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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To only pay the advertised price for holiday accommodation?

21 replies

MerryMarigold · 09/12/2018 20:41

I booked some holiday accommodation in September for my family in France for next summer - my parents and dsis family. Looked for a while and found somewhere on booking.com, extremely reasonable for 47E per night for a static tent sleeping 5. Booked 3 tents for 3 nights and had to pay all money upfront. This is unusual with booking.com, but I thought it must be to tie in the reasonable price.

I have now received an email on 7th Dec saying the price is incorrect and it's actually 145E per tent per night Shock. For a tent! That's more than triple the original price.They have kindly offered us the rooms at this price. No mention of a refund (although I could probably push for it). This is well out of our budget and now I expect 3 months later that much of the best value accommodation will be gone plus the pound has probably slipped further making things more expensive.

I'm sure we could find something, but I don't know if they can do this to us? Has it happened to anyone else and what did you do? Who messed up? Booking.com or the campsite? Should they stick to the advertised price, as I have already paid in full?

So IABU or rather, am I within consumer rights, to pay the advertised price which I paid?

OP posts:
Lifeisabeach09 · 09/12/2018 20:46

Did you receive a confirmation email that payment for 47E per tent per night had been processed?

I would not have thought they could change this once it has been confirmed.
I'd contact Booking.com and tell them no to the new price. Let them cancel and refund you. The error is theirs.

I wonder if the reason Booking.com is taking monies out straightaway (another thread) is related to Brexit.

Lifeisabeach09 · 09/12/2018 20:46

*could not change the price

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 09/12/2018 20:51

Email received which says:

Thank you, ! Your payment was successful and your booking is now confirmed.
Les étangs de Taysse is expecting you on 14 August
Make changes to your booking or ask the property a question in just a few clicks

PAID
This booking has been paid
€ 423 by PayPal on 7 Oct 2018
Please show this confirmation at reception when you check in. Enjoy your stay at Les étangs de Taysse

OP posts:
Onlyjoinedforthisthread · 09/12/2018 20:51

They don't have to sell ad the advertised price as the contract is made when you actually pay not when it is offered for sale, there may be something in the paperwork you have already received which could give you more rights

Onlyjoinedforthisthread · 09/12/2018 20:54

Sorry cross post, ignore my comment. It would seem to me They accepted your payment so unless there is something in the small print then it's their problem

loubluee · 09/12/2018 20:54

The ‘booking has been paid’ makes it sound like the whole thing is paid.

What has Booking.com said?

Onlyjoinedforthisthread · 09/12/2018 20:55

What does the new email say

BoglingToAswad · 09/12/2018 21:00

I used to work in hotel reservations/revenue management and still do contract work every so often, so I am very familiar with booking.com.

Who messed up? Booking.com or the campsite? Should they stick to the advertised price, as I have already paid in full?

Rates are entered into the platform by the hotel so it is almost certainly their fault. In cases I have seen like this the property almost always honours the rate and takes a loss - it is relatively unprofessional not to when it is their mistake. If they don't want to do this then they should offer a full refund.

As booking.com are a third party site they are limited in what they can do to help (other than a refund) if the property has decided not to honour the rate.

If the campsite is part of a chain I would contact the head office, otherwise I don't think there is much you can do.

I wonder if the reason Booking.com is taking monies out straightaway (another thread) is related to Brexit.

No.

WilburforceRaven · 09/12/2018 21:00

I think I'd just ask for a refund.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 09/12/2018 21:06

This is what the email said. Apologies it's 'only' 125E per tent per night. I like the 'as mentioned in your booking confirmation' as opposed to 'as you had already paid in full'. But sounds like it is not booking's problem. And I suppose it is in another country so not tied to UK consumer law. I would go for the full refund as a backup option, but as mentioned, I will have lost out on other good deals and the exchange rate being worse than when I was originally booking.

Dear *

We tried calling you to discuss an error in the rates for your booking with Les étangs de Taysse, but were unable to reach you.

The actual rate for Les étangs de Taysse is 125 euros per night, and not 47 euros per night as mentioned in your booking confirmation.

We're sorry for any inconvenience and the property would like to offer you to stay with the modified rate.

Please reply to this email and let us know as soon as possible if you accept this offer. If you have any questions or concerns, just let us know.

We look forward to hearing from you.

OP posts:
ChasedByBees · 09/12/2018 21:17

If this were me, I would think about the optimal outcome for you and state what you would like.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 10/12/2018 16:22

Thanks Bees. The outcome is that I get what I paid for. Just wasn't sure if I could push for that.

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 10/12/2018 16:22

I meant the optimal outcome is that I get what I've paid for.

OP posts:
jellybeanteaparty · 10/12/2018 16:44

I have had similar with a hotel booking with booking.com but I had not paid for the room. The hotel quadrupled the price which we did not accept. Booking.com offered to find us alternative similar hotel but I decided to go direct with my new chosen hotel. It concerns me if a confirmed booking is not confirmed in price and makes me wonder if people should book several hotels for the same dates that can be cancelled last minute as insurance !

SierraSmythe · 10/12/2018 16:53

I would contact Booking and push for keeping your reservation at the original advertised price. As you said, you've missed out on other good deals because of this.

If the accommodation made a mistake, why did it take them 2 months to realise and contact you? They say they tried to contact you but they obviously didn't try very hard (if they actually did). They should have contacted you immediately, which is another thing I would bring up when complaining to Booking.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 10/12/2018 20:23

I'm going to try and sort this tomorrow on my day off.

OP posts:
M3lon · 10/12/2018 20:27

hmm I really don't think they can change the price on you when you have paid. Surely that's the point at which the contract is made!

ChristmasFlary · 10/12/2018 20:28

If it's paid for in full and you have confirmation then the only thing the hotel can do is either stick to the booking or refund you.

I think they have sold more then they thought they were going too so trying to make more money by upping prices

birdladyfromhomealone · 10/12/2018 22:09

They are pulling a fast one. you pay what you saw on booking,com.
we have a villa sleeps 12 and its £125 per night with private pool.
How can they charge that for a bloody tent.

anniehm · 10/12/2018 22:16

Contact Booking.com, the owners are trying it on. They have been really good when we've had issues

londonrach · 10/12/2018 22:21

Youve a contract they cant do this.

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