So, we are not just shy of one month since booking with Happyrooms.com and still there is no resolution to our booking at the Ibeostar Grand Hotel in Mexico with Happy Rooms. To date, not once has an actual manager or supervisor contacted us via e-mail or telephone to discuss this matter, but they have had our money since the booking.
Alex J... please, DO NOT write on this site how sorry your company is, or how hard you are working on our case, as Happyrooms.com has only tried to offer us two very substandard options to switch over to, and we have refused. It is laughable how awful the customer service has been, so what can a consumer do?!?
Well, we have issued a complaint with the BBB, as Happyrooms.com is owned by Emerging Travel, based in the U.S., and we have issued a complaint to the Bureau of Consumer Protection in the US. In addition, we have contacted Kiril Makharinsky (owner of Emerging Travel) and Artem Kubatkin (Ostrovok who is also affiliated with Happyrooms.com), via LinkedIn. We have even reached out to some popular mainstream travel magazines, both online and print to discuss our story, especially given how much online vacation booking has increased. We will continue to update our post here, plus on Trust Pilot and other social media until this gets rectified accordingly.
Finally, we also had to be proactive, and alerted our credit card company that the credit card transaction is for a payment on a product which we did not receive, which we will move forward with as a fraudulent charge and let the credit card company do what they need to do, if need be.
The only solution Happyrooms.com (and Alex J., "yes", we know you read these, but no need to state "Our apologies", let's see some real action) is to stop these bait-and-switch tactics you are employing. Stop blaming your partners... stop blaming the database, or any other technical glitches and simply owe up to what you have advertised and what clients have purchased, and deliver the product to your customers like any other reputable company would do.
To others who may book with Happyrooms.com, we highly recommend that if you do make an online booking, call the hotel you booked and ensure they have your booking for the correct stay, room category and that it has been paid for. Honest online reviews are one of the powerful ways we as consumers can hold companies like Happy Rooms to be accountable. So Happyrooms.com, are you going to provide us with the product we purchased---you've had 25 days so far to do so?!?
For those of you who don't know, here is what happened to date with our booking...
On September 9,2016, we booked a two-week stay at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso (adults-only, all-inclusive resort) in Mexico via the website happyrooms.com. We received a confirmation of the booking AND the actual hotel voucher, which clearly states the name of our hotel that we booked: the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso. Our credit card was also charged in full for this purchase. (see previous post on 9/26/16)
As we always do after an online hotel booking, we contacted the hotel to confirm that they received our reservation from HappyRooms.com. The hotel informed us that they unfortunately did not have a reservation for us at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso (as per the booking we made), but rather, that our reservation was at their much lower-end family-friendly property, the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar.
Subsequently, we sent an e-mail to Happy Rooms telling them that there is a problem with our hotel reservation made via HappyRooms.com, and included the hotel voucher clearly indicating the name of the hotel we had booked (the "Grand"). We also included screen captures of the Web pages during our online booking process and search results from their website with the price of that hotel at the time we booked. This was when Happy Rooms "realized" that they sold us the room at a cheaper price than they had intended to (OR, they knew exactly what they were doing and this was a 'bait and switch' tactic).
Our resolution on this matter up to this point has been far from ideal. There have been many emails sent to Happyrooms and many phone calls made. Their common response is that they are working with their partners to find an acceptable solution. One e-mail response stated that their partners presented them with the solution to simply "cancel our reservation", but that they didn't believe that this was an acceptable solution. We have repeatedly asked to be put in contact with a manager to remedy this situation. This request either gets ignored or we are told that "the manager is currently on the phone" but will be in touch. Not once were we ever contacted by a supervisor or manager via email or phone regarding this booking. They obviously don't care about the reputation of their business or what we are going through.
Finally, more than two weeks after our initial contact with Happy Rooms about this problem, and after putting pressure on them to come up with a resolution by September 28, they came back with this email message:
Dear Sandra and Chris!
We have received reply from our partners.
Unfortunately, they were unable to relocate your reservation to Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso and offered 25% refund for your reservation if you agree to stay in Paraiso Del Mar Hotel.
On our side we can try to find another hotel for you to stay in Playa del Carmen.
Please take our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused by the mistake, that occured on our partner's side.
Our response to them was that this solution is completely unacceptable that this appears to be a "bait and switch" tactic by Happyrooms, and they cannot pass the responsibility for this mistake in pricing to their "partner" and leave us with a room in a hotel we did not purchase. We booked our hotel with Happyrooms so the responsibility for rectifying this situation rests on the shoulders of Happyrooms. We are still shocked that they are blaming their partners, and that they believe this is a sufficient excuse and now they are trying to wash their hands of it.
We did not enter into contract with their "partners" when we made the purchase and we could care less whose fault it is on their end. We entered into a contract with Happyrooms and expect them to honour it We also noted to Happyrooms that the alternative hotel they are now trying to send us to is a FAMILY property, not an ADULTS-ONLY property as per the one we booked. The alternative hotel is also much cheaper than the hotel we had booked.
We have now involved the Better Business Bureau (U.S.) and the Bureau of Consumer Protection. After booking this hotel for a certain price and being issued a hotel voucher for that hotel and that price, it is Happyroom's responsibility to honour it. A reputable company would not come back to a customer to say they charged the wrong price by accident AFTER they had issued the hotel voucher and charged our credit card in full, and also offer a much lower end alternative hotel. One will notice the form responses by a Happyrooms representative on this Sitejabber review site. We do not want a pre-scripted form apology response... ACTION ONLY is required.
