Do you strictly enforce your cancellation policy?

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Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?.
knowlesl said:
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?
Lois, what gc? BandB.com?
We have had THAT same couple here who traveled and found every B&B unacceptable due to her allergies to carpet, to wood, to people...
I told them to go ahead and leave and good luck on a hotel that doesn't reek of bleach and cleaning prodicts! I WANTED THEM GONE.
They should have told you this BEFORE BOOKING THE ROOM. I would not let them off the hook for that. But like me, you are better off getting their miserable butts out of your life.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
I agree- and it sounds like a scam to me too.
 
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?.
knowlesl said:
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?
Lois, what gc? BandB.com?
We have had THAT same couple here who traveled and found every B&B unacceptable due to her allergies to carpet, to wood, to people...
I told them to go ahead and leave and good luck on a hotel that doesn't reek of bleach and cleaning prodicts! I WANTED THEM GONE.
They should have told you this BEFORE BOOKING THE ROOM. I would not let them off the hook for that. But like me, you are better off getting their miserable butts out of your life.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
I agree- and it sounds like a scam to me too.
.
I agree with all you said..except... I would let my guest transfer the certificate to someone else. Someone paid for it..so I don't care who uses it. But there are no cash refunds for any gift certificates. you use it or someone uses it..or lose it.
 
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?.
knowlesl said:
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?
Was it a gift? Did they buy it themselves? Where did they buy it?
Very good points were made here...if it is a bandb.com GC and they want face value, no way, they only paid $79 for it. If it was a gift from someone to them and it is YOUR gc, not something purchased from another company, I tell guests I can only refund the cc that paid for it. IF I want to refund it. My gc's DO say 'not redeemable for cash'.
Another innkeeper here got a guest with a DONATED gc who couldn't stay the weekend they wanted and they demanded that she pay them the money they had donated! How would she even know what that was if she even wanted to reimburse them for a donation??
 
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?.
knowlesl said:
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?
Lois, what gc? BandB.com?
We have had THAT same couple here who traveled and found every B&B unacceptable due to her allergies to carpet, to wood, to people...
I told them to go ahead and leave and good luck on a hotel that doesn't reek of bleach and cleaning prodicts! I WANTED THEM GONE.
They should have told you this BEFORE BOOKING THE ROOM. I would not let them off the hook for that. But like me, you are better off getting their miserable butts out of your life.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
I agree- and it sounds like a scam to me too.
.
I agree with all you said..except... I would let my guest transfer the certificate to someone else. Someone paid for it..so I don't care who uses it. But there are no cash refunds for any gift certificates. you use it or someone uses it..or lose it.
.
Likewise, I don't really care who uses the GC. Mine say "transferable with prior approval from innkeeper". That way they can't just show up with it and say "Joe & Sally gave me theirs". Joe and Sally would have to call or email me first.
 
I just thought this over...I had "not redeemable for cash", and added "non-refundable" and "inn policies apply". I thought adding the policies part would capture deposits, cancellations, damages, etc.
 
JBJ wrote: "Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY"
I just want to throw this out for discussion:
If you were a customer wanting to purchase a GC as a gift, would you be happy giving a gift with that wording on it? Yes, you are wanting to give them a gift that they will enjoy and you think they will enjoy staying at XYZ B&B but there are those that would not be overjoyed for one reason or another.
I agree with no refunds but I do not understand it not being transferable. If one can not use it, why not allow someone else to use it? It was paid for. Just think of all the coffee makers given as wedding gifts that are either returned or 're-gifted'.
Now, for GC's given for charity, I place ALL the bells & whistles on them.
EDITED: Guess others beat me to my question. HJ - I like your addtion and will add something like that to mine:)
 
JBJ wrote: "Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY"
I just want to throw this out for discussion:
If you were a customer wanting to purchase a GC as a gift, would you be happy giving a gift with that wording on it? Yes, you are wanting to give them a gift that they will enjoy and you think they will enjoy staying at XYZ B&B but there are those that would not be overjoyed for one reason or another.
I agree with no refunds but I do not understand it not being transferable. If one can not use it, why not allow someone else to use it? It was paid for. Just think of all the coffee makers given as wedding gifts that are either returned or 're-gifted'.
Now, for GC's given for charity, I place ALL the bells & whistles on them.
EDITED: Guess others beat me to my question. HJ - I like your addtion and will add something like that to mine:).
Copperhead said:
JBJ wrote: "Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY"
I just want to throw this out for discussion:
If you were a customer wanting to purchase a GC as a gift, would you be happy giving a gift with that wording on it? Yes, you are wanting to give them a gift that they will enjoy and you think they will enjoy staying at XYZ B&B but there are those that would not be overjoyed for one reason or another.
I agree with no refunds but I do not understand it not being transferable. If one can not use it, why not allow someone else to use it? It was paid for. Just think of all the coffee makers given as wedding gifts that are either returned or 're-gifted'.
Now, for GC's given for charity, I place ALL the bells & whistles on them.
EDITED: Guess others beat me to my question. HJ - I like your addtion and will add something like that to mine:)
We ran into problems a couple of years into this when we started getting calls for 'just found' gift certs that had been 'misplaced'. We had no idea whether or not they were real gc's or not. We had not been paid for them. Called the POs and they had no record of them being purchased. Could have been that they didn't want to pay us, could have been truth. One GC holder faxed the GC to us and it was a blank form. Someone printed it off the web (the PO's used to let you do that) that had never been filled in. The other was actually on the right paper and had all the details so we accepted it.
All that to say, that the transferring part can sometimes get tricky.
 
