Agent entitled to a commission if a booking is cancelled

Question:-

A client books a hotel for a holiday (not umrah) and then cancels it. He asks for a full refund and the hotel gives us, the agents, a full refund. Are we, as agents, allowed to keep the full commission, or do we have to return the full amount which the hotel refunded back to the client? What is the correct Fatwa?

Answer:-

When a client books and confirms his accommodation (and even makes payment), then the hotel room is reserved and made available to the client on the stipulated dates. The transaction is considered as finalized and concluded. Now, if the client requests the hotel to reverse the transaction and return the funds (for no valid reason), then the hotel is under no obligation to refund the transaction. Yes, there is great virtue recorded in the Hadith for reversing a transaction which one regrets concluding, but it is totally the prerogative of the hotel administration to cede to the request of the client or not.

Now, if an agent is contracted to a hotel in the sense that he receives a stipulated remuneration or commission for every client that secures a booking with the hotel via him, then the agent will be entitled to the stipulated commission the moment the client confirms and finalizes his booking.

If the hotel thereafter, willingly from their side, are prepared to accept the request of cancellation and refunds the client, then that is a separate matter between the hotel and client. The hotel in this instance, will be required to refund the client in full. However, the agent should be remunerated in full (by the hotel) for fulfilling his task in a complete and satisfactory manner (by securing a booking).

هي فسخ في حق المتعاقدين بيع في حق ثالث (تبيين الحقائق ص70 ج4)

(قوله هي فسخ في حق المتعاقدين بيع في حق ثالث) ، وهذا عند أبي حنيفة إلا إن تعذر جعلها فسخا بأن ولدت

المبيعة بعد القبض أو هلك المبيع فإنها تبطل (البحر الرائق ص111 ج6)

وإذا حصل الإيجاب والقبول لزم البيع وإن لم يقبض ,ولا خيار لواحد منهما, لأن في الفسخ إبطال حق الآخر, فلا يجوز (اللباب في شرح الكتاب – كتاب البيوع)

قال – رحمه الله – (وتصح بمثل الثمن الأول وشرط الأكثر أو الأقل بلا تعيب وجنس آخر لغو ولزمه الثمن الأول) وهذا عند أبي حنيفة؛ لأنه لما كانت الإقالة عنده فسخا والفسخ يرد على غير ما يرد عليه العقد كان اشتراط خلاف الثمن الأول باطلا )تبيين الحقائق ص71 ج4)

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 27 Rajab 1443 / 01 March 2022