Urgent Help needed.....

I booked a hotel in Iceland for myself, my ex, my son and his partner to celebrate their engagement. I also booked the flights separately. I thought I was booking direct with the hotel (I've stayed before) but struggled to find a way to book TWO rooms at the same time. I booked one twin, then went back in a few minutes later to discover that I had booked for the week before by accident.....

By this time, I discovered that a confirmation of the booking had been sent by email and it was from a booking agency i.e. BOOKING.NET I contacted them via their 'Can we help' link to ask them to change the dates to the correct ones on the that I had used for the SECOND booking (i.e. NOT CANCEL) within approximately 5-10 minutes of the initial booking.

My son and wife-to-be are booked in on the correct dates as is the flights but the agency is refusing to change the date of the booking insisting that I bought a 'NO CANCELLATION' deal and changing dates constitutes a cancellation. I have spoken to the credit card people to see if their Disputes team can help but have been advised they usually honour a providers Terms and Conditions. I have requested these from the Agency (couldn't remember 'ticking anything to say i agree' ) and they have simply sent back a copy of the selection with No Cancellation highlighted. The credit card Disputes Team have been sent copies of all correspondence and I hope to hear from them in the coming week.

I've offered to ditch the 'Free Breakfast' that came with the booking but they seem unlikely to agree from the tone of their correspondence. I tried to find out who Booking.NET is and discovered lots of past irate customer complaints on TripAdvisor.

Does anyone know if I have any legal redress because I'm not sure that this is covered by the Distance Selling Regs. I am not rich and this will be a major loss to me. I would welcome any advice you can offer.

Many thanks

MJay
:rotfl: Older and growing

Comments

  • Caz3121
    Caz3121 Posts: 15,534
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    edited 17 June 2018 at 6:08AM
    MJay wrote: »
    they usually honour a providers Terms and Conditions. I have requested these from the Agency (couldn't remember 'ticking anything to say i agree' )
    generally you cannot complete a booking without confirming you have read and agree with the T&Cs (although I guess many people may just confirm without reading!) what site did you book through?
  • Westin
    Westin Posts: 5,923
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    edited 16 June 2018 at 12:55PM
    The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 replaced the Distant Sales Regulations but this would not have covered you for this travel related purchase anyway.

    A section 75 claim from your credit card provider is also not appropriate or valid. It does not cover user error or disinclination of purchase.

    As caz3132 points out you will have agreed to the booking.net terms.

    You have booked a non-refundable, non-changeable rate. These are often the cheapest but as you have found out carry penalties and restrictions.


    The booking agent will be working to the cancellation terms set by the hotel for that particular room rate.

    The only thing I can suggest would be to talk nicely to the hotel to see if they will waiver the cancellation fee. Armed with that, then contact the booking agent and show that although a non-refundable rate that the hotel has agreed to waive the charge. Knowing that they themselves will not be charged may (possibly) be sufficient to have the reservation cancelled penalty free from hotel charges. The booking agent may however charge a small fee for their time/effort etc. Be prepared to eat humble pie and talk sweetly. They do not have to make any concession to you. Good luck.
  • MJay
    MJay Posts: 148
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    I've asked for a copy but what they have sent is merely the actual booking option saying "no cancellation" without any further detail.....

    I've always thought that you had better protection by paying with a credit card........ But didn't realise it did not apply to hotel bookings / holidays.

    An expensive lesson to learn...... I will have lost £860...... Gutted.
    :rotfl: Older and growing
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,550
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    MJay wrote: »
    I've asked for a copy but what they have sent is merely the actual booking option saying "no cancellation" without any further detail.....

    I've always thought that you had better protection by paying with a credit card........ But didn't realise it did not apply to hotel bookings / holidays.

    An expensive lesson to learn...... I will have lost £860...... Gutted.

    Section 75 credit card protection does apply to hotel bookings and holidays but, as already pointed out, it doesn't cover mistakes by you.
  • loskie
    loskie Posts: 1,761
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    why dont you contact the hotel directly and see if they will help
  • michele-p
    michele-p Posts: 813
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    could it be cheaper to see if you can change the flights to the date you have the hotel booked? Sometimes cheaper to buy new flights than try to change too.
  • bagand96
    bagand96 Posts: 6,058
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    Booking.net redirects to booking.com... is this who you booked with?

    Generally, booking.com operate slightly different to other agents and often it is not them taking payment, they collect your payment details but it is actually the hotel that charge you.

    It's definitely worth contacting the hotel directly. Explain it was an honest mistake, and point out you have a second room booked. Explain the situation and see if they are willing to do anything for you.
  • I'd also speak to hotel direct. Explain you're a family together and already have another room booked on the right dates, they may be nice and change, or at least do so for a small fee. You sound like you may have visited that hotel before from your original post? If so I'd mention that too, may be more likely to help a repeat customer.
  • MJay
    MJay Posts: 148
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    Thank you all for your advice. I have phoned the hotel who insisted it was down to Booking.Net. Booking.Net has named the person I!!!8217;ve spoken to as having the option to change the booking. I wrote to the person named and received a reply from what looks like an assistant saying they can do nothing and naming yet another company (not known to me) as the agency I have booked with..... I could change our flights but as tge second room is booked in tge correct dates, I would be in the same position I.e. they then wouldn!!!8217;t change THAT booking! I!!!8217;ve offered to pay the hotel the booking fee/ not have the included breakfasts.

    It looks very much like I!!!8217;m going to loose the whole cost of the wrong booking - unless the credit card company can work some magic. I Accept that I!!!8217;ve created the problem myself but feel created. I thought I was on the hotel!!!8217;s own website until I received the booking confirmation. If I had wanted to use a booking agency, I would have gone back to Booking.com - who I used last time. The biggest loss is my confidence in booking in the future. This experience has made me feel my age and vulnerability.

    Thanks again for your help. Will post if there is (by chance) any good news.

    Mary xx
    :rotfl: Older and growing
  • dawyldthing
    dawyldthing Posts: 3,438 Forumite
    Your other option is to keep both bookings but book a few days that will tie over so that you'll get to keep at least some of the dates so it won't cost you as much.

    So it makes sense (and this depends if the flights work out cheaper)

    Say first booking is 1st June to 8th June

    Second is 8th June to 15th June

    Make a seperate flight booking for say 4th to 11th. Sure it will cost you three nights accomodation and new flights but you'll still have some use of the original booking and have a few days to share the booking.

    Card protection is only for if you've been diddled like if you've booked something that doesn't exist rather than mistakes, but this would be some grace to the booking
    :T:T :beer: :beer::beer::beer: to the lil one :) :beer::beer::beer:
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