wannabe
Pro
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posted January 13, 2003 11:01 PM
For those of you going to Laguna Seca, read this...
Don't get worked when y'all come into town this year...
From here: http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/4879176.htm
Posted on Sun, Jan. 05, 2003
Motel owners comply with settlement
By SYLVIA MOORE
sdmoore@montereyherald.com
Tom Lavine finally got a refund check in the mail Friday, six months after he was overcharged at Marina's Super 8 Motel.
The Medford, Ore., photographer drove down to Marina in July to attend the Honda International Superbike Races at Laguna Seca and photograph the event for an Internet site. He became one of an unknown number of victims who were told their motel reservations had been canceled and were required to pay more than the original booking price.
"That was a real sinking feeling," Lavine said from his home in Oregon. "I was extremely angry."
Lavine's case was one of several examples contained in court documents stemming from the Monterey County District Attorney's Office investigation of alleged overbilling at the Super 8 and Travelodge motels in Marina. Both are owned by Stockton-based InnCal Inc.
The District Attorney's Office filed a consumer fraud lawsuit last week against InnCal and simultaneously filed a settlement in which InnCal, without admitting wrongdoing, agreed to pay a $175,000 fine and reimburse an unknown number of past customers.
A former Super 8 manager tipped off investigators, saying InnCal corporate managers were encouraging a practice known in the lodging industry as "sell-thru." The manager, identified in court documents as Marina resident Sheila Mason, said InnCal executives instructed her to tell customers that their reservations had been canceled or had not been received and their rooms had been rented to others, a situation that could be fixed for a price. InnCal officials deny that occurred.
The practice would typically occur, Mason said, during busy tourist periods such as race weekends at Laguna Seca, the Monterey Jazz Festival, AT&T Pro-Am golf tournament and the Concours d'Elegance.
According to prosecutors, customers from as far away as London and Israel were overcharged anywhere from $20 to $150 per day.
InnCal denies the allegations, claiming the price discrepancies were the result of a miscommunication between corporate headquarters and motel managers.
The company pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor criminal charge of false advertising on Dec. 20. As part of the civil settlement, InnCal did not admit to engaging in unfair business practices but paid a fine of $175,000 and made restitution to the known victims.
"I'm glad they finally settled up and are making things right," said Lavine.
But he says he doesn't plan to stay at another InnCal-run motel.
"There are a lot of other good motel chains," he said.
Cheryl White of Nashua, N.H., said she feels the same way. Like Lavine, she stayed at the Super 8 in July for the Superbike Races. She booked two rooms for herself and friends on the Super 8 motel chain's Web site. She said her experience will make her more careful when she shops on the Internet.
"This is the first issue I've ever had," White said. "I think I'll be more careful, but I won't stop (Internet shopping). I just had the misfortune of dealing with a company that wasn't on the up and up."
Stockton lawyer Albert Ellis, who represents InnCal, and owners Carl Thompson and Arvie Brautigan, said his clients deny they instructed motel managers to make "sell-thru" reservations. He said the errors were just that, and were due in part to the lack of a back-up system to check reservations.
"Basically, there were mix-ups and problems with the reservations," Ellis said Friday. "There was no intentional conduct."
Ellis said InnCal is implementing strict new policies to comply with the court settlement. The District Attorney's Office has agreed to dismiss the misdemeanor charge if investigators are satisfied InnCal has fully complied. Ellis said reservations from now on will be rechecked, and motel employees will be trained in how to better handle reservations and customer complaints. A toll-free complaint hotline will be posted at all motels InnCal owns in Marina, Santa Cruz, Stockton and Reno, Nev. Ellis said all identified victims have been contacted and reimbursed.
"We're satisfied the problem has been resolved," said Ellis. "We resolved it because we take pride in serving our customers."
Mason, the former Super 8 manager, tipped off District Attorney's investigators about the alleged fraud in October. The next month, investigators served a search warrant at InnCal's Stockton headquarters, seized computers and examined thousands of business records. According to an affidavit for the search warrant, investigators also interviewed two other former InnCal employees who said they were pressured to toss out reservations, mainly on weekends and during big events, and sell the rooms at a higher price. They also said rooms were routinely overbooked.
Lavine said he drove all morning from Oregon last July to Marina, only to find out his room had been canceled.
Lavine recalled what he told the desk clerk after being told the reservation had been canceled.
"'What?! You said I what? I drove down for eight hours. Why would I cancel my reservation?'" Lavine said. "That was the most helpless feeling I've ever had."
He said he had been quoted a booking price of $210 for three nights. He ended up staying at a motel in Santa Cruz, and then in Seaside, paying nearly $470.
White said she found out her reservation had been canceled through an e-mail. When she called to find out what happened, she was told she had to rebook at twice the rate she anticipated. She said she was overcharged more than $600 for two rooms.
"I was getting on a plane in three days," said White. "(I was) frustrated, angry and upset because I wasn't getting the response I felt was warranted. Super 8 was trying to be helpful, but they needed to get the OK from InnCal to deviate from the rates."
Lavine said he got a discount coupon from Super 8 national headquarters, but he didn't feel that was enough.
White said her credit card company put a charge hold on her account until the matter was resolved. Both tried to get help from InnCal customer service. They said they were surprised and grateful to later get phone calls from the Monterey County District Attorney.
"I was pleased that somebody was finally paying attention," said White.
  
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Zhooligan
Moderator
Post Whore Extraordinaire!
Posts: 3829
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posted January 13, 2003 11:23 PM
I have actually stayed at the Super 8 in Marina three different times. And in my case all three times I had no problems or issues. I did not stay there lasy year thiugh. Wow, guess I have been lucky.
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted January 14, 2003 11:09 AM
that's pretty low
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ddpete3
Pro
Posts: 1189
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posted January 14, 2003 11:50 AM
my reservations in the freezing mist and boiling dust were just fine when I showed up.
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted January 14, 2003 01:00 PM
...I need to take a piss..and I think I know just right the spot....
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DaveInDaytona
Pro
Posts: 1696
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posted January 14, 2003 01:12 PM
I stay in hotels a lot, 100-150 nights a year, and this does come up from time to time but it's rare. A confirmation number for your reservation helps, also if they admit there is availability you're in. It's one thing to "give your room away" and it's another thing to be sold out. Be prepared.
I try to call the hotel and confirm it with someone locally before showing up in the lobby with bags in hand. They can always use the excuse that it was a reservation error with the central system but if they have it there when you call that excuse is gone too.
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ddpete3
Pro
Posts: 1189
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posted January 14, 2003 01:23 PM
On the other side of the topic, I used the trick in the bay area, during the boom, walk in tell them your name, they say you have no reservation, "what? no reservation!!!??? get the manager".....blah blah blah....what a nice suite.
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