British Tourist Duped by Nonexistent Hotel on Thai Island

[sungod]

1 hour ago, IamNoone88 said:

In my mind The Thaiger is just as bad🙄

Amateur is the word I think you are looking at, doesn't it really annoy you they finish every article with 'in related news......'

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and the replies have been removed.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, Cabradelmar said:

A link from booking.com? The same link on the same platform the guy used to make the booking that couldn't be honored. GTFOH 😂 Proves nothing just that you found the same link that the guy in the article found 😂 again, I'm reading and responding to what's in the article, not what every knuckhead post in response to the article.

I love it when folk are in denial after reading an erroneous headline, in spite of the evidence.

One can only assume that you are a troll-fol-de-rol.

I live on Samui and I have been to that area a few times.

It is not a hotel. It is a coffee shop with a few rooms to rent as shown in the photo that has been posted earlier. One can also see it on Google street view. (Difficult to fake that!)

Booking.com sells more than hotel rooms, but most of their customers assume a hotel. Some of our customers advertise their private homes on Booking.com

The Brit guy could not find the 'hotel' but he was more angry with Booking.com for being slow to refund the money for his second choice when they told him that it was full and he had to pay for a third choice.

But hey, stay in the dark if you wish.

[Nick Carter icp]

6 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

The Brit guy could not find the 'hotel' but he was more angry with Booking.com for being slow to refund the money for his second choice when they told him that it was full and he had to pay for a third choice.

But hey, stay in the dark if you wish.

 

   He did find the "hotel" or the actual location , but he seems to dispute that it was a hotel .

Numerous reviews say that its noisy there right next to the road , maybe he arrived at the "hotel" didn't like it and moved somewhere else .

   But that is down to him , I dont think that Booking.com should give him any refund  , as the room he paid for was available and he choose not to stay there 

[Cabradelmar]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

I love it when folk are in denial after reading an erroneous headline, in spite of the evidence.

One can only assume that you are a troll-fol-de-rol.

Why are you so invested in making sure everyone reacts in-kind to a particular news article? I can only assume you are garden variety overbearing prick. All my INITIAL comment said was that this very same situation "as reported" (regardless of this particular report's veracity) happened on the Oyo platform. That's it. Nothing more. Christ. Get over yourself. 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

So is it the fault of the tourist or the scammers?

The headline is as bad as the lack of any point to this story since he was refunded and paid a real price for what he actually wanted elsewhere.

Is this a "story" from the Pattaya Mail?

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/27/2024 at 3:50 PM, Tropicalevo said:

Not for 59 days surely.

Who pays to stay in one hotel for the entire 59 day duration? I usually stayed about 3 days in one place before moving on.

 

On 4/27/2024 at 4:18 PM, Upnotover said:

It's still on Booking dot com and a simple search would have shown him where he was going before he got "ensnared".

I see nothing to make me believe there are no rental rooms in that place. I might have stayed in places like that myself, but I always checked them out before paying any money.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/27/2024 at 3:54 PM, Excogitator said:

Something strange about this whole story.

 

Sure, the booked accommodation (which was eventually refunded) was unsatisfactory, but nothing prevented this guy from booking a few nights in a cheapish hotel, rent a motorbike, and then shop around for a better deal while on-site..

Why was it unsatisfactory though? Was there no room for rent, did he expect an actual hotel with room service, did he think he'd have the entire place to himself. The OP does not inform me as to any reason.

[SiSePuede419]

On 4/27/2024 at 9:57 AM, webfact said:

On arrival, he found that the supposed one-bedroom house was in fact just a small roadside shop.

I think he was lost and couldn't find the hotel.  Apparently it's in downtown Chewang next to a Ladyboy Showbar.  Just Google it.  Lots of reviews.  Everyone says it's a great location if you like loud music until 4am. 😂

[SiSePuede419]

On 4/27/2024 at 9:57 AM, webfact said:

On arrival, he found that the supposed one-bedroom house was in fact just a small roadside shop.

I think he was lost and couldn't find the hotel.  Apparently it's in downtown Chewang next to a Ladyboy Showbar.  Just Google it.  Lots of reviews.  Everyone says it's a great location if you like loud music until 4am. 😂

[SiSePuede419]

On 4/27/2024 at 9:57 AM, webfact said:

On arrival, he found that the supposed one-bedroom house was in fact just a small roadside shop.

I think he was lost and couldn't find the hotel.  Apparently it's in downtown Chewang next to a Ladyboy Showbar.  Just Google it.  Lots of reviews.  Everyone says it's a great location if you like loud music until 4am. 😂

[SiSePuede419]

On 4/27/2024 at 9:57 AM, webfact said:

On arrival, he found that the supposed one-bedroom house was in fact just a small roadside shop.

