Booking.com
Reviews and Complaints

Re : Smart Flex / NO Shows / VCC payments

We opted out of Smart Flex (not sure who opted in on our behalf)! Receiving long stay and multiple room bookings from Smart Flex, we send the guest their confirmation, however, do not request payment because the booking notes say it's a Virtual CC payment, to be taken off a day after the guest(s) arrive, so all good right? I mean VCC payments are guaranteed?! WRONG. guests do not show, and when we take payment the card declines. Of course, I report this by sending a message on the extranet, BDC replies (standard template) instructing me to report the card they will then ask the guest for new cc details.. but its a VCC so how do they reason that they will ask the guest for new details? They (BDC) were paid already!, now they need to pay us. The 2nd option is to mark the reservation as a no show, ok but then they actually force you to waive the comms, because if you don't they will still charge you the commission even though they know the guests did not show!

All these bookings had been blocking our online availability and we've been showing away guests! I mean as if we haven't lost enough during the pandemic now they hustling us for more!

It's frustrating seems like if it's a complaint about BDC we should rather put it on a postcard and send it to Santa at the North Pole - it'll stand a better chance of being read ...

Always getting a nonsense reply from someone who really doesn't give a flying one about our situation, telling us that we are wrong to expect better, etc. Then I reply to it, then reply again, and again. I've been insisting on the complaint being handled by our accounts manager or someone other than the minions who normally reply! guess what, NO response.

For your perusal I've taken the liberty to include my latest message to booking.com;

We now have had numerous Smart Flex bookings that the guests do not show, that we should honour but booking.com does not honour to pay us when the guests do not show up. All of these bookings were VCC payments, when we proceed to take the payments from the virtual credit card details provided, the payment(s) declines? Booking.com then advises us to mark it as a no-show and waive the fees, this is the bottom line, there's nothing else we can do, is there's no support from booking.com for us? As far as my knowledge goes a VCC payment is a guaranteed payment? How come the booking.com card declines? Why can't you provide us with new VCC details? I think this is deception and thievery, do you get the payment from the guests and then not inform us when they cancel? You then force us to mark as no show or request new card details that we never get and if we do not mark the booking as a no show you still invoice us for the comms, for a booking you know didn't arrive! This is unacceptable and I'm sure against the consumer protection act. We want answers, not the usual, automated templates you use!

On more than one occasion you billed us for the commission after we requested feedback, we have mailed you, talked to you over the phone, messaged you on the extranet and you could not give us an alternative VCC, I've provided you with the booking confirmations where it clearly stated that it is a VCC payment, which you denied and shifted the blame to Nightsbridge the channel manager?! I request that you cancel this on your side and offer us a credit for this commission amount.

Please advise how we will be compensated for these losses or where I can report these unfair business practices of booking.com? This is not a mutually beneficial relationship!

We recently booked a room in Corpus Christi through booking.com they did not have a working TV phone and the toilet would not stop running they moved us into another room the second night but when I tried to call booking to get a discount a refund on the first night they refused to provide a discount stating that they work with a third-party and they have no way to do that. I have since Disputed the charge on my credit card and we’ll go that route

Last fall we cancelled United Airline tickets, purchase thru Booking.com, to Oaxaca. On 10/05/2021 United issued refunds for both tickets (ticker numbers [protected] and [protected] each for $772.26 totaling $1,552.52) to Colville Travel. We have never worked with Colville Travel, they are in Washington State and apparently partner with Booking.com. I have contacted Booking.com for months thru emails and phone calls. I have called and written Colville Travel. A lady at Colville reports to me that the funds where returned to Booking.com. There are many many conversations to report to you but, the last written correspondence from Booking.com dated 2/14/2022 shows 3 of 4 steps being completed -1)refund request received 2)refund application to United Airlines and 3) Waiting for United Airline to process the application - Which of course was already issued 10/5/2021 to Colville Travel. I can only reach them thru their call center flight department. The people their cannot help at all and consistently "no supervisor is available". I have written them directly in Sweden but, they provide no number to reach them by phone. They responded to my written letter with the above correspondence I have shown above "waiting for United Airlines to process"

I books the H10 Hotel Tarragona and canceled (to reschedule for longer stay). November 26, 2021 cancelation was more that 3 days before check-in. When I arrived the hotel said I was a no show and charge me one night for cancelation. I contact Booking.com, a case was assigned and provided them all the email correspondence between them with the cancelation and rebooking.

Booking states they are still working however, my last email to them, no reply and it has now been months of no activity or refund.

I had a reservation for 4 nights at Santa Maria Volcano Lodge in Costa RIca, from 16 Feb to 20 Feb 2022. The price on booking.com was listed as $68. The final price with the VAT of 13% included was listed as $76.84,

The lodge had me pay for everything by credit card at the end. They charged me the total price of $76.84 and then additionally added the VAT of 13% so that I paid that tax twice. I was not given a receipt and my credit card charge was for the lodge and meals. Unfortunately I did not double check the booking.com price at that time and did not realize until later I had been overcharged.

