A costly online hotel booking cautionary tale (article)

Quite interesting, thx for posting. What a nightmare!

What a fiasco, and that hotel is acting completely unethical in light that they are closed. I hope she continues to pursue this.

That is beyond horrible. Mistakes happen at times to all of us and there should be some grace period. I never store my credit card with any online vendor and I will definitely think twice (or thrice) before using an online booking platform like booking.com.

Thanks for posting. This is exactly why I never use third-party booking platforms, and never book non-refundable anything that costs more than a few dollars or Euros.

I think I might be so mortified about what I had done that I would have eaten the money and not told anyone about it, much less someone who would write about my mistake and publish my name (assuming it's her real name) in a newletter that hundreds of thousands of people read.

Another safeguard that the article doesn’t mention is that you can filter on “free cancellation” just like filters for rating levels, distance from the center of the city, etc.

I did have a nonrefundable reservation once where I made a mistake and booked May 2 instead of June 2 - the trip was during those two months. I sent the hotel (Hilton Rome Airport Hotel) an explanation of my mistake through the Booking messages, and they cancelled it, and I immediately booked the right date.

Titiwangsa One Paddington obviously has no integrity.

UPDATE:: I thought about this last night because I book a lot of lodging on Booking.com. I have at least a dozen reserved right now. I mentally walked through all of the steps required to make a reservation. There are several spots where she could have backed out: between finding a place, seeing the price, affirming the total price, clicking the choice whether you are traveling or you’re doing this for someone else, entering what time you will arrive or “don’t know, yet” option, entering the short digit code of your stored cc and then “pay”.

Wow. Shaking my head after reading The Points Guy article. The article has several valuable lessons to learn from this. I especially like the one about not storing your credit card information for convenience with companies you do online business with. This one annoys me because many companies have this box to store credit card numbers checked and make the customer have to uncheck it to not have it stored.

Many readers of this site like booking.com but I think it is ridiculous not to have a short grace period to cancel especially if you make a mistake when interfacing with a website. I learned to check and double check but I have learned from relatives who have made mistakes when booking plane tickets online. At least with the airlines if you catch the mistake early you have a way to correct it.

I'd be sick if that had happened to me, but it could have happened on a hotel's own website if the traveler had her credit card number stored there.

I'm going to go to booking.com and see whether I have a credit card stored there; I usually don't do that, but if you use a website a lot, it's easy to slip up one time.

Wow, horrible story! Thank you for sharing.

The article reinforced my low opinion of booking.com and third parties that insert themselves in general.

I don't store payment information on sites. When shopping accommodations I don't immediately sign into accounts, browse options incognito mode or on a browser like Duck-Duck-Go, and use a nom de guerre for dummy booking to check prices.

I'm going to go to booking.com and see whether I have a credit card stored there; I usually don't do that, but if you use a website a lot, it's easy to slip up one time.

Ditto, I checked this one myself. One bad day and end up with this much debt? That's just crazy. I think most hotels would be understanding, but this one most likely knew that they were closing and just thought her money would be a nice bonus. Morally wrong, but legal.

And as stated in the article, it was not booking.com that was unreasonable, but the hotel. It was the hotel's terms and their unwillingness to make an exception to those terms. Booking.com does not have the ability to change a hotel's cancellation policy.

not storing your credit card information .... with companies you do online business with

Perfect example of why not to do that.

As i was reading the early part I was wondering how her card got charged if she was 'just looking'.
Being "signed in" with a live credit card didn't occur to me.

Definitely a slimeball hotel operator.

It's certainly a cautionary tale on so many levels, but mostly "pay attention!" I do occasionally book via booking.com (for lots of reasons, including cancellation policies, pricing, availability, etc) but man, I double and triple check before I hit "Book It." I am still puzzled over how one would inadvertently book 70 (!!) nights at a hotel, but hey, stuff happens I guess. I think that both booking.com and the credit card company seemed pretty gentle, even apologetic, in informing the customer that this wasn't fraud and there wasn't much they could do. But a pretty big OUCH regardless.

