Consumer complaint received 2024-10-01
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (PA)

On XX/XX/year>, I made a non-refundable booking on booking.com for the night of XX/XX/XXXX, with a checkout of XX/XX/XXXX, at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, which included breakfast. Stated check-in times were between XXXX - XXXX. My Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was charged {$150.00} for this booking on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I arrived at XXXX, to which I have a screenshot from my XXXX XXXX timeline which proves I arrivde at XXXX. The gate to the property was locked. I rang the bell and the host walked up to the gate looking surprised. He said that he wasn't expecting us to show up, because he had called me earlier to ask when I would arrive and I didn't answer. Also, he said that he emailed me the day before asking the same question and I didn't reply. 

I explained that I am not able to receive calls while travelling abroad. Also, I would not have had an exact time as to when I would arrive, but since it was a non-refundable reservation, he should simply expect me within the stated check-in times. I have stayed at many properties before, and will send a message asking when I expect to arrive, but there is no requirement to reply or to provide an exact time, only to arrive within the check-in hours, especially for a non-refundable reservation. 

He said that he could get the property ready for us but that it would take an hour or so. I asked if there was anywhere we could wait. He said yes, and let us through the gate. When we got to the parking, he said that there was actually no where for us to wait and that we would have to wait in the car. We waited in the car until around XXXX when the property was made available to us. He continued to berate us about how he had sent " copious '' messages to us and the importance of replying to him when he communicates. He said " this is not XXXX XXXX, this is someone's home. '' We went inside the property and it was very cold inside. He explained that he just turned the heat on and that it would heat up in time. I said that would be okay. However, we woke up several times throughout the night due to the cold and by morning, the heat had still never turned on. When we left in the morning, it had still never come on. 

We also found the place to be filthy. Not only was it full of dust and dirt, but there were dirty dishes that had not been cleaned in the kitchen area. We also found could feel bug bites on our ankles in the morning. We had to shake out all of our clothes and put them in a separate bag and have them laundered before we could return them into our suitcases. 

Finally, in the morning, he told us that he does not make breakfast for guests. The listing clearly includes breakfast. He said we could prepare our own in the provided kitchen - sorry but that is not an " included breakfast ''. 

He was very rude and condescending to us. I called booking.com and asked for a refund on the property. They said that the host would need to approve it, which he didn't - but why would he approve it? And why should he have to approve it? I made the booking through booking.com and they bear responsibility for who they represent as hosts. Then they said that they contacted the host and he said that we arrived after his check-in hours. I replied in email with a screenshot of my XXXX maps timeline which proves that I arrived at XXXX ( XXXX hours prior to the end of his check-in window ). 

A week later, they replied that they could not provide a refund because my story differs from the story being told by the host. However, I just proved him in a lie to them, and they still take his side. 

So I called chase to dispute the charge. However, they were not willing to open a dispute because they said that as soon as I entered the gate of his property, they lost their ability to file a chargeback. This doesn't make any sense at all to me. So then what protection am I even being given, either by my credit card or by the booking.com site? None, it seems. The host can provide whatever condition property they want, filthy, without heat, no breakfast, rude and condescending, and I have to pay for it and there is nothing that I can do about it.