Indiana woman charged $350 after leaving negative review for hotel
BROWN COUNTY, Ind. — A customer at a Brown County hotel said she was charged $350 and threatened with legal action after leaving a negative review about her experience.
The case has captured the attention of the Indiana Attorney General’s office who filed a lawsuit December 15 alleging the hotel violated Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.
Katrina Arthur and her husband, who live in Greene County, stayed at the Abbey Inn & Suites in Brown County in March 2016.
“We were just wanting to get away and have some alone time,” said Arthur. “It looked really pretty on the website.”
But Arthur said the problems started as soon as they arrived.
“It was a nightmare,” said Arthur. “The room was unkempt, and it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since the last people stayed there. We checked the sheets and I found hairs and dirt.”
Arthur said the room also smelled like sewage, the water pressure was lacking and the air conditioner didn’t work.
“We didn’t see anybody we could talk with, so I decided to call the number that goes to the front desk and it automatically went to a lawyer’s or something weird like that,” said Arthur. “I actually had to clean the room myself.”
Arthur later received an email from the hotel asking for an online review, and Arthur didn’t hold back.
“I was honest,” said Arthur. “I wanted people to know not to waste their money because I know people save their money for special occasions.”
After posting the review, Arthur said the hotel charged her $350 and she received a letter from the hotel’s attorney threatening legal action.
“That scared me to death,” said Arthur, who then deleted the review.
After finding similar complaints about Abbey Inn, Arthur filed a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General in an attempt to get her $350 back.
“I feel like they were punishing me for being truthful and I don’t think that’s fair,” said Arthur. “I was very angry they had done that.”
The Indiana Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit on December 15 against Abbey Management, which owned and operated Abbey Inn when Arthur visited.
Between September 2015 and November 2016, Abbey Inn had a policy in place that allowed them to charge customers $350 for negative reviews, according to the lawsuit.
The state alleges the hotel violated Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act by enforcing a customer review policy that is “unfair, abusive, and deceptive.”
“Guests agree that if guests find any problems with our accommodations, and fail to provide us the opportunity to address those problems while the guest is with us, and/or refuses our exclusive remedy, but then disparages us in any public manner, we will be entitled to charge their credit card an additional $350 damage,” the policy read, according to the lawsuit. “Should the guest refuse to retract any such public statements legal action may be pursued.”
The policy was posted on the website Abbey-Inn.com, located on page two of a seven page document, the lawsuit alleged.
The hotel did not provide guests with a copy of the policy, nor was it posted in individual rooms or common areas, according to the Attorney General.
“I never got any paperwork,” said Arthur.
The email requesting customers leave an online review did not warn consumers of significant consequences for posting a disparaging or negative review, the lawsuit said.
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