An Albany hotel accused of shady business practices regarding the eclipse has paid $500 each to a Washington couple and a California man whose reservations to watch the astronomical event weren’t honored.
The Oregon Department of Justice, which had suggested the resolution in lieu of formal enforcement action for violation of unlawful trade laws, confirmed the development on Thursday.
But Wolfgang Reissnegger of San Jose, California, isn’t satisfied with the resolution, and responded with a letter of complaint, as he thinks the Econo Lodge Inn & Suites, 251 Airport Road SE, isn’t actually being punished.
He and the Appleyards of Lake Tapps, Washington, each paid about $100 many months in advance for a room at the Econo Lodge on Sunday night.
Hotels were going for $1,000 a night closer to the date of the eclipse, Reissnegger said.
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“They still substantially increased their profit by acting unethical and unlawful,” he wrote, in the complaint letter.
He added that the action sets a precedent and "will encourage similar behavior in the future as there are essentially no consequences."
He wants the Econo Lodge and 11 other hotels accused of violating the Unlawful Trade Practices Act regarding the eclipse to face a $25,000 fine for breaking the law.
He wondered how many people will discover that their hotel rooms have been canceled when they arrive in Albany on Saturday and Sunday.
Instead of staying in Albany, Reissnegger will be staying with a coworker’s brother in Redmond and driving to Madras on Monday morning.
John Appleyard said via email that he and his wife weren't happy with the $500 check. "But, you know, at least it's something," he wrote.
After seeing an article in the Democrat-Herald in July about the couple’s predicament, a local family called the Appleyards and offered them a free place to stay at their home.
"So glad that we still get the opportunity to see the event," he wrote, thanking residents for the numerous other calls and emails he received in the wake of the hotel room cancellation.
"It sounds like we are going to have a good time in spite of the way it went down," Appleyard added.
An Oregon Department of Justice spokeswoman said that there have been no additional complaints about the Econo Lodge or any other hotels in the Albany and Corvallis areas.
Visitors who encounter problems with hotel reservations should contact the Oregon Department of Justice’s consumer hotline by calling 877-877-9392 or by filing a complaint online at https://justice.oregon.gov/complaints.