Booking.com
Reviews and Complaints

This is a complaint about Booking.com and their refusal to refund charges when their provider requested that we cancel our reservations because of Covid restrictions.

I have attached my earlier correspondence with " Resolver", which chronicles my attempts to resolve the matter.

MOST RECENT COMMUNICATION TO RESOLVER case No.RES9548912, WHO ADVISED THEY WERE UNABLE TO HELP:
As a result of covid restrictions, we were asked to cancel our reservation for a stay at "coos bay cottage", a reservation made through Booking.com. We obliged. The e mailed cancellation request provided by booking.com did not have a place to request a refund. When I asked for a refund, Booking.com replied that I had agreed to a credit at the time of the cancellation.

These facts present legal issues of issue Force Majeure and contracts of adhesion.

While, I would like to vindicate the many other Booking.com travelers who are likely in a similar position, I prefer to resolve this amicably, at this time. I currently hold a reservation at Cold Creek Inn booked through Booking.com. I have provided the information below. Please credit the charge for this reservation to the outstanding balance for the canceled Coos Bay reservation, currently in dispute, and refund the balance to my credit card or issue a credit for the remaining sum.

Thank you.
Shirley Hochhausen

Cold Creek Inn
Jul 17-18
Check in
Jul 17
Check out
Jul 18
Duration of stay
1 night
Address
724 North Mount Shasta Boulevard, Mount Shasta, California 96067, United States
Phone number
+[protected]
Confirmation number
[protected]
View and edit in Trips

Cold Creek Inn
5:13 PM (26 minutes ago)
to me

Booking.com

Confirmation: [protected]
PIN: 0685

[protected]

I am writing to complain about an issue with Online travel agent.

I have already raised my issue within your organisation, but I feel that my issue is still unresolved, hence my need to involve you in helping to resolve this problem.

Here is what happened: In December 2020 I booked Bayview cottage through Booking.com.
Because of concerns about Covid, Bayview cottage canceled our reservations and advised they would provide a credit.
I have tried 3 times to contact them regarding a credit and get no response. When I first booked I got a response from them immediately.This is not a way to treat a customer.

Please arrange a cash credit to my account or explain why you have not done so.
Thank you, Shirley Hochhausen

. This happened on December 6th, 2020

Please refund my payment.

Please reply back via this email address, as I would like to keep all my communications in one place.

Yours sincerely,

Shirley Hochhausen

10 Forest Lane Berkeley Ca. 94708

94708

RES9548912

Original complaint date: 07/04/2021

My Wife and I are both disabled, I myself, a disabled Veteran. I booked an Ocean Front room at Myrtle Beach at the Bay View Resort. It turned out to be a Bait and Switch situation with a room facing a the wall of another building. The pass keys and locks were malfunctioning as well which posed a safety issue and security issue which could have resulted in our being trapped had we been in a fire or had to leave. We didn't stay and wound up having to return home at much expense, pain and stress to us. Our funds were tied up, including a deposit for the room cleaning additional to the funds paid for the hotel which we had to fight and dispute to have returned. Expenses incurred leading up to the Reservation and journey there are lost not to mention the pain and anxiety it caused my Wife who has pins in her neck and is disabled. We both are Seniors. I would never use booking.com again or this Resort and suggest no one else does. We reported the incident to the Federal Trade Commission. Bait and Switch incidences such as this is a nightmare, especially to people such as us where it takes a sacrifice to just get away. What broke my heart most was what it did to my Wife. I felt disrespected and helpless in not being able to get the justice and restitution we deserved immediately. No one should have to be subjected to this type of treatment from business.

I had two rooms booked at the Econo Lodge Savannah through Booking.com for 6/5/21. The reviews on line were excellent. When we arrived it looked nothing like the pictures. I got the keys and went into the rooms which were disgusting. The pictures that they portrayed were maybe from 20 years ago or they have superb photographers who photographed a totally different hotel. There were prostitutes hanging out of the rooms and drug dealing going on right in front of us. I had my 10 year old grandson with us. If we stayed our car probably would not be there the next morning or maybe parts of it. Everything they advertised was false. There was no breakfast included. The 24 hour gym was a joke. The hotel was unsafe. If I didn't have my grandson with us I would have stayed and filmed everything that was going on and have them shut down and I am sure there would be quite a few arrests as well. They advertised a beautiful, clean, safe place and we got a rat infested [censored] house.

