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A warning about using Booking.com - DON'T depend on your confirmed booking!!!!!!

Posted: Sun May 2, 2021 11:53am
8 replies269 views4 members subscribed
Marksy

Posts: 123

19 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 22 Jan 2021

I booked a hotel (in March) in Almeria for 1 week in June via Booking.com.  With just over 30 days to my holiday I was contacted by Booking.com by email to say they had cancelled my hotel booking, no reason or explanation of suggestion on how to rectify the situation.  When I eventually got through to someone after a couple of days as they just ignored by messages and emails to customer service to ask why they had cancelled my booking they told me the hotel had cancelled the booking?.  I pointed out previously when a hotel had cancelled my booking they told the hotel to sort out a new booking with another hotel at no extra cost to myself - and this has worked in a number of different countries.  I also pointed out that the hotel was still advertising on Booking.com for vacancies 3 days after my cancelled booking.  They have said "sorry" we are unable to help - despite me pointing out that I had BOOKED WITH Booking.com   The cost of bookings a three days later than my booking had gone from 600+ € to over 1100+ € in these few days.  They are just not interested so I have a few months over the next 12 months accommodation etc booked with Booking.com and I am going to cancel them all - my point is DON'T book with Booking.com as there is always the possibility of them cancelling your booking and you will be left trying to find another booking at normally vastly inflated cost to yourself at very short notice, lost travel costs and inconvenience  or worse (happened to me once) where on arrival at a hotel in the middle of the night and the hotel is closed down I contacted Booking.com and they found me accommodation for 1 night and organised other accommodation for the rest of my stay - in my opinion NOW that will not happen and you will be left out in the street!!!!!!!

Cat47

Posted: Sun May 2, 2021 5:43pm

Cat47

Helpful member

Posts: 443

179 helpful points

Location: Camposol

Joined: 24 May 2019

Posted: Sun May 2, 2021 5:43pm

Marksy wrote on Sun May 2, 2021 11:53am:

I booked a hotel (in March) in Almeria for 1 week in June via Booking.com.  With just over 30 days to my holiday I was contacted by Booking.com by email to say they had cancelled my hotel booking, no reason or explanation of suggestion on how to rectify the situation.  When I eventually...

... got through to someone after a couple of days as they just ignored by messages and emails to customer service to ask why they had cancelled my booking they told me the hotel had cancelled the booking?.  I pointed out previously when a hotel had cancelled my booking they told the hotel to sort out a new booking with another hotel at no extra cost to myself - and this has worked in a number of different countries.  I also pointed out that the hotel was still advertising on Booking.com for vacancies 3 days after my cancelled booking.  They have said "sorry" we are unable to help - despite me pointing out that I had BOOKED WITH Booking.com   The cost of bookings a three days later than my booking had gone from 600+ € to over 1100+ € in these few days.  They are just not interested so I have a few months over the next 12 months accommodation etc booked with Booking.com and I am going to cancel them all - my point is DON'T book with Booking.com as there is always the possibility of them cancelling your booking and you will be left trying to find another booking at normally vastly inflated cost to yourself at very short notice, lost travel costs and inconvenience  or worse (happened to me once) where on arrival at a hotel in the middle of the night and the hotel is closed down I contacted Booking.com and they found me accommodation for 1 night and organised other accommodation for the rest of my stay - in my opinion NOW that will not happen and you will be left out in the street!!!!!!!

They’re like that! I used to own a hotel in Weymouth before I retired 2 years ago. Booking.com used to overbook my rooms then leave me to find out and apologise when two and sometimes three couples turned up for the same room. They also used to say it was my responsibility to find alternative accommodation for these already upset and annoyed clients and pay any extra if applicable! Always felt like it was my fault. Had to stop using them, as did a lot of other hoteliers and managers. They don’t care about people, charge more commission than most other agents... I could go on. If you phone direct you will normally get a much better deal than these online agents anyway. 😁 

Marksy

Posted: Sun May 2, 2021 6:01pm

Marksy

Original Poster

Posts: 123

19 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 22 Jan 2021

Posted: Sun May 2, 2021 6:01pm

Cat47 wrote on Sun May 2, 2021 5:43pm:

They’re like that! I used to own a hotel in Weymouth before I retired 2 years ago. Booking.com used to overbook my rooms then leave me to find out and apologise when two and sometimes three couples turned up for the same room. They also used to say it was my responsibility to find alternative a...

