FH and made our first payment to the Milleridge Cottage on Thursday afternoon. They require $1,000 to hold the date, then $1,500 upon signing of the contract. We faxed our date holding payment of $1,000 on Thursday by filling out the credit card authorization fax form. I get miles on my debit mastercard so I used that to make the payment. On Friday, I checked my account to see if the payment was processed. That is when I noticed that they processed $1200 not the $1000 I authorized via fax!
I emailed them to find out what happened (I wanted a paper trail of the convo 'just in case'). The BM said that since Milleridge Cottage is a restaurant, 20% gratuity is automatically applied to payments and that Accounting goes back and 'clears' the auto-gratuity from the payment, which takes 48 hrs to post. Hello?!? I have never heard of such a thing from any venue, nor did she tell us this up front. Has anyone else come across this??
Also, she told us the gratuity was 18% not 20%. Perhaps weddings are 18% and all other events are 20%? We've yet to receive the contract, but she probably only mailed it on Friday or this weekend, but it's making me nervous. I mean, what else is she 'forgetting' to mention to us? It's a good thing I had the extra $200 in my account or else it could have messed up other payments of mine. I'm not happy about this and FH is even more annoyed than me. It's making me wonder if I should go with a different place. But I love the venue itself, it's just the people working there that have given me pause from the beginning. Uggg!
kslmbuggie
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
It is B-S about gratuity automatically being applied. I work in the CC industry, & they have to actually key in the $1200 to process the payment. I would be careful in the future. You should actually go there 2 make payments. I am also making my payments by cc to get the miles, but I am going to go to the RH each time to make payment. I just dont trust people charging my card when I am not there because they sometimes will make mistakes like this.
davenjess
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
I think I would also ask for anything that they have ever said to you be put into writing - alter your contract, do what you have to do. Maybe you and FH should go and sit down with them and explain how this had made you nervous and want to be calmed down...
karabara
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
That is what I thought!! I worked as a hostess in a restaurant eons ago, and I recall typing in the final amount, not doing these crazy back end adjustments. However, I doubted myself b/c it was a regular restaurant, not a wedding venue type of place. Very squirrely of her to blame accounting.
futuremrsGafforio
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
I had my reception at Milleridge Cottage and I can't remember if this happened to my dad. I know I had no issues with payments. I wouldn't worry too much!!
Mici n KC
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
This happens in a lot of restaurants I go to. I don't pay tip on my debit card, but when they charge gets processed it rings is at whatever the bill was plus 20%. When it clears it's always the right amount. Check next time you go t a restaurant.
fl2008
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
i think it bs too. but i do know 2 ppl that got married there and they had great weddings. so have no fear u booked a wonderful place!!!
cammolax23
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
Just to give you a little background, they are correct in the added gratuity being automatically applied..... think of it like this
when you go into a restaurant and pay by credit card, when they run your card for the subtotal( before tip) the cc company pre-authorizes the card for the 20% more, just in case they decided to leave the tip on the card, like most people do. that way the card isnt declined at the end of the night when they are closing out all the cards. and usually when they close the cards out at the end of the night, the 20% is removed automatically.... maybe on their end because it was such a high amount being put on the card it does take 48 hours.... at least it is coming off..
i agree with you that it should have been explained up front, but ( just playing devil's advocate) maybe she wasnt aware that it would happen with a banquet function.... i mean the cc company doesnt know the difference, all they see is the money coming across....
futuremrsGafforio
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
Posted by MiciB115
This happens in a lot of restaurants I go to. I don't pay tip on my debit card, but when they charge gets processed it rings is at whatever the bill was plus 20%. When it clears it's always the right amount. Check next time you go t a restaurant.
This is true!!
karabara
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Re: Deposit Payment Rant (& question)
Thanks girls! I think I was most annoyed b/c we weren't made aware of this. We definitely need to comb through our contract and ensure everything is included in it, and think hard about any questions that might arise. egads!
