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AIBU?

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Original poster

How are booking.com getting away with this??

92 replies

insecure738 · 12/01/2023 11:53

Me and my ex booked a holiday last June. We booked a hotel on booking.com, and we were due to go in September. There was no pre-payment, you pay at the property.

We split up that month and we cancelled - 3 months before the holiday. I got a confirmation email saying that it was within the window, that I won’t be charged.

Come September, I have £500 taken out of my account. It took me weeks to try and get it back, they kept saying they’ll “look into it” and kept asking for evidence even though I sent the screenshots multiple times. They then tried to tell me it was from another booking reference, which was untrue as I only had one booking on my account.

Anyway I finally got my money back from my bank Barclays in November who said they’d investigate it.
This morning, I had it taken out of my account again, as apparently Booking.com rejected the case. Barclays said they can’t do anymore about it.

So I’ve had £500 taken out, I’m now in my overdraft, and I am already struggling with bills and rent.

How do I even go about doing this?! I know I can go through citizens advice but it’ll take weeks and I quite frankly can’t afford to live at the moment :(

OP posts:
Changingplace · 12/01/2023 11:54

Are booking.com Atol protected? I think you can report it to them, that’s awful, hope you get it sorted.

Original poster
insecure738 · 12/01/2023 11:56

They’re not @Changingplace 😓 definitely will be avoiding in the future lol

OP posts:
ColdHandsHotHead · 12/01/2023 11:58

Booking.com are dreadful. You could contac the Guardian's consumer champions page, email [email protected]

Amboseli · 12/01/2023 11:59

That's awful. Booking.com can't just reject your case. I would take it up with the bank again. It's unauthorised funds being taken from your account. Don't give up, you're in the right.

Aeroflot21 · 12/01/2023 12:00

ColdHandsHotHead · 12/01/2023 11:58

Booking.com are dreadful. You could contac the Guardian's consumer champions page, email [email protected]

God that is awful. Also worth contacting Jill Insley, who has a consumer rights column at the Times - [email protected]. Im wondering if there’s anything like a financial ombudsman you could contact as well? Good luck!

EnglishGirlApproximately · 12/01/2023 12:01

Have they provided any evidence of the booking reference they say it is for? I would ask them for proof of the reservation etc. Are you absolutely certain that your ex or no one else had access to your account to make a booking? I would want to find the booking reference and accomodation it was for then speak to the hotel/apartment to see if they have record of the booking.

As an aside ATOL protection is only for supplier failure for holidays with an air element - Air Travel Organisers Licence. They aren't there to resolve complaints even if their was air involved.

inappropriateraspberry · 12/01/2023 12:30

Try contacting BBC's Rip Off Britain, they're good at this kind of thing.

ladymacbeth · 12/01/2023 16:37

How do they have your bank details if it was pay at property?

atteatimeeverybodyagrees · 12/01/2023 16:46

Bloody hell! That's awful.

Yeah try that rip of britan show

DurhamDurham · 12/01/2023 16:49

Is there a chance that your ex went on the break and stayed at the hotel?

atteatimeeverybodyagrees · 12/01/2023 16:51

DurhamDurham · 12/01/2023 16:49

Is there a chance that your ex went on the break and stayed at the hotel?

OMG!!!!! I didn't think of that. What a dick

EarlyYearsMe · 12/01/2023 16:51

ladymacbeth · 12/01/2023 16:37

How do they have your bank details if it was pay at property?

Because you have to type them in to secure the booking- that site infuriates me too!

QuertyGirl · 12/01/2023 16:52

Small claims?

Think it's about £25 and you can do it online

lifeturnsonadime · 12/01/2023 16:52

That's strange ,I've used booking loads of times and have never been charged when I've cancelled.

Ask them to prove it or put in a small claim to recover.

I also think that that bank should do more for the fact that they have charged your card without consent.

AnyFucker · 12/01/2023 16:53

Could you go through your card for a refund ?

Yabado · 12/01/2023 17:14

Whenever I’ve used booking .com for a refundable booking I use a pre pay credit card with nothing on it .

I then pay when I arrive

BliainNua · 12/01/2023 17:18

Yabado · 12/01/2023 17:14

Whenever I’ve used booking .com for a refundable booking I use a pre pay credit card with nothing on it .

I then pay when I arrive

That's actually a really good idea!

Choconut · 12/01/2023 17:19

Yes they are fuckers if anything goes wrong. At the height of covid they wouldn't give me a refund on a hotel stay as they said the hotel hadn't cancelled the booking, they were doing all they could to resolve the problem though apparently. The hotels own website said they were shut and when I asked them if they would cancel my booking they did. It was that simple, all booking had to do was to ask them to cancel it or check if they were shut. They just did bugger all in the hope they'd get to keep the money. AirBnB on the other hand were brilliant.

I use Booking.com a lot though as there is such a choice of accommodation on the site but I have a real love/hate relationship with them.

DottyLittleRainbow · 12/01/2023 17:20

Any chance your ex went on the holiday and used the booking?

ReformedWaywardTeen · 12/01/2023 17:21

Small claims court? Costs not much and they're unlikely to argue it.
Or Ombudsman? May take a while though.

I'd also slate them all over socials. Usually does the trick.

girlfriend44 · 12/01/2023 17:22

inappropriateraspberry · 12/01/2023 12:30

Try contacting BBC's Rip Off Britain, they're good at this kind of thing.

Booking.com has been mentioned this week.

ghjklo · 12/01/2023 17:28

never use Booking.com! always find the property on there then book direct with the hotel or apartment where possible. They are dreadful for customer service.

JonSnowedUnder · 12/01/2023 17:30

DottyLittleRainbow · 12/01/2023 17:20

Any chance your ex went on the holiday and used the booking?

But if OP cancelled the holiday and it sounds like she received confirmation, I can't see how he would have done this?

Dragonlady3 · 12/01/2023 17:37

I've had a dispute with them before, they were awful. I just kept calling them everyday and eventually got through to someone who agreed to refund me. It wasn't fun though.

Tigofigo · 12/01/2023 17:42

I can't see how ex would have gone on the holiday given it was cancelled - unless he rebooked it using OP's details, but she would have had an email confirmation in that case.

Pretty sure what they are doing is illegal, holding your funds against your will and not providing services promised for it.