How Do I Dispute a Charge with Best Western?

If you stayed at a Best Western hotel or resort and found an unexpected charge on your bill that you think was inappropriate, you may want to dispute that charge. You must start by talking to a Best Western representative. If that doesn't get you a refund of the charge, initiate a charge-back with your bank. You can also file a lawsuit against Best Western in small claims court as a last resort.

When staying at a Best Western resort or hotel, you shouldn't ever be surprised by your bill. You should only find the rates and fees you agreed to on check-in. However, there are things that can add extra charges to your bill, like ordering room service or damaging Best Western property in some way. If your Best Western bill contained a charge that you think should not have been applied then you may want dispute the charge to, hopefully, get your money back.

Gather Evidence that the Charge Was not Appropriate

Before you begin the dispute, you need to gather any evidence you can that would help you make your case. If the room was already damaged when you got there, get the testimony of anyone who saw the damage and any pictures you may have taken of it. If you were charged a rate that was too high, find an advertisement that lists the lower rate you were expecting. You should also make records of conversations you have with Best Western employees about the charge.

How to Dispute the Charge with Best Western

After gathering the evidence, contact Best Western s customer service department to begin the dispute. Tell a representative about why you think the charge was made in error. The representative you speak to probably can't issue a refund by themselves, but they can at least bring the matter to the attention of the manager or review board that can. This could take some time, though.

How to Initiate a Charge-back with Your Bank

If disputing the charge with Best Western doesn't get you a refund, you can initiate a charge-back with the bank you used to pay your Best Western bill. A charge-back is simply a dispute about a charge with the financial institution that processed it. Once you begin the process, your bank will begin its investigation. It will issue a refund if it decides that you were right, and that Best Western should not have charged you, even if Best Western disagrees. However, if you don't begin the process by speaking to Best Western first, your bank won't let you initiate a charge-back.

To initiate one, talk to a customer service representative at your bank and explain things to them. While every bank has its own procedure for handling a charge-back, you should expect it to take rather a lot of time. After you make your request, your bank might, based on its initial investigation, issue you a provisional credit to use while it finishes its investigation. A provisional credit is a refund that you must return if your bank decides that the charge was appropriate.

Suing Best Western in Small Claims Court

If the charge-back doesn't get you the refund you want and you want to keep fighting for it, you can always file a lawsuit against the Best Western resort or hotel in a small claims court. Look up your jurisdiction's rules and procedures for doing so on its website.

Contacting Best Western

You can call a Best Western representative to begin the dispute. There is no way to reach one online, though.

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