Note to self: Don’t be lazy. Don’t book a motel through a third-party website that malfunctions and then makes you telephone the third-party (in Bangalore) and they quote you a higher price than the website. Especially when the motel is in your same state, and not Bangalore.
Then, do not let them swipe your card again at the motel, saying you haven’t been charged yet, even if they’re charging the lower price, because you know that you have already been charged.
The guy who checked me in won’t want to see ID, but beware of getting swiped at checkout when you asked for a receipt, which you need to turn in with the expense report. See, it doesn’t matter how much the room costs, because you’re getting reimbursed anyway.
The third-party website will not save you time, because the guy on the other end of the line says, “What would be your last name?” and “What would be the credit card number?” instead of “What is…” And when he misspeaks, he says, “I mean to say,” instead of “I mean,” and this he does every time he speaks.
Finally, it will cost you more time as you shuffle around telephonically, trying to get one of the charges reversed. You would prefer it to be the higher amount, but in the end, you don’t really care.
Kari Neumeyer 