Booking.com and missed payments to some hosts (also in Europe): what’s happening – Corriere.it

Typically, when customers book a hotel stay through Booking.com and decide to pay immediately online, the site collects the amount and then pays it directly to the property, removing the commission it takes for its service. However, since July, in countries such as Thailand and Indonesia but also in Europe The platform blocked payments to hoteliers by reporting some “technical issues.” But, as you mentioned guardianThe situation has been going on for months and has become increasingly frustrating for merchants waiting for thousands of dollars to be refunded.

Difficulties faced by hotel owners

The British newspaper collected a series of testimonies from hotel owners whose businesses were also terminated due to the accumulation of expenses and the inability to support them, especially in small structures on the shores of Thailand, but also They couldn’t find a way to contact any operator And get more precise explanations: On the Booking.com website, it is explained that you need to speak to the Finance or Credit Control department, but contact details are not available. Some business owners complain of other irregularities, such as changing payment terms and discrepancies in summaries. Many “victims” gathered in a Facebook group to share any news.

Booking refund

Booking.com should not be an economic problem. In fact, in August, data for the second quarter of 2023 was released, a period in which the group recorded total sales of $5.5 billion and profits of $1.3 billion. The increase reached 27% and 51% respectively compared to the previous year. At the same time, he also responded to the controversy Booking with note: “We are very sorry for the delay We read that some of our partners have recently struggled with payments, and we can confirm that the majority of them have now received what they deserve. Our partners have been informed in advance that there will be a global systems maintenance session and an expected payment delay. However, a small percentage of them have been affected by a long-standing technical issue, which has already been reported and is being treated as an urgent matter.”