Booking.com requests non-existing paperwork

Emily_Joy

I have had an accommodation booked on booking.com, but have had to cancel the reservation as the country where hotel is located closed the borders due to covid-19. The reservation has been cancelled during the free cancellation window, but the hotel has put a charge on the card by then. Now in order to issue a refund booking.com is requesting documents which simply do not exist: 
1) bank statement showing the charge in the hotel's local currency. (The bank statement shows amount in British pounds.)
2) bank statement showing hotel's name in English translation with the address. (The bank statement shows hotel's name in local language and no address.)
Should I abandon the idea of recovering the funds from booking.com and to request chargeback? 

Life__Goes__On

On Booking.com can you see the "cancelled for free"  and was payment to the hotel directly?

Alan_Bowen

Just send the statement as iut is, they have made assumptions that if the hotel was overseas the payment was collected in local currency. If it was, then your bank will have converted it and should show the conversion on your statement. It should be quite simple so long as the hotel name matches that on the booking

Emily_Joy

Life__Goes__On said:

On Booking.com can you see the "cancelled for free"  and was payment to the hotel directly?

Yes, I can see "cancelled for free" and I have an email from booking.com saying that they acknowledge the fact that has been cancelled for free. I am not sure what do you mean by "payment to the hotel directly". I have never been to the hotel in question, I gave card details when I was making the booking and this card has been charged. 

bradders1983

Whenever i have used Booking.com to book a hotel in the local currency, no matter what card I have used it also tells me how much it was in the local currency as well as GBP.

Life__Goes__On

Sometimes when booking via a site like Booking.com,    they take the money and pass it on to the hotel,  or the hotel takes the money directly (they pass on payment details)
Either case,  if Booking.com are giving you the runaround,  contact your card company and ask for a Chargeback on the transaction amount and submit the "cancel for free" as proof they had no right in taking any payment.

Emily_Joy

bradders1983 said:

Whenever i have used Booking.com to book a hotel in the local currency, no matter what card I have used it also tells me how much it was in the local currency as well as GBP.

The problem is that the co-operative bank does not. (Though their assistant have also advised on a phone that there is no time limit for raising chargeback.)

bradders1983

Is there not an option to view further details of the transaction? I find that very odd.

Emily_Joy

Alan_Bowen said:

Just send the statement as iut is, they have made assumptions that if the hotel was overseas the payment was collected in local currency. If it was, then your bank will have converted it and should show the conversion on your statement. It should be quite simple so long as the hotel name matches that on the booking

The problem is that the co-operative bank doesn't show conversion information on the statement or anywhere else. The only clue is a separate transaction called CCC GBP £xxxx.xx. 

Emily_Joy

bradders1983 said:

Is there not an option to view further details of the transaction? I find that very odd.

Odd indeed! Other banks I have accounts with always show the original currency and the conversion rate. 

Emily_Joy

Tried to get more details from the co-operative bank via online messaging. Here is the answer I received:

"Thanks for your message.  The payment to <English translation of the hotel name as appears on the statement> was made on <date> for xxxxHUF , which shows on your statement as xxxGBP and a conversion charge of x.xxGBP.  The statement shows the reference given by the company when the payment was taken. The only name we have for the payment is <English translation of the hotel name> and not the hotel name that you have mentioned.  We are unable to show foreign currency's on our statements which is why this is converted and shown in GBP."