Last Updated: December 30, 2022
Agoda typically offers cheaper rates than booking directly with hotels or airlines, but is it actually legit, safe, and reliable?
In this write-up, I will cover EXACTLY that, as well as:
- Should you book directly or through Agoda?
- Things you must be aware of before booking through Agoda
- How is Agoda able to offer lower prices than direct bookings?
Let’s get into it!
Is Agoda Legit?
Agoda is definitely legit as it is owned by Booking Holdings, the world’s leading provider of online travel services. However, booking through Agoda carries a higher risk of issues than booking directly due to the fact that it is a middleman between the traveler and the host.
Though problems can occur even with direct bookings, the odds are much lower compared to booking through Agoda since there are no third parties involved.
Let me explain what I mean.
In case you don’t know, Agoda is an online travel agency (OTA) that basically acts as a middleman between you and the travel providers such as hotels and airline companies.
As an intermediary, Agoda collects your payment and is responsible for your booking, not the hotel or airline you booked with since your contract is not directly with them, it is with Agoda.
Therefore, your travel provider is not responsible for providing you with direct assistance.
In case something goes wrong between you and your travel provider, you will have to involve Agoda, and then they will reach out to them on your behalf to resolve the matter.
But the problem is:
There is a lack of customer service on Agoda.
It is not just Agoda where customer service can be lacking; online travel agencies (OTAs) generally skimp on customer support to keep their costs down and offer you lower rates than direct bookings.
So when you are booked through Agoda and need any assistance, you are likely going to be stuck in a lot of back and forth between Agoda and your travel provider before your issue is resolved.
And it is quite possible that your issue may not be resolved either, especially if it is urgent due to the lack of customer service on Agoda.
Similarly if your plans change, it gets complicated to make changes or cancellations to your bookings, especially in the case of flight reservations, due to the involvement of a third party (Agoda).
While you may be able to easily cancel or make changes to your hotels, doing so to a flight reservation is very challenging when you are booked through Agoda.
In fact, it is nearly impossible.
The reason is that even if you booked directly with the airline, making changes or cancellations to your flight is challenging.
And if you’ve booked through Agoda, things are going to be more complicated because of the third party involvement.
In simple words:
Having a middleman (Agoda) can complicate any mishaps because your travel providers (airlines, hotels, etc.) may tell you to coordinate any issues through Agoda rather than offering you direct assistance.
And Agoda may then turn around and push things back to the travel provider, leaving you stuck in the middle.
Contrary to booking through Agoda, direct bookings give you much more convenience to make changes, cancellations, or resolve any other issues since no third parties are involved.
Additionally, the hotels and airlines give more preference to customers who booked directly with them over those who booked through Agoda or any other online travel agencies.
Here’s why:
They make more profits from direct sales than those made through Agoda since they won’t have to pay any commissions to Agoda.
Furthermore, it is easier for the travel providers to manage customers who booked directly than those who booked through online travel agencies like Agoda, Booking.com, Expedia, Traveluro, Trip.com, eDreams, etc.
An example of this is that the hotels may not receive your booking confirmation from Agoda, resulting in no reservation or overbooking for the same room.
In fact, this is one of the most common issues guests encounter when they arrive at the hotel booked through Agoda or any other OTA.
There have been numerous cases where a guest has been stranded in a strange city without any room availability in the hotel, despite making an advance booking with them through Agoda.
Here’s why this happens often:
As a middleman between the hotel and the guest, Agoda sometimes fails to inform hotels about a guest’s reservation.
While at other times, the hotels also “bump” those guests who have paid the least through an online travel agency like Agoda and sell it to somebody else who has paid more directly.
And upon the arrival of the guests at the hotel, they lie to them and claim that their reservation was never made.
But regardless of any reason for not having the reservation, your only option would be to contact Agoda in such a situation since your contract is with them, not with the hotel directly.
And since the customer support of Agoda is unreliable, you are unlikely to get immediate assistance from them.
