I used Booking.com, terrible and disgusting company, because the company claims that there are "no booking fees" and that thisparticular accommodation has "no cancellation fee". It also has a "Best Price Guarantee". Yet there was no other way to pay except by credit card -- so the additional 2% was forced upon me.
But what was worse was that when, a day later that same March, I decided to amend my April trip to 3 nights instead of 6 nights, I was refunded for 3 nights, but then charged ANOTHER 2% by Booking.com on the price of the refunded amount to my credit card!
The reason given by Booking.com was that this additional 2% was for charges to refund money to my Amex credit card! Unbelievable!
That same month in March, I rang and emailed Booking.com to complain about this unfair surcharge, but all their customer service offered me was a $15 refund to make up for it. They then asked me to send them a copy of my credit card statement as well as the accommodation's invoice upon check out even though my trip was in April the next month. I have had to wait a whole month to take the next step to follow-up on this problem.
In April, the actual and final invoice by the Accommodation was nearly $150 LESS than what had charged to my credit card. In other words, I now realise that Booking.com has significantly overcharged me for my booking.
Here is the breakdown of the charges to my credit card (I have all the relevant quotes, receipts and statements of account, as proof):
17 March 2015, AUD$649, price calculated on Booking.com website, inclusive of taxes.
18 March 2015, AUD$1363.74 charged to my card for 6 night stay.
18 March 2015 AUD$688 refunded to my card for amendment to 3 night stay.
14 April 2015 AUD$526.20 invoiced by the accommodation.
There is obviously a BIG discrepancy in the charges, and I am disgusted that Booking.com has only offered to refund me a mere AUD$15, even though they have overcharged me by almost AUD$150.
As a customer, I am very disappointed that Booking.com has failed to honor its Best Price Guarantee and its claims of no booking or cancellation fees. It is now mid-April, and I am STILL waiting for Booking.com to resolve this problem since mid-March. Until Booking.com resolves my complaint, I would recommend to others NOT to use Booking.com.
POST UPDATE:
in the end, I gave up on Booking.com after waiting nearly one month. I rang up my credit card company instead and emailed them a copy of the receipt and record of discrepancies. American Express immediately stopped the payment to Booking.com and reversed the amount that was in dispute. Amex's service was fantastic. The moral of the story is that IF you have to use Booking.com, make sure your credit card company will back you up in a dispute. In my case, I was fortunate that American Express supported me