I do searches and comparisons on booking.com all the time and do not understand how that could have happened. To book, you have to select the number of rooms (it's set to 0 by default) and click "I'll reserve". It's not possible to do it accidentally. And you don't need to select number of rooms to see the rates.

I also tried to what the lady in the article did - change currency- the only thing that happened is that the price is now shown in a different one. No automatic booking.

She didn't tell the whole truth. I would have been millions in debt by now if accidental bookings were that easy.

Thanks, I too try to book directly but for similar reasons sometimes need to use booking.com. I just checked to make sure my credit card is not saved.

She didn't tell the whole truth.

Yeah, something isn't quite right and a bit off with this.

But, to me booking.com isnt an innocent party. It charges commissions and fees to the vendors placing listings on its site and has a vested interest in the transaction.

Heather McKay, the subject of the article, may have to live with her mistake, but booking.com has T&Cs/policy for vendors on its site and if booking.com truly found the incident unfortunate it could easily establish a policy creating something like a 24 hour grace period on non-refundable pre-paid bookings.

I think the article indicated that booking.com did extend a small credit to the customer. But reading between the lines, seems that the credit card company and booking.com both investigated and came to the same conclusion - the customer legit booked the room, despite all the usual checkpoints in the process. I mean, she had to have blown by all the "are you sure" screens - picking the number of rooms, as stated above; reviewing the details; picking to pay now or at the hotel if offered, etc; entering or approving the card used; and at least one "book now" and/or "pay" button.

Heather McKay is called Holly Sullivan on Trip Advisor.

Also there is nothing on the Hotel Website or social media to suggest that they are closed.

I've used booking.com plenty of times and don't understand how such an accident could happen, live credit card or not.

I'm not sure what is wrong with this story. There is some truth there somewhere, but also some apparent embellishment going on. Which, maybe both, of these names, is made up?

Interesting problem. I wasn't clear on who exactly the credit card company paid directly. Was it the hotel or Booking.com? If it was the hotel, then the chances of getting the money back is nil because the credit card company is right and it looks like the hotel owner is laying low with 9k. If it is Booking, they should make good on the situation just to avoid the bad press. Sounds like technically for the traveler, all parties have covered themselves with terms and conditions.

Stored CC are a problem because once you make a mistake and hit the wrong button, the transaction automatically just flies through the system. It is too bad she cancelled because otherwise she could have shown up at the hotel and if they were closed, she would have had a case to get her money back more easily.

I also don't think this is a third party issue. She could have just as easily booked direct with the hotel with the same terms and got stiffed the same.

https://partner.booking.com/en-us/help/policies-payments/payment-products/how-much-payments-bookingcom-costs

This was a review left a year ago on the hotel on Google and the owner's response. Quite interesting. Sounds like the attitude is quite the same. "No refund for you, next!"

Due to a personal emergency I had to cancel literally one hour after booking and they refused me any refund. I was charged the entire amount. I understand the need to protect cancellations but it was a mere hour after booking. It seems really greedy and not cool at all. Orator

Response from the owner a year ago: Dear orator, the booking has been made through a third-party platform, and most have their cancellation policy and terms and conditions. You may get a reasonable price from them if you place your booking on None refundable. However, there also fully refundable with a bit more on cost, on that, will gives you the option of a full refund. Next time it's better to book directly with us rather than using third-party platforms. You can contact us as you search for writing—this feedback.

Sorry, I use Booking.com often, and I am just baffled how one can do what she claims to have done. If you have used Booking you know the steps, once you find a place, total price is displayed for the length of the stay as well as any included/excluded cost, All costs are clearly displayed on this screen, then you need to select a room option, and your next move to go to another screen is a big Blue button saying "I'll Reserve", which takes you to another screen to add additional info (Name, address, etc.), Then click another button labeled "Next: Final Details" to the payment screen and if you store your card on the site, one more click to reserve. If you do not have your CC information in the system, then you would need to input the info, and hit the same button to reserve, it is no additional steps.

