Be careful of fake websites copying hotels. My wife was scammed making a hotel booking

[bossdog]

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Orthodox Jews are usually quite trustworthy , not usually known to be scammers

Jews are well known scammers,

https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-criminals-moving-online-fraud-now-israels-top-illicit-cash-crop/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-says-con-men-stole-millions-from-global-companies/

 

and orthodox Jews live according to the Talmud and view non-Jews as animals and non-human beings, who deserve the worst. Just look at Gaza.

 

That list isn't updated, they'd have to add the FTX guy who scammed millions and Epstein who blackmailed influential people, and hundreds of others since 2020.

https://nwobroadcastcorp.wordpress.com/2020/04/22/the-jew-scam-list/

 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, bossdog said:

Jews are well known scammers,

https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-criminals-moving-online-fraud-now-israels-top-illicit-cash-crop/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-says-con-men-stole-millions-from-global-companies/

 

and orthodox Jews live according to the Talmud and view non-Jews as animals and non-human beings, who deserve the worst. Just look at Gaza.

 

That list isn't updated, they'd have to add the FTX guy who scammed millions and Epstein who blackmailed influential people, and hundreds of others since 2020.

https://nwobroadcastcorp.wordpress.com/2020/04/22/the-jew-scam-list/

 

 

 

 

   Every Country and religion has scammers and criminals , why should Israel be any different ?

If you read any Religious book, they all have something unpleasant to say about non Believers 

Israel , Jews are just the same as any other Country , Religion  .

I doubt whether an anti Semitic blog named New World Order is an acceptable link on here 

 

[CashMoon]

Find out if the hotel has ever filed a complaint with the police for such incidents. If you are the first victim of that hotel, you may have fallen into a game.  

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

20 hours ago, advancebooking said:

Be careful of fake websites copying hotels 

I always book through @advancebooking.com 😂

 

[Lemsta69]

12 hours ago, Dolf said:

Key deposits are normally small 200 to 500 baht and why would you pay that in advance? Obvious scam right there. Never trust your wife with money again.

 

Stick to Agoda.

 

I've never paid less than 1,000 baht for a key deposit in Thailand.

[JimTripper]

I got runs at the border and needed to book a hotel room. The toilet did not flush.

[ChipButty]

I was told not long ago by a friend who is the GM of a 5 star hotel here in Phuket, one of the best sites to use is Trip.com, I have not used them myself I just thought I would pass that info on for you guys,

I know on Booking you can select payment on arrival with some hotels, not sure about Agoda, 

[spidermike007]

The first warning sign was to pay through Facebook or Line instead of through the hotel website. The second red flag was to pay a key deposit prior to arriving at the hotel. Sorry, but your wife simply should have known better, she's learned a lesson, and fortunately it was not that costly. 

 

I blame alot of it on social media. Alot of people just do not understand how corrosive, damaging, degrading and nasty social media can be. There are an infinite number of scammers, predators and fraudsters out there. Most of us have the good sense to avoid them, and not get taken in by their unwillingness to do actual work for a living. It boggles the mind, to consider the number of people who fall for these scams. Someone calls you, or contacts you online, and you send them money? Someone you have never met? Someone you have not researched? What gives? Where are the survival instincts? 

[brianthainess]

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I would have thought that was a given.

What's wrong with using companies such as Agoda. Airbnb etc

What's wrong with finding the hotel's phone number and ringing them direct, as I do.

[proton]

21 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

It astounds me that Thais use Facebook and Line for commercial transactions and dont have a clue about the dangers.  What are they teaching them in schools ......... never mind, silly question.  

But they have so many 'bargains' mrs keeps going on about diamonds she sees for sale on FB, last time it was rice, sold as jasmine rice- turned out to be the lowest grade you can get!

[Captain Monday]

13 hours ago, cdemundo said:

Agoda is very reliable and maybe the least expensive way to book.

Recently I went to the front desk at a hotel to extend my stay the price they quoted me was more expensive than Agoda.

I mentioned that fact and was told to go ahead and book with Agoda as they could not match Agoda's price.

That might be the case but I choose not to book thru third party sites if possible.  I prefer to stay in Bonvoy properties. (Le Meridian, Sheraton , Marriott etc. ) With my stays I get early check in late check out breakfast, dinner and  drinks lounge and room upgrades.

 

Same room thru Agoda or booking.com is usually the same price, then I get nothing. 
Never heard of key deposit. Can’t remember last time I seen a “key” And those plastic key cards cost very little. Usually now you can open the guest room door with one’s mobile 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

9 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

What's wrong with finding the hotel's phone number and ringing them direct, as I do.

As others have mentioned it will often be more expensive than going by a site such as Agoda. Sometimes significantly so. Agoda tends to be cheaper but is cheaper still if you search through a comparison site first e.g. Tripadvisor.

Booking.com was always a lot more expensive but now they seem to often give 10 per cent off for members so a bit better - the prices aren't necessarily better if you go by Tripadvisor. 