...ccommodation for these already upset and annoyed clients and pay any extra if applicable! Always felt like it was my fault. Had to stop using them, as did a lot of other hoteliers and managers. They don’t care about people, charge more commission than most other agents... I could go on. If you phone direct you will normally get a much better deal than these online agents anyway. 😁 

I agree with your comments, I have used Booking.com for over 12 years and also have been a hotelier and while did not experience the issues of over booking by Booking.com I did on an occasion need to change a booking, due to a sudden death in the close family and Booking.com totally ignored my reasons and got me to provide alternative accommodation at an extra cost to me of 55 € per night for the 5 nights, the guests did not turn up and the card details were incorrect, so a major loss for me but that is business - and not really my original point about Booking.com because the hotel I booked in March is part of a major internal chain so they would not force them to to provide alternative accommodation of which there are many open in early June.   I have contacted a number of travel journalists including a travel editor of a national newspaper and a number of replied to me that they are very disappointed but have recently heard of this happening with Booking.com and some are going to take up this recent change of stance by Booking.com.   As I said originally my point is that as Booking.com have changed the way they deal with customers everyone needs to be aware that even a confirmed booking does not really mean it will be available!!!!!!!!!!!    Many thanks for your suggestion regarding directly contacting the hotel.  Found another hotel (actually it is next door!!) and 5* and got a better price than advertised on Booking/Hotels.com, don't need to pay until arrival and joined their "club" and got ANOTHER 10% off so while still disappointment in Booking.com we now have a much better hotel for less than the original hotel for the following week so it definitely pays to try a direct approach and got secure underground parking at a good discount as well.  

eviedoll

Posted: Mon May 3, 2021 4:20pm

Posts: 167

38 helpful points

Joined: 12 May 2019

Posted: Mon May 3, 2021 4:20pm

Marksy wrote on Sun May 2, 2021 6:01pm:

I agree with your comments, I have used Booking.com for over 12 years and also have been a hotelier and while did not experience the issues of over booking by Booking.com I did on an occasion need to change a booking, due to a sudden death in the close family and Booking.com totally ignored my re...

...asons and got me to provide alternative accommodation at an extra cost to me of 55 € per night for the 5 nights, the guests did not turn up and the card details were incorrect, so a major loss for me but that is business - and not really my original point about Booking.com because the hotel I booked in March is part of a major internal chain so they would not force them to to provide alternative accommodation of which there are many open in early June.   I have contacted a number of travel journalists including a travel editor of a national newspaper and a number of replied to me that they are very disappointed but have recently heard of this happening with Booking.com and some are going to take up this recent change of stance by Booking.com.   As I said originally my point is that as Booking.com have changed the way they deal with customers everyone needs to be aware that even a confirmed booking does not really mean it will be available!!!!!!!!!!!    Many thanks for your suggestion regarding directly contacting the hotel.  Found another hotel (actually it is next door!!) and 5* and got a better price than advertised on Booking/Hotels.com, don't need to pay until arrival and joined their "club" and got ANOTHER 10% off so while still disappointment in Booking.com we now have a much better hotel for less than the original hotel for the following week so it definitely pays to try a direct approach and got secure underground parking at a good discount as well.  

I must be very lucky then as I have used booking. Com for the past 7 years on  regular basis. Always book on free cancellation up to the day before.  Never had an issue.  Would never book unless I could cancel free 

Marksy

Posted: Mon May 3, 2021 4:38pm

Marksy

Original Poster

Posts: 123

19 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 22 Jan 2021

Posted: Mon May 3, 2021 4:38pm

eviedoll wrote on Mon May 3, 2021 4:20pm:

I must be very lucky then as I have used booking. Com for the past 7 years on  regular basis. Always book on free cancellation up to the day before.  Never had an issue.  Would never book unless I could cancel free 

Yes I understand and agree BUT my point was I have used Booking.com for over 12 years (pre Covid at least 30 - 60 nights a year minimum) and only a couple of times had an issue where the accommodation tried to cancel my booking and were forced to either honor or make alternative accommodation at no extra cost to me BUT Booking.com NOW seem to have changed and just (in my case) send a message to say “Your booking has been cancelled”. No reason given and no help or alternative offered.  

