Booking.com problem. Hotel contacted me directly and want more $$

Johnny_Fontane · 21-01-2020 11:00am #1

Hi there,

Anyone had this problem?

I made a booking thru booking.com (genius program) for a hotel in Dublin. Then three days later and after payment had been taken, I get an email from the Hotel looking for an extra €95 for the room (€75 to €170). Saying there had been a glitch on their computer system and they couldn't honor the price.

Havent heard back from booking.com yet, been a couple of days. Booking is for 3 weeks away. I was obviously sent my confirmation and not sure what to do since booking.com aren't coming back. cant imagine they would be too happy that I was contacted directly by the hotel (as it cuts into their commission).

Thoughts?

helimachoptor · 21-01-2020 11:01am

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Hi there,

Anyone had this problem?

I made a booking thru booking.com (genius program) for a hotel in Dublin. Then three days later and after payment had been taken, I get an email from the Hotel looking for an extra €95 for the room (€75 to €170). Saying there had been a glitch on their computer system and they couldn't honor the price.

Havent heard back from booking.com yet, been a couple of days. Booking is for 3 weeks away and I already have my confirmation and payment has been taken.

Thoughts?

your agreement is with booking.com, tell the hotel to speak with them.

ted1 · 21-01-2020 12:39pm

Have you paid yet?

Mike3549 · 21-01-2020 8:13pm

ted1 wrote: »

Have you paid yet?

Then three days later and after payment had been taken, I get an email from the Hotel looking for an extra €95 for the room (€75 to €170).

I think that means yes.

Op dont pay anything and dont cancel anything yourself. not 100% sure, but heard that if they want to cancel your booking, they must find an alternative accommodation of the same spec or higher. Tell them your contract is with booking.com and they should contact them

Rows Grower · 21-01-2020 8:25pm

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Hi there,

Anyone had this problem?

I made a booking thru booking.com (genius program) for a hotel in Dublin. Then three days later and after payment had been taken, I get an email from the Hotel looking for an extra €95 for the room (€75 to €170). Saying there had been a glitch on their computer system and they couldn't honor the price.

Havent heard back from booking.com yet, been a couple of days. Booking is for 3 weeks away. I was obviously sent my confirmation and not sure what to do since booking.com aren't coming back. cant imagine they would be too happy that I was contacted directly by the hotel (as it cuts into their commission).

Thoughts?

Name the hotel to spare the rest of us the torture of supporting these wretches.

irish_goat · 22-01-2020 9:28am

We had an issue once of a similar nature, arrived at the hotel and was told that there was an error with our booking and they only had a more expensive room available. Sat in their lobby and looked up a cheaper option round the corner and then told them to sling their hook. Reading reviews we spotted a few people saying it had happened to them too. Booking.com ended up giving us a few quid compo and promised to deal with the hotel.

Bob24 · 22-01-2020 9:33am

As said by someone else, you purchased a hotel room from booking.com and not from the hotel. Thus the hotel has no business in asking you for extra money.

If you have forwarded the email to the booking.com support team they will sort it out. Most likely they will tell the hotel to honour the price or be delisted for breach of contract or if they don’t want a fight with the hotel they could pay the difference (unlikely), but it is not your business anyway, it is between the hotel and the booking agent which sold you the service.

Or booking.com could decide to cancel your booking, but then it is an issue between you and them and the hotel shouldn’t contact you directly.

poisonated · 22-01-2020 9:38am

Something similar happened to me but it was booking.com that rang me and cancelled my booking because they said there was an error in the pricing. I will never use that website again and I book a lot of hotels.

Johnny_Fontane · 22-01-2020 10:39am

Rows Grower wrote: »

Name the hotel to spare the rest of us the torture of supporting these wretches.

Its part of the O'Callaghan Group. Begins with A and ends in LEX

Bob24 · 22-01-2020 10:45am

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Begins with A and ends in LEX

Very subtle there :-D (but you are right)

Living Off The Splash · 22-01-2020 10:49am

It would be interesting to see how much the hotel is charging for the same room/same night by booking direct with them. It is also possible that the date you chose, now has some event taking place.
I have regularly recommended The Alex on Tripadvisor as well as The Davenport and Mont Clare. After reading this I don't think I will be doing the same again.
I would suggest that you ask this question on the Dublin forum of Tripadvisor. Maybe even write a review about your experiences.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowUserReviews-g186605-d224706-r557169761-The_Alex-Dublin_County_Dublin.html

Rows Grower · 22-01-2020 10:51am

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Its part of the O'Callaghan Group. Begins with A and ends in LEX

Good to know, we are booking a weekend away in the big smoke soon (actually probably booking this evening) to see a play and visit the Chester Beatty Museum and Library.

