Got burned by a fake hostel booking in Bangkok

Booked a place on Agoda for $12 a night in Khao San Road. Showed up at 10pm and the address was a laundry shop. Had to scramble on my phone for 45 minutes to find somewhere else. Ended up paying $28 at a place with no AC. Now I only book hostels that take payment at check in, not upfront.

3 comments

3 Comments

butler.abby17d ago

Got burned the exact same way in Kuala Lumpur last year. Showed up to an address that was just a random apartment building with no front desk. Had to wander around for an hour trying to find someone who knew anything about the booking. It really sucks when you're tired and just want to drop your bags. That's honestly why I stick to Hostelworld now too, they seem to handle the sketchy listings better than Agoda. Hope you at least got your money back eventually.

uma_webb2811d ago

Yeah that bit about "wandering around for an hour" really hits home. @butler.abby it's wild how these platforms let anyone list a room with basically no checks. I've noticed this pattern where companies grow fast by onboarding anyone and everyone, then leave regular people like us to deal with the mess when things go wrong. It's like the whole system is built on hope that nothing bad happens, but when it does you're stuck proving your side of the story. Same thing with car rental apps and even some food delivery services now where the middleman takes zero responsibility for what they're selling. Makes you wonder if they even look at the listings before they go live.

the_blair17d ago

Found a place like that in Chiang Mai last year. Agoda took my money upfront but the hostel was just a locked door with a sign taped to it. Had to call their support line and they refunded me after three days of back and forth. Now I use Hostelworld or Booking.com with free cancellation. Anything that charges a deposit before you arrive is a gamble I don't take anymore.