Booking.com - 'Price Match Guarantee' - A Lie/Waste of time

johnson293

Just booked a weekend away to Ibiza next year for me, the missus and our son.

Being a weekend away, I decided to book hotel and flights separately (a first for me, generally only booked 'package' holidays before).

Found a decent price for flights with jet2.com, then found the hotel we wanted through Booking.com who I have booked through before.

Having never booked separately before, I plumped for this price on the hotel, incase it went / went up while I was shopping around. The cost of the booking/reservation was £440 for 3 nights.

Later that day, I found the same hotel, room, dates, board, etc with Travel republic for £367. On looking at some reviews however, Travel Republic had some very mixed reviews (e.g. customers finding the accommodation hadn't been booked, and not finding out till they got there).

Anyway, noticed on Booking.coms website it stated that they had a 'Price match guarantee'... if you find the same hotel cheaper within 3 days of booking, they'd refund the difference.

Great - so I submit my claim, with link to the deal and wait. Then I get a reply - they have looked around and based on the price they found, they could offer me a £16 refund, but also say if I can find the deal cheaper to send them a screen shot.

So I send a screenshot, as the price I find is still the same. Reply comes back, "Great News - we can give you a 10 euro refund based on the cheapest price we have found".

I email them and query why their offer has dropped and changed from £s to Euros. I get a stock reply that this is the best refund they can offer based upon the best price they have been able to find with 'a competitor' - so maybe not with the company I sent them.

So i reply again, and now with 4 more screenshots showing the same deal/price at payment stage with Travel Republic.

I get the same stock reply (word for word) that I had the day before, but with a different 'customer services' signature.

I give up.

I could cancel and book with Travel republic, but as I say I've read some iffy review about them. However, if you are considering booking with booking.com and their 'price match guarantee' is something that sways you, then don't rely on it to get you a discount, even of you can prove your cheaper price from elsewhere.

Incidentally, I have emailed the hotel directly to check my booking/reservation was received,and they confirmed it. The price to book directly with the hotel is roughly the same as booking.com, so I may yet consider cancelling my current booking (they say it is free cancellation until a month before departure) and book direct with the hotel instead.

littlereddevil

I have never had any luck with hotel guarantees.
I have also never had a problem with travel Republic

balletshoes

i usually book my hotels in Europe through travelrepublic, not had a problem with any of my bookings through them.

Backbiter

My wife booked a hotel with Travel Republic, as they offered the best price she could find. A day or two later they rang to say that price was no longer valid (reminiscent of stories on here about Opodo or edreams flight prices). She had to pay a lot more or she could cancel. I found her the price she'd originally been quoted on the hotel's own websire, so I booked that.

So maybe the price you screenshotted is not actually available and maybe booking.com are offering you the actual price dufference.

budgetflyer

It will depend on the booking conditions. The cancelation/payment terms in particular. This is what trips most people up

bigadaj

Had a problem with travel republic on absolving a few years ago, confirmed booking was never mad with the hotel, moved to a significantly worse one.

Ended up being refunded by charge back through credit card provider, but they fought it and it was real hassle and avoid them, never had a problem with most other providers

PeacefulWaters

johnson293 wrote: »

Just booked a weekend away to Ibiza next year for me, the missus and our son.

Being a weekend away, I decided to book hotel and flights separately (a first for me, generally only booked 'package' holidays before).

Found a decent price for flights with jet2.com, then found the hotel we wanted through Booking.com who I have booked through before.

Having never booked separately before, I plumped for this price on the hotel, incase it went / went up while I was shopping around. The cost of the booking/reservation was £440 for 3 nights.

Later that day, I found the same hotel, room, dates, board, etc with Travel republic for £367. On looking at some reviews however, Travel Republic had some very mixed reviews (e.g. customers finding the accommodation hadn't been booked, and not finding out till they got there).

Anyway, noticed on Booking.coms website it stated that they had a 'Price match guarantee'... if you find the same hotel cheaper within 3 days of booking, they'd refund the difference.

Great - so I submit my claim, with link to the deal and wait. Then I get a reply - they have looked around and based on the price they found, they could offer me a £16 refund, but also say if I can find the deal cheaper to send them a screen shot.

So I send a screenshot, as the price I find is still the same. Reply comes back, "Great News - we can give you a 10 euro refund based on the cheapest price we have found".

I email them and query why their offer has dropped and changed from £s to Euros. I get a stock reply that this is the best refund they can offer based upon the best price they have been able to find with 'a competitor' - so maybe not with the company I sent them.

So i reply again, and now with 4 more screenshots showing the same deal/price at payment stage with Travel Republic.

I get the same stock reply (word for word) that I had the day before, but with a different 'customer services' signature.

I give up.

I could cancel and book with Travel republic, but as I say I've read some iffy review about them. However, if you are considering booking with booking.com and their 'price match guarantee' is something that sways you, then don't rely on it to get you a discount, even of you can prove your cheaper price from elsewhere.

Incidentally, I have emailed the hotel directly to check my booking/reservation was received,and they confirmed it. The price to book directly with the hotel is roughly the same as booking.com, so I may yet consider cancelling my current booking (they say it is free cancellation until a month before departure) and book direct with the hotel instead.

Was one room cancellable and the other non-refundable?

johnson293

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Was one room cancellable and the other non-refundable?

No, both were cancellable up until a month before the check in date, however TR charged a cancellation fee (£40 i think) whereas Booking.com was free. If that was a factor, it wasn't mentioned as a reason for them only offering a minimal refund.

I was more annoyed that they asked me to send screengrabs as proof of the prcie I found, and then just dismissed them, even though I kept being able to find the same price over numerous days.

And then the stock cut and paste replies from different 'customer services' reps, just made it feel like they weren't even taking the claim seriously.

Anyway, I wont be pursuing it any further, but it has left a bit of a bad taste in terms of trusting these companies 'Price match' offers.

leylandsunaddict

I would think they wouldn't match it because Travel Republic prices aren't live, and you don't actually book anything on their website. It's only an offer to buy should the accommodation type still be available and at the same price. Also the cancellation policy isn't the same.

Booking.com are the next best thing to booking direct IMO. At least you have no middleman in between you and your booking.