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I booked accommodation in Manhatten for 22-26 June 2018

Customer Question

I booked accommodation in...

I booked accommodation in Manhatten for 22-26 June 2018 through lastminute.com.au supersavers but the confirmation was never sent to my email address which was given. $1079.40 was deducted from my MasterCard. I could not remember the name of the hotel so tried to contact the company by email, even spoke to a representative in INDIA and got no acknowledgement of my booking. I called from Washington DC to Australia to get the acknowledgement number, date and time of the transaction on the 19th June. I had to book other accommodation as we were in transit to New York. two days after arriving at a new hotel I found the name of the hotel where we were supposedly booked. We walked to the hotel and told we were a "no show". The receptionist gave me the hotel booking number and the booking number through Expedia. Despite a phone call to Expedia support in Australia and numerous emails to "lastminute.com.au and Expedia support" I have been given the run around with a different agent addressing my emails each time. It is always the same response, " Sorry for the inconvenience and we will contact you in 3-5 days or 7-10 days. They only respond when I contact them and threaten to contact consumer affairs. I am very disheartened. I have collected all of the valid information, provided them with confirmation numbers and dates and still they will not confirm nor deny my booking or refund my money. I have kept all emails to and from them. This has absolutely ruined my holiday as money was taken from my Visa card which meant we had extra accommodation fees which had not planned on. This was our first holiday in ten years and we are still struggling to have our money returned. Can you please advise me and hopefully help me? Thank-you. Sincerely- Bonny Ward,(###) ###-####

Lawyer's Assistant: What state is this in? And just to clarify, when was the purchase made?

I live in New South Wales and the booking was made in Washington, DC. The money was deducted from my Bendigo MasterCard on 19 June 2018

Lawyer's Assistant: Have you contacted the seller or manufacturer?

YesI have sent 13 emails to them, contacted a representative by phone ( in INDIA) and when I returned to Australia I contacted an Australian representative. I have had 16 replies from them, some on the same day and by different reps...all saying basically the same thing. One reply was that they tried to contact the hotel to get a refund but couldn't get through!!!!

Lawyer's Assistant: Anything else you want the lawyer to know before I connect you?

Not that I can think of. Thank-you.

Submitted: 4 years ago.Category: Australia Law

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Answered in 16 hours by:

8/2/2018

Solicitor: Leon, Solicitor replied 4 years ago

Leon, Solicitor

Category: Australia Law

Satisfied Customers: 52,730

Experience: BEc Dip Ed, Dip Law (SAB) MTax (UNSW)

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Hi, I am Leon, a NSW Solicitor. I am reviewing your question and will reply again in a moment.

Good Morning

So you did not stay in the hotel you booked?

Customer reply replied 4 years ago

No. I never received confirmation from the company and couldn't remember the name of the hotel. I thought I had written the name of the hotel on a scrap of paper but couldn't find it, moving from hotel to hotel whilst travelling the east coast of USA. I tried & tried to get some information from them but in desperation I made another booking otherwise we would have arrived in New York without accomodation. 2 days later I came across the scrap of paper in my luggage and walked from 39th street to 50th street to check if I had ever had any booking at that hotel. The receptionist confirmed that was listed as a "no show". I told her what had happened and she gave me both the hotel confirmation number and the confirmation number from Expedia. I passed all of this information on to the company as well as the acknowledgement number, date and time that my money was deducted from my Bendigo Mastercard.Please reply by email.

Solicitor: Leon, Solicitor replied 4 years ago

Good Morning

But you have evidence that you have been chasing them up and also evidence that you paid for another hotel?

Your request for the confirmation was made before your checkin date?

If you have all this then you can speak to your credit card issuer and request a charge back.

Here is some information from the Ombudsman

https://www.fos.org.au/small-business/merchant-chargebacks/

Do this ASAP and raise the complaint and the bank should get your money back for you provided they supplier has failed ot provide you with the service and from what you have told me that appears to be the case.

I hope this has assisted and answered your question today.

If you wish to have a phone call to discuss this in more detail please elect a call or I can send you a request.

I hope this makes sense and is of assistance. If you have found my answer to be helpful, please rate me five stars so I can get paid for my services to you. You rating my work 5 stars allows me to continue to provide a service to those who require it.

I am happy for you to ask further questions on anything you wish more detail on.

Let me know if I have answered your question today.

Regards

Leon

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