Motel charges

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33094, 8 December 1972, Page 12

Motel charges

Sir, —Recently my wife and I stayed two nights at a motel which was listed in the Automobile Association 19721973 handbook at $6.80 a night for two persons. When I went to pay my account I was charged $l9 for two nights. I asked why the difference, and was told the price had been changed for a long time. Surely in the short period from May to November there would not be a rise of $2.70 a night. In the case of a young couple carefully budgeting tor a holiday this could have caused some embarrassment. It makes one wonder if the A.A. has done its homework properly.— Yours, etc., LIFE MEMBER. December 1, 1972. [Mr E. S. Palliser, general manager of the Automobile Association (Canterbury), replies: “All motels are inspected about March in each year for the purpose of handbook listings, and special attention is paid to the revision of information on facilities, tariffs, and, of course, gradings. At the time each motelier certifies in writing the accuracy of the information and signs an agreement ‘that the tariffs quoted by me for publication will be varied only following one month’s notice forwarded in writing’ to the association. For various reasons some tariffs are subsequently increased and, as a general rule, moteliers comply with their undertaking to notify the association. It would be physically impossible to inform all members of such tariff changes, and because of this the handbook preface gives prominence to the fact that ‘tariffs other than those quoted in this guide may be charged during its currency.’ Furthermore, under the heading of ‘Tariffs’ the following warning is given similar prominence in a number of other places throughout the handbook: ‘As tariffs can change during the currency of handbook please check charges when making reservations.’ It is matter for regret that your correspondent failed to heed this advice.”]