booking.com NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED - no show ? why do they pretend to charge you ?

[kkerry]

While booking.com is clearly very popular there are still plenty of other options. I continue to use Wotif because they mainly charge in Australian dollars so no conversion fees for me on my card. Twice I have had a problem with a booking and their call centre has been excellent. Their rates are competitive whenever I've checked plus they have genuine 5% discounts on some properties for registered users. If I can't find what i want with them I'll check Agoda or Kogan. Trivago and other companies have adverts which make it seem like one company is way cheaper than the rest but I've rarely found much difference on places I book. There can be a bonus like a free breakfast or room upgrade if you book direct with a hotel but only sometimes.

[HHTel]

To sum up, there are many of these service agencies around and I surmise that they all do pretty much the same thing.  Like any supplier, they will get the occasional complaint as is expected.  I would guess that each disgruntled customer, regardless of the agency, is far outnumbered by 'success stories'.  Otherwise the agency would have gone out of business. Human nature being what it is will only propagate bad news. 

[Chrisdoc]

They deliberately say there are less rooms than available to push sales. I know as I work in a hotel and I know what we have available on booking.com and what they are showing if I view the site as a customer. It's a trick to panic people into booking.

It is not really a trick. With booking.com you pay commission and usually charge a bargain rate. With a private booking from a website or a walk in you can charge more. The hotel operator has to decide what is best for the business- List more rooms on booking.com or keep some for walk ins and private bookings. It is similar in most businesses. Is it better to list your stock on Lazada and Ebay or keep it to sell in your shop? Online you get less due to commission and postage but for a walk in you need to pay staff to wait around.

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[gaff]

22 hours ago, robertson468 said:

we had stipulated one month before arrival

 

For this you deserve all the cancellation you got.

 

 

I cancel what I want when I want and I will never pay anything to any idiot hotel owner.

 

And if you think that you are cowboy because you do not accept bookings without credit cards, just wait and see that when more hotels accept booking without CC, your hotel will be empty most of the time.

 

You are not in a business where you decide, but customers decide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by gaff

[gaff]

21 hours ago, klongpong said:

My good lady runs a small hotel here and no shows/ late cancellations via Booking.con are massive pain. Abusers of this, like Gaff, are pushing prices back up and increasing the possibility of double bookings.

Low season prices will stay low in the foreseeable but you will paying extra in high season so the hotels can make up the shortfall.

There is a forum for hoteliers set up by BDC which is currently running a monitored thread about this. The feeling is very strong and I suggest all hoteliers get on there and the make the voice as loud as possible for change.

If you have a full company you can access off line credit card processing and stop these time wasting (¥₩+$ in their tracks.

If you run as a personal business then there is no access to this in Thailand, unless the owner parks, permanently, a sizeable sum dedicated to the account connected to the card machine.

Hotels can also request a no show customer to be blocked from their hotel, enough strikes and, it is claimed, the pest will be blocked from the site as well.

 

BDC forum thread

 

Don't worry, we can open as many accounts as we want, just as on Thaivisa, I do not plan to become a celebrity with a unique account ❤️

 

 

 

[gaff]

20 hours ago, Borpender said:

They can't charge you unless you have added the CVC code. I work in a guesthouse and we take the card details and charge for first night if a no show. The reason for it is in high season if a lot of people don't show we lose out on turning away walkins, also if we are full on booking.com and people don't show then it's too late for other people to book. I've not turned up in the past but I now I work in hotel I realise what a nuisance it causes and costs the owners. In slow season it's not really a big deal as there are always empty rooms.

 

On thing though, Booking.com have just changed their policy and if enough hotels complain about someone who has booked they will be barred from booking.com. Can't remember how many complaints are needed but I suspect if you don't turn up to several places and they all complain then you will be kicked off....I also guess you just need a new email address to register again.

