Preparation Does Matter in Preventing Retroactive Comp Reversals
Many players have had very strong success in getting charges reversed by their credit card company by providing appropriate documentation. Mainly because the players hotel check-in slip says "Comp Room" on it and they have a copy of a corresponding direct mail offer to provide as documentation with their letter to the credit card company contesting the casino charges.
If you've ever done business with credit card companies, the merchant has the burden of proof that the transaction occurred in the manner asserted. If you contest a charge from a hotel, they are required to provide a copy of the original room check-in slip that you signed when they gave you the room key and any other signed receipts supporting the hotel bill. If your room is comped it will usually have a rate of $0 or if you're RFB it might say something like CRFB-Comp or something. If the rate is a code or is not clear I ALWAYS write COMP ROOM on there and circle and initial it. Failure of the merchant to provide the required proof results in an automatic charge back in favor of the card member.
Where players get into trouble is when the casino promises RFB and then stiffs them on the entire bill. It is a lot tougher to get the credit card company to charge-back the entire bill (think restaurant charges) when you've got separate signed restaurant receipts with actual amounts of money on there. Rule of thumb, if you're staying RFB at a place likely to retroactively throw you out and cancel your comps you would be better off eating elsewhere and just use your RFB for basic meals. Also, when you run up large food/drink tabs as an RFB guest you actually make it MORE likely that the casino will attempt to get some of their lost money back by them trying to stiff you on the comp. Fortunately, the companies most likely to do this no longer exist (Park Place Entertainment who owned Caesars, Ballys, Flamingo, and Paris the four properties most likely to retroactively revolk RFB status when the trip is finished, and certain Mandalay Resort Group properties, namely Mandalay Bay). The new owners are less likely to do this because HET uses a points system for food and not traditional RFB/RFL status, and MGM/Mirage as a company isn't that petty.
There are other casinos with "banked comp" systems that will simply freeze or zero out your comp balance when they decide they don't like you anymore. Borgata and Foxwoods are both known to do this. You solve that problem by using up your comp balance as fast as you can and never leave much in there. Pay for your room each day from your comps or pay in advance.
