PriceLine Best Price Guarantee: Scam?

[sengsational]

If I'm already on vacation, I find that it's nice to book a room using my phone rather than walk into a hotel and get one...just easier to shop and get the right price and features.

So I've used several online sites, but the PriceLine "Express Deals" seem to get some pretty good prices. You don't know exactly what hotel you're going to get, but mostly I don't care since they do tell you the number of stars and also the features (free parking, wifi in room, etc).

But during my most recent experience, I didn't see a good "Express Deal", so I did a "name your own price" (NYOP). My first try, well researched, came back unfulfilled. I stupidly reduced the stars without researching price and ended-up bidding more than the hotel sold for elsewhere.

But I had seen the "Priceline Best Price Guarantee", so I wasn't all that worried about overbidding. I'd just exercise that option if I needed to. SO MUCH PAIN, and they STILL wouldn't match the price!

I went on their "chat" for over a half an hour with some bozo who kept repeating him or herself. I sent screen shots of Hotels.com for the same hotel, and still, they claimed that it was a special price not for the general public. But of course that price was what everyone in the universe saw when they googled the hotel. The "chat" then directed me to call. So I waste even MORE time and get no farther.

So I booked with Hotels.com and wrote a letter to Barclaycard for them to remove the charge. I've had pretty good luck with credit cards siding with me on stuff like this.

Anyone here ever actually get PriceLine to match price? I just searched "priceline best price guarantee scam" and got pages of stuff where people are telling the same story...apparently just a real uphill battle to get them to exercise their price match guarantee.

I'm done with PriceLine forever.

Are there any other services where you get a lower price for accepting any "n-star" hotel within a specific geographical area?

 

[Fedup]

No, but I learned a while ago not to book on Priceline anymore. But booking.com is also owned by Priceline. But at least it's cancellable.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Sorry to hear about your Priceline experience.

Never needed to use their Price Matching but I generally expect this kind of offer to be a pain with nearly all retailers. I've messed up the odd time with my bookings options too using the price bidding but they haven't gone through because of my long lowballing process (knock on wood).

 

[CardsFan]

I almost never use Priceline (maybe once?). I will use Travelocity to look at several hotels, then I book on line directly with the hotel. Also, I almost never pre-pay and almost always have the option to cancel at least within 72 hours (usually shorter). There have been some exceptions, but they are rare.

While I want a good price, paying the extra $10-15 for a direct reservation usually makes far more sense. Now, if I am already in the city, and standing outside the hotel, then anything goes.

I don't think I would ever use the NYOP option. I want to know where I am staying.

YMMV

 

[SheitlQueen]

Long ago I used Priceline a couple of times to book airline tickets. The prices were actually good, but after having horrible layovers once I quit using them.

 

[aza455]

If I'm already on vacation, I find that it's nice to book a room using my phone rather than walk into a hotel and get one...just easier to shop and get the right price and features.

So I've used several online sites, but the PriceLine "Express Deals" seem to get some pretty good prices. You don't know exactly what hotel you're going to get, but mostly I don't care since they do tell you the number of stars and also the features (free parking, wifi in room, etc).

But during my most recent experience, I didn't see a good "Express Deal", so I did a "name your own price" (NYOP). My first try, well researched, came back unfulfilled. I stupidly reduced the stars without researching price and ended-up bidding more than the hotel sold for elsewhere.

But I had seen the "Priceline Best Price Guarantee", so I wasn't all that worried about overbidding. I'd just exercise that option if I needed to. SO MUCH PAIN, and they STILL wouldn't match the price!

I went on their "chat" for over a half an hour with some bozo who kept repeating him or herself. I sent screen shots of Hotels.com for the same hotel, and still, they claimed that it was a special price not for the general public. But of course that price was what everyone in the universe saw when they googled the hotel. The "chat" then directed me to call. So I waste even MORE time and get no farther.

So I booked with Hotels.com and wrote a letter to Barclaycard for them to remove the charge. I've had pretty good luck with credit cards siding with me on stuff like this.

Anyone here ever actually get PriceLine to match price? I just searched "priceline best price guarantee scam" and got pages of stuff where people are telling the same story...apparently just a real uphill battle to get them to exercise their price match guarantee.

I'm done with PriceLine forever.

Are there any other services where you get a lower price for accepting any "n-star" hotel within a specific geographical area?

I had identical experience with Expedia...

 

[CaptTom]

I've come to the conclusion that just about all the on-line sites offer around the same prices. And they're not always the best prices.

One simple solution is to use Google Maps on the cell phone to identify hotels near wherever you are, or plan to be. Google has their own travel "thing" where you can look at stars, amenities, prices and reviews.

