Arks
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- May 22, 2010
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After just over 5 years in business, I think I've run across my first real crooks. So, I guess that's not too bad, but that doesn't console me!
ResKey, my reservation system, collects the first night as a deposit when they book. Using the stored CC info, I have ResKey collect the balance due for the stay on the day of arrival.
Friday I had a 2-night reservation arrive (I'm not there, but I know when they arrive because the door keypad sends me a text message when they enter their key code). As usual, I ran the card on file for payment of the balance. About 1 in 100 are declined, and this one was. Usually it's a reservation made months ago, and they've changed cards or it expired or something. This one sort of stood out because the reservation was made just last month.
I always fear the worst, and my first inclination is to cancel their door code so they have to contact me. But ALWAYS in the past, shortly after I send a "your charge card was declined" email, with an online payment link, the payment comes through, along with an email or text message of apology and explanation. So I'm always glad I don't follow my first inclination, to lock them out until they pay (for one thing, I'm afraid they'll break a window to get in to their stuff).
So Friday night I sent the "your card was declined" email. No response. ResKey shows me when they open an email I send, and it was never opened. I re-sent it Saturday. They didn't open that one either. OK, understandable. They are traveling and probably not checking email. But ResKey sent them an automatic receipt at 4 a.m. today, and they DID open that one! Uh-oh!!
The ones they didn't open have subject "Your charge card was declined" along with the name of my inn (so they don't think it's spam). The receipt email they did open just has the subject "Your MY INN receipt".
So I drove down to the inn at 8 a.m. and of course they are gone, along, apparently, with the $204 they still owe me. They may be waiting until they get home to deal with payment, but I doubt it. If I were the confrontational sort, I'd have knocked on their door Friday night when the card was declined. But I'd rather take a beating than confront someone, so I've taken my well-deserved financial beating. I want to punch somebody, but I know I need to be punching myself.
ResKey, my reservation system, collects the first night as a deposit when they book. Using the stored CC info, I have ResKey collect the balance due for the stay on the day of arrival.
Friday I had a 2-night reservation arrive (I'm not there, but I know when they arrive because the door keypad sends me a text message when they enter their key code). As usual, I ran the card on file for payment of the balance. About 1 in 100 are declined, and this one was. Usually it's a reservation made months ago, and they've changed cards or it expired or something. This one sort of stood out because the reservation was made just last month.
I always fear the worst, and my first inclination is to cancel their door code so they have to contact me. But ALWAYS in the past, shortly after I send a "your charge card was declined" email, with an online payment link, the payment comes through, along with an email or text message of apology and explanation. So I'm always glad I don't follow my first inclination, to lock them out until they pay (for one thing, I'm afraid they'll break a window to get in to their stuff).
So Friday night I sent the "your card was declined" email. No response. ResKey shows me when they open an email I send, and it was never opened. I re-sent it Saturday. They didn't open that one either. OK, understandable. They are traveling and probably not checking email. But ResKey sent them an automatic receipt at 4 a.m. today, and they DID open that one! Uh-oh!!
The ones they didn't open have subject "Your charge card was declined" along with the name of my inn (so they don't think it's spam). The receipt email they did open just has the subject "Your MY INN receipt".
So I drove down to the inn at 8 a.m. and of course they are gone, along, apparently, with the $204 they still owe me. They may be waiting until they get home to deal with payment, but I doubt it. If I were the confrontational sort, I'd have knocked on their door Friday night when the card was declined. But I'd rather take a beating than confront someone, so I've taken my well-deserved financial beating. I want to punch somebody, but I know I need to be punching myself.