Not To Be Trusted with your Credit Card
My flight landed late at Honolulu Airport, and my host drove me over to the north shore to Turtle Bay Resort stating "I couldn't find a room anywhere else." The room was pre-paid in advance for one night.
Dropped off on the north shore of Oahu at 1 o'clock a.m. I was told at the registration desk that I had to provide $300 cash in order to enter the room, because the prepaid night had been paid for with a debit card. Clearly, I was not anticipating this and I didn't think I had any other other options.
Foolishly, I agreed to provide a credit card to guarantee against room damages. I was told a $300 preauthorization would be run on the card, and if there were no damages I would not pay any money.
In the morning upon checking out, I was hit with a $50/night "resort fee" that I was told "everyone pays." My reply is that this should have been collected when the third party prepaid the room. The management at Turtle Bay agrees that I did not pay for my room, a third party did so. They agree that I used my credit card only to assure against room damages, and I have a signed letter from the duty manager stating they found no damages in the room.
Still, they assert that because they have my credit card number it's fine to use that number for any charge they care to lodge, whether I have authorized that charge or not. I call this FRAUD.
DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER. You have no control over what charges they may file against your credit card account and they clearly demonstrate no compunction about using a credit card number they have without the card holder's consent.