ComplaintsforIslander Inn, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  06/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The business charged my family and me $250 for smoking damages to the room during our stay at the hotel in the beginning of June. We do not smoke. We did not smoke in the room. The hotel did not notify us of this fee, but instead attempted to charge us after we checked out. We immediately called ******** to inquiry about the charge and subsequently explained that our family does not smoke, that we had a toddler in the room, and that one occupant was pregnant. Despite this, she notified us that her manager refused to refund the charge.Clearly the hotel made an error by attributing damage from a previous occupant of our room to us. As a guest, it is not my responsibility to report the condition of the room to the staff upon my occupancy. The hotel manager must do a better job tracking damages incurred to the room. Instead, she engaged in predatory business practices that exploit tourists- my family and I who otherwise wouldve enjoyed our stay. If I lived in ****************, I would address the issue with the Magistrate at the *****************. As I live out of town, I am limited as to what I can do. Ultimately, I want other people to know the risks of staying with the Islander Inn in **********, **.

  

  Business response

  06/11/2024

  ****************,
  
  As The Islander Inn understands your frustration regarding $250 Smoking Fine, we have decided to accept the chargeback that has been submitted by your card company.  With accepting this chargeback,there are a few items that need highlighting regarding the decision to charge the Smoking Fine to any room left with evidence of smoking:
  
  Upon check-in, on the registration card, it is stated to the right of the signature line in a large, bold, underlined sentence of No Smoking in/on Balconies, Breezeways, Stairwells or Rooms. Failure to Comply will result in $250.00 fine without additional notice. After the guest executes the registration card, all guests are handed a Welcome Sheet at check-in that states under the Rules & Regulations section, bullet 3,Smoking is strictly prohibited in any area except for the designated areas in the parking lot under the buildings. This includes: rooms, balconies, breezeways,pool areas, and gazebo. A $250.00 penalty will be assessed to any guest caught who violates our No Smoking Policy. To further potentially prevent smoking in our non-smoking rooms, each room has 2 silver coated signs (one located at the bar to been seen while entering the room, the other located on the balcony door to be seen while exiting to the balcony, both at eye level) that state This Is a Non-Smoking Room with a symbol reflecting a cigarette with a slashed circle around it.
  
  After each departure, each Ocean Front Room with Balcony and Island View Room without Balcony, are inspected for damages and then cleaned to The Islander Inn protocol. If smoking evidence is found within the room, or balcony, the smoking fine is charged as it is believed to be the evidence of the current departing guest.
  
  Although it has been shared that there was a toddler in the room and that another occupant was pregnant, these are not justifiable grounds to believe that a guest did not smoke within a non-designated smoking area. The Islander Inn could not take this into consideration regarding the smoking fine since it is a personal preference if a person chooses to smoke around such people or not.
  After your departure, undetermined ashes were located on the balcony of your departed room which was grounds for breach of contract.Thus, this evidence resulted in the smoking fine being charged per the executed smoking policy.
  
  Agreeably, it is not the guests responsibility to report the condition of the room as it should always be satisfactory upon arrival. It is still suggested to report any items that could potentially lead to your card becoming charged as any business has the potential of overlooking something.
  
  The Islander Inn appreciates that you enjoyed your stay.If you would like to return in the future, please reach out to me directly at ********************************** so that I may make arrangements myself to verify that the room is completely satisfactory upon your arrival. We hope to see you again.
  
  Very Respectfully,
  *******************
  General Manager
  The Islander Inn

  Customer response

  06/11/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

  While they did not acknowledge their errors of improperly inspecting the room before and after our occupancy and charging our card $250 without proper notification, I appreciate their efforts to rectify their mistake by refunding the charge and dedicating time to offer us a response.

  Sincerely,

  ***********************

   

   

  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I made a reservation at the Islander Inn trough Booking.com, reservation number ********** on June 9th 2022. I cancelled that reservation before the penalty time. However, the credit card I used to make the reservation was replaced due to fraud activity on the account. ******************** refuses to refund my money to the new card number. They claim I need to get something in writing from the bank that the account changed. I could not get that, I spoke with **** of America multiple times.. ******** says they can process the refund to the original card number since it is the same account. Now they are also refusing to refund it to the original card number. They are stating they cannot do that because they have a new system. Given the amount of credit card fraud these days this is an unreasonable policy. This is just a policy to cheat customers out of their refund. I have contacted the Inn on several occasions and they refuse to budge.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2023

  The attached spreadsheet reflects our attempts at refunding the guest, *********************, card. With each attempt, we would receive a decline code of 'Processor transaction not allowed response (57 : Transaction not permitted to Cardholder)'. In attempts to explain to the guest that we would need a letter directly from their bank, provided on letter head with the canceled card and the updated card, that we could issue a refund to the newly designated card. The guest stated that their bank would not provide the letter and to refund the old card. Our company contacted our credit card processor company in hopes that they could provide us a different avenue that we had not already tried for it to lead us to the same answer; it was the guests issuing bank that was blocking the refund transaction. As a result, we have suggested for the guest to dispute the charge with their bank and we would gladly accept the charge back once it comes through. The guest stated that they would do just that. 

  Customer response

  06/28/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Prior to contacting you they were totally unwilling to work with me and had stopped returning calls.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

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