Full payment up front?

YeAh!

I've booked a hotel through booking.com
Always, when booking through booking.com i've payed on departure from the hotel
I've booked a hotel today and they rang to say they are taking full payment from my card, but its not going through on their machine.
They say its a condition of booking that I pay in full up front.
I said i would rather pay on departure, but its not an option.
Also, they say if I cancel the room they will take full payment anyway

I will gladly pay for the room on departure.
I'm not giving full payment 2 months in advance?
What should I do, i want to just cancel it and choose somewhere else, the owner rang me sounds hostile

mikedragon32

Take it up with Booking.com in the first instance. Their staff are usually extremely helpful and they dug me out of a hole a few years back (long story, won't bore you but they smoothed over a booking for 22 rooms).

Is it possible you selected an option for payment upfront? I've been trawling around for holidays today and I noticed that there is a growing number of properties offering a slightly cheaper rate for payment up front (with no option to cancel).

naughtysmurf

YeAh! wrote: »

I've booked a hotel through booking.com
Always, when booking through booking.com i've payed on departure from the hotel
I've booked a hotel today and they rang to say they are taking full payment from my card, but its not going through on their machine.
They say its a condition of booking that I pay in full up front.
I said i would rather pay on departure, but its not an option.
Also, they say if I cancel the room they will take full payment anyway

I will gladly pay for the room on departure.
I'm not giving full payment 2 months in advance?
What should I do, i want to just cancel it and choose somewhere else, the owner rang me sounds hostile

If the payment isn't going through on their machine, how will they take the full payment anyway?
As mike says, contact booking.com first to see can they sort it, if hotel can't take a payment you could choose another hotel

Joe10000

I've never been asked for a full upfront payment by booking.com and it would make me suspicious so the above advice of contacting booking.com seems valid.

Daisy M

As mike says they often offer a cheaper rate for full payment in advance check out if this is what you selected. They obviously do not have an authorisation code to take the money or they would have done so and not rang you. Are you using a visa debit card?

I am pie

Yep, I quite often use the payment up front option if it's cheaper. Usually no refund for cancellations.