I contacted booking.com several times over this issue via chat. The lodge insists they did not overcharge me. Yet the lodge admits they charged me $76.84 PLUS VAT 13%. So while the lodge has admitted the charge which was more than the booking.com fee, booking.com chat staff have not been able to understand I was overcharged and refuse to provide my refund for the overcharge.

I had booked a hotel Candolim sands, Goa for 8 people - Details being:

Rooms: 4

Dates: 18 march to 20th March.

The bookings were done through their their linked and managed site "Priceline"

The bookings were done atleast a month prior to our schedule. However just before the trip they cancelled our bookings sighting an excuse for wrong credit card which I dont believe to be true. As per their email I had contacted the hotel within 24 hours as well and not just once but many times.

They told me to secure my bookings again via the app and when i tried booking it again I noticed that the price had gone up from initial 17000 something to 35000 INR. Their staff was also rude and not co operative and had no sense of consumer satisfaction and care. They even denied that my reservations included breakfast. The screenshots from my bookings are attached below for reference.

I booked a hotel with your company on Feb 14, 2002. I reserved and paid in full the quality in from 21-25. My booking number [protected] and pin code 3055. I called customer service and the service was poor. No help. They gave me one number to a hotel that was fully booked. I was left on the first night of my vacation to stay sleeping in my rental car with my family. This was very unfair and unexpected, especially since the hotel was paid in full. The hotel was reserved under my husband Carlos Salcedo

Please if you can give me a call in reference to this matter I will really appreciate it. [protected]. I do not want to upload all this for public reservation reviews.

Sincerely,

Luzmarina salcedo

We were looking forward to a relaxing stay in a cosy and well looked after cottage. We found the kitchen was well equiped and the main bathroom was as a good standard.

However when we opened the front door, e encountered a very strong musty smell. The bedrooms had a stronger musty odour. In the third bedroom there was a distintict urine smell near the wardrobe.

We felt obliged to spray and ventilated the house everyday of our stay. This had a negative unfortunately impact on our holiday in Port Fairy.

We contacted the Hearn's team and our concerns were initially dismissed. We them went to the Hearn's office and spoke to Andrea, she contacted the owner who seemed to disregard our concerns.

Thus we are unable to recommend staying at Killead On East, 141 Griffiths street, Port Fairy due to the poor maintanance and the overall cleaniness of the residence. Our recommendation is to remove al carpet and replace them with hard floors that are easy to maintain.

Please keep in mind that we paid $1,000 for 3 nights , for 2 couples. It was fair to expect and house with better standards,

you keep refering me to the motel but i have an email from the motel telling me they only want $100.00 where is the rest of the money i was promised a refund but it has never arrived

I had a booking at Park Beach Cabins in Coffs Harbour on the 19th of February, byt due to my son getting Covid I was not able to go. I organised for another couple to take over the booking as they were going on that weekend. They did take the booking and paid for the cabin on arrival.

I have since been charged the $180 for the cabin rental. I have attempted on a number of occasions by phone and email to get in contact with the owners to no avail.

I booked a room on Saturday afternoon for that same night through Booking.com When i arrived at the hotel, I was informed that there was no reservation for me and that the hotel had been sold out since the previous Thursday. I tried calling Booking that night; was just on hold waiting for long time.

After spending 45 minutes in the hotel lobby looking for another room, the clerk was generous to offer me a room that was "out for service", as the heating and air was not working properly. At 1:30am, I accepted the room.

I have asked Booking to refund me my money for the stay, as they should have never given me a confirmation to a hotel that was completely full 2 days before my arrival date. Additionally, I should not have to pay for a room that doesn't have heating or air.

Each time i have spoken to someone from Booking about this issue, I get placed on hold for " a brief moment" and then get disconnected. This has happened 3 times, consecutively.

i have had £68.99 taken from my bank account today on the 22/2/2022 can you kindly refund as i have not booked anything

i canceled my room on Thursday February 17 2022 due to covid reasons and i got a confirmation email saying it was canceled i then checked my bank account on Saturday 2 days later and i was charged for the room still i called hotel and booking.com and got the run around from both of them and booking asked for my test results so i sent them the results since the guy i talked said it would help with the issue of getting my money back and since then i have not heard back from them. never gonna use booking.com again after this

I had multiple problems same as other customers for this property. Damaged Lock on door didn't work. You could not lock the door. No internet service or private bath as advertised. No TV in room. I left and never used anything. Left room clean and notified manager who promised to refund me.

Since Booking.com has no email to contact, I want to know what a charge on 1/20/2022 for $328.83 on my Amazon credit card is for. I have NO record of spending this money.

I haven't traveled for 2 years and my future bookings are in May of this year and none requires advance payment.

