Every Friday, Consumer Reporter Lynda Steele dips into the mailbag to answer your questions. This week, Steele on Your Side investigates coat check security measures.
Sarah wrote Steele on Your Side after she forgot to pick up her coat at a coat check at the Rosewood Hotel Georgiain downtown Vancouver. When she returned the next day to claim her jacket she was told the credit and debit cards inside her pockets had been cut up and destroyed. She felt this was unnecessary and wanted to know if this is standard hotel policy.
The Rosewood Hotel Georgia said in order to protect guests' financial information, credit or debit cards that are handed into hotel security are destroyed. It says the policy is in accordance with advice from banks and credit cards companies to help prevent fraud.
As for whether this is usual hotel policy? CTV News checked with a couple of other Vancouver-area hotels that say they don't cut up customer's cards.
For instance, the Fairmont says lost or left behind credit cards would be stored in its safe instead of being rendered unusable. Guests who claim those cards have to provide I.D. when they pick them up.
