DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I JUST DID!
THE STORY:
To finish of my Gold challenge, I booked a reservation at the Renaissance Marriott. However, my plans changed slightly, and I ended up getting a better rate at another property.
So about a day before my reservation, I went to their website to cancel the other reservation. After a little bit of a struggle, I clicked “Cancel Reservation.” I went on my merry way, and that was the end of that. Or so I thought.
Now, I should preface this next part, by saying that it is not uncommon for me to have multiple internet browsers open at once, and that I only shut down my computer if it something like me slower-than-snail internet wreaking havoc.
THE HORROR:
So about a day and a half later—the day after said reservation, I discover a horrendous browser window open. It is the “Are you sure you want to cancel?” window, which I NEVER noticed coming up on my screen.
To my horror, I checked my credit card online statement, and it showed up as a pending charge. CRAP!!
Not sure what could be done, I emailed Marriott and explained the whole situation. I felt better though when I realized an IT glitch on THEIR part had caused me to never see this window. I mean sure, a red flag should have been waved when I did not receive a cancellation e-mail. But then again, who goes around waiting for those?
To my relief I received the following emails, in response:
Dear Bryce: Thank you for contacting Marriott Customer Care. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns regarding the fee assessed for your guaranteed reservation. In order to verify the cancelled reservation, our hotels require a cancellation number. Although this information was not included with your message, this hotel offers a refund of such fees as a one-time exception. This credit will be issued within the three to five business days and should be reflected on your credit card statement within two billing cycles, depending on your closing date. Please be advised that this one-time exception has been documented, and unfortunately, we will not be able to process further refunds of this nature without an appropriate verification of cancellation. If we can be of further assistance, we invite you to reply to this email. Thank you for choosing Marriott and we look forward to meeting your future lodging needs. Regards, DianeMarriott Customer Care
And a personal email, from the assistant guest services manager of the hotel:
Hello Mr. Burchfield, I am contacting you because our hotel received notification from Customer Care regarding your recent cancellation issues. I want you to know that I am happy to refund your American Express card for the amount of $87.41 for the “No-Show” charge. In the future, please do not hesitate to contact our property for any issues such as these, as we would be happy to help you on a first-hand basis. Please let me know if you require any further assistance on this particular issue. Thank you for your loyalty to Marriott, and have a fabulous week & holiday! Regards, KatlynI was thankful for the personal email, and also the quick, professional and appropriate response by Marriott.
LESSONS LEARNED:
Anyway, the lesson to be learned is if you are trying to cancel a reservation, either simply call the hotel, or make sure to go through all the necessary steps to cancel it online:
1. From marriott.com, click on the “Upcoming Reservations” tab, then “View reservations details.”
2. Click n “Cancel entire reservation.”
3. Now the crucial part, look for the additional window, and click “Yes” to finish cancelling the reservation.
4. And make sure that you get a cancellation email:
Point Me to the Miles 
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