Hotel asking for CC info in email...

[polak]

So me and my friends booked a hotel in Marseille for Euro 2016 in a couple weeks and the hotel just asked us to send them our credit card info by email to charge us before hand since hotels.com hasn't taken payment and they want to protect themselves against people backing out.

This sketches me out a lot. I've never heard of a hotel doing this and to compound the fears I was immediately sketched out about this hotel when we booked it cause the website and stuff seems very amateur and I couldn't find it on google street view. They said they were renovating and there were past reviews so I got over it but now....

Thoughts?

We're in a tough spot now since there's nothing really available at this time.

They're listed on the major sites:

http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/roya...=total;ucfs=1&

https://ca.hotels.com/ho548130/le-ro...2NwaAr5k8P8HAQ

[Ozy_Flame]

Trust your instinct.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by polak

So me and my friends booked a hotel in Marseille for Euro 2016 in a couple weeks and the hotel just asked us to send them our credit card info by email to charge us before hand since hotels.com hasn't taken payment and they want to protect themselves against people backing out.

This sketches me out a lot. I've never heard of a hotel doing this and to compound the fears I was immediately sketched out about this hotel when we booked it cause the website and stuff seems very amateur and I couldn't find it on google street view. They said they were renovating and there were past reviews so I got over it but now....

Hmm, are you sure its actually the hotel contacting your friends? I would doubt that. Even if it is, I would start by contacting hotels.com and discussing it with them.

[Fuzz]

Can you cancel your Hotels.com booking and do it through booking.com? I had a bad experience through Hotels.com with the refund, and trying to contact them so I avoid them due to the way the handle payments.

[CampbellsTransgressions]

If they're asking for the security code as well, it's a giant nope. That code should never be kept under any circumstances.

Aside from that, it's still a giant nope. There's no need in this day and age for someone to be asking for your CC over email.

[ken0042]

Never send your credit card info via email. Many email messages are send using plain text, and are not a secure means of sending.

I'd go with Flamenspiel's advice. If you don't hear back from Hotels.com you could call them with the card info after verifying the phone number. At the end of the day you are protected against credit card fraud; as long as you don't contribute to the fraud.

Also use a secondary card if you are going to do that- not the one you are going to need on your trip.

[canadianmoosette]

Went to Greece last year and used a visa-debit card to make all the hotel reservations that seemed a bit sketchy. There was minimal money in that account so the risk was low. Then we would just pay using cash or a different card upon arrival. Worked for us very well.

[CroFlames]

Coordinate with Hotels.com buddy. Don't risk that.

Plus, you likely won't even be sleeping in the hotel, you'll be out partying so don't even book one. Give a cab driver $100 to drive you around as you sleep at the end of the night, then continue partying in the morning.

[polak]

K so Hotel.com said that they are within their rights to do that since they are the billing party and that I should deal with the hotel directly. They gave me the number that they have on file for the hotel we booked so at least we know we're dealing with hotel directly.

Were also going to give them the info over the phone.

[Hack&Lube]

I have given CC over the phone to Hotel and Tour companies but if it's an issue, remember that your bank has a fraud department and fraud protection is usually built into your CC fees.

It's another reason I like have a travel rewards VISA like Avion because it's not only for travel points but I also get travel insurance and fraud protection, etc. I don't even have to notify them that I'm leaving the country.

[Huntingwhale]

As someone who has worked reservations at a hotel, asking for a cc over email is not done. Never not once have I heard of that and no one in industry that I worked with has known this to be done. This was something specific that I asked once and I very vividly remember the conversation. I know things are sometimes done a bit differently over in Europe, but you're right to say it's sketchy as hell. Hotels.com (or any other 3rd party site) should be the ones to provide your info to the hotel you're staying at.

If for some reason they did not provide it, call the hotel directly. Before you give them the number, confirm with them the confirmation number and details to ensure that you are calling the legit place. Have them read it to you, not you reading it to them to ensure you're dealing with the right place.

There are tons of hotel scams going on right now due to the large amount of people that will be in France for the Euro Cup and I wouldn't be surprised one bit if it was some scamming staffers cold-calling (emailing) people and trying to get potential guests to give up their cc numbers so they can scam them.

[Locke]

Give them a fake expiry date. I know someone from these very boards who did such a reprehensible act to a local campground during a softball tournament.

Granted, in hindsight that was very wise.