And even if you do get in touch with the customer support team at Agoda, there are two possibilities:
- Either, Agoda will get you another room within the same hotel or they will book you at another hotel nearby.
- Or, in the worst-case scenario, Agoda may push things onto the hotel and the hotel may turn around and push things back on Agoda, leaving you stuck in the middle.
As a result, you will have to either pay more directly to the hotel to get another room or find another hotel nearby in case no rooms are available.
However, when you’re booked directly with the hotel, you won’t have to encounter such issues since no middleman is involved there.
To summarize everything, I would say:
No doubt, Agoda typically offers better prices than direct bookings with the hotel, airline, or any other travel services and it works out just fine.
But if things go wrong, it gets complicated to resolve any issues when you’re booked through Agoda.
Similarly if your plans change, it gets complicated to cancel or make changes in your bookings, especially in the case of flights.
Having said that, let’s conclude the question: Is Agoda Legit?
While it is true that the risks associated with booking through Agoda are high, but as far as its legitimacy is concerned, it is undoubtedly a legit platform.
As someone who has personally used Agoda for booking hotels, I am confident that it is a legitimate platform.
Despite my personal experiences, Agoda is owned by the world’s leader in online travel, Booking Holdings.
Booking Holdings not only owns Agoda but also numerous other online travel brands such as Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak, OpenTable, Momondo, and more.
If Agoda were a scam company, it probably would not be a part of such a big travel company known as Booking Holdings.
Apart from that, Agoda has been in business since 2005, and if it were a scam company, it probably wouldn’t be around today.
On top of all that, Agoda is one of the world’s fastest growing online travel agencies currently ranking among the top 10 booking websites in the world.
So considering these factors, one can easily determine whether or not Agoda is a legitimate company.
So, Should You Book Through Agoda?
If the price difference between booking directly and through Agoda is the same or slightly cheaper then you should always book directly.
However, if Agoda is offering you a much cheaper rate than direct bookings then it mostly comes down to personal comfort.
Personally, I highly recommend you to AVOID booking flights through Agoda.
The reason is that when you book flights through Agoda, it becomes extremely difficult to make changes, cancellations, or resolve other issues.
I only recommend Agoda for booking hotels but only under the following conditions:
- If Agoda is offering you a much cheaper price than booking directly with the hotel.
- If you’re considering booking an average hotel for your stay, not an expensive luxury hotel.
- And lastly, you’re not booking a hotel for weeks or months.
In addition to these conditions, you must be following these:
8 Tips To Know Before Booking Through Agoda
By following these tips, you are unlikely going to encounter any issues:
1. Check The Hotel And Its Rooms Photos
First of all, check multiple photos of your hotel provided in the listing of Agoda.
And most importantly, you should check the photos of the room from different angles.
Be wary of any listings with limited photos of things like the bathroom or beds to avoid any nasty surprises when you arrive at your destination.
Note: The hotel presents its best side to you in the photos. To get a realistic idea of a hotel and its rooms, you need to:
2. Read Guest Reviews
It is extremely important to read guest reviews thoroughly to get an actual idea of what to expect from the hotel.
Always choose a hotel with a minimum of 100+ reviews and a minimum rating of 9.0 out of 10.
In case you are wondering:
Are the guest reviews real?
In short, YES!
The reviews are real since they can only be submitted by people who have genuinely stayed with the property before.
Next, you’ve to:
3. Be Aware of The Policies
Most often, guests overlook the policies when booking which leads to unsuccessful cancellations and refunds.
Therefore, it is extremely important to be aware of the room cancellations and refund policies before booking your room since each property has its own policies for specific rooms.
Some rooms include free cancellation before a certain time to receive a refund, whereas others are non-refundable.
In addition to that, don’t forget to follow the property policies as well.
After that, you should:
4. Look For The Amenities You Need
Before making a booking with a hotel, make sure the room you are considering has the amenities you need.
In addition to room amenities, check the hotel’s overall amenities and facilities as well to ensure whether or not it has what you’re looking for.
