Complain about a product or service

Coast Guard House Historic Inn

695 Arena Cove
Point Arena, CA

Meg of San Ramon writes (6/2/02):
My husband gave me a gift certificate to stay at this Bed and Breakfast for Christmas, 2001. It was purchased from Mia for 2 nights, and he paid $458.15 for it. The Coast Guard Inn didn't have enough time to send the certificate, so via email they sent something saying that it was for 2 nights.

In March, my husband called Mia again and booked the reservation for May. We stayed there on May 24, 25 and left Sunday morning around 10:15-10:30. Kevin called my husband on Tuesday morning saying that they had a three-night minimum and he was upset that we had left. My husband told him he had no idea what he was talking about.

Kevin said he had sent us a "contract". We looked on the email and it said in tiny asterik that SOME weekends required three nights. However, when we bought the gift certificate and when we made the reservation we were never told this. They were both made for 2 nights. Kevin was very rude and my husband said that we weren't aware and hung up.

Two days later, Kevin had charged our account for $269.50 with NO AUTHORIZATION. We held up our end of the bargain. We paid for two nights, we stayed two nights. He put a charge through without us knowing and for something we didn't even receive or WANT.

The Inn apparently grabbed the funds from Meg's bank account so she can't dispute the charge with her credit card company. We'd recommend a stiff demand letter that gives the Inn 30 days to make a full refund. Thereafter, Small Claims Court is the likeliest solution.

The inn responds:
I don't know who you are, but I do know that you have acted in haste, without the facts and irresponsibly. Your email to me states that you received a complaint and are considering it for publication. The fact is that you published it on your web site before even sending this inquiry. It is our policy to protect the privacy of our guests; therefore, I will not go into the specific details of the (complainant's) behavior in this matter, except to say that they were treated very well and in accordance with the highest of ethics and the law. If you had actually read the complaint, you would have noted that (Meg's) complaint goes into great detail, albeit inaccurately, about matters that even according to her she has no first hand knowledge of, as they involved her husband. All of this makes me wonder: "Is there a resposible consumer web publication one can complain to when one has been libeled as you have chosen to do here?

Sincerely, Kevin Gallagher

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