Booking.com - owner insists I use an external link to pay

tchoolla

Hi all,

I made a reservation for an apartment (in France, if that's relevant) through Booking.com, and despite having valid card details to take payment through Booking.com, they are insisting I pay through a link which they have sent me in the in-app messaging service.

I made several other bookings which had no issues taking payment with my card through Booking.com, so I know that isn't the issue. I tried using a different card after they marked the first as 'invalid,' but they have marked this one invalid, too.

I'm not willing to pay through the link they keep sending me, but the booking is non-refundable and I'm concerned that I'll end up with no hotel and still liable to pay. Booking.com's customer service team said that if the hotel refuses to cancel the booking, they will help me write a fee waiver so I can cancel it myself without having to pay - is this my best option? Is this something the hotel would have to agree to as well?

Thanks in advance!

soolin

I don't know if this is still relevant, but there was a scam along these lines a short while ago
Action Fraud issue new alert warning to look out for unusual messages or phishing emails from hotel accounts using the Booking.com platform | Action Fraud

I would not be looking to pay via an external link and would press Booking .com to confirm and guarantee that you won't be penalised if you cancel. 

comeandgo

High chance this is a scam company.  Can u contact the hotel directly by phone to check with them?

heatherw_01

Some are a scam BUT not all!

I stayed with one hotel in Amsterdam that I have used before.

Using Booking.com they required (via the chat) I pay using their link which was a real link, not a scam.
I called to verify this was real and they confirmed it was.
I paid and had no extras to pay and they only took that payment, nothing more.

Get in touch with the hotel and see if it is real.
Not all are scams but most people will suggest it is a scam as many do scam this way!
Just do checks first.

diveunderthebonnet

I though that if you went off the Booking. Com app for payment etc. you lost the protection that they offer by going through the correct procedure ,sure i saw this on one of the holiday/ consumer type programs.

Pollycat

diveunderthebonnet said:

I though that if you went off the Booking. Com app for payment etc. you lost the protection that they offer by going through the correct procedure ,sure i saw this on one of the holiday/ consumer type programs.

Same with eBay.

landsberger64

heatherw_01 said:

Some are a scam BUT not all!

I stayed with one hotel in Amsterdam that I have used before.

Using Booking.com they required (via the chat) I pay using their link which was a real link, not a scam.
I called to verify this was real and they confirmed it was.
I paid and had no extras to pay and they only took that payment, nothing more.

Get in touch with the hotel and see if it is real.
Not all are scams but most people will suggest it is a scam as many do scam this way!
Just do checks first.

The reality here is that this hotel probably doesn't want to pay the agreed percentage to booking.com. But I'd still be checking out the hotel's phone number as well, as the whole thing could be a fake listing.

Pollycat

What have Booking.com said about this owner - advertising their property on the Booking.com website - asking you to pay outside the website?

AIUI, owners pay a commission fee to Booking.com.
Assuming it's not a scam, it sounds like the owner is trying to get full payment for the property by circumventing Booking.com's payment system.

Nebulous2

Pollycat said:

What have Booking.com said about this owner - advertising their property on the Booking.com website - asking you to pay outside the website?

AIUI, owners pay a commission fee to Booking.com.
Assuming it's not a scam, it sounds like the owner is trying to get full payment for the property by circumventing Booking.com's payment system.

Booking.com does have bookings where payment is handled by the hotel / owner. It usually tells you at the point of booking where that is the case. 

Pollycat

Nebulous2 said:

Pollycat said:

What have Booking.com said about this owner - advertising their property on the Booking.com website - asking you to pay outside the website?

AIUI, owners pay a commission fee to Booking.com.
Assuming it's not a scam, it sounds like the owner is trying to get full payment for the property by circumventing Booking.com's payment system.

Booking.com does have bookings where payment is handled by the hotel / owner. It usually tells you at the point of booking where that is the case. 

If that is the case, then the OP should know that from the booking.

If that isn't the case, it sounds like the owner is is trying it on.

Posting from the perspective of someone who has used Booking.com quite a lot and has always paid through Booking.com, never directly to an owner.

patricia1066

I would agree that it is far more risky to pay via an external link as it is not a hotel. 

Is that property advertised elsewhere? 

Review the terms of payment on booking.com and ask them to assist you as you have tried to use your usual card. Perhaps they can explain why.