Update: My friend just lost $150 booking a 'budget' hostel in Bangkok.

Honestly, they booked through some random third-party site that looked legit but wasn't on the hostel's own website. The booking wasn't confirmed, and the site wouldn't give a refund. How do you guys check if a booking site is actually real?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_green528d ago

That's a rough lesson but $150 isn't the end of the world for a trip. I just look for the official website and compare the web address. If a deal looks too good, it usually is.

torres.thea8d ago

Check the site's contact info and physical address too. A real business has real ways to get in touch, not just a contact form. That extra step can save you a major headache.

wesleyb208d ago

Feel for your friend, that's a real gut punch. I used to just go for the cheapest listing I could find, no questions asked. Evan_green52 has the right idea about checking the official site first. Getting burned once on a fake booking page for a bus ticket totally changed how I check for real addresses now. I basically cross-check everything on a map and look for real reviews off the booking site itself.