Cancelling a hotel room that you booked but you aren't one of the guests in

[RamblinWreck]

I'm on the phone right now with Disney.

I have a vacation booked, with multiple rooms. I need to cancel it. I booked the entire thing, paid for the entire thing, etc. It's all on my credit card.

This person is telling me that I have to get my 90 year old grandmother to call them in order to cancel the reservation for her room because she's the only person listed on it.

This is ridiculous, right? Anyone ever dealt with this before? She doesn't have an account on the Disney website so the room is just booked in her name and not linked to any account that I can log in to and cancel the thing online.

 

[_19disnA]

Try calling again and you will get someone else on the phone who can probably help. Doubt what you were told is correct. One obvious example I can think of would be whenever a TA makes reservations for others they clearly are NOT shown as staying there, but would have the ability to cancel/make changes on behalf of their clients.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Try calling again and you will get someone else on the phone who can probably help. Doubt what you were told is correct. One obvious example I can think of would be whenever a TA makes reservations for others they clearly are NOT shown as staying there, but would have the ability to cancel/make changes on behalf of their clients.

In the travel agent situation, the travel agent is the only one who can make changes. The guests listed on the reservation can make no changes until they check in. The travel agent is treated as the owner of the reservation.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ Correct, that was a simple example illustrating how someone who ISN'T the party traveling CAN modify a reservation.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Have you tried creating a MDE in her name and then you can cancel online.. . You would have to link her reservation number also.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Can you just be her for this purpose? I realize that's a grey area but if she's ok with it, then no one at Disney needs know it's not her, do they?
You aren't trying to do anything wrong or scam anyone. I wouldn't feel guilty posing as her on the phone.
I've done it for my mom when she wasn't able to hear well for a phone call recently. Not something I make a habit to do but sometimes it is just the best way to get a problem solved

 

[Mrs.AMC]

^^ Correct, that was a simple example illustrating how someone who ISN'T the party traveling CAN modify a reservation.

I think the difference is a TA is officially the owner of the reservation, no matter who's name it's in. Totally different than a private party reservation. Disney knows when a TA book and own reservations.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

Have you tried creating a MDE in her name and then you can cancel online.. . You would have to link her reservation number also.

I was going to suggest linking to MDE and cancelling online. I think I have done something like this because my sister and I manage my parents' MDE profiles.

 

[RamblinWreck]

Ultimately I just said ok I am recording the conversation.

You are telling me that even though I made the reservation, the confirmation was sent to my email, my credit card with my name was charged for the room, etc… that I can’t cancel it because I’m not staying in the room.

But I’m telling you that I don’t authorize this person to stay in that room on my credit card, and I want the reservation canceled.

In my estimation, you are willfully committing credit card fraud and when I get off of this phone call I am going to call the credit card company, tell them not to pay you, and inform them that you are committing a crime.

And then I did it.

Could I have solved this issue in some other way? Maybe. But it shouldn’t have had to.

 

[Lilsia]

Ultimately I just said ok I am recording the conversation.

You are telling me that even though I made the reservation, the confirmation was sent to my email, my credit card with my name was charged for the room, etc… that I can’t cancel it because I’m not staying in the room.

But I’m telling you that I don’t authorize this person to stay in that room on my credit card, and I want the reservation canceled.

In my estimation, you are willfully committing credit card fraud and when I get off of this phone call I am going to call the credit card company, tell them not to pay you, and inform them that you are committing a crime.

And then I did it.

Could I have solved this issue in some other way? Maybe. But it shouldn’t have had to.

Did you try calling back and getting someone else? There are a lot of new people working that have no clue what they are doing.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Did you receive a Cancellation number. ?
Interesting predicament for future reference .
Imagine you did get your 90 year old grand other to call and then they asked her to verify address phone number and email on the reservation and she didn’t have a clue ! Then she would have to give permission to allow you to continue the conversation to make cancellation .
But I hope you got a cancellation number for proof . If not I would be calling back to inquire transaction was completed.

