“Booking.com is the worse site to book a flight and their customer service is terrible!!!!
I was looking a flight to CA and everything seemed going well until I hit the booking key. A message came out saying there is not more seats with this price. So I started the process again but before I booked the flight with the same exact price, time and destination, I decide to look in my bank account to see if I was charged and yes they took the money out of my account for the first flight that was not booked according to them. I contacted the customer service by email because they didn't have customer service phone number. I gave them all the information and they sent me a number to call. I called 3 times and I could NOT, for the life of me, get through to anyone because I didn't have confirmation number. I have spent so far 1.5 hr to resolve this and I am out of money and out of ticket. Stay away from this website... it is terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“excellent hotel stayd 2nights lovely bedroom very oog breakfast
nice lounge/bar excellent staff frienddly and helpful
Syd and Jill 9th/10th July 2024”
“Booking.com charged unauthorized commissions every month, starting:
May 17, 24 $173.37
Jun 17 $225.58
Jul 17 $222.24
I had advised booking.com that I had a flood and we are putting in new flooring and painting the whole condo. We could not accommodate anyone.
On Jan. 19, they overcharged commission:
Should be $119.37, but charged $137.07”
“Booking.com's Vulnerabilities are Harming Hosts and They Don't Care About it.
My first experience as a host (referred to by Booking.com as partners) has been the worst experience I’ve had with any business in my entire life. In mid-March of 2024, I had a guest who took advantage of Booking.com’s many inadequacies to make an unpaid booking using someone else’s identity. These criminals partied and ransacked my house over a period of 2 days, even going as far as to try backing a Budget Rental Car into my backyard to try cleaning out my entire house. The only reason they didn’t succeed is because they ran it into my deck railing and the side of my house. We found crack cocaine on the coffee table, burnt spoons, blood in the kitchen, and rubbing alcohol for needle injections. The total cost of theft & damages from this nightmare have worked out to $5683.
I had to call Booking.com more than 10 times before I received helpful information from one of the Booking.com managers on the existence of a damage request option for dire situations like this. I was told by a Booking.com Manager that I would be entitled to almost the entire damage/theft amount if I provided a list of the damages with images and the police report. I provided all of this information and have received nothing.
I have a police report with the Ontario Provincial Police (E240317269), time and dates of my call with Booking.com management, audio recordings of my call with Booking.com management, and a comprehensive document outlining images of the theft & damage images taken immediately on the morning of the theft (I have time stamps for these photos available upon request as well).
Booking.com underplayed the guests’ lack of history on Booking.com. Booking.com noted that the guest joined within the last year and “completed 1-2 trips”. After weeks of trying to get more information on the guest, an employee advised that the guest had only created their account a few days prior to their booking at my property and had only commenced their first trip 1 day prior to their booking with me. Their first booking was not even completed by the time of their reservation at my property. They did not specify any of this on the guest profile, and I simply would not have accepted this request or would have cancelled the booking if I knew that the guest had just created their account 1 day before making their same-day booking.
Booking.com also has their default setting for new listings set to Instant Book instead of Request to Book, which is extremely dangerous for new Booking.com hosts. This eliminated the opportunity for me to properly review the guest profile before accepting the request They also did not verify this person’s identity like some other travel platforms (Airbnb etc.) do, and this allowed this criminal to use another person’s identity. This is another poor practice that puts their hosts at risk.
In the following weeks, I also was advised by other employees that this same guest has 2 other misconducts at other local booking.com stays within 90-minute drive from me. It is clear that this organized crime ring has specifically targeted new Booking.com properties because of the vulnerabilities that they know the Booking.com platform has.
Booking.com should absolutely be responsible for these losses as their poor guest vetting, misleading guest insights and default Instant Book setting is what allowed this criminal to create a fake account, target new Booking.com listings and book instantly without a chance for hosts to approve or decline the guest.
I have already left a review on TrustPilot and plan on taking this to other platforms and news outlets if I’m not reimbursed for the losses I’ve incurred. The total referenced above also does not include the $320 in rent that was never paid to me by the guest. Given that we’re now in contact with the police and the other targeted booking.com owners, this has potential to become a much bigger problem for Booking.com if not resolved. It would be appalling not to take responsibility for the people you call your “partners’.
