Report Nightmare in Phuket: British Family's Pricey Villa Scam Uncovered

[Kandinski]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I just walked 5 minutes to a nice hotel and booked in using Booking.com in their reception

Same happended to me in Cape Town but cant recall Booking.com's T&C in detail. Believe, in order to be guaranteed refund, irregularities must be handled by their customer service which can be both costly and time consuming.

[shackleton]

No dates mentioned on this story of when they were flying and arriving 

Only they were coming for a Christmas  break 

When 🤔

[BritManToo]

Just now, Kandinski said:

Same happended to me in Cape Town but cant recall Booking.com's T&C in detail. Believe, in order to be guaranteed refund, irregularities must be handled by their customer service which can be both costly and time consuming.

Agree,

But I've never been that concerned about refunds

And I won't let anything spoil my enjoyment of a holiday trip.

 

[Kandinski]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Agree,

But I've never been that concerned about refunds

And I won't let anything spoil my enjoyment of a holiday trip.

 

Well, for me,  175K Baht the family could have lost is a serious amount that for sure would ruin much more than a holiday trip but if we are talking 450 Baht for a night in a hostel I would have done the same

[arick]

30 hour journey from the UK where they flying via Vancouver

[QPRFC]

1 hour ago, craighj said:

Bookings.com take no responsibility for anything in reality.  They are all promises and no actual support!

 

I stopped using them for this exact reason!

It happened to me last year with booking.com too. 

I live in Chiang Mai and went to Pattaya for a week of 'sightseeing ' only to find the hotel existed but was shut. 

I got a refund after a couple of weeks but the property was still available to book on booking.com for weeks after the event. 

Whilst we were there, at the shut hotel, another couple came to check in too! They used Agoda. 

[Jiggo]

Who has Christmas holidays in May for God's sake 

[renaissanc]

Would I book such an expensive villa in Thailand through Booking.com? ... No. AirBNB, yes, though. Firstly, I wouldn't pay so much for a villa booking because this is Thailand and there are too many scammers around nowadays in places such as Phuket. Secondly, because I could get better value in a hotel suite or in hotel rooms that connect to another room.  Thirdly, because a villa has no food services. If you have so many children, what are you going to do? Daily shopping and cooking? What kind of holiday is that?

[Briggsy]

Whingeing Brits in compo culture crisis.

 

Give us compensation, give us more compensation, it's not fair, what about the inconvenience.......

[oldestswinger]

I'm sure this story was on the website months ago.

[BritScot]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Happened to me too, same Booking.com, but in Phnom Penh a few years back.

I just walked 5 minutes to a nice hotel and booked in using Booking.com in their reception.

Why would anyone wait 6hrs?

Booking.com paid the difference.

 

Gotta say, taking kids on a 30hr trip doesn't seem sensible, and the 3rd world is just too dangerous as a family holiday destination IMHO.

 

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Happened to me too, same Booking.com, but in Phnom Penh a few years back.

I just walked 5 minutes to a nice hotel and booked in using Booking.com in their reception.

Why would anyone wait 6hrs?

Booking.com paid the difference.

 

Gotta say, taking kids on a 30hr trip doesn't seem sensible, and the 3rd world is just too dangerous as a family holiday destination IMHO.

Really! First, did you not read, booking.com kept £80 so never returned the whole amount and refused to compensate! Second. Taking children on holiday to Thailand, such a victorian view! We take our children on holiday with us to Thailand every year. I love seeing people pushing a pram obviously on holiday when walking in Krabi (our favourite holiday destination in Thailand), it gives a family atmosphere/vibe. 

[cynic1]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Happened to me too, same Booking.com, but in Phnom Penh a few years back.

I just walked 5 minutes to a nice hotel and booked in using Booking.com in their reception.

Why would anyone wait 6hrs?

Booking.com paid the difference.

 

Gotta say, taking kids on a 30hr trip doesn't seem sensible, and the 3rd world is just too dangerous as a family holiday destination IMHO.

Also happened to me and my Thai wife in Pattaya. It was a condo paid to booking in January this year. Also had to find emergency accommodation in peak season late in the afternoon. Thank god we did. Booking.com did refund our payment. Must be a common occurrence when it comes to booking a condo! Booking. com should take a closer look at condo owners, and if the owners actually own the condo you book?

[JakeC]

Quote

Really! First, did you not read, booking.com kept £80 so never returned the whole amount and refused to compensate!

 

I don't think Booking.com kept anything. Likely the exchange rate charges of their payment method and/or movement of the exchange rate.

[newbee2022]

Why it was a 30hr trip??

It's only 10 hrs flight.

They made a stop over?

Or entered the wrong plane?

😳

[Magictoad]

The Loaders? Personally I would NEVER use B##king.,kom..now way..

[vinny41]

What went wrong with Booking.com?

How scammers successfully targeted guests of the world’s favourite place to book a hotel

It took less than 15 minutes to list a holiday home on Booking.com. 

