Booking.com Reservation

MrJugo

I made a booking for a hotel before the first lockdown last year and have been unable to either use the booking or receive  refund,
The original booking was "non-refundable" and booking.com don't want anything to do with it.
The property originally agreed to move the booking, but stopped replying to any messages/ calls as the rearranged date approached.

I have evidence of attempted emails and phonecalls and all of the booking information in my emails.

The following is the timeline:

• 02/03/2020 (pre-COVID) booked non-refundable stay for 01/05/2020-03/05/2020.
• Lockdown prevents trip to Liverpool
• 29/03/2020 contacted vendor to enquire about refund/ moving booking
• 05/04/2020 vendor agrees and moves booking to November with accompanying assurance, "further rescheduling if needed is of course possible considering the circumstances, providing new dates are given with 48hrs notice of the booking."
• Local lockdown in Liverpool prevents trip in November
• 23/10/2020 opened dialogue again with request to move date of booking
• No responses received despite multiple attempts via email (two email addresses), text and phone call (two listed phone numbers)
• Unable to travel despite lockdown as no way of contacting property to ensure they are still operating.
• Booking.com showed no reviews since March 2020 for property suggesting they were not trading, and the property has since been removed from Booking.com website
• I tried for a refund through Booking.com who were unwilling to help/ contact the property and could provide no more information.
• I tried for a refund through credit card but because of the rebooked date, the 120 days for a recovery/ cancellation of payment had elapsed and they were unable to help.
• I opened a dispute on the European trading website but this is purely a notification service for dialogue between parties and I have had no response from either booking.com/ the property (we are also no longer in the EU and I doubt they are handling our disputes any longer)

I don't understand how we can be liable to pay for a service which:

a) was severly impacted by COVID 19, making it illegal for us to travel in the first instance

b) the property agreed to rectify again if necessary

c) we were unable to take up as the property went AWOL and stopped responding to any of our messages

I have emailed once again and attempted to call again for peace of mind but hold no hope of hearing back.

I don't know who else I can contact regarding this, but am exhausted from trying to find someone who can help.

If anyone has any advice on what I can do, please let me know.

eskbanker

The fact that you were unable to use a non-refundable booking doesn't necessarily mean that someone else is going to pick up the tab, but did you perhaps have travel insurance?  If you name the property, you might find that others are able to offer comment about its status, or tales of how similar situations have been resolved....

mattyprice4004

If the property was still open but you were unable to travel, that doesn't automatically mean you're entitled to a refund.
The company concerned may have realised this, and since decided that they won't offer rebookings for those affected - I don't think Booking.com are liable for any of it, as they're just an agent for the property. 

sheramber

• Booking.com showed no reviews since March 2020 for property suggesting they were not trading, and the property has since been removed from Booking.com website

is the hotel still operating? 
Do they have a website or facebook page?
 

MrJugo

I do not believe that the company are still operating, or else they have avoided all forms of communication with me.
They did not have any reviews after March 2020 when I last saw the property listed, and last time I checked I could no longer find them on booking.com.

My main points of contention are:
- they have not replied to any of my messages, calls or emails since my initial communication;
- they did not reply to booking.com when they contacted them on my behalf;
- as such I was unable to consider the trip in November since I didn't want to be stranded in Liverpool with the uncertainty over other accommodation being available;
- when they rebooked from my original date they made a mistake and downgraded my booking from two people to one (which they never responded about);
- the phonenumber listed on their website does not work. Another number (mobile) has never been answered or responded to texts or voicemails.

I did have travel insurance so perhaps I should go down that road (if still possible this late in the game!)
All I really want is to rebook the trip as I am planning to make it when the lockdowns end.

MrJugo

The property was called Vincent House Studio Apartments, Liverpool.
www.vhapartments.co

lisyloo

How did you pay? If credit card which one - Amex/mastercard/visa?

Have you thought of disputing the transaction?

Does your travel insurance cover breaks in the UK? (they don't always).

[Deleted User]

Last I heard the Vincent apartments were housing homeless (not sure If still same). Think it’s suss that it is no longer appearing on Booking.com.   

Not sure what the situation was in November 20 but if you were told it was closed for holiday bookings you should have been offered a refund or a rebooking at the very least.  However if you are not getting anywhere with them it isn’t going to be easy to enforce and you may have to consider going the legal route.   This will fail if the apartments were available though even if you couldn’t travel there.   Seem unfair?  Yep but it is just the way it is.   Hopefully your insurance may come up trumps but not convinced.  

Bogof_OAP

Just found this via putting the name of the place into Google and following some of the links...

"This investment is no longer available

This investment has sold out and is no longer available. Click below to take a look at our other opportunities available."

MrJugo

So in normal circumstances if the company were fraudulent and never actually intended to take my reservation would court be the natural route? I still feel like Booking.com should have some responsibility for ensuring properties listed on their website fulfil their commitments.
I tried via the credit card route only to be told after wasting hours getting all the documentation together that they require claims within 120 days of payment. I obviously exceeded this due to thinking I would still be staying there in November 2020.

I have enquired with my annual coverwise travel insurance.

As Bogof says they no longer appear traceable, are not on booking.com and their website gives an error too. 

If not fraudulent, I think it was a private let from an owner of a single apartment which is harder to chase up. I can't even remember a listed apartment number, but will have to check the paperwork again.

eskbanker

MrJugo said:

I tried via the credit card route only to be told after wasting hours getting all the documentation together that they require claims within 120 days of payment. I obviously exceeded this due to thinking I would still be staying there in November 2020.

Chargeback claims can be up to 540 days from date of payment if still within 120 days of expected service delivery - many people book travel arrangements more than 120 days in advance without losing chargeback rights.  However, depending on your actual booked dates in November, you may now be out of time, although if you claimed within 120 days then you have an argument that the claim date was the one that matters.

Section 75 is sometimes an alternative to chargeback but is unlikely to apply here if you paid booking.com rather than the hotel, as the involvement of intermediaries typically nullifies s75 rights.