Unauthorized cancellation-I was waiting for you-January 23 20:28
"Booking easily with a smartphone!" The more frequently you see these words, the more online reservations are spreading in our lives. However, behind the scenes, "cancellation without permission" has become serious. Eventually, the police arrested them. We interviewed various movements about unauthorized cancellation. (Aya Noda, Reporter, Network News Department Shinichiro Kuninaka)
Arrested for unauthorized cancellation
Police arrested two parents and children on November 22 for repeated unauthorized cancellations at hotels and inns.
The police are paying close attention to the "T points" of the benefits obtained from the accommodation reservation site, making unauthorized investigations more than 2,200 times, and conducting investigations on the assumption that they gained T points worth approximately 1.9 million yen.
This incident is also creating ripples on the Internet.
And this pointed out.
New Year's hot springs, 2.5 million yen damage
There are hot spring resorts that have suffered a lot of damage due to successive unauthorized cancellations during this New Year.
According to the Tochigi Ryokan Hotel Health Sanitation Association, the victims were at least 7 inns and hotels in Nasushiobara, Nikko and Nasu towns.
In any case, the reservation was made for one night from January 2 or 3 and it was booked that 10 people would stay in a expensive room with an open-air bath, but no customers came and the total amount of damage was about That amounts to 2.5 million yen.
All of these reservations were made by telephone from August to November last year with the same name and address, but the number has been lost after unauthorized cancellation.
Unauthorized cancellation, why get up?
We asked Mr. Akihiko Kinoshita, Director of Nasushiobara City Tourism Bureau, how he perceived such a situation. "I'm almost always a good customer."
Akihiko Kinoshita, Director of Nasushiobara City Tourism Bureau "In recent years, cases have been seen to be intentional like this one. Rooms with a limited number of rooms are wasted due to unauthorized cancellation. That's a big loss for the inn, not only the real cost of buying one night's ingredients, but also the business opportunity of the canceled room, and most importantly, "I prepared it all the time ..." It feels like a big loss that breaks. ''
Even if you request a "cancellation fee" by telephone or mail to customers who have canceled without permission, there are about 20 to 30% of cases where payment is not accepted, according to Mr. Kinoshita, in such cases it is necessary to cry and fall asleep .
Such an unauthorized cancellation, why would it happen? Mr. Kinoshita cited the reasons "the development of online reservations" and "the business model has not kept up with the new structure."
The risk is the accommodation
Mr. Kinoshita: "Most reservations now go through online booking sites. While customers can make reservations easily, they are less aware that it is a commercial transaction. Feel free to say, "I think we can do it."
"While reservations and other systems have been developed in this way, small inns that have been around for a long time are still" cash business "as in Showa. Even if you ask for a deposit (payment deposit) by card payment etc. in advance `` I didn't have that habit in the first place, and I don't have the strength to invest in new systems. ''
Kinoshita says that unauthorized cancellation itself has been small but has been treated as an "accident." However, in the days when booking through travel agencies was the mainstream, the agency that intervened was responsible for collecting collection charges and cancellation fees, and the risk that inns and hotels took due to unauthorized cancellation was small. is.
However, online booking sites often have a direct contract between the property and the guest, and all the risks are basically borne by the property.
Kinoshita believes that the trust of people and people is the basis of business, and that accommodations must consider further self-defense measures.
Mr. Kinoshita "I feel that it is becoming necessary to support the trust with the system, such as getting a deposit at the time of reservation, especially during peak hours, or contacting us in advance for confirmation of accommodation."
However, in the future, if the number of reservations via foreign sites increased, or the number of malicious “mischiefs” increased, he revealed his painful heart as his worries were not exhausted.
What are the measures for accommodation reservation sites?
So what kind of measures does the lodging reservation site take for "unauthorized cancellation"? I asked.
"Ikyu"
"The accommodation plan setting and cancellation policy are the responsibility of the accommodation facility. We want to reduce unauthorized cancellation together as a reservation site through enlightenment to the facility side."
"Jalan"
"We launched a service to compensate accommodations for unauthorized cancellation last year. If the accommodations are unable to recover the cancellation fee, the insurance company will pay a certain percentage of the damage amount as insurance money."
"If you make multiple accommodation reservations on the same day, you will be notified of the confirmation by e-mail, and if you repeatedly cancel without permission, you may be unable to make a new reservation. Yes "(*" Recruit Lifestyle "operated)
"Rakuten Travel"
"When we make a reservation, we check for unauthorized cancellations in the past. We recognize that most are" inadvertently forgotten, "but if repetitive and malicious, The terms also stipulate that loss of membership, etc. will occur. ''
"We develop insurance products that can cover unauthorized cancellations at affiliated companies and sell them to accommodations."
"I understand that unauthorized cancellation is a serious problem and that anything malicious is also a crime. I think we need to take action."
For online reservation of restaurants
The company that operates Hot Pepper Gourmet imposes restrictions on users who have made a certain number of unauthorized cancellations, such as making it impossible to make a next reservation.
In addition, if you have made multiple reservations at the same time, you will be notified by e-mail to take a cancellation procedure in advance, and to prevent "inadvertent forgetting," send a confirmation e-mail three days before the reservation That is.
A spokeswoman for GourNavi says, "There is currently no specific measure."
When entering a reservation, the site user can fill out the name, telephone number, and e-mail address so that the store side can find the person who canceled, but it seems that there are cases where payment is refused even if charged .
Dota Canvas Stars
In Osaka, a lawyer was set up to solve the loss caused by unauthorized cancellation by legal means. The name is "Dota Canvas Stars". We will collect the loss caused by unauthorized cancellation and Dota Can on behalf of the store.
When the shop requests from the homepage, the lawyer contacts the canceled customer and negotiates. Since we launched the service in August last year, we have received over 300 requests. We spoke with Mr. Hiroshi Sakata, a lawyer.
According to Mr. Sakata, through his experience, he often feels that the younger generation is often canceled, and that there is little awareness that the store is being troubled.
Sakata Hiroshi "I will contact the canceled customer by phone and e-mail when requested, but about 20% apologize for the contents. Most people do not seem to feel guilty. I'm not bad because I called for a cancellation before but didn't connect. '
In such a case, how do you negotiate?
Sakata Attorney: "For example, I ordered a ramen and soon I got a job call and had to leave the store. In that case, I paid for it. The reservation was the same, and the store was cooking. We have to pay for it because we are preparing for it. There are many cases where it is difficult to get convinced of this story. "
In addition, he points out that the problem of unauthorized cancellation is also a problem for stores that do not clearly state the rules regarding cancellation.
Sakata Attorney: “Because the rules are not written down, there are many discussions that said,“ I did not say. ”Also, unfamiliar measures such as the fact that part-time employees were vaguely notified of cancellations Can cause problems. ''
So how do you prevent damage?
Sakata: "Two things are necessary. Let's keep our promise. Let's clarify our promise. It's important to recognize each other's promises."
Because it is convenient
"Reservation online" allows you to hold a shop or hotel at your favorite time without having to meet and talk with your partner. There may be many people who say, "That's why I use it."
But it's not a simple word of mouth, but a contract. And if your schedule changes, telling them that you can't go as soon as possible will help you to feel good about each other.
How do you feel?