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Was charged 2x rate we booked our holiday home for - what are my rights?

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Looking to tap into the genius of the hive of fellow MSE'rs:

We booked a place in the south to surprise my dad for his 50th in July. Booked it in January through booking.com.
This wasn't a hotel room but a holiday house where you can have the whole place to yourselves.
Received the confirmation email from the site and a message from the house owner to say they were looking forward to having us.
Four months later booking.com sends us a message saying :

"We want to let you know that the property contacted us regarding the rate that was registered by the property that affected some of the reservations.

According to them the actual rate is [2x what we booked it for] per night for 2 people and 10 GBP for any extra person, per night.

Please consider this offer and let us know if you'd like to keep your reservation."

I have never encountered this before - is this legal? Do we have rights to contest this? what do we do?


Thank you in advance all!


Comments

  • MattMattMattUK
    MattMattMattUK Posts: 11,167 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper

    Looking to tap into the genius of the hive of fellow MSE'rs:

    We booked a place in the south to surprise my dad for his 50th in July. Booked it in January through booking.com.
    This wasn't a hotel room but a holiday house where you can have the whole place to yourselves.
    Received the confirmation email from the site and a message from the house owner to say they were looking forward to having us.
    Four months later booking.com sends us a message saying :

    "We want to let you know that the property contacted us regarding the rate that was registered by the property that affected some of the reservations.

    According to them the actual rate is [2x what we booked it for] per night for 2 people and 10 GBP for any extra person, per night.

    Please consider this offer and let us know if you'd like to keep your reservation."

    This is happening more and more as demand is surging post Covid.
    I have never encountered this before - is this legal? 
    Yes.
    Do we have rights to contest this?
    No, you can try, but you have no legal basis.
    what do we do?
    Pay the increased rate or book somewhere else. 

    Unfortunately the way these are done though booking.com, just as the way they are on AirBnB, cottage websites etc. means that the property owner can cancel pretty much at any point they want and many are doing when they realised that they underpriced their property. 
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 17,986 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper PPI Party Pooper
    I've spotted this kind of thing a lot on sites such as Booking.com.  For example, book a double room and show 2 people in the booking, the price shown will be half of the actual booking cost, only when you get to the final page of the process does the full price show.  I suspect something similar here, although the end price for billing was still incorrect.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 35,765 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Savvy Shopper!
    TELLIT01 said:
    I've spotted this kind of thing a lot on sites such as Booking.com.  For example, book a double room and show 2 people in the booking, the price shown will be half of the actual booking cost, only when you get to the final page of the process does the full price show.  I suspect something similar here, although the end price for billing was still incorrect.
    I don't see that on Booking.com.

    I see the total (full) price.
    e.g. 2 adults, 2 nights
    or 1 adult, 2 nights.
  • biscan25
    biscan25 Posts: 452 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    It seems a sharp practice to me.
    Not sure a right to unilateral price increase would be deemed a fair contract term either. Does the OP have a right to decide to pay less?
    Pensions actuary, Runner, Dog parent, Homeowner
  • Jenni_D
    Jenni_D Posts: 5,430 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 22 April 2022 at 11:04AM
    What do the T&Cs say regarding cancellation (by either party)? (They must be fair and equitable - if the consumer is penalised for cancelling then the seller must incur the same penalty otherwise there's an imbalance in the status between the parties. Note: bookings like this don't come under the CCRs for cancellation rights as they're for a service to be performed on a specific date/period).

    What payments have been made so far, and by what method?

    What do the T&Cs say as to when a contract is formed? (A contract can be formed prior to full payment having been made).

    Jenni x
  • Ath_Wat
    Ath_Wat Posts: 1,504 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    biscan25 said:
    It seems a sharp practice to me.
    Not sure a right to unilateral price increase would be deemed a fair contract term either. Does the OP have a right to decide to pay less?
    I am not sure how Booking.com works but are there not three parties here?  If so then the contract between Booking.com and the OP has been changed due to a price increase by their supplier.  The unilateral price increase is in the contract between Booking.com and the accommodation and not relevant to the OP.

    However this may not be how Booking.com works, I have never used it.
  • Olinda99
    Olinda99 Posts: 2,042 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Booking.com act as your agent, and thus as an intermediary between you and the holiday property owner.

    All booking.com can do is pass on whatever the owner says.
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