Q: I write to express my disappointment and distress with my recent experiences at Booking.com. I travel frequently, as do my wife and family. I always recommend Booking.com, and we all use it almost exclusively.
Recently, while traveling, I discovered two fraudulent attempts to make bookings on my account. I canceled them immediately and contacted customer service. A representative told me to change my password. I did this, yet the next time I tried to log in using my email address, I received a message that my account had been disabled.
I contacted Booking.com’s customer service. A representative assured me that the company was investigating the problem and that I should set up a new account and import my existing bookings.
I did this, but when I contacted Booking.com, a representative told me that I couldn’t import my existing bookings. Now I have another problem: I can’t reactivate my old account because I have too many cancellations. The only cancellations in recent history were the two fraudulent ones.
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I feel like I am being punished for reporting fraudulent behavior. Can you help me get my Booking.com account reinstated? — David Hendrick, Charlottesville, Virginia
A: Booking.com should have fixed your account without making you set up a new one, and it should have transferred your existing reservations.
You needed to appeal this above the chatbot level at Booking.com. A human being needed to review your case and figure out a way to fix it. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of those humans at Booking.com on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
I reached out to Booking.com. According to the company, it was a combination of your booking history and the fraudulent bookings that triggered the review of your account.
Booking.com disabled your account “to ensure your security.”
After I asked Booking.com for help, the company worked with you to find a way to secure your account.
Christopher Elliott
