Priceline.com a SCAM

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I'm sorry you feel you were taken advantage of. You definitely need to do research before bidding on Priceline. I don't think it's Priceline's fault if you bid too much. I've had very good luck with Priceline, but I always do research on biddingfortravel.com and other websites before bidding.

Mark, sounds like you had a bad experience but when you use Priceline you have to do lots of research first. You need to go to Bidding For Travel and look at the hotels listed for that city and how they are listed by STARs. Priceline's STAR rating is not always the same as Hotwires or other websites.

Bidding For Travel encourages you to look at all the hotels websites to see what their published rate is. This way you know what to bid. If you had looked at all the hotels in that Star Category and saw that some had lower rates, then you shouldn't have bid that high. Also sometimes in a STAR category, there is a hotel that doesn't get great reviews. If you don't want to chance it that you will get this hotel (which is what seems to have happened to you) then again, don't place a bid.

Priceline is all about doing your research first and taking a change second.

Barb,

What do you not understand about ....I paid MORE then the NORMAL Daily rate the hotel charges.

In addition what I received was NOT a 4 star hotel.

Priceline claims to get you a "bargain" of 40% or more off the daily rate, and then I end up paying 10% more then the published rate and not have a CHOICE...well that in my humble opinion is a SCAM!

what hotel was it??

PL is not a scam - millions of people use it successfully. But sure, sometimes when one bids too much they feel taken advantage of.

Mark-Please don't YELL at Barbara or any of the rest of us. If you had done research as we mentioned, you would never had bid $185 because you would have known that some hotels for Miami Beach in what they call a 4 STAR had a lower rack rate. Again, it's all about spending time looking up the hotels on their individual websites.

I have used Priceline a few times after a lot of research and have gotten a good deal. The few times that it looked like I wasn't going to get a bid with a substantial savings, I decided not to change the hotel I would get and just made my own reservation. As Barbara said if you look at biddingfortravel.com, you can get a pretty idea of bids are being won for which hotel.

meant to say decided not to chance the hotel I would get.

I did not intend to yell...however I want everyone to know that Priceline in my opinion is a scam that depends on satisfying some and screwing others.

One should not have to do a tremendous amount of research to avoid such things.

Companies should be called out when they abuse their exagerated claims.

Furthemore, if the after purchase customer service was not so bad and unprofessional, I would not be so upset.

I hope that some lawyers get together some time to see if there is a potential class action lawsuit against these people for their exagerated claims.

WHAT HOTEL DID YOU GET??? There, maybe if we yell back, you will answer.

Priceline is not a scam.
You just blew your bidding.

The "mistake" (if any) was yours.

Priceline is a great deal and there are many of us who have gotten great deals on it.

I can believe you STARTED with a $175 bid. That bid was ridiculous.

Did you even check out www.betterbidding.com (or equivalent)?

I don't like what has happened to you Mark99 because you put in a bid and then they turned it down..so, you had to go higher....then, it was cheaper on the hotels website...sounds crummy to me!!

Not saying that others have had great success...I've only used them once and it was fine. However, they should have taken his first bid, and be cheaper than the website.
Shadow

The hotel will remain undisclosed no matter if you yell or not.

My duty here now, is simply to educate others that Priceline is not all that they claim to be.

I should not have to do research to determine if my bid price will intercept another price level of a hotel that they have in their lengthy database of diluted ratings for their benefit.

They have leagues of marketing people trying to convince the general public that they will save you money...."40% or higher".

That claim is simply a gross exageration.

I will not stay at this hotel, I have already cancelled and I will lose my deposit rather than ruin a visit.

do we know if the hotel's "published daily rate" was less for the dates mark99 wanted?

Some hotels around my neck of the woods have rates "from $99" but only in a tuesday in Feb - on a June weekend they run $250 or more . . . . . .

"One should not have to do a tremendous amount of research to avoid such things."

All that research pays off. For one thing, you cannot expect to save 40% if you don't know the prevailing rates in the area for the dates you are bidding.

mark99 - No use to post on multiple bids about a service sucks when you fail to provide any info, and refuse to accept the fact you didn't do the required homework.

Other readers will ignore you.

You can stop posting on all these threads now, as you're just wasting your time.

Listen to what you are saying....the prevailing rates have nothing to do with their claim to save you money.

No matter what the prevailing rates are...saving "40% or more" is SAVING...period.

Furthermore, if you actually do the research, and I have now....Priceline SIGNIFICANTLY over inflates the rates, and then claims to give you a generous discount...which in fact the discount DOES NOT EXIST because the RATES ARE NOT THAT HIGH.

Example:

Priceline claims that the current room rates for hotel XXX is 250.00 night for garden view.

Therefore my rate of $185 per night for the garden view room sounds incredible.

BUT....

Go to any other hotel aggregator, or to the hotel ITSELF and look at their non discounted published rates, and BEHOLD the Garden View room is $ 171.00 PER NIGHT!!!

This in the retail world is called consumer fraud.

If any of you are from FL you may recall 10 years or so ago Burdines getting hit with a multi million dollar fine by the state consumers office by doing essentially the SAME THING.

Claiming that mattresses WERE $1000.00 but now they were on sale for $600.00 Problem was the mattreses prices were raised for only the sales period to give the appearance that you would save $400.00.

What Priceline is doing is virtually the same thing....over inflating the hotel price with a made up price and claiming they saved you 40%.

THAT IS THE REAL issue here.

Finally, this might be an error with Priceline, but when you combine basically non existent customer service, no other recourse to speak to a manager or other agency and what you have is a deliberate attempt of wearing out the consumer in the hopes that they will go away.

Thank you for helping me keep this in the spotlight!

Dear rquack....I am not going to post the hotel name, as my dispute is not with them. They may be a perfect choice for others.

The issue is not the hotel, but rather the "alleged" rating, and certainly the claim that my award was a 40% savings.

Unfortunately that is not the case, and Priceline has basically over exagerated the savings based on an artificial price that simply does not exist.

You last post is totally irrational. Sorry - but true.

On the "name your own price" side of PL there are no descriptions like "garden view room", or "lanai room" or any such thing. Are you sure you even used "Name your own price" and didn't just use PL's booking site??

Most everyone knows there are few bargains on that side . . . . .

oops - meant your next to last post -- the one where you said

<<Priceline claims that the current room rates for hotel XXX is 250.00 night for garden view.

Therefore my rate of $185 per night for the garden view room sounds incredible.>>

Mark: I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Priceline, but please calm down and listen to what the others are saying so that you can benefit from this service in the future.

I've used Priceline at least a hundred and maybe two hundred times for friends, family and myself and have NEVER paid the rack rate or even the discounted rate.

Except for New York City, I've never had to bid over $100 for a 4* hotel.

Using Priceline is not a matter of just throwing out a price and hoping that it'll be accepted.

You HAVE to do some checking in order to understand how to use Priceline. That's what the others are calling "research". Otherwise, if you don't do the research, how would you know what price to bid?

