With travel picking up following the pandemic, many consumers are looking at hotel stays. While most hotel stays are pleasant, there could be negative experiences.
For instance, reader Jeff has run into an issue. He writes, “A local casino hotel comped me a room and I had to use a credit card for a $250 security deposit. Later I looked at my credit card statement and they charged me $750 on my card. They said I smoked in the room which I did not. For sure no one smoked in the room. Is it legal for them to charge more than the security deposit? Is this a typical scam in the hotel industry?”
Hotel damage charges are not unusual
Being charged for damage by hotels after your stay is not unusual. Elliott Advocacy, a consumer advocacy organization, reports that this is a trend that looks to be developing in the franchise hotel sector. The firm says it has been receiving more complaints recently from guests who say that they have been hit with a number of charges after their stay, without any proof.
If you have a card on file with a hotel, it should only charge you for damage that occurred during your stay. And the hotel has to inspect your room following your stay to gauge the situation and put in a charge for expenses, such as cleaning or damage caused by your pet, among other things.
Save yourself from surprise hotel charges
If you want to ward off surprise hotel charges, one good practice is to inspect your room at the time of check-in to make sure previous guests have not…