We didn’t need to provide proof of who we were. And, unlike if you put your house on Expedia’s Vrbo – or on Airbnb the last time we tried – there was no request to see a driving licence or passport. This speed and convenience for owners might be part of the reason that Booking.com is now a global behemoth, not just for hotel bookings but for small holiday lets, too, with more than a billion reservations each year. 

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/what-went-wrong-with-booking.com-aYOyv4Q7Ua2D

Haven;t seen Windsor castle listed yet

[Nick Carter icp]

15 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Why it was a 30hr trip??

It's only 10 hrs flight.

They made a stop over?

Or entered the wrong plane?

😳

 

   Maybe they went the long way around ?

Left the UK and Flew over Ireland and went that way around ?

 

[Lee4Life]

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Happened to me too, same Booking.com, but in Phnom Penh a few years back.

I just walked 5 minutes to a nice hotel and booked in using Booking.com in their reception.

Why would anyone wait 6hrs?

Booking.com paid the difference.

 

Gotta say, taking kids on a 30hr trip doesn't seem sensible, and the 3rd world is just too dangerous as a family holiday destination IMHO.

The family were the victims in this story, and yet you seem to be blaming them. What doesn't seem sensible to you may seem sensible to others. Most people would wait longer than usual if it appeared they were losing a substantial amount of money, 

[newbee2022]

15 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Maybe they went the long way around ?

Left the UK and Flew over Ireland and went that way around ?

 

Yes, that's not reported how they entered Thailand. Maybe they visited relatives in US and came via Japan even.

[Dexxter]

11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

 

Dangers to kids,

the roads, the sidewalks, the pedestrian crossings, the heat, the sun, dodgy food, dodgy water, mosquitos,  snakes/scorpions, the sea, swimming pools, the hospitals, balconies.

 

But other than those minor issues, completely safe, yes?

[pacman32]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

 

Sex,

Yep, too old for that sort of game now .....

 

Dangers to kids,

the roads, the sidewalks, the pedestrian crossings, the heat, the sun, dodgy food, dodgy water, mosquitos,  snakes/scorpions, the sea, swimming pools, the hospitals, balconies.

Sounds like a holiday in Florida 😂🤣😂

[DTL2014]

i have used their services many times - it only went wrong once - Booking.com is an automated platform with no soul, definitely no customer serevice - and enough terms and conditions to satisfy their insurers. But they allowed a host to charge my credit card  $600 from portugal for a villa in Bali for an old TV that had stopped working which i reported as not functioning. my 3 month protection was up when i informed the credit card company unfortunately,which was my mistake - partly because i was away on a trip with lots of hotel and car reservations under that card - so i didnt want the card cancelled until i got back..Airbnb is much better, good oversight on issues and useful help by real people..how can they allow fake listings ? surely they got ID and bank accounts - that should be enough to trace the money

[DTL2014]

unless they have been debanked by Bangkok bank

[Keeps]

6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

A lot of BS.

To find an alternative accomodation  in Thailand is not a problem at all

And phone calls are extremely low with Skype.

And food and drinks everywhere.

In addition they got their money back.

So what? 😳

 

With every post you make I do wonder whether you are:

 

A) incredibly stupid

 

B) extremely talented and do an amazing impersonation of somebody who is incredibly stupid

 

I am still undecided.

[newbee2022]

4 minutes ago, Keeps said:

With every post you make I do wonder whether you are:

 

A) incredibly stupid

 

B) extremely talented and do an amazing impersonation of somebody who is incredibly stupid

 

I am still undecided.

I really don't care what you are doing. The moon does not care if the dog barks at it.

[Train]

Another none vetted rental by booking.com  I had a similar experience.  The owner intentionally omitted/cropped photos of there condo.  Upon arrival, due to mobility issues (which the owner was made aware of) could not stay at the condo.  Neither myself or booking.com could reach the owner.  Contact info did not work.  Booking.com left us high and dry.  Sorry nothing we can do (except take our commission).  Left us to find alternative on our own.  POS!!

[Jonathan Swift]

I have sued Booking Holdings, the parent company, at least a half dozen times, with one pending as we speak. Fortunate for me they are in the same state as my US address. I sued them for a Priceline (their subsidiary) over an airline refund, and they had to pay me $1,000.00 to settle. Look for any office they may have in your country and you may be able to do the same. I don't take any shί† from any of these people. 

[geisha]

This is why I only book at hotels I know and trust, or if I don’t know them, they belong to a decent  chain of hotels. Yes, not exciting, but I know what I’ll get and a correct price. 

[wozzlegummich]

I would only use Agoda or direct to the Hotel in Thailand. Although Agoda are owned by the same American conglomerate (Booking Holdings) Agoda seem to have their sh!t together. I even find that their prices are better than direct to the hotel. Most direct websites compare prices before adding service fees and taxes.

 

CHristmas????

[Frankie baby]

It's a few years back since I used Booking.com, but one of the reasons I used them was that you could pay over the counter. As this been knocked on the head?