HOTEL CHARGE DISPUTE

I am writing about a hotel in yourcountry that has wrongfully chargedour credit card. Hopefully you can helpwith this situation, which involves theHotel Aranjuez in downtown San José.We paid cash for our room when westayed there and they charged us foradditional nights on our credit card.The hotel manager has not been helpful.I have reported the hotel to ourbank here in the United States and tothe tourism authorities. The charge is$117.07.–James Sullivan,San FranciscoHotel Aranjuez Manager Sandra Jaratold The Tico Times that James Sullivanwas charged on his credit card becausehe failed to cancel a reservation with theappropriate department. She saidSullivan stayed in the hotel, paid in cashand then later made a reservation forthree rooms.Sullivan never completed the secondstay and cancelled the reservation withthe front desk in person, he said via email,adding that he has a receipt showingcancellation.Jara said the reservation was not canceledin compliance with the hotel’sreservation policy and that’s why Sullivanwas charged for the rooms. This policycan be found at www.hotelaranjuez.comand is given to clients when they make areservation, Jara said.The policy reads: “Any cancellationof a reservation must be done at least 24hours before the arrival date by fax or email.”Cancellations cannot be made inperson or by phone and can only be madewith the reservations department, whoprovide a cancellation number, it reads.Otherwise the credit cardholder ischarged the full amount of the room.“Sullivan did not have this cancellationnumber, and therefore his cancellationwas not valid,” Jara said.Sullivan says he has proof of the cancellationand has reported the incident tothe Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT),the U.S. Department of State Bureau ofConsular Affairs and Wells Fargo Bank.