I booked and paid a deposit via Sleep Out. When I got to my destination the host stated they did not deal with third party bookings and I had to pay in full. When I contacted Sleep Out about this since and have I gotten no response. Not even an email to say they won't refund my money. Poor customer service and very poor (non-existent) service to start with. Ridiculous - taking money for nothing. Definitely best to book direct - no need for this company at all.

Once you give them money, don't expect to get any of it back. They advertise an easy cancellation policy, but in reality they will refund only a pittance and keep the money for themselves - not giving it to the rental owner, either, who loses everything from a cancellation. This might be acceptable if it were transparent, but SleepOut hide this information and pretend that they offer flexibility when in fact they will do anything to keep your money. All false promises.

The booking experience was smooth. We would highly recommend the service to anyone travelling to Africa.