Late Return on Hotel Deposit

[ScottJamesinThailand]

I had recently stay at a Centara Hotel in Udon.

On arrive they charge 2400 baht for a deposit during your stay.

It is now 3 weeks and I haven't received my deposit back.

They sent me a reply email saying the process takes up to 4 weeks to get a refund.

Whattttttt, do they invest these monies on the short term money market???

Edited March 30, 2022 by ScottJamesinThailand

[Marc26]

  On 3/30/2022 at 10:00 AM, ScottJamesinThailand said:

I had recently stay at a Centara Hotel in Udon.

On arrive they charge 2400 baht for a deposit during your stay.

It is now 3 weeks and I haven't received my deposit back.

They sent me a reply email saying the process takes up to 4 weeks to get a refund.

Whattttttt, do they invest these monies on the short term money market???

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[Marc26]

I always give a cash deposit in hotels in Thailand

[Guest1]

So you left the hotel, but did not walk straight to the next police station? What was this deposit for? Keycard?

[Pinetree]

  On 3/30/2022 at 1:41 PM, Marc26 said:

I always give a cash deposit in hotels in Thailand

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I have never done so, so not sure what kind of hotels people stay at.  I stay in good 4/5 star branded hotels.  Never pay deposits. never even heard of such a thing until I read this post. I have also stayed in that hotel in Udon, albeit some 5 years back  and I didn't pay a deposit there either. Hotels will often take  a credit card receipt, but no money comes off the card until you pay the final bill. Very odd,

[Marc26]

  On 3/30/2022 at 2:21 PM, Pinetree said:

I have never done so, so not sure what kind of hotels people stay at.  I stay in good 4/5 star branded hotels.  Never pay deposits. never even heard of such a thing until I read this post. I have also stayed in that hotel in Udon, albeit some 5 years back  and I didn't pay a deposit there either. Hotels will often take  a credit card receipt, but no money comes off the card until you pay the final bill. Very odd,

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I don't want my card run more than it has to be in Thailand

But I mainly use booking sites, so not paying the hotel directly for the room, so when they ask for a deposit(all 5 star hotels do, for incidentals, etc............I give them cash)

[ScottJamesinThailand]

  On 3/30/2022 at 2:40 PM, Marc26 said:

I don't want my card run more than it has to be in Thailand

But I mainly use booking sites, so not paying the hotel directly for the room, so when they ask for a deposit(all 5 star hotels do, for incidentals, etc............I give them cash)

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I will be paying a cash deposit in future.

I had to pay a 2400 baht deposit on arrival and used my card. 

It's been 3 weeks and still haven't received my deposit back.

For a big hotel chain like Centara I just couldn't believe it.

[Guest1]

  On 3/31/2022 at 2:06 AM, ScottJamesinThailand said:

I will be paying a cash deposit in future.

I had to pay a 2400 baht deposit on arrival and used my card. 

It's been 3 weeks and still haven't received my deposit back.

For a big hotel chain like Centara I just couldn't believe it.

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Paid with CC?

Talk with your Credit Card company!

[Marc26]

  On 3/31/2022 at 2:06 AM, ScottJamesinThailand said:

I will be paying a cash deposit in future.

I had to pay a 2400 baht deposit on arrival and used my card. 

It's been 3 weeks and still haven't received my deposit back.

For a big hotel chain like Centara I just couldn't believe it.

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That's the way to go

They write you a receipt and whatever you don't use(drinks, minibar) they refund you when you leave

[Pinetree]

  On 3/31/2022 at 2:21 AM, Marc26 said:

That's the way to go

They write you a receipt and whatever you don't use(drinks, minibar) they refund you when you leave

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how very 1970s 

[Marc26]

  On 3/31/2022 at 2:24 AM, Pinetree said:

how very 1970s 

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I had 12k usd fraud on my card one time I went to Thailand 

As pointed out, they take forever to return deposits at times

I usually carry a bunch of baht when on holiday in Thailand, so easy enough to give them cash

By the way, the stupid way they go to that small machine, then make you sign the tiny receipt isn't like in the West where they just swipe your card and it's done in seconds 

So it's also a process, just as easy to hand them cash

[Benroon]

  On 3/30/2022 at 10:00 AM, ScottJamesinThailand said:

I had recently stay at a Centara Hotel in Udon.

On arrive they charge 2400 baht for a deposit during your stay.

It is now 3 weeks and I haven't received my deposit back.

They sent me a reply email saying the process takes up to 4 weeks to get a refund.

Whattttttt, do they invest these monies on the short term money market???

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Put it on Twitter (and tell them you are about to) - every company dreads getting a bad press on their as it spreads like wildfire - there's even software that companies use too pick up their name being mentioned more than 'x' amount of times in 'x' minutes, so they can sort out the problem pronto, they're THAT paranoid about it.

[Benroon]

  On 3/30/2022 at 2:40 PM, Marc26 said:

I don't want my card run more than it has to be in Thailand

But I mainly use booking sites, so not paying the hotel directly for the room, so when they ask for a deposit(all 5 star hotels do, for incidentals, etc............I give them cash)

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I'm lost - I've stayed in hundreds of 5 star hotels around the world and never been asked for a deposit, ever. Sometimes proof of your card yes, but a deposit? not once. 

[Pinetree]

  On 3/31/2022 at 2:44 AM, Marc26 said:

I had 12k usd fraud on my card one time I went to Thailand 

As pointed out, they take forever to return deposits at times

I usually carry a bunch of baht when on holiday in Thailand, so easy enough to give them cash

By the way, the stupid way they go to that small machine, then make you sign the tiny receipt isn't like in the West where they just swipe your card and it's done in seconds 

So it's also a process, just as easy to hand them cash

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I only use it in hotels and for flight tickets.  You are protected against fraud by the CCs conditions of use.   

