playing cops & thieves

Van Manila-Cebu-Bohol-March2009

painful message this morning: the hotel is not planning to refund us in cash, but promised to recredit our credit card. Which means that we'll never see our money back, of course.

Immediate action was necessary. I requested the Guest Relationship Manager, but that one didn't show up. So from the reception I phoned the police, first in Cebu who gave me the number from the police in Tagbilaran, who gave me the number of the police in Baclayon, who told me to come down to the police station.

Up we went, by taxi (cost: 700 PHP). The office was empty, after a couple of minutes waiting, a lazy policeman stumbled in, wondering what we were doing there. Ah, phone! The hotel called the police; we were informed that someone from the hotel was coming too. The Chief of Police was called to answer my complaints, and he did come, but after hearing who the owners of the hotel are, he discretely disappeared again. Meanwhile, in the background, Allan was phoning his contacts all over the island, to inform them of the embarrassing emergency. After hours of talking back and forth, the police finally drew a report, in which both parties explained their point of view: me asking for a refund in cash, the hotel claiming that they could refund through the credit card company. I'm convinced that, without Allan's networking, the result would not have been so good.

After that, we went on a tour to visit houses and lots for sale. Interesting, but nothing that could really catch my attention, except for the lot in Panglao, 600 PHP per m², and I might act further on that one.

Meanwhile, Allan's contacts were very worried about us, fearing that the hotel would use other then legal ways to convince us to give in. Till now they didn't. I'm quite convinced that for such a minor discussion, the hotel will not risk exposure, especially since the German owner was already involved in an economical scandal in Manila, and had to pay huge amounts of money to the police there to stay out of trouble.

Anyway, we informed the hotel that we would take the hotel transfer to the seaport tomorrow at 10 am. Allan will be there already and buy the tickets in advance, so the boarding should not take too long; let's hope the sea will be calm!

Check tomorrow if we arrived safely back in Cebu :-)

huggies,

PB
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