Booking.com Charged Me Extra £28.69 At 54 Queens Gate Hotel Without Clear Reason

I booked a stay at 54 Queens Gate Hotel through Booking.com (confirmation number: 5703.182.79) and paid a total of ₺34,518 for the reservation. However, at checkout, my credit card was charged an additional £28.69. No explanation was provided for this fee, other than being told it was “standard.” This charge was never disclosed at the time of booking, nor was it listed on Booking.com’s platform. While I was given a receipt, it did not clarify the reason for this payment.

On August 1, 2025, I contacted Booking.com customer service and reported the issue. A few days later, I received an email asking me to submit receipts, invoices, or bank statements. Shockingly, the email came from a no-reply address, and the upload button for sending documents did not work on any of the three devices I tested—it returned an error every time. I could not find a valid customer support email or live chat option for Booking.com either.

On August 7, 2025, I again contacted customer service via the website, explained that the upload button was broken, and re-submitted my documents through their platform. Although the site promised a reply within 24 hours, I never heard back. I sent another follow-up message on August 14, and as of August 25, there is still no response.

It is unacceptable that a platform as large as Booking.com does not offer a working email address, WhatsApp line, or live chat service for urgent issues. Customers should not have to wait weeks with no communication while their money is held unfairly.

I demand a full refund of the £28.69 extra charge and expect Booking.com to improve its customer support system. If this issue is not resolved promptly, I will pursue legal action and stop using the platform altogether.