Hi,

Previously, I had booked hotels with Asiarooms, Bookings.com and Laterooms before. For those hotels that comes with the word "free cancellation", they had never charge my credit card even upon confirmed booking. Basically they only obtain information using the credit card and will only charge if we failed to show up at the hotel or cancel the booking within the time given.

Recently I had tried new websites - Hotels.com and Agoda for booking hotel for Hong Kong. Both came with the word "Free Cancellation" but to my horror, in the itinerary they sent to me, it says "You'll be charged with full amount" A call to credit card bank confirmed this that there's a full amount charges pending to be charged in a few working days. In the end I cancelled both booking.

Now my question is: is it because it's a basic rule for Hong Kong hotels to get full payment, nothing to do with the booking website policy? I mean, if I'm going to book again using Asiarooms, will I encounter the same problem?

Or it's only the policy of Agoda and Hotels.com to charge full payment upon booking?

This post has been edited by fraulein: Feb 13 2012, 10:36 PM

I don't want the hassle (or drama) of chasing for my payments after this. Somewhere in travel forums (I remember it's tripadvisor) there are some travellers mentioned about the hassle to get back their payment after paying in full despite "free cancellation" but I think it's other booking website. Basically because the booking website, once got your CC details, will send them to the hotel. And in this case, the hotel refused to refund or stall the refund process while the booking website washed its hands off the matter because it's a situation between traveller and the hotel.

This post has been edited by fraulein: Feb 13 2012, 11:06 PM