Fake Booking.com reservation costs traveller about USD 2000

Dhaka: A traveller recently booked a room at the Hanalei Bay Resort resort in Kauai, an island in Hawaii of the United States, through Booking.com. The online agency worked with a third party that handled the reservation, however, it did not come through. As a result, the traveller did not have a place to stay. Reports cited a spokesman at the resort saying that the organisation had done the same thing to another family prior.

Reports further claimed that the traveller sent multiple messages to Booking.com, but it had not responded. He tried to resolve this by filing a credit card dispute and the bank had refunded him temporarily. Still, he ended up incurring an additional USD 1,955 in hotel expenses. He then sought help to hold Booking.com accountable, reports claimed.

As per reports, Booking.com said that the property was “unable to honour his reservation,” but it did not say why. It looked like he did everything he could to make sure that he had a legitimate reservation.

“We hope you’ve found an alternative accommodation without too much trouble,” a representative said in an email, as per reports, adding, “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.”

He should get a full refund for the first hotel once his credit card dispute finalises. However, when he presented Booking.com with a bill for the price differential between the original reservation and the new one, it did not immediately respond, mentioned reports. That is when he sought help to get his USD 1,955 back.

Eventually, Booking.com reviewed the case. “Booking.com customer service has been in touch with the traveller, who will be receiving a refund for the extra costs incurred,” a representative said, concluded reports.