revenue-generating scheme
Scam. I think the word is scam.
this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2025
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Yet another huge win for those who choose to never leave their basements.
I miss my basement.
Caves have only one entrance. So you know when someone is coming uninvited. And you can just spear the fuckers.
Us?
We are treading water in the middle of the ocean.
I have never seen a more clear cut example of a perfect use case for a credit card chargeback.
Fun fact: You can't dispute part of a charge. If you charge this back and win (you probably will) the hotel loses out on everything, for your entire stay. It also stacks up against them and raises their rates the more they get. An even vaguely concerted effort by people who have been ripped off by this would probably get the hotel in question booted from their credit card processor.
I imagine it's damn difficult to run a hotel if you can't accept credit cards. Just saying.
They disputed it with their bank, the bank sided with the hotel because of the sensor report. Just saying.
Sounds like they also need to find a new bank, then. Or more people need to file — Once banks get wise of a particular scam, they'll start taking a more dim view of it.
STOP USING BANK CARDS TO PAY FOR SHIT.. Credit cards are the way, they are SOOOOOO much easier to deal with than a bank. Also fuck banks.
Edit: a word
Simply put:
If something gets fucked up and you used a debit card, you're the one screwed until it is sorted out (if it is sorted out). Also debit disputes can take 8+ weeks I've heard.
If something is screwed up and you used a credit card, then the bank is on the hook until it is sorted out. And typically they'll credit you the amount until the investigation is complete and it is usually complete within 30 days. I've had chargebacks remain credited simply because the other party never responded.
The commenters are saying "bank" but the original article says she disputed with her credit card company so I don't think that's the case here.
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How do you prove to the bank or in a court of law that you didn't do something? The hotel is alleging that their algorithm detected smoking.
Besides setting up a camera which seems to be very invasive, how would you fight this?
The burden of proof that the sensors cannot provide false positives falls on the hotel chain, not the person getting charged. There is also the question of whether the sensors can be triggered by someone else, or an adjacent room.
You fight them by filing a lawsuit for fraudulently charging you.
Ah yes, the system keeping the poors in their place.
Most people can't afford the time and money required for this, so they don't bother. So corporations and corrupt people get away with all kinds of things.
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But when she disputed the charge with her credit card company, they sided with the hotel after it provided the credit card company the same smoke report it sent her.
They tried that. If the credit card denies it you could have a lawyer send a letter threatening legal action but that's all going to be at an extra cost unless you know an attorney or they think they could make enough to o do it on spec.
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In two different cases where I've disputed part of a charge/order, the credit card company returned the money for the entire order like you said. I was surprised they did that, and didn't realize that was the norm.
On the one hand, I never wanted anything I extra that I didn't deserve. On the other hand, both times this has happened to me, the companies at fault really, really went out of their way to deserve it. Not necessarily scam level deserved it like this hotel's smoke detector scam, but still.
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I stayed at a "hotel" in Denver a few years ago. It was advertised as a hotel on Hotels.com, and we booked because we thought it was cool that the unit had a full kitchen and was like a condo. We thought it would be the best of both worlds, hotel amenities and Airbnb style room. We get there, and it's basically an apartment building that they've turned into a hotel. They have no staff on site, and I had to download an app to check in and do a face scan. Super not privacy friendly. Then one day we stayed in and we're having a few drinks and conversing. This was 5 guys. We weren't being beligerant or loud, just talking. It was maybe 4 pm, and not quiet hours. I get a text saying there was a noise complaint. Then we bailed and got another text saying there was a 2nd noise complaint. They threatened us with a $500 fee the 2nd time. I told them we were no longer in the room, so it wasn't us. We later found what we assumed was a bug device that notified them if we went over a certain decibel level.
I never got charged, but I was ready to fight tooth and nail with my credit card company if they did. It was very weird, and I would never book with that company again.
Do you happen to have a description of photo of the bug device? Interested to find out whether I am running into a similar situation myself.
https://tritonsensors.com/uses/hotels/
I didn't take a photo, but it was like this.
Set a decibel threshold for each device and receive an alert if it is exceeded.
Show guests that their comfort is your top priority and they’ll leave signing your praises.
Yeah getting a shut the fuck up text every 5 minutes makes me real comfortable. Also they literally advertise it as a revenue stream. How fucked.
The crying part on that feature list is kinda messed up.
Doesn't react to the sound of the fist hitting flesh, only the crying afterwards.
Customers using 3D Sense can generate over 400% more revenue from fees by detecting more smoking incidents and winning more credit card charge backs than before with our powerful sensors and reports.
Primarily just to generate more revenue. Not actually alert infractions. It’s on their fucking website. Fuck this noise. I’d wrap the damn thing in aluminum foil and watch it try to communicate then.
They’re usually hard wired via cat6 and powered by POE, and will also alert for a lack of input
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lol fuck these people and these hotels. It’s not about not smoking, it’s about charging more money.
Another one to add to the list whenever I hear tech lobbyists shout about how unregulated capitalism breeds innovation.
How is this a plus for guests wtff
Devils advocate, I guess the room won’t smell like shit
Oh it will.
Why would companies who willingly scam you wish to spend money to keep their rooms nice, when they're straight up stealing from their guests?
Have you never watched Hotel Hell?
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Sounds like an easy lawsuit. Record the entire stay, test different variables like a hair dryer, candle, fan, soldering smoke, medical equipment like nebulizer, steamer, etc. If they fine you, simply find a lawyer and request a $5M settlement fee. Boom, early retirement.
You can win actual damages and your lawyers fees in most instances. Because there is no meaningful payday in the offing you will have to spend ~100 in small claims or $5000-$50,000 in real big boy court and you will win for yourself.... $500. Where on earth are you getting $5M. Large settlements are normally because lots and lots of people are damaged in small amounts, someone's life was destroyed, or the case was uber complicated and ended up taking years of expensive lawyers.
In case 1 and 3 only the lawyers make out like bandits. In the second case you earn a bunch of money because your life is ruined.
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Couldn't that be interpreted as a confession that their air is at least as unsafe as staying with a heavy smoker the whole night, in terms of PM 2.5 and other hazards?
Wow. That is.... that is some horseshit.
Sounds like a great way to abuse front desk staff by proxy.
I see people talking about chargebacks in this thread which is the logical course of action for a case like this.
What’s nefarious about this is that Hilton and Merriot each own a ton of hotels. If you chargeback multiple times against one of those groups you could get block listed from their locations which can get very problematic in locales without much competition.
It’s the Hertz AI scam in a different sector. I suspect every major rental company will have a version of this soon, and that none of them will be auditable or appealable.
I'm going to start away from Hilton hotels after reading through this.
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Anyone got a mirror of the article that is not geoblocked?
That was a very annoying read. I could feel the tiktok plug even before it was posted. This sucks, but oh my god I hate the internet now.
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Yay! Fraud!
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