Refunding a hotel booking

KAHounsell

Hi
I wonder if anyone can give me any advise. On the 13th February browsing for a hotel on hotels.com using the correct dates I needed 12/13th April. I found a hotel and booked it through hotels.com. When I received the confirmation of the booking the date had been changed. I didn't notice at first as I was looking at hotels for the 12/13th April but when the confirmation came through it was 13/14th Feb.

I contacted the hotel as soon as I realised the mistake but they would not help me as the booking was now in the past. So I went to Hotels.com and asked that they compensation for this mistake that happened whilst using their app. What I can't seem to get through to them is that the app allowed the booking to be made at 21.45 at night on the 13th Feb, technically to stay at the hotel on the 13th Feb. May I also say that this hotel was in Ireland and I was not. Hotels.com openly admitted that they could see the mistake and said they would investigate with a view of returning the money that had been taken out that day by them.

I've had subsequent emails back from hotels.com advising that the hotel in ireland will not refund my money as it is outside the cancellation policy. They don't seem to understand that the booking was made in error due to their app changing the month and that there is no way I would have been able to stay there on the evening of the booking.

Do I have any rights with this and can I ask for them to refund my money for a booking that was never going to be fulfilled.

This is sucha mess, any constructive advise on what to do would be appreciated.

cono1717

I believe that the problem you will have here is that even though the app may have changed the month there will have been a confirmation page that will have shown the date on there before you paid out so you would have had the chance to review it prior to purchasing.

agrinnall

KAHounsell wrote: »

They don't seem to understand that the booking was made in error due to their app changing the month and that there is no way I would have been able to stay there on the evening of the booking.

I'm sure you're right that it is the reason, but they can't have known that you wouldn't be able to stay, or that you might have booked for someone else. I'd continue to complain, and perhaps take it up with your card issuer too, but only on the change of date.

harrys_dad

Maybe you could ask the hotel for a room on your originally desired date for no, or minimal, cost. Check the current price of the room on that date and compare it with what you paid. I suspect the original room may have been cheap if it was a same day booking, so there might be additional cost for the difference.

KAHounsell

Thank you everyone. I am continuing to fight this with Hotels.com. I did go straight to my bank to try and stop the payment but as it had already gone there was nothing they could do.

daytona0

KAHounsell wrote: »

What I can't seem to get through to them is that the app allowed the booking to be made at 21.45 at night on the 13th Feb, technically to stay at the hotel on the 13th Feb.

What's wrong with that?

I have, in the past, booked a hotel room at around 9pm on the same night! I did try and book it on the app but the rooms were all sold out. Went to a quiet hotel and they actually advised me to sit in the lobby (at about 9:15pm) and book online (hadn't checked their rooms online prior to going there) because it was cheaper!!

Couldn't be bothered messing around at 9:15pm on their app mind you so I just paid it in cash, but the option was always there!

So I don't see what point you are trying to argue. For all booking.com know you were in the area and you wanted a room to sleep in for that night. It happens.

Unless there was a WEBSITE issue (ie it stated clearly that it was for X date at every confirmation stage, but ended up booking the wrong date) then it is most likely your fault and as such you have to refer to Ts and Cs.

bris

Sorry OP but the mistake will be yours, its easy to reset the dates by clicking the back button, refreshing, starting a new search or any number of reasons. Bottom line is when you clicked the book button you didn't check the dates properly.


I book a lot of hotels on a few different sites and all are the same, your dates don't always hold, but it's easy to confirm everything before you press book.

soolin

As above, the fact that the booking was same day doesn't mean it should have been flagged.

Due to a family emergency I had to sit online desperately trying to book a hotel room late in the evening for a family member who was driving to a different town. I booked something eventually (although it was tricky) and sent my sister the postcode and booking details by text so she could book straight in.