Serious problems with Booking.com: Hungarian accommodation providers outraged

Booking does not pay many Hungarian service providers, even though the Hungarians are innocent. The problems started end-May, but the Dutch travel agency could not provide proper answers to the Hungarian accommodation providers.

Booking does not give proper answers

Spabook.net received several desperate reports from Hungarian accommodation providers saying that Booking.com does not transfer their money due to problems in its billing system. Last year’s Booking scandal concerning multiple Hungarian service providers also began in June, and the Hungarian authorities promised an expedited investigation against the company.

A Fidesz politician said they would like to prevent international companies from “amassing debts of billions of forints using its superposition”. However, it seems the problems arose again even though they explained last year’s mess with a system update, which, in reality, was a complex system development and migration.

tourism Budapest Hungary Chain Bridge kató alpár Booking

Tourists in Budapest. Photo: Daily News Hungary

Spabook, a Hungarian accommodation and travel blog, received multiple emails, complaints and messages saying that the company does not pay the Hungarian accommodation providers again. Some of them have been waiting for their money for weeks. They are outraged because Booking does not give a proper answer, only meaningless standard responses to their complaints.

Hungarian accommodation providers will close?

That is not the first time this year that Booking has struggled with problems. In February, they did not pay and even blocked accommodations because of a system error. In April, they sent a message to many service providers saying they paid more due to a mistake.

Now, one of the problems is that the company’s billing system wrote the wrong currency after the sum. As a result, Hungarian accommodation debt rose from HUF 99,114 to EUR 99,114 (almost HUF 40 billion).

Happiness is everywhere in Hungary and Budapest. But will many Hungarian accommodation providers have to close due to Booking’s errors? Photo: despositphotos.com

However, Booking does not pay accommodation providers who paid back Booking’s April overpayment.

Many Hungarian service providers are desperate because the company does not answer their emails properly. Since the smaller service providers do not have immense financial reserves, some may have to close the business if Booking does not find a quick solution to its billing errors.

Read also:

Hungarian authority launches expedited investigation against Booking.com – Details in THIS article
Booking.com apologises to Hungarians whose accommodation was cancelled by German host because of Orbán’s speech – Read more HERE

Featured image: depositphotos.com

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1 Comment

Disturbing - Heartbreaking : says:

21/06/2024 at 11:27

booking.com – NEED a massive WAKE-Up call.
Personally, they, have FAILED us DISMALLY.
There FAILURES :
(1) – in there Duty of Care.
(2) – Due Diligence.
(3) – Communication in RESPECT to a Customer Complaint.
We are Genius Level 2 – Members of booking.com
We reside in Budapest, Hungary and have the personal fortune, to travel as we please to where we WISH.
We are predominant apartment booking clients of 4 to 5 star ratings.
In the rating given by booking.com reported by “guests” reviews – we book and stay at 8.5 plus Ratings.
Our distasteful, appalling recent experience in booking an apartment in Strasbourg, France – for a 3 night stay = cost of huf 175.000
NEVER – over a number of years – using booking.com – have we undertaken what we DID in regards to this booking being – which I will “disclosed being – la terrasse Desaix,
This apartment is located in an extremely pleasant, centrally located in this glorious French City of Strasbourg.
Grounds that my complaint(s) lodged to booking.com, using there Customer Service by e-mail “invited” FACILITY, where :
(1) – Pictures on the booking.com site – FALSE.
(2) – Size of apartment on booking.com site – WRONG – overstated apartment size.
Our DISAPPOINTMENT, our DISGUST – remembering that booking.com, some 7 days prior to our arrival to stay in this “annus horribilis” Strasbourg apartment – in May – 13th – 16th May = 3 nights – they had taken, banked our huf 175.000.
Our arrival – being presented this apartment, the FALSENESS in it’s Marketing, Promotion and Presentation – it “stressed” us, that after just (4) hours of endeavouring to making it comfortable for our NEEDS – our Stay gave cause to me, to contact the owner, and inform him, or “vent my spleen” – our Disappointment and Disgust – what his apartment in REAL Life – presented us.
The owner was Notified – INFORMED that :
(1) – we had made arrangements to move stay in “another” apartment.
(2) – that I would be making lodging a Formal complaint to booking.com
(3) – that I would be SEEKING a refund for the “cataclysmic disaster” – the embarrassment and annoyance, inconvenience – caused by booking to stay in his apartment – la terrasse Desaix.
My, using invited processes to Customer Service of booking.com. to formally lodge my COMPLAINT, was submitted to them on (3) three occasions.
I tired of the computer screen message(s) that read :
“We have directed this to a Customer Service Operator, who within 48 hours will respond”.
I received = 18th June – over nearing (5) weeks from this Strasbourg “distasteful” experience a reply from booking.com.
“We are disappointed for your experience but there will be NO compensation” – words along as I write – there COLD, un-interested “tone” of RESPONCE – that FAILED to state – there ACTIONS undertaken, in there FOLLOW up of my FORMAL complaint.
DISGUSTING – amateurish, un-professional, that they FAIL dismally in points – 1 to 3 – as referred in the 3rd sentence of this commentary.
Strasbourg, France on, we stayed in (2) two other “pre-paid” apartments using booking.com that where EXCELLENT.
In coming months – September & October we again through booking through booking.com – we will holiday in Austria, Germany Italy and Spain.
This is a “Sharing” of an unnecessary factual experience we endured suffered through engaging booking.com.
THEY being booking.com have FAILED us.
In the belief, we have LEGAL rights of compensation, though advised 18th June by booking.com – of no compensation – this commentary, copy of is GOING to be forwarded to there Netherlands registered Head Office of booking.com that WILL “lodge” to them, advise inform THEM – there Actions – there DECISION – there FAILINGS – of there WRONGFULNESS.
Trust “others” may join with me, could haha commence a “Class ” Action against booking.com – through them ABUSING us, taking our money, the MAJORITY of time, prior to our STAYS – taking there “high” commission, and just TREATING us as NUMBERS – without LISENING to us – COMMUNICATING with us Professionally – exhibiting a “mood” of NO appreciation nor RESPECT.