Or is booking.com?

[fairynick]

I’ve had a nightmare.
I was meant to go camping in Cornwall next week but after seeing loads of things online about how dear it is and raining etc, I decided to look at holidays abroad instead because they can often work out cheaper.
I found a ridiculously cheap all inclusive hotel on booking.com, I’m a level 1 member or whatever so sometimes there’s good discounts. I also thought because it was last minute there’s often really good deals.
I booked but didn’t pay, payment is due to come out on Wednesday.
I received a confirmation email with the price, and I also rang up customer services to reconfirm the booking was made properly and also to clear up the price. The customer service agent confirmed the price, the booking etc and said I was good to go.
I then spent £175 on flights after being given the all clear.
Woke up this morning to an email from booking.com to say that there was an obvious error in the cost of the reservation and if I want to keep it they need to hear from me within two hours so that they can let me know the new cost (this email was sent at 3am). They have said that as per their terms and conditions if a price is an obvious error they don’t have to stick by it basically.
I have replied arguing that it it clearly wasn’t an “obvious” error, as they say, as I didn’t pick up on it, their app didn’t pick up on it, their confirmation email didn’t pick up on it, and their own member of staff didn’t pick up on it. It therefore does not break terms and conditions and they should honour the price. I’m just waiting for a response.
If they don’t honour the price and double it or whatever, then I won’t be able to afford to go. I am now in bits at having wasted £175 on flights, and looking at other hotels I don’t think I’d be able to afford them either. Wishing I didn’t bother.

Is it £175 or £270 you've spent on flights? Bit of a difference.

This doesn't make sense to me. It was obviously their error and yet they wouldn't honour it or give you a discount? They're a massive global company!

It wasn't a hotel in Santa Ponsa was it? We've also just got a really good deal fir all inclusive through booking.com.. and now worried

@soapylaces I know in my OP I put £175, but it’s £275, sorry my heads all over the place.

@whatthehelldowecare Alcudia. Will keep my fingers crossed for you x

Maybe we could compete to see who can you the cheapest accommodation in Majorca? If you're flying to Palma, you/we have plenty of choice.

• get you

How many nights OP? And what is the actual price?

If you haven’t paid, there’s no contract and no obligation on their part to sell to you at that price. It’s the same as if you saw a pair of shoes with a £2 price tag on them and you get to the till and the clerk says “£30, please” because they had the wrong price tag. No advertised price is an obligation for the seller to sell at that price.

Regarding your flights, that’s no concern of theirs that you bought something else from s different company in anticipation of being able to buy something from them. Back to the shoes analogy, it would be of no concern to the shoe shop that you had already bought the matching handbag.

Probably not what you want to hear but this is the outcome you need to prepare yourself for.

@fairynick

45 minute phone call and basically told to piss off :( I’m devastated. Call me an idiot, or a chancer, but I genuinely just thought I’d got a great deal. I’ve now got to find somewhere but everywhere is of course so dear. I’ve paid £270 for flights though so feel like I really need to go.

Everyone has become more expensive hasn't it? We were looking for 4 nights in the uk most are around £1,000.

Have you looked at Melia hotels there?
They have been very reasonably priced all summer (but no red may have put them up)

Melia have Palma Nova for £92 a night.

They are an agent for hotels, they don't own the hotels. I've always found them excellent

@RaindropsonPiglets

Melia have Palma Nova for £92 a night.

Sorry-only over 16s

They have others at around £125 a night

INNSIDE CALVIÁ BEACH

INNSiDE Calvia Beach turns the everyday into the extraordinary. Just steps away from the sea, you can make beach day every day at this year-round hotel. Or just lounge between the two largest hanging pools in Europe.

104.24
PRICE PER NIGHT
Taxes included

Plus
Book 5 nights or more at a hotel in the Balearic Islands on our website, APP or Contact Center and you will have the option of taking a free Antigen test, if the country of origin requires it. Come back home safely!

You need to call back and kick off more!!

If the contract had been formed, there is a way that companies can void it in the case of obvious mistake, but given you had a call with a representative as well as the information on the website they might be on sticky ground. How can they argue that you as the consumer knew it was a mistake when you’d had it confirmed by a staff member?

See this: www.theregister.com/2002/01/09/kodak_discount_camera_fiasco/

I think in this case the contract was voided for one chap who saw the cheap cameras and bought multiples, which was a clear indication that he knew it was a mistake. For other consumers, who only bought one, they couldn’t use that argument and so as the contract had been formed they had to honour it.

I think £120 was an obvious error and therefore their T&Cs are correct. I really don’t see how you could possibly argue that was legit.

To be fair I'm always shocked when people by flights without no refund cancellation policy. I've also paid for flights that I can cancel for a full refund :S

It might still be worth looking around for cheap accommodation. There’s got to be something on the island! Airbnb sometimes have guest suites in peoples homes that are quite cheap. I used to use hostelworld.com a lot when I was young and stayed in private rooms in hostels on the cheap.

Or camp on the island? Might have to weigh your tent to see if you can pack it though.

@pinkcircustop

I think £120 was an obvious error and therefore their T&Cs are correct. I really don’t see how you could possibly argue that was legit.

There are cheaper properties in Alcudia right now on Booking.com, booking last minute. For example, Port Club Blue for £69 or Hotel Moré for £83 or Fonda Llabrés for £98. So not "obvious" that it's not "legitimate". It's impossible to judge this without knowing when the OP booked, number of people, and dates.

Did you think it was £120 a night or for the week?

I can’t see that in your posts.

Did you book insurance?

I'm really surprised that booking.com didn't honour it. I say that as an owner has been on the other side. I made a typo when changing my rates for my holiday let and one night was mistakenly put down at £20 instead of £120. Someone booked it, and booking.com said we had to either honour the booking or we would have to pay for the difference in rates for the guest to find other accommodation through booking.com. It was obviously a mistake and the person who booked it turned out to be a horrible cf who made a right mess.

I would hound them by phone and ask them to review the call logs and then make notes and ask to escalate - but ALWAYS be super nice and polite - you are much more likely to have someone take pity on you if you are nice to the staff.

@StrangerYears

Booking.com are a bunch of sharks. I believe there is a class action against them in NL for underhand business practices. They are owned by Priceline US and do not seem to care about customers

Well we have used them numerous times and never had any issues. Can only speak from my experience but I wouldn't call them sharks.

Went into a Tui branch instead, and booked a new hotel there.
Thank you for all your help :)