Question about reserving hotel/motel rooms.... (hotels, reservations, price, cheapest)
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they hold your card number so that if you cancel, depending on their policy, they may charge you some fee. otherwise they will charge you at the time of check in. at that point you can either charge it or pay cash.
When I reserve a room through the phone, (in most cases) do they charge my card already over the phone? Or do they charge it once I'm there?
Also, do most places refund you if you end up canceling the reservation?
BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY RESERVATION, make sure that you understand the terms and conditions of the reservations. In most cases, you may cancel up until 6 pm of the day of the reservation.
However, in resort areas, sometimes, you have to cancel a minimum of 72 hours in advance. In remote areas, I have seen a minimum of 30 days prior to the trip.
On some opaque websites like Priceline and Hotwire, all reservations are nonchangeable or cancellable. In that case, your credit card is charges at the time of the reservation.
ALSO, some of the cheapest rates at certain chains like Hilton are also non-refundable and you are charged at the time of reservation.
A friend of mine recently divulged a trick of his that I like.
When he places his reservation he purposely changes the last four numbers so that his card cannot get charged in advance. At his destination he just goes Oops and "corrects" his mistake. I may try that myself.
A friend of mine recently divulged a trick of his that I like.
When he places his reservation he purposely changes the last four numbers so that his card cannot get charged in advance. At his destination he just goes Oops and "corrects" his mistake. I may try that myself.
May work, but who is to say that it will work at every hotel you may want to stay at? You or your friend may show up to check-in and not even have a reservation.
A friend of mine recently divulged a trick of his that I like.
When he places his reservation he purposely changes the last four numbers so that his card cannot get charged in advance. At his destination he just goes Oops and "corrects" his mistake. I may try that myself.
(I'm speaking just about the Resort I work in here...) When a guest gives us a credit/debit card number over the phone, and we enter it into the computer...if it is an invalid number, we will know IMMEDIATELY. We also cannot complete the reservation without a valid card number entered.
I do know that sometimes, when you're dealing with a no-name hotel or a Mom-N-Pop type hotel in a small town...believe it or not...some of these hotels STILL do not enter reservations into a computer! They do everything by hand. So, they might just write down your CC Number and not realize it is invalid. (I actually stay at a small Mom-N-Pop hotel like this every year in So. Dak. and it amazes me every time that they STILL do not have a computer!)
I do know that sometimes, when you're dealing with a no-name hotel or a Mom-N-Pop type hotel in a small town...believe it or not...some of these hotels STILL do not enter reservations into a computer! They do everything by hand. So, they might just write down your CC Number and not realize it is invalid. (I actually stay at a small Mom-N-Pop hotel like this every year in So. Dak. and it amazes me every time that they STILL do not have a computer!)
Most of the major chains have caught on to this a long time ago and can verify a false number immediately.
I would be MORE concerned if a hotel was manually writing down a CC number as to the rish if identity theft.
Before you book, ask what the cancellation policy is...for some it's days in advance, some are 24 hours prior and some are up to 4 pm the day of arrival! Find out BEFORE you book!
They generally don't charge your card until you arrive, unless you fail to cancel and then you may get charged.
Before you book a reservation, know first the policy bout the reservation and the cancellation. But as what i have experienced when you book a reservation theres no charge. It will only counts the charge on the day you will arrived at the hotel.
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Hotel Cornwall
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