a separate bill and having you skip out on that part. If you don't run up anything extra, nothing will be charged to your card. If she had given them 200 cash, and didn't get any extra services, I would assume she would get that back when she checked out (? -correct me if i'm wrong). If she really isn't going to spend anything extra, then she's not out any money either way.

I went to Canada on a school trip when I was 12 and I made one long distance phone call home. They sent up a bill for the phone call on our last morning there and I just went to the desk and paid it. But that was almost 20 ( ) years ago!

[The Gatekeeper]

For both SC ski trips we had to run a deposit on my c/c. I guess it depends on how far in advance you book and how in demand the rooms may be.

[digilight]

My thought would be that they don't necessarily charge the card but they put a block on the funds. The same thing happens at a gas station when you prepay with a credit card, they will first block a certain amount, then make the charge when you put the nozzle back and release the rest of the block. We have, in fact, had at least one hotel block our card this way. But at the time we had no idea about blocks and how they worked either.

[Barefootgirl]

So, just out of interest, how do people learn these things for themselves? There is a first time for everyone to do things like put petrol in the car, stay in a nice hotel, etc, and sneering at someone because they don't know how these things go is a bit unfair.

Just because you work in the hotel business and its second nature to you, doesn't mean that everyone else knows all about it. The lady didn't sound particularly sucky from what you've said.

[alogram]

People don't get the whole "block on funds" thing either.

I tell them that the card was declined, and they freak out, saying that they know...they are going to use another card at check out.

RIIIIIGGGHHHHHHT.

Sorry, no $$, no room. Without available credit, your card does me no good.

That is about as dumb as the people who ask if I need their credit card number when they call to make a reservation.

Me: Do you want to guarantee the reservation with a credit card?
Them: Yes.
Me: ?????????
Them: OH...Do you need the number?
Me:

[Becks]

That's something that is new to me as well. <snip> I have had to provide a CC# many times, but I was never charged up front.

Same here. I'll have to remember that.

[Jazz]

Hmmm...seems to me the travel agent didn't do their job, she failed to inform these people of extra charges incurred. Shouldn't she had known about it?

With hotels, I come across alot of situations - there are some who just take your CC number and don't charge it until you show up or those who require the full desposit when you book or just those who require you to pay when you leave.

I did have one hotel where we paid for our room and they still needed a credit card imprint in case. It was one of those ritzy hotels. Course, we booked two double beds in the room and only got a king. My friend was pretty pissed off at that since the actual reservation they sent us said two double beds and not one king. They were all booked up and had to wheel us a fold away. I would say, first and last time I ever spent a night at a ritzy hotel.

[kdruboen]

First I'd like to say that the title to the thread can be a little misleading, when I first saw it, I was thinking first "time-traveler" (and was really looking forward to the tale), not "first-time" traveler, lol. Anyway, back on topic, I travel quite frequently on business and have never had to pay in advance for incidentals. I give them my card and ID, they then either give me my receipt for the room charge then, or I'll wait to pick it up with my folio in the morning.

[tollbaby]

Is that why Days Inn runs my credit card as I check in? They've always done it, but I never knew why. Oh well, learn something new every day

[chryso]

It may be standard policy but it doesn't seem right to me to block $100 a day on your credit card "just in case" you want to purchase things from your room.