 

Simple turn around about this, if booking asked me if I stayed at the hotel, I just reply YES ! Then I will never be banned ❤️

 

How is the hotel owner going to fight this ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chivas]

Gaff for some reason used some sort of emoji on my earlier post but despite responding to quite a few other posters he didnt answer mine how very strange indeed

Pretty impossible to unless he believes the hotels pay no commission to these sites

[Blue Muton]

On 9/7/2018 at 1:38 PM, Tchooptip said:

I am to day wrting this in a hotel in Bangkok I have booked with booking.com. It was the first time with them it will also be the last one. Hotel for me is OK but, first booking. com wrote only one room left since this hotel is 100 meters from my ambassy I took the room, cheap in my mind 1900 Baht for two nights, but I realised the hotel is only half full, so first «  lie » Then l will have to pay 300 Baht per night for my car so 600 Baht for two nights and 400Baht for two people breakfast so 800 Baht. So in place of 1900 Baht my bill will be 3300 Baht, no problem about this amount since I could no doubt have booked a room at this price even a little more, my main concern was the nearest from the ambassy. But I hate this form of commercial approach so for me last time with Booking.com even thought I could come back in this same hotel for this same price ?

 

Caveat emptor is clearly not the name  of your game. Booking.com have always made it clear whether or not breakfast and/or parking is included so if you failed to readit properly that's hardly their fault. I,ve used then scores of times without any problems but then again I carefully read what's being offered.

[Chrisdoc]

 
For this you deserve all the cancellation you got.
 
 
I cancel what I want when I want and I will never pay anything to any idiot hotel owner.
 
And if you think that you are cowboy because you do not accept bookings without credit cards, just wait and see that when more hotels accept booking without CC, your hotel will be empty most of the time.
 
You are not in a business where you decide, but customers decide.
 
 
 
 
 
 

I went back to Australia recently and very few people carry cash. I know Thailand is a bit behind but it will slowly catch up. Everything will be done by credit card. It is just so much more efficient and secure for banks, businesses and customers.

Apart from that, the hotel owner is only trying to make a living and probably is in the business because they think they can provide you with a nice experience when you come for your holiday. Saying the hotel owners are idiots and sabotaging their business because you aren't organized enough, or considerate enough to cancel your booking before the cancellation period expires, is just bad behaviour.

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[BritManToo]

36 minutes ago, Chrisdoc said:

Everything will be done by credit card. It is just so much more efficient and secure for banks, businesses and customers.

Strongly disagree,

But it's certainly easier for those collecting taxes.

All the business people I know like cash, and the transactions never happened.

Or in the case of money laundering establishments 1000s of extra cash transactions did happen.

Edited September 10, 2018 by BritManToo

[Chrisdoc]

Strongly disagree,
But it's certainly easier for those collecting taxes.
All the business people I know like cash, and the transactions never happened.
Or in the case of money laundering establishments 1000s of extra cash transactions did happen.

I used to manage shops and every year the ratio of credit cards to cash increased to the point of being 75% credit cards mast year. As the OP said it is up to the customer. If it is easier for the customer to just tap their card or phone on the machine and walk away the businesses that don't offer the facilities will lose customers. I personally only use tapping my credit card and don't use cash. If I need to pay in cash I will go elsewhere. Have to use cash in Thailand. As taxation offices become more efficient with computers they will go harder on businesses that avoid tax by doing cash transactions . I know in Australia they are talking about withdrawing large denomination notes because they are mainly used for black money. I'm pretty sure I heard the same is happening elsewhere.

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[BritManToo]

27 minutes ago, Chrisdoc said:

I know in Australia they are talking about withdrawing large denomination notes because they are mainly used for black money.

But Australia is the biggest 'big brother' country in the western world, far worse than the USA these days.

Your passports and credit cards are linked to everything.

In Europe, they don't even know which EU country you are in (possibly the world).

 

It's only a matter of time before Oz implants RFIDs inside everyone, and a shops doors won't open if you don't have credit.

Edited September 10, 2018 by BritManToo

[Chrisdoc]

But Australia is the biggest 'big brother' country in the western world, far worse than the USA these days.
Your passports and credit cards are linked to everything.
In Europe, they don't even know which EU country you are in (possibly the world).
 
It's only a matter of time before Oz implants RFIDs inside everyone, and a shops doors won't open if you don't have credit.

I agree but all governments want to maximize their tax base so any government which doesn't do similar is dumb. It might take a little while but will happen. Withdrawing large notes is a simple answer. Harder to carry a suitcase of $20 notes than $100's

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[gaff]

5 hours ago, Chrisdoc said:

I went back to Australia recently and very few people carry cash. I know Thailand is a bit behind but it will slowly catch up. Everything will be done by credit card. It is just so much more efficient and secure for banks, businesses and customers.

