Baloney Bookings On Both Sides

(I have a medical school interview that starts at 8:30 am in a town two hours from where I live, so my mum books a hotel room for the two of us through a well-known third-party booking site. About a week later, she realises that they offer two separate rooms for not much more money, so she cancels the original order and then books again so that we can each have our space. On the day we’re due to arrive, my mum rings up as she’s gotten nothing from the hotel about what time to show up.)

Manager: “I’m seeing nothing about your reservation.”

Mum: “I’m sorry?”

Manager: “I’m only seeing a cancellation for one room, not a new booking for two.”

Mum: “Can I forward you the booking?”

Manager: “Unfortunately, as it’s through a third party, that won’t work. The rooms are still available. I can reserve them for you for [higher price than the booking site].”

Mum: “Do that for the moment. I’m going to call [Booking Site] and see what’s going on.”

(My mum calls the booking site and explains the situation.)

Mum: “…so, now it seems like I’ll have to pay for the same order twice, once through you and once through the hotel. Can you fix it?”

Worker: “I’m going to call them, and if they don’t have it, send it to them. We’ll get this sorted.”

(After five minutes of being on hold:)

Worker: “Yeah, they’ve got it.”

Mum: “You sent it to them?”

Worker: “No, they already had it. Just check with them again, though.”

(My mum calls the hotel.)

Manager: “Yeah, that’s all sorted; [Booking Site] just sent it to us.”

Mum: “Wait, just sent it to you?”

Manager: “Yup. Anyway, see you at six!”

(We’re not sure whether the booking site lied about the hotel already having the reservation or the hotel lied about only just getting the reservation. Either way, we’re booking directly next time.)