Horsefarmgirl
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- Joined
- Dec 27, 2017
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I just opened up about 2 months ago. I listed on Booking.com to start, and after 2 months, I have received about 10-12 fake bookings through them, and only two real ones. The fake bookings had no address entered, nor CVV code (which I have corrected that setting since), and false credit card numbers. These "people" are either a no show or cancel a day before. however it is fake credit card numbers and fake phone numbers, so I have no recourse to charge for no shows. When I called Booking.com on this, they said it was either hackers, or I had competitors that were trying to sabotage me. They also said they have this problem alot in South Africa and Brazil, but they rarley see it happening in the US. We are in Kentucky. They said I should request payment up front to avoid this, but that will put me a competitive disadvantage when other B&Bs in the areas don't require an upfront deposit. They were completely unapologetic about having hackers in their system and showed no desire to have their programmers research the hacking. Essentially, bookers can enter anything they feel like in the CC fields to book your property. There is zero verification of data. I have ruled out competitors as it has lasted too long, is too intricate (someone had to research dead phone numbers only), and usually the fake bookings come in at 2-4am.
First of all, I don't see the point of it. At the beginning, I was buying food, and preparing the rooms, and sitting around like an idiot waiting for people to show up, and losing money and time, but now it is the norm, so now I phone the phone number and try the credit card, and when they don't go through, I see it is yet another fake booking and ignore it. I don't see where the benefit is to the hackers though.
I had decided to forget Booking.com and then listed on Expedia. BUT I am having the EXACT same thing happen through their site, and they are too quite unapologetic about having hackers. 15 bookings so far, and every one of them is fake!
Is ANYONE else having this issue at all, and do you have a solution? 95% of the bookings through both sites have been fake. I just switched over to a prepayment system for reservations today on Expedia, and I will see if that avoids their hackers on their websites.
First of all, I don't see the point of it. At the beginning, I was buying food, and preparing the rooms, and sitting around like an idiot waiting for people to show up, and losing money and time, but now it is the norm, so now I phone the phone number and try the credit card, and when they don't go through, I see it is yet another fake booking and ignore it. I don't see where the benefit is to the hackers though.
I had decided to forget Booking.com and then listed on Expedia. BUT I am having the EXACT same thing happen through their site, and they are too quite unapologetic about having hackers. 15 bookings so far, and every one of them is fake!
Is ANYONE else having this issue at all, and do you have a solution? 95% of the bookings through both sites have been fake. I just switched over to a prepayment system for reservations today on Expedia, and I will see if that avoids their hackers on their websites.