Following the tips above, it’s time to book your hotel but you should:
5. Always Choose To Pay At The Hotel
Never make prepayments when booking a hotel through Agoda.
Always book rooms with a “Pay at the hotel” choice so that if your plans change, you can easily cancel your booking without dealing with Agoda’s lengthy and complicated refund process.
And before submitting your booking details, please:
6. Ensure That Your Booking Details Are Accurate
As you know, it gets more complicated to make changes when you’re booked through Agoda.
Therefore, be sure to double-check your booking details as incorrect details can cause serious problems, particularly in the case of flights booked through Agoda which I do not recommend.
Once your booking is made, you must:
7. Confirm Your Booking With The Hotel
As I said before, one of the major risks associated with booking a hotel through Agoda is that your host may not receive your booking confirmation from Agoda.
This can result in no room availability when you arrive at the property.
Although Agoda will send you a confirmation email once your reservation has been made, it is highly recommended to contact your host and confirm your booking to avoid any nasty surprises when you arrive at your hotel.
You can contact the property via chat, email, or the phone number provided to you by Agoda.
This can be done by visiting “My Bookings” from your account and clicking on your booking.
Note: In case your hotel does not doesn’t respond to you, you should cancel your booking before the cancellation deadline and since you chose to pay at the hotel, you don’t need to worry about anything.
And finally, it is recommended to:
8. Print Out Your Itineraries
Upon successful booking, Agoda will send you a confirmation email outlining the details of your stay, what’s included in your package, refund/cancellation policies, and other important details.
While you can present an electronic copy of your booking confirmation upon check-in, it is preferable to print out your itineraries to avoid any problems when you arrive at your destination.
There you have it!
By following these eight tips, you are unlikely to face any issues with booking a hotel through Agoda.
Why Is Agoda So Cheap?
Agoda is so cheap because of these two business models they employ:
- Merchant Model
- Agency Model
1. Merchant Model
In this model, Agoda buys hotel rooms or another type of booking at a discounted or wholesale price and then sells them to customers over time at a markup price but lower than the current market rate, passing some of its commissions to the customers.
Confused? Consider this example:
For instance, Agoda books a block of 50 rooms from a hotel for $100 per night while the current market rate sits at around $150 per night.
Over time, Agoda resells those rooms at a higher rate ($130) but cheaper than the current market rate by the hotel ($150).
- Agoda gradually resells those 50 rooms for $130 per night.
- Agoda profits $30 if one customer books a room through them.
- The customer is still able to purchase below the current market ($150) by the hotel, saving you $20.
By selling those rooms at a higher price than they purchased for, Agoda makes a profit but also presents savings to the customer over the current market rate.
In this way, Agoda is able to offer cheaper rates than direct bookings.
Additionally, they are able to offer cheaper rates because of:
2. Agency Model
In this business model, Agoda basically acts as a salesperson by facilitating a booking between the customer and the travel providers.
To help travel providers sell their bookings, Agoda gets a commission in exchange.
Since the travel providers (hotels, airlines, etc.) pay a commission to Agoda when a traveler books through them, Agoda, in turn, may pass some of that commission on to consumers.
Thus, Agoda is able to offer you cheaper rates than booking directly.
Common Safety Concerns By Guests
Here are the common safety concerns you might also have:
- Is My Payment & Personal Information Secure?
- Are Guests Safe At The Property?
- Can I Get Scammed on Agoda?
Let me clear up your concerns.
1. Is My Payment & Personal Information Secure?
Agoda takes a number of steps to ensure your payment data and personal information remains safe and secure when you’re booking online.
The website is secured with an SSL certificate, which means any data you submit through a browser remains encrypted.
Agoda also follows the guidelines of applicable data protection laws, ensuring they don’t hold onto any information that isn’t necessary.
After searching through reviews of Agoda online, I couldn’t find any negative comments about the safety and security measures of the company.
I would say you should generally feel confident that your booking information will remain safe.
Is My Personal Information Passed Onto Hosts?