So she said, yeah, "I want to reserve", then said again, "yes, I want to reserve", and said a third time "here's payment" then is shocked to find out she reserved and paid! Where she got the idea that by clicking a button it would tell her the cost in USD, confuses me as well, you can select your currency as default, all prices are displayed in your home currency, then on the very last page, they will indicate whether payment is due in local currency, and the amount, or if Booking will handle the payment in USD for the price quoted. This was not a case of making a "simple" mistake, she made a rather complicated mistake.

Basically, it is not one click to reserve, and having your CC info stored played little role in my opinion, you simply cannot err that bad and expect that to be a saving grace, it is not Amazon "one click to buy".

My advice? Sure compare prices to other sites and the hotel itself, but that was not an issue here, Two, forget non-refundable bookings on any platform. Whenever I read theses travel horror stories, it starts with someone trying to save a couple Dollars by going "Non-Refundable". Do yourself a favor, understand what "non-refundable" means, I will do it with Airfare, when I know I can make changes and/or get a credit (like Delta), or when I knowingly take the risk (Train ticket or budget airfare) and even with a hotel on Booking.com, usually when I am heading to, or in that town.

Could the Hotel, or Booking.com handled it better? Sure, but how generous does a business always have to be when they clearly state the terms? A "24 hour grace period"? sure, but then the story would be how she was just out of the grace period and the hotel refused.

As noted by many honest, observant, and well-informed posters above, something is fishy with this story. Half-truths, critical details omitted, and more.

The website in question (not booking dot com – the website pushing this clickbait narrative) is not a trustworthy source. It's social media masquerading as a "travel" website, and it's well known for telling half-truths, omitting key facts, and pushing outright lies, all designed to trick innocent users to further its own agenda (its agenda is not to "help" or "inform" anyone - it's to monetize naive readers). I would believe nothing from this source - it's fundamentally dishonest at its core.

I have credit cards on file with booking dot com (I see no reason to remove them) and I see no way this episode could have happened as described - there's something missing - something critical. Which is 100% typical of that website. In case you haven't noticed, we live in the age of disinformation - remember that that when you see anything online that pushes your buttons.

the whole thing could be completely fabricated but still offers lessons in paying attention, and the limits of what credit card companies and third-party booking sites can do to fix whatever dumb mistake you made.

I love a good caper. Heather McKay claims she needed to see what the cost of the hotel would be in US dollars. BUZZ...Sorry, when you go on to Booking.com in the US, prices are shown in US dollars. More importantly, when you put in your check-in date and your check out date, your grand total is shown for that total period of time...BUZZ.

As others have pointed out, you first have to select the number of rooms before you can hit the "I'll Reserve" button because it defaults to zero...BUZZ

If you hit the "I'll Reserve" button, you have agreed to that reservation. So, operator error if Heather is real. What did Heather think "I'll Reserve" meant?

The hotel now has a new name. "Putera Puteri Residence" same address and is still on Booking.com and only offers non-refundable room reservations. It is marked as a "New to Booking.com". This hotel is probably just waiting for someone to hit the "I'll Reserve" by accident because they know they are covered by all the rules.

What a horrible story. I don't get how it could have been booked, though, without the cvv/cvc code. I don't store my credit card information on a particular site but the card information pops up on my phone when I make a purchase. I choose which card I want to use. However, it never authorizes without the 3-digit code (or 4-digit for Amex). I live in the EU, though. Not sure of that makes difference.

I don't get how it could have been booked, though, without the cvv/cvc code.

That is part of the problem with the story, on the Booking.com site, the booking process is actually several screens, and even if your base card information is stored, the CVC is not, you have to enter it. The person made a non-refundable purchase, and was surprised to find that it was non-refundable.

I wonder how often this sort of hosing people who mistake-click on Booking.com happens?

I suspect often enough for it to be worth it to a lower level class action attorney. Which would certainly have a regulatory effect. I mean reasonably there ought to be some grace for simple mistakes.

