Marriott-Sonder guests are describing chaos, confusion, and out-of-pocket expenses after Sonder — a short-term rental company once billed as an Airbnb rival — abruptly shut down this week.
Sonder, which said it will file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after Marriott terminated its partnership on Sunday, had been operating thousands of apartment-style units around the world through Marriott’s Bonvoy platform.
The sudden breakup has left some guests with canceled reservations and uncertainty about when they’ll see their money again. On Tuesday, Marriott updated its FAQs to advise customers to contact their credit card companies for refunds.
Fabio Fernandes, head of communications at consumer watchdog Consumer Choice Center, told Business Insider that affected guests shouldn’t wait for the bankruptcy process to play out, but instead should file chargebacks.
“Consumers shouldn’t wait on a bankruptcy administrator to make them whole,” he said.
“If a stay was canceled or never delivered, the fastest, most reliable path is a credit-card dispute for ‘services not provided.’ Do it now, keep your paperwork, and escalate if your bank drags its feet,” Fernandes said.
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