Agoda- hotel room not as described and no alternative or refund offered

[AngryCustomer]

Hello!

I booked a non-refundable hotel room via Agoda. The room was specified as having two double beds, which was the whole reason I booked it.

I turned up at the room on Friday afternoon. The room was tiny and had just one double bed. I went to lobby and showed them my booking. They said that they don’t have a room with two double beds, and I need to speak with Agoda as that was who my contract was with.

I phoned Agoda. They said they’d try to resolve the issue but that it would take 24-48 hours! I told them that my booking was there and now, and I had an event to attend. They said they couldn’t help with that. I asked if I could have a refund so that I could go elsewhere and they said they didn’t know.

48 hours has passed, and they still haven’t phoned me.

The weekend was a disaster. My friend had to sleep on the floor of the tiny room! Not what we booked at all! But we didn’t want to go elsewhere as we weren’t promised our money back!

I am furious and want my money back. What are my legal rights here?

No idea of the legal stuff but why didn't your friend just share the bed with you?

My friend is male and I’m female. We’re old friend from uni visiting other friends. We both have partners!

I’ve just had a quick look at Agoda’s website and their FAQs and the T&Cs say that they cannot guarantee what type of room or bed you’ll have, and you need to negotiate that directly with the hotel before arrival. I suspect they’ll hide behind that, sadly, but start by making a proper complaint in writing.

I would be interested to know where the previous poster found the statement that they cannot guarantee the type of room. I can't see that in their FAQs or Ts&Cs, but I accept I may have missed something.

Agoda sell some services in Singapore and Hong Kong. Unless the hotel is there, your contract is definitely not with Agoda. It should be with the hotel. However, if the hotel genuinely does not have the type of room you booked, I wonder if a scammer put the listing on Agoda, taking the money and booking an inferior room.

You are clearly entitled to the accommodation you booked. If they are unable to provide this, you are entitled to a refund. If you paid for the room with a credit card, you can take it up with your credit card provider under section 75 if the hotel and Agoda both refuse to provide a refund.

@prh47bridge This is the FAQs linked from the home page. Will try and find the T&Cs reference too.

Their terms and conditions cannot overrule UK law and the Consumer Law 2015 states that bookings must be "as described" . Therefore if they describe a room as having two double beds, it must have two double beds.

(incidentally, why post on something when you're not sure on the legal aspects?)

I'd have probably still shared the bed but what's done is done. I hope you get some money back.

Did they not have a twin room?

So? You presumably dont sleep naked, could you not have shared a bed?

@AngryCustomer I find the easiest way is to contact agoda and say that unless they refund you, you;ll simply charge back through your credit or debit card - they incur high fees from this, so will usually refund you.

Ok, that's about special requests. If you ask for an interconnecting room, for example, you aren't guaranteed to get one. However, if you book a room with two double beds, that is what must be provided. Neither Agoda nor the hotel can rely on the FAQ you have reproduced to provide something different to what you booked.

In which case, why didn't you book two rooms???

To all the people saying “why can’t you share a bed?”/ “Why didn’t you book two rooms?” - that isn’t the point of this thread! It’s irrelevant! I paid for two beds!! I didn’t get two beds!

I don't think that refers to what you've actually booked rather than any request that's above the basics, however it does say type of bed, but to me that would indicate if I've booked a room with 2 beds they can be singles or doubles, not be short an entire bed all together.

If the hotel doesn't actually have the bedroom that's described on the site, then someone is misrepresenting here, either the hotel is or the site is.

This is the problem with 3rd party sites, they're all convenience until something goes wrong and then they do a disappearing act, especially when it's their fault. And that's experience as a customer and dealing with them as the employee of a hotel.

I asked the hotel if they had a twin room, and they didn’t.

Third party sites are rarely worth the bother. If it's a large chain hotel they will usually have their own app or decent website offering a good deal. If it's an independent hotel then their own website will list the rooms and facilities and it's always worth looking at their own website even if you are planning to book through a third party site.

Do they not have one at all, or just not one available for that night you stayed?

Because if they don't have one at all then you need to keep hammering at the 3rd party site as to why you were able to book something that doesn't actually exist.

24-48 hours to resolve issues on a non-refundable booking is appalling!

Expedia pulled that shit on me, when they sold me a night in a “city centre” hotel which was actually a 2 hour ride in a taxi in the opposite direction. I did get a refund the same day (thankfully before I set off), but the listing was never amended so other travellers are still probably getting caught out.

Agree the point is that you booked a room with 2 beds & it didnt exist. Agora are scammy. I’ve had problems with them selling me a flight that didnt exist. They were adamant I should turn up & pay for check in where they would issue me my ticket. The airline had no record. I was covered via my credit card but I will never book with them again. I think I even mistakenly paid for “membership” with them which they wouldn’t refund. Very scammy. Sorry you went through this.