- By Poorva Karki
- Mon, 12 Feb 2024 02:12 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
MakeMyTrip And Oyo Face Public Heat: Two of the biggest travelling-related brands in India, MakeMyTrip and Oyo, recently made major headlines on social media, but not for the reasons you might have in mind. In fact, the reason turned out to be downright embarrassing for both, after a man ended up at a hotel that was under construction. Taking to social media, the said man shared about the ordeal, where he booked a hotel room in Bengaluru using both brands. However, to his surprise, the man found out that the hotel he booked was under renovation. The post immediately sparked an outrage among people, as people dubbed it a ‘scam’.
The post was shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), by the handle ‘TheChanceSeeker’. The post was captioned, “@makemytrip & @oyorooms scam alert in Bengaluru. Just came here to find that the hotel I had booked is under renovation. There was not a living soul here. This is tantamount to cheating! After wasting 2 hours here they cut money from my refund. Shame on you!”
Check out the viral post:
@makemytrip & @oyorooms scam alert in Bengaluru. Just came here to find that the hotel I had booked is under renovation. There was not a living soul here. This is tantamount to cheating! After wasting 2 hours here they cut money from my refund. Shame on you! 👎🏽 pic.twitter.com/8C3m1mWJ81
— Amit Chansikar (@TheChanceSeeker) February 9, 2024
A few hours after the incident began to do rounds on social media, both brands took notice of the matter and responded to the post.
Hi Amit, We are truly apologetic for the experience you had with us. Our endeavor has always been to provide the best experience to our customers. As per our telephonic conversation, refund is processed in same mode of payment. Kindly check refund details and bank tat in my
— MakeMyTrip Care (@makemytripcare) February 9, 2024
Hi Amit, we always strive to go above and beyond for our customers and deliver delight with the best possible experience. We request you to kindly allow us some time to get it checked. ~AA
— OYO4U (@OYO4U) February 9, 2024
Meanwhile, the man, recently, updated on the refund status. “Update - Both Oyo and MMT reps have reached out to me multiple times on calls and via email. The refund apparently has been processed but yet to hit my account. Will update here once it does,” read his update.
Update - Both Oyo and MMT reps have reached out to me multiple times on calls and via email. The refund apparently has been processed but yet to hit my account. Will update here once it does.
— Amit Chansikar (@TheChanceSeeker) February 11, 2024
The post went viral as soon as it was shared. Most people recalled their own instances and took a hard dig at both the brands involved, while the rest called such scams ‘regular’, that are now increasing dramatically. The post was shared a few days back and pulled thousands of views.
Taking to the comment section, people shared their take. “MakeMyTrip is charging exorbitant rates for pathetic hotels. I suffered on last trip booked with them.. despite complaint nothing happened,” a user wrote. “Cheating is normal for OYO rooms @<1500/night in Bangalore. When you land up, the hotel management will ask you to pay more or cancel. You would be lucky to get a clean room as in the published picture,” said a second person.
“This is common with Oyo... Once I booked a hotel and when I reached the location they said the hotel was closed a month ago,” said the second person. “@oyorooms I faced the same issue for this booking ID ZWX41529. I wasn't aware of this then that I could raise complaints about it. The entire hotel felt like a cement factory due to construction, and no lift was working,” wrote the next.
“Same thing happened to me in Bangalore two years back,” added next. “Oyorooms is running a fraud and unreliable business. I had several incidents where booking was done at 'x' amount but when you actually reach the hotel they ask for more money. Imagine it happening with you during the night,” said another.