Agoda owes us money but won't action the payment

Agoda apparently resells Booking.com products, which we discovered by arriving at the hotel to be told that the Family Room that we had clearly reserved in black-and-white on our booking confirmation was not available, because Agoda's 2-adults 2-kids booking gets converted to 2-adults (no mention of kids) by Booking.com, which caused the hotel to put us in a 2-person room. I don't know who is most to blame for this mess, but the crucial point is that it isn't me.

After much unpleasantness, we were able to make it clear to the hotel that there was no way that we were paying an extra R4900 to accommodate our children for whom we had already paid once, and that they must sort out their problems with Agoda.

Some time later, the manager showed us a message from Agoda to say that they had agreed to pay the hotel the R4900 that was apparently owing, so could WE pay the outstanding amount to the hotel and they can treat it as a refund and pay us back?

We said no. This dispute had nothing to do with us, so why would we pay R4900 of our own money to be pulled into a dispute and to have to fight to get our money back?

Agoda apologised but said that their system does not allow them to pay the hotel directly, so this is the only way that they can fix the issue. STUPIDLY, I said, now being in the generous holiday mood, OK, I'll do it but don't make this a big admin headache.

Obviously, this has become a big admin headache.

The first resolution email I got from an agent called Anh (Aimee) asked for a scans of receipt and invoice, which I duly sent, underlining again that this is with the utmost reluctance and please sort this out without fuss.

Then I got a form email from an agent called Irwing, telling me that I had to choose a payment method, either getting credit for my next Agoda.com booking (SMH) or payment via hyperwallet, which is some or other payment client.

I opted for that obviously and sent the required information. No hyperwallet link.

The same day I got sent the same form email by Ivy.

Two weeks passed (I was busy) so I followed up again, pointing out that no link to Hyperwallet ever arrived.

I got the same form email again from Bimal, to whom I sent a copy of the email (on this same thread) containing the information he is again requesting. No answer. Three more days have passed with no response and no Hyperwallet link.

In short, Agoda soured a good few days of our family holiday by messing up our booking and plunging us into dispute with the hotel. Then reluctantly I surrendered almost R5000 to this company to help them resolve this dispute to which I was merely a bystander, and they can't even be bothered to escalate this issue beyond the lowest level customer service grunts, but are quite happy to have it buried in the admin I told them to ensure I avoided.

I would strongly recommend that you don't trust their booking system or anything that they tell you. If you must use them, get in contact with the hotel directly to make sure that the details are correct. Ideally avoid the company altogether.