Barry M.

I travel 100% of the time for my business. For the last few years I have been a loyal customer of the choice hotel brand. I stay at their Comfort Suites properties exclusively. As of this date I will no longer be a customer. Tomorrow I am filing a consumer complaint with the Texas Attorney General's Office Of Consumer Affairs and here is why. I have experienced a few of the complaints, that I have been reading about this company, and up until now I have felt that the good outweighed the bad, until tonight. I checked into the Comfort Suites in Benbrook, TX. This evening. It was my second stay here. Upon check in I ask for the same rate that I had been given before. The lady that I was talking to, who was checking me in, was nice and professional. However, a younger lady walked up behind her and interjected herself into our conversation and she was very "Curt" and somewhat beligerent. She informed me that she could not authorize a discount, even though I was only asking for the same rate that I was given just a few weeks ago, this did not matter. She informed me that if I wanted to stay there that the rate was not negotiable and that if I wanted a different rate that I would have to speak to the property manager the next day. Even though she was still going to charge my credit card for the regular rate. I tried to speak to the lady that was trying to check me in and each time this other employee continued to interject herself into the conversation. She was rude and beginning to be obnoxious. I told her that I wanted her name and her manager's name at which point she told me that "was fine and that I could have it". I told her that she had a lot to learn about customer service and that I was calling their corporate office and filing a complaint against her because of her attitude and she told me that she did not care. She processed my credit card for the standard rate for two days because I was checking out on Friday. Whenever I got to my room I checked my credit card account to verify the amount authorized which was accurate to what I was quoted. About 20 minutes after arriving in my room I received a phone call on the hotel phone from the front desk asking if everything was okay with my room and to let them know if I needed anything. About one hour later I received a call from the property manager, even though I was told that she could not be contacted until the next business day, supposedly! The property manager ask me to tell her what had transpired during my check in and I explained the entire situation. She apologized for the employees behavior and I told her that she may consider some additional training for this young lady in customer service and how to better handle a dispute involving a customer. She then informed me that I needed to go back down to the front desk and pay for my two days stay! I informed her that I had already paid for the two days and that I had verfied this through my credit card online account. She told me that she was going to check on this to verify that and that she would call me back within the hour. She called me back about two hours later and informed me that my credit card had been declined and that I needed to take care of this because she could not allow me to stay without paying for the two days. THIS IS FRADULENT! I have proof that they had been authorized by my bank, for this amount for the two days, upon check in. The manager even ask me to use another credit or debit card to take care of these charges! I packed up all of my belongings even though I was dressed for bed. It was a little after 9:00 CDT. I went down to the desk and questioned this same employee that I had a dispute with about why they were claiming that my card was declined when she had processed my card for the two days upon check in and the authorization had been given? I even showed her on my phone where this amount had been authorized by my credit card company to Comfort Suites, and it even had the time stamp on it, and that it was not declined and all she would say was " your card was declined". She stated this about three times and I informed her that her company had better reverse the charges back to my credit card that had been authorized to them. She would not engage in an intelligent conversation concerning this matter. She only repeated what she had already said which was your card was declined. THIS IS A LIE. It was not declined and they were given an authorization for the two days room charge and I have proof of that! I had to find another motel at 9:30 at night without a reservation. To say that I am livid is an understatement! I plan on calling my credit union as soon as they open in the morning to hopefully stop this transaction from being paid. In addition Comfort Suites has tied up $189.10 of my credit card line of credit. This may seem a little amount to some but it's not to me. The amount is not as important as the principle of this situation! This is ridiculous!