Your consumer rights when booking and staying at UK hotels
Many British holidaymakers are booking hotels in the UK this year due to international travel uncertainty. Consumers will need to know their rights if things go wrong as well, as be aware of the increase in scams.
Below is a clip from Rip Off Britain where I presented a piece on complaining about hotels. I regularly appear in the media talking about travel and other consumer issues. You can see more at Helen Dewdney – Consumer Rights Expert & Media Commentator
Rip Off Britain 10/05/2017 How to complain about hotels
Your consumer rights if things go wrong with your hotel
1) When you book your hotel, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA), it must match the description. So, for example, if the listing states that the hotel is fully accessible and their parts of it which are not, then you will be entitled to redress. How much you will be entitled to will depend on the severity of the description breach.
The TikTok video below gives an outline of your rights when a hotel doesn’t match the description:
@thecomplainingcow The hotel is NOT what you booked and you need to know your rights before you just accept it. Hotels rely on you not knowing this… Here’s exactly what you’re entitled to when your accommodation isn’t as described. Save this before your next holiday 🏨✈️ #HotelFail #KnowYourRights #TravelTipsandtricks #Holidaytips #Consumerrights
2) If your hotel has overbooked it should find another hotel for you and pay the difference. For example, if you booked the hotel specifically to be near an event or attraction, the hotel will need to pay any additional costs.
The TikTok video below gives an outline of your rights when a hotel overbooks:
@thecomplainingcow How to complain when a hotel overbooks #hotels#overbooking#traveltipsandtricks #consumeradvice#holidaytips
3) Under the CRA you are entitled to services that are carried out with reasonable skill and care. For example, if your group’s meals are served at different times or are cold, then you will be entitled to redress. That could be a discount, a free meal course, right up to a full refund depending on the severity. The rule of thumb for amount of redress is what the average person would deem as “reasonable”.
4) Try to complain at the time and give the hotel manager a chance to put things right. If this doesn’t happen and the hotel is part of chain you can complain to the CEO whose email address you can find at Ceoemail.com
5) When complaining, be polite and objective in detailing the issue(s). Tell them the problem, what you would like as a solution and what you will do if you not receive a satisfactory response. This be, for example, submitting a claim through the Small Claims Court.
Protect yourself from scams
The TikTok video below gives an outline of holiday scams:
@thecomplainingcow If you’ve booked a holiday or booking one this year 👀 watch this first. Scammers are targeting travellers using fake hotel messages, fake airline support accounts and fake payment links. Booking.com has been heavily linked to scams, while airlines including Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates have warned customers about fake accounts and scam messages. Santander has also warned about scam recovery fraud targeting victims after they’ve already lost money 🚨 Tell me below — have you nearly been caught by a travel scam? 👇 #scam #fraud #recovery #holidaytips #traveltips
1) In April this year Booking.com was hacked and customers’ data was stolen. This led to customers receiving emails that looked like they were from Booking.com regarding their reservations. Do not click on links in emails that look like they come from Booking.com, instead contact the property owner directly.
2) Be careful of holidays being advertised on social media. Check the advertiser’s website and social media page to see if the offer is on their page. If they don’t have any other significant presence and they are offering a holiday that seems much cheaper than anywhere else, it is highly likely that it is a scam.
3) Look up reviews on various sites, ignore those on the company website and use “reverse look up” to check images. See How to use consumer reviews
4) Don’t pay by bank transfer and don’t be pressured into buying. These are techniques used by scammers to avoid verification processes.
5) Use a credit card to book any holiday over £100 to gain “Section 75” cover for which the bank is jointly liable. Even paying 1p as a deposit on the card will give you cover. For amounts under £100 or using a debit card you can use Chargeback which is a voluntary scheme provided by most banks. If the bank refuses your claim take the issue to the Financial Ombudsman. How to claim refunds using credit and debit cards, Consumer Credit Act 1974
Below in an excerpt from a Channel 5 episode of Scams Don’t Get Caught Out where I discuss purchasing holidays on a credit card.
Using a credit card to protect your finances
Don’t be out of pocket this Summer!
More on how to complain about holidays
Listen to all you need to know about on Booking, taking and how to complain about holidays on the The Complaining Cow Consumer Show on East London Radio.
For more tips and templates about complaining about aspects of flights and holidays see How to prevent problems when booking a holiday let (plus what to do when things go wrong).
Further help when complaining about goods and services
Top 20 Tips for complaining effectively
Complaining about goods and services – all you need to know
For information, consumer laws, advice, stories and templates GET THE BOOK! How To Complain: The ESSENTIAL Consumer Guide to Getting REFUNDS, Redress and RESULTS!
101 Habits of an Effective Complainer will help you develop skills to become better at complaining.
If you can’t wait to get the book to complain then you can Purchase downloadable templates to gain redress.
