Alliance Reservations Network/ ReserveTravel.com ripoff on nonexistent internet booking Internet Internet

On 11/3/05, I paid online for a room at The Park Lane, Hong Kong for 3 nights: 11/10/05 - 11/13/05. Total Room Cost: $599.45 (includes taxes and fees) and the website is reservetravel.com. I received a confirmation on my payment immediately via e-mail.

On 11/6/05, since I didn't hear back from ReserveTravel.com anymore, I e-mailed the Park Lane directly to ask confirmation regarding the booking and payment. They replied: "Kindly be informed that we do not your reservation record. Please reconfirm with your travel agent." I e-mailed ReserveTravel.com immediately.

On 11/7/05, they wrote back saying, "I have re-sent your reservation to the hotel. We should get an in-house confirmation number today. This will be emailed to you."

By 11/9/05, I still have to hear from them. I e-mailed again for a confirmation on my booking. When I didn't hear from them for more than 6 hours, I decided to book in another hotel through a local travel agency (who informed us that The Park Lane is fully-booked anyway). I cancelled my booking at ReserveTravel.com through their online contact form (the automatic booking cancellation online not working: makes you wonder WHY).

From 11/10/05 to 11/12/05, I was offline and thought everything was taken care of.

On 11/13/05, I checked my e-mail and received two replies dated 11/9/05 giving me the confirmation code and one saying: "It seems as though you are not receiving our emails to you. You are confirmed and the in-house
confirmation was 189 sent to you on the 3rd." I e-mailed them a reply, stating: "This NOT true. I can understand not receiving one e-mail from you, but two?? I did NOT receive any confirmation number from you neither
on the 3rd nor on the 7th when I requested it. And you could NOT have had a confirmation from the Park Lane BECAUSE I checked my reservation with them until the 9th. As I have said: You did not keep your part of the bargain -- so please refund my credit card payment in full without charging me cancellation fees. This experience has been an aggravation."

On 11/14/05, I received an e-mail reply from them saying: "This information was sent to you. The hotel nor our customer service ever received a cancellation. We have issued a credit for 2 nights since the hotel is charging for the first night. Credited ($366.66) on 11/14/2005 10:54:41 AM".

On 11/15/05, I replied with a copy of the whole e-mail exchange: "As you can read below, I have sent our cancellation on November 8 via e-mail since the online
cancellation form isn't working -- at least TWO whole days before the check-in time. It was NOT my fault that you chose to ignore it. And I could not cancel my reservation directly at the hotel since there was NO
reservation in the first place."

I really feel defrauded because (1) the company, Alliance Reservations Network through ReserveTravel.com did not provide the booking as promised and it was an aggravation to have to waited until the last two
days to book through another agency and hoping they would reply; (2) when I cancelled the booking, 2 days before the check-in date, they denied receiving it, but ironically enough, answered my cancellation
with a confirmation number I didn't need anymore; (3) they have lied when they stated that the "information" was sent to me (because even if it was sent (on 11/3/05) and I didn't receive it, there was no
reservation at the Park Lane (11/6/05) just the same.

Maria
Quezon City
Philippines