Cancelling booking.com booking and going direct with apartment owner - would you?

[ZittiEBuoni]

I've just booked a great looking apartment for a 5 day break in October via booking.com. It has many five star reviews and is exactly what I'm after.

Apartment owner has just messaged to offer me a discount if I cancel the booking.com booking and deal with him directly. Is this a good idea? I don't have any fears for the apartment itself and he seems legit from what I can gather from the web (he has an office directly below it so he can't 'disappear') but would I lose refund rights if I did this? Obviously he is promising the same terms as booking.com for cancellations etc, he just wants a small deposit up front which tbh I think is fair enough in the current climate.

Would you do this?

Sounds like a scam, and would reduce your rights.

Why on earth is he on Booking.com in the first place then? I'd be very wary.

These sites always advise customers NOT to go off platform. If you go off platform its completely at your own risk. I would actually report this particular listing to booking.com as this is against their terms and conditions.

And if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

This would put me off staying there. He’s not playing fair with booking.com

It's probably ok, but I just wouldn't risk it.
We did this for a Majorca villa that we initially had to cancel because of lockdown.
The man encouraged me to book direct and then it was really awkward when I ended up cancelling as per the terms and conditions , because it was a personal relationship rather than through an agency.
Does he want money up front? will he offer the same cancellation terms as booking.com ?

I did this with a hotel earlier this year.
I'd booked through Booking.com and then when I looked at the hotel website a couple of months later I could get the same room + breakfast for less then Booking.com had charged me.
So I cancelled and booked directly.

With a hotel I would consider it, with an apartment owner, no I wouldn't and I'd cancel and go somewhere else.

Yes, I'm not keen and it's left a nasty taste in my mouth.

I know owners prefer this because of the commission - I stayed in a fab place in France once and the owners said if I ever wanted to come back to book direct with them. I'd happily have done that, because I knew them, knew the property and trusted them. But this guy could be anyone and I don't think the discount is worth 2 months worrying about what might go wrong before the trip.

I'm going to message him 'thanks but no thanks' back - any funny business and there's a second choice apartment I'll reserve instead. Thanks for the advice .

That's very different though.
I generally check on hotel prices once I've booked and booking through a reputable hotel website is as good as through booking.com, plus you often get perks from booking directly. Having said that though often the booking.com price is cheaper than the direct hotel price which makes no sense at all as there is 10% commission included in the booking.com price.

This was on the news recently

Lots of scammers on booking.com and they often don't even own the property, it's just pics stolen from another listing

So yes it might be cheaper, but I'd tread carefully

Don’t do it. The point of booking.com is that if something goes wrong on arrival, you give them a call and they will try their best to either locate the owner, or put you up in a different apartment or hotel locally. I would never give that small bit of security up, certainly not for someone I’d never met just because of a small discount.

To be honest it would put me off that property entirely and I would cancel and choose somewhere else if you have a free cancellation option. I’ve had some nightmares with private properties booked through booking.com and anything slightly off would have me cancelling.

Nope. My friend booked through Booking.com to Santorini. Got there and the property existed BUT was a family home and had been advertised by a scammer. The “owner” had offered the same thing as you have been before they flew out. Thank goodness they didn’t accept it!!!!!!

There was literally nowhere else to stay on the island for a family of four despite booking.com looking. They spent the night in a hostel and flew home the next day.