I've been at. Hotel. Montejo for two delightful weeks room is perfect staff i could take. Home as. Friends. Pool is. Most welcome. But but but all these fellow guests from all over neglecting. To wear a facecovering. Is most distressing staff are. Not guards. Or police. Why doesn't booking not. Make it. Clear i worry i am 65 why must i feel my health. My life are at risk! stay. From april 24 to may 8/ 2021

I booked a hotel room for one night with Booking.com and paid with my credit card in advance. I was taking my FNP board exam in the am and drove to Tennessee to stay the night before. When I arrived at the property to check in I was told by the front desk that I had no reservation. All of the information sent to me from Booking.com had the hotel contact info but not booking.com. I eventually found a way to contact them. I called customer service and spoke with Charles who called the front desk and while on speakerphone with the front desk clerk(timothy) stated that they had not "pushed the reservation through to the hotel", He then asked if rooms were available. Charles got back on the phone with me and stated that the hotel lost the reservation(which was a lie) and that he would suggest I cancel my reservation and pay at the hotel- Now this was at the very minute I was to check in- Charles said that booking.com would issues a refund and I should pay at the hotel. I paid again at the Hotel (at a much cheaper rate than I was charged by ooking.com I might add). A few days later when I checked on my refund status customer service rep (steve) stated that I had gotten a room and it was the same room so really I wasn't inconvenienced and that I had to prove that I had a reason for cancelling the reservation so late (charles in customer services only solution) and that the burden of proof was on me to show that I was charged twice and also that if I got a refund it would not be what I paid booking.com but what I was charged by the hotel($ 40 less). Even through booking.com charged me $162.89 for the room- this is unacceptable- I mean is this what they do-leave you stranded away from home and make you pay double then keep the money you paid them for a job they didn't do? I am not the one

Booking Ref: [protected] Pin: 5617

I am writing this formal complaint in a last effort to try and resolve this on-going and now extremely stressful cancellation that has been handled disgracefully by booking.com. Failure to rectify this will result in me taking matters into my own hands by involving a Solicitor to act and on my behalf and notify the press - who I am sure will be more than interested to hear about how appallingly you have acted and treated a loyal customer in unprecedented times.

I 'attempted' to cancel this reservation prior to arrival because I has tested positive to Covid-19. I was informed that although I couldn't cancel this booking and gain a full refund, I could however move my dates - which I did!

The dates that I re-scheduled for was 26th - 29th March, however the UK was still in a full lock down which meant that me and my party were still unable to travel.

Given these circumstances, I contacted booking.com to gain a full refund and was advised by a very rude and unhelpful consultant that I wasn't entitled to it?

My conversations / complaint was escalated and quite frankly it was evident that the communication within booking.com was non-existent. In fact, what I have come to learn is that automated e-mails (that are nonsense) is your way of dealing with resolutions that you aren't able to resolve.

I would like my £500 refunded into my account as a matter of urgency. Should the money not be refunded my Monday 26th April, I will take legal advice and act accordingly.

I look forward to your prompt response.

confirmation # 3670.850.286
Booked a room through booking.com for May 27th-31st 2021 at Sands Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach SC . Plans changed and I had to cancel that booking - which was done in February 2021 and it shows on the booking.com that it has been cancelled but yet the property charged my card on March 22 for 171.20. I have tried numerous times to contact customer service and I have yet to hear back from ANYONE. I have called the property - which was supposed to be checking on it and call me back but that hasn't happened either . I have emailed the property several times and still cant get ANY RESPONSE from anyone... This is not the first time that I have had problems with booking.com, not communicating with the properties that a booking has been cancelled - even though it shows on their site that it has . We travel quite a bit and usually use booking.com but I am getting fed up with having to chase down my money for a cancelled booking. I want my refund put back onto my card as this booking has been cancelled since February

I have sent an email & texted message in reference to my co owned property being advertised for a Self Catering holiday rental without my knowledge . No reply from Booking.com !
The address :
Woodston Fishing Station, St Cyrus, Nr Montrose DD10 0DG Scotland .

I have asked IF it´s Booking.com´s policy to advertise a house for holiday lets without one of the co owners permission !
I am totally against this advertising because the property should have been marketed for sale .
I have been advised by Gary Hincks ( the co owner ) that the property will be removed from advertising & all reservations cancelled . This has not happened .
I will be seeking legal advice to ensure that the procedures for removal take place .

