23.6 C
New York
Friday, June 28, 2024

Hotel Bill Shock: Woman Hit With Rs 1 Lakh Charge For Hair Dryer—Here's The Story

After being charged with a false alarm penalty, a woman’s hotel stay was unexpectedly reduced by $1400. 

Jump To

Jumplink

Who was charged a shocking amount for using hair dryer?

Kelly (who did not want her real name published) paid $240 (about Rs 16,000) for a night at the Novotel Perth Langley in Perth, Australia. She was in town last Saturday for a concert. 

What actually happened?

Kelly styled her hair with her Dyson hair dryer while getting ready. Surprisingly, her hair drying triggered the hotel’s fire alarm, and a fire squad immediately arrived at her room. According to Perth Now, the emergency services determined that the alarm was set off by Kelly’s expensive hair dryer and then left.

When did she discover the extra charge?

Kelly checked out of the hotel the next day, but three days later she discovered that Novotel had deducted $1400 (approximately Rs 1,10,000) from her bank account. When she enquired about the huge price, she was informed that it was a penalty for a false fire alarm. 

Woman Fined Rs 1 Lakh For Hair Dryer Use
PerthNow

Interestingly, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ (DFES) false alarm fine is $1,337, and the hotel was charging Kelly $63 more than that. Kelly then spent an entire day contacting and emailing the hotel in order to get her money back.

How did she react to this mishap?

Kelly contacted Perth Now about the unfairness of the extra price, saying, “They sent no email, I called the hotel, and the receptionist said it was in their terms and conditions.” “Will they charge you for burning your toast if you’re at a buffet and the alarm goes off?” Fortunately, Kelly received a reimbursement after a protracted battle with the motel. 

A false fire alarm, according to DFES, occurs “when DFES is alerted to attend a premises in response to an alarm where there is no fire.” According to Perth Now, the fine for false alarms was implemented in 2015 after false fire alarms cost the department $8 million. The first three false alarms from a property are not prosecuted, but the fourth false alert of the year is.

The property owner is accountable for the fire alarm system and detectors, and fines are assessed in his or her name. However, as Kelly discovered, owners frequently charge the third party for the penalty.

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram

Related Articles

Latest Articles