No refund for a canceled hotel in Mexico?

Dear Journey TROUBLESHOOTER: I booked a 7 days at the Senses Riviera Maya by Artisan in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for spring crack. The pandemic happened, and we experienced to cancel our holiday vacation. I contacted Expedia and it helped me get a refund for my flights. But the lodge will not challenge a refund. An Expedia consultant reported I really should get a refund for the lodge, too. But the hotel will not give me my cash back again.

Apparently, my brother experienced reservations at the same hotel. The resort refunded him. I tried to dispute the prices on my credit score card, but my lender sided with the resort. Can you aid me get my $844 again?

— Bernadette Cieslak, Hamilton, Ohio

Respond to: If the resort refunded your brother, it should really also have refunded you. Basically, it should really have refunded anyone who experienced to terminate for the reason that of COVID-19. On the day you had been supposed to fly, the Point out Department issued a “do not travel” advisory, urging Americans to remain dwelling. You did the appropriate thing by canceling.

Most hotels provided a no-thoughts-requested refund immediately after that, but some attempted to continue to keep their customers’ cash. At a time like that, you can and really should lean on your travel agent to help. But even Expedia was getting some difficulty persuading Senses Riviera Maya by Artisan to return your dollars.

Why did the resort refund your brother but not you? The solution may well lie in its existing refund policy. It gives the means to terminate on particular (much more high priced) charges but not on all of them. It’s attainable that your brother had booked a unique rate, which the resort thought of refundable. I like your concept of a credit score card dispute and am sorry that did not work. A credit score card dispute is normally the final resort for obtaining a refund. I’d say you ended up there. (By the way, I think it’s time for you to come across a new credit card. Your lender is absolutely not on your facet.)