La Maison Du Palmier

I think this was a scam, or at least a very strange experience. I booked through the hotel's website, then got two urgent messages saying the room wasn't actually available. They tried to move me to a different B&B and asked for my bank details to issue a refund. As an American, I wasn't comfortable with that. I explained over several emails that wire transfers are a common way to scam Americans and asked for a credit to my card instead. The sender was charming, and the exchange dragged on for weeks, seemingly in the hope that I wouldn't dispute the charge or would give them my bank details. I eventually disputed the payment with my bank. Then I got an email saying the dispute had been accepted, but the sender would have to pay a fee, “hopefully it is not too much for me to bear,” and would still prefer to settle by bank wire. That felt like one last attempt. I replied that the dispute was resolved, and the formerly charming grande dame never answered. If this place is legitimate, I still don't understand why a customer would be expected to give bank details instead of getting a credit back to the original payment method, or why the emailer didn't seek damages from the booking service. It was all very odd.