Bookings.com refunds

[Broadcaster]

My daughter had flights to Japan cancelled by the airline two days before she was due to travel. She then needed to contact to bookings.com to cancel hotel/apartment bookings. Booking.com advised her to contact the hotel/apartment owners directly and if she couldn't get a full refund from them bookings would refund the balance.

As her travel time was cancelled so near the departure date, the hotel etc had already taken the full costs. She can't get a reply from the hotel or apartment so she informed bookings of the problem. They asked that she submit her bank statement showing the payments. This she did but bookings now say that as the name of the hotel and apartment are not named on the statement (debit card)they can't refund the money.

Surely the contract is with Bookings.com in the first place and they should have a trail of all such transaction as they have to deduct their commission from every booking. I don't understand why my daughter has to prove payments given they already have a record and would already have their commission deducted.

Is it reasonable for my daughter to request a copy of the payment transaction she made through Bookings.com so,that she can establish they have a record already and do not need her to prove she paid these amounts through their site several months ago. Any advice how best to proceed? Many thanks.

 

[XMarks]

Booking.com does not deduct it’s commission. It invoices the hotels so would not have a trail of payments. I am surprised they offered to refund her in the first place.

If the hotel is closed at the moment I am sure that they will refund your daughter once open.

As her flights were cancelled your daughter can claim her hotel costs through her travel insurance.

 

[Broadcaster]

Thanks Xmarks.
I do know of another person who received a partial refund from bookings.com. Now whether Bookings managed to convince the hotel to issue a refund but stated they were refunded if, I don't know.

If bookings.com invoiced the hotel already then they should have a record of that invoice which should show what commissions they are claiming. Surely it can't be that difficult to trace commissions payments. Any large company would have such details on a spread sheet at the very least. How else could they keep tracked each payment.

I do believe her contract was initially with bookings so they have some responsibility. If we take an example of buying something in a shop, your contract is with the shop not the manufacturer of the item. It's up to the shop to ensure the item is either replaced or repaired etc.

Anyway, time will tell with this one.

 

[Leo]

Do they have travel insurance? Might be the best approach, if the hotel was open for business, legally speaking the airline cancelling flights isn't their fault.

 

[Broadcaster]

Do they have travel insurance? Might be the best approach, if the hotel was open for business, legally speaking the airline cancelling flights isn't their fault.

Thanks Leo. Yes she does have travel insurance so she'll use that if all else fails.

 

[Broadcaster]

Just an update on the refund sought from bookings.com....after much coming and going my daughter insisted her contract was with bookings.com and not the owners of the accommodation so has now received a full refund. She was able to show an authentication number for bookings.com on her bank statement which was in turn provided by the bank.

I also notice that airlines that are sidestepping providing refunds are offering vouchers VALID for 12 months!!! What happened to the new law on vouchers ... aren't they supposed to be valid for 5 years?

 

[podgerodge]

I have had an excellent experience with booking.com in relation to a few bookings I had in the USA. Where booking.com took the payment directly for one booking, they refunded immediately when I clicked the new "cancellation" button for covid related issues. For another hotel, where the hotel had taken payment directly for 2 rooms, the hotel refunded (through booking.com) for 1 room There was a bit of back and forward, but booking.com were good on their communications and eventually I got the refund for the 2nd room.

For info, booking.com applied refunds to the booking.com "wallet", and I had to withdraw to my bank account.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

I got a text from booking.com about a booking I had prepaid for in the UK later this month.

"you may not be able to stay at the place you booked... Please check your cancellation options"

So I went to the website and dealt with an agent via Chat.

"I want to cancel the booking"
Agent:
Michael from Customer Service I am sorry to hear that you need to cancel your reservation.

We have some options for you. We made it easier to change your dates or choose a voucher for a future stay.

Changing dates is simple. Tell me any future dates (up to 2 years in the future) that you'd like to travel on, and we'll check availability for you. If the rates are different, I will check with you before confirming.

Vouchers are provided at the accommodation's discretion. If you'd prefer a voucher for the prepaid amount to use at Lensfield Hotel, let me know and I will check if they can provide one for you.

Me:
That is not acceptable. You have texted me to tell me you can't accommodate me. So please refund the booking fee. Thank you Brendan

Michael from Customer Service I was only offering alternative options. Your reservation has been cancelled and we have sent an email to the property and asked them to refund. It may take up to 30 days for the refund to process.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

And I got an immediate email from the Hotel confirming the cancellation with this note

Your booking has been successfully cancelled.

Please note: If any prepayment was charged, the property will contact you after cancellation to arrange a refund, new dates or a voucher for future stay.

I will wait and see if the cash arrives