A customer who booked an apartment in Paris through an online travel platform reported losing €701 after the reservation was effectively canceled without confirmation. The customer, who is 83 years old, said they and a friend paid for the accommodation but were later informed by email that their “request” had not been confirmed and were advised to contact the property owner directly. Despite repeated attempts to reach the owner, both the customer and the platform’s support team were unsuccessful in establishing contact.

A manager at the booking platform’s call center reportedly suggested that the customer travel to the apartment in person to knock on the door and attempt to resolve the matter. The customer, citing concerns about being stranded without accommodation and personal risk due to age, chose instead to cancel the booking, resulting in the forfeiture of the full payment.

Further complicating the situation, the customer noted that several recent reviews on the platform similarly described arrivals to find the booked property inaccessible. The company clarified that the term “request” in their communications refers specifically to the estimated check-in time provided during booking, rather than the reservation itself. However, the customer highlighted that the host did not confirm any aspect of the booking or check-in details, leaving them without clarity on their accommodation status.

The platform acknowledged that some hosts may delay confirming check-in times due to “finalising availability,” but did not address why the host failed to confirm any details or explain inconsistencies in user reviews, where a positive 2024 review was followed by predominantly negative feedback from 2025.

Despite these issues, the booking platform ultimately agreed to issue a refund to the customer as a “goodwill gesture.” This incident underscores ongoing challenges faced by travelers using online accommodation services, particularly when communication breakdowns occur between hosts and booking platforms.