Hotels.com used to be good but are now always expensive. If you can be bothered you can get them to price match, e.g. a hotels website price assuming same conditions, and they will do so with the bonus that for each ten nights booked you get a night for free. A problem is that often there are small differences in conditions that make a price match difficult.

 

 

[DrJack54]

37 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

What's wrong with finding the hotel's phone number and ringing them direct, as I do.

Nothing.

The OP did not do that.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

14 hours ago, transam said:

Sold my Vigo truck on facebook, but, they came to my house, the money was put into my bank on the spot, bank SMS. Job done.......

Just a case of using your loaf.....🤗

Yes - it is OK to 'advertise' on social media - but actually paying using that is just silly. Using one's loaf as you said - not something taught in school for decades.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

12 hours ago, it is what it is said:

 

not just thais, facebook is used for commercial purposes in many countries, personally i wouldn't.

Wise decision - all social media platforms are inherently insecure and the User are prone to being taken advantage off.  One of the first things I did was remove all the wife's personal data from her facebook, and then restricted access to who could post what to her.  She got all the others in her family to do the same. 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

35 minutes ago, proton said:

But they have so many 'bargains' mrs keeps going on about diamonds she sees for sale on FB, last time it was rice, sold as jasmine rice- turned out to be the lowest grade you can get!

It is endemic - Thai females have been caught up in the FB stupidity.  But lets face it, if it was not that it would be somehting else.  Good thinking to let her buy some crap rice and learn it is all scams - as opposed to a lot that have bought 'diamonds' and found out that they are those 'lab made' moissanite diamonds that look great, but are not real diamonds. Not much in the way of consumer laws here in Thailand - good luck getting money back - seller probably outside the country anyway. Women are extremely silly when it comes to things like that - especially Thai women. 

[cdemundo]

1 hour ago, Captain Monday said:

That might be the case but I choose not to book thru third party sites if possible.  I prefer to stay in Bonvoy properties. (Le Meridian, Sheraton , Marriott etc. ) With my stays I get early check in late check out breakfast, dinner and  drinks lounge and room upgrades.

 

Same room thru Agoda or booking.com is usually the same price, then I get nothing. 
Never heard of key deposit. Can’t remember last time I seen a “key” And those plastic key cards cost very little. Usually now you can open the guest room door with one’s mobile 

Good for you, you are staying in high end properties and as you say Agoda is not for you.

Agoda is for me and those of us who are shopping around trying to get best value for our money.

Additionally, with locally owned midrange to low priced properties (IMHO) a person gets more contact with local culture (for good or for bad).

I perceive Le Meridian, Sheraton , Marriott as western bubbles wherever they are found.

Also, I can't afford them LOL.

[Bangkok Barry]

13 hours ago, advancebooking said:

What about booking.com? Ive never used Agoda actually. 

 

I've read they have the same ownership. To add to the discussion, Trivago is a good place to compare prices of different booking services. Agoda usually comes out as the cheapest though.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Hotels.com used to be good but are now always expensive. If you can be bothered you can get them to price match, e.g. a hotels website price assuming same conditions, and they will do so with the bonus that for each ten nights booked you get a night for free. A problem is that often there are small differences in conditions that make a price match difficult.

 

I've used them in the past. Never again. I only book rooms at a hotel where I am not charged until 24 hours before I stay. Sometimes that can be a slightly higher price, but usually not. I've stayed in countless hotels over the years and am careful when booking, but Hotelsdotcom very cleverly hid that full payment was instant when the booking was made.

 

One reason to make last minute payment is that if you check back on the site between booking and staying you might find it's now cheaper. I've done that with a hotel I'm using in May - twice!

[Fat is a type of crazy]

2 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I've used them in the past. Never again. I only book rooms at a hotel where I am not charged until 24 hours before I stay. Sometimes that can be a slightly higher price, but usually not. I've stayed in countless hotels over the years and am careful when booking, but Hotelsdotcom very cleverly hid that full payment was instant when the booking was made.

 

One reason to make last minute payment is that if you check back on the site between booking and staying you might find it's now cheaper. I've done that with a hotel I'm using in May - twice!

You've reminded me of an annoying thing with Agoda - they often have a pay now or pay later option - but the pay later has an additional 5 per cent fee that they don't make clear - so better to pay at first. Can still cancel if conditions allow and get money back fairly fast. I concur it's good to keep your eye on the price from time to time as some sites but not others will pay you back the difference. 

[cdemundo]

2 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

That might be the case but I choose not to book thru third party sites if possible.  I prefer to stay in Bonvoy properties. (Le Meridian, Sheraton , Marriott etc. ) With my stays I get early check in late check out breakfast, dinner and  drinks lounge and room upgrades.

 

Same room thru Agoda or booking.com is usually the same price, then I get nothing. 
Never heard of key deposit. Can’t remember last time I seen a “key” And those plastic key cards cost very little. Usually now you can open the guest room door with one’s mobile 

Another point that occurs to me.

