Cancelled my Booking.com reservation but hotel is still gonna charge me [closed]

So I booked two rooms in Booking.com and it said that there was free cancellation, so I was confident it reserving it, since I wasn't quite sure about booking the rooms but I wanted to reserve them anyways, so having free cancellation was really convenient. I reserved the rooms using an online debit card with barely any money, since I haven't got the money yet for the rooms.

The people I was supposed to stay with then bailed out so I cancelled the booking but it said it would charge me the cost of the two rooms. It clearly said free cancellation so Im confused as to why I'm going to be charged. I booked a new room that I would stay in instead.

My question is, why am I going to be charged for the cancellation and how will the hotel charge my empty online debit card?

Also, since I booked a new room, I'm planning to change my bank details on my new booking and put in a credit card. Would the hotel charge the new credit card for the old two rooms or still my empty debit card?

Also, is it still possible to retrieve my first reservation of two rooms and just sell it to others?

cancellations booking.com

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Do you get refund from Cancelling from booking com?

If your booking has been cancelled, Booking.com refunds you immediately. The processing time may take 7 to 10 days and depends on your bank. If you have questions, contact your bank directly.

Can a hotel charge my card if I cancel it?

If you cancel, the hotel gets no money from you and is left scrambling to fill that room, which is why cancellation fees are used to mitigate the damage. If anything, it's not unusual to have fully prepaid rates, meaning that once you've booked, you're charged the entire fee, even if you cancel within 5 minutes.

Can I get my money back if I cancel a hotel reservation?

"The hotel has the legal right to keep the money," she says. "But I've found that if you have a reasonable excuse for canceling the room, most places will offer you a refund without you even having to ask." I agree. "Prepaid" rooms and nonrefundable rates are not customer-friendly.

How can I get out of paying my hotel cancellation fee?

Call the hotel to ask for a refund or ask to waive the fee. Explain why you were unable to keep your reservations. This is more effective if you have a valid excuse, such as illness or inclement weather that prevented travel.

How To Cancel Booking In Booking.com | Cancel Hotel Reservation

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