The last thing you want when planning a break is someone reneging on a deal.

Johnny_Fontane · 22-01-2020 11:21am

Theyve come back today with a free upgrade on the room but still double the price of what was booked and paid for through booking.com.

not having any success getting in touch with booking.com. Anyone have any better ideas than emailing their customer service and dm'ing them on twitter?

Living Off The Splash · 22-01-2020 11:40am

https://ie.trustpilot.com/review/www.booking.com

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowForum-g1-i12290-Bargain_Travel.html

I am not sure why people use Booking.com. I use them for their maps, photos of hotel rooms, customer reviews etc, but I never book with them.
If you try and find any of the chain hotels on their website (those that encourage booking direct) you will often have to scroll down through pages of hotels before you find them.

rubberdungeon · 22-01-2020 11:43am

Booking.com customer service:
Support in English 01 90 75 882

Johnny_Fontane · 22-01-2020 11:58am

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

I am not sure why people use Booking.com. I use them for their maps, photos of hotel rooms, customer reviews etc, but I never book with them.
If you try and find any of the chain hotels on their website (those that encourage booking direct) you will often have to scroll down through pages of hotels before you find them.

By far the biggest site and some of the very best prices. I have used it for years, a mixture of booking direct and/or using their site, without ever having a problem.

Incidentally, I use it as an owner to rent a villa out in Spain and having had it on a variety of sites, booking.com is the only site that year after year we get guaranteed bookings on. the 15% fee is steep but they seem to really control the whole market.

ted1 · 22-01-2020 12:50pm

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

https://ie.trustpilot.com/review/www.booking.com

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowForum-g1-i12290-Bargain_Travel.html

I am not sure why people use Booking.com. I use them for their maps, photos of hotel rooms, customer reviews etc, but I never book with them.
If you try and find any of the chain hotels on their website (those that encourage booking direct) you will often have to scroll down through pages of hotels before you find them.

I use them because I’ve never had a problem or any hassle . The price is he really the best and I can collect Avios points. I made about 23 bookings with them last year. Not 1 single issue.

People seldom leave good reviews and only leave reviews when they are pissed off, as the largest booking site out there , by sheer number they’ll have the most negative reviews.

caff · 22-01-2020 12:56pm

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Hi there,

Anyone had this problem?

I made a booking thru booking.com (genius program) for a hotel in Dublin. Then three days later and after payment had been taken, I get an email from the Hotel looking for an extra €95 for the room (€75 to €170). Saying there had been a glitch on their computer system and they couldn't honor the price.

Havent heard back from booking.com yet, been a couple of days. Booking is for 3 weeks away. I was obviously sent my confirmation and not sure what to do since booking.com aren't coming back. cant imagine they would be too happy that I was contacted directly by the hotel (as it cuts into their commission).

Thoughts?

Ring booking directly, always found them easy to deal with and sorted issues over the phone quickly phone: +353 (0) 1 4283000 (office hours)

Rows Grower · 22-01-2020 1:12pm

ted1 wrote: »

I use them because I’ve never had a problem or any hassle . The price is he really the best and I can collect Avios points. I made about 23 bookings with them last year. Not 1 single issue.

People seldom leave good reviews and only leave reviews when they are pissed off, as the largest booking site out there , by sheer number they’ll have the most negative reviews.

The main thing with them I like is unlike trip advisor you can only leave a review if you have actually stayed or least paid to stay, then every year they give the premises a sticker and cert to display that actually reflects real recent reviews.

Mike3549 · 23-01-2020 5:14pm

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Theyve come back today with a free upgrade on the room but still double the price of what was booked and paid for through booking.com.

A FREE upgrade for double the price?
Thats not what free means.

Johnny_Fontane · 24-01-2020 5:32pm

got contacted by booking.com and they had a 'chat' with hotel and will offer the room at the original rate.

Still schnake tactics by them, but eventually got sorted.

Booking.com problem. Hotel contacted me directly and want more $$

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