I'd suggest that you look at biddingfortravel.com first and see what we're trying to tell you. Really, we're all trying to help you.

There is a right way and a wrong way to use Priceline, so here's hoping that you will find out how to do it the right way and save yourself a lot of money in the future.

Mark, you made a mistake and you are blaming Priceline for your mistake. Sorry, you did not know what you were doing or how Priceline's "Name Your Own Price" works. It's like paying $35,000 for a new car that was "on sale" only to find out you could have gotten it for $30,000 any day of the week - because you hadn't done any research. And now that car dealer is a rip-off because of your own mistake.

I've used Priceline a couple of dozen times and have saved tons of money and/or gotten upgraded to nicer hotels for the same money. But, I did the research. If you don't want to do research, just pay the regular price and get over this one-time mistake. Obviously Priceline is not for you. Leave it to the rest of us who want great deals.

Good grief....Andrew is back again....I thought I fired you at work for your expense reports?

Well all of you that keep suggesting "research"....that must be the only word you use each day from preventing your brain to think!

Once again, in the hopes that I will trigger some tiny neuron deep within....Priceline claimed the hotel was $270$ per night. Nowhere can it be found to be listed for that price.

THEY HAVE OVER INFLATED THE MARKET VALUE OF THE HOTEL BY OVER 100$ PER NIGHT.

Now what would you like me to research?

I fully understand what a 4 star hotel is, and I fully understand what these hotels are worth, and that is supported by looking up any hotel aggregator and the hotel website itself.

In the interest of consumer advocacy I wish to present this information on this forum, so that others will know.

If you cannot see the logic in what I am saying, it is no wonder you try to hand in your expense reports the way you do.

This is not about research....this is about exposing Priceline as a big fat liar.

Speaking of which, I was just watching Shatner on the episode where the aliens are about to suck out his bone marrow...too bad he escaped!

But I do appreciate you helping me keep the thread alive and well!

"Therefore my rate of $185 per night for the garden view room sounds incredible."

There goes your credibility...

What a stunning response...the clarity in which is truly moving!

A poet perhaps? where dear sir does your incredible wisdom come from?

Hi mark,
I won't ask questions or give an opinion. Thanks for your input.

_______________
Author: mark99
Date: 01/23/2008, 02:15 am

Would recommend the Clift over the St. Regis.

Would NOT recommend the W...that and the W Waikiki are the ONLY W's I would never stay in again in the entire U.S.

Terrible service with attitude who have no interest in making your stay enjoyable.
_____________________
Author: mark99
Date: 01/09/2008, 12:05 am

OK this is getting off target but I can't help it.

Too Andrew and the other person...as a frequent flyer...if I found someone sitting in my assigned seats and they refused to move, I would rip out their eyeballs and toss it down the isle where they would get them all dirty rolling around on that filthy carpet.

I find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe that the air attendent would not move the person....I know this because I have seen it happen and I believe that it would violate some faa rule not to be in our assigned seat.

Though I detest SW, I do admire them for their on time, and they are absolutely my airline choice when you need a last minute ticket...but never would i fly with them on a regular basis. Thank you very much but I just love my 13F and you better not be sitting in it when I get there!
________________________
Author: mark99
Date: 06/27/2007, 10:55 pm
Oahu commercialized....whoa Nelly!!!!

Only Honolulu and that is a very small part of a very big beautiful Island.

We spent a few days in Maui on the last visit, and my wife and I were crawling the walls to get back to Oahu.

As someone mentioned, each Island has its own vibe.

...and neither will I Bear....


Author: bear900
Date: 04/01/2008, 01:54 pm
Side note:

Santa Maria was acclaimed nation's All-American city one year.

After a number of speeches and whatever else they do at the national convention, the SM mayor brought out his secret weapon:

An arsenal of Santa Maria style BBQ's and cooks. My neighbor was there. They BBQ'd a "top cut" however, which a notch up but cooked a lot like tri-tip.


......

mmmm just love to wade into dem BBQ ribs....perhaps I will check Pricline for a Super 8 special close to the grill!

Glad to see you smiling!

I smile EVERYDAY....even when I come across Andrews expense report!

I leave you all with this:

Mahatma Ghandi:

"through our travels we gain insight upon this wonderous cycle of life, that affects our notions, our challenges and our insight into life and spirit. Know where you go, and how you shall get there, and in doing so, you shall ensure a wealth that no one can diminish."

I will meet you halfway - I have issues with Priceline and their Star ratings - they do seem inflated at times, but since I know that, I bid accordingly. Star ratings for them (and AAA, as a side note) have only to do with amenities like room service, pool - and not if the place has a upscale feeling.

But the price, I can't agree with you on that one. I am far from an expert on Priceline and have read some of the biddingfortravel and betterbidding info but not even all of that. What I do is first research hotels in the area I am visiting, getting a rough idea of price for what type and location I want. Then I set a limit, based on that price of what I would bid on Priceline.

Priceline is fine for some situations, rotten for others. My last bid was $50 for a Washington DC area hotel that when I researched cost on their website after my Priceline bid was accepted would have cost me over $200 for same dates - so I guess my bid made up for yours in Priceline's data. (Why was it so cheap - it was in Bethesda on a Saturday night at a hotel that would normally be occupied by business and government travelers - hotel was virtually empty and they were probably happy to have someone in a room)

Keeping this thread alive so others may learn from mark99's mistakes.

Mark, you can't just bid wildly and assume that your bid will be 40% of a room's going rate or rack rate. (BTW, PL says you will save UP TO 60%). I have used Priceline dozens of times in many cities, and would never dream of placing a bid that high.

Hotels in the US do not have a conventional star rating system. Although you might have your own clear idea of what a 4-star hotel is, other sources, such as AAA an Priceilne, have their own, too. As mentioned above, PL's ratings are based on hotels' own reports of their amenities; the PL site explains their rating system.

OK, if you won't reveal the name of the hotel will you at least check the hotel list from biddingfortravel? We're curious about whether a visit to that site (alas, the dreaded "r" word) might have alerted you to this possibility. Since you're apparently never used this resource, here's a link to the hotel list:

http://tinyurl.com/yr98a8

And of course if the hotel that you won is NOT yet on the list, then reporting your win on biddingfortravel would be a far more effective way to alert the world to your experience, compared to a fast-sinking thread here on Fodor's.

I love Priceline. It's the only site we use for hotels and have never had a problem. We've gotten some really great hotels for very low prices. You need to do research before you bid.

A couple things:

"So I first put in $175 for Miami Beach. It failed and asked me to adjust the parameteres if I wanted to try again, so I bumped up the price to $185 and kept the 4 star rating.

This time it worked, and it came back."

How could that happen? You can't just "up" your bid without changing other parameters...star level, area, etc....what ELSE did you change?

"Priceline claimed the hotel was $270 per night. Nowhere can it be found to be listed for that price."