Apart from that, the hotel owner is only trying to make a living and probably is in the business because they think they can provide you with a nice experience when you come for your holiday. Saying the hotel owners are idiots and sabotaging their business because you aren't organized enough, or considerate enough to cancel your booking before the cancellation period expires, is just bad behaviour.

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I never leave home with less than 20000 thb cash in case of expense.

 

People using electronic payments are just happy to be tracked. Nobody tracks me and know what I spend and how much, because I often also bring lot of cash from abroad.

 

I an proud to be behind and will not follow the stupid trends and rules that bank choose and apply to obedient people.

 

Scare no lose or get robbed 20000 thb ? not me, sorry, and at least the thieves would just leave without killing me unlike people who only have a credit card to "offer" hahahahahaha....

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by gaff

[Miami007]

On 9/7/2018 at 12:47 AM, robertson468 said:

People do not realise that when they make a booking through Booking.com they are making a contract with the Hotel (and Booking.com) to pay a given sum in return for staying in that establishment for a given number of nights.  Up to a month ago we were happy to accept bookings, without deposits (we are a very small resort so do not have the hard ware for card payments), however, we found that some very dishonest people would cancel inside the period when they would have to pay 50% for late cancellation (we had stipulated one month before arrival) or would be no show.  None, but none of these crooks paid, despite writing to them several times giving them bank account details of asking for payment via Western Union.  We got so fed up with these unpleasant people we have now asked Booking.com to take a deposit one month before the Guest is due to arrive.  Two things have happened.  We no longer get frivolous bookings which are quite often cancelled  shortly after being made and we now seem to attract the more honest Guest who understands that they are required to pay for the service provided to them.  Yes Booking.com charges a big commission, 18%, but I believe they get far more business than most other websites.  I have tried Airbnb, Home and Away and two other websites, but received next to no business from them, so resorted to exclusively using Booking.com.  The thing that  does annoy me is if you contact Booking.com about late cancellation or no show for them to write to the Guest, in support of the Resort, they do nothing about it.  I have even suggested that they Black List these crooks from their website as clearly they are in breach of Contract, but sadly they do not do it.  Yes, a little bit more support from Booking.com would be great, but by and large they do bring the most business.  I would be interested to hear other Resort Owners/Managers opinions.

yes, the problem of people making multiple reservations on Booking without intent to stay at the resorts, has become wide-spread.  As Booking.com does not take the payment from the guest, they will not assist the hotel in collecting.  

You may want to try companies like Expedia as they offer the option of collecting money on the hotel's behalf.  You will not have to pay a commission after the fact, but your rate will be lowered by the amount of the commission upfront.  These reservations are much more secure

 

As a resort, you can also change your "rules" and you could require a deposit of one night for each booking made - either at the time of reservation or a certain time before arrival.  Booking will defer to the hotel's terms and conditions

Hope this helps - please message me, if you want to discuss more. 

[Miami007]

On 9/7/2018 at 12:22 AM, BritManToo said:

Quite a lot of hotels are 50% empty all the time.

It doesn't cost them anything to allow 'no shows'.

If hotels are really that empty - then correct for the most part...

at the same time, these no shows are a major problem on high-demand dates when they prevent "real" guests from making a reservation and also result in a financial loss for the hotel.

And even when the hotel is at 50% overall, the no-show in a room-type with limited inventory, can have a huge impact as that room could have been bought by someone else.

 

 

 

[Chrisdoc]

 
I never leave home with less than 20000 thb cash in case of expense.
 
People using electronic payments are just happy to be tracked. Nobody tracks me and know what I spend and how much, because I often also bring lot of cash from abroad.
 
I an proud to be behind and will not follow the stupid trends and rules that bank choose and apply to obedient people.
 
Scare no lose or get robbed 20000 thb ? not me, sorry, and at least the thieves would just leave without killing me unlike people who only have a credit card to "offer" hahahahahaha....
 