We will keep all readers apprised, and we warn you all, that should you chose to use Happyrooms.com, you should check your reservation with the hotel immediately to ensure it exists and it reflects what you booked.
More than two weeks ago, we booked a two week stay at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso (adults-only, all-inclusive luxury) in Mexico via Happy Rooms. We received a confirmation of the booking and the hotel voucher, which clearly states the name of our hotel as the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso. Our credit card was also charged in full for this purchase.
As we always do after an online hotel booking, we contacted the hotel to confirm that they received our reservation from HappyRooms.com. The hotel informed us that we are not booked at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso (as per the reservation we made) but rather, we are booked at their lower-end family property, the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar.
About a week and a half ago, we wrote to Happy Rooms telling them that there is a problem with our hotel reservation made via HappyRooms.com, and included the hotel voucher clearly indicating the name of the hotel we had booked (the "Grand"). We also included screen captures of some of the pages of the hotel reservation and search results from their website with the price of that hotel at the time we booked. This was when Happy Rooms realized that they sold us the room at a cheaper price than they had intended to.
Our resolution on this matter up to this point has been far from ideal. There have been many emails sent to Happy Rooms, and while they have been good in responding and have been pleasant to deal with, their common response is that they are working with their partners to find an acceptable solution. One email response stated that their partner presented them with the solution to simply "cancel our reservation", but that they didn't believe that this was an acceptable solution. Kudos again to Happy Rooms for not agreeing with this being an acceptable way to proceed.
However, we are losing our patience over the fact that we have also called several times and emailed several times to be put in contact with a manager or the one person dealing with our file, so that there is continuity and that we would at least feel that we are getting the personal attention that this situation merits. This request by email gets ignored or we are told that "the manager is currently on the phone". But we never do get an email or call back from the manager. We also repeatedly get told that they will get back to us in 24 hours with an update or resolution, but that never happens.We do not feel that this situation is getting any proper attention when our emails keep getting responded to by different customer support agents.
A reputable company would not sell something to a client at a certain price, provide a receipt and hotel voucher for it, and charge your credit card for that purchase, and then turn around and not honor that purchase, or cancel that purchase without your authorization from us to do so. We certainly have high hopes that Happy Rooms can demonstrate that it is a respectable company and honor what we purchased.
It has now been 12 days since we contacted Happy Rooms about this issue and we are losing patience and hope that this is not what some people are calling a "scam company". We are giving Happy Rooms a deadline of September 28 to resolve this and provide us with the resort we booked.
We hope to get back to you all here with an update that this has been rectified promptly and to our satisfaction.
Sandra and Chris
I got my answers in a minute and very proffetional thank you
I need an OFFICIAL RECEIPT for my booking No. *******007.
Three times I was promised. Until now, NOTHING!
Your very much welcome!
Thank you for choosing HappyRooms.com.
We'd love to hear what you think about our service. Please take a moment to answer one simple question by clicking one of this links:
Thank you in advance! We are looking forward to your review.
--
Kenneth Kenneth from Happyrooms. Com
On Tue, Jun 28,2016 at 10:27 AM, mannrentoy at gmail.com mannrentoy at gmail.com wrote:
Thank you. I will wait for it.
On Tue, Jun 28,2016 at 10:20 AM, Kenneth Galia wrote:
I actually request an invoice for you when we had a conversation here. Since you haven't received. I will resend a request with an urgency. Please give us a few more hours. Expect an e-mail with-in 12-24hours. Is there anything else I could help you with?
On Tue, Jun 28,2016 at 10:04 AM, mannrentoy at gmail.com mannrentoy at gmail.com wrote:
I still have not received the Receipt.
I really need it very badly.
Please help me on this one.
Thank you!
Emmanuel
On Sat, Jun 25,2016 at 12:30 PM, mannrentoy at gmail.com wrote:
Thank you very much!
I will fill up the Satisfaction Survey as soon as the emailed receipt comes.
Thank you!
Mann R
On Sat, Jun 25,2016 at 11:14 AM, Kenneth Galia wrote:
Thank you for choosing HappyRooms. Com.
We'd love to hear what you think about our service. Please take a moment to answer one simple question by clicking the link:
Thank you in advance! We are looking forward to your review.
On Sat, Jun 25,2016 at 11:06 AM, Kenneth Galia kenneth. Galia at happyroomscom wrote:
I understand that Emmanuel. Let me go a head and request for an Invoice for the payment you made. Expect an e-mail from us not later than today. Is there anything else I could help you with?
On Sat, Jun 25,2016 at 10:40 AM, mannrentoy at gmail.com wrote:
Need an OFFICIAL RECEIPT for my booking No. *******007.
I only have the Confirmation Receipt, but not a receipt showing the payment, and method of payment I used. I really need this for reimbursement of my company. Thank you!
Mann R
My name is Emmanuel Rentoy
Mann R
On Sat, Jun 25,2016 at 10:31 AM, Kenneth Galia wrote:
Is there anything I could help you with?
On Sat, Jun 25,2016 at 10:24 AM, Kenneth wrote:
Hello! My name is Kenneth. How can I help you?
May I have your name please? Thank You!
On Sat, Jun 25,2016 at 10:00 AM, "mannrentoy at gmail.com"
I need help
Attachments icon HOTEL%20Comfort%20Inn. Pdf
I need an OFFICIAL RECEIPT for my booking No. *******007.
I only have the Confirmation Receipt, but not a receipt showing the payment, and method of payment I used. I really need this for reimbursement of my company. Thank you!
Intercom
The service is so pro and fastThanks
Thanks yr help
Excellent customer service
Thanks
*******@ymail.com
I'm thank you for everything