Booking.comReviews 4,267

BEWARE - very few negative reviews make it onto the booking.com site due to the following dishonest practices by them; r
1. Negative reviews may be posted, but are then removed shortly after,
2. If you post one or two negative Feedbacks, booking. Com will then remove you from their automated emails seeking any further Feedbacks on future bookings,
3. It is impossible to provide feedback on bookings if booking.com remove you from their automated email feedback loop/s
It is sad that they feel that they need to seriously mislead and deceive their customers! We will not be using them again!

I booked at Booking.com not realizing that it wasn't a legitimate website. Here is the issue: Booking does not check into any of the people who post rental listings on its website. Moreover, it does not keep your information secure. Booking passes your credit card and personal information on (sometimes by fax - not secure whatsoever) to whoever wants to post something to rent and takes no responsibility for this. They also don't disclose any of this to you before you make a booking.

I tried to make a rental not realizing any of this and soon after received an email from the "condo" asking me for all sorts of extra personal information over email, including another credit card number. They also said that I'd need to pay for the room upfront in cash. Obviously, alarm bells started ringing with me here. They said if I wanted to cancel due to all these completely undisclosed and shady terms that I'd need to pay a fee for that, too. Unauthorized charges appeared on my card soon after, and I was forced to dispute and cancel the card.

I contacted Booking about this and explained the situation. They absolutely refused to help or take any sort of action against the scammer. All they did was send me my reservation again. Stay away, and book somewhere that takes responsibility for your information and its listings.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-*******/Expedia-booking-com-face-OFT-investigation-price-fixing.html

The above link is one of many.

But to summarize...

Booking.com is being investigated along with trip advisor for anti competitive behavior.

Their dominance has compromised hotels from offering better pricing and ensured uncompetitive pricing

My conversations with several hotels shows they are being charged 15-20% per transaction. But if you book direct they will do a better deal (Room breakfasts. Etc.) and take the whole margin.

Booking.com pay millions to Google to get top of page dominance and ensure the hotels web sites are many pages back when you search for them. Every search you do with a key word like, hotel, accommodation... will always bring booking. Com to the top.

What this has done is effectively removed the individual hotels from sight. Also booking.com and others are now basically setting the market price and stopping the hotels from competing.
Think about it. Hotels etc... could be 15-20% cheaper if booking.com was not involved.

Please people... book direct!... I Do and it's easier and better and cheaper. Just search until you find their website and email them!

I've booked (2) reservations with booking both have ruined my vacation. The first resort was booked in advance when we arrived to check in no room that matches what we had booked was available. We booked a 3 BR 3 Bath because we had (2) families with 4 small children. They put us in a 2 BR 2 bath and charged us the same price. After about 20 hours on the phone in all and 3 months working with Booking customer service the issue still hasn't been resolved. I thought the problem was with the resort as that I what Booking customer service had told me.

I booked another reservation with Booking yesterday. While I was booking the reservation it said free cancelation and pay on arrival nowhere did it say paid upon reservation submission or that I couldn't cancel until I received the confirmation email. The resort withdrew all funds within 24 hrs of the reservation. When I called them they said there's nothing they could do and I should've reviewed the confirmation email! I did and called them but they were no help... They shouldn't be able to say one thing to get you to reserve a room and then another in the confirmation email!

I booked a holiday through booking. Com only to find out 3 days before we went, by a phone call I made to the caravan park that I wasn't booked in, why? Because Union Cottages didn't actually own a caravan on the site.
I e. Mailed booking. Com who took 3 days to respond only to ask if I rebooked elsewhere don't forget to send them booking reference number.
I didn't have the money to go anywhere else as I was waiting for a refund for the first holiday.
Customer service absolute joke!

My dad has a business on booking.com and I am sick and tired of having to hear him phone and complain about their diary system! They are constantly double booking his customers and which is their fault and then expecting him to fix it himself. When ever he tries to complain about this they tell him a manager will phone back but never do. The people on the other end of the phone are extremely rude and refuse to take responsibility. This is my dads income and they are the most popular accommodation site at the moment unfortunately. So just remember when booking with them that they treat the little guys, that actually make their company, like crap!

When you read that Booking.com is a scam IT IS! If I had not experienced it for myself. They DO NOT OFFER refunds or credits. If you book directly you would so much better off.