Booking.com is clearly not doing enough to vet their guests and it’s costing their “Partners”.
This whole situation has given me a stronger appreciation for platforms like Airbnb and VRBO that care more about their hosts. If they don’t prove that they care about their “Partners” by taking financial responsibility for this, then I strongly caution any prospective host to avoid using Booking.com.
Anthony”
“With every passing day, this company and its customer service is just alarmingly becoming shoddy! No one reality is willing to work here or help customers solve issues. Extremely high number of errors, untrained employees in service and awful response rates. Even the app is getting terrible now. Guess this is what happens when a company tries to grow too fast replacing the “customer “ from the heart of its business with “profits”. Try avoiding using them if you love peace of mind over frustration. Choose airbnb, hotels.com or the like but I strongly advise against them! Now the call is yours!”
“I have booked the apartment through this website.
I made International transfer, however no confirmation letter, no Pin code.
Called and emailed about the situation, no luck.
No feedback contact about the issue.
No help and very poor service.
No one helps me to understand my reservation is valid or I lost the money.
Seems this website helps scammer to rob money.”
“The worst! Tried to charge my CC to times!
Sent a message stating " your all booked " then asks for CC information again! Called hotel directly and room reservation was easy and cheaper than using the site. Do Not Use!”
“Word of caution if you are thinking of using the Booking.com taxi service between airport and accommodation, especially if outside normal working hours. I had a confirmed booking to Porto airport at 5am. Driver and car never arrived. Telephone contact number an answer machine only in the Portuguese language. Not easy to find an alternative taxi that time in the morning. Only just avoided missing the flight. Contacted customer service when arrived home - distinct lack of genuine concern and appreciation of potential consequence of missed flight. I paid through the nose for alternative taxi but it’s not about the money. It’s about reliability and trust. No thanks, I don’t want 10% discount on my next booking because there won’t be another booking, neither taxi, hotel nor any other service that you offer.”
“Je suis vraiment déçue j’ai loué et payé un véhicule via l’application booking.com
Que j’ai payé 400$ rendu à miami chez boutique rent a car l’agent refuse de me donner la voiture et me propose une à 1300$ je refuse il ne veut pas me rembourser et booking refuse aussi de me rembourser .. j’ai du louer un autre véhicule à 1000$ vraiment de l’arnaque ces sites et ces agences de voitures .. vraiment fâché révoltant .. vous aurez la publicité que vous méritez .. pure arnaque et ça sera ma dernière commande sur ce site ..”
“My story began on September 13, 2023. Made flight reservations through Booking flying from IAH-Houston to Rome. Confirmation 40-30092****9. **A second outbreak of COVID was announced in Rome. As a result, we had to cancel our reservations. WHAT HAPPENED TO HAVING TO WORK WITH COVID related situations/cancellations/re-scheduling??? BOOKING IS DEFINITELY NOT ABIDING BY THE MANDATED GUIDELINES!! Fast forward to today, July 26, 2023: STILL NOTHING HAVE NOT BEEN REFUNDED. DOES IT REALLY TAKE 10 MONTHS FOR BOOKING PERSONNEL AND "THE TEAM" TO GET THIS RESOLVED?? In fact, we were told we would only get a refund of $1050 instead of the over $2700 we initially purchased the tickets! We have been attempting to place the (fiction) $1000+ "credit" to new flights. We are too tired and frustrated to continue to keep trying to deal with BOOKING. SINCE SEPT. 2023, TO DATE JULY 2023, WE HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND EACH PERSON OFFERS ONE EXCUSE OR ANOTHER ON WHY THE SITUATION CAN NOT BE SETTLED. WE HAVE BEEN AND FOLLOWED SEVERAL DIFFERENT INSTRUCTION FROM THE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM BOOKING, AND STILL NOTHING HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. JUST THIS MORNING I HAVE SPOKEN WITH GEORGE, GINA AND ADITYA AND EACH GAVE DIFFERENT INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH I FOLLOWED AND STILL GOT NOTHING ACCOMPLISHED. THE PERSONNEL ARE SIMPLY A REFLECTION OF THE CROOKED AND UNETHICAL "MANAGEMENT TEAM" FROM THE NETHERLANDS AND (WORST YET) IN THE U.S. I sent a complaint to BBB in U.S., which was returned stating that BOOKING in the U.S. filed bankruptcy and no longer exists in the U.S. Today, Friday, July 28, 2003, we discovered that BOOKING took the charges from my credit and purchased the tickets through a Swedish! Now, I know why the GOTOGATE will not reimburse us even we purchased insurance through them. Additionally, now we know why at times BOOKING reps. say they have no record. Now we know why BOOKING refers us to GOTOGATE and the airlines; and, why GOTOGATE and the airlines refers us to BOOKING. All we want is to be reimbursed for the original investment with BOOKING.
