What are my chances of getting my money back?

[DeathMetalMum]

I have posted in money matters but somone reccomended I post in Legal too.

I Booked a apartment for a short stay with online company. Most of the correspondence regarding the booking enquiry was over WhatsApp. Which I was a little unsure over but could see it was a business account etc so decided to proceed with booking, I made the payment via PayPal.

Due to arrive next week and I recieve a message regarding check in and details needed such as ID etc. I fill in the required forms as requested and get a message saying I now need to pay a (refundable) deposit of £300 in order to recieve check in information - this sets alarm bells off as it wasn't mentioned at the time of booking. Read through T&C's and says deposit of £150 for bookings. So I question the £300 and I'm told this particular apartment is not owned by them and they were not aware of the deposit amount as the location isn't booked very often.

It just so happens that the cancellation policy is 14 days and as we were due to arrive next week I can't request a refund. However they didn't notify me of the deposit - which is different to the amount stated in T&C's before the cancellation period was up.

I've now booked alternative accommodation (for less than the additional payment for the deposit), as I was worried even if I did pay the extra deposit that we would arrive and no one turn up. We didn't want to be trying to find accommodation once we had arrived. We have another event booked as part of the trip so we wanted to go ahead.

I have raised a dispute with PayPal, but im not sure if i have any chance of getting any money back. The way the company contacted me and the timing really felt like some sort of scam. To drop an additional payment which is almost 50% extra on top of the original booking fee just didn't feel right. Any advice if I have any chance of getting a refund if I'm unsuccessful with my claim through PayPal?

PayPal will honour and return it.

Be very careful if they have your id and any bank details. I listened to a show on Radio 4 yesterday about rental frauds and it sounds exactly like what you have described. The upfront deposit, WhatsApp communication & id are all red flags. I’d probably contact PayPal today to discuss it.

I have contacted PayPal, I have raised it as a claim, should I be contacting them another way?

They don't have bank details, as I only paid with PayPal thankfully. When they asked for the deposit, six weeks after booking I just thought it didn't sound right at all and I didn't pay using the link they emailed me.

Hope you get it resolved OP.

Thanks, I feel I'm part way to resolving the issue. The company have agreed to give me a refund, however only if I give them all my bank details and full address via email, and cancel my claim/dispute through PayPal.

As my original payment was through PayPal I have requested they refund me via my original payment method. They claim it's not possible to refund me via PayPal. So I am keeping the claim open and intend to contact PayPal on the phone tomorrow.

This sounds dodgy as hell!

Stay through PayPal and advise them of what they have asked.

Keep your claim open. If you close it and they don't refund you, you cannot open it again

Thanks. I rang and spoke to PayPal at the weekend, explaining their offer of the refund, but that I'd been asked to send details via email. They said I'm entitled to my refund by the same method which the payment was made, and I'm right not to send the requested information. They said the claim would be active for 8 days and if there's no response from the 'seller' I'd be refunded automatically.