Booking.com and SuperHog

[ThistleWitch]

I have booked a stay with Booking.com - for a fixed price, and have now received a message from "SuperHoog" saying

To ensure a smooth and secure check-in process, please note that guest verification before arrival is mandatory.

This verification is managed by our third-party provider, Superhog. The process is short and simple; here’s what you need to do:
- Click on the link below to begin your Online Verification. You will need a government-issued photo ID (passport, driving license, ID card, etc.) and a credit or debit card.

- Choose Your Security Option: During the process, you can select either:
- A refundable £500 deposit ( plus a £10 non-refundable transaction fee)
- Non-refundable £40 damage waiver

The deposit will be refunded in full via credit or debit card between 8-14 days, subject to an inspection of the property after your stay.

Once the mandatory verification is successfully completed, we will provide you with your check-in information closer to the check-in date.

Why on earth are they gouging more money?
We had a stay a couple of weeks ago with Booking.com, and they didnt require this.

(Yes, I know I can cancel it - and I will be if I can find anywhere else)

OP speak to booking.com as this could possibly be a scam.

Booking.com have had a lot of scams associated with it so I'd be very cautious.

Never ever had to do this with booking. Com.....agree with previous posters about potential scam. If not.....😳

Likely scam.
I received a scam message after my booking.com booking recently so their message system is clearly not secure!

Which is very worrying!

Is it a self catering property? That would make the verification slightly more normal but it’s a bit off that this wasn’t mentioned in the listing.

I’d not do anything til I’d spoken to Booking tbh.

Thanks all - interesting, I hadnt considered a scam as the message is 'from the property' and in the booking chat.

They can sod off though, if they think I am paying more, and 'verifying'

this is at the bottom of the booking - looks like I will be cancelling this booking

Important information
On behalf of our host at [Property] we require guest verification, which is provided by Superhog. Upon confirming your booking, Superhog will reach out to the lead booker through a secure link, providing detailed instructions for verification.
The online verification process requires a government-issued photo ID and a credit or debit card. During this process, you may choose between a refundable GBP 500 deposit (plus GBP 10 transaction fee currency equivalent) or purchase a non-refundable damage waiver of GBP 40 (currency equivalent) to cover potential damages during your stay.
Once verification is successfully completed, the check-in information will be provided. If you opted in for a deposit, this will be refunded via credit/debit card after your stay, subject to an inspection of the property.
In response to Coronavirus (COVID-19), additional safety and sanitation measures are in effect at this property.
Guests are required to show a photo identification and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform [Property] in advance of your expected arrival time.
This property will not accommodate hen, stag or similar parties.
This property is located in a residential area and guests are asked to refrain from excessive noise.
A damage deposit of GBP 500 is required. The property charges this 7 days before arrival. This will be collected by credit card. You should be reimbursed within 14 days of check-out. Your deposit will be refunded in full via credit card, subject to an inspection of the property.

That’s awful! What CF’s! Obviously having a card on file for damages is usually pretty standard, but the extra charges to do so is ridiculous. And yeah, I’d want to ensure this isn’t a scam of any kind. Definitely look for an alternative and cancel if you can.

christ almighty!!

Yeah - they all look legit!

It is actually a legal requirement for cottage owners to verify identity but practically none do! I do for non UK bookings.

Have you googled Superhog? The damage deposit and damage waiver insurance is now becoming more common as guests are getting less and less considerate of the owners property. We’ve had every consumable stripped from the cottage twice this season. That includes full bottles of washing up liquid, handwash, toilet rolls, tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits, dishwasher tablets, kitchen roll, cooking foil and washing powder. Many of these I will now no longer supply.

As others have said, it could be a scam, contact the property directly for clarification and maybe ask if they accept direct bookings and what those terms are and cancel with bkg.
You usually get better terms with a direct booking anyway because the property doesn't have to pay commission on your booking and it makes any issues like this easier to solve because you don't have to keep going through a 3rd party all the time.

But @Elphame has a point about how people treat accommodation and expect to be able to trash somewhere or steal anything not nailed down and walk away without paying for that. So security deposits/safeguards are unfortunately inevitable.

I've cancelled the booking now because I will not be verifying myself through their chosen company, I will not be paying a £500 deposit, I will not be paying a £10 fee for the pleasure of it either

"BOOKNIG"?????

Sorry OP but I did laugh at ‘booknig’. I’ve never seen a less legit looking message request in my life

Thats for the owners though? not the booker?

Well have cancelled that one -

Yes for the owners. Booking dot Com don’t do it on our behalf so we would need to contact the guests ourselves for their ID details.

Owners can ask BDC to arrange a security deposit against the card used to book but it’s far easier to do it yourself.

As an owner it's very difficult as booking.com will not pursue a guest for damage. In order to take someone to small claims you need a verified identity and an address.

I'm in a lot of owners groups and some of the stories of willful damage to holiday properties are awful. I take a deposit for booking.com guests which is equivalent to my excess on my insurance. I've never claimed anything on it, even when guests break things.

I claimed on my insurance when the guests, pissed, smashed the hob on the cooker which meant getting a new cooker as it wasn't worth repairing. I let it go when a guest smashed my brand new coffee table, also when someone left the shower running all day in the bathroom soaking the wooden vanity unit.

Looks like a new way to fleece both the host and guest booker. They act as a deposit holder in case it goes wrong either way. But they charge for doing so. Clever.
Find somewhere else that doesn't use Superhog. It's relatively new and unproven.

I've had something similar when booking a serviced apartment via Booking.com, though the company collecting the damage deposit was different. It can be legitimate (I only paid a deposit if £200, not £500!) and I also had to verify my identity, but after the stay I did get my deposit back.

I wouldn't be in a hurry to get a serviced apartment for a few days again after all the faff, but it does appear to be a genuine way of operating!

Is this just for apartments? We recently booked two hotels via Booking.com and didn't have to do this at all.