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Original poster

Just been completely screwed by booking.com

139 replies

BookingDotComAreTwats · 24/08/2017 16:09

I am furious. I used the booking.com website months ago to book 2 twin rooms for 4 adults. £600 for 2 nights (it's in the centre of major European city). Got the confirmation. Just phoned the hotel to double check that the rooms are twin beds as the people concerned can't/won't share beds, but I've been told that the reservation had come through as 2 queens. Hotel won't change the rooms and will only provide put up beds for another 240 euros or I can pay 200 more to upgrade to room types with twin beds.

Booking.com have told me that a twin bed room is just a 'special' request and it's tough shit.
I have been through the booking process again on their website and next to the room type if gives you the option to choose twin beds. Nowhere does it say "ha - this is a joke - you only get twin rooms if you pay to upgrade - 200 more smackers please!"
I will never book with them again.

OP posts:
babybigapple · 24/08/2017 16:46

Never had an issue with booking.com

Why are you paying if the others won't share? You've booked a room if it's not good enough then they pay to upgrade.

sunglassally · 24/08/2017 16:47

Did your confirmation email from booking not confirm twin bedded room?

The confirmation from them is very comprehensive and lists everything from free cancellation to breakfast included or not, and room type.

Special requests are not the same as asking for a twin room, requests would include "at the back away from the noise, with balcony if possible" that kind of thing.

What did your confirmation mail say?

Original poster
BookingDotComAreTwats · 24/08/2017 16:49

The person I spoke to at booking.com was a 'computer-says-nooooo' type.
Apparently it's all my fault because I should know that when I select a twin bed on their website, I'm actually only requesting one. Confused
She was professionally and very skilfully unhelpful. She must have been on an amazing training course to develop unhelpfulness skills at that level.

OP posts:
Lweji · 24/08/2017 16:51

I'd insist Booking covers the cost difference, as they didn't make it clear when you booked that twins might not be available.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 24/08/2017 17:00

This is bonkers!

A lot of adults who are not a couple are happy to share a room but not a bed.
If I BOOK a twin room, that is what I expect to get

Original poster
BookingDotComAreTwats · 24/08/2017 17:03

I'd insist Booking covers the cost difference, as they didn't make it clear when you booked that twins might not be available.
Tried that - reponse was
"Computer says nooo..."
Tried to get the hotel to provide put up beds for free.
"Computer says nooo..."
Tried to cancel the booking
"Computer says nooo..."

The only solutions offered were to pay 200 euros extra for the upgrade or 240 for put up beds.

OP posts:
HotelEuphoria · 24/08/2017 17:03

Very naughty and I wouldn't use them again either. I also book direct with the hotel as it is usually cheaper and presumably you get priority over their spare rooms flogged off to bookings.com

akkakk · 24/08/2017 17:09

pay extra
travel
return
small claims court

if there is lack of clarity on the booking.com website / it appears to confirm that you have booked twin rooms then their responsibility...

Original poster
BookingDotComAreTwats · 24/08/2017 17:10

I will console myself by removing ALL the mini toiletries. And may be the toilet roll. What else could I legally take from the room?

OP posts:
DropZoneOne · 24/08/2017 17:10

Naughty but the room does say it's a double room. If you look at other hotels they'll say double/twin (if beds are zip and link) or list double rooms and twin rooms separately if the beds are fixed. Bit dodgy of booking.com to give the option of "requesting" a twin when the hotel doesn't have any though.

annielouise · 24/08/2017 17:12

I've had a problem with Booking.com and Expedia recently. Both crap and I won't use them again.

Surreynewbie · 24/08/2017 17:13

I had an interesting disagreement with booking.com...
We are a venue and loads of people who booked with booking.com just weren't showing up on the day, obviously this is an issue for a small business like ours as we had no money and empty rooms.

You enter your card details to secure the booking but we can't take payment until you arrive. The information is wiped from booking.com after a certain amount of days.

Booking.com told me twice to access people's card details and write them down.

annielouise · 24/08/2017 17:15

I think Gillian Tan heads up Booking.com. Drop her an email. She passed my complaint on to someone although that person was useless.

