A woman from Perth, Australia, was charged 1,400 Australian dollars (approximately Rs 78,130) for using a hair dryer at a hotel, which triggered the fire alarm, according to the New York Post.
The woman who wanted to remain anonymous was staying at the Novotel Perth Langley to go to a performance on Saturday. Before seeing the Ministry of Sound concert at Kings Park, she showered in her hotel room and fixed her hair using the dryer. However, before she had a chance to get dressed, she met firefighters at her room's door.
The woman noticed the charge on her hotel bill three days later. On inquiring about the same, the hotel stated that they had "assessed her a call-out fee for the fire department". However, according to Australia-based outlet Perth Now, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services charges less than what she was charged.
She then called the hotel to ask them to reverse the transaction after it overdrew her account, however, they refused initially. "They sent no email, I called the hotel, (reception) said it was in their terms and conditions. So if you're at a buffet and the alarm goes off are they going to charge you for burning your toast?" she added.
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The woman said that was not able to speak with the manager and that the hotel had stopped taking her calls. However, a manager refunded the extra charge after finally getting her emails.
Recently, a hotel in China has attracted criticism on social media for its policy of charging customers for taking a second bath or shower. Notably, the high-end hotel charges its customers a hefty 2,500 yuan (Rs 28,850) per night.
The issue came to light when an unidentified Chinese woman booked a two-night stay in the hotel in Yunnan province in southwestern China. When she entered the room, she saw a sign that left her shocked. The sign stated that customers would have to pay extra for a second shower or bath. This is being done to save water.
Later, a hotel staff member explained the logic, saying that the hotel imposed the cost to reduce excessive water consumption by guests showering or bathing more than once. However, people on social media weren't convinced and slammed the hotel for the bizarre fee.
