Booking.com free cancellation not free !! 13 February at 9:09PM in Consumer rights 6 replies 378 views

kam0108

Looking for help here please last week I saw cheap flights so booked flight to Rhodes, went on my employers colleague discount website and saw a nice accommodation via Booking.com so decided to book it . Right above the book now button it said  FREE CANCELLATION  however  when the booking came through it said no cancellation policy. Stupidly rather than contact them and try and sort it out I panicked cancelled the booking and made a 2nd booking direct with them through app. This was late at night so following day I tried to contact them to check it was OK but their app was playing up so honestly I forgot about it, until I checked my credit card and the owner has charged me for the cancelled booking I held for less than 5 mins . I've since contacted both owner and Booking.com  , the owner is refusing to budge and actually although it might be morally bankrupt,  he is well within his rights . All Booking.com say its up to the owner, but its not the owner who put misleading information on the website do I have any rights here? As a lone female traveller it making me feel bit ill actually.  I overpay for holidays as it is  without having to pay for a room twice 

comeandgo

There is an asterisk beside the free cancellation which means there are conditions.  What are the conditions?

elsien

When were you looking to travel? Booking.com you generally can’t cancel if you’re close to the travel date? 

They also usually show you several options some cancellable and some not. Are you positive that your booking could be cancelled?

DullGreyGuy

There is an important * by the statement of free cancellation... there will be a footnote explaining what the star is

born_again

Ah the good old "Free Cancelation" which is provided by "Booking.com" but not by the end user.

Comes up a lot. Just a nice catchy line from "Booking.com" to get people to book, knowing that they will never actually red the T/C until they try to cancel & end user say No.. Not in our T/C. 

Booking.com should be stumping up for these.

kam0108

Yes it says 3 times during booking that room has free cancellation only the 3rd time has the asterisk indicating terms apply. Its a really bad way to do business especially as all they say when I ask why is ask owner for a refund.  Why ? Its not the owners fault they gave me false expectations 

powerful_Rogue

kam0108 said:

Yes it says 3 times during booking that room has free cancellation only the 3rd time has the asterisk indicating terms apply. Its a really bad way to do business especially as all they say when I ask why is ask owner for a refund.  Why ? Its not the owners fault they gave me false expectations 

What did the conditions noted by the * next to 'Free Cancellations' state?