Help! Booking.com made an error with our flights!"

[DelphiniumBlue]

Have just booked flights for a short break next week.
When the confirmation came through, it showed different flight times from the ones we have booked ( approx 12 hours difference).
We contacted them immediatley (DH on phone to them now) and they are refusing to do anything now, they need to check to see if there was a server error, which they say willk take up to 48 hours. They are suggesting we pay a cancellation fee of over £300.
Anyone got any suggestions of what we can do?

It just feels like a scam!

So if the difference is approximately 12 hours is it a PM flight when it was meant be an AM flight or vice versa?

Do you have any screen shots etc of the flight you were booking, so you can double check and show them? Without proof I cannot see what you can really do until the company finishes their own investigation.

Have you had a search on their social media accounts to see if others are complaining, both for booking.com and the airline in question, as if it is a server failure it is likely to have effected others.

That’s so strange! Did Anything weird happen at the final stage, where it had the flights you selected laid out before the ‘pay now’ button? Did they look right then? The page didn’t refresh or jump or anything?

No, not exactly 12 hours, so not am/pm problem.
It looked right just before "pay now".
The flight times we have been given were not ones we ever considered( because they are shit times - arriving at destination late, and leaving there at the crack of dawn.
Someone is apparently going to phone us back, but it doesn't look like they will do the decent thing, ie correct the error!
We were on the phone to them within a minute or 2 of getting the confirmation. I think it is their error, but even if it's not ( and I can't prove it) the customer service is terrible. It would be so easy for them to put this right.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Contact the airline directly. Most European airlines will allow you to cancel a flight within 24 hours of booking with no charge.

I made an error booking a flight last year, realised straightaway and rang up in a panic. Turns out most airlines have a 24 hour refund policy.

Have you checked on the airlines own site that the flights you want actually exist?

Be clear with them what you want - either to be booked on the intended flights or a full refund.

Didn't you receive a receipt after your purchase? What does it say for the times that were booked?

If you paid with a credit card you may be able to get your money back.

I think you have 24hours to cancel an online purchase

I had something similar happen with EasyJet - when my email confirmation came through my return flight was the day after I’d selected! I had no proof though so had to pay the £150 changing fee.

Thanks for all your replies. We managed to get the flights changed to what we wanted, but ended up having to pay about 200 pounds more. Wasn't impressed, but needed it sorted. Will pursue it when we get back.
They are saying their records don't show an IT issue, but they would say that! No proof either way, first thing we knew was when we got the booking confirmation.

Just realised, we still haven't had confirmatory email, or tickets from Booking.com, but it is Easter weekend, so hoping it will come through by Tuesday.

They are horrible. We booked a hotel on their site based on the location shown on the map, only to realize that the hotel is actually a few miles away from that location. Every single time I booked with them something has gone wrong....