Booking.com Host Scammed Us – No Stay, No Refund, Left Stranded in Cold

I booked and fully paid for a stay at Berkocsis Street Citycentre Apartment in Budapest, Hungary from December 23-29, 2024, under confirmation number 482855*8 and PIN code 5218** using K**@gmail.com**. However, upon arrival, the host never responded to any of my messages or calls, leaving my family—including my 3-year-old child—stranded in freezing 3°C weather.

I tried calling the host’s number, and it rang only once before I was blocked. When I checked Booking.com again, I saw that the property had changed its name to "Salala," clearly an attempt to avoid accountability. This is fraud!

I immediately contacted Booking.com via email, only to receive automated replies requesting the same information I had already provided. When I called customer service, the system repeatedly asked me to enter my reservation number—after doing so five times, I realized I wasn’t going to get any help.

This accommodation never existed, and I was scammed out of €134.52. My family had to scramble for alternative lodging, which cost us significantly more since we lost our early booking advantage.

Booking.com, I demand a full refund immediately! Additionally, this fraudulent property must be removed from your platform to prevent other travelers from falling victim to the same scam. How can a listing keep changing names and still be allowed to operate? I expect a fast resolution, as this is completely unacceptable!