Chicago Woes and plea for help
Aug. 15th, 2014 07:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Good news: I'm in Chicago for the Stargate convention! I have autograph and photo op tickets with David Hewlett and Michael Shanks!
Bad news: My dog apparently damaged my hotel's carpet by the door while we were being tourists yesterday and the hotel charged me $700 for it.

She's never done it before and there's a huge hole in the carpet near the bathroom that was there when we got there. I couldn't say whether she did the damage by the door or not honestly. I've stayed with this chain many times and normally the rooms are lovely but this is definitely a bad one. They wouldn't let me back into the room until I signed the credit card slips they'd already run. So now my entire paycheck is gone and the only reason I'm not going home now is that the convention tickets are non refundable. I'll have to pay some bills late and borrow money for food and gas. Anyone have any advice? Should I contact corporate? The BBB? Just deal with it?
Bad news: My dog apparently damaged my hotel's carpet by the door while we were being tourists yesterday and the hotel charged me $700 for it.

She's never done it before and there's a huge hole in the carpet near the bathroom that was there when we got there. I couldn't say whether she did the damage by the door or not honestly. I've stayed with this chain many times and normally the rooms are lovely but this is definitely a bad one. They wouldn't let me back into the room until I signed the credit card slips they'd already run. So now my entire paycheck is gone and the only reason I'm not going home now is that the convention tickets are non refundable. I'll have to pay some bills late and borrow money for food and gas. Anyone have any advice? Should I contact corporate? The BBB? Just deal with it?
no subject
Date: 2014-08-16 03:00 pm (UTC)I say dispute it -- make as much fuss as you can with whoever you can get in touch with and try to get that money refunded. It seems very fishy to me, given your dog's history and especially given the existing damage elsewhere in the carpet (and what looks from the picture like a carpet that is generally in poor condition). Possibly you can also dispute it with your credit-card company. I wish I had better suggestions about who exactly to call and how a situation like this gets resolved, but my vote is not to just let it go. Take lots more pictures before you leave, if you haven't already.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-17 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-16 03:09 pm (UTC)Being over in the UK I have NO idea how you go about fighting this in the US....
What I will say is get the BIGGEST hug off Michael Shanks you can at your photo op.....because he's a wonderful cure for when you are feeling down and upset...that man can make you feel like the only woman in the world with one hug....
Enjoy your moment with him.......sending you lots of love
xoxoxoxox
no subject
Date: 2014-08-17 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-16 05:47 pm (UTC)Then I'd submit the whole thing to the national chain, if for no other reason that you'd be emphasizing the fact that you were rented a sub-standard room to begin with. Holes in the carpet are not acceptable, and neither is holding your room hostage for a new credit which should have been attached to your room fee. I'd be willing to bet the local operators did that so the national chain wouldn't find out what they were doing.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-17 01:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-16 10:36 pm (UTC)As far as "just dealing with it" goes, you can probably get extensions on some of your bills, especially utilities, if you call and tell them you are having a hard time financially and are going to be late on that months payment, a lot of time they will give you an extension or even some credit. With those guys, be as nice as possible- even cry if you can muster it. A lot of times they will give you a "one time only" waive of late fees or other such things, which can really help when it comes to not digging a hole of money you owe.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-17 02:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-17 01:41 am (UTC)ETA: Did you have to give a pet deposit when you got there? Because that's the whole point of those. I think someone might be trying to skim some money away from corporate.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-17 02:24 pm (UTC)