Help Me Hank: Hotel Bill Hassle

Mary
"I love New York!"

Brenda
"I love New York!"

In fact, every Christmas they rent a bus with all their pals and make it a weekend shopping extravaganza.

Brenda
"There's so many people there and it really brings forth the spirit of Christmas."

So for Christmas 2000, Mary and Brenda send an $11,000 check to a New York travel agency to pay in full for rooms at a snazzy Big Apple hotel, reservations confirmed. The travel agent says not to worry.

Mary
"He told me he would definitely have rooms for us."

But when they arrived in the Big City to check in, they received bad news. The agent had never sent their money to the hotel! They had rooms all right, but they were not paid for!

The travel agent explained it was some sort of "billing problem."

Mary
"I said you just can’t do this to me, and he said, ‘yeah I can’."

So, 40 women stranded in Manhattan at Christmas time maxed out their credit cards to pay $11,000 more! The travel agent promised a refund in two weeks.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"And was it there in two weeks?"

Mary
"No."

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"Was it there in February, March, April?"

Mary
"No."

Mary complained to the New York Attorney General. She even hired a lawyer to send demanding letters.

Mary
"I told him I would not stop until I had my money back."

More than a year went by and that's when she called Help Me Hank.

We found the travel agent had other complaints with the New York Attorney General and an unsatisfactory record with the Better Business Bureau. We called him at least ten times, each time he promised to refund the money and didn't.

Mary
"I was angry, very angry."

But eventually, this arrived in the mail- $1,000, $2,000, $3,000- money orders for all Mary's money back!

Mary
"I just started to scream, I can't believe it! I can't believe it!"

Now cash in hand, Mary and Brenda are set to shop again, and NYC here they come.

Two things they won't do on the next trip: pay by check to a company they haven’t checked out.