I don't think this is new, but a couple of recent news articles about problem bookings with booking.com. It makes you question whether there aught to be some sort of regulation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/taylor-swift-fan-booking-com-rental-cancellation-1.7193442
Both happened to me. I booked a place in New Zealand, and a few hours later, I was contacted that the reservation was cancelled. I later saw the property relisted.
I also booked a place in Seattle that a few days later it became obvious that it was a fake booking. For a couple months booking said it was legit. Finally, I decided I was done with booking and made other arrangements. While in Seattle, I walked over to the condo building that was shown in the booking photo and asked if any of the units was being rented through booking. I was told there were four units, none of them being used for short term rental.
I use them for scoping out possibilities and I'm trying to avoid using them.
And that is why I don't use them. Quite frankly, I don't even use them to search for properties. I've always had success using Google, the forum here, and guidebooks.
KB, thanks for the heads-up. Just as balancing info, I've used booking.com many times and had good experiences. I find it very user friendly, gives clear info about (my) ability to cancel, and I find the user reviews extremely helpful.
But always good to be aware of possible pitfalls. Happy travels!
I like using it to identify and compare candidates, because it has useful filters and (supposedly at least) genuine reviews. But I always book directly with the hotel, and I don't think I've ever had to pay more doing that.
