If you thought getting a “reservation confirmed” email meant you were safe, a viral story trending on Reddit might make you check your inbox again.
The thread is reacting to a new investigation by CBC’s Go Public, which broke the story of an Ontario traveler whose $4,300 hotel reservation was cancelled—only to see the exact same rooms immediately relisted for an eye-watering $17,000.
The story has sparked outrage online, with travelers calling it a masterclass in price gouging and sharing their own battle stories of “dynamic pricing” gone wrong.The post, titled “Booking.com cancelled woman’s $4K hotel reservation, then offered her same rooms for $17K,” in r/technology has sparked outrage among travelers who are already weary of dynamic pricing and hidden fees.
The $13,000 markup
According to the CBC report, the traveler (identified as Mann) had locked in a four-bedroom unit in Montreal for the 2026 Formula One Grand Prix weekend at a rate of roughly $4,300. However, the reservation was later cancelled, with the property claiming a “pricing error” or system glitch regarding the dates.
The twist? The rooms were reportedly still available—just not at the price she had paid. The CBC investigation revealed the same inventory reappeared with a price tag of over $17,000, a markup of roughly 400% triggered by the high demand of the race weekend.
The internet’s verdict: “Don’t accept the refund”
The Reddit thread discussing the story quickly became a war room for consumer rights. While the headline puts the blame on the platform, savvy commenters noted that the hotel’s “system error” excuse is a common tactic to squeeze more money out of peak dates. User Dub-DS summed up the frustration: “The hotel says that when Formula One organizers confirmed in 2024… the system should have automatically adjusted those dates to ‘event pricing’.”. Instead of honoring the original rate, the hotel seemingly tried to force the customer to re-book at the new, inflated market rate.
The surprise ending: Booking.com paid the difference
While many users shared similar horror stories, the Reddit thread highlighted a crucial detail from the CBC report: fighting back works. User Mazzle5 pointed out the resolution: “Following Go Public’s questions, Booking.com told Mann it would honour her original booking and cover the price difference — allowing her to keep the same four bedroom unit at no additional cost.”
Other users shared similar success stories of “calling their bluff.” User trenchcoatangel shared a nearly identical experience where a hotel tried to cancel a cheap reservation for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, claiming a tax error. “I called their bluff… They caved and let me keep the original price.”
The takeaway for travelers? If a hotel tries to cancel your confirmed reservation due to a “pricing error” right before a major event, don’t just accept the refund. As this story proves, media pressure—and a refusal to back down—might just save you $13,000.