J c.

Stay away from booking.com.

During a visit to Argentina in January I made a booking through Booking.com at the Hotel Los Naranjos in Ushuaia. The price showing on Booking.com's website for a single room was US$90 per night, which on my budget was reasonable.

After inserting personal and credit card details I then clicked through and was shocked to discover Booking.com had deducted double - US$180 - from my Visa account.

When I checked in, the hotel receptionist said this happened before with Booking.com customers. As recompense the manager offered me a "free" breakfast, which was not included in the price, and transport to the airport. I declined both.

For the last month I have been completely stonewalled by Booking.com who refuse point blank consider a refund of the US$90 overpayment unless I can provide them with a screenshot of the web page when I made the booking.

How can I possibly produce a web page from many weeks ago which vanished into cyberspace's ether the moment I clicked to make the booking? And who prints off or saves the original web page anyway?

I have pointed out to Booking.com that Hotel Los Naranjos today still only charges US$90 per night maximum. This price is stated prominently on the desk in the hotel lobby.

Also no-one would choose to pay US$180 per night for what frankly is a very modest hotel in the remotest part of Tierra del Fuego.

After decades of consumer law I am astonished companies like Booking.com can use such stalling tactics to fob off customers in the hope perhaps they will drop their claim for a refund. Shame on them.

JOHN COOKSON