Where does Priceline ever claim what a hotel is worth on your winning bid?...or are they simply pointing out that this hotel "at times" has had a rate of $270...

In any case, if you did half as much time researching hotel rates as you did complaining about Priceline, I think you'd be in a better place right now.

It's not a scam when the company clearly outlines its process and business. You made a bad consumer decision. That's not Priceline's fault. Why would you ever bid that much money if you are so familiar with the market? Did you use the sources available to determine how Priceline ranks its hotels or even the criteria on Priceline's website?

This grief is self-inflicted.

mark, many will tell you that I'm not a huge fan of Priceline for a number of reasons, but your post borders on the hilarious.

You "stated" that you expected a reasonable discount? Huh? How? Did you type in somewhere, "please give me a discounted price"? Sorry, but your saying that you stated what you wanted makes NO sense at all.

You bid a certain amount, got it, and THEN looked up what it would normally be?

You never looked at Bidding for Travel to see the hotel list and the number of stars they were listed at?

Let's rephrase your entire post, OK?
"I went to Priceline without a clue of what I was doing. Without reviewing any of the information, I randomly selected an amount to pay for a hotel when I didn't have a clue what hotels they might offer or what they considered four star hotels. They accepted my too high bid for the type of hotel, and now I'm angry."

You have every right to be angry -- but only at yourself!!!

We may as well close this post. I made my point. For those of you that continue to say I made an error, you obviously do not have any sense of logic.

Again and finally:

Priceline on its own site says the hotel is $270 a night. That is pure fiction..that price does not exists, so naturally when I am bidding 180 I dont expect to get a hotel that is 171 a night.

If you people cannot see the problem here then obviously there is no further point in debating facts with your emotional support of a rip off specialist.

To others out there, I hope that at least I have sent a small shiver down their spine, and that they will not use Priceline as a result of my story.

And AGAIN, without the name of the Hotel, we can't prove ANY of what you are even saying...perhaps you've realized the error of your ways, and THAT is why you would like this post closed...

Good luck drumming up interest in a class action suit based on your own negligence, and then trying to claim deception...

"... hope that at least I have sent a small shiver down their spine..."

Thanks for the laugh this morning, on a day that I really needed one!

Yep, keep us informed about that class action suit.

Oh, and would you videotape the transaction when you go to buy a car or another large purchase. I'd love to see THAT video

When you withhold part of the information, it makes your entire complaint a little bit suspect.
'
Obviously you won't name the hotel because we will see that it really IS a 4 star hotel, albeit one that gets poor reviews. You should have known that you might get this hotel by researching all the 4-star possibilities in Miami.

You have a legitimate complaint about finding a lower price elsewhere, but does Priceline have a "low price guarantee" like other websites have? If so, follow the procedures, rather than trying to make what happened sound worse than it really is by withholding details.

Mark, those of us who use PL all the time know that they do not quote hotel prices, so we have no idea where that $270 is coming from.

Perhaps you're thinking of the text near the space where you enter your bid. It does not specify a hotel price, it says, "Median retail price for a x-star hotel in _____ (city) is $___ . Name a lower price, or click here (link) to shop and compare prices."

You probably haven't scared off a lot of people, since this thread consists mostly of experienced users with their own stories about successful PL bids. But thanks for giving us the opportunity to spread some PL education.

mark, you have to be shrewd to get that 40%, as others have said. Nothing stops you from bidding $500 for the hotel if you wanted to, and your offer would be accepted. If you do your homework and IF you are bidding during a period of low occupancy for that hotel, you can get a good deal.

You have some valid points though. Priceline's star system is a joke. It is their own system and what they call 4* is often a 3* in other books. They do not physically check any hotels, and rely on them to provide their own information. Nothing stops a hotel from lowering their star level too. if they wish to remain opaque. (The only 4* in a zone might do that simply so people can't bid 4* in that zone, knowing they will get that hotel, as was the case for a while with my DH's hotel in Tampa.)

You are correct about their customer service as well. I'm amazed you even got through to a person, whether or not they could speak English. They must have somehow improved that aspect of their operation as that didn't used to be the case.

If you got out of this deal with just losing a deposit and not the entire X nights stay, you are very lucky indeed. That didn't use to be the case either. You bid it, you got it, and tough luck to you if for some reason you can't keep those dates!

Priceline bidding is complicated...you do need lessons as everyone has indicated. Try it again sometime after reading in biddingfortravel.

"Well all of you that keep suggesting "research"....that must be the only word you use each day from preventing your brain to think!"

"What a stunning response...the clarity in which is truly moving!
A poet perhaps? where dear sir does your incredible wisdom come from?"

"For those of you that continue to say I made an error, you obviously do not have any sense of logic."

"If you people cannot see the problem here then obviously there is no further point in debating facts with your emotional support of a rip off specialist."

Insulting those who disagree with you does not lend support to your argument.

You have to do your research before buying, anything. Did you check on biddingfortravel.com or betterbidding.com?

Priceline has saved me a bundle over the years.

Once I even called a hotel to see if they could give me a better deal than PL, the clerk told me it was a great deal and go with PL.

"The only 4* in a zone might do that simply so people can't bid 4* in that zone, knowing they will get that hotel,"

Just want to point out, as BFT does, that those hotel lists are based on voluntary reports. New hotels are added to the lists on a regular basis, so you might get a hotel that wasn't even listed. Zone boundaries also change once in a while, and occasionally as noted above, the star rating of a hotel will change.

L84SKY, apparently you missed the places where mark indignantly insisted that he should not need to work, er, research, in order to get his PL deal.

It seems the real issue is what kind of customer service a corporation provides when there is a problem. The fact that Mark99 wasn't able to speak to a supervisor and discuss the problem with a chance to resolve it is not good corporate policy.

nanabee, Priceline is non-refundable booking at a significant discount. For years, there was NO customer service. The booking process is clear to remind you several times throughout the booking process that THERE ARE NO REFUNDS - THIS IS A FINAL TRANSACTION.

That is the way Priceline operated when everything was "name your price". I imagine customer service came into play when they offered a Hotwire type option.

IMO, expecting "customer service" from Priceline a la a hotel or other chain's toll free # is folly.

If you want full customer service provided by Priceline, you'll get higher prices along the way to support that. I'd prefer to get the deal and accept my mistakes (if any) along the way.

nanabee, but the fact remains that the problem that mark99 wanted to discuss with customer service was simply a matter of his own mistake and ignorance in using a system without having any idea how it works or doing any preparation. Why in the world should any company hire a staff of customer service reps to handle people who don't even bother to read the basics on their websites?

By the way, unless I'm mistaken Mark99 has never told us what hotel he's talking about. But there is something fishy about ANY hotel in Miami Beach that would be billed even as a three star that NEVER has a rate of $270, which he insists it doesn't. There is something very, very fishy here. I'm willing to bet if he told us what hotel he did get, it would answer a ton of questions for many posters. What's more he never tells us what WAS wrong with the hotel, which I assume he DID stay at. Does anyone else find that strange?

