Agoda Refused Refund After Immediate Hotel Booking Cancellation

I made a reservation via Agoda for a Superior Room at The Grand Lodge Pattaya in Thailand, with check‑in on 9 July 2026 and check‑out on 11 July 2026, under Booking ID 659597759. The booking was created on 14 May 2026 and cancelled on the same day, within about two minutes, immediately after I realised there was an issue, and long before the check-in date. No stay took place and no hotel services were used. Despite this immediate cancellation and non-utilization of the booking, Agoda has refused to provide a refund, stating that the booking was non‑refundable. I understand the “non‑refundable” classification, but in this situation the reservation was cancelled almost instantly after payment, and before any service was consumed. The system also allowed instant cancellation, which reasonably led me to believe that the transaction could still be reversed at that point. Retaining 100% of the payment under these circumstances feels disproportionate and inconsistent with fair consumer expectations. My concern also relates to the handling of the case. After contacting Agoda support, I was first informed on 14 May that I would receive a response within 48 hours. On 18 May, I was informed that Agoda was in communication with the property and that I would receive an update within 72 hours. However, no response or update was ever provided within the promised timeframe. Instead, the support chat was later closed by Agoda without any direct reply or explanation regarding the outcome of the review. When I later attempted to follow up through the AI support chat, I was only shown that the case had been marked as “resolved” despite never receiving the promised response or any meaningful communication regarding the decision. The failure to provide the promised follow-up, together with the lack of clear communication and closure of the support channel, has further undermined my confidence in the handling of this matter. In light of the immediate cancellation, the absence of any service provided, and the delays and gaps in communication, I respectfully request a full refund of the amount paid for this booking, or alternatively an equivalent voucher/credit on my Agoda account. I also request that this case be given a final internal review by a supervisor or a billing escalation team before I proceed with external dispute channels. If Agoda decides to maintain its refusal despite these circumstances, I will have to consider initiating a chargeback with my payment provider on the basis of immediate cancellation and non‑utilization of services, as well as submitting complaints to the relevant consumer protection authorities regarding both the refund refusal and the way the case timeline was handled. I kindly ask Agoda to review this situation once more and inform me whether a final escalation review will be conducted.