We (being a group of 8 adults) flew to Sydney from Queensland on the morning of 2 April 2021, being the first day of the 4 day Easter long weekend. We arrived at 11am. When I contacted the property to discuss an earlier check-in time (Booking [protected]) I was advised via text message that we would no be able to stay at the property due to alleged 'plumbing issues'. The property could not tell me what the plumbing issues were or when they could be fixed, only that we were unable to stay there. The property said they could not be contacted for the next 3 hours as they were overseas, which was a blatant lie as they had an Australian number and I had spoken to the property several times (including on 2 April 2021) on an Australian number. That left 8 adults stranded at the airport with no accommodation (as everything had been booked out months in advance in Sydney for the Easter long weekend). I contacted Booking.com on at least 10 separate occasions and kept getting cut off with no call back from them, they had proposed an alternate accommodation of 4 x 2 separate rooms in a location well away from our original accommodation. this was not suitable as our original booking was in a house to accommodate all 8 adults together in a very central location to our activities/bookings already made. We then proposed the Meriton (our eventual accommodation Booking [protected]), which Booking.com approved and I was told I had to make the booking myself and I would be reimbursed for the difference in price between our original accommodation ($1, 958) and the Meriton ($3, 212). When I contacted Booking.com again and provided the invoice they advised they would only pay $627.20 of the $1, 254 difference. When I disputed this Booking.com simply stopped responding to me and I am now out of pocket $1, 254.00. I want this amount refunded immediately please as I should not be out of pocket for a last minute cancellation leaving us stranded and then having to be on the phone to booking.com for 3 hours trying to arrange alternate accommodation. It was a very sour start to my 30th birthday weekend in Sydney.

I booked a 1 night Stay for my Fiance and his Daughter that was coming from Virginia Beach. to stay at the holiday Inn Express in Pembroke Pines, Fla 14651 NW 20th Street. I First Called the Hotel to let them know that he had to rush his Daughter to the Hospital the day before but anyways I spoke to one of the Represenatives on the 30th of March asking to cancel, to make a long storie short the following day like 5am the money was taking from my account but then it was returned back in my Account. Now on April 2 or 3rd Booking .com went into my Account and withdraw $109. Please I need my money return back into my Account we are in a Pandemic and that was my Health care Insurance you took please return it, my fiancée daughter is now going to be released on this coming Monday the 12th she was fighting for her life, thank God with the many prayers god has Restored her life she is only 8 Years old this was an Emergency that I could not nor my Fiancee couldn't Control. Please if you have a heart return my funds I have the Confirmation # from the Hotel #[protected] and I don't have the Pin Number. If you need any additional Information please Email me at: [protected]@hotmail.com My name is: Carla Demps

I, Viktor Gotovac - [protected]@hotmail.com have booked two rooms at Hotel Melia Coral at Umag from April 2nd till 4th (Receipt No. 2261.968.689 PIN code 3368). This is a five star hotel advertised with wellness service and sauna included in the service.

Upon arrival on April 2nd I have explicitly asked about using sauna and have received information that it is open from 8 am till 8 pm, nothing else. Today, on Saturday 3rd I was declined using sauna with my wife as "all the slots were reserved". Basically, the main thing we wanted to enjoy during the Easter weekend was unavailable.

Additionally during the Saturday morning also there was no TV service in the room, Croatian TV was unavailable.

There was, obviously misrepresentation of services provided as there was no mention of restrictions of using hotel services such as sauna/wellness. Additionally I was not informed of them also upon arrival.

I request some sort of compensation for the service not provided.

Best,

Viktor Gotovac
Tuškanac 37a
Zagreb, Croatia
[protected]@hotmail.com
+385.91.5747084

Cancellation service does not work or is being manipulated in a dishonest manner. The system is set up to not cancel a reservation and when you try to complain about it it sends you to a non responsive loop. You will not be able to talk to a human being and they will take your money. It is a SCAM.

A Cancellation was requested on 2/28/2021 for Cancel the reservations as requested when they are requested! ie Red Lion Inn & Suites, Branson us Branson Fri Apr 2 - Sun Apr 4 Confirmed Confirmation number 3407.252.139

Cancellation did not happen electronically.. Now booking.com and Red Lions inn stand to make an extra bonus calling it non refundable..
Question is who is lying to you Red Lion Inn? or Booking.com. They have a sweet system set up to profit from the confusion.