Mark, please remind us again about your crackpot belief that cell phones incur roaming charges when people simply leave them on without using them. I think that would help others here understand a lot better where you are coming from and why it's pointless to try to reason with you.

Sounds like you've had good luck with Priceline because you're a savy "buyer" and know the rules. Those like Mark who don't, have found out the hard way. It is certainly buyer beware with some corporations.

nanabee, are you speaking to me? If so, you are way off base. I've only used Priceline once and was not terribly happy about the final results. Yes, it takes some planning and it is somewhat difficult. But even I think it is laughable to do what he did without even looking at what hotels would be covered and without looking at current prices for those hotels first. Who in their right mind would bid anything at all BEFORE checking to see if any good hotels had specials for that date. How in the world did he pull a bidding price out of the air without looking first to see what things were going for? Would some one go to an auction and start bidding without ever having seen what the item he's bidding on sells for normally? Often you CAN find something better online. If he had bothered to do that, he never would have bid a price higher than was currently being offered by hotel websites. There is NO WAY to blame anyone but Mark99 for what happened in THIS case.
If Mark99 has EVER read a single post about Priceline, or if he had bothered to go to bidding for travel, or if he even bothered to read Priceline's own website, none of what he's complaining about would have happened. It is that simple.

Anonymous, You're right I missed that.
Ah, well then, it’s an interesting lesson. You can either spend the time doing the work at the beginning or spend the time grumbling in the end.

I, for one, see mark99's point. Just because users have learned that Priceline routinely attempts to mislead by gerrymandering maps, quoting meaningless median prices, and making customer service unavailable does not make it OK to do all those things.

It seems to me that many of you are blinded by your own cleverness: you were able to avoid being taken advantage of, so anyone who doesn't must be a sore loser.

Personally, I read Bidding for Travel's advice, and advice here, and studied Priceline's website, and decided Priceline makes it way too easy to make a mistake. That's not exactly a scam, but if Airborne can't claim it cures colds, why can Priceline claim it saves you money? I know, not the same thing, caveat emptor, yadda yadda yadda!

Biddingfortravel only list one 4* hotel for Miami Beach zone - The Palms South Beach.

Tripadvisor considers it a 3* hotel, and rated #44 out of 196 hotels in Miami Beach.

Expedia says it's 4*.

Travelocity says it's 4*.

Hotels.com says it's 4*.

Orbitz.com says it's 5*.

I think if that's the hotel, it's hard to argue it's rated wrongly as a 4*.

- mark refuses to give the name of the hotel

- We don't know the dates so even if we DID know the hotel, we couldn't verify the normal rates

- at least twice, mark mentions things that simply do not exist on the "name your own price" pages. "A Garden View room" (where does PL say anything about what sort of room you will get?) and the normal rate for that hotel is $250. Since this type of info is not provided on the bidding side of PL . . . .

He either did not use the Name your own price feature - or is not telling the whole truth about what happened when he did . . . . .

And, as disjointed as his rants are, he has the nerve to complain that the CS person used broken English?!?

This is an unfortunate situation but there's alway a risk with 'naming your own price' on Priceline. I couldn't help but wonder, the same thing MileMarker asks, what else did you change besides price? You had to change either location or stars to up your bid.

I use pirceline all the time but I always check to see the usual hotels awarded, and check what the best rates I can get at those hotels (comparing on kayak, check the hotel website for special deals or AAA rates, etc). Then I usual bid no more the 2/3 of the best rate I can find elsewhere.

Priceline does show some of the hotels in their star categories in the regular booking option, so between that and biddingfortravel, it's easy enough to get a good enough idea of what hotels are awarded at what star values.

If I wasn't comfortable with the listed hotels I wouldn't bother with Priceline.

Well, it must not have been the Palms, since they routinely charge over $400 for standard oceanfront rooms (not suites) -- not that Priceline would have gotten him one. And they clearly have no such option as "garden view" anyway. Interesting points from janis, showing us that mark99 is clearly not telling us the whole story -- as what he says the site said, it does NOT say. Do you think we'll ever get the "real story" here?

"Do you think we'll ever get the "real story" here?"

No, because according to him, he's made his point and we are all just logic challenged dolts.

Oh, please let Mark go and worry about other stuff on here..like ADS!!!!

There are dissatisfied clients in every business. For example, many hate Southwest for not assigning seats. Or there are mixed reviews of the same restaurant or hotel on TripAdvisor. Or...

I am sorry it happened to you, but if Priceline was a scam, it would be out of business long time ago.

Maybe if you file a complaint with either your credit card company, or Better business bureau they will be able to help you?

<So I first put in $175 for Miami Beach. It failed and asked me to adjust the parameteres if I wanted to try again, so I bumped up the price to $185 and kept the 4 star rating.>

Something is fishy here. You can't just increase your bid without waiting a day.

<I will not stay at this hotel, I have already cancelled and I will lose my deposit rather than ruin a visit>

You don't lose your deposit. The whole visit is paid in full immediately.

Seems to me that Mark simply does not want to admit that he paid too much because he did not what he was doing.

Mark is stuck at the hotel he doesn't want, but Priceline has a price guarantee so he can get the lower price that he saw on the hotel's website.

A bit off topic, but does anyone know what happened to Sheryl? Can you imagine how she would have reacted to Mark's post had it been on biddingfortravel. LOL We'd have had to scrape his pieces off the wall!!

Hmmm. Anybody taking bets that mark has never actually used the Priceline site, yet alone bid and gotten the hotel he's talking about? There are just way too many "wrong" statements to allow such a possibility of his actually having done what he claims, unless he has very serious reading comprehension and memory issues.

Meanwhile his posting "Priceline Sucks" a dozen or so times in the past two days on every thread he can find about Priceline is getting old quick.

I agree that Priceline falsely overstates the "going rate" or whatever they call it on hotels and rental cars in the effort to get customers to overbid. With that said, I don't think Mark ever used Priceline as he says he will forfeit his deposit but last time I used PL there was no such thing, you pay the entire balance immediately and it's non-refundable.

So if he doesn't want to go, I'll over up $25/nt for the room he "owns". Anyone want to outbid me?

One important lesson is that never look at a price that PL posts. Learning that comes with experience.

Reading through all his info once more, I am almost certain mark99 just did a straight booking on PL - absolutely nothing whatever to do w/ "Name You Own Price".

Just too many of his details simply do not happen on the bidding side . . . . . . .

A class action suit - sheesh!

Never had a problem w/ P'line that wasn't of my own creation.

Using it now to plan upcoming stays/trip.
Go figger'....

Hi jj!

Janis,

I know.....sue, sue, sue! It's the American way!

geesh!

