Booking.com Unilaterally Cancels Rental Booking and Withholds $34 Refund

I made a 1-day car rental reservation in Lesbos through Booking.com with Enterprise for April 18–19. I paid a total of $34 for this reservation, and my reservation number is 799933046. The reservation terms clearly stated that I had the right to cancel for free up to 48 hours before the vehicle pick-up time.

Around 4:00 PM on April 16, I was informed that there would be a strike at the Lesbos port, ferry trips were canceled, and my ferry tickets were suspended. Since less than 48 hours remained until the reservation, I could not complete the cancellation process myself on the website. I subsequently emailed a detailed explanation of the situation to Booking.com, stating that the issue was entirely due to the strike and ferry cancellations—completely beyond my control—and requested a free cancellation.

Not only was my request rejected, but I also saw that my reservation was canceled without my consent and marked "non-refundable," even before the vehicle pick-up time had arrived. I might have found another way to cross to the island at that point, or I could have arranged alternative transportation; despite this, a unilateral cancellation was made on my behalf, and the amount I paid was not refunded.

I have been seriously victimized as a consumer, both because the disruption of my travel due to the strike was beyond my control, and because my reservation was canceled "without refund" without my consent. I demand that this grievance be resolved and that the $34 payment be refunded to me in full.

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