Sonder Has Shuttered What To Do About Your Canceled Travel Booking

Sonder Has Shuttered What To Do About Your Canceled Travel Booking - Immediate Steps for Guests Stranded Mid-Stay and Holding Future Reservations

Look, you're in a terrible spot if you're currently in a place that's suddenly locked its doors, or worse, if you've got a trip booked next month that you now know isn't happening. We've got to talk immediate triage for both scenarios, because frankly, panic doesn't get your money back any faster. For those currently displaced, your first move isn't calling the defunct company; it's calling your credit card issuer right now to initiate a chargeback, specifically citing 'Service Not Rendered'—that specific reason code tends to move things along quicker than a standard dispute, based on what I'm seeing. And for those future reservations, think about *how* you paid; if you used one of the big booking sites, you actually have a better shot at getting that refund fast because those funds are often held in escrow longer than if you paid the operator directly. But don't just assume the property owner will sort things out; while most agreements legally require them to let you grab your stuff if you're kicked out mid-stay, you need proof of that closure notice, so snap photos of everything with a timestamp before you leave the premises, because insurance companies really do look for that metadata. Honestly, most standard travel insurance policies are useless for operator failure, but if you're forced out for more than half a day, that shifts the coverage to emergency relocation funds, which you need to claim immediately before you book anything new. Don't forget, everyone else in that area is scrambling too, meaning prices for a last-minute room nearby will skyrocket almost instantly, so sometimes the smartest financial play is booking something further away, even if it’s just for a night or two, to get out of the immediate price gouge zone.