 
 
 

No I am saying you are living in the 20th century still. Soon you can carry as much cash as you like but you may not be able to spend it on a hotel. The "idiot hotel owners" that you mention will just get sick of people like you abusing the system and change all their listings to prepayment only and you can walk the streets looking for a hotel that will take cash. Easier for them as it saves going to the bank, carrying change, storing cash. Booking without prepayment is a service that hotels offer you but if people abuse it market forces will just dictate that it be taken away. A bit like taking a toy from a naughty child.

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[Chrisdoc]

yes, the problem of people making multiple reservations on Booking without intent to stay at the resorts, has become wide-spread.  As Booking.com does not take the payment from the guest, they will not assist the hotel in collecting.  
You may want to try companies like Expedia as they offer the option of collecting money on the hotel's behalf.  You will not have to pay a commission after the fact, but your rate will be lowered by the amount of the commission upfront.  These reservations are much more secure
 
As a resort, you can also change your "rules" and you could require a deposit of one night for each booking made - either at the time of reservation or a certain time before arrival.  Booking will defer to the hotel's terms and conditions
Hope this helps - please message me, if you want to discuss more. 

Hi. Am new to booking.com but received a booking last week where the guest paid to booking.com. I rang booking.com and they said they would just send payment to my bank.

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[gaff]

9 hours ago, Chrisdoc said:

No I am saying you are living in the 20th century still. Soon you can carry as much cash as you like but you may not be able to spend it on a hotel. The "idiot hotel owners" that you mention will just get sick of people like you abusing the system and change all their listings to prepayment only and you can walk the streets looking for a hotel that will take cash. Easier for them as it saves going to the bank, carrying change, storing cash. Booking without prepayment is a service that hotels offer you but if people abuse it market forces will just dictate that it be taken away. A bit like taking a toy from a naughty child.

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Do you perfectly know nothing since you are born ? Not even one of your word make sense.

Trust me, with more and more concurrence hotels owners will just do as I like and would even $uck my willy to have me as a customer. Market forces 555555555555555555555555+ never read somethind so stupid for a long time !

Funny you.

 

 

 

 

[Chrisdoc]

 
Do you perfectly know nothing since you are born ? Not even one of your word make sense.
Trust me, with more and more concurrence hotels owners will just do as I like and would even $uck my willy to have me as a customer. Market forces 555555555555555555555555+ never read somethind so stupid for a long time !
Funny you.
 
 
 
 

Such a dumb answer not worth a reply

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[balo]

I think Agoda is the worst of all of them and should be avoided at all costs . They add fees and claim they offer 50% discounts on room that never been that high . It's just complete nonsense. 

 

I always go directly the the hotel website first if they have one , and most of the time their promotional offers are better or the same as the booking sites. 

 

 

 

[MekkOne]

On 9/7/2018 at 11:16 AM, gaff said:

 

They just don't do it and it's only made for idiots who believe that they will be charged after no show or cancel 5555+

 

I didn't show up or canceled many times, but who cares, they do not have my CC details and will never have them !

 

 

 

 

Be proud to be a  C U N T... Booking.com is full of people like you for this we are doing just fine using other OTa more reliable and with indeed nicer customers.

[boonrawdcnx]

They are being investigated along with Agoda and some others for their practices. When I check my hotel as a customer it says we only have two rooms left when we have many more. They also falsify the prices. Trust me this is not the hotels/guesthouses doing it is booking.com.

 

Many people do not understand - hotel booking sites work like airlines today - the more seats are booked the higher the price climbs - this is also the reason that you might be quoted a higher price on a budget airline than on the national carrier that is all inclusive of luggage , food e.g

 

If you see on a booking site - “only one room left” - that means that there is only one room left at this price and not 1 room left at the entire hotel!

If someone else snaps up the room at this price before you then you will get quoted a higher price when you access the booking site the next time.

 

I have been using booking sites like Agoda for years and I have never encountered a problem.

 

The opposite is the case - as a customer I want to get the best price possible of course - in all those years that I have been booking hotel rooms online I usually check out Agoda or TripAdvisor to compare and if I find a hotel I like check out the hotel’s website directly.

 

I found that checking with the hotel website directly the prices are usually much higher than what I get on Agoda - and this is the part I do not understand.

 

Let’s say out of a hundred hotel bookings online I have booked maybe four or five times with the hotel directly because they where clever enough to quote a lower price than Agoda.

