Got scammed on a hostel booking in Barcelona last month, lost $120

I booked through a third party site that looked legit but ended up being a fake listing, showed up at 11pm with nowhere to go. Had to scramble and find a last minute room that cost way more than I planned. Anyone have a foolproof way to check if a budget place is actually real before you book?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugog4326d ago

Aw man, that sucks so much! I had almost the exact same thing happen in Prague a few years back, showed up and the hostel didn't even exist at the address they gave. It's such a gut punch when you're tired and just want a bed. In my experience, the best trick I've found is to use Google Street View and actually "walk" around the neighborhood. If the address shows a different business or an empty lot, that's a huge red flag. Also, cross-reference the name with booking sites that have real user reviews, not just a handful of five star ones that all sound the same. Your mileage may vary, but I also try to only book places that accept payment at check-in with a small deposit online. That way if it's a scam, you're only out like ten bucks, not the whole hundred twenty. Hope you find a solid spot next time!

jason7326d ago

Nah man, that street view tip is gold. My buddy had this happen in Barcelona, he did the whole Street View thing and saw the "hostel" was actually a laundromat. He still booked it anyway cause it was cheap and thought maybe the entrance was around the side or something... yeah, he ended up sleeping at the train station that night. The reviews thing is key too, when they're all five stars and say the same stuff like "great location" and "friendly staff" but nobody mentions actual details, that's a huge red flag. I'd rather pay a bit extra for a place that's been around a few years and has actual photos that look like they were taken by a real person with a bad phone camera, you know?