Poor Service from Booking.com after being ****med by one of their establishments

Earlier this year I made a booking with Booking.com for an upcoming holiday in Cape Town. (***). Thereafter I was contacted by the establishment, requesting that I make a 50% deposit, to which I obliged. Following me making a payment of R23 650 to the establishment, I received an email from Booking.com that this was a *****ulent booking, and if I had already made payment I should reach out to them urgently, which I did. Following several calls with Booking.com, I was informed that Booking.com will refund me with the money I paid, especially since they cancelled the booking. I've been following up with Booking.com every week asking for my refund and every time I get asked the same questions and asked to resend the same information. This is very exhausting and in fact I do not think I will ever use Booking.com ever again. I am being sent from pillar to post. As I write this review, I still haven't received and/or heard from them. I am just told that everything has been referred to the mighty Finance team, who are clearly taking their time and care less about my refund. I also question how they vet their establishments as now it feels like I need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that I have been ****med.