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Guest Credit Card Declined

Its approaching the end of our busiest time of the year. I had one 3 bedroom apartment left for 3-4 nights this coming weekend. Last apartment in the whole complex. Booking.Com sold it for the first 3 of the potential 4 nights available.

Credit card provided failed for 100%, down to 5% of the total amount due.

Guest phone went to messagebank. No response to my message.

Advised Booking.Com via the Extranet. Standard computer generated reply, "We will contact the guest and ask for new details' 

I can cancel in 24 hours if not forthcoming.

That's totally wrong. I should be able to cancel the booking when its this close to check in date immediately. 

I should be in charge of my bookings, not an agent, who doesn't follow up straightaway. 

Why does this guest or any guest, who provides incorrect details, whether by mistake [yea right] or intentionally deserve 24 hours. 

Who is to say, this is not a competitor booking my last room in order to sell theirs at the same or a higher price. 

I am sure many of you have had similar problems. 

I wonder how many of you, once you are finally able to reenlist your own room, are left with it vacant, when its currently 48 hours to check in. 

I would love to hear your thoughts.

I know its different for booking within the last 24 hours. Why can't this feature be extended to bookings within one week of arrival.?

Malcolm Craig

Merrima Court Holidays 

 

 

 

 


Profile picture for the user t
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Thuild - Your … 5 years ago

Dear Malcolm,

You can set up the cancellation policy as you please. Nobody is forcing you to work with the preset.

I've had my share of failed cards and what I've changed is that I pre-authorize the cards as soon as I receive the reservation. Once it fails, I ask for booking cancellation, within that 24 hour range so nobody can throw it back to me.

Hope that helps,

Zsolt - www.thuild.com

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malcolm craig 5 years ago

Hi Zsolt, Your comment was well meaning but I think you missed my point. I don't believe we should have to wait 24 hours, when the booking is MADE within 72 hours off arrival. For bookings 2 months, or 2 weeks away. i already do as you suggest.

My question was, "I wonder how many of you, once you are finally able to reenlist your own room, are left with it vacant, when its currently 48 hours to check in. "

I would love to hear your thoughts.

I know its different for booking within the last 24 hours. Why can't this feature be extended to bookings within one week of arrival.?

Malcolm Craig

Merrima Court Holidays

Profile picture for the user t
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Thuild - Your … 5 years ago

Dear Malcolm,

You've failed to mention that your guest booked 72 hours of arrival.

The period of 24 hours is going to be there regardless if it's 72 hours or 25 hours before arrival.

To answer your first question: I'm not losing money if they cancel because I charge them in full at the moment of booking, because they are inside my window of cancellation. If that fails, I simply open the room and send a message to the guest that they have failed to provide a valid payment method, therefore their reservation is void. In the same time I ask BDC to contact the guest or submit the booking for cancellation.

The main thing here is that I leave the room open for other reservations, therefore I don't have to miss out on other bookings.

Again, your policy, you enforce it. The only thing you can do with BDC is to ask for cancellation in the 24 hour window since the booking was made.

Best regards,

Zsolt - www.thuild.com