BOOKING.COM CORPORATE OFFICE-NETHERLANDS
HERENGRACHT 597
1017 CE
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS”
“THIS COMPANY IS REAL SCAMMER. BECAREFULL ABOUT YOUR CARD INFORMATION. THEY ROB YOU IN THE DAY LIGHT. YOU JUST CAN DO NOTHING. IT NEEDS A GLOBAL EFFORT TO STOP THEM. THEY ARE MODERN PIRATES. PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE TO SUE THESE SCAMMERS.”
“DO NOT USE BOOKING.COM!!
If you have any issues with the hotel you will never get your money back! Probably the worst customer service I have ever experienced!
I booked a room for 3 nights and even thought it says you can pay at the hotel, there was no way to reserve without adding your payment method. When I got to the hotel and checked in, the room was unacceptable. There were ROACHES in the bathroom and the tub was leaking. I went down and the very nice manager understood my concerns and agreed to cancel my reservation.
But since I booked through a 3rd party, the cancellation would need to go through them. I called and explained the roach situation only to be told that my confirmation email clearly stated that the payment was collected through another company and there was nothing that booking.com would do to help. I pointed out that since the email with this very important information is sent AFTER they take your money it feels like a scam.
I have tried to get my money back every way possible but because of this site structures it’s payment collection it is impossible to get this resolved.
Their customer service was horrible and honestly it all feels like it’s designed this way. Extremely shady business bordering on theft.
WORST COMPANY EVER!!!”
“Ok… made my reservation and had a can cancel 3 days before. I cancelled a week before on their email about upcoming trip…
Got charged anyway… can’t get ahold of anyone- hotel and all just flip you back and forth and I cannot get anybody to help. I cancelled because my husband had surgery but these gigantic turds are obviously just gonna make it impossible for me to get my refund!!!! 😡🤬😤 I WILL NEVER USE THEM AGAIN AND WILL ADVISE ANYONE ELSE TOO— EVEN IF U DO THE RIGHT THING YOULL STILL GET RIPPED if you have a change in plans.
VERY DISTURBED ABOUT THE INJUSTICE!!!
R.W.”
“I am in El Paso working i booked a airbnb through booking. Com they showed me a nice room in El Paso only to find out after i paid them that the room was in Mexico i ask them to cancel the room but didn't get refunded my money i talk a worker that told me they were a manager which was a lie that i would be refunded my money in 7 to 10 days only for that not to happen i am on the phone with them as i am making this review i am being told that i am waiting on a manager now i am about to find out how i can start a class action lawsuit i will be getting in contact with some good lawyers in my area once i get it all together i will be posting it on all media sites for all those that have been screwed over by this scam of a company”
“I got a notice that my flight reservations had been confirmed. Then NO further contact!! I need to know what my flight codes are!!! I cannot get in contact with ANYONE! I believe this company is a SCAM!.. and I have NO FLIGHT TO MY FRIENDS FUNERAL!!”
“Thousands of dollars of fraudulent charges from booking.com and there are zero ways to contact a live person. Even after contacting them through their portal and responding to their automated reply, they refused to call me or help in any way to figure out how this happened twice with their company and how to stop it. Irresponsible isn't even the word...”