I say use Booking as a search engine to simply find a hotel of your choice and call the hotel directly. I assure you the price will be lower or cheap AND if you have a delay in your plans or even need to cancel the hotel will work with you much easier.

In this case why even deal with the middle man schmucks! I see ppl have lost thousands I lost $333.49 but still who wants to pay for crap they never used?

In a nutshell DO NOT USE BOOKING! For those who are use to the days of old use a freaking rodary phone and call up the hotel for crying out loud and BOOK!

I recently booked the herods hotel on tel aviv Israel through BOOKING.COM
The day after making the booking I got an email from booking.com saying that an upgrade for my room was available for approx $US260. The upgrade was for a room with a balcony and a view of the Mediterranean. I took the upgrade.
On checking into the hotel I asked whether I had a room with a balcony and a sea view and was told that all rooms have a balcony and a sea view.
I complained that I had been charged extra and her answer was I should take it up with booking.com.
I've called booking.com several times in the last month and emailed several times. I got a reply from booking.com saying that indeed they agreed that the room I got was the same are similar to my original booking and they would talk to the hotel about a refund.
Tonight I got an email from booking.com saying that the Herod hotel will not refund the amount as the upgrade was for an extra child. Why on earth would I pay for an extra child if I don't have one.
My advice is never ever book a hotel through this company. They are scammers!
Disgusted that they wouldn't refund me.
They offered me the upgrade they should refund me.
My booking number is *******.

Don't use Booking.com they are a sham, misleading their customers through false advertising. Avoid at all cost. If they are going to advertise a best price guarantee they need to honor the best price if an equivalent is found cheaper elsewhere, and of course they won't. Their communication on the matter has been exceptionally poor, poor English with some sentances unreadable. We have referred them to the advertising standards agency so they can investigate the legality of their best price guarantee advertising and hopefully they will be made to remove this from all of their advertising as it is untrue and misleading and so no one else will actually be conned it to booking with them under the illusion they will be getting the best price and don't shop around. Shop around Travel Republic are way better, much easier to deal with and often cheaper!

The advert for Chailey Court Basingstoke
Says

Since your dates are a while away, choose free cancellation to stay flexible. A change of plans is no problem when you have free cancellation!

FREE cancellation - PAY AT THE PROPERTY

Prepayment: The total price of the reservation will be charged at least 7 days prior to arrival.
=============================================================
I was booking 40 days in advance, nearly 6 weeks away.
When my credit card statement came I found that
On the day I booked I was charged the full £520.
Nearly 6 weeks in advance.

I had booked 2 apartments
I sent 3 emails asking questions about the accommodation
I had no replies, so I cancelled on 24 April and 8 may.
After receiving my next credit card statement with no refund
I phoned Booking.com on 22 May and they got me a refund.

I found their advert very misleading and I do believe booking. Com
Should make it clearer that all the money is taken on the day you book.

Instead of sayingThe total price of the reservation will be charged at least 7 days prior to arrival. They should say all money will be taken the day you book.
But will not be refunded the day you cancel.

To me it seems like for Chailey Court Basingstoke with booking.com
Should be avoided. They did not answer any emails I sent and they took
£520 for six weeks.

So my wife and I booked an apartment for 3 nights to celebrate our wedding anniversary here in Hungary, Budapest.
Our experience with using booking.com was a nightmare. The guy from Emerald gave us a different apartment which was 3 times smaller than the one we were supposed to have. He was very rude and even told us we can cancel the booking if we want. (the cancellation costs is equal to the price for renting the apartment which for him was an excellent deal)
We decided to stay in the smelly, ugly and very dark apartment rather than staying on the street...
I definitely do not recommend booking.com I think they should be responsible for the service of those businesses that are using their website.

I stayed at a hostel at an outer suburb of rome "Thousand Sunny", i paid in cash and was later charged for cancellation. I showed the owner which then got violent (threats, shoving et). I notified booking.com instantly of the situation, and provided evidence too (including references from other roommate of the situation and of the double charge though i actually stayed the night). They charged me the cancellation and is due to me staying the day after, however, how could ive stayed the day aftee the agreed date when i lodged the complaint on that day?! I find that booking.com doesnt care even with all the evidence (references, logic-breakdown et). Ive used booking.com for a long time, but this situation was a definite highlight. I am now motivated to share this injustice to everyone in my circle and more (Aus, Asia, US, Europe) to warn them of booking.com and their scamful acts