Phantom property - Agoda non-responsive - refusal to refund

Dear Sir/Madam/Universal Person

I write to you from South Africa. I made a booking on Agoda.com. My ex-husband is stranded in Playa del Carmen in Mexico and I urgently needed to book him into a hotel. I booked him into a hotel called Xtudio on Agoda.com. As such, the property is a phantom hotel and does not exist. My ex-husband walked to the road where the hotel should be to find it non-existent. No-one in the area knew anything about such a hotel. On google maps, it last reflects in March 2018, and the last review is in 2021. I called the hotel number provided on the boking form and they advised me the hotel no longer exists. I then called the South African number of Agoda to cancel the booking. I spoke to two agents to cancel and to refund the amount into my PayPal account. I was assured that the booking was indeed cancelled and that I will be refunded. Today I checked back on the site and also called in just to be told that the booking was not cancelled and that I will not be able to be refunded as the booking cannot be cancelled. My funds were taken *******ly by the booking partner and I hold Agoda responsible for this non-action. I have lodged a complaint on PayPal to intervene on my behalf!