Hotel refused refund despite cancellation policy saying full refund

If you have written proof of the cancellation policy and you cancelled within the stated window, you have a strong case. Here is what to do: 1. Gather your evidence: screenshots of the cancellation policy, your booking confirmation, and the cancellation confirmation email showing the timestamp. 2. Contact the hotel in writing (email is best for a paper trail). Reference their specific policy wording and the date and time you cancelled. 3. If the hotel does not respond or refuses within 48 hours, call your credit card company and dispute the charge as "services not rendered" or "merchant did not honor terms." Provide your screenshots as evidence. The credit card company will likely side with you given the documentation. 4. File a complaint with the BBB and your state attorney general consumer protection office. Hotels often respond quickly when a BBB complaint is filed. 5. If you booked through a third party like Booking.com or Expedia, contact them too - they can often pressure the hotel to honor the policy. A chargeback is your strongest tool here. Credit card companies give you 120 days from the transaction date to dispute. With clear evidence that you followed the policy, you will almost certainly win the dispute.