Booking.com complaint

gazza200
gazza200 Posts: 5 Forumite
in Consumer rights
Hello

I booked a room via booking.com n America but when I got to the hotel they had no record of me....!
The hotel was full so could not put us up...
As it was close to midnight booking.com could not find us a room through them but they found us a room in a motel miles away several miles away....
I have complained and they have offered travel expenses....
Is there an ombudsman for booking.com..?

Gazza200
«134

Comments

  • Fosterdog
    Fosterdog Posts: 4,948 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    What exactly do you need an ombudsman for? Typically an obudsman is used where there is a dispute, if they are reimbursing your costs then they are rectifying the problem so there is no dispute.
  • gazza200
    gazza200 Posts: 5 Forumite
    Thanks for your reply...

    My dispute is that I booked a lovely city center hotel...so we could walk about to places... and I ended up in a motel in the middle of nowhere and had to wait for transport wherever we went...if I book the Hilton and end up in a days inn, I am slightly peeved...
  • Westin
    Westin Posts: 5,938 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Have you considered that it was the hotel that was oversold? Far easier to tell a guest who arrives that they don’t have a reservation from an agency rather than to admit they have overbooked.
  • shaun_from_Africa
    shaun_from_Africa Posts: 12,858 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Westin wrote: »
    Have you considered that it was the hotel that was oversold? Far easier to tell a guest who arrives that they don’t have a reservation from an agency rather than to admit they have overbooked.


    It doesn't matter who the screw up was made by.
    The OP had a contract with Booking.com and if they didn't get a room in the hotel specified in that contract but ended up with lower quality accommodation in a different part of town to the area in which they wanted to stay then ultimately it's down to Booking.com to investigate any complaints and if necessary, issue a partial refund or give compensation for the lower standard of accommodation provided.
  • gazza200
    gazza200 Posts: 5 Forumite
    Well I have looked into it, and it appears there is no recourse if booking.com do not supply you with the hotel you have booked....I have just accepted their offer of the travel expenses, and they have made a goodwill gesture of 25 euros...but it is scant compensation for arriving at a hotel near midnight to be told there is no room and then also informed as because it is close to midnight.....they cannot book one for you either!
  • Keep_pedalling
    Keep_pedalling Posts: 16,599 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    American hotels are terrible for this, happened to me in San Francisco and Boston.
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,655 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
    Booking.com have a history of this and a pretty poor Customer Service to back it up. They're regularly featured in consumer pages of the weekend press. The Observer yesterday for example.
  • philippa_hitchborn
    philippa_hitchborn Posts: 2 Newbie
    This seems to be a regular problem and I had the same thing happen to me.


    I set up this page on Facebook, Booking.com stole my money to help the many customers that have had money stolen from booking.com so that we can work together to get our money back.
  • HaveAGo
    HaveAGo Posts: 30 Forumite
    Moral of story.......book direct.
  • Jumblebumble
    Jumblebumble Posts: 1,807 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    HaveAGo wrote: »
    Moral of story.......book direct.

    Does anyone really not contact the Hotel and ask if they have a booking in their name without giving any booking number soon after making a booking with an OTA?
    I always do!

    Perhaps they are the same people who go abroad with only a single credit card
    Jumble Bumble
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