Livid man’s trip cancelled and re-listed for £20k – your rights if this happens
Liverpool was recently announced as the location for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest – with fans thrilled at the news.
The music competition was awarded to the city as the winners of Eurovision – Ukraine – could not fulfil the role due to the Russian invasion.
The UK’s Sam Ryder placed second in the competition and Liverpool has been chosen as the British city to host.
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This means fans of the song contest are clamouring to book accommodation in the area ahead of the May 9 start date.
The semi-finals of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest run from May 9 to 11 while the final will show on May 13.
One man claims he was left gutted after the flat he booked in Liverpool was cancelled and re-listed – for £20,000.
Connor Gregory, 23, posted on Twitter to tell the story and explained that he booked a flat in Liverpool next year for £200.
But, after the city was confirmed as the host for Eurovision, he claims he was contacted by the owner to say his booking was cancelled.
Connor noted: “And the cancellations start. Booked this way back in May/June, too good to be true.”
He showed screenshots that he claims are from the flat owner.
It said: “We are excited on your stay. However, the property will no longer be available on [these] dates, apologies.
“Please accept the cancellation request to receive full refund.”
They claimed there was an error in the booking.
But, Connor shot back and said: “No it’s not. I’d rather you just said it’s because one of the biggest music events in the world is coming to Liverpool and you want more money as prices have shot up.
“Please just be honest and I’d be alright with it.”
The disappointed bloke shared a tweet stating that Booking.com which told him they would take “proper action” against the host.
It said: “I have been in contact with Booking[dot]com, who has told me that they (the renter) cannot cancel my booking until I have.
“They have confirmed it’s still mine and they are filing a complaint because of their behaviour and will take ‘proper action against them’.
“The lovely man from Booking looked through the messages and said to me ‘he is aware of the situation’ meaning he can see why she bumped her prices up and is letting me stay there. Let this be a lesson to her to not price gouge, hope she enjoys her investigation coming her way.”
What can you do if your booking is cancelled?
Booking.com told Daily Star: “At Booking.com we understand that there is huge interest and excitement around the Eurovision Song Contest coming to Liverpool in 2023.
“While hotels and other accommodations are in complete control of the availability and prices they list on Booking.com, if a customer does have any issues with a booking then our customer service team is available 24/7 to support.
“This is a great opportunity for properties in Liverpool to showcase their city and be part of ensuring all fans have a positive experience, which starts when they book their accommodation at a great rate.
“We always actively monitor for any fraudulent activity and can take action as needed, including suspending or removing a property from our platform.”
Most hosting sites will have their own policy in regards to booking cancellations on both the part of the host and the guest.
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Some such cancellations may be considered a breach of contract depending on the details of the situation.
What this means in terms of refunds, or even compensation, will depend on exactly what is in the contract – so you should check any fine print or terms you agreed to.
Contact the host or website first to see whether they will resolve the issue in a way you are happy to proceed with.
If you want to claim compensation for a holiday booking check Citizens Advice for resources and more information.
It's always wise to have travel insurance even when you're staying within the UK as this may allow you to claim for accrued expenses in the case of cancellations or overbooking – always check the individual policy for the details.
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