" I get early check in late check out breakfast, dinner and  drinks lounge and room upgrades."

But aren't you paying close to 200 USD a night?

So those little extras you are definitely paying for.

[transam]

Forgot, when you join Booking.com, you use a password, so you can't go far wrong. Plus when you log in you get any discounts available to you...

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

You've reminded me of an annoying thing with Agoda - they often have a pay now or pay later option - but the pay later has an additional 5 per cent fee that they don't make clear - so better to pay at first. Can still cancel if conditions allow and get money back fairly fast. I concur it's good to keep your eye on the price from time to time as some sites but not others will pay you back the difference. 

 

My experience with Agoda is that they show both prices, but I don't claim that's universal. As for refunds, I don't go down that route. I cancel one booking after I've rebooked at the cheaper rate. Hotels adjust their price all the time, and you'd think that nearer the stay date the rate would increase, but sometimes it goes down, I guess if the rooms are selling slowly.

[Photoguy21]

There are such things as travel sites, travel agents etc. Why would you even consider Facebook which is full of scams?

[Captain Monday]

11 hours ago, cdemundo said:

Another point that occurs to me.

" I get early check in late check out breakfast, dinner and  drinks lounge and room upgrades."

But aren't you paying close to 200 USD a night?

So those little extras you are definitely paying for.

Not necessarily. Not always available but Airline staff discount. Friends and family discount from one who works for Westin. 

During Covid I got some rooms for under $50 USD

[Captain Monday]

13 hours ago, cdemundo said:

Good for you, you are staying in high end properties and as you say Agoda is not for you.

Agoda is for me and those of us who are shopping around trying to get best value for our money.

Additionally, with locally owned midrange to low priced properties (IMHO) a person gets more contact with local culture (for good or for bad).

I perceive Le Meridian, Sheraton , Marriott as western bubbles wherever they are found.

Also, I can't afford them LOL.

I know everything I ever wanted to learn about contact with the local culture as it pertains to customer service. Prefer the "bubble" .

 

[PaoloR]

On 3/16/2024 at 8:08 PM, cdemundo said:

Agoda is very reliable and maybe the least expensive way to book.

Recently I went to the front desk at a hotel to extend my stay the price they quoted me was more expensive than Agoda.

I mentioned that fact and was told to go ahead and book with Agoda as they could not match Agoda's price.

Complete bull excretion, Agoda charge hotels between 5% and 20% for their services. Most hotels will give a discount for a direct booking. However, larger chain hotels will often make their front desk charge a higher price as there is no record of the transaction. If the guest pays in cash, the money may not reach the account. A symptom of them not trusting their front desk staff.

In addition, there are not stop scammers attacking hotels at the moment, duplicating OTA (online travel agent) websites, pretending to be previous customers with a complaint, requesting bank details to transfer a deposit etc. So, chain hotels have implemented strict policies to mitigate losses which involves restricting the front desk's ability to make any financial decisions.

If the front desk won't offer a discount for a walk-in, then go elsewhere or ask for the manager and point out you are saving him money.

[PaoloR]

On 3/16/2024 at 8:29 PM, Keeps said:

Totally agree. Have made well over 200 bookings with Agoda and not once experienced a problem. 

I have had hotels recommend going via Agoda when trying to extend a stay as they are not prepared/able to match the price.

 

Also, I have a regular apartment I stay at in Chiang Mai who will always do me a 'tickle' beneath the Agoda price despite it being less than half the standard price quoted on their own website.

 

The other plus point with Agoda is I accumulate cash to redeem and get VIP prices and upgrades.

Agoda and other sites are commercial companies who need to make a profit. When they give you cash redemptions and other "goodies" who do you think is paying for them - you with higher prices! 

Book through the hotel website, or direct, if they won't give you a better price than a booking site; then walk away.

[Skipalongcassidy]

26 minutes ago, PaoloR said:

Complete bull excretion, Agoda charge hotels between 5% and 20% for their services. Most hotels will give a discount for a direct booking. However, larger chain hotels will often make their front desk charge a higher price as there is no record of the transaction. If the guest pays in cash, the money may not reach the account. A symptom of them not trusting their front desk staff.

In addition, there are not stop scammers attacking hotels at the moment, duplicating OTA (online travel agent) websites, pretending to be previous customers with a complaint, requesting bank details to transfer a deposit etc. So, chain hotels have implemented strict policies to mitigate losses which involves restricting the front desk's ability to make any financial decisions.

If the front desk won't offer a discount for a walk-in, then go elsewhere or ask for the manager and point out you are saving him money.

HAHAHAHAHA... you haven't traveled much... but I agree that most of what you are stating is "complete bull excrement"

[Vibora99]

This happens to you for being a rat and not booking through platforms where you have the application installed. Cheap is expensive!!! So go cry somewhere else...