When Stewart Sheinfeld redeemed 10,000 Starwood points for a night at the W Chicago Lakeshore, he found a strange new rule at the bottom of his confirmation. It said if he canceled his room after 6 p.m. on the day of his arrival, he wouldn’t just lose his points — he’d also have to pay $689.
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cancellation
Days Inn isn’t having a good day. This morning, I reported on Charles McGovern, the Days Inn guest who booked a room at the wrong Days Inn and ended up losing $220. I’ve just wrapped up another Days Inn case that involves the loss of almost the same amount of money.
Next time you cancel a hotel room, get a number. Otherwise you might have to pay for your reservation, whether you show up or not. Cancellation numbers, like reservation numbers, are verifications of a transaction. They’re useful not only for the hotel, but also for your credit card company in the event of a dispute.
Think you’re protected by European consumer laws like EU 261/2004, which forces air carriers to compensate passengers in the event of a delay or cancellation? Think again. A report by the UK watchdog Air Transport Users Council concludes airlines have found a clever way around the rule.
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