Hotel overbooking games

1,737 Views | 12 Replies | Last: 10 days ago by Lucky Jack Aubrey
MouthBQ98
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Had our Rome hotel have an associated third party contact me saying the hotel I booked is overbooked and offer me another room at a different property. It was of similar apparent quality and maybe a bit better price, but we already booked the whole trip via Expedia and purposefully chose to use a CC to simplify payment and provide security. They definitely had reservation details that only the booked hotel would have had. Of course for this alternative they are asking for a bank transfer of 1/2 up front and pay cash for the remainder on arrival, so I'm going to decline and hang onto the reservation and make them cancel on me through Expedia if they overbooked and call the bluff.

I figure worst case if they do cancel, I can still scrounge an alternative booking that might cost a bit more but that won't play these games.

Anyone run into this before?
Captain Winky
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I haven't had this happen to me before, but it has all the hallmarks of a scam. The biggest indicator is that your previously legitimate transaction is no longer valid and you need to make a new transaction in a form that can't be reversed or disputed.
Urban Country Boy
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"they are asking for a bank transfer of 1/2 up front and pay cash for the remainder on arrival"

Never pay cash for a hotel. Don't give them a bank account number. Always use a credit card so you have some way to protest it.
DannyDuberstein
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Smells like a scam. And based on the title, I thought this might be the Holiday Inn Express on University messing with you
fire09
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Never ever ever ever ever book hotels through 3rd party booking agencies. If there's one piece of travel advice I'll go to the mat over, it's this. Your rebooking offer is most likely a scam. I've never heard of this and I travel 100+ days/ yr for work.
TX04Aggie
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This! Ive had to bail both my sisters out by burning miles/points etc to get them out of some issues because they booked through 3rd party sites for a couple of international trips that ended up going haywire.
Matsui
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Never ever book third party
Matsui
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And that reeks of a scam
eiggA2002
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Find a deal, but never book on Expedia then go directly to the hotel (especially in Europe) and book with them. They will almost always match the deal because they are still making more when the 25% Expedia cut is taken out.
MouthBQ98
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Good tip. I'll have to do that next time.
harringtontravelco
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As a travel advisor who books European clients all the time this sends all sorts of scam bells off for me. Lots a great advice and info on here with booking direct or next time this is what a travel advisor will do for you. We have relationships with brands and handle all sorts of hiccups.
Brooke Harrington
Hyatt Certified Confidant
AmaWaterways Specialist
Certified Sandals Specialist
www.harringtontravelco.com
brooke@harringtontravelco.com
IG: harringtontravelco
Urban Country Boy
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fire09 said:

Never ever ever ever ever book hotels through 3rd party booking agencies. If there's one piece of travel advice I'll go to the mat over, it's this. Your rebooking offer is most likely a scam. I've never heard of this and I travel 100+ days/ yr for work.
I agree with this. I have never had this happen. I am in a hotel 3 or 4 nights a week. Even when I was doing mostly international this never happened.

Don't do 3rd party. Search with something like Kayak but then go to the hotel's website. Be careful it is their actual website. 3rd parties have a way of making you think you are on the hotel website but the web address is just a little off.

Lucky Jack Aubrey
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AG
What about booking through Chase when using points?
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