Hi Kal! -- we REALLY need to stop meeting this way

I use pirceline all the time but I always check to see the usual hotels awarded, and check what the best rates I can get at those hotels (comparing on kayak, check the hotel website for special deals or AAA rates, etc). Then I usual bid no more the 2/3 of the best rate I can find elsewhere.

Same here. I'm not a priceline user, but I do use Hotwire. If I don't think I can save a substantial amount of money (say 30%), I don't do it -- it isn't worth it to me to guess which hotel it is for a $20 or $30 savings. But I always "come prepared".


Maybe if you file a complaint with either your credit card company, .... they will be able to help you?

Credit card companies will help if you didn't get what you paid for. In this case, he got exactly what he "contracted" for - a non-refundable room for the price he offered. There's no way the CC company is going to get into a dispute over the star ratings.

"Anybody taking bets that mark has never actually used the Priceline site..."
A good point Patrick.

I've never bid on a hotel in Miami and am not familiar with the costs but I did wonder who, in his right mind, would put in a first bid for $175. As I said before, I couldn’t bear to read the entire grumble, only the highlights.

I think Mr. Mark may well be a clever troll. Like before when he claimed you can be charged for roaming on your cell phone even if you didn't actually use it. When asked, he of course could not produce a bill or any evidence. This time, he can't seem to name the hotel. That should be a big hint.

As for Priceline: it's really not for everyone, and no, it doesn't always save you money. But then, I know when not to use Priceline. It's a bit of extra work for sure but once you learn the ins and outs, it can save you a lot of money. As long as you realize what the potential pitfalls are and you do some homework, Priceline can save you a ton of money. If you aren't willing to accept the pitfalls or do the extra work, don't use it - just book with a conventional hotel booking website and be done with it.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

Abraham Lincoln.

Does Abraham Lincoln use Priceline?

Obviously, if Abraham Lincoln did, he'd study, study, study and not make a fool of himself on the Internet whining about the mistakes he made due to his own ignorance.

Maybe he uses it for theater tickets?

But he would be writing notes to Sheryl in charcoal on the back of a shovel.

KAL--LOL !!

You've proven how a negative thread can turn out positive. Thanks for the laugh.

I've been thinking about this and I've changed my mind. Mark99 does have a point. I realized that a very similar thing happened to me:

I saw an ad in the newspaper for a car dealership where they said all their cars were high end and worth up to $60,000 and you could name your own price. So I called them up and said I'd give them $50,000 for the nicest red one they had sight unseen and I didn't need to know what car it was. I went to pick it up and would you believe it? The car they gave me, I could have gotten at any dealer for $35,000. Talk about a scam! What a rip off.

Sound familiar?

Yes, you should have offered it for a gold one. Everyone knows that red cars get more speeding tickets.

Woe to those who don't do their research .... $175 for a starting bid? Waaaaay too much. And if you'd reviewed those websites that share the ins/outs of how to best use Priceline, then you too may have had a better experience.

Recently, I used Priceline for a hotel in my own city .... my air conditioning is on the fritz. Bid $51 for a 3-star hotel, and got the Radisson Hotel. Usually the best rates online for this hotel range from $119 to $169. I certainly saved more than 40%.

This is funny.

Just this past weekend, I landed the Intercontinental Boston for $100 per night, or less than the rate at the Ramada in Dorchester that borders a car dealership and a bowling alley.

As this sort of "deal" is the norm for me, I'll stick with Priceline. But then again, I'm not allergic to research.

Anonymous - ROFL at the shovel for Sheryl!

Cal, theater tix, indeed. You're on a roll, today. Not the one around your middle, the one you're sitting on.

<---Tess running and hiding.

I must be really stupid to fall for this "Priceline SCAM" over and over again!

mark99 - Please stay away from Priceline. I don't want you to take away Priceline inventory from people like me.

I've used priceline many times with great satisfaction. I would NEVER bid without checking betterbidding.com, expedia, trip advisor AND the hotel website! I also closely look at the maps to make sure I'm in the area in which I want to be! if I'm not thrilled with ALL possible choices, I don't use priceline and book on my own.

If mark99 goes away...that leaves more good deals for the rest of us!

I don't think "Mark" ever really used Priceline actually...

If Mark used priceline and got a hotel room for less than it's normal rate, then he got a discount and he shouldn't be blaming PL. First off, the purpose of using PL is to get CHEAP rates. Why in the world would anyone start a bid for a $270 room at $175? Why not start at $75??

Second, I think Mark just likes to yank a few people's chains and he's done a good job. Starting a ridiculous post like this is just a SCAM to get people to respond to something so crazy, so it turns into being a thread just to see how many responses he can get, whether good or bad.

Thirdly, I think Mark is a glutton for punishment, he must like reading all the negative things about himself & having everyone call him a liar, crazy or any other thing that's been thrown at him. Sorry to say I got sucked into reading all this and even responding, but I did.

Starrs, Andrew, Kal, TTess, NeoPatrick, L84Sky, dmlove... you guys crack me up!

I agree with Andrew, I don't think Mark even used PL.. And why he'd admit to such ignorance is beyond me, b/c anyone who uses PL, as stated MANY times, there are too many things wrong with his story to be believable. I also agree with yk -- Mark needs to stay away from PL!!

Does anyone ever read the price of a hotel room that's posted on the back of the room door?

I once got a 4* room for a Priceline rate of $50 (plus fees and taxes). It was/is a beautiful hotel in a great DT location. Checking into the room I just happened to look at the instructions on the back of the door on what to do in case of a fire, etc. The posted rate for the hotel was over $400.

Guess I bid too low, huh? Should have started at $175!

My daughter calls the Lucite bracket that holds that card "the rack" because it's the only place you ever see the infamous "rack rate".

Does anyone ever read the price of a hotel room that's posted on the back of the room door?

I read it every time. One of the rooms I got at the Boston Intercontinental last weekend was a suite, with a rack rate of $4,000. Not bad for $100 + taxes & fees.

I can't say it's true for all the states, but many do require the rack rate posted by law as a way of preventing the hotels from gouging people in case there is a run on the hotel rooms because of some event, hurricane, mud slides, forest fires, sporting events, special events, etc....

The hotels can't charge anymore than the posted rate no matter what.

The state inspectors check these rates during every inspection and make sure the rates are posted and record what it is.

If Priceline rejects your offer, it does not allow you to just increase your bid. You have to change a different parameter, either changing your dates, adding on another area, or changing the star rating. What's up with that Mark?

Actually, when Priceline rejects one's offer, sometimes they'll offer a higher counteroffer which you can agree, and get the room.

One shouldn't accept that counteroffer, but it's actually a good indication of what you may get if you bid again (either using "free rebids", get somebody else to bid for you, or wait 24 hours).

For example, if your bid was $80, and Priceline gave you a counteroffer of $100, then it's almost certain you can get the room for $90 if you bid again at that price.

I accepted their "try this price" once, and got "sorry, this price was not accepted."

sylvia - There is a guaranteed counteroffer, and there is one that says they'll let you bid again but not guaranteed. You got the 2nd type.