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?.
knowlesl said:
Okay
this happened just yesterday. A guest arrived with a gift certificate for their 2 night stay. They stayed one hour, used the wine glasses, garbage, toilet, sink, air conditioner, bed, television, etc. Then, there was a knock on the door of our private quarters. The man said "We cannot stay, my wife has airborne allergies. She must be allergic to something in the air, this being such an old house and all. I told him that noone has ever been allergic to anything in our house before.
Then they asked for the money to replace the gift certificate. I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Now please tell me what to do? Does he get a refund considering we have a three day cancellation policy? I was able to rent the rooms, but do I just pay him the money for the gift cert. which was bought over a year ago?
Lois, what gc? BandB.com?
We have had THAT same couple here who traveled and found every B&B unacceptable due to her allergies to carpet, to wood, to people...
I told them to go ahead and leave and good luck on a hotel that doesn't reek of bleach and cleaning prodicts! I WANTED THEM GONE.
They should have told you this BEFORE BOOKING THE ROOM. I would not let them off the hook for that. But like me, you are better off getting their miserable butts out of your life.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
.
Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY.
I agree- and it sounds like a scam to me too.
.
I agree with all you said..except... I would let my guest transfer the certificate to someone else. Someone paid for it..so I don't care who uses it. But there are no cash refunds for any gift certificates. you use it or someone uses it..or lose it.
.
catlady said:
I agree with all you said..except... I would let my guest transfer the certificate to someone else. Someone paid for it..so I don't care who uses it. But there are no cash refunds for any gift certificates. you use it or someone uses it..or lose it.
That is something I add or delete per guest or per gc purchase. What happened to me is so and so can't make it, so they cancel and then give it to the next couple, who books, then cancels and gives it to the next person. Just like some GC are BOGO - those are donated. They are transferable because I do not even know who ends up with them!
I did sell one on eBay in the winter/spring and the OWNER of the GC is completely transferable. Whoever has it in their hand, can redeem it.
So I am the opposite of you on this, what about the IN-liue of cancellation charge - NON TRANSFERABLE on those as well.
 
JBJ wrote: "Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY"
I just want to throw this out for discussion:
If you were a customer wanting to purchase a GC as a gift, would you be happy giving a gift with that wording on it? Yes, you are wanting to give them a gift that they will enjoy and you think they will enjoy staying at XYZ B&B but there are those that would not be overjoyed for one reason or another.
I agree with no refunds but I do not understand it not being transferable. If one can not use it, why not allow someone else to use it? It was paid for. Just think of all the coffee makers given as wedding gifts that are either returned or 're-gifted'.
Now, for GC's given for charity, I place ALL the bells & whistles on them.
EDITED: Guess others beat me to my question. HJ - I like your addtion and will add something like that to mine:).
Copperhead said:
JBJ wrote: "Remember innkeepers if YOU PRINT YOUR OWN GC's - NO CASH VALUE, NO REFUNDABLE, NON TRANFERABLE and SAME CANCELLATION POLICIES APPLY"
I just want to throw this out for discussion:
If you were a customer wanting to purchase a GC as a gift, would you be happy giving a gift with that wording on it? Yes, you are wanting to give them a gift that they will enjoy and you think they will enjoy staying at XYZ B&B but there are those that would not be overjoyed for one reason or another.
I agree with no refunds but I do not understand it not being transferable. If one can not use it, why not allow someone else to use it? It was paid for. Just think of all the coffee makers given as wedding gifts that are either returned or 're-gifted'.
Now, for GC's given for charity, I place ALL the bells & whistles on them.
EDITED: Guess others beat me to my question. HJ - I like your addtion and will add something like that to mine:)
It is not in all caps like I had it there, it is in the small print. These are the same as other gift cards. I took the verbiage off of them. Let me think back WHY I put the non transferable on them. Other than that one time where they booked, cancelled, gave it to someone, they booked cancelled, gave it to someone...it was TERRIBLE!
But there was another reason for that. I am not in a good state today, I will try to remember.
 
This happens very, very seldom. You shoudn't be afraid of this. I think you would know if it's a sob story or not, anyway..
We had one where the guest got their confirmation with the policies and replied on accident to us, when they meant to forward to the other people in their party, making snide comments about the policies. I replied, saying I wasn't sure if they meant to contact us
wink_smile.gif
. Their "grandmother" died that next day and they had to cancel! (Out of embarrassment I guess!!) We gave a full refund, I didn't want them after their remarks anyway!
 
bree, i don't give a gc ... if (hardly ever) i agree to apply the deposit to a future visit, i leave a credit balance on the books.
totally agree with the gc printing ... NOT REDEEMABLE FOR CASH
if that statement is not on the gc this couple had, i still would not give them money. i think i would tell them, when/if they contact you about a 'refund' that the gift certficates are not redeemable for cash. see how it goes. maybe someone else without allergies to whatever can come stay the other night left on the gc.
i have had a couple people leave who said they were sensitive to something here. i didn't refund their money. very sorry for their trouble, etc.
 
When I sell a GC, it has no expiration date because it was purchased - all donations have an expiriation date (makes it easy to tell them apart). Because I do not sell a ton of them, I know how many are out and who bought it.
I do not care who uses it. If it was a donation, I have no clue who got it and likewise, when purchased I do not always know who is getting it as a gift although I do usually get a name. This has made me do some thinking and I am going to add to my Not valid Holidays, October, WVU home football games - a cancelled reservation makes this certificate invalid.
 
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