Got a apartment booked in London next month through booking.com for when Taylor Swift is back at Wembley. I'm taking my daughter as a cover story but, really, it's me who's the Swiftie.
Had a message this morning through booking.com from the apartment owners basically saying that they're cancelling all their bookings on there because it takes too long to get paid for them, and that they're already owed thousands of pounds as it is.
I'm being told to cancel the booking and get my money back (even though it's non-refundable – I can use a waiver option or something) and they will send me details of how to re-book the room for the same date and cost directly through them. I replied querying it, and a few minutes later they phoned me – from the number listed on the website and on my confirmation from back on February – to try and explain in greater detail what's happened.
It all SOUNDS very convincing and legitimate, and I'm in no doubt that the original booking was fine, but I'm aware that booking.com has become a bit of a target for scammers who break into hotel etc. accounts through phishing and so on and then try to pull shit like this on people.
Normally I can sniff a scam a mile away but knowing I've got to try and potentially rebook a hotel within a month on a day like that when there likely isn't a single room left within 20 miles of Wembley has left me a bit panicky and questioning everything.
What do we think?
by TheRealMikkyX
11 comments
I wouldn’t touch this with a barge pole. The cynic in me is saying that they’ll either jack the prices up because of the demand (assuming the place even exists), or you’ll pay them the money, turn up to the place and it won’t exist, and you’ll have no way of getting that money back if it’s not through booking.
Either way I would personally look for somewhere new, do it through a service like booking and pay on a credit card where you’ll have an easier time issuing a charge back if things go pear shaped.
Edit: I’ve also just seen that it says it’s non-refundable. Definitely don’t cancel on your end, get them to cancel the booking otherwise you’re not seeing that money. Report this to Booking too.
It’s sounds like a scam. Can you talk to someone directly at booking dot com?
Otherthing might be that it’s ‘legit’ but scummy… They want to cancel and have you rebook at a higher rate and you wont really have a choice due to it being so busy
If it’s anything like Airbnb they’re asking you to cancel because they’ll get penalised by the platform for doing so (this smells as well of them potentially wanting higher rates for the Taylor concert).
I’d ask booking.com support about it – sound like you’ll lose the room either way so might as well keep it legit and make sure you’ll get your money back.
They want you to cancel? Sounds like they just realised Swift is back in town those dates, so want you to cancel so they can readvertise the rooms at a much higher rate, at which point they will deny all previous promises and you’ll be left out of pocket.
I may be being a cynic but I’d be keeping my existing booking, it’s between the owner and Booking.com about the time to payment etc. At least with a booking.com you might have marginally more protection if there’s a problem.
Get your refund through booking.com
I would not personally rebook that property. Book another accommodation somewhere else through a method that offers you some level of protection. At the very least use a credit card form fraud protection, though that won’t help you if you turn up and find there is no accommodation.
I’ve also noticed most travel insurance policies won’t cover just one night away from home, often needing at least 3 night to make a qualifying trip. Worth checking if you think you’re going to rely on a “free” policy that comes with a bank account or similar.
If they want it cancelled, they can cancel it themselves and eat the costs.
To try and make you cancel (for something where you aren’t able to get a refund) sounds like they are trying something on.
Try and find somewhere else in the meantime but don’t cancel. Maybe try and contact booking.com properly and see what they say
Do not cancel.
Even taking what they said at face value, it’s their problem that they no longer want to operate through booking.com, not yours. They can cancel the booking from their end if they’re unhappy with the situation.
If it were me, I would look for another property for those dates if possible, and pay the few quid extra for last minute cancellation. There’s every chance the owners of the first property will eventually cancel your booking at the last minute to relist higher.
Phone numbers can be spoofed. Emails can be spoofed. Accounts can be hacked. Fake listings exist. All of these things could be happening to you right now.
Tell them you will reach out to Booking about this, and then do exactly that. Either the owners are scammers themselves, they are breaking Booking’s policies and shouldn’t be on the server, or you have been targeted by scammers who know you made this reservation, likely because they’ve gotten access to your account and they’re trying to get money from you with this falsehood.
I was regularly getting emails from Booking because of people trying to break into my account but not knowing the right password. I eventually just deleted my Booking account.
If you provided ANY details to these people via phone or email (especially bank account or credit card details) from the moment they contacted you, alert your bank and be on the lookout for any suspicious purchases.
Thanks for the replies so far everyone (and for whoever’s downvoting it to a 25% upvote rate, apparently) – already too many all saying the same thing, so I’ll play it carefully. They sent a screenshot apparently showing that they wouldn’t be paid for my booking until the middle of September – almost a month after my stay. I don’t know if anyone here knows if that’s normal, or a recent change?
I HAVE been told on the phone that they will allow me to re-book at the same rate but – for what it’ll likely end up being worth – I’m trying to get that in writing too, and I’ll be contacting [booking.com](https://booking.com) directly to enquire about what’s going on here.
Sounds like they are trying to relist for more due to taylor. It’s shitty. I’d speak to booking.com
This sounds like their problem, not your problem. You have a contract to rent that room. Keep it and, if they cancel it from their end, force booking.com to find you a replacement at their cost.