Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, December 21, 2017
(NASHVILLE) - A Brown County hotel is in some hot water after a woman says she was charged $350 for writing a negative review after her stay last year.
Now, the Indiana Attorney General's Office is suing the business - Abbey Management Inc. - claiming that Abbey Inn & Suites deceived guests by not making patrons aware of a policy.
Greene County resident Katrina Arthur told FOX59 News that the hotel smelled like sewage and the room was gross, with hairs and dirt on bed sheets and the bathtub was filthy.during her March 2016 stay.
At the time of Arthur's stay, the hotel's website said if any guest writes a negative public review without giving proper time for employees to fix it, they could charge a guest an extra $350.
The Attorney General's lawsuit which was filed Dec. 15 in Brown County, says that violates Indiana's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. Arthur said she was never told about the policy and wants her money back.
The current owner of Abbey Inn & Suites, Amanda Sweet, told the Indy Star she's receiving death threats after news of the law suit hit the news. She is said to the Indy Star the incident happened under the former owner Andrew Szakaly (SUH'-kay-lee). She has announced they are closing for the foreseeable future.
The lawsuit by the Attorney General's Office is seeking $5,500 total for the deception violations they believe Abbey Inn committed.
The attorney general's office called the hotel's policy "unfair, abusive and deceptive."
The lawsuit also alleges that Abbey Inn frequently did not have employees on site to resolve guest issues and that there was a sign that stated if guests called the overnight phone number for a non-emergency, the hotel would charge an additional $100.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the hotel from initiating or threatening legal action if "a customer makes a non-defamatory or negative statement" regarding a stay. An injunction is also sought against contract "terms that are oppressively one-sided or harsh."
"People have the right to truthfully complain about bad service," Attorney General Hill wrote in a press release. "They certainly should not be afraid they might be penalized for exercising this right. If you believe you have suffered retaliation or been threatened as a result of posting a truthful review, please contact our office and we will investigate your complaint."
In Indiana, individuals may file consumer complaints with the Office of the Attorney General by going online to indianaconsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.