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eviedoll

Posted: Tue May 4, 2021 6:06am

Posts: 167

38 helpful points

Joined: 12 May 2019

Posted: Tue May 4, 2021 6:06am

Marksy wrote on Mon May 3, 2021 4:38pm:

Yes I understand and agree BUT my point was I have used Booking.com for over 12 years (pre Covid at least 30 - 60 nights a year minimum) and only a couple of times had an issue where the accommodation tried to cancel my booking and were forced to either honor or make alternative accommodation at ...

...no extra cost to me BUT Booking.com NOW seem to have changed and just (in my case) send a message to say “Your booking has been cancelled”. No reason given and no help or alternative offered.  

I understand and in that case not good at all 

Remy

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 9:12am

Posts: 54

23 helpful points

Location: Sucina

Joined: 31 Oct 2023

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 9:12am

Air B&B no better. All they want to do it take your money !!

Marksy

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 9:48am

Marksy

Original Poster

Posts: 123

19 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 22 Jan 2021

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 9:48am

Remy wrote on Wed Jan 17, 2024 9:12am:

Air B&B no better. All they want to do it take your money !!

I would never use Air B&B I know so many people with their bookings, including 2 different couple who booked for a holiday with them one in Spain and one in the Far East - arrived to find in Spain and the property was not as described including only 1 bedroom not the 4 described and no owner to be found and absolutely no help from Air B&B. The other couple arrived in India to find the property address did not actually exist - contacted Air B & B who said "there is nothing we can do tonight" they did sort out accommodation  - 3 days later - nothing like what they booked and then a real uphill struggle to get some money back for their booking but nothing for the extra they spent wait for them to sort it out.  

On a separate note a warning - I have a number of bookings with Booking.com for this year and 3 out of 10 of them via their app I have been "contacted" by the property to pay directly into an "account" or my booking will be cancelled.  I contacted Booking.com and they said it was a scam and never pay any accommodation directly.  Now on their app there is a warning about this - it appears to be where the accommodation provider's account is being hacked - unknown to them so be warned at least Booking.Com is trying to do something about it - NEVER pay directly to the link on the messenger facility on the app or pass on any booking details, credit card or passport etc. 

Remy

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 10:08am

Posts: 54

23 helpful points

Location: Sucina

Joined: 31 Oct 2023

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 10:08am

Marksy wrote on Wed Jan 17, 2024 9:48am:

I would never use Air B&B I know so many people with their bookings, including 2 different couple who booked for a holiday with them one in Spain and one in the Far East - arrived to find in Spain and the property was not as described including only 1 bedroom not the 4 described and no owner ...

...to be found and absolutely no help from Air B&B. The other couple arrived in India to find the property address did not actually exist - contacted Air B & B who said "there is nothing we can do tonight" they did sort out accommodation  - 3 days later - nothing like what they booked and then a real uphill struggle to get some money back for their booking but nothing for the extra they spent wait for them to sort it out.  

On a separate note a warning - I have a number of bookings with Booking.com for this year and 3 out of 10 of them via their app I have been "contacted" by the property to pay directly into an "account" or my booking will be cancelled.  I contacted Booking.com and they said it was a scam and never pay any accommodation directly.  Now on their app there is a warning about this - it appears to be where the accommodation provider's account is being hacked - unknown to them so be warned at least Booking.Com is trying to do something about it - NEVER pay directly to the link on the messenger facility on the app or pass on any booking details, credit card or passport etc. 

Yep couldn’t agree more.  We did one recently and half the things listed weren’t there including hairdryer as stated.  Then owner left a s**t review for us saying that we were difficult and demanding.  When actually  it was advertised as luxury and priced at luxury with all these things included!!  

All I asked for was a hairdryer nothing else !!

Don’t even start me on beds.  Hence why I’ve bought my own apartment again 🤣🤣

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