"Two hours later, I received a call informing me that my payment had been declined. Confused, I put the young lady on hold while I checked my account. To my shock, I saw that the restaurant had attempted to charge my card $412.02, which was declined, and then tried to charge another $189. When I inquired about it, I was told that's how the computer system worked. This explanation made no sense, especially since the initial $189 was already marked as paid in my account.
A young man, presumably the manager, then took over the call and spoke to me in a condescending manner, demanding that I come downstairs with another credit card. He didn’t take the time to listen to my explanation or check my account details. I had half an hour left to pack for four people and to put our suitcases outside, so I politely declined to go to the lobby. He then threatened to come to my room with security.
I spoke to the hotel manager, who promised to resolve the issue. However, I was then confronted by two men, a security guard and the manager, who treated me like a criminal. They were condescending and refused to look at my account on my phone to see what I was seeing. At one point, the security guard threatened to call the police and have me arrested when I questioned the additional charges—$412.02 and another $189. To me, that's theft.
This incident reinforces why I prefer not to use credit or bank cards and instead opt for my Wise account, transferring only the amount I intend to spend for the day. I was thoroughly disgusted by the way I was treated.
When my husband and brothers arrived, the men suddenly changed their tone, claiming the extra charges were a mistake caused by a computer glitch. To avoid further complications, especially as people of color in a predominantly white town, my brother ended up paying the $189 again. However, the money still hasn't been reflected in my account, meaning we’ve effectively paid twice and I now have to wait for a refund.
The entire experience was humiliating; I felt harassed, and my children were traumatized by the way I was treated. There was no corrective action, no apology—just a treatment that made me feel like a criminal. I am truly disgusted."
