What to do when ripped off by a hotel

Hi

If you came here from my appearance on Rip Off Britain talking about how to complain to hotels. Here’s some advice and useful links

1. Complain at the time. This is important because there is an onus on the consumer to be reasonable as well as the trader. If the matter were to go further you will need to show that you provided the trader an opportunity to put matters right.Ask to see the manager
2. Get evidence. Take photos, details of names of people you complained to, dates and times and any evidence you can use at a later date if you need to do so.
3. Consumer Rights Act 2015. Know your legal rights. The key things regarding hotels here are:
   You are entitled to services to be carried out with reasonable skill and care. So if your room isn’t up to scratch or the service you receive is poor then you are entitled to redress. The percentage you should expect will depend on the level of service and how quickly they put matters right.
   The place you stay must match the description. So if the brochure/website said the room will have xyz then xyz must be in the room in good working order.
4. The ultimate guide to complaining when eating out provides detailed information on how to complain in restaurants and cafes etc.
5. Complain at a later date. If you feel that you didn’t get redress at the time or you were unable to complain in the time then do complain when you get home. This may be to the manager or if a chain go higher. Use ceoemail.com to find the contact details for any CEO.
6. Complain effectively! See Top 20 Tips How to complain! for guidance on writing the perfect email/letter
7. Complain even if hotel not in UK! All you need to know about booking/complaining about holidays/flights provides links to a variety of posts discussing how to prevent problems, successful complaints, your rights when booking and after your holiday etc.

The rest of the site provides advice, guidance, information and your rights on a wide range of issues and sectors. For more of this including templates see the Amazon bestseller How to Complain: The Essential Consumer Guide to Getting Refunds, Redress and Results!