Booking.com Currency Charges
petgri
Posts: 27 Forumite
[FONT="]I wonder what anyone thinks of my issue with Booking.com concerning the advertising of holidays in a currency other than which it will be charged. In our case a third currency is involved but I would imagine my argument holds good whether 2 or 3 currencies are involved.[/FONT]
[FONT="]We recently booked some Non Cancel rooms in Iceland for a 60th birthday next year and were a little surprised they wanted to charge straight away, 9 months in advance, but that isnt our complaint. [/FONT][FONT="]The holiday booked for 10pax, was advertised at 2,872 Euros but was to be charged in ISK (Icelandic Krone). When I saw my Halifax credit card (normally pretty good on foreign transactions), I realised that I had been charged at around 1.105 Euro to a £ when I had been expecting, at that time around 1.14+, a difference of about 3%.[/FONT]
[FONT="]I queried this with Booking.com who went back to the Property Owner who produced a Bank rate showing the exchange rate they would have obtained had they been changing the money from ISK to Euros with the Icelandic bank. [/FONT]
[FONT="]My point is had they advertised the holiday at an indicative rate, say half way between Buy and Sell price, rather than pretending they actually exchanged the 35,800 ISK into Euros, the rate advertised would be 2,963 Euros, 91 Euros more than the 2872 I had seen (about 3%). [/FONT]
[FONT="]Now I think Booking.com should either [/FONT]
[FONT="]1> [/FONT][FONT="]advertise the actual chargeable rate in Icelandic Krone (AS WELL AS EUROS), so we can work out what we will be paying.[/FONT]
[FONT="]2> [/FONT][FONT="]If a separate currency is to be used, Booking.com should undertake the conversion using a typical mid-rate, rather than it being the responsibility of the Hotel and incentivising them to get it wrong[/FONT]
[FONT="]As it is the Property has an incentive to use a really silly rate, so that in the second currency (here Euros), it looks cheaper. They then charge what they were going to charge in ISK, but we dont know what that is.[/FONT]
[FONT="]I have raised this with Booking.com who offered us 25 Euros for all the calls and messing about but that isnt really my point as they havent addressed my complaint beyond saying - we do not have any control over the exchange rate!-. [/FONT]
[FONT="]This is true, however I am suggesting that they SHOULD have that control. Either that or show the advertised rate (in whatever currency they choose to operate) AND the currency in which it is to be charged.[/FONT]
[FONT="]My concern put quite simply is that if you have no control of the Exchange Rate and advertise holidays in a currency other the currency in which it will be charged, then you are guilty of FALSE ADVERTISING and MISSELLING. Even more, they are incentivising the Property Owner to cheat the system by advertising at low prices but charging at a higher price.[/FONT]
Do people agree with me or am I just being daft??
[FONT="]We recently booked some Non Cancel rooms in Iceland for a 60th birthday next year and were a little surprised they wanted to charge straight away, 9 months in advance, but that isnt our complaint. [/FONT][FONT="]The holiday booked for 10pax, was advertised at 2,872 Euros but was to be charged in ISK (Icelandic Krone). When I saw my Halifax credit card (normally pretty good on foreign transactions), I realised that I had been charged at around 1.105 Euro to a £ when I had been expecting, at that time around 1.14+, a difference of about 3%.[/FONT]
[FONT="]I queried this with Booking.com who went back to the Property Owner who produced a Bank rate showing the exchange rate they would have obtained had they been changing the money from ISK to Euros with the Icelandic bank. [/FONT]
[FONT="]My point is had they advertised the holiday at an indicative rate, say half way between Buy and Sell price, rather than pretending they actually exchanged the 35,800 ISK into Euros, the rate advertised would be 2,963 Euros, 91 Euros more than the 2872 I had seen (about 3%). [/FONT]
[FONT="]Now I think Booking.com should either [/FONT]
[FONT="]1> [/FONT][FONT="]advertise the actual chargeable rate in Icelandic Krone (AS WELL AS EUROS), so we can work out what we will be paying.[/FONT]
[FONT="]2> [/FONT][FONT="]If a separate currency is to be used, Booking.com should undertake the conversion using a typical mid-rate, rather than it being the responsibility of the Hotel and incentivising them to get it wrong[/FONT]
[FONT="]As it is the Property has an incentive to use a really silly rate, so that in the second currency (here Euros), it looks cheaper. They then charge what they were going to charge in ISK, but we dont know what that is.[/FONT]
[FONT="]I have raised this with Booking.com who offered us 25 Euros for all the calls and messing about but that isnt really my point as they havent addressed my complaint beyond saying - we do not have any control over the exchange rate!-. [/FONT]
[FONT="]This is true, however I am suggesting that they SHOULD have that control. Either that or show the advertised rate (in whatever currency they choose to operate) AND the currency in which it is to be charged.[/FONT]
[FONT="]My concern put quite simply is that if you have no control of the Exchange Rate and advertise holidays in a currency other the currency in which it will be charged, then you are guilty of FALSE ADVERTISING and MISSELLING. Even more, they are incentivising the Property Owner to cheat the system by advertising at low prices but charging at a higher price.[/FONT]
Do people agree with me or am I just being daft??
