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Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

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Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#141

Post by MarkMc »

JulienSchmidt wrote: post #84
AJ007 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Per excellent report by Ben Edelman, which I strongly recommend reading for anyone interested in the booking platforms http://www.benedelman.org/publications/ota-bias-12jul2017.pd... Priceline Group: priceline.com, agoda.com, booking.com, cheapflights.com, ctrip.com, KAYAK, Momondo.com, Opentable.com, rentalcars.com, Rocketmiles Expedia, Inc.: Expedia.com, Carrentals.com, Classic Vacations, eLong.com, HomeAway, Hotel…

Neither Ctrip nor eLong are owned by Priceline / Expedia. They invested in the respective companies and own a stake, but Chinese law prevents that any foreign company owns the majority of any Chinese company. (Yes, even the Chinese McD, Apple, Starbucks etc are majority Chinese owned) I am a bit shocked though, that Momondo is owned by Kayak. For me, Momondo has so far been the best alternative. And Skyscanner is own…

Then I doubt Apple China makes much profit - almost all profit will be booked to a company wholly owned by Apple US.

Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#143

Post by assafmo »

One time we canceled a hotel with free cancelation but the hotel chared us 1100$ anyway. (why the hell did the hotel had our credit card details?!) We contacted booking.com and asked to get a refund, and they said we are right but it takes time... So we contacted Mastercard and said that booking.com won't refund us. Mastercard checked with the hotel and when they didn't get a good enough answer from them they refunded us 1100$. Then booking.com followed up on our earlier request for refund and also didn't get a good enough answer from the hotel so they refunded us 1100$ from their money...

Sometime after that we got charged 1100$ by Mastercard... I think that booking.com got a complaint from the hotel that Mastercard reverted the charge and then opened a dispute with Mastercard to get their 1100$ that they refunded us...

At least now I know to just go and tell Mastercard every time I get a little resistance from some business who won't rightfully refund me.

Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#144

Post by clamprecht »

samastur wrote: post #79
JetSpiegel wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Basically this. I use booking as the yellow pages, you search for the hotels you want and give them a call directly. Cheaper prices and no cuts for parasite middleman.

So parasite middleman is for you a company that enables you to find those hotels in the first place? Do you find all middleman parasitic or is there something else booking should do to stop being in this group?

I've had some bad experiences with third parties (middlemen) when booking hotels online. Anytime there is a problem, the other two parties point the fingers at each other, and you, the customer, is left to deal with it. I don't find all middlemen parasitic, but in this case, it's less risk for me to deal directly.

Sometimes only booking.com has rooms and the hotel site itself doesn't, and in that case, I will still use booking.com.

Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#145

Post by mythbustah_13 »

jakub_g wrote: post #6

Booking is the website with the highest density of dark patterns per pixel I've ever seen. Red texts hurrying you to make a reservation in virtually every on the page ("only 2 rooms left", "someone just made a booking", "12 people looking", "Booked N times today", "You're lucky to see this room, normally it's booked!", "You're lucky to see it for $50, normally it's more expensive" etc.). All of those texts are flashi…

There are no things flashing or animated elements on Booking.com's website. Maybe you're confusing with some other website?

Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#146

Post by mythbustah_13 »

mikeash wrote: post #60
breitling wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, it said the room has been booked 14 times in 24 hours...not that it had been booked for that specific date 14 times in 24 hours.

To be reverse-fair, they know exactly how people will understand it.

You'd be surprised. Keep in mind it's a Dutch company, Dutch are very direct and explicit in communication.

Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#148

Post by developer2 »

tome wrote: post #113
collyw wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of interest how would you negotiate? "I SEE IT ONLINE FOR $50 LESS ONLINE, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT CHEAPER!!!" seems to be the classic style of negotiating car prices. It seems to be the only bargaining chip that you have available to you.

"I see it online for $50 less, could you possibly make it cheaper? If so I'll pay right away. "

"Could you possibly..." or "Is there any way..." is precisely the right phrasing. And again, the tone used makes or breaks the deal. Furthermore, explicitly quoting the online price is the wrong approach. Ask if there's any way to get $X (online price minus $20-30/night), without explicitly mentioning that you're comparing to the online price. Don't shove the online price in their face (ie: demanding they meet or beat, which is aggressive posturing). Only refer explicitly to the online price if you can't seem to charm them without doing so.

The long and short of it: you're trying to win over another human being to be on your side. You don't demand that a company or "lowly employee" meet your expectations. Tact for the win!

Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#149

Post by collyw »

developer2 wrote: post #148
tome wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I see it online for $50 less, could you possibly make it cheaper? If so I'll pay right away. "

"Could you possibly..." or "Is there any way..." is precisely the right phrasing. And again, the tone used makes or breaks the deal. Furthermore, explicitly quoting the online price is the wrong approach. Ask if there's any way to get $X (online price minus $20-30/night), without explicitly mentioning that you're comparing to the online price. Don't shove the online price in their face (ie: demanding they meet or bea…

OK, the bargaining chip is effectively the same, just the politeness in asking is different. I was quoting from the parent.

Re: Bad UX: How Booking.com deceives clients

#150

Post by mythbustah_13 »

slipstream- wrote: post #4

What do you expect, from an entity that advertises via spreading malware/PUPs? https://blog.malwarebytes.com/detections/pup-optional-bookin...

I believe these don't come from the actual company itself, rather from other people abusing their affiliate program (same thing happens with Amazon, for instance, so I guess you can't trust them either).
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