How Do I Dispute a Charge with Booking.com?

When you make a reservation with Booking.com, you will see all the rates and fees you can expect explained to you first. Therefore, nothing on your bill should be a surprise. However, if you did find an unexpected charge then there are a few different potential reasons for it, ranging from extras like room service to somebody in the billing department making a simple mistake. If you believe that this Booking.com charge was a mistake then you should dispute it if you want to have a chance of getting a refund.

First of All: Collect Evidence to Support Your Case

If you want to get your money back, you should collect any evidence you can that could support your claim about the charge being a mistake. As an example, if you were charged for a reservation that you didn't actually make, pictures of you at a different location at the time of the reservation could help. As another example, if the charge is for some kind of damage done to the property you stayed at, and the damage was already there before you arrived, find someone who saw that damage to call as a witness. Make records of conversations between you and Booking.com employees about the charge.

Next: Dispute the Charge with Booking.com

After getting the evidence together, start the dispute by talking to a representative at Booking.com's customer service department. Tell them about the charge and why you believe it was a mistake. The representative you speak to might be able issue a refund, but they also might need to get help from a manager or someone even higher up. The dispute process could take some time to complete, so be patient.

After That: Take Your Dispute to the Bank

If Booking.com won't issue a refund for the charge, the next thing to try is taking the dispute to your bank. A dispute with a financial institution about a charge the institution processed is referred to as a "charge-back." After initiating one, your bank will investigate your claims. If it determines that the charge was made in error, it will give you a refund.

Remember: you have to start the dispute by talking to someone at Booking.com Tripadvisor. You can't just start by initiating a charge-back. Your bank won't let you.

To initiate the charge-back, talk to a customer service representative at your bank and explain why you believe the Booking.com charge was a mistake and should be refunded. Tell them what you have already done to dispute the charge. This charge-back process will also probably take time to complete.

During its investigation, your bank might give you a provisional credit. This is a refund you can use while it completes the investigation. However, if your bank determines the charge is not due a refund, you will have to return it.

Lastly: Sue Booking.com in Small Claims Court

If none of the previous steps work out for you, you can file suit against Booking.com in small claims court as a final resort. You can find the rules for filing a small claims suit on your jurisdiction's website.

Contacting Booking.com

Contact a Booking.com customer service agent to begin the dispute process. You can get hold of one by phone, by email, or on the Booking.com help forum.