[Smithydog]

  On 3/31/2022 at 3:09 AM, Benroon said:

I'm lost - I've stayed in hundreds of 5 star hotels around the world and never been asked for a deposit, ever. Sometimes proof of your card yes, but a deposit? not once. 

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For me the experience has been varied. Some yes, some no. If they do ask, then I have no problem offering cash as I get any remainder I haven't used on hotel services at check out. I stopped using the card as I was finding it so long for the Hotel/Bank to finalise the voided amount held on my card.

Some have charged a rate per day (eg 200 Baht per day), others a fixed nominal amount, and others, as I said, haven't even mentioned it! I often have found if on a return visit, some of those that charged previously, didn't the next time around.

Just different experiences. Perhaps it is the way I look!

[Pinetree]

  On 3/31/2022 at 3:04 AM, Benroon said:

there's even software that companies use too pick up their name

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yours too mate 

[ScottJamesinThailand]

  On 3/31/2022 at 3:09 AM, Benroon said:

I'm lost - I've stayed in hundreds of 5 star hotels around the world and never been asked for a deposit, ever. Sometimes proof of your card yes, but a deposit? not once. 

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  On 3/31/2022 at 3:09 AM, Benroon said:

I'm lost - I've stayed in hundreds of 5 star hotels around the world and never been asked for a deposit, ever. Sometimes proof of your card yes, but a deposit? not once. 

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Hotels in Australia also take a deposit when you arrived.

I stayed at the 5 star hotel - Crown Hotel in Perth, Western Australia...you have to pay a $500 deposit, but you get it back within a day (not 4 weeks :-).

[Marc26]

  On 3/31/2022 at 3:09 AM, Benroon said:

I'm lost - I've stayed in hundreds of 5 star hotels around the world and never been asked for a deposit, ever. Sometimes proof of your card yes, but a deposit? not once. 

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Maybe your getting confused with the wording

Any hotel you stay in, will take a "deposit" to cover for incidentals

Dining, drinks, minibar

That's why you can sign it to your room

So say if your room cost $1000

If they run your card they are going to run $1200-1300 to cover for any charges you make at hotel.

That $200-300 is the "deposit "

[Marc26]

  On 3/31/2022 at 3:17 AM, Pinetree said:

I only use it in hotels and for flight tickets.  You are protected against fraud by the CCs conditions of use.   

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I got the $12k back(fairly quickly too, within 2 weeks)

But because it was such a large sum I actually had to file a police report at my home police station 

But I'd rather not have the hassle

But I do use a "spare" card if we go to an expensive dinners on holiday 

[Benroon]

  On 3/31/2022 at 3:54 AM, Marc26 said:

Maybe your getting confused with the wording

Any hotel you stay in, will take a "deposit" to cover for incidentals

Dining, drinks, minibar

That's why you can sign it to your room

So say if your room cost $1000

If they run your card they are going to run $1200-1300 to cover for any charges you make at hotel.

That $200-300 is the "deposit "

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Nope no confusion here - never once has that happened to me. 

If on checking out they may call room service for example to ask if I've raided the mini-bar and if so they then charge me there and then. It's never been taken out of a 'deposit' and any 'balance' returned. Never have I paid a deposit, so therefore never have I received a 'refund' of it. Partial or otherwise.

Someone else said they do it like this in Australia, never been there on account everything that moves wants to kill you, so maybe that's where ? Certainly not anywhere in Europe, Asia or North America has anyone taken a deposit from me.

[Benroon]

  On 3/31/2022 at 3:54 AM, Marc26 said:

Maybe your getting confused with the wording

Any hotel you stay in, will take a "deposit" to cover for incidentals

Dining, drinks, minibar

That's why you can sign it to your room

So say if your room cost $1000

If they run your card they are going to run $1200-1300 to cover for any charges you make at hotel.

That $200-300 is the "deposit "

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Ahhh I think I see where you're confused. They take an imprint of your card to cover the things you mention and to guard against you doing a runner. But at that point you've given them nothing. So if you spend nothing, nothing comes off it and therefore nothing is returned. I think deposits stopped in the 80's!

[Marc26]

  On 3/31/2022 at 5:13 AM, Benroon said:

Nope no confusion here - never once has that happened to me. 

If on checking out they may call room service for example to ask if I've raided the mini-bar and if so they then charge me there and then. It's never been taken out of a 'deposit' and any 'balance' returned. Never have I paid a deposit, so therefore never have I received a 'refund' of it. Partial or otherwise.

Someone else said they do it like this in Australia, never been there on account everything that moves wants to kill you, so maybe that's where ? Certainly not anywhere in Europe, Asia or North America has anyone taken a deposit from me.

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[Marc26]

  On 3/31/2022 at 5:17 AM, Benroon said:

Ahhh I think I see where you're confused. They take an imprint of your card to cover the things you mention and to guard against you doing a runner. But at that point you've given them nothing. So if you spend nothing, nothing comes off it and therefore nothing is returned. I think deposits stopped in the 80's!

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Yes that is what we are talking about

Just a difference way of saying it

But I think it comes into play here because I always use a booking site and not the hotel site 

So the room charge has usually been paid already

So at check-in, all they are taking is the "deposit" for incidentals

If I am traveling in the US and check into a Marriott that I booked with Marriott I just give them my card, as you have explained 

[Pinetree]

  On 3/31/2022 at 5:17 AM, Benroon said:

Ahhh I think I see where you're confused. They take an imprint of your card to cover the things you mention and to guard against you doing a runner. But at that point you've given them nothing. So if you spend nothing, nothing comes off it and therefore nothing is returned. I think deposits stopped in the 80's!

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correct