It’s also worth noting that because your booking is managed by Agoda, there’s less risk of giving your details to a third-party vendor.
Agoda remains responsible for processing payments, rather than hosts, so your personal details are not passed onto the hosts themselves.
Hosts are not permitted to ask for your financial information or personal details (beyond perhaps your name for booking reasons).
If your host asks for any sensitive information outside of Agoda, or in the Agoda chat environment, contact the customer service team at Agoda
2. Are Guests Safe At The Property?
Any property you book for a trip, personal, business, or otherwise, should make you feel as safe as possible. It’s fair to be concerned that you might not be entirely safe in a specific location.
Generally, you should be safe with most properties you can access through Agoda. However, a completely safe stay can’t be guaranteed.
This is why it’s so important to do your research before you agree to stay anywhere.
Make sure the property you’re looking for has plenty of reviews (more than 100) from customers who have already visited in the past.
You should prioritize a rating of at least 9.0 to ensure absolute peace of mind.
I would also recommend staying away from rural areas which might not have access to amenities and emergency services when you need them most.
Always, stay in urban areas where you’re close to other people and sources of assistance.
3. Can I Get Scammed on Agoda?
Yes, there are possibilities of getting scammed on Agoda.
However, Agoda has systems in place to prevent booking scams and fraud. One example is, Agoda holds onto a host’s first payout for 30 days after their first guest checks out. Payment is only delivered if the booking went smoothly.
But as a guest, it’s your responsibility as well to follow the safety tips I shared with you above and get familiar with the policies before you book through Agoda.
Conclusion
No doubt, booking through Agoda makes things more complicated if something goes wrong but it is indeed a legitimate online travel agency.
In addition to being a legit platform, booking through Agoda generally saves you money over direct bookings.
So, does this mean you should book through Agoda?
Well, as I said before, it mostly comes down to personal comforts but to wrap up this article, here are my final suggestions:
Avoid booking everything, especially flights, through Agoda except hotels but only if these conditions are met:
- If Agoda is offering you a much cheaper price than booking directly with the hotel.
- If you’re considering booking an average hotel for your stay, not an expensive luxury hotel.
- And lastly, you’re not booking a hotel for weeks or months.
Furthermore, you need to follow the tips listed above.
So that’s it from my side!
If you have any questions or want to share your personal experiences with Agoda, please feel free to comment below.
Agoda FAQs
Is Agoda safe?
Agoda is safe to book from but in the event that something goes wrong, it becomes difficult to resolve any issues, especially in the case of flights since an intermediary (Agoda) is involved.
Is Agoda reliable?
Agoda is reliable for booking hotels but you need to do your due diligence before making the reservation. However, it is not very reliable for booking flights.
Is Agoda a scam?
Agoda is not a scam. It is certainly a legitimate company owned by one of the world’s leading online travel companies, Booking Holdings.
Is Agoda trustworthy?
Agoda is indeed a trustworthy website that has been in business for over 17 years and is part of Booking Holdings Inc., an online travel giant.
Is Agoda safe for flight booking?
Agoda is not very safe for flight booking as it gets complicated to make changes, cancellations, or resolve any other issues when your flights are booked through Agoda.
Is Agoda safe for credit card?
Agoda is definitely safe for credit cards as it processes all payments through fully secure, compliant, and robustly audited payment systems that are recognized by international financial regulators.
How’s Agoda Customer Support?
Agoda customer support may seem reliable on the surface. There’s a help center you can visit to find answers to common questions, such as whether there are any COVID travel restrictions in your area, and how you can make changes to your booking.
However, if you need genuine support from a specialist team, this is where things start to go south.
Based on my research, though there’s a toll-free number for queries and complaints, as well as a live chat feature, responses are notoriously slow, and not always helpful.
Users on Agoda seem generally unhappy with the quality of the support provided and complain about limited assistance with booking issues.
While the team claims to be available 24 hours a day in case of issues, you might not be able to get assistance when you need it most.
