This Booking.com rental was a scam, and canned responses from clueless AI bots don’t help.

I recently used Booking.com to reserve an apartment in Menaggio, Italy, for two nights. I decided to use Booking.com because of its reputation and the property’s positive reviews.

Before I left, I noticed the ratings for this place had tanked, and I nervously reached out to Booking.com, letting them know my concern and to make sure they would stand behind the booking. They said they would.

My concern was that many people were arriving and not able to get into the place and being forced to book…