A recent tweet from @iraesmee, who used the Traveloka app to book a room at OYO hotel in Nilai went viral.
He decided to spend the night at the hotel since he wanted to unwind before continuing his journey.
Entah apa nasib, dah booked dan bayar hotel, tapi bila sampai, hotel kunci, tiada penghuni, hotel gelap. Call customer service, katanya dalam 45minit baru boleh bagi kata putus.Saya ni nak tidur sebab dalam perjalanan jauh, nak berehat dulu. Kenapa 8 Hotel, kenapa??? pic.twitter.com/qANNwmK97k
— Raes (@iRaesmee) March 17, 2023
However, he continued by indicating that he was stunned to arrive at the hotel and see it locked and sealed off as if it had been out of business for some time.
He did check on the app if it was possible to request a refund however it wasn't. He eventually contacted customer support and had to wait for a response.
Knowing the situation, he knew he had to get a refund back or he had gotten scammed.
Without wasting time, he made the decision to search for another hotel because he was furious about the scenario and he needed rest.
His tweet caught the public's attention, and netizens expressed sympathy for his plight as a victim of the hotel owner's con.
Oyo hotel mmg tk ok.. book dh apps dh, tpi tk ada dlm sistem hotel..berapa kali dh pergi, last2 kena bayar kt kaunter jugak.. lain harga mahal sikit dari dlm apps..
— ɓɑeɱʂɧɑɧ (@akhibaemshah) March 18, 2023
NEVER BOOKED OYO HOTEL. Scam
— Naim Nawrouz (@NaimNawrouz) March 17, 2023
Saye datang sabah, 2 tempat booking hotel oyo.. kundasang dengan KK.. dua2 kene scam.. terpaksa la cari hotel lain.. dah la datang dari terengganu.. jauh2 datang kene scam
— Nazmi Ali (@AbangThanos10) March 18, 2023
Also, there are some who claim to have had the same issue while making reservations at OYO chain hotels.
bad experiences with oyo...dlm gmbr bukan main cantik, sekali sampai bilik lain, lipas sana sini, non functioning hot shower tilam pn macam kesan ntah pe..never book oyo labelled... scam habis
— GameSky (@PusakHeetam) March 20, 2023
In fact, some people tweeted about their experiences staying at OYO hotels and how expensive it was compared to the calibre of the lodging and amenities they received.
Kena complan kpd kementerian pelancongan
— MIC Zhu (@chooeh2) March 18, 2023
Others advise anyone who has been "affected" and has experienced the same issues to contact MOTAC and file a complaint.
Alhamdulillah. Selepas failkan laporan kepada pihak Traveloka, saya dapat semula duit bayaran untuk hotel tersebut. Proses akan mengambil 2-5 hari bekerja. pic.twitter.com/VUzIgjV9Bc
— Raes (@iRaesmee) March 18, 2023
In the end, @iraesmee eventually got his refund back which would be processed in 2-5 business days.