Booking.com Kept My Full $2,434.74 Car Rental Payment as a Cancellation Fee

I am submitting this complaint regarding my car rental booking made via Booking.com with Avec Rent a Car at Istanbul International Airport. The booking was for an SUV from 12 October to 16 November 2026, with a total cost of US$ 2434.74, paid by my husband’s credit card. Due to an error in our flight schedule, the original booking had to be cancelled. When we arrived the next day at the supplier’s desk at Istanbul International Airport, we were informed that the reservation had been cancelled and that the amount had been returned to Booking.com. However, I then received an email from Booking.com on 13 October 2026 stating that my reservation was cancelled and that a cancellation fee of US$ 2434.74 had been applied, with a refund amount of US$ 0.00. For the last two weeks, Booking.com has not resolved this issue. We feel manipulated, and our emails have been ignored. I consider it completely unacceptable that the full amount I paid has been kept as a “cancellation fee” even though the car was not used and the supplier stated the amount was returned to Booking.com. I request an immediate and full refund of US$ 2434.74 to the same credit card used for the payment, and a written confirmation that this booking has been fully refunded, without any penalty or hidden fee.