Motel manager who charged a guest an extra $50 after she left a bad review threatens to report another to immigration after they complained about the pool
- Motel charged woman extra $50 for leaving negative online review after her stay
- They sent her a new invoice with the charge listed as covering the 'false review'
- Others claim to have had a similar experience with dozens of negative reviews
- Told a guest he would 'not be welcomed back in Australia' after negative review
- The motel often tells people to take down the review or face future legal action
A motel manager who was criticised for charging a guest an additional $50 after she left a negative review online previously threatened to ban another person from Australia for the same reason.
Mollymook Ocean View Motel managers Rachelle and Graham Fulton claim they were entitled to charge extra because of a contract clause regarding a 'damage fee'.
They believe guest Sharon Graham's review - in which she rated her stay 6/10 but questioned the lack of a cleaning service - damaged their reputation.
The owners said they spend hours trawling the reviews and responding to feedback, and said one bad response is detrimental to their small family-owned business.
Mollymook Ocean View Motel management are accused of adding an extra $50 to a customer's bill because she left a negative review
'You will not be welcomed back to Australia': Management threatened to report one guest to immigration after he left a negative review
Sharon Graham (pictured) claims she was asked to complete the review and believes she was fair and honest
'We have no options - if we tell someone who is having a party to be quiet, they get on and get 10 of their friends to write fake bad reviews. But if we don't tell them to be quiet, then the other guests complain,' Ms Fulton told the Illawarra Mercury.
But other guests argue the responses they received for truthful reviews are unnecessary.
In one case, Ms Fulton threatened to have a former guest banned from entering Australia.
'If you do not remove this review, your review will be recorded on your records and you will not be welcomed back in Australia,' she said.
She also said she was planning on reporting the loud and disruptive behaviour of the night to immigration.
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In separate negative reviews, Ms Fulton accused guests of 'making up lies' and being 'the most disrespectful of guests.'
On multiple occasions, she threatened legal action and demanded compensation.
The motel has temporarily closed its doors in response to the backlash they received for the way they treated Ms Graham.
Ms Graham travelled to Mollymook to help boost tourism in the bushfire ravaged community on the New South Wales south coast.
When prompted by Booking.com, she left a review which stated the room was 'quite nice and served its purpose, but quite noisy'.
In response, the manager of the business sent her an updated invoice for her stay - adding an additional $50 surcharge for her 'false review'.
'Social media Bookings fake review,' the description of the bill read.
'Social media Bookings fake review,' the description of the bill read. 'Will be refunded if you remove within 24 hours, if not it will go toward legal proceedings'
The motel responded to the review with this answer - claiming the facilities were the 'best value for money' in the region
'Will be refunded if you remove within 24 hours, if not it will go toward legal proceedings,' the invoice read.
Ms Graham contacted the booking agent, her bank and police after the incident, she claimed.
The new invoice also included a $10 discount for opting out of housekeeping services, but Ms Graham believes this was also in response to her review.
'She didn't actually deduct $10 for no housekeeping,' she said. 'The first invoice didn't even mention that. It was only because I put in the review that she didn't do any housekeeping.'
She described the entire ordeal as 'laughable' but said the motel manager had 'messed with the wrong person'.
Ms Graham finally received a third bill which included a further $50 fee for administrative paperwork.
The bank froze her credit card to stop the payment from processing and Booking.com were able to secure her a refund for the first $50 charge.
Management often respond to negative reviews by suggesting they will take legal action
Former guests rallied behind Ms Graham, with some claiming they had a similar experience at the motel.
In reviews posted online, multiple people reported unauthorised charges coming out of their account after they left.
'I had been charged $50 extra for no reasons when called later he made false excuses. Will never stay there again,' one former guest wrote online.
Another said: 'When I called and asked why I have been charged extra $50, he reacted aggressively and said it's Australia... Then he said we were charged because we broke curtains. I asked which room number and he said he doesn't know that. I didn't even finish talking and he just hung up on me.'
Ms Fulton said they are well within their rights because there is no definition of what 'damage' they refer to in the contract.
Local police agree, saying the contract's terms make the matter a civil one.
Others claimed the motel capitalised on the devastating bushfires by hiking up the cost of rooms as evacuees desperately searched for places to stay, but management denied the claims.
An additional $50 fee was added onto a third invoice - taking the total extras bill to $100 for 'administrative letter writing'
South coast locals begged Ms Graham not to let the experience reflect poorly on the entire town.
After bushfires ravaged the region, which relies on tourism during the summer months in particular, there was a push for Australians to support the community by visiting as it rebuilds.
One man said there are plenty of great venues which would appreciate the support during the difficult period.
'Please come back. I promise we have some amazing accommodation spots and people that would love your business,' he wrote.
'We are really awesome people... great and accommodating.'
Another said: 'So sorry you had to experience this, our beautiful town is not like that at all.'
