When my daughter tested positive for covid the doctor suggested to have her isolated somewhere for 10 days. In her condition we didn’t want to take the risk in having her stay with us at that point her substance use had increased a lot and she was doing it intravenously. We have zero tolerance for being around this and inviting it in our safe space that we try our hardest to keep sober. I still wanted to help her get a room somewhere and I went online looked for the best possible deal for 7days at a motel or hotel. I managed to book a room and one hour later one of the receptionist of the hotel were I booked the room called me to let me know that I had book the room from the 18th of December to the 25th of December 2022. Is that a mistake she says oh. Yes it is certainly a mistake I booked the room for today not for year away from today. So she suggested I call booking.com cancel the reservation and call them back. So I did, I called booking.com I asked to cancel the reservation they said they would take care of the cancellation that I still have to call the hotel back and ask them for a refund. I called the hotel they confirmed the reservation was cancelled with booking .com and said the money would be refunded into my account within 4 to 5 business days. I then also tested positive for covid and got pretty sick right after this interaction with both the hotel and booking.com but I felt reassured and waited for the money they took out of my account to land back into it. A week later I called my bank as I noticed the money had not been refunded into my account they said they would send a dispute form out to the hotel so the money could get refunded. A week and half later the money has not been refund back into my account. I call the hotel back and they tell me that the reservation that I had apparently cancelled was still active and there was no note in my account reservation saying that I tried to cancel my reservation. What????? The hotel asked that I call booking.com and request a cancellation, I called booking.com and speak to a man who s accent is so strong that I can hardly understand and the line was so distorted that it was cutting off words so he called me right back using a different line. Then he said so mam I understand you want to cancel your reservation mam? Yes I do. Ok I am going to take care of that for you. First what is your first name? I spell out my first name then I wait till he asks me to spell out my last name, he doesn’t. He then asks mam what type of device are you using? I started getting really suspicious. Why do you want to know what type of device I have and why do you only ask me for my first name? That is bizarre I m thinking. Then he says put me on loud speaker and I ll tell you what to do next. Then I hear some strange unheard before background noises that I could not understand this got me really paranoid. It seemed like I was not talking from an booking.com agent but some random hacker. Is he trying to tap into my phone and get my personal info? I m thinking. Then I hear him say ok now go to your play store app? Go to my play store app? Why? What for? I just want to have my booking cancelled not meddle around with you into my phone. What is that? Is this a scam? Are you pretending to be booking.com I said? Mam are you blaming on me? He replies? I said why are asking me these strange questions I don’t understand what you r trying to do with me. Mam no we are not a scam are you blaming on me? He asks again. Ok can I talk to your supervisor please? I said. Then he said ok I ll transfer you over to my supervisor. I waited for a couple of minutes and guessed he had not transferred me so I hang up in a bit of a panic thinking what he is doing? Is he trying and hack into my phone? So the problem hasn’t been solved and I am not sure how to handle this situation without fear and anxiety being the leader of me. I now have no faith in this hotel and in booking.com. To be continued