 

[Eastern]

I have often done this as my family sometimes travels without me but I still do the planning. I have never had a problem. We have the same last name so maybe that helps. Also we area all linked on friends and family.

 

[RamblinWreck]

I have often done this as my family sometimes travels without me but I still do the planning. I have never had a problem. We have the same last name so maybe that helps. Also we area all linked on friends and family.

I think this was the main problem.

Normally I book these trips and everyone is all linked up. But she doesn’t have a profile and doesn’t want one.

It’s still ridiculous that I couldn’t cancel the room that I booked, paid for, and all the confirmation details were sent to my account.


And extra ridiculous that this person didn’t think it would be a good idea to run it up to someone higher than her when I’m telling her that if you tell me that this is the company’s official position and there’s no further action I can take, then I will just call the credit card company and have them take care of it.

 

[babydoll65]

I think this was the main problem.

Normally I book these trips and everyone is all linked up. But she doesn’t have a profile and doesn’t want one.

It’s still ridiculous that I couldn’t cancel the room that I booked, paid for, and all the confirmation details were sent to my account.


And extra ridiculous that this person didn’t think it would be a good idea to run it up to someone higher than her when I’m telling her that if you tell me that this is the company’s official position and there’s no further action I can take, then I will just call the credit card company and have them take care of it.

I know its a pain but I think it has always been this way. If you think about it, it's similar to when you buy airfare. I bought tickets for my husband, myself and my son then got canceled during covid. I purchased that with a credit card that has only my name on it. I am the one who made the payment but yet when the credit comes back, it can only be used by the person it's given to which drives me crazy because my husband goes almost no where and I have $350 credit but can only be used by him. Another suggestion would be to call Disney billing at 1-407-828-5630 and see if they can help.

 

[Lewisc]

But I’m telling you that I don’t authorize this person to stay in that room on my credit card, and I want the reservation canceled.

In my estimation, you are willfully committing credit card fraud and when I get off of this phone call I am going to call the credit card company, tell them not to pay you, and inform them that you are committing a crime.

Technically you're the person engaging in fraud. You previously authorized use if your credit card on booking a room for your grandmother. You are now basically saying your grandmother committed fraud by using your credit card to book.a room for herself.

I would have used any of the other suggestions offered in this thread

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Technically you're the person engaging in fraud. You previously authorized use if your credit card on booking a room for your grandmother. You are now basically saying your grandmother committed fraud by using your credit card to book.a room for herself.

I would have used any of the other suggestions offered in this thread

Is that actually fraud? Like if I booked a room for my parents, for instance, as a gift, and used my credit card? Actually curious about this.

 

[RamblinWreck]

It’s possible that I’m looking in the wrong place, but I have thus far been unable to find any evidence of this supposed policy.

 

[Mle8308]

Ultimately I just said ok I am recording the conversation.

You are telling me that even though I made the reservation, the confirmation was sent to my email, my credit card with my name was charged for the room, etc… that I can’t cancel it because I’m not staying in the room.

But I’m telling you that I don’t authorize this person to stay in that room on my credit card, and I want the reservation canceled.

In my estimation, you are willfully committing credit card fraud and when I get off of this phone call I am going to call the credit card company, tell them not to pay you, and inform them that you are committing a crime.

And then I did it.

Could I have solved this issue in some other way? Maybe. But it shouldn’t have had to.

Committing a crime??? Isn't that a bit harsh? I can only imagine the internal notes they put on that reservation!

 

[Allison]

I agree with Disney. You shouldn't be able to cancel a reservation that is in someone else's name.

 

[HashberryOTG]

I suspect once you put it in her name, it was hers, plain and simple. How that works with Travel Agents, I'm not 100% sure, as only the agent can make changes to the vacation. Somehow they must keep the details under their name (which is what allows for their kickback from Disney). I wonder if there was some way for you to do that sort of situation, without handing over complete control to her. Over my head, but someone here probably knows, as I know many TA and ex TAs are on this board.