The only information I have is the date of 1/20/22, charge of $328.83 by TPI by Booking.com Amsterdam.

Due to covid19 we had to change our booking from 2020 to 2021 and then again to 2022. I received confirmation for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Payment for the booking went off my credit card on 29 January 2020.

I was surpose to pay the hotel on arrival.

I then requested confirmation of payment for the hotel January 2022 because this year we are able to travel again and do not have to change any bookings again.

I received a letter from the hotel that our booking was cancelled and they deducted the payment of my credit card because we did not show up at the hotel in 2021. Please note that payment went through in 2020 already!

The hotel say that I did not confirm our last booking in 2021 for 2022.

If I received a notice from Booking.com that they changed my booking that was always a confirmation for me.

CEBU CITY NATURAL SPRING POOL RESORT listed in booking.com is non-existent. Booked for the period of January 19, 2022 (check in) and January 29, 2022 (check out). I was charged for 10 nights thru my Visa Card and the amount of P11, 188.00 was paid for by my Bank. When I tried to look for the hotel in the given address at 88 Miramonte-Minoza Road, Pit-os, Cebu City, this hotel is nowhere to be found. Worse the associated number [protected] would not refund the amount and claimed that the owner of the property died two (2) years ago.

My son and I booked through Booking.com, which we have done often, to stay at Ziggla Apartment, 800 Fulham Road, London SW6

On arrival the owner who gave us access insisted on us providing photo ID. I did not have any, so my son provided his driving licence and then she proceed to take a photo graph of the licence, as well as his face.

We then stayed and reflected on this process and realised and wondered why she needed his personal information stored on her phone. We called booking.com the following morning and asked them to ask her to remove the two photos off her phone as it could lead to identity fraud, especially if her phone was stolen. She refused.

On returning home I contacted booking.com to request that my sons information was removed from the owners phone, particularly as he is in the military. Booking.com did not manage to do this, or even have this property removed from the site. I mentioned GDPR laws, she knew nothing about them and insisted every property took photos of ID and faces, I told her categorically that this was not the case.

I gave a truthful review on Booking.com and warned people of the possible identity theft, and today I have read her response and found that over and over again, she has mentioned my sons full name and employment which is precisely why I did not want the owner to hold my sons information.

I cannot get Booking.com to remove this information or even deal with the matter at all other than to ignore my requests or put me on indefinite hold.

I, jacobus maritz tried to make a booking for the 7th of february 2022 at afrique boutique hotel in boksburg. I paid with my diners card and the transaction went through my card so you took my money, but you message me to say the booking was messed up by you and it is not confirmed and the refund `will be done in 24 hours, after my mail to you now you are saying the refund only happens in 7 days? so how the [censored] do i pay the hotel to reserve this booking if you got my money? so if you don't refund me in time and i cannot pay the hotel to secure this booking you have [censored]ed up my serservation for me to spoil my wife for a evening out? i want this sorted out within 24 hours .I want my [censored]ing refund asap.

I am going to make sure every hotel group knows how you are [censored]ing up peoples bookings and that they should cansell there subscription becuase your service help us nothing but creating massive problems.

On November 9 2021, I booked a trip from Vancouver, BC to Fredericton MB in Canada. We were to travel from Jan 2 to Jan 8 2022. The total price was $1875 and this included the Air Canada flights and hotel room for myself and my spouse. I paid for the trip using my Visa/Debit card and the fees were taken directly out of my bank account. On Nov 10, I noticed the following transaction in my bank account:

Nov 09, 2021 PRICELN*VA 397.65_V 513.18

Nov 9, 2021 AIR CANADA 1477.36_V 1,906.59

for a total of $2419.77. I contacted customer service at Priceline and the agent advised me all he could see is the $1875,00 and nothing else. I sent this transaction by email and expected a return call within the next few days. I did not hear back, so I called Priceline again and the agent advised they did not receive an email from me and that if I was unhappy with the $513.18 charge, I should take it up with my bank and he then hung up on me. I contacted my bank and they retrieved the funds from Priceline on Nov 22 2021. We continued planning our trip and my son (who is in the Canadian Military) and our daughter in law took vacation days so we could all spend time together and celebrate a late Christmas. On Dec 29, I was gathering documents for our upcoming trip and noticed the hotel portion of the trip was cancelled. I called the hotel directly to confirm and was advised the booking company cancelled it with no reason given, and the clerk said she thought it was strange as it had been paid for in full. I contacted Priceline and the agent advised the entire trip was cancelled, but did not give a reason. I called Air Canada and confirmed the ticket were cancelled as well. I called Priceline again and no reason was provided. I contacted Priceline on 6 different occasions and spent 8-10 hours waiting to speak to agents. Had I not checked we would have taken a ferry to Vancouver and not known our trip was cancelled. I require an explanation as to why this happened.