Have you used priceline.com?

No offense, I understand your disappointment if you didn't get the hotel you wanted, but it sounds like you were taking a chance, didn't get what you wanted and then tried to bail out of something although the rules had been perfectly clear to you from the beginning.

 

I just used Priceline.

I am going to D.C. on business next weekend, and I don't care about the quality of my hotel room, so I asked for a 1 star. They suggested that I offer $79, but I offered $50.

My offer was accepted, and I got a reservation at a 3 star hotel. That was my first experience with Priceline, and I am VERY satisfied.

 

As I said, this was a few years ago. Also, if you bothered to read everything, you'll notice that I called Bally's right afterwards and got a better rate just over the phone. In priceline's defense, I don't think they had that "best price guarantee" like they do now. In my defense, I had selected whatever they had back then to give me one of the best hotels available. Having stayed at Bally's in the past, I'd put them somewhere in the middle of the pack....nowhere near the top. IF you believe Bally's is one of the best hotels in Vegas, then your opinion (about my experience--not hotels) holds some water. If not, then you're going to have to admit that I got screwed.

 

I'm willing to help you out. If you want to email me, click on my profile and it has a link to my yahoo photo album. That yahoo ID (the part after "photos.yahoo.com/")is my email @yahoo.com So if you want, send me an email whenever.

 

Never used them for hotels, but I used them twice for flights, and will never use them again. EVER.

I had a horrible experience, was misled, and there was never anything offered to me for my inconvenience except a reiteration over and over again of their exchange policy. I am in the process of formally opening a complaint with the BBB.

In a nutshell, what happened is this - I named my price for a ticket to CA. for my girlfriend to join me on a business trip. As it turned out, my trip got cancelled, and I still had this ticket through Priceline.

I went online to see about a change. They said they'd allow a ONE TIME only change due to Sept. 11. So I try to reschedule the flight to CA (they won't let you chage the destination, only the date of the flight) several times, 6 to be precise. Every one was declined. I even went and upped my price just so it would give me a better chance, and so I wouldn't piss away the money I spent on this ticket. Well, after several more tries, the last response from Priceline was that I would receive a one time refund due to extenuating circumstances with the ticket. I was very surprised, and very content. I saved the web page, and went to check email before logging off for the night. All of the sudden, I get an email saying another request, one I did NOT submit, was accepted. It had a different request number on it, and it upped my price by about 20 dollars. This is of course after it was clearly stated to me that I'd get a refund, reiterated the refund/exchage policy, and stated to me this was a one time deal.

Customer service did nothing but reiterate the refund policy, and I went up the ladder to the Executive Offices, from which a gal named Katie seemed eager to help me. She took the info, I faxed her the web page promising the refund, and when she returned my call with their answer, it was again the regurgitated refund policy, and said the timestamp for the refund email was one minute after the accepted request. But I did save all the emails. And actually, the timestamp in the refund web page response is one minute prior to the accepted request email.

Anyway, I am taking my time and doing my due diligence, but I am pissed, and will go out of my way to DISCOURAGE anyone I meet from using Priceline.com.

Thank you, drive through please.

 

PSJ,
That is a great idea...

SJC,
Surv. cameras are actually dying down in hotels because of liability reasons.

Dunk,
I used priceline one time for a hotel and didn't have any problems. Hotels do hate internet pay sites and are starting to fight back on them by not working with them anymore. I think Priceline works out for the customer more than it doesn't...

 

The www.BetterBidding.com site mentioned above keeps track of the Hotwire hotels as well as Priceline.

 

HOOP-T - I think your situation is rare. Really it isn't Priceline's fault that you had a cancelled flight and if they hadn't had the 9-11 policy then you would have been out of luck anyways.

Priceline/Hotwire are excellent if:

- you absolutely KNOW that you are going to travel.
- you are willing to stay at any location within your preferred star level for hotels.
- you are willing to leave at anytime for flights on a certain day.

It's all about flexibility and that's how you save so much money.


I'll tell you a good story about Hotwire. I actually bought airline tickets through them months in advance. Then I had a court date come up on a day I was suppose to be gone with those airline tickets. I contacted Hotwire, who have a very strict no refund policy, and told them of the situation which I had no control over. They refunded my money in a timely fashion.

 

My situation may be rare, but it is my situation. Does it make it ok that I was treated badly because it doesn't happen very often?

I don't care how, why, or when they implemented the exchange policy due to 9/11. Should I also overlook that because if 9/11 didn't happen, I'd be out of luck? That's asinine. The fact is that the policy was there when I did business with them. What does it matter why?

Beyond that, I was promised a refund, and was flat out lied to, and their promise was blatantly not honored.

Then you go on to tell a "feel good" story about hotwire, which is much the same as mine, a situation out of your control.....

Let me ask you this....if Hotwire had told you you'd get a refund, and you even had it in an email response for proof, and then they told you despite being promised one, the refund policy is this, and you in fact are not getting one after all, how would you feel?????

 

DD - Did you have any luck?

 

Probably just like you do man.


Vent - Vent - Vent

 

DoD:

Man! You should've listened to me!

Here's what I do...

When I know where I'm going, I go to Hotwire. They give me the prices they can do.

Then I go to Priceline and try to undercut Hotwire.

I've NEVER been able to do it. Priceline isn't even willing to give me the rate Hotwire put in writing.

For that reason alone, I'm never happy with priceline! There IS a difference with a huge ad campaign vs. word of mouth. This is where Hotwire has priceline beat. (for now)

IMO, Hotwire would've given you a better rate.

 

Still sounds like you got a pretty good deal. Enjoy your trip!

 

I ended up with a 3 star for $50. Now I think that I should have offered less.

A good deal is a state of mind, and now you have ruined it all for me.

 

I got the same deal last year. The desk didn't have a problem putting me in a non-smoking, king size room so I was very happy.

 

Sounds like a good deal to me (of course, it would be even better for me right now since my "home currency" is the Euro ). Perhaps you could sign up for Holiday Inn's frequent guest program and try to get some points, or try to get some airline miles. Normally, Priceline guests don't get those, but I have heard that sometimes it still happens. Have fun!