Auspiciouspanda · 24/08/2017 17:16

I've had the same problem before ... rolled up to the hotel for a romantic weekend to a twin room 😕😕

The hotels basically have x amount of rooms and they aren't allocated until you actually show up even though the booking confirmation states that it's confirmed.

peachgreen · 24/08/2017 17:23

I'd be furious OP! This is miss-selling. Have you tried complaining on social media?

DaysofWineandNeurosis · 24/08/2017 17:24

We had similar. Paid extra for a king size four poster bed. Got to the hotel to find we had a small double instead. The hotel's excuse was that booking.com don't tell them what type of room had been booked. The hotel did refund us the difference but it was rather less of a romantic stay than we'd hoped for.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 24/08/2017 17:24

They cancelled my booking three hours before check in in a foreign country a few weeks ago. No sorry. They initially said there was nothing they could do; and then said they'd request a refund from the hotel, who refused.

Eventually they saw sense and refunded me. First they offered half; then a full refund. It still left me out of pocket because same-day accommodation abroad was more expensive, but i did get back what I'd paid them.

I've used them hundreds of times, for work and leisure, and that's the only issue I've ever had. I wonder if they're struggling this summer.

Original poster
BookingDotComAreTwats · 24/08/2017 17:24

Reading all these comments has made me realise that these intermediate websites are crap. I'll book direct next time.

OP posts:
slartibartfastsfjords · 24/08/2017 17:25

*Did your confirmation email from booking not confirm twin bedded room?

The confirmation from them is very comprehensive and lists everything from free cancellation to breakfast included or not, and room type.*
What exactly does the email say OP?
If you checked a box for twin beds, and they didn't warn you it wasn't definite, I think you could argue it was misleading.
If your email says twin beds, thats even better...
Try mentioning that you think its very misleading, and if they cannot resolve it you'll pass it to the advertising standards authority.

sunglassally · 24/08/2017 17:29

@slarty.

Exactly.

When my sister and I go away we always make sure the confirmation email states TWIN, breakfast included (or not) and free cancellation.

The mail arrives very quickly, so if there is any problem it can be sorted on the spot.

I am interested in exactly what the confirmation email to OP says. Not what is on the website prior to booking if you understand me, I think that is the screen shot posted, that is NOT the confirmation though.

Lweji · 24/08/2017 17:33

It looks like you'll have to go via a formal complaint to a regulatory body.
Or sue Booking.com.
If you were confirmed as a twin room.

FiveStarService · 24/08/2017 17:35

I'm not surprised. I nearly got caught by bo0king.com last year. It was for an apartment in a hotel complex. I contacted the hotel directly to confirm details of my booking. The hotel said they had never heard of the person I had corresponded with (who signed off their emails as a staff member at the hotel) and the hotel advised me not to proceed with the booking as they feared it may not be genuine. On the booking there was no mention that it was not linked with the hotel and it was an independent agent with a private let apartment. I found out they were charging us extra for items already provided free of charge by the hotel. The terms were 'non refundable' but when I emailed to question the additional costs and stating the hotel were not aware of them, they emailed back to say they would prefer to waive the 'non-refundable' clause, cancel my booking and I should make alternative arrangements. I had a very lucky escape.

sunglassally · 24/08/2017 17:38

Surely if one has a confirmation email stating that what you have booked is what you will get, there is redress.

What did your confirmation email say OP? I don't think you mentioned that yet.

safariboot · 24/08/2017 17:41

'special' request my arse. What kind of beds you get is the basics of the basics when it comes to booking a hotel room and only idiots or scammers would screw that up.

YWNBU to demand booking.com reimburse you for the £200, and if you reach an impasse with them to then take a small claims action.

Original poster
BookingDotComAreTwats · 24/08/2017 17:46

The booking confirmed the double rooms - which is how they are described on the booking page - just about the bed option buttons. The at the bottom it said this. I took that to be confirmation of twin rooms.
I understand now that it wasn't. I just think it is really sharp practice.

Just been completely screwed by booking.com
OP posts: