Q: I recently booked a room at a resort in Kauai through Booking.com. The online agency worked with a third party that handled the reservation, but it didn’t come through. As a result, I didn’t have a place to stay. A person at the resort said that the organization had done the same thing to another family just days before.
I’ve sent multiple messages to Booking.com, but it hasn’t responded. I tried to resolve this by filing a credit card dispute, and my bank has refunded me temporarily. Still, I ended up incurring an additional $1,955 in hotel expenses. I would like help with holding Booking.com accountable. — Dale Cerney, Seattle
A: Booking.com says that the property, the Hanalei Bay Resort, was “unable to honor your reservation,” but it doesn’t say why. It looks like you did everything you could to make sure that you had a legitimate reservation.
People are also reading…
“We hope you’ve found an alternative accommodation without too much trouble,” a representative told you in an email. “We have been in touch with your original accommodation, and if you’ve had any extra costs, please send us the invoice of your new accommodation after your stay, and we’ll do our best to assist you.”
You should get a full refund for the first hotel once your credit card dispute finalizes. But when you presented Booking.com with a bill for the price differential between the original reservation and the new one, it didn’t immediately respond. And that’s when you asked me to help you get your $1,955 back.
You might have avoided a problem like this by booking directly with the resort. Although direct reservations can get lost, too, it’s far less likely to happen than when you book through a third-party agency.
You reached out to me for help, and I contacted Booking.com on your behalf. The company reviewed your case. “Booking.com customer service has been in touch with Dale, who will be receiving a refund for the extra costs incurred,” a representative told me.
Christopher Elliott
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.
