Reasons why we don’t like booking.com and will be looking to migrate.
Hey, the fellow travelers and Airbnb hosts! Are you tired of getting shafted by Booking.com? Are you sick of those sneaky hidden fees and stupid commission rates? Well, sit back, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and get ready to laugh (or cry) as we delve into the many reasons why Booking.com is shist for hosts.
Hosts cant cancel a booking; It is generally not possible for hosts to cancel a booking on Booking.com once it has been confirmed by the guest. If a host needs to cancel a booking for any reason, they will need to contact Booking.com directly and request a cancellation. The platform will then review the request and determine whether or not it is possible to cancel the booking. Hosts should have control over who gets to stay and who doesn't. Period. Especially when you generally can identify the wronguns......
Booking.com doesn’t allow you to reject bookings within a time window; It is generally not possible for hosts to reject bookings on Booking.com once they have been made. If a host receives a booking request that they do not want to accept, they will need to contact Booking.com directly and request that the booking be canceled. This sucks because you should be able to reject crap bookings that they make with impunity.
However, it is important to note that hosts are expected to adhere to their cancellation policies and may be subject to penalties if they cancel a booking without a valid reason. It is always a good idea for hosts to carefully review their cancellation policies and make sure they are aware of the terms and conditions of their bookings on Booking.com.
Guests have to agree to cancel even if they have breached house rules and terms. This I BS. So some little turd recks the place and has a party. Well, nope you can't do anything about it.
Booking.com customer service is very poor. You get an offshore call center. Who are very pleasant but can do absolutely nothing to change the above nonsense policies.
Damage by guests is limited to £200. This is just not even close to being a reasonable amount of damage for even small issues.
They allow local customers to book which is a cause of parties. This is something that Airbnb prevents because of the obvious misuse of STR.
They Don’t verify or ID check guests. It's way too easy to book with someone else's ID.
They don’t allow you to review guests. So that same little angel that had that party gets to review you and leave 1-star feedback when you kick them out. WTF
They encourage guests to leave negative feedback. Guests have to give negative feedback. Well, I don't think they realize the impact of this on guests.
They charge more than the other OTAs in a pay-to-play model. Extra fees and pay extra to feature higher.
They don’t allow you to enforce house rules. They don't give you free space to add additional rules.
They just suck and are horrible to work with. The END