Working in the travel industry I should have known better.
We all use third party sites - sites that work with a number of companies, often providing good deals, and one-stop shopping for your travelling needs. Be cautious when making bookings on these sites for your trips. Read the fine print of the deal. It can avoid a lot of headache.
A personal experience...I recently was in Italy and rented a car online. I did not choose a well known company, choosing instead to save some money. The original plan was to pick the car up at noon. With difficulties making connections en route, the arrival time was about four hours later. By that time my reservation was cancelled...lost...including my money.
I had to start over, making another reservation. Since it was immediate it cost more.
When I called the third party company to inquire about this, I was told it was stated in my reservation. Later, I found out it was there. You know that part you check off about agreeing to the conditions. It was in there...I had scanned it, but obviously not given it enough attention.
In this case, I was able to work out an acceptable agreement with the company, but such an outcome is not guaranteed.
Always know what the conditions are for your agreement - cancellation policies, baggage allowances, hours of operation, etc. What initially seems like a good, is not always so.
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