Pole warns about ghost apartment in Gdansk. You can lose money
The holiday season is underway, which means that many of us will be looking for accommodation for our vacation – sometimes even at the last minute. It is easy to fall victim to fraud. A well-known journalist warns against unusual offers. The case concerns Booking.com
A reporter from “Gazeta Wyborcza” described an incident in which the well-known reporter Cezary Łazarewicz fell victim. He informed the media that a so-called ghost apartment had appeared on a well-known portal for booking accommodation. It was supposed to be located in Gdańsk. The man revealed that in his opinion, these were fraudsters who were ripping people off. He could have lost over PLN 1,000.
Ghost Apartment on Booking.com
The apartment in the center of Gdańsk that the Pole booked on Booking.com turned out to be a ghost apartment. The “Gdańsk Historic House” was supposed to be located in the very center of the seaside city and looked good in the photos. In addition, the Basilica of St. Nicholas, the Crane over the Motława River and the Neptune Fountain were theoretically nearby. The reality turned out to be different.
It is worth adding that the offer on Booking.com had even 12 reviews, which could have lulled the booker’s vigilance. Mr. Cezary chose a bad property, hoping to spend a nice vacation there. When he found himself in Gdańsk, on the way to the apartment he called the number provided in the advertisement to arrange the details of handing over the keys. Unfortunately, no one answered. When he got there, he realized that he had fallen victim to fraud. There were also other disappointed tourists waiting at the property.
“While I was hanging around there, a message came that I hadn’t paid a deposit of PLN 1,000. How was I supposed to pay the deposit two weeks earlier, since I didn’t know I’d be there then?” Łazarewicz recounted. A moment later, the man received another text message with information that the reservation had been canceled because he hadn’t paid the deposit. So he found another place to stay, and he wanted to clarify the matter with Booking.com.
Ghost Apartment on Booking.com. Pole Lost Money
Ultimately, it wasn’t that easy, and the injured party lost the money he had paid as a deposit. “I lost 484 PLN, and I could have lost 1484,” Łazarewicz told “Gazeta Wyborcza”. Booking.com informed that the money he had paid for the accommodation would not be returned, but the situation changed after the journalists intervened.
When a reporter from Gazeta Wyborcza sent an email to the address of the service’s press office in London, the man received a special message. They expressed regret for his situation and offered him a loan of PLN 484. The Pole also received instructions on how he could recover at least part of the amount paid.
This is not the first situation that reminds us that we need to be careful when booking accommodation. Unfortunately, also in the case of bookings on the Booking.com platform, there has already been a lot of talk about fraudsters who offer non-existent places to vacationers. Fortunately, this case has been resolved.