Since it's already on your cell phone, you can tap on the phone number to call the hotel and ask for their best price. It's almost always about the same as the advertised best prices, and you can actually talk to someone about the facility. Don't forget to ask about discounts like AAA or AARP or whatever you've got.

This method is especially quick and easy if you're stuck somewhere like an airport and need a last-minute booking. If you have the luxury to research in advance, then by all means use multiple different sources.

 

[brett]

We use Priceline frequently. But we only use it for bidding. We have been extremely satisfied with the results. We generally only bid on 4 star and above properties. We have had a few very good 3 star properties.

We use Hotwire to a lesser extent. Always been very pleased with the result.

 

[ohyes]

This is exactly how we use PL. On road trips, I start trying to find something, via PL, about 3PM. We start with 4 stars, going to 3 stars if that is not successful. Still no luck? We go to Hotwire.

We think we have saved many, many $$ this way. A close friend of mine says she gets the best deals by calling the hotel directly. I probably should try calling here and there to test that.

We use Priceline frequently. But we only use it for bidding. We have been extremely satisfied with the results. We generally only bid on 4 star and above properties. We have had a few very good 3 star properties.

We use Hotwire to a lesser extent. Always been very pleased with the result.

 

[aja8888]

I was a steady business traveler for almost 4 decades. I have flown all the airlines all over the world and stayed in the best and worst hotels.

Our vacation travel stays are done by calling the hotels directly as w have found out that you can at least match the price of the businesses they have to pay commissions to and sometimes even beat them. Plus, you don't have to pay in advance. Enough said, and I have never used Priceline.

 

[happ]

My bad experience was with hotels.com and Days Inn 3 years ago. I booked a room the night before but when I arrived I discovered the date was for the following week. I don't know how that happened. My bad for not verifying the receipt but neither Days Inn nor hotels would make any concessions nor refund my money. Days Inn offered me a room for the night at the going rate. Fark that I wanted the room I paid for. I have not nor will use hotels.com again nor stay in a Days Inn.

Note to self to Triple check everything on any online booking. They are unforgiving.

 

[Sojourner]

We use Priceline frequently. But we only use it for bidding. We have been extremely satisfied with the results. We generally only bid on 4 star and above properties. We have had a few very good 3 star properties.

This is exactly how we use PL. On road trips, I start trying to find something, via PL, about 3PM. We start with 4 stars, going to 3 stars if that is not successful.
...
We think we have saved many, many $$ this way.

Same goes for me. I've used Priceline "Name Your Own Price" extensively for many years, and I'm pretty sure I've saved hundreds of dollars doing so. I usually bid for 3½ star places and will reduce to 3 stars if I need to. Also, using a number of various tricks and techniques I've learned over the years, it's frequently possible to figure out which hotel I'm going to get, or at least narrow it down to two or three. It's pretty rare that I find myself bidding and have no idea what hotel I'll end up with.

With regards to their "best price guarantee", I've never had to deal with that since the prices I've gotten have all been well below what I've seen advertised on other sites like Hotels.com or TripAdvisor, etc. I think on a few occasions, the prices have been fairly close, but in my experience if you take the time to research the situation and follow the optimal NYOP bidding strategy, you'll never pay more than what other sites are advertising.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

To the OP, just a question, I know its not my money but im curious, how much difference are we talking about? I know its the principle of the thing, I get that. But is it 10 bucks or $50? I hate feeling I got ripped off( and I usually do get the short end of the stick).

 

[sengsational]

BCG, Yes, it wasn't a lot of money. The price on hotels.com was $77.50 and when I had them on the phone, they said they'd go down to $85 (my bid was higher, like $99, I think). So when I decided to take them up on their guarantee, I was looking at saving around $50 for the two nights (by the time you add in the taxes and fees).

They did come down to $85. In hindsight I should have just accepted it since it was only $20 by then. But I was annoyed and figured I'd just book elsewhere and claim breach of contract with my credit card.

 

[Red Badger]

I was a steady business traveler for almost 4 decades. I have flown all the airlines all over the world and stayed in the best and worst hotels.

Our vacation travel stays are done by calling the hotels directly as w have found out that you can at least match the price of the businesses they have to pay commissions to and sometimes even beat them. Plus, you don't have to pay in advance. Enough said, and I have never used Priceline.

+1.

I also prefer to stay at (and accrue points with) either Marriott or Hilton.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

BCG, Yes, it wasn't a lot of money. The price on hotels.com was $77.50 and when I had them on the phone, they said they'd go down to $85 (my bid was higher, like $99, I think). So when I decided to take them up on their guarantee, I was looking at saving around $50 for the two nights (by the time you add in the taxes and fees).

They did come down to $85. In hindsight I should have just accepted it since it was only $20 by then. But I was annoyed and figured I'd just book elsewhere and claim breach of contract with my credit card.

Yeah, Im with you on this. I would be steamed up .