Myeong-Dong Cynosure Stido Hotel Korea Scam?

Myeong-Dong Cynosure Stido Hotel Korea Scam?

This is something we wanted to blog about after reading a Malaysian got scammed by Myeong-Dong Cynosure Stido Hotel Korea on Booking.com. He posted his story two days ago and his post has over 4,500 shares and hundreds of comments.

He posted this on his post with screenshots of his booking on Booking.com and conversation with the ‘hotel owner’.

“Please be extra careful when you make bookings from booking.com because some hotels are not even exist! Sebelum ini sy buat booking di sini ok ja tp ini kali sy masuk dlm jerat! I’ve lost RM4, 878.50 !! MYEONG-DONG CYNOSURE STIDO HOTEL KOREA.

Scam!!!!”

These are the photos posted by the victim.

We checked on Booking.com and they have delisted the hotel as we couldn’t search it anymore. We believed they have received many complaints and delisted the hotel once and for all. Even Agoda.com has delisted the property.

Booking.com is a popular hotel and hostel booking website and they are sister company to Agoda.com. We used to work with Agoda.com and we were taught a few simple tricks to book the right hotel or hostel.

Always look for the hotel reviews and ratings. The higher is the better. If there is a new hotel like Myeong-Dong Cynosure Stido Hotel, you are taking a very high risk. If you are not sure, please do read on Tripadvisor reviews, there must have some reviews over that website. Read the reviews at https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Hotel_Review-g294197-d14135025-Reviews-Myeong_dong_Cynosure_Stido-Seoul.html

Hence, if you read the Tripadvisor reviews for Myeong-Dong Cynosure Stido Hotel, most reviews stated this hotel is a scam and by reading such reviews could save the victim thousands of ringgit.

Location is always important when you book a hotel. Check the hotel’s location and double check with Google Map and make sure you know your way to the hotel before you travel so you can plan it properly.

Never pay outside of the website! No matter where you book your accommodation, it could be Agoda.com, Booking.com or Airbnb.com. Never deal outside the website and pays within the website as you will be protected. For this case, the ‘hotel owner’ contacted the victim directly and ask him to pay into his own private bank account. If you pay the hotel owner directly, the Booking.com can’t trace the money and hence they can’t protect you. You must pay within the website for protection.

At the end of the day, please be vigilant when doing payment transactions on Internet. Make sure the travel site is trusted and always do the payment transaction within the website and not direct dealing with owners or strangers for ‘cheaper rates’.

Wilson Ng