Advice dealing with a hotel refusing free Cancellation option

andrewjohnlane

I'm hoping someone can offer some advice on our options for an issue we are having. We have reserved a room with a hotel in paris for December through booking.com which had 2 offers included - reserve now, pay on arrival and free cancellation until the day before arrival.

Since reserving we have been occasionally checking rates and have found a better deal so obviously wanted to switch but not only will the hotel refuse the cancellation, they have also taken full payment from the account and are refusing to refund it.

I'm fairly certain this isn't legal and have brought it up with booking.com but they're not at all interested and are just telling us it's an issue with the hotel that we have to sort directly?

Has anyone experienced this before and can help us with what our options are or how to proceed?

waamo

Did you chose the free cancellation?

andrewjohnlane

Hi yes we chose the option for free cancellation and pay on arrival.

Castle

Have you tried your credit card company?

paddyrg

Booking.com are your travel agent - talk to them about it. They'll call the hotel and have WAY more clout than you alone.

andrewjohnlane

We've tried that but they're denying any responsibility and telling us we need to take it up directly with the hotel but I think that's a cop out by them, just not sure how I can prove it and get them to do something about it.

Will check the credit card route, see if they can help.

IAmWales

What does your booking confirmation say?

daytona0

IAmWales wrote: »

What does your booking confirmation say?

Aye. You need to check your email first OP.

I've just found a booking confirmation which I made with booking.com last year and it very clearly states:

Cancellation policy
Please note, if cancelled, modified or in case of no-show, the total price of the reservation will be charged.
Any cancellation or modification fees are determined by the property. You will pay any additional costs to the property.
Cancellation cost
From now on: 369 zł
This reservation can not be cancelled free of charge.

If yours is worded in a similar way then the answer is tough luck...

If yours is worded in a way which suggests free cancellation (as you are advising) then point this out to booking.com and the hotel. In addition to this, go to your credit card company.

hcb42

Put in a written complaint to Booking.com.

If you have a clear confirmation that it states free cancellation, then the hotel were wrong to take your payment, and must abide by the terms - booking.com are able to sort this for you if the hotel won't admit to their error.

Le_Kirk

Have they actually taken the money or just ring fenced it?

andrewjohnlane

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'm certain we had the free cancellation and pay on arrival options as that's the reason we reserved it but will triple check the confirmation when I get chance.

Payments been taken in full and they're refusing to refund it, booking.com also refusing to do anything about it.