Misleading Accommodation Listing and Unresolved Deposit
I booked accommodation through Agoda for a 2 nights stay in Manchester, relying on my previous booking experiences and my trust in Agoda as a recognised booking platform. When we arrived at the address provided in the booking confirmation, we were unable to check in. The management of the Property subsequently confirmed in writing that the development has never offered short-term accommodation. After reviewing CCTV footage and the concierge report, they also confirmed that we had attended the property and were turned away because of the illegitimate booking confirmation. Before check-in, the host requested a deposit payment directly to them. As I had concerns about the security of the payment, I contacted Agoda's Customer Service team to verify whether it was safe to proceed. I was reassured by Agoda's team and proceeded with the payment based on that confirmation. However, the accommodation turned out to be inaccessible, and despite providing supporting evidence, I have yet to receive a satisfactory resolution from Agoda. I have provided payment records and independent written evidence from the development management, yet Agoda continues to send repetitive updates stating that it has not received a response from the accommodation partner and that the outcome depends on the property's decision. How long am I expected to wait? If the accommodation listing is suspected to be fraudulent, why is my complaint being left indefinitely dependent on a response from the accommodation provider? I booked through Agoda because I trusted its platform. I expected meaningful assistance when something went seriously wrong, not repeated generic emails without a resolution. As of the date of this review, my deposit issue remains unresolved. I hope Agoda takes this complaint seriously, investigates how this listing was allowed on its platform, and provides a proper resolution. I would urge other travellers to exercise caution and carefully verify accommodation arrangements, particularly when asked to make separate deposit payments.