At Imperial Hotel Management Services Pvt. Ltd., we strive to maintain complete transparency regarding billing, online room bookings, and financial transactions. This Chargeback Policy outlines the rights, responsibilities, and legal procedures concerning payment disputes initiated by guests through their issuing banks, credit card providers, or digital payment platforms.
By executing a reservation on ihms.com.pk, you explicitly acknowledge and agree to the dispute resolution pathways laid out below.
1. Customer-First Dispute Resolution Protocol
Before initiating a formal chargeback request with your financial institution, you are required to contact our billing team directly at [email protected] or +9242 111 444 333 to resolve any transaction discrepancy. Most billing issues including accidental double charges, technical errors during check-out, or cancellation credit delays can be corrected internally within 3 to 5 business days.
2. Grounds for Valid vs. Invalid Disputes
We strictly process all digital card transactions in compliance with the Electronic Transactions Ordinance 2002 and local payment gateway standards.
Valid Disputes: The hotel will actively honor and coordinate refunds without pushing back if a dispute is caused by a technical system failure (e.g., your card was debited twice for a single booking) or if the hotel failed to provide the booked room category due to overbooking.
Invalid Disputes ("Friendly Fraud"): Initiating a chargeback under false pretenses is a violation of your booking contract under The Contract Act, 1872. Examples of invalid chargebacks include:
Filing an "unauthorized transaction" claim for a booking where you checked in, provided your CNIC/Passport, and stayed at the property.
Filing a "service not rendered" claim to bypass our clearly communicated 48-hour Cancellation & No-Show policy.
Disputing a non-refundable promotional room rate after your travel plans changed.
3. Our Legal Evidence Package for Banks
When a chargeback is initiated, our merchant bank alerts our finance department. In accordance with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) guidelines for credit card operations, we will vigorously contest invalid disputes by providing the card-issuing bank with a comprehensive Evidence Package. This includes:
Digital time-stamped proof of the online reservation, matching IP address, and acceptance of our Terms & Conditions.
A copy of the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) or Passport collected at check-in as mandated by The Pakistan Hotels and Restaurants Act, 1976.
Physical or digital signatures on room registration cards, check-in logs, and itemized restaurant/room service receipts.
Security cameras (CCTV) logs proving presence on the property (if identity theft is falsely claimed).
4. Blacklisting, Recovery, and Administrative Charges
If a guest forces an invalid chargeback that bypasses our cancellation policy, Imperial Hotel Management Services Pvt. Ltd. reserves the following legal remedies:
Administrative Fee: A flat fee of PKR [e.g., 3,000] will be added to the guest's outstanding balance to cover the administrative overhead and chargeback penalties levied on at the hotel by our payment processor.
Permanent Blacklisting: The guest's name, CNIC number, phone number, and email address will be permanently blacklisted across our property management system and corporate partners, prohibiting future bookings.
Debt Recovery and Legal Action: For high-value chargebacks (e.g., corporate bookings, weddings, long-term luxury suite stays), the hotel’s legal counsel will initiate summary recovery proceedings under local civil laws or lodge a formal complaint with the FIA Cybercrime Wing if deliberate electronic financial fraud is evident.
5. Governing Law and Bank Investigation Timelines
Applicable law
This Policy shall be governed by the laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
SBP Mandated Timelines: For domestic payment cards (issued within Pakistan), the State Bank of Pakistan mandates that the dispute resolution process cannot exceed 45 days from the date the complaint is officially logged.
Temporary Credits: Whether you receive temporary credit on your statement during the bank’s investigation period depends entirely on your specific bank’s policies; Imperial Hotel Management Services Pvt. Ltd. does not control intermediate bank funds holding.
Jurisdiction: Any unresolved civil legal claims pertaining to payment disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Lahore, Pakistan.
6. Billing Contact Information
For any urgent inquiries regarding a charge on your bank statement, please bypass your banking application's automated dispute button and communicate directly with our verified finance desk:
Department: Finance & Accounts
Direct Email: [email protected]
Phone Helpline: +9242 111 444 333