To Andrew....you are obviously a novice. Sorry.

NeoPat...like I said this has nothing to do with the hotel.

Again most of you are missing the point.

The "hotel" had a rack rate published for $170 a night for the garden view. All the other websites I checked also listed the hotel for those nights at $170

Priceline claims that the rack rate was actually $270 per night....so they overinflated the value of the hotel by $100 per night...in other words pure fiction.

Now do you not see a little problem here? The only place $270 a night appears for this hotel for a garden view was on Priceline....no where else...PERIOD.

That is deceptive...period. I believe it also violates consumer laws.

I have no other interest in discussing this, other than to educate others to a service which I belienve is deceptive in their practices.

If you all believe it is great then by all means use them.

Mark99 -- NO, you are the one missing the point. It really doesn't make any difference what Priceline said the rack rate was. Any one who travels knows that rarely if ever does any hotel sell a single room at rack rate any way. Only a person who never bothered to read a single direction about how to use Priceline would do what you did and bid the way you did. You did it totally wrong, and now you regret it. Of course!

mark -- Please tell us WHERE priceline said anything about a garden room?

The bidding side of PL does not describe the types of rooms you might win. Until you clear that one little detail (and a few other inconsistencies) you have very little credibility . . . .

Prove it by giving the name of the Hotel in question......chirp...chirp...chirp....chirp...

I can't believe that this troll thread has been resurrected.

"The only place $270 a night appears for this hotel for a garden view was on Priceline....no where else...PERIOD."

mark, you are delusional. Priceline's "Name your own price" system simply does not describe rooms or their features that way. If you can't substantiate your claims, pleas go away.

Furthermore...what 4* or even 3* Hotel on Miami Beach has a RACK RATE of $170 ???

And by the way...as one poster said...the customer service issue compounded this issue greatly. Despite 6 attempts, both via email and via telephone, I tried to explain the situation, including the issue of the hotel price listing at $270.00 but all they could do via the phone is read off scripts with broken english that clearly had nothing to do with my issue.

The email responses are identical "were sorry yada yada yada" never answering the specifics.

Very few companies go to this extend to keep you from resolving a problem or at least give you an opportunity to have intelligent dialogue between two parites to discuss the issues.

When you run into this sort of situation, all too often it is because the company builds policies and procedures to run you through a gauntlet until you simply tire out.

It is in my opinion purposeful deception.

As to you posters that continue to "bait" for hotel names...grow up.

So clearly Mark is not telling the truth, or had totally forgotten the exact circumstances of his bidding, since such things are NOT on the bidding. Meanwhile, he apparently doesn't even know what the term "rack rate" means.

He can't tell us the name of the hotel, because it would be very easy to find that no such hotel lists the prices for what he says they do, (along with the term "garden view room", and then he'd be shown to be making it all up!

Meanwhile if any of his story were true, why wouldn't he report it on Bidding for Travel where he could show what he overpaid for the hotel and make a much bigger impact with his claim? Oh yea, I remember, because he apparently doesn't even know what Bidding for Travel is!


Oh, and Mark, please don't complain about customer service and their broken English in this case. I'm sure if you kept insisting to them that the website listed garden view room which they know it didn't, and if you kept insisting that you had somehow inserted into the bid "I did state that I wanted a 4 STAR and that I expected a resoanble discount for that hotel..", they were probably just as confused about the whole thing as you were! No wonder, since half the things you were complaining about DON'T exist on their website!

I'll repeat - you have a lot of nerve complaining about the CS agent using broken English. That might have been an inconvenience, but I'd sure bet her English was easier to follow than yours. Almost nothing you've said makes sense . . . . . . . .

Very few companies go to this extend to keep you from resolving a problem or at least give you an opportunity to have intelligent dialogue between two parites to discuss the issues.

Very few companies give you the savings that a reasonably intelligent and well-informed person will find on Priceline. If I want customer service, I book elsewhere. If I want a good deal, I go with Priceline, and don't kid myself about what I am getting into.

Priceline isn't for everyone, but you seem to have been done in by your own ignorance, not any sort of bait and switch. There is more than enough information on the internet, including here, such that the mistake you made could have been avoided.

To call Andrew a "novice" is hilarious! Thanks for a good laugh.

Mark: You bid, you accepted the terms and conditions, your bid was accepted.

I can't imagine what you realistically expect Customer Service to do for you.

Maybe he can file a No Class Action suit?

To Neo...perhaps I used the wrong name "rack" to describe the room.

The room was described as "Garden view" all 5 sites I checked including the actual hotel site, and they all listed it at $170 per night for the same nights. I also called the hotel and confirmed the price.

As for priceline and the bid process, of course I did not know the description until after my bid was accepted. But once accepted I was emailed the description which was "Garden View" and actual room is "up to the descretion of the hotel upon check in"

When I checked priceline regular booking...they listed the hotel - garden view room for those nights at $270 per night. They overinflacted the room price to a value that was over a $100 per night.

Now it would be rediculous to suggest that I go through every single Priceline listing to filter out any such descrepencies.

As a consumer buying a service which claims to give you "40% discount or more" this is simply deceptive.

I would have been quite content to obtain a $300 a night hotel for $185 or even a $250 a night room for $185 using there "blind" booking service....but I should NEVER have received a $171 a night room for $185. That is simply wrong and deceptive.

If I am going to "throw a dart into the dark" to pick a hotel listing, then I indeed deserve some sort of a discount as THEY claim I should.

Ahh the point of the "broken english" statement was simply to convey the additional communications problem when trying to explain the problem.

I personally use outsourcing myself, but I don't use it as a way of further alienating my customers.

Got to go! Keep the post alive posters.

you really are making this up as you go along - aren't you?

"Very few companies go to this extend to keep you from resolving a problem or at least give you an opportunity to have intelligent dialogue between two parites to discuss the issues."

Mark--you're having your intelligent dialogue here.

Yeah. Let's keep this alive.

Hey JJ....yah come here often?

"If I am going to "throw a dart into the dark" to pick a hotel listing, then I indeed deserve some sort of a discount as THEY claim I should."

You did "Name Your Own Price".

Mark99, that hole you're digging yourself into is getting deeper and deeper.

And I think it's funny that you want to keep a thread alive that is 99% people saying there is nothing wrong with Priceline if anyone takes the time to do it right. Why are you so thrilled about keeping a thread alive that is so clearly very positive towards Priceline, and clearly points you out to be the one in error? I've lost track, but in 117 posts has a single person agreed with you?

Here's the bottom line on Priceline...

Depending on the location and date you are seeking, you may or may not be able to craft yourself a good deal.

You may've been seeking a room in Miami during a period when not many rooms were available, so good discounts weren't available either.

If there are conferences, sporting events, holidays, etc. happening in a city, there isn't the demand by the hotels to give their rooms away for discounts.

