(DEAL DEAD) BE QUICK: Most IHG hotels showing at half price or less for points!

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• SGJNI says:

  8 Aug8 August 10:32

  @ChrisC

  I also regularly review/revive existing bookings but I think yesterday’s events feel somewhat different given the scale of what likely went on.

  @NorthernLass

  I think that is probably the right approach in case there is some pushback but how long do you wait? There have been several reports here about the seemingly arbitrary cancellation of bookings when it suits the hotels.

  • NorthernLass says:

    8 Aug8 August 11:13

    A couple of weeks at the most, I think by then it’ll be even less likely that anything will change. Short of issuing a blanket cancellation on any award bookings yesterday I would think it would cause IHG a logistical headache, plus the deluge of complaints as Rob pointed out.
    I didn’t know that the hotels don’t know how many points you paid, I thought they would be able to see your booking as it appears in your account.

    • meta says:

      8 Aug8 August 17:05

      I am also waiting a couple of weeks before contacting IHG to return points they took twice erroneously.

• Graham Walsh says:

  8 Aug8 August 10:32

  So I had a booking for Indigo for 30k points. Discovered it was now down to 17k so cancelled and reboooked. Also cancelled another one but that’s gone from 23k to 49k. Will try and see if they’ll reinstate my original booking.

  • ChrisC says:

    8 Aug8 August 19:16

    They won’t reinstate the booking that you cancelled

• PG says:

  8 Aug8 August 12:40

  Can anyone advise those that purchased points but couldn’t book in time and now stuck with a load of purchased points? Fully understood the risks when purchasing.. just wanted to know what options we have.

  Is it possible to request a refund? If not, what’s the best use of the points? Just use the points and take the hit? Wait for reward night promo?

  • Mouse says:

    8 Aug8 August 13:02

    There should be a 14 day cooling off period. Write to customer services I guess

    • marcw says:

      8 Aug8 August 13:36

      It’s written in big when buying points: NON-REFUNDABLE

    • PG says:

      8 Aug8 August 15:33

      Says this in the terms..
      No cancellations or refunds are permitted.

      I didn’t think US companies offered cooling off periods.. thought that was UK consumer law

  • Rob says:

    8 Aug8 August 13:35

    Should be a cooling off period?

    • MKB says:

      8 Aug8 August 17:37

      If a cooling-off period is not specified in the terms of purchase, it’s not clear if there is one.

      The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 are here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/2334/contents/made

      Regulation 6 (2) (b) denies the right to cancel (which is in Regulation 10) to “contracts for the provision of accommodation, transport, catering or leisure services, where the supplier undertakes, when the contract is concluded, to provide these services on a specific date or within a specific period.”

      Are hotel points considered travel services that have to be used within a specific period? I’m not sure. Alternatively, points, being like cash, might be viewed as “relating to financial services”. These are excluded by Regulation 5 (1) (c).

      I suspect there’ll be a battle to get a refund. Hopefully, there’ll be future sales.

      IHG did promise periodic offers like this to status members when the scheme was relaunched, and this one was badged “special offer” on the hotels where it showed up. Was this one visible to everyone? I saw them as as Diamond, and filled my boots, so very grateful to the HfP tweet alerting me.

      • PG says:

        8 Aug8 August 18:01

        Thanks for the suggestion about the sales.

        I don’t think consumer protection applies to overseas purchases anyway (this was paid in USD)

      • PG says:

        8 Aug8 August 18:02

        This “offer” was visible when I was logged out so not status specific

      • Jeff says:

        8 Aug8 August 22:16

        It is confusing but it isn’t a travel service. It is a voucher that can – amongst many things – be exchanged for travel. If it was just travel it’s a bit greyer.

        Remember they can also be used in the store for other items in the catalogue.

• BJ says:

  8 Aug8 August 14:09

  Unfortunately I messed up with one of my reservations yesterday. Anybody know if it is possible to remove the last night of a multi-night stay, leaving the reservation intact for the previous nights? Thanks.

  • Eoc says:

    8 Aug8 August 14:14

    In my experience they cancel the whole thing and make you set a new reservation. YMMV of course. That was 6 months ago

    • BJ says:

      8 Aug8 August 14:40

      Thanks, I suspected as much. I best just keep it as an expensive late check-out then instead of repricing the rest 🙂

      • MKB says:

        8 Aug8 August 17:46

        I would let the hotel know at check-in that you will be doing an early check-out and ask for the final night to be refunded. Their system may be set to do that automatically when they change the departure date, as you would expect to happen for a flexible cash rate where there was no minimum-stay requirement.

        But it’s IHG, so expect the worst.

  • Rob says:

    8 Aug8 August 16:22

    It can go either way – best to ask the agent what will happen. You should be OK but you never know.

    • meta says:

      8 Aug8 August 17:06

      Maybe wait a few weeks if the stay is not imminent.

    • BJ says:

      8 Aug8 August 17:29

      Thanks @Rob, @meta, I’ll leave it a while and then call and see. I don’t want it to cancel the whole trip because even with the redundant night it remains a significantly better deal than I can get now. Should have booked Easter weekend like I first planned.

  • ChrisC says:

    8 Aug8 August 21:09

    You cannot amend a points booking like you can with a cash rate.

    You need to cancel and rebook.

    Even with a cash booking it will be repriced based on current rates.

• Janeyferr says:

  8 Aug8 August 14:34

  I had a night booked at the Bloomsbury HI as I’ll be in town for my birthday. Yesterday morning I noticed with my periodical checks that it had gone from 24k (already a good rate) to 20k, so rebooked and reckoned I may as well have an extra night at that price.

  Then I had a further nosey and got the IC Park Lane for two nights. A very fancy birthday weekend.

• Michael says:

  8 Aug8 August 15:37

  I think there’s still something weird going on. I looked today for a weekend in October I need in London and there were no points redemptions in any hotel within 50km of London at all!

  Maybe it is an IT issue on both counts?

• RJ says:

  8 Aug8 August 15:50

  For anyone asking about a refund on the points they bought, the T&C clearly state:

  Purchased Points are not refundable and are applicable to all IHG One Rewards awards.

  • ianM says:

    8 Aug8 August 17:22

    You won’t lose any money buying points at that price, why bother trying for a refund?

    • PG says:

      8 Aug8 August 17:32

      That is true, the 100% bonus offer does represent good value however I don’t have any immediate use for the points and I’d rather have cash over points due to devaluation or some other risk

      • Jeff says:

        8 Aug8 August 19:01

        To be clear, in the UK it doesn’t matter what an organisation’s T’s and C’s state if they are unenforceable under UK consumer law. If a cooling off period applies to this type of transaction then it applies irrespective of the clause.

• Flying boy says:

  8 Aug8 August 17:48

  wow, Thanks for alerting us to this Rob.
  Cancelled all my existing bookings. Got 2 nights at IC London park lande for 30k and 1 for 40k and loads of nights that i need between connecting flights at HIEX LHR T4 for 13K.

  Was this some sort of system error? If so do you think IHG will acknowledge these reservations and not cancel them?

  Was it a flash sale? If so what game are they playing by not even notifying elites?

  • Rob says:

    8 Aug8 August 19:44

    The hotels get paid the same regardless and IHG won’t risk the bad publicity. If the rooms were 1k per night then, yes, they might do it. 40k for IC is what they cost not so long ago ….

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