Are hotels obliged to honour the rates that you booked?

[ibuprofenman]

Are Singapore hotels legally obliged to honour the rates that you have booked? I'm coming over in November on holiday/fact finding mission and spotted what I thought was a great rate. About a week later I contacted the hotel on a number of matters and one of their employees confirmed (in writing and I have empoyee's name) the price was indeed correct. Now 6 weeks after making the original booking, the hotel has just contacted me to say the price I paid was a mistake and demanding I pay the difference. It is $40 SGD per night extra which is not a massive amount but I am not happy about this additional charge.

The obvious solution would be to stay at another hotel but having just looked at my credit card, the hotel have already taken payment because it was a prepayment rate. The whole ethos of prepayment rates are that you pay in advance to supposedly get a much better deal but you can't change your booking once it is made and don't get a refund if you don't turn up. It's a bit damn rich that this does not apply both ways !!!

Should I simply contact VISA and get them to refund me as clearly the hotel has no intention of honouring the booking that I originally made but I am wondering if Singapore has some sort of government backed trading standards organisation that deals with businesses who try these sort of tactics? I don't like getting taken for a ride but knowing very little about Singapore and it's legal system, I don't know if I can report this hotel to anyone.

Finally I wondered if I am just unlucky or are these type of bait and switch tactics relatively common in Singapore? I've had this tried on me in Hong Kong but in shoe shops and not hotels.

[ksl]

You need to Contact CASE Singapore, there is a small charge but well worth paying. Of course it is illegal what they have done, and they would lose in the small claims court. These kind of things happen all the time here!

Though the problem is you are visiting, so they don't care! So VISA maybe your best alternative, though finding cheap isn't easy either

CASE will kick start negotiations with the Hotel, you shouldn't agree to anything, take them all the way to the small claims. CASE will not do that for you, they are just mediators. The hotel will get their backside kicked as Singapore wants to improve its tourism image, you may also wish to contact the tourism board and complain too!

https://app.stb.gov.sg/asp/index.asp

http://www.case.org.sg/

Property agents are even worse

[x9200]

CASE do not handle cases involving tourists. Only Singapore Tourism Board: 6736 6622; http://www.stb.gov.sg/

[ScoobyDoes]

Upshot is that the hotel have taken money, meaning they've agreed enough with the rate provided to charge it to you. They have no rights then to take any more.

You should have a Confirmation of the booking, and i doubt there will be any clause on it stating they can change the rate.

[Girl_Next_Door]

Out of curiosity, did you book directly with the hotel or via a website? If its a website, there is usually a clause that prevent a hotel from doing that. So far, I haven't encountered such a situation and I travel very often.

Anyway, I would like to add that this is an exception rather than a norm, in Singapore.

[durain]

btw, how did you pay? credit card?

[ibuprofenman]

I booked through Travelocity.

I think I'll just go along as I have a confirmed prepaid booking. The worst that can happen is they can say "sling your hook we're not accommodating you" and I am quite capable of finding somewhere else to stay that night. The following morning then straight onto the Singapore Tourist Board and VISA to get a refund.

Since making the original booking, I need to go to Hanoi anyhow so it's no big deal.

[carteki]

What have Travelocity to say about this?

[ibuprofenman]

Good news !! Not sure who did what but apparently the hotel are honouring the rate. Suspect Travelocity chiefs threatened to pull the hotel from Sabre which must have concentrated minds.