When her parents faced an extended power outage during the February storm, Sholunda Osby-Board booked a hotel room for her mom and dad in Arlington through a third-party website.
Osby-Board said her parents traveled on snow-packed and icy roads from Fort Worth to the hotel. When they arrived, they learned it was without power and they didn’t check-in.
Osby-Board contacted NBC 5 Responds after requesting a refund for the one-night reservation.
“When I reached out to try to get a refund because they did not use the services and it wasn't because we wanted to cancel, I was disappointed in the decision not to refund those dollars in those circumstances,” said Osby-Board.
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NBC 5 Responds reached out to the third-party website, Reservations.com about Osby-Board’s refund request.
In an email to NBC 5 Responds, Reservations.com customer support wrote, “We have reviewed this matter and can inform you that the customer has been refunded in full today. In order for a refund to be processed we had to get the hotel's approval which can delay the processing. The hotel has approved a refund finally, which is why we were able to issue a refund.”
NBC 5 asked the hotel, Crowne Plaza Suites Arlington-Ballpark-Stadium about the refund request. The general manager said the hotel was not holding guests to the cancellation policy during the winter storm or the pandemic. The hotel GM said it did not charge third-party sites for guests who didn’t check in during the power outages.
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If you’re struggling to get a refund, the GM recommends confirming charges with the hotel – directly. Then, email the third-party site and copy the hotel’s accounting department on the email to get everyone on the same page.
Osby-Board received confirmation that the $154.30 amount would be refunded.
“There would not have been the outcome there is now - which I'm getting a refund - had I not contacted channel five,” said Osby-Board. “I had already received a final decision that it was not going to be refunded based on the cancelation policy.”
Osby-Board said, for her, it wasn’t just about the money. It was about the value of being heard after a major disaster.
NBC 5 Responds is committed to researching your concerns and recovering your money. Our goal is to get you answers and, if possible, solutions and a resolution. Call us at 844-5RESPND (844-573-7763) or fill out our customer complaint form.
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