Booking.com are unproffessional and *************

The booking ********** did not happen. We were refused entry to the property. Support has been contacted several times, and the host has informed booking.com to refund in full as we did not even enter the property. I did not stay at this venue at all. We did not check in as the host would not allow us in.

Full Details of Problem

I made a reservation using the booking.com platform on 8 August 2024 reference ***********. The name pf the unit is Sandton House - 134 Holkam Road, 2191, South Africa.

The booking for 4 adults and 1 pet was accepted and confirmed, and payment completed. Upon arrival the host refused to accommodate us due to not having water. The security of the complex confirmed that there is no problem with water in the area. As a result of not being allowed in we tried contacting Booking.com support several times with no response. Now stranded and with a 5 hour wait and taxi fare, we had to make a booking elsewhere as we had nowhere to stay. This entire fiasco is unprofessional and unnacceptable.

Due to not being allowed on to the property the taxi driver had to wait with us, which meant he lost income. He waited until we had arranged alternative accommodation and then took us to the new accommodation (23:00). The taxi cost an more as the new booking was made and checked in at 23:00, 5 hours for 4 people and pet Pecanese and 15km from the original booking. We made a new booking using my brother in laws account on booking.com which was much more expensive and further away. On the morning of the 9rh August, we asked for a late checkout to try to resolve the issue and book for the previous evening. The host gave us untill 12 at which time WE WERE FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM THIS PREMISES BY SECURITY COMPANY AND POLICE WERE CALLED! This had both an emotional impact as well as reputational impact. The reason we took so long was over 3 hours each on the phone as well as several electronic communications with booking.com and the previous evenings host.

After the forcible eviction we used transport to a nearby shopping centre using taxi at additional cost. We had to sit at the shopping centre for 6 hours (luggage in trolleys) charging our phones and making arrangements. This was emotionally and reputationally damaging! Not to mention physicaly draining. After this we made another booking on booking.com, as we had been requested to leave the shopping centre! We had now arranged our permanent accommodation which is the original reason for the booking. The accommodation was now ready for us but had to collect keys from another town (+-120 km away). Rather than us all going, 3 of us and the pet Pecanese did not have to make the taxi trip costing more to collect keys for our accommodation.

Booking.com has not refunded or compensated in any form at all. DO NOT USE BOOKING.COM