Action: Misread statement only seemed to be in error

We arranged a trip to Pennsylvania in May that included an overnight stay at the Tampa Airport Marriott. The travel agency made the reservation, and the Marriott room charge of $99.68 was posted to our Discover account May 7.

We stayed at the Marriott the night of June 1. The Marriott "guest folio" we received upon checking out June 2 shows another room charge of $89 plus taxes of $10.68. This second charge appeared on our June 3 Discover card statement as part of a $207.17 charge that included parking, etc.

We were charged twice for the room. Marriott owes us $99.98.

On June 23, some 65 days ago, we asked the travel agency to intervene for us. It has had no luck to date. Attached are copies of our Discover statements, showing the two hotel room charges and a copy of the Marriott guest folio of June 2, which shows the duplicate room charge and taxes. Will you please use your good influence to have TIA Marriott management refund the money due? Thank you. Fred Long

Response: Oops. If we had done the math, your complaint would never have been sent to the hotel. But it was, and Jerry Childs, manager of the Tampa Airport Marriott, graciously pointed out that the total of the charges on your guest folio, or statement, is actually $306.85. The $99.68 that was charged to your Discover card is listed as the first item on the statement as a credit for an advance deposit made May 6. It reduced the total amount owed to $207.17. Childs said guests (and at least one Action columnist) often misinterpret the billing statements. We hope this clarifies things for you.

Glamour Pageants refund

In May, I sent Glamour Modeling Pageant a $20 registration fee for my daughter to be part of a beauty pageant it was putting on June 30 in Tampa. The materials I received from this company stated that I had to pay another $100 for my daughter to be part of the show. I immediately called Glamour Modeling Pageant and explained that its initial solicitation had said nothing about more money being due. I was not willing to pay the additional $100 and requested a refund.

On May 20, a woman named Kathy called me back after I left a message and assured me I would receive a $20 check in the mail 10 days after the pageant date. I called again July 17 and left another message about the refund, because I had yet to receive it. I received a return call that day and was told the check had been cut and to expect it within a few days.

Two weeks later, I still had not received the check and again left a message. This time I never received a return call. I am writing to you in the hope that you can get me my $20 refund. Thank you for helping to get the money that is owed to me. My daughter never attended the pageant, and the ad states nothing about the registration fee being nonrefundable. K. Rushing

Response: Kami Arrotti, president of Glamour Pageants in Pittsburgh, apologized for the delay in getting your refund to you. Someone in the office failed to process it, she said. An extra $10 has been added to the refund for your trouble. By now you should have received the $30 check.

Puzzles get crossed up

I am the assistant activity director at a nursing home in Palm Harbor. A resident of our facility ordered and paid for a package of crossword puzzle books from Kappa Puzzle Group on Oct. 4. The books were never received. We called the company and told it to send her the puzzles or return her money. Four months later, she doesn't have the books or her money. Please help her get the puzzles; she looks forward to the crossword puzzle books. Angela DeMattie for Betty Gianfrancesco

Response: We are sorry this has taken so long, but after forwarding the complaint to Kappa Publishing Group in Marion, Ohio, on Feb. 26, we never heard from the company or you until your followup letter of July 20. In it, you stated that you had heard from neither the company nor us. When we sent the complaint to the company, we also sent you a postcard letting you know what we had done and asking that you let us know within 30 days if the business did not contact you or resolve the problem. Apparently, that postcard never reached you.

In any case, armed with the information that the puzzles were still missing, we contacted the company again, this time by certified mail, return receipt requested. Eda Gibbs, with Kappa Publishing Group in Fort Washington, Pa., said the company's records show that the puzzle books were mailed in October, March and April. Because you have not received any of them, Gibbs said the company would send you its 21 Crosswords bargain pack. We hope you have received this by now. Let us know if you have not.

- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright