‘We didn’t feel safe’: Booking.com users face battle to get money back

The Guardian UK Saturday 01 August 2026, 09:00 UTC By Shane Hickey 1 min read

Key Points

From melted electric sockets to shabby alternatives, readers tell of dealings with platform when things go wrongJane Ripley* spent some time researching the best apartment to stay in for her family’s trip to Batumi in Georgia, eventually settling on one with an “exceptional” rating on Booking.com. But when the Ripleys arrived at 11pm on the first day, they were directed to another property that was shabby and had stains on the furniture and ceiling.

From melted electric sockets to shabby alternatives, readers tell of dealings with platform when things go wrong

Jane Ripley* spent some time researching the best apartment to stay in for her family’s trip to Batumi in Georgia, eventually settling on one with an “exceptional” rating on Booking.com.

But when the Ripleys arrived at 11pm on the first day, they were directed to another property that was shabby and had stains on the furniture and ceiling.

Ripley (LOCATION) Batumi (LOCATION) Georgia (LOCATION) Booking.com (ORG) Ripleys (ORG)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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‘We didn’t feel safe’: Booking.com users face battle to get money back

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