Booking.com Cancelled My Booking Twice

Darayus on 03/05/2023 - 10:00
Last edited 03/05/2023 - 10:15 by 1 other user

I booked accommodation for 2 nights travel to Copenhagen in June via Booking.com. As my flight ticket has been purchased and so I paid the full amount availing non-cancellation clause and paid upfront for this booking.

After a week I got a request that this booking is not available and hence funds are refunded. I had 3 months' time. So made another non-cancellable booking with another apartment locally immediately by paying an additional 20% then my first booking.

Yesterday I got an email from Booking.com advising me that the host who I had booked the apartment with has cancelled this booking and we are making arrangements for alternate accommodation for you. After a couple of hours, I got another email advising that they have made arrangements for us at the hostel with bunk beds and a shared bathroom outskirts of the city and this is the best alternate arrangement they can make considering the price for accommodation has gone up.

When I decline their alternate arrangement, they immediately refunded my payment advising that they have cancel my booking and refunded this payment without any charges deducted and this file has been closed.

I am wondering are Booking.com is not responsible to ensure that they find a like-to-like accommodation considering that they have taken a 100% deposit from me with no cancellation or amendment clause. If I change the booking I lose my money and if they change the booking they just refund my money.

I booked other accommodations by more than 200% of the original cost with the proper chain of hotels by booking directly to the hotel chain website instead going with booking.com.

Because of their attitude, I lost the opportunity to book a hotel direct earlier and availed the cheaper price.

So want to understand how this thing works, is that They are a large entity that can take the decision that they think is to their advantage.

Also learned one thing is that to book with the hotel direct going forward.

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Comments

  • PensionerXXL on 03/05/2023 - 10:05
    +13

    try cancel.com and see if they book you twice

  • yoquierotaco on 03/05/2023 - 10:34

    Sounds awful. I have booked something through them for later this year and this was my main concern.

  • Tech5 on 03/05/2023 - 10:50
    +6

    I personally don't trust any third party website to book private airbnb type accomodation. Use them to book hotels only and you won't have a problem.

    Private rentals should be done on AirBnB for a bit more safety - even though there have been stories of people getting their bookings cancelled there too.

  • apple2016 on 03/05/2023 - 10:57
    +1

    Booking.com will try to do everything so that they dont loose money on a booking.
    direct booking with the hotel usually is cheaper as well

    • nwa on 03/05/2023 - 13:30
      +3

      Not in my experience, Accommodation booking websites are generally lower than direct, some a bit less or more than others. Flights I would book direct though, even it could be a bit more expensive.

  • capslock on 03/05/2023 - 11:01
    +3

    I actually think you were better off with booking.com this time instead of direct. Booking.com gave you your money back with no issues.

    Even if you had booked direct, the apartment owner will probably have cancelled on you anyway and may have taken their time with the refund.

    • nwa on 03/05/2023 - 13:26
      -1

      Exactly I don't know what the OP issue is. Company refunded their money and such is life.

      • Darayus on 04/05/2023 - 10:21

        Consider that you booked your accommodation and paid with non-cancellable T&C and just before travel you are advised that they are not able to provide you accommodation and here is your refund and walk away.

        So what I want to mention is that can I trust this company for my accommodation booking or should I book direct going in future.

        Normally if I had booked accommodation with the hotel, they would have given me alternate accommodation with nearby premises and they would have borne the cost for any additional cost the hotel will bear.

        • nwa on 08/05/2023 - 10:48

          As others have mentioned the non-cancellable T&C are on your side not their side. They can still cancel and refund you. You post just highlights why going through Booking.com is a better bet, and confirmed they will promptly refund you the money.

  • Almost Banned on 03/05/2023 - 11:08
    +4

    They seem to be good at taking the booking, just not at keeping the booking.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-brgkkjnHc

    • blitz on 03/05/2023 - 13:16
      +1

      And really that's the most important part of the booking: the keeping.

    • RockyRaccoon on 03/05/2023 - 15:18

      Really? so what would the gain from doing this.

      No Booking, No fee

  • boomramada on 03/05/2023 - 11:13
    +4

    OP is unlucky or something dodgy going on in provider's in Copenhagen lately, I been using booking for years with 50+ bookings. I never had a cancellation by the provider, even when I was in Copenhagen. Try book directly, sometimes same price of cheaper and make a official complain to the booking.com.

