Aman Chawla cancels his hotel room in Wrocław, Poland, made through Booking.com. But even though he’s within the cancellation window, he’s not getting a refund. Can he get his money back from Booking.com?
Question
I booked a hotel in Wroclaw, Poland, through Booking.com. I canceled my reservation well within the free cancellation period. But then I discovered a charge on my card for the full amount of $742.
I reached out to Booking.com and a representative told me I would be refunded within 10 days. That didn’t happen. I called back and this time, a representative told me to wait one month, since the property made the charge and it is the hotel’s responsibility to process the refund.
I then escalated this to the property. I sent my bank account details. A hotel representative informed me it could not refund to an Indian account and that Booking.com would have to process it.
After making close to 30 calls to the hotel, I escalated my case to Booking.com. But it just reiterated its policy: It can’t issue refunds, since that’s the responsibility of the hotel.
Each time I talk to customer support they spin a different story. They either say my refund is being processed or that the merchant name is a mismatch. I also discovered that the property has negative reviews for doing similar transactions with other people, yet Booking.com took no action.
In one of my conversations, a customer representative also mentioned they were investigating the property, but that its hands were tied. Can you help me get my money back? — Aman Chawla, New Delhi
Answer
You made your reservation through Booking.com, so the company should help you get a refund, no matter who charged your card.
This is a disturbingly common problem when you’re dealing with an online travel agency. Since there’s more than one party involved — an online agency, an airline or hotel, and often a third entity that buys rooms or flights in bulk — there are a lot of finger-pointing opportunities. In my experience, companies rarely miss a chance to do that, which is endlessly frustrating for customers like you.
How to protect yourself when you can’t get your money back from Booking.com
When you’re reserving accommodations through a site like Booking.com, you have to be proactive and protect yourself. Here are some tips to avoid the frustration of slow refunds or disputes:
1. Familiarize yourself with the cancellation policies
Before booking, always double-check the cancellation policy. Even if it’s labeled as “free cancellation,” some properties may have additional terms, such as requiring cancellation within a specific time window or charging fees for cancellations after a certain point. Make sure you read the fine print to understand what you’re booking.
2. Check reviews for red flags
Your experience highlights the importance of reviewing feedback from past guests. If a hotel has a history of issues with refunds or customer service, maybe you should be booking elsewhere. Negative reviews detailing similar problems are a warning that a property may be unreliable. Make sure to check reviews for specific mentions of refund delays or poor communication with third-party booking sites.
3. Did you remember your paper trail?
Keep detailed records of your communications with the hotel and the booking platform. This includes emails, screenshots of any online chat conversations, and notes from phone calls (including dates, times, and the names of agents you spoke with). In case you need to escalate the issue, this documentation will be invaluable.
4. Don’t be afraid to escalate your case
If you’re getting nowhere with customer service reps, escalate the issue to a supervisor or manager. Companies like Booking.com have escalation paths that allow higher-level staff to address your problem more quickly. Often, customer service representatives are bound by strict policies, but a manager may have the authority to resolve your issue.
Can’t get your money back from Booking.com? Here’s what to do
When you cancel a hotel room within the cancellation window, you should expect to get a prompt refund. But your hotel had done this to other guests who cancelled, and the property had negative reviews to prove it. So please, next time read the hotel reviews and consider booking a reputable property with one of the major hotel chains.
I’m a little dubious of the claim that a Polish hotel couldn’t refund your Indian account. It had no problem charging you the first time, so what’s the problem with refunding you quickly?
Clearly, there was a breakdown in communication between Booking.com and the hotel. I’m not sure if that was intentional on the part of the hotel or just a problem of incompetence.
It doesn’t really matter. Booking.com should have stood by your purchase and refunded you as promised.
You might have been able to get this fixed quickly by appealing to one of the customer service managers at Booking.com. I publish the names, numbers and emails of the top Booking.com managers on my this site.
A “seamless” travel experience?
You reached out to my advocacy team. I contacted Booking.com on your behalf. A representative told me that the company is committed to “seamless travel experiences” for its customers. “In this case, our customer service team has identified that there was a delay in processing the customer’s refund and has since escalated the full refund payout to the customer’s Booking.com wallet,” the representative said.
You received a full refund.
