“Rip-off fees” and “agents” are words that are often united – however unfairly – in headlines.
But this time it was the agent who was left feeling decided ripped off after being charged £75 for three bottles of water.
Buying agent Edward Heaton, of Heaton and Partners, was handed the bill at the upmarket Wellesley Hotel in London where he was having a business meeting with a couple of clients.
The bill showed a charge of £16.50 for the water (he’d have paid £1.80 in a supermarket) plus a service charge of £8.33, plus £50.17, to bring the total up to its minimum spend of £25 per person.
It operates that policy for anyone using its bar after 4pm.
Mr Heaton says the policy was not explained to him and he will never set foot in the hotel again.
The hotel has apologised, but doesn’t seem to have offered a refund or a credit.
The Mirror is appalled and is running a poll as to whether Mr Heaton should have got his money back.
For once, the public is firmly on the side of the agent, with 86% saying yes and only 14% saying no.
Perhaps agents could really do with more of this sort of positive PR.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/eau-dear-businessman-charged-75-3925733
Comments (7)
From the Mirror article: ""I have no issue if they have a minimum charge, but they need to make it clear. It is the lack of transparency that I have a problem with." So, then – can we assume that IF there was a sign, in a prominent position, fully explaining the policy, then Mr Heaton would have marched his clients straight out of THAT hotel and into another which didn't have such a policy? Wonder how THAT would have looked to his clients?? ;o)
Yeah – the guy obviously wanted to impress, hence the 'first impression'. I wonder if the clients' LAST impression – his dropped jaw and strange gargling noise when he got the bill – clinched the deal for him? ;o)
Isn't that the hotel which always has a very nice looking black Rolls Royce out the front, with a posh porter hovering around? Usually a couple of Ferraris too!Very obviously upmarket and, not being on the board of directors of a major portal, I definitely would have done my homework on their prices before stepping through that front door! That said, if there is a minimum charge of any amount, I would expect that information to be provided to me before my custom is accepted.
am I the only one who thinks that if he wanted a free meeting room then he should have picked somewhere a little less upmarket?
Maybe but £16.50 for water!!!!!!
Look at the Hotel's website. It is obvious that prices will be higher.
If he had wanted to pay BigMac prices he should have gone to McDonald's!
What would one expect to pay in a top flight London hotel whilst seated in their plush bar? £5.50 per bottle doesn't sound outrageous.
A Big Mac doesn't cost as much to make as it does to buy, this is the same principle only the matter of scale and location changes it.