I think he was lost and couldn't find the hotel.  Apparently it's in downtown Chewang next to a Ladyboy Showbar.  Just Google it.  Lots of reviews.  Everyone says it's a great location if you like loud music until 4am. 😂

[oldestswinger]

35 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

think he was lost and couldn't find the hotel.  Apparently it's in downtown Chewang next to a Ladyboy Showbar.  Just Google it.  Lots of reviews.  Everyone says it's a great location if you like loud music until 4am. 😂

No wonder you have over 4,000 posts!

[arick]

On 4/27/2024 at 12:19 PM, newnative said:

Not believing a word of it.  And, no, this was not a 'huge hotel scam'.  Hold the hype.

Booking.com has a huge check on properties they have to physical video the rooms and address out buildings.

[Kinok Farang]

Greed begets greed.

[Mr Dome]

On 4/27/2024 at 2:44 PM, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   There are 260 reviews of this hotel on booking.com and many are positive about the hotel , although its located in a noisy area

I took the report at face value, saying it doesn't exist. Why would booking allow him to rebook if it does exist and he just couldn't find it?

[Mr Dome]

23 hours ago, arick said:

Booking.com has a huge check on properties they have to physical video the rooms and address out buildings.

They won't ever do that. During COVID times they were all offering rooms in hotels that had closed down months ago. I asked them why they don't contact each property confirming that they're actually still in business and they said they won't do that. It's trying to get away with the least amount of involvement.

[murphybridget]

On 4/27/2024 at 12:40 AM, Jonathan Swift said:

Booking dot com is owned by Booking Holdings Inc in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, not far from the house I own and stay in the summer. I have sued them twice for refusing to refund airfare. The airfare was $165.00 US. To settle the lawsuit it cost them $1000.00 US. It was easy, I got a phone call from their negotiator whom I told I would be happy to drag all of them in front of a judge to explain themselves. Nah they didn't want to do that and spend $5,000.00 US on attorneys plus pay me. So, $1,000.00 it was. They also own priceline and agoda. back to court this year because agoda refused a refund after the airline (Thai) tried to cheat me on baggage and a guitar. I'll probably talk to the same guy as last year, whom I will tell to clean up his act or he will likely hear from me on a regular basis. 

Goodluck!!!

[arick]

14 hours ago, Mr Dome said:

They won't ever do that. During COVID times they were all offering rooms in hotels that had closed down months ago. I asked them why they don't contact each property confirming that they're actually still in business and they said they won't do that. It's trying to get away with the least amount of involvement.

Trust me they had loads of unknown addresses on their books during COVID they didn't smart smarten up their act until 2022

[arick]

Just now, arick said:

Trust me they had loads of unknown addresses on their books during COVID they didn't smart smarten up their act until 2022

Sensei lost their Dutch owner and the Dutch owner sold booking.com to a different company they were s*** and they finally got their act together only two or two years ago

[kwilco]

nothing in the initial article makes sense - really needs to b reported in more detail - very scant reporting

[Harsh Jones]

On 4/26/2024 at 10:18 PM, Upnotover said:

It's still on Booking dot com and a simple search would have shown him where he was going before he got "ensnared".

Interesting. So the hotel is legit then ? 

 

Sites like Booking .com are starting to allow sketchy Airbnb places on the site. I assumed this was a hotel operator doing an exit scam. But maybe it wasn't a scam and the guy is a lying idiot 

[Harsh Jones]

On 4/27/2024 at 1:52 AM, Jonathan Swift said:

I was entitled because they had changed the flight schedule. Also other issues of crookedness, misleading baggage policy etc. The airline and the booking agencies gave me a runaround for 2 days and then I said, not gonna play this, we'll do it the hard way. Wasn't my first rodeo, I'm 67 and have collected from a lot of bad guys over the years, I can do it in my sleep. Same thing happened during Covid, the airline promised the refund but wouldn't deliver, I sent a letter and notice of intent to their Bangkok office and the money was in my bank the next day. I told them I had spoken to Siam Legal who would represent me (that was a bluff) You have to know how to play the game, which is basically let them know that it will cost them a lot more money to try to cheat me than to just pay me. It's poker and chess. The advantage is always mine because I do it all myself and it costs me nothing.

 

Do you ever consider how much time is costs you to have a legal hissy fit over $165 ? You must enjoy this nonsense. It's less about the money isn't it...

[Upnotover]

3 hours ago, Harsh Jones said:

it wasn't a scam and the guy is a lying idiot 

This.

[bristolgeoff]

He paid 300  was scammed online sites  will refund I believe if scammed.then pay 7k after  to stay.that is stupid or crazy what was he thinking.but he seems to have got lucky and a refund happened

Edited May 5 by bristolgeoff