Posted on 12/27/2017 1:04:35 PM PST by simpson96
A woman in Indiana said she was stunned after she posted a negative review about her bad experience at a hotel — and promptly got an extra $350 charge and a threat of legal action.
Katrina Arthur told WRTV she and her husband stayed at the Abbey Inn & Suites in Brown County — about an hour south of Indianapolis — in March 2016, but claimed that their stay at the hotel “was a nightmare.”
“The room was unkempt, and it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since the last people stayed there. We checked the sheets and I found hairs and dirt,” Arthur said. She added that it reeked of sewage and had weak water pressure and broken air conditioning.
When Arthur tried to find hotel employees, she said she came up short and “had to clean the room myself.”
So, when the hotel asked Arthur to review her stay at the Abbey Inn, she made sure her experience was heard
“I was honest,” Arthur told WRTV. “I wanted people to know not to waste their money because I know people save their money for special occasions."
Once Arthur posted her review, she said the hotel charged her $350 and threatened her with legal action. So, she deleted her review.
Arthur said it felt like the hotel was “punishing” her “for being truthful,” and she contacted the Indiana attorney general’s office.
That office filed a lawsuit on Dec. 15 against Abbey Management Inc.(snip)
Arthur, who said “there’s nothing wrong with being truthful,” said she wants her $350 back from the hotel.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Why didn't she simply call her credit card company and have the additional $350 charge removed. Threatening legal action and actually taking legal action are two very different things. She should have called their bluff - unless, of course, she was lying in her review.
“Resort Fee”
Was the $350 the cost of the room that they rented? I am finding it hard to believe that they charged her $350 MORE, later. Seems like you could dispute that on your credit card, and then also threaten with legal action.
Someone tell Dan Bell and the series “Another Dirty Room”
Does she have a white glove as proof?
The lawsuit reportedly states the Abbey Inn had a policy which allowed them to charge customers the fee for poor reviews, which the state of Indiana alleges violated the state’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, which aims to modify “deceptive and unconscionable consumer sales practices.”
The lawsuit claimed the policy read: “Guests agree that if guests find any problems with our accommodations, and fail to provide us the opportunity to address those problems while the guest is with us, and/or refuses our exclusive remedy, but then disparages us in any public manner, we will be entitled to charge their credit card an additional $350 damage. Should the guest refuse to retract any such public statements legal action may be pursued.”
...
The policy could be found briefly on a document on the hotel’s website, but it wasn’t provided to guests or posted anywhere at the inn, according to the lawsuit.
Apparently, the Indiana AG has filed suit against the owners of the hotel (possibly the wrong owners, but that is a separate issue).
I recall some crazy place in New York that had a policy of penalizing people who booked weddings at their place if one of their guests posted a negative review.
Naturally that led to thousands of bad reviews on the place.
She can reverse the charge with her CC company.
Oops. I meant to respond to your post...
(see above)
that’s funny!
Companithat dump on their customers are companies that will soon be out of business.
If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit!
Turn them in on the Bed Bug Hotel site!!!
A quick google search shows Abbey Inn in Nashville Indiana is permanently closed.
Place is listed as permanently closed on google.
Bet there is a Patel in the ownership group.
lol...
“Message from TripAdvisor: Due to a recent event that has attracted media attention and has caused an influx of review submissions that do not describe a first-hand experience, we have temporarily suspended publishing new reviews for this listing. If you’ve had a firsthand experience at this property, please check back soon - we’re looking forward to receiving your review!”
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g37361-d302301-Reviews-Abbey_Inn-Nashville_Indiana.html
I pass this place often, it is a secluded B+B type place, that usually only open on weekends.
Never piss off anyone that has your credit card number.
“A quick google search shows Abbey Inn in Nashville Indiana is permanently closed.”
Always closes at the end of the fall season, to the best of my knowledge. And usually only open weekends summer and fall.
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