Booking.com review: Accommodation not fit for purpose

My wife and I booked a self-catering cottage in Somerset via Booking.com

Upon our arrival on 5th August 2923, the place was filthy, smelt musty, and no cleaning had been done. Dirty sheets were still on the bed, old food was in the fridge, etc.

It was not fit for purpose, and we could not stay there.

We had travelled for 7 hours and were tired and hungry. We had brought our food, but the kitchen was dirty, so we didn't want to use it for cooking.

The cottage was in a small village, and there was nowhere to eat as the cafe/restaurant had all closed for the day.

The number provided by Booking.com to contact the owner just kept ringing, and we couldn't get hold of anyone. So we left.

Sitting in our car in a car park, we tried to get help from Booking.com, but sadly, they were useless. They couldn't help us find any alternative accommodation, and they, too, could not contact the owner. Our last call from them as we sat in a car park in pouring rain was from Singapore.

We made our own arrangements in a hotel, and have been trying to get a refund ever since of the £709 we paid. (Booking.com did refund £106, but considering we were charged a cleaning fee of £125 up front, this didn't really satisfy us! We also paid a further £481 for a hotel.)

The cottage has since been removed from the Booking.com website.

No one from Booking.com ever returned calls, and it was a useless experience trying to get anyone who understood adequately. Today, we were finally told by someone from their only contact number that nothing further could be done. There was no complaint system against Booking.com; all calls, including from a solicitor if I engaged one, had to use the only number.

So we are frustrated and unhappy with this company.

They wouldn't provide details of the owner of the cottage, so we have no way of pursuing this against them.

WE WILL NEVER USE BOOKING.COM AGAIN

Their level of customer service is beyond reprehensible.