Ripped off by booking.com and Britannia hotel

andrewdonnelly123

I booked a room at Sachas hotel (Britannia) at 00:30 on 09/10/21. When I got to the hotel 30 minutes later I was told by the doorman that check in stopped at 00:00 but I shouldn't worry as I would not be charged for the reservation. Needless to say Sachas charged me the full fee at 09:00 am. I have disputed the transaction with my credit company and Sachas have come back today disputing my dispute claiming that I was a no show. The email they sent me at 00:30 after booking the hotel even states that check in stops at 23:00.

Has anybody else had this type of situation before with booking.com? surely it is illegal to take money from a prospective guest after check in has stopped and then refuse to give them the room/ money back?

Upsidedownandaround

So you booked a hotel on the 09/10/21 for 08/10/21? 

I’m surprised the system would allow this to happen but if it has surely this would be clear on your booking confirmation? 

Did you make contact with the hotel after they charged you? 

Voces

Sounds like either the hotel booking system has a glitch, or dare I say "did you book the right night"?  I'm thinking more of a booking.com issue than a hotel issue.  Perhaps their system not communicating with Britannia's?

andrewdonnelly123

Upsidedownandaround said:

So you booked a hotel on the 09/10/21 for 08/10/21? 

I’m surprised the system would allow this to happen but if it has surely this would be clear on your booking confirmation? 

Did you make contact with the hotel after they charged you? 

Yeah basically i booked for 08/12/21 at 00:30 on 09/10/21. it sounds a bit strange booking after 00:00,  but their sister hotel had double booked my room so I was trying to find somewhere else to stay.

andrewdonnelly123

Voces said:

Sounds like either the hotel booking system has a glitch, or dare I say "did you book the right night"?  I'm thinking more of a booking.com issue than a hotel issue.  Perhaps their system not communicating with Britannia's?

Ha ha, it wouldn't surprise me, but that was the first thing I checked! It was definitely booked for the night of 08/10 to 09/10. 

It sounds like the problems been caused on booking.com's side but the actual money was taken by the hotel so when I've disputed with the credit company it's the hotel who paid the money so it's them who are taking up the dispute.

TELLIT01

It may not seem that way, but you may have had a lucky escape by not getting into a Britannia hotel.  They have been the worst rated hotel chain in the UK for 9 consecutive years.

andrewdonnelly123

TELLIT01 said:

It may not seem that way, but you may have had a lucky escape by not getting into a Britannia hotel.  They have been the worst rated hotel chain in the UK for 9 consecutive years.

To be fair the bus shelter was an improvement.

Upsidedownandaround

andrewdonnelly123 said:

Upsidedownandaround said:

So you booked a hotel on the 09/10/21 for 08/10/21? 

I’m surprised the system would allow this to happen but if it has surely this would be clear on your booking confirmation? 

Did you make contact with the hotel after they charged you? 

Yeah basically i booked for 08/12/21 at 00:30 on 09/10/21. it sounds a bit strange booking after 00:00,  but their sister hotel had double booked my room so I was trying to find somewhere else to stay.

So did you contact the hotel after they charged you?

andrewdonnelly123

Upsidedownandaround said:

andrewdonnelly123 said:

Upsidedownandaround said:

So you booked a hotel on the 09/10/21 for 08/10/21? 

I’m surprised the system would allow this to happen but if it has surely this would be clear on your booking confirmation? 

Did you make contact with the hotel after they charged you? 

Yeah basically i booked for 08/12/21 at 00:30 on 09/10/21. it sounds a bit strange booking after 00:00,  but their sister hotel had double booked my room so I was trying to find somewhere else to stay.

So did you contact the hotel after they charged you?

Yes I did, I've contacted them 5 times and they didn't respond to any of my messages. It was via email 4 times and Facebook once. The only time they've responded is when my credit card company took the money back off them and now they've raised a dispute which could mean I get recharged. 

I don't get how they have a legal footing, they've sold me a service which they were never going to give me, I would assume (although I don't know) that they shouldn't have charged me for that.

Upsidedownandaround

They won’t have a legal footing and they should’t have charged you if check in was closed but then they are the worst hotel chain in the UK. 

Their customer service can’t be much of a surprise to you given you had already turned up at one of their hotels late at night to find out your room was double booked and they were presumably offering no assistance to find you alternative accommodation at their sister hotel given you then resorted to using a 3rd party to try and book a room with them even though it was past check in.

Provide your credit card provider with the booking confirmation showing the time you booked and that check in was closed and it should be clear to them that you couldn’t have checked in.

sheramber

Since you booked for 8th their booking system will only show a booking for the 8th but you did not show up before check in closed so it was a no show.

As the booking was through Booking.com I doubt the hotels booking shows anything other the room booked for the 8th.

The doorman probably knows nothing about the booking system.