What hotels are willing to release a room for is certainly a negotiated rate and is dependent upon demand.

If hotel reps. make rooms available on Priceline starting at $100/night and that's also the rack rate posted on the website and you bid $105 on Priceline, the hotel gets you for the extra $5.

Generally speaking, you should always do better w/ Priceline. I've gotten some incredible rates from them greater than 40% discounted.

It's somewhat a luck of the draw, but you have to know what you are paying for, as well.

The other good thing about Priceline is that you'll never get booked at Earl and Irma's frontage road no tell motel...always reputable chains.

Priceline is no scam to me.

mark99, haven't you got a new fake post for this week? The fake Priceline post was last week's news.

"It is in my opinion purposeful deception."

....and there you have it. His opinion....which, as it turns out, is not shared with anyone else.

mark99, I'm not going to get in the middle of the fist fight...

I just want to say that if you paid with a credit card, you should contact your card company and dispute the charge, stating that you believe you were defrauded. It's worth a shot.

Sarge, you've got to be kidding. A person contacts a company on his own and says, "I'll give you $175 a night for that hotel". They agree. And he wants to claim that he was defrauded? Huh? I'd stand back from the phone so I wasn't deafened by the sound of laughter.

Maybe the person he spoke to was actually trying hard not to laugh, rather than actually speaking in "broken English."

Priceline has always seemed like a deal to good to be true. I would never use it. I fully understand what Mark is saying and what he means. I am totally in agreement with you Mark.

Spirobulldog: "I fully understand what Mark is saying and what he means."

That makes one of us....

spirodog, you're kidding right? It's fine to be in agreement about the overall "value" of Priceline. But surely you aren't saying that you agree that although without any preparation or reading he blindly bid way too much for a hotel and got it, that he was somehow defrauded. You can't be saying that, can you?

Having never used PL, spiro is the only person here who knows even less about it than mark.

spirobulldog: it makes perfect sense to me that you (who knows nothing about PL) agrees w/ mark99. The only people who could possibly see his point of view are those who - like you - don't understand how PL works.

sarge56: Disputing a charge w/ a credit card company is for when one does not get what they contracted for -- NOT for when someone voluntarily overpaid and has buyers remorse. Your suggestion is goofy (meant in the nicest possible way)

Can't believe this post is still alive. But it's good timing because I just bid on Priceline for my DD who is going to Seattle next week for an audition at the 5th Avenue Theater downtown.

I was watching Bidding For Travel and saw that the 3* Downtown were usually being won for around $60-75. Earlier in the week was rejected at up to $90 and I stopped and decided to wait a few days. Yesterday I got the Crowne Plaza 4 blocks from the Theater for $75. Their published rate is $228 and AAA rate is $219.

I was a little confused about mark's statement of Priceline's rack rate being $270 for the hotel he won. However he did clarify that by stating the $270 was for Priceline's regular booking price. I did the same pricecheck for the Seattle Crowne Plaza I just won, their price was $228-identical to the published rate on the hotel's website.

So obviously Priceline wasn't trying to SCAM me!! But if you ever read Bidding for Travel which is something obviously mark didn't do, it says right there to always check prices on the hotel's own website. It says not to use third parties such as Expedia, Orbitz or I guess Priceline. So again, if mark really used Priceline, he certainly didn't do his research first.

Oh Oh Paula1470 - you used the "R" word

That really sent the OP round the bend back when he first posted - he seems to think it is unreasonable to have to do "research"

i agree with mark99 - it is a scam if they are claiming the hotel is a better quality than what it is. no matter what research was done (or not done) prior to bidding. i think i had a bad experience with their car rental a few years ago and decided not to do it again. i like the idea of it, but not knowing what you are really going to get and if it will be the quality you are paying for is not a good deal to me. good for you for people that it has worked for, but don't kick the poor guy while he is down and say he didn't do research. it is a matter of not getting what you are paying for. SCAM imo

Wow...Mark's relatives are coming to his defense...

"it is a scam if they are claiming the hotel is a better quality than what it is."

He won't provide us the proof....

"i think i had a bad experience with their car rental a few years ago and decided not to do it again."

You think...???

Priceline uses Avis, Hertz, Dollar, National, Thrifty etc. and other national car rental places....any problem you encountered would most likely have occured whether you used Priceline or not....

And, if you did any research, you would have learned that Priceline is not always the best deal for car rentals....

"i agree with mark99 - it is a scam if they are claiming the hotel is a better quality than what it is. no matter what research was done (or not done) prior to bidding."

Wow! So every hotel ad in every travel magazine or newspaper is a scam.
Every guidebook description of hotels is a scam.
Have you ever looked at the hotel descriptions in brochures for package tours? Total scam!

Since when does ANY source NOT try to claim a hotel is really better quality than it is? Again, anyone who has ever even looked at Bidding for Travel is well aware that you have to take the rating system for Priceline with a giant grain of salt.

The funniest part of all this is that I'm often accused here of being totally anti-Priceline. It really has not worked well for me. But that has NOTHING to do with what we're talking about. Even I, a real novice at using Priceline, know that I'd be a total idiot for not checking out prices first, looking at the hotels that have won bids and for how much in the area, looked at the list of potential hotels to be "won", and NEVER bid $175 blindly! I may be a novice, but I am not STUPID. Sorry, but if that last shoe fits, then wear it proudly.

<<sarge56: Disputing a charge w/ a credit card company is for when one does not get what they contracted for -- NOT for when someone voluntarily overpaid and has buyers remorse. Your suggestion is goofy (meant in the nicest possible way)>>

No offense taken. HOWEVER, my point was that Mark feels he was defrauded because he feels that Priceline did not live up to their "implied contract" to a)give him a 4* hotel and b)give him a rate guaranteed to be 40% lower than xx rate. I don't feel this is any different than purchasing an item from a vendor via website and not getting what was advertised. For instance, I order what is stated to be an "ABC 999 Camera" and when it arrives it is an "ABC 799 Camera". I did not get what was promised to me via the advertisement. I have every right to ask for a refund. If I don't get one, I'd consider that fraud.

Like I said, he can call and talk to his credit card company, because apparently the "vendor" is not addressing his concerns.

I stand by my suggestion- whether anyone else thinks it's foolish or not. It certainly cannot hurt the situation and it may help.

And, truthfully, if it is listed somewhere on the Priceline website that there are "no refunds whatsoever", then he is probably stuck. But, personally, I would never buy anything from a company that had that posted on it's website; this screams "slimy" to me.

Good luck, Mark. I'm outta here...

Give it up, Mark - the name of the hotel and your date(s).

Although, you continue to insist that it's "not the hotel", but the price, even though you did "Name Your Own Price".

It could not be more apparent that you totally misunderstood Priceline and assumed that "up to 50% off" would guarantee you a room that goes for double your bid.

Everyone knows that "up to 50%" means just that - if you're really, really lucky. And, know what you're doing.

sarge56: "this screams "slimy" to me."