Do you agree (with me)? 2 votes
Yes
50%
1 vote
No
50%
1 vote
Don't know
0%
You are boring me
0%
0
Comments
-
They should have told you before booking how much you were to be charged and in which currency.
What's the name of the hotel?0 -
It is Room With A View, In Reykjavik, they advertise in Euros, but tell you the amount will be charged in Iceland Krone. Cheers, PetGri0
-
You are not stating some important points.
If you try to book direct via their website you are directed to booking.com.
So it appears there is some sort of sales agreement, which may be exclusive.
If you try to select ISK as the currency on the right hand side, it is not listed.
If you select GBP as the currency it books you in EUR.
So the default currency is EUR and this is also booking.coms as they are based in Holland.
It is all about booking.com making things easy for them to charge and collect their commission as a percentage in Euros.Posts are not advice and must not be relied upon.0 -
Booking.com tells you the currency you will be charged which is almost always the hotels currencyI’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Quick Grabbit, Freebies, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning and the UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards.
If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
heatherw_01 wrote: »Booking.com tells you the currency you will be charged which is almost always the hotels currency
In this instance it is not and booking.com force the transaction in Euros , see post #4Posts are not advice and must not be relied upon.0 -
In this instance it is not and booking.com force the transaction in Euros , see post #4
hmm that's very strange then as yes its usually paid for in the hotel currency.
Yes their booking.com saysAlthough all rates are quoted in EUR, please note that charges will be made in ISK according to the exchange rate on the day that the charge is made.
Very oddI’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Quick Grabbit, Freebies, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning and the UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards.
If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
Try and book in ISK https://www.booking.com/hotel/is/room-with-a-view-reykjavik.html?aid=330843;lang=enPosts are not advice and must not be relied upon.0
-
FYI the rate displayed is not the currency taken anyway so even if you could select ISK, which you can't, it wouldn't mean that is what you would be charged as it is usually the hotel currency not what is displayed on booking.com
But it does clearly state they would bill in ISK which they haven't done.
It is the hotel that usually takes the money not booking.com, so they are the ones at fault here as far as I can tell.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Quick Grabbit, Freebies, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning and the UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards.
If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
Who is formulating the displayed price in Euros then?Posts are not advice and must not be relied upon.0
-
Hello there and thank you for your input.
My point is that although Booking.com advertise in Euros, by saying they are going to charge in ISK, you have to pay an exchange rate, then of course as we ultimately have to pay in £ sterling, we are paying two exchange rates. I don't know if it is the hotel or Booking.com that convert into ISK, but booking.com say they don't have anything to do with exchange rates. If it is the Hotel, and they have free choice on how to convert, then they can use a silly rate (like changing at an airport!) which makes the price look cheaper in Euros.
I think overall the holiday cost about 3% more than we were expecting, which as we were booing for 5 couples was about 90 Euros.
The net result0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 607.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173K Life & Family
- 247.8K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards