I had a reservation at Hallmarc Studios from May 2 to May 4, booked through Hotels.com. Upon arrival, check-in was smooth, and the room charge of $165.83 was correctly billed to the card on file. Unfortunately, what followed turned an average stay into an incredibly distressing and financially disruptive experience.
At 5:15 AM, I received a fraud alert from my bank notifying me that an additional charge of $483.00 had been made by Hallmarc Studios. This charge was completely unauthorized and absolutely shocking. I immediately contacted my bank’s fraud hotline and was told that the charge had been reversed, but due to it being a weekend, I would not see the refund for 3 to 7 business days.
Concerned, I contacted the front desk right away and was informed by the clerk that the charge was a mistake and had been refunded. When I expressed how this unexpected withdrawal caused an overdraft on my account and placed me in a serious financial bind, the response I received was dismissive at best. I explained that I have limited financial resources, and this error significantly impacted my well-being, triggering both anxiety and depression. The clerk repeatedly brushed it off with, “Mistakes happen,” showing no genuine concern or empathy for the situation.
