Mr and Mrs Smith free IHG night cancellation resulting in deposit charge?

[ms]

I have a stay booked at one of the Mr & Mrs Smith in the UK for this Sunday. I’m unable to go now.

This was booked with IHG free night cert.
I’ve just been told by the IHG rep, that once canceled, the hotel will charge 50% of the deposit to the card?

There’s nothing in the cancellation policy about this?

Cancellation Policy
Free Night bookings are non-refundable if cancelled within 30 days of arrival. Free Night bookings cancelled more than 30 days in advance will be refunded the IHG Rewards Vouchers redeemed at the time of booking.

[YC]

Is that 50% but you get your free night back? An option is that you can add a second guest to your booking if you wanted to gift/sell the night to a friend/relative. Saves you the 50% charge

[ms]

So I’d also lose the free night!

[YC]

I think losing the free night is fair (based on T&Cs) but 50% on top feels very harsh. As mentioned earlier, I would try to sell/gift the night to someone – you may get some takers from this site (especially if you had used the free night optimally…)

[ms]

So the rep confirmed with the hotel the charge (50% of the deposit), nothing in the T&C about this.
Technically I should be able to disregard this and once the fee hits the card, dispute it with the card issuer.

Not sure how @Rob feels about advertising this in the forum.

Also, I’ve heard many conflicting reports about gifting stay to someone else.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-ihg-one-rewards-intercontinental-ambassador/2048284-help-needed-using-chase-free-nights-certs-someone-else.html
According to FT, it looks ok.

[JDB]

ms wrote:

So the rep confirmed with the hotel the charge (50% of the deposit), nothing in the T&C about this.
Technically I should be able to disregard this and once the fee hits the card, dispute it with the card issuer.

Not sure how @Rob feels about advertising this in the forum.

Also, I’ve heard many conflicting reports about gifting stay to someone else.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-ihg-one-rewards-intercontinental-ambassador/2048284-help-needed-using-chase-free-nights-certs-someone-else.html
According to FT, it looks ok.

You are subject to the hotel’s booking policies as well as the voucher terms. What did those policies state, as if you were to dispute with the card company, that’s what they will look at.

[ms]

Cancellation Policy: Free Night bookings are non-refundable if cancelled within 30 days of arrival. Free Night bookings cancelled more than 30 days in advance will be refunded the IHG Rewards Vouchers redeemed at the time of booking.

No other terms are listed. I think it might be a glitch that these additional policies didn’t transfer over.

[Graham-Walsh]

I lost my voucher due their error and they wouldn’t refund the voucher. I eventually got 70k points out of them.