r
1

Frustrated First Time Experience!

Getting set up with BCD and already frustrated, lost, and upset with customer support/partner.

I signed up for Booking.com

I was not aware my property was available for booking as my calendar wasn't updated and I was working on multiple listings at the same time.


Reasons I did not think my property was open for booking: 
- Payments Suspended (as I did not set this up yet)

- Property needed to be verified. If my property isn't verified how can BDC actually book guests to the property. What if I was using a neighbors house and setting it up on BDC? This is why I made the assumption that the property wasn't available for security purposes until the property can be verified.

- There wasn't a toggle to list or unlist my property to make it invisible. I still can't find it.

However, I received a booking tonight and I had to call into Booking.comto have this cancelled and also messaged the guest to let them know as soon as reservation was received. I asked the representative to please have it cancelled as I cannot host as my calendar wasn't synced and I don't know how to get it synced. I let them know I didn't know that my listing wasn't suppose to be available. I asked the representative if I would be penalized and she said I shouldn't be.

The representative just sent me an email saying that I would be responsible for relocation if it exceeds what the guest originally paid for my booking that needed to be cancelled.

So I called booking.com to have them guide me on syncing my Airbnb calender with BDC. Then I get transferred to Partner and speak with a representative that keeps cutting me off when I explain to them my frustration (I'm not yelling, cursing, or being mean at all). I state the same facts about why I assumed my listing was not available. He keeps cutting me off and keeps telling me that I did this to myself and that there is a record that I accepted the property to be listed. I asked him, I don't get it because I've been trying to figure out how to turn it off and there's no option.

He then tells me that I need to go to my calendar and block off all the dates because it's available and that's why it's booked. The problem is that I have my other listing that I am working on, which ALSO has the calendar synced tonight, but I am pretty certain this listing IS NOT visible to the public.

So I try to explain this to him and he keeps cutting me off and telling me I'm not listening to him. At this point, I tell him to please listen to me and stop cutting me off when I am trying to ask questions. He says he's trying to help and I need to block off my calendar for the next two years.

I asked if there was a way to just toggle it so it's not visible instead of blocking it off for two years in advance and then he tells me I'm not listening again.

But how come my other listing has updated calendar, but it's not visible?

I ask him if there's someone else I can speak to and he says he can't transfer me and I need to hang up and call back to get someone else. I ended up asking for his name and said thank you and we left the call at that. 

FRUSTRATED.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU LOVELY PEOPLE: 
1. If the guest is booked into a more expensive accommodation, I do not want to be responsible to cover the excess fees. How can I do this considering I am still setting up my page and I was under the impression that it wasn't available?

2. Is there a way to list and un-list the property without blocking out 2 years in advance on the calendar? This seems inefficient and tedious.

3. How can I change the name of my property? I've already sent a message to BDC, but would like to get this resolved sooner rather than later.

I did not know my property was visible. When I finally check the page, my property is listed under it's FULL address which I do *not* want.

4. Are BDC representatives not able to transfer from one partner agent to another? Was this guy just lying to me and giving me a difficult time?


Profile picture for the user l
8
Leandri Klopper 5 years ago

HI there,

I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles. It does sound like quite the story.

You should have received an email where it stated that your property is live, you can ask BDC to forward that evidence to you if they give you a hard time.

1. Sadly no, if the alternative accommodation is more expensive you will have to pay in. It's in the contract and they are super strict on it. But hopefully (and normally) they try everything in their power to avoid that.

2. This would be great, but there is no button like that. You need to close your calendar like the consultant said. Perhaps it's a good suggestion to send to Booking.com via the Feedback button on your extranet.

3. It seems I just have bad news for you... Someone from Booking.com needs to change this for you but as far as I know you will need to reload your property. They are not equipt to change the name...

4. I've been transferred before, the consultants are told to do everything in their power to help the person on the phone with them first. So the consultant probably thought that he could help and did not want to transfer you.

All I can say is, it gets better. You're just off to an uncomfortable start. Best of luck!