 

Yes I understand very well in today’s world one has to be on booking sites to be noticed but why would I as a hotel owner then quote a much higher price to potential customers - more or less force them to book through a booking site and then I pay a considerable commission to the booking site?

 

 

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[Miami007]

On 9/10/2018 at 9:04 PM, Chrisdoc said:

Hi. Am new to booking.com but received a booking last week where the guest paid to booking.com. I rang booking.com and they said they would just send payment to my bank.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

That is interesting.  I heard that Booking.com is doing trials to collect payments, but that they would be conducted in Canada.  Their business model has always been built on "book now and pay later at the hotel".  Better make sure that you receive payment prior to the guest arriving.  And are they deducting their commission from the payment they send you?  You may want to double-check when they send the commission invoice that they are not trying to charge you commission for a reservation that they already received their payment for.....

[Miami007]

On 9/14/2018 at 11:16 PM, boonrawdcnx said:

 

Many people do not understand - hotel booking sites work like airlines today - the more seats are booked the higher the price climbs - this is also the reason that you might be quoted a higher price on a budget airline than on the national carrier that is all inclusive of luggage , food e.g

 

If you see on a booking site - “only one room left” - that means that there is only one room left at this price and not 1 room left at the entire hotel!

If someone else snaps up the room at this price before you then you will get quoted a higher price when you access the booking site the next time.

 

I have been using booking sites like Agoda for years and I have never encountered a problem.

 

The opposite is the case - as a customer I want to get the best price possible of course - in all those years that I have been booking hotel rooms online I usually check out Agoda or TripAdvisor to compare and if I find a hotel I like check out the hotel’s website directly.

 

I found that checking with the hotel website directly the prices are usually much higher than what I get on Agoda - and this is the part I do not understand.

 

Let’s say out of a hundred hotel bookings online I have booked maybe four or five times with the hotel directly because they where clever enough to quote a lower price than Agoda.

 

Yes I understand very well in today’s world one has to be on booking sites to be noticed but why would I as a hotel owner then quote a much higher price to potential customers - more or less force them to book through a booking site and then I pay a considerable commission to the booking site?

 

 

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You are making a great point - the hotel's web site should always have the same price as the Agodas and Expedias of the world... but in reality, many small hotels do not have the technology and staffing to update rates in all distribution channels (or they lack the understanding - yes, some offer lower rates to OTAs on purpose and pay a commission on top)

[Chrisdoc]

That is interesting.  I heard that Booking.com is doing trials to collect payments, but that they would be conducted in Canada.  Their business model has always been built on "book now and pay later at the hotel".  Better make sure that you receive payment prior to the guest arriving.  And are they deducting their commission from the payment they send you?  You may want to double-check when they send the commission invoice that they are not trying to charge you commission for a reservation that they already received their payment for.....

They say they are paying on the 15th of the month. I missed sending bank details so am waiting till next month. Booking is January. Thanks for the advice.

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[mogandave]

It is sad albeit a sign of the times I guess how selfish people are and how little integrity they seem to have.

 

Break their promises, cheat the suppliers and make everyone else that does not cheat, pay for their cheating.

 

I guess the saddest part is that they think they’re somehow smarter than honest people, and in fact seem proud of their cheating.

 

[balo]

I need to visit Bangkok and checked with 4 different booking sites and also the hotel website.  

This time Agoda won , around 100 baht cheaper than hotels.com .  Booking.com were the most expensive of them all with prices 400 baht higher per night. 

 

So always spend some time on different booking sites. 

 

[Chrisdoc]

I need to visit Bangkok and checked with 4 different booking sites and also the hotel website.  
This time Agoda won , around 100 baht cheaper than hotels.com .  Booking.com were the most expensive of them all with prices 400 baht higher per night. 
 
So always spend some time on different booking sites. 
 

I'm pretty sure that once agoda adds on fees you will find is sale price as booking.com . Same company.

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[balo]

8 hours ago, Chrisdoc said:

y sure that once agoda adds on fees you will find is sale price as booking.com . Same company

 

Yes but I ended up on the payment page on all the sites, including taxes/fees , they charged the correct amount from my card. Sometimes Agoda just wins.