Minibar charge

[judecorp]

Also, I got my credit card bill yesterday and found a mysterious $17.08 charge from Hilton Hotels on my statement, assumedly from our NYC stay. We shouldn't have had extra charges because we prepaid on Priceline.

I called this morning and the woman said it was a minibar charge. This is exactly what I expected them to say. Here was our conversation:

Me: I noticed a $17.08 charge on my bill. Do you know what that's from?
Her: I see it's a minibar charge.
Me: We didn't use the minibar.
Her: They must be missing items. Okay, I'll take the charge off your card.

Doesn't that seem a LITTLE fishy to you? I mean, if they REALLY thought I used $17 worth of stuff from the minibar, would they have agreed to reverse the charge so immediately? I mean, I was prepared to go into the whole story (the truth), that we had asked to NOT have a minibar key but they gave us one anyway, and then we wanted to bring it downstairs and hand it to a real person at checkout but they said to leave it in the room, etc. But I didn't have to. Because she just said, "Okay."

I wonder if this is a common problem - either them trying to get extra money out of people, or room cleaners sampling from the minibar. I'm just glad it will come off my card.

Comments

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

The Minibar is bad because it gives the Housekeepers responsiblity of keeping track of it. Having been a housekeeper I can tell you that after a while the hotel rooms all look the same. These items are PURE profit, so if you divine to scam them out of a few items on the minibar they are going to let you get away with it. However, if the entire minibar had been missing, I can assure you they would fight a little harder. And considering the absurd cost of minibar items, 18 dollars is like 2 candy bars and some drinks! I remember when I was in Vegas the first time for MMS my boss wouldn't even let me TOUCH the minibar he was so afraid they had some kind of magnetic mechanism like Indiana Jones or something that would immediately detect consumption and charge it to his room!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can't even imagine what they could have said I was able to buy for $17! The candy bars were like $4! Whatever.

These minibars had a little plastic thing over the door handle so that they would know if you opened it. We sure didn't even TOUCH ours so there was no way I was going to pay for some overpriced candy bars!

I can't imagine you ever being a housekeeper.

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

It was my first job after High School and my first actual "Real Job" (this was back in the 1989-1990 time). It was fun because I got to work with almost all women. The actual job wasn't too bad either but after a while the monotony really got to me. Fortunatly I was able to get my first job in the computer biz before I went completely insane. But I really have some good stories about some of the most amazingly trashed hotel rooms ever! Plus its funny to stay at hotels now and see the Toilet Paper in that little Arrow Shape and think I USED TO HAVE TO DO THAT!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have had my share of doozy jobs, too. But now I still have a doozy job and I'm not a big fancy computer dude like you! :)

My stepsister cleaned rooms for a while and it was a skank hotel and she had all sorts of gross stories. I hope that didn't happen to you!!

[goddamnelf.livejournal.com]

Cindy and I stayed at a hotel in New Orleans called the Monte De Lion, and our room had a minibar, and it was equiped with a sensor under each item, so if you even picked it up, it would charge you for it.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Woah, that's nuts! :)

(Did you touch anything?)

[goddamnelf.livejournal.com]

I think I pulled something out, and that is how I figured out they had the little sensors. And I just remembered that there was a 15 second timer or something, so you could pick it up, but if you did not put it back down you would be charged.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

That's wacky! It's like a sci-fi movie.

[smurfbrother.livejournal.com]

I think it's a pretty common problem - I've had it happen to me at least 2 or 3 times, and I never use the minibar. Every time, I've told the staff that I didn't use the minibar, and they've always removed the charges with no problem.

This just made me realize I could probably scam a free drink or so every time I stay in a hotel with a minibar.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

*sniff* I smell a BagaScam comin' on!