Here’s an example on when someone didn’t read. A few weeks ago a consumer contacted us to complain about a hotel in Gaborone where she’d booked a room. Being a modern woman, she’d done this online, using a well-known service called Booking.com. This was a last-minute thing, she wanted to stay that same night. She selected the date, the type of room she wanted and the site asked her for her debit card details to make the reservation. Which she gave.
A little while later something happened to change her mind and she no longer needed the room at the hotel. Can she cancel and get a refund, she asked? No, said the hotel, you can’t have your money back. That’s when she came to us. Was this permitted, she wanted to know? Unfortunately it was. I took a look at the hotel’s details on Booking.com and even went to the stage where I was asked for my card details. Right next to the “Book now” link was another link saying “Booking conditions”. Click on that and it says “You can cancel free of charge until 5 days before arrival. You’ll be charged the first night if you cancel in the 5 days before arrival.”