    • jjjaar on 03/05/2023 - 11:22
      +2

      Original apartment probably cancelled because they themselves could have raised the price. Nothing different to how consumers do the exact same thing with refundable bookings.

      I too have had dozens of bookings with them and have never had an issue.

      • boomramada on 03/05/2023 - 12:05

        I don't think vendor can just cancel booking based on price change. Booking.com policy with vendor is bit ridged.

        Lots of vender related horror stories here :
        https://www.google.com/search?q=partner.booking.com+price+er…

        • jjjaar on 03/05/2023 - 13:38

          Oh they probably can’t/shouldn’t/would be violating terms if they did.

          But if they claimed they wanted to use their apartment, cancelled the booking, then changed their mind, that’s likely within the loopholes.

          • HardQuiz on 03/05/2023 - 14:36
            +1

            @jjjaar: Or listed somewhere else other than booking.com.

  • captaincabinets on 03/05/2023 - 12:01
    +3

    My general process with any large organisation is to go on chat/phone. Be polite, state your problem clearly. If (when) they are unable to help, ask (again, politely) to be escalated to a supervisor. They usually have the authority/power to actually solve the problem. In my experience low level employees at multinationals tend to be badly paid punching bags who can't really resolve much at all, just able to frustrate you until you give up which costs the company nothing.

    PS. I used to work for Booking about a decade ago. In my experience it was poorly paid but they prided themselves on their (phone) customer service. Maybe give that a go if it still exists.

    • Darayus on 04/05/2023 - 10:28

      I tried to call and I got an email within 15 minutes that they have cancel my booking and refunded my money via PayPal.

      When I check my account next to my booking is mentioned CANCEL

      that means they just walk away to their convenience.

      Also as mentioned by others the pricing is very competitive and it was not some pricing error, just the convenience that you have a small apartment with a kitchen and laundry in the outskirts of the city.

  • newjerseydamo on 03/05/2023 - 13:52
    +3

    You're blaming Booking.com when they're just the middle person. As you stated in your own post - the hosts are cancelling the booking. What do you expect Booking.com to do? Force the host to still keep the booking? They can't do that.

    They tried their best to organise alternate arrangements and unfortunately, they weren't suitable to you, so you received a full refund.

    Booking.com as the middle person have done their best. This is no different to you going to Flight Centre and they organise things for you, but then the accommodation on the other end cancels.

    Does it suck? Yes. Is it inconvenient? Yes.
    However just do some research and book somewhere else.

    I've used Booking.com many times without issue, and also used it to book no deposit accommodation just so I have something, then arrange final accommodation closer to the date and cancel the original booking.
    No difference really as I'm inconveniencing the accommodation.

    • ryefig on 04/05/2023 - 08:41

      Well said

    • Darayus on 04/05/2023 - 10:36

      Imagine you book a private car hire for your airport dropoff as its an early morning flight and you also paid upfront with non-cancellable conditions.

      Just a day or 2 before they let you know that their car is not avaliable so they will send a small car instead of the van ( as you need to carry large baggage and a family of 4), otherwise they refund your money.

      Now you tried to book another similar car and you will realise that the same car is available for double the price. Don't you feel cheated that you have booked on their portal? I agree they are the middleman and you book with them because you trust their bargaining power not that they provide me any convenience.

      Imagine if you had cancelled this reservation then they would have kept the money with them.

      • newjerseydamo on 04/05/2023 - 10:54
        +1

        The non-cancellable conditions are on your side, not their side.

        I already did say it sucked and it was inconvenient.

        Also Booking.com wouldn't keep the money, the person you booked with would keep the money.

        At the end of the day, you can waste time whinging, or just do some research and book something else.

  • brokenglish on 04/05/2023 - 13:21

    I use Booking.com and similar sites to compare the rates. Once found, I will always book direct.

    • justdigi on 04/05/2023 - 15:09

      How do you book a private apartment directly?

      • brokenglish on 04/05/2023 - 17:49

        I’d call them first.
        If that private apartment is only using Booking.com then that apartment is out.

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