Help-cancelling condo paid $100 dep now owner wants full 20% fee

[tami82]

Does anyone know if there is anything i can do. I booked a condo for 5 nights in January cost was $800. I put down a $100 deposit by paypal. I did fill out a contract in which i had to give out credit card # but didnt pay full balance on it and had until June 24 to pay for the balance. It is only May 20 so i was giving over 3 months cancellation. In contract is said if cancelled i would be charged 20%. When i called to cancel the owner is trying to charge me the $59 additional. I tried talking to her for about 5 minutes that i did give her well over 60 days (3 months) but i guess she doesnt want to hear that. Is there any way out of paying this $59 now?? She was going to charge my credit card but i told her not to at the moment. If i told her to do so and then called credit card company to fight the charge would this be a way out of this??? Funny thing is her availability schedule for August is not even full and had two open weeks (one week before and one week after we were supposed to stay. I mentioned this to her but her comeback was "this is high season and alot of people book this time"

 

[Shifletjl]

I can only tell you what I would do. I would not contest the charge...I would pay it. You agreed to the 20% cancelation fee when you signed the contract, correct? How would you feel if the owner called you to cancel because they had a new customer willing to pay more money for the week you had booked with their condo? You would probably be kinda ticked and rightfully so. I just think it is only right to keep our obligations. JMHO

Sorry you have to cancel.

 

[dogodisney]

You said that the contract stated that there was a 20% cancellation fee, so the owner is in her rights to charge you.

 

[goofy5]

I agree with PP if contract states cancel fee. Most state cancel 45days or less lose deposit or % of deposit. but if the contract clearly stated if you canceled you would be charged a fee and you agreed to it then I don't understand why you are complaining.

 

[Momto3Girls&Max]

I thought this sounded familiar:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2181620

 

[absmom2]

I have to chime in here. While I agree with everyone that if you signed the contract and it said 20% you are going to have to pay the difference. We had a similar experience (possibly with the same company as you). We gave the $100 deposit and were told the cancellation fee would only be the deposit paid.

We were sent a contract to sign and send back. Upon thoroughly examining the contract we saw the cancellation fee was not the $100 we were originally told it would be so we called them and asked about it. They were quite rude and told us that the contracts were non-negotiable and the cancellation fee would be what the contract stated. Talk about a bait & switch tactic. We booked based on what their terms on the web were. I happen to be one who thoroughly reads all contacts but I know many people do not as could be the case of the op.

Needless to say, we never sent the contract back and they cancelled our reservation and sent our deposit back to us. For all those thinking about renting be sure to double check your contract, there is a company out there that is not holding true to what they advertise on their site.