I’ll just comment on using the non- refundable option in any situation. I have done that twice when the unimaginable happened, and I lost my money. So, never again. Once was when we were to fly out of Dulles airport. Hurricane Irene slammed into the D.C. area the night before, and all flights were cancelled. I am no fan of big corporations, but I must say that Delta acted admirably. They rebooked us at no charge and found us very good lodgings at a cut rate price. Not so our hotel in Madrid. We just lost our $300.
I don’t remember the details of our other experience, but twice was enough to convince me to avoid non-canceable reservations.

The unimaginable can happen. If the amount involved is substantial, buy travel insurance. Otherwise, resist the temptation of a lower price; and just pay a bit more.

I really don't see why booking.com has any more obligation to allow cancellation of a non-refundable hotel reservation than a hotel does. I wouldn't expect either one to let me off the hook. In some cases exceptions are made, and it's probably more likely to happen if you don't have a middleman (booking.com in this instance) in the middle of the transaction, but choosing a less-expensive option and expecting the same grace you'd be entitled to with a regular booking is not likely to end well.

I know it's different for me, because I travel on the cheap and am low-maintenance where hotels are concerned, but I don't understand the problem with booking a cancellable room at a lodging you can actually afford rather than opting for a fancier place that's only affordable to you if you go with the non-refundable reservation.

"I wonder how often this sort of hosing people who mistake-click on Booking.com happens?"

Unless other versions of Booking are very different, then I expect it will happen very little. As others have said, if I want to book by Booking, I need to enter my CVV/CVC even when my credit card is in the system. Is that not a thing in America? And if it is, how did this numpty miss it?

I think you're right, Nick, but it has been a while since I made a reservation on booking.com. I'm very, very careful with hotel reservations in general, because those non-refundable options are all over the place. I've never had the impression it was quick to complete a reservation on booking.com, so this particular complaint seems based on out-and-out user error to me.

Something is very strange about this. The place she booked was Titiwangsa One Paddington. On the Points Guy article there is a big block asking “Is Titiwangsa One out of business?” With a photo of the building and the address of 190 Sussex Gardens, and the note “temporarily closed”. As Threadwear notes, the place has now been re -named to Putera Puteri Residence.

You can see the same building on Google maps Streetview at 190 Sussex Gardens. Google says there are two businesses at that site: Bonda Kitchen and Studio One in Paddington. The latter has photos that look like the apartment shown on the (now defunct but still up) Titiwangsa One website.

The website for Putera Puteri Residence lists several different styles of apartments, and is accepting bookings (I started a dummy one for May just to see). They claim to have an on-site Malaysian Restaurant they call “PP Cafe”, and have a photo of the restaurant on their main page. The photo shows a restaurant named Putera Puteri.

https://www.puteraputeriresidence.com/

“PP Cafe” does not exist (no place with that name could) but there is a Putera Puteri Malaysian restaurant 3/4 mile away, at 179 Queensway. It is the same place shown in the photo on the “Residence” website.

https://www.puteraputeri.com/

You can see this on Google Street View as well, although it is partially screened by trees, and the tram stop in front. But it is clearly the place the “Residence” claims is their “on site” restaurant.

So Titiwangsa One took the woman’s non-refundable booking, refuses to return it, and then closed down. Now they have re-opened under their new name and are accepting new bookings, both on their own website and through booking.com. And they advertise their “on-site” restaurant (sharing the same name) that is actually 3/4 mile away.

What’s wrong with this picture? If this place is the scam it appears to be, booking.com needs to do something about this.

Not only should they not be listed on Booking.com but the fraud agency in London needs to go after them. It sounds like the booking was fraudulent from the beginning.

Also, I assume her credit card was already saved on booking.com-otherwise how would they have been able to charge her? Definitely don't save your credit card to this kind of site.

One of that advantages of being a po-boy is that I don't have a credit card with a limit high enough to get into such trouble.

"PP Cafe” does not exist (no place with that name could)"

There is a Malaysian casual restaurant in that building, in the basement down the steps. I've been there many times - it's known to be very authentic, popular with Malaysian students etc. Can't remember what it's called, but it's been there for at least 20 years.

That must be the Bonda Kitchen that Google maps shows at that address. But in any case it is not the Putera Puteri restaurant that the Residence shows in the photo on their website.