The booking states that the price given is the TOTAL price one should pay, but for my last booking, the hotel added a 25% VAT, in addition to the 6% VAT that Booking had already added. An additional 25% on a $5000 bill was something of a shock. This sort of false information does not increase my level of trust in Booking.com:
"Totalbeløpet du ser her, er den summen du skal betale til overnattingsstedet.
Booking.com tar verken bookinggebyrer, administrasjonsgebyrer eller andre gebyrer av gjestene."
We had 3 bookings totaling 35, 840 Norwegian kroner, including breakfast. With the extra 25%, we suddenly had to pay 44, 800 kroner.

Establishment no: 7085924
I am a property owner and currently have 2 listings with Booking.com. I loaded my third listing in February 2021. I have also done so with the other websites where I also advertise. They are all live, except yours. I do not receive mail at my property, our town is too small for a post office and we do not have street delivery. As before, I arranged with your agents to do a videocall to assess my property. I spoke to Valentina on 10 March, who then arranged for Vesna to do a WhatsApp call, since we don't use the BlueJeans app.
This videocall was done on 16 March. Between the date I listed the property and the videocall, I sent messages to ask about the activation of the listing, but never received a response. I phoned your call centre, and was eventually referred to Valentina. I again contacted your call centre on 27 March and spoke to a gentleman who advised that the listing is still not live due to technical issue. I would apparently be contacted by an agent, which still has not happened. I have generally never experienced any hassle with your service, but this is unacceptable. Please contact me urgently

Booked a hotel/motel room at the Best Western Plus French Quarter Courtyard Hotel in New Orleans from March 13th 2020 to March 18th 2020.
The price was $1, 125.47, but it dropped to $900+ I called Booking.com the night before our trip because of their price promise pledge. They would not honor it. They told me to get receipts and send them in and they "would look at it." Why waste your time - they already lied and are in breech of contract.

Require a personal phone call to discuss 4 cancellation refunds.
We deferred bookings from 2020 to same dates in 2021 but with covid sitn we are unable to travel and therefore request full cancellation refunds.
Have tried to do this online but your system does not recognise the booking confirmation numbers.
Ring me in Australia on [protected]
Regards
Garry McIntyre

I reserved a car rental for upcoming vacation trip, I choose to go through booking.com which was a big mistake. However, I booked the rental to be picked up on 3/25/21 at 8:45pm at IAH airport and to be returned 3/29/21 at 7am to the same place. When I realized was never sent a confirmation email I attempted to call and email multiple times to get the information I needed for the booking. Finally I called the budget car rental which was who the booking was made to and was told that my reservation had been cancelled which I never did and that was the reason I didn't receive a cancellation email. But my understanding is even with cancellations is should have been some kind of email for that. The not only cancelled the reservation but they charged me for the insurance that I opted to have once I picked up the rental. Since then I have emailed and called 10-15 different times to get my money refunded back into my account and haven't had any success. My email address used for the reservation is [protected]@yahoo.com. I was given reference # [protected] and confirmation #36814172US3 which I screened shot after I made the reservation.

I booked a reservation with Booking.com for one night on 3/13/2021. The reservation was confirmed and got to Miami on 3/13/2021 and the owner of the property's contact phone number was disconnected and they didn't answer the Booking.com requests for information on the reservation. Booking.com couldn't offer us any other properties based on the limited amount of properties available. They had me wait for over 30 minutes and I had to call back. Then they had me on the phone for over an hour and a half going back and forth for approvals to get another property for the price of the one I had reserved. The properties had almost gone up over 3 times the amount I booked (booked in early January 2021). We ended up with no hotel for the night for my daughter's 21st birthday in Miami, Florida.

Booking.com should look at how they use rental car companies in Mexico. I rented twice in the space of a couple of weeks and had trouble with both rentals. The first rental which said full insurance coverage included, Sixt rental car said it wasn't included and thought it was scam insurance. They offered me coverage for over 500 dollars(I didn't take it). The second through Hertz was even worse, insurance offered for 800 dollars(I didn't take it) tire blew less than 20 miles from airport and they couldn't help me find a tire because I didn't buy their insurance. I had bought the online insurance offered on booking.com, didn't use it.

There are companies in Mexico that offer affordable insurance with a car rental. It should not be left to the companies at the airport to charge whatever!

Really left a bad taste and I probably won't use booking.com for car rentals because of these two rental experiences.

Pictures of tire that should not have been on any car yet a rental car. 5 patches, sidewall patch and tube in a tubeless tire.