A friend and I experienced a series of issues during our three-week trip to India in February, with multiple components booked through Booking.com.

Through the travel site, we reserved a connecting flight from Delhi to Ranchi. However, when I attempted to check in online, Vistara, the airline, claimed I had cancelled the booking, which was untrue. They demanded £57 to reinstate the tickets. Faced with a tight schedule, I paid, intending to seek a refund upon my return.

The next complication arose at the Oyo Flagship Hotel Krisna Palace in Lucknow. We arrived at 9pm with plans to pay 4,200 rupees (£40) in cash for a two-night stay, but the receptionist informed us that the hotel lacked a licence to accommodate non-Indian citizens. Booking.com provided no warning about this restriction. After hours of searching for an alternative, we ended up paying 5,000 rupees (£47) for a single night elsewhere.

On the day of our return flight from Delhi, I received an email stating that our connecting flight from Kangra was cancelled.

Booking.com directed me to contact Alliance Air for alternatives, but I couldn’t get through. I later learned that the flight had been cancelled in January, without our knowledge.

To meet our international flight back to the UK, we were under immense stress. The only available option was a £655 flight with Spicejet, which I booked. Upon returning home, I received a £178 refund for the cancelled Alliance Air flight. Despite numerous communications with Booking.com, it’s now May and I’m still £534 out of pocket.

Paul Raworth, Birmingham

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Troubleshooter says

Customers often encounter issues when booking through intermediary companies. With multiple entities involved, identifying the source of the problem can be challenging.

For your flight issues, Booking.com partners with the travel agent GoToGate, which booked the tickets. GoToGate attributed the cancellation to the airline Vistara, advising you to resolve it with them.

Upon contacting Vistara, they indicated that either you or GoToGate had cancelled the booking, without confirming who was responsible. You ended up on the same flight with identical seats and baggage allowance, suggesting a mistake, but the exact source remained unclear.

As for the hotel in Lucknow, Booking.com was informed by the hotel that it had the appropriate licence for foreign guests, but this contradicted its website, indicating only Indian citizens were allowed. Reviews on Booking.com confirmed other guests had faced similar issues.

Booking.com subsequently refunded the cost of the alternative hotel as a goodwill gesture and ceased taking reservations for that hotel.

Your third problem arose from GoToGate’s failure to forward Alliance Air’s cancellation email due to a technical error. GoToGate eventually paid you £477, aligning the cost of your replacement flight with the original booking. You received a total refund of £524, recovering most of your money.

Booking.com commented: “This is not the experience we want for anyone embarking on a trip, and we’re sorry for the customer’s troubles. Our goal is to facilitate smooth travel experiences; in rare cases of issues, contact our customer service for assistance.”

You said: “It’s insane that I needed your help to sort this out. Needless to say, we won’t use Booking.com again.”

My North Face Coat Was Faulty

In September 2022, I purchased a £160 coat from The North Face for my daughter, which came with a two-year warranty. By December, the logo had peeled off, making it look like a cheap counterfeit. The North Face offered a full refund to my John Lewis account, but that account was closed following John Lewis’s switch from HSBC to NewDay.

The North Face insisted on sending the refund to the closed account, awaiting the funds to bounce back before issuing a refund via an alternative method.

By February, I hadn’t heard anything. Upon follow-up, The North Face claimed the refund was sent, but the funds hadn’t returned. HSBC then advised a 60-day wait, but nothing transpired. HSBC eventually provided a letter confirming my account closure.

I sent the letter to The North Face in May but received no response. This has been extremely frustrating, consuming hours of my time.

Sophie Brown, Cambridgeshire

Troubleshooter says

Refunds to a closed account are returned to the retailer, who then requests new account details. HSBC couldn’t find your payment initially due to account holder details. The bank apologized and arranged a full refund, plus £150 compensation.

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If you have a money issue for Katherine Denham to investigate, email [email protected]. Include a phone number.