Requesting Apartment Compensation

What a disappointing experience for you! Where I don't have any advice, I appreciate you sharing that you were told you should have simply refused to stay due to conditions if you wanted to dispute the transaction. That information may help others if they find themselves in something similar.

Don’t waste more time, just write it off to experience and stay in a hotel next trip.

I can’t even begin to count how many horror storiesof booking.com apartments I have read in the past few years

I’m sure they’re fine to book hotels, but stories like this have guaranteed that I will never book an apartment via them

Awful situation. However, I think so often the outcome is not based on the "right thing to do" but on some work around so they don't have to compensate you. I think the biggest take home lesson for everyone here is to absolutely not "move in" to unacceptable accommodations, because clearly CapitalOne and booking.com now say you paid for 3 nights and got 3 nights. Booking.com (after receiving proof of condition, ie. photos) should have taken some sort of action for you such as find other accommodations whether or not the property owner responded. Very unfortunate. Don't give up on seeking compensation in some form.

I’m sorry, that was awful for you.
I have rented many apartments through booking.com over 20 years, and the worst thing was a blocked shower drain or two.
Don’t give up trying to get compensation .
Let us know how things turn out.

Going to take your advice and move on. Thanks.

Booking did offer some compensation.

What an awful experience. To be honest, I'm surprised you stayed in the apartment. I had a similar experience, although not nearly as bad as yours, with an Airbnb apartment, but customer service took care of it for me. I just sent them a picture of the issue and gave them access to my messages with the host. They helped me find a new place, sent me a refund and followed up until I was settled in and satisfied. I've heard using booking.com is risky because they're essentially a third party, but it seems many people use them and don't have a problem. I'll be interested in how/if your credit card helps since I have a Cap One card as well. I'm sorry I have no helpful input, but thank you for sharing your experience.

I stayed as I had prepaid, unable to contact owner so could not move to another property even if he had one and was not going to take time out from touring to get another place. I felt with photos could deal with it when I got home. In dealing with the situation now, CapOne feels I got what I paid for in it being a roof over my head and 4 walls. They compensated me $1.67 (one dollar sixty seven cents), booking gave me 15% which I took.

With this posting, I am over this and moving on to prep for Italy April 5. Thanks for suggestions. Regards

Thanks for the update janet. I’m sorry it wasn’t resolved in a more satisfactory way, but I think you’re wise to put it behind you and move on.

Last July I booked a “newly-listed” Montreal apartment for the only available option—a non-refundable rate— through Booking.com. It was less expensive than other options. Remember the saying “If it seems too good to be true- it probably is.” Well. I checked back on the Booking website to look for subsequent reviews. Just a week before my stay was to start, the first review posted was shocking. The guest wrote the apartment was not the one in the photos, was not at the address it claimed to be but was on a busy boulevard with a front door that would not lock. It also was dirty and had plumbing problems. This unfortunate guy was staying there with his wife and young children. He wrote that he even contacted the Montreal police about the situation.

I contacted Booking.com by phone and informed them that it appeared the apartment was being fraudulently advertised and requested a cancellation and refund. Booking.com said they would contact the owner and request a refund based on the fact the apartment was not at the address the owner posted.

Fortunately, the owner “relented” ( or so I was told) and agreed to refund the entire payment. No need to litigate the matter through my bank.

Lesson learned— never book a place with no reviews and if there is a serious problem— do not stay even one night. There is a principal in real estate rental law that once you stay one night in a dirty apartment or a shabby hotel room you essentially have legally accepted its condition.

In looking later at other posted Montreal apartments supposedly in other locations— I saw the exact same impressive photos of the same apartment used in numerous listings with various addresses on Booking.com.

The principle of “Caveat Emptor” still applies even if it’s difficult to accomplish in the digital age.

janet_kupfer, I’m sorry this happened. I think you did the best you could and I appreciate your sharing your experience.

I am a long time Booking.com customer and still use it regularly, but there are definitely some downsides. Last year I posted this topic about an experience I had and the lessons I learned:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/booking-com-reservation-dispute-lessons-learned

Again, thanks to all for sharing their past experiences so that we can avoid some of the same pitfalls in the future.