Hoshino Resorts reveal Agoda (subsidiary of Booking Holdings which also own Booking.com) engages in fraudulent resale of hotel rooms

[swathe]

This is a case thwere you dont know how things work. Anyway, nowadays, you should be looking at agoda with bank discount of 15% and above and to pay now instead of pay later to avoid that 5% fee.

Well. If you choose pay now, they immediately add the 5%. This gives the perception that pay later is cheaper but the price is the same. Actually you still get the 5% anyway.

This is the case where you doesn't know how it works.

 

[LPPLKPKB]

but i've done cancellation in agoda multiple times.
when you book , agoda will have multiple prices on the rooms. Some have free cancellation till X dates. Some is no-cancellation once booked.

So usually, I will just pay for my choice hotel early on. .when there's a deal.
then i will monitor for any better deals (be it the current hotel or a new hotel) till the free-cancellation date.
If have, i will cancel the existing booking and then book the new deal.

Yes, that’s what I normally do as well. Cancellations with Agoda can be carried out easily as long as before free cancellation date. But most of the times I stick with the booking because early bookings with Agoda could be really cheap. I ever got bookings in Taipei and Tokyo hotels for 50% discount compared with others.

 

[titusilvering]

but i've done cancellation in agoda multiple times.
when you book , agoda will have multiple prices on the rooms. Some have free cancellation till X dates. Some is no-cancellation once booked.

So usually, I will just pay for my choice hotel early on. .when there's a deal.
then i will monitor for any better deals (be it the current hotel or a new hotel) till the free-cancellation date.
If have, i will cancel the existing booking and then book the new deal.

I book 6 months in advance. Then cuz plans change need change date and agoda submit request all tio rejected. Call hotel they say ya agoda is like that. Next time use booking. Com easier they tell me

 

[drkcynic]

but i've done cancellation in agoda multiple times.
when you book , agoda will have multiple prices on the rooms. Some have free cancellation till X dates. Some is no-cancellation once booked.

So usually, I will just pay for my choice hotel early on. .when there's a deal.
then i will monitor for any better deals (be it the current hotel or a new hotel) till the free-cancellation date.
If have, i will cancel the existing booking and then book the new deal.

I thought in Agoda we can reserve without paying until XXX date? I didn't pay at all.

Paying then cancelling, when you get the refund it gets hit with FX losses.

 

[ChiongAh]

Agoda sux, about 10 years ago, one time there was a fraudulent booking on my account which they insisted i booked it.

Thus I raised this up with my credit card bank and they did a chargeback. Agoda then blocked me from booking.

I booked hotel rooms through other platforms and then subsequently moved on to Airbnb to book apartments for recent trips. Now also got trip.com quite aggressive marketing.

 

[swordspirit]

If u pay in sgd there will probably be a fee, and also the credit card will also charge a dcc rate. Best to pay in their local currency.

nah. no fee. no dcc if using visa. visa processed in sg. Master in HK.

 

[swordspirit]

Well. If you choose pay now, they immediately add the 5%. This gives the perception that pay later is cheaper but the price is the same. Actually you still get the 5% anyway.

This is the case where you doesn't know how it works.

I book 6 months in advance. Then cuz plans change need change date and agoda submit request all tio rejected. Call hotel they say ya agoda is like that. Next time use booking. Com easier they tell me

I thought in Agoda we can reserve without paying until XXX date? I didn't pay at all.

Paying then cancelling, when you get the refund it gets hit with FX losses.

#1. Book cancellable bookings
#2 default currency in SGD. Agoda will translate using spot rate and there is no markup on this.
#3 Use bank discounts with at least 15% and above
#4 compare discounted rates with other booking websites (expedia, trip, booking.com)
#5 book and pay in SGD using visa card (no DCC charged)

When better deal come about for Agoda
#6 Rebook new room
#7 Cancel previous booking and get full refund (since using visa, no dcc)

Things to note
Dont complain if you book non-cancellable bookings. All aggregator and hotel can choose not to grant waiver. It become the aggregator/hotel discretion to waive it. Agoda typically requires the hotel to agree to waiver (you can message the hotel). I have booked with hilton directly they also dont allow free cancellation after deadline due to emergency.

Dont search in foreign currency (maybe this is the 1 that result in the 5% markup on payment).