Since you don't use PL it is hard to explain -- but there is nothing at all slimy. It is just one of the rules - you buy it, it's yours. No refunds. But one knows that going in. (And PL has gone above and beyond when there has been a family death or some other emergency and made refunds even though they don't have to)

"up to xx% savings" is not a guarantee of any savings. Nowhere on the website does it guarantee a specific %. And anyway - how could they? What someone pays is TOTALLY up to the bidder. No one forces a bidder to pay a certain amount. But if someone wants to be crazy-stupid and bid some inflated $ amount - that is what they will pay.

If a ditz decides to open w/ a $185 bid, they will pay $185. That same person could just as easily bid $97 and might win the very same property. PL can't guarantee against incompetent bidders.

Besides - mark's story about raising his bid and keeping the same star level -- just doesn't work that way.

So - until you have actually tried PL - please believe the 90% of the posters on this thread. Mark's story doesn't pass the smell test, and the only folks defending him are those who don't know how Priceline works.

(you ought to try it some time - getting a Hilton in London for $77 when the rack rate is $335 - now that is the kind of savings I can get used to)

NAMBY-PAMBY!!! William Shatner's words in an ad that just aired.

Guy is STARTING his Name-your-own-price bid at $190 and WS calls him insults until he lowers his opening bid for a 4* in Vegas to $99.

He was going to START at $190 and WS talks him down to $99.

Obviously, I thought about this thread.

My Final Question - Do you work for Hotwire or some other competitor?

My Final Suggestion - Sue them. Let us know how you did in court.

"And, truthfully, if it is listed somewhere on the Priceline website that there are "no refunds whatsoever", then he is probably stuck. But, personally, I would never buy anything from a company that had that posted on it's website; this screams "slimy" to me."

Really? So you've never been to a sale where it said, "all markdowns are final, no returns, no exchanges, no refunds"?
Or you've never gone for the specially priced plane ticket or hotel reservation that said, "prepaid only, no refunds given"?

Can you honestly imagine how Priceline could work if they did allow refunds and allowed people to change their minds after winning bids? People would be booking dozens of hotels and still be looking for a better deal right up to check-in day, cancelling all the other bids and causing total chaos!

Saying that a store gave you a different model of a camera is NOTHING like this case. Now if the store said "this is a five star camera -- one of the top brands" and you got it home and decided that it isn't as good as other cameras therefore it shouldn't be called a five star one -- that would be a similar comparison to mark's case. People saying the ratings of hotels or the number of stars it has been given not living up to their expectations is nothing new -- but since all of that is based purely on opinion and tastes, there is no way to argue it!

And by the way, since mark made it clear he wasn't even going to use that bid, he sure can't say anything negative about the hotel trying to get his money back. Just saying "I know that hotel and don't like it" is hardly a reason for refusal to pay. So why on earth did he bid so much when the possibility was there to get that hotel he doesn't like? Oh yea. He never read the list of hotels, or their ratings. Never mind.

But Priceline DID offer mark a refund! From the OP:

"So I called up Priceline, ... They could not answer any questions except to say they can cancel the reservation for me, but I will loose one night deposit plus a service charge."

neopatrick - "really has not worked well for me" - what has your personal experience been, more detail please. thanks

I've only actually booked via Priceline once. It was for a single night in New York City when we were using a friend's apartment and it occurred to me that since our flight out was early in the morning, we wouldn't have time to do laundry, make the beds, etc. So about a week before, I started looking for a hotel. In all honesty MOST midtown hotels were already completely full -- something going on -- but I tried Priceline. I followed all the rules and after several bids got the Times Square Hilton. It was about $150, while I could have booked direct for about $185 or $190, but that was fine. Despite people insisting here that I'm lying, they weren't overly pleasant to me. We got a special "handicapped" room with a shower that literally had no water except a light drip, and several other things about the room we really didn't like. When I spoke to the desk, they said it was "because we were only there for one night and BECAUSE we booked at a big discount on Priceline" so that's all they could do. In fairness, I'm sure they were totally full also. That's also when I learned that I couldn't get my Hilton Honors points either since I booked through Priceline (which would have been worth paying a few more dollars for).

But otherwise, I've tried a few times -- once in Seattle and once in Chicago, that I specifically recall. I had prebooked discounted rooms (senior rate, I believe) with hotels in either place, and couldn't get Priceline bids for anything much less than that. Again, in fairness, a lot of people were posting on Bidding for Travel about failed bids in Seattle, so it just seemed to not be a good deal there at that particular time. In fact people were posting "successful" bids at rates higher than I was paying at the same hotel (again, a super senior rate, though). I won't do a Priceline room unless it's pretty substantial savings. When I can get a highly discounted room direct at a hotel I know I'd like, I don't take a chance for the privilege of saving maybe $15 or $20 dollars, and not knowing what specific hotel I might be in -- yes, I'm pretty picky that way. I'll risk it for "big" savings, but not for meager ones. So when the bids are turned down that close to what I can get on my own, or I'd have to include an area I really don't want, I move on.

Not sure why I feel compelled to add to this already overly-lenghty post but....

Mark - you seem to be stuck on the fact that Priceline "claims to get you a "bargain of 40% or more off the daily rate..."

I would agree with you that if in fact Priceline guarantees or indicates that you will always get 40% off the daily rate (although the term "daily rate" is pretty vague and does not necessarily mean the lowest available rate from that hotel for your particular dates)and in fact you don't, then there could be a problem.

However, Priceline does NOT say that. What it does say is "save UP TO 50%" on hotels. Some people might save 0%, some 10%, some 30% and some 50%. There is no guarantee on the site as to the size of your savings or if, in fact, you will save anything at all.

So, Priceline does not:

1. Guarantee the percentage of savings you will get

and

2. Does not make any representations, as far as I can tell, that the daily rate quoted on its site reflects the lowest available rate for that particular hotel for the dates you are seeking to travel.

I fail to see a scam.

So when the bids are turned down that close to what I can get on my own, or I'd have to include an area I really don't want, I move on.

Which is what you should do.

To be honest, I find that the big savings on Priceline are largely for weekend stays in major business centers. It can be less useful for tourist destinations and for midweek stays.

And I find it a waste of time for anything less than a US 3-star or EU 4-star. Below that, you are both taking a big risk in terms of quality, and the savings never seem substantial.

"Which is what you should do."

Exactly. Please note, I am NOT complaining about Priceline and I get tired of people telling me I'm being unfair to them whenever I simply give my limited experience. In fact, because most of our travel involves longer stays and mostly in apartments, there is little that Priceline can offer me. My only point is that I have not spent hours and hours, days and days, trying to make it work for me, and I have moved on when it hasn't worked for me. More power to those who take the time and energy to pursue it, and end up being particularly lucky with the results as well. Winning is a combination of knowing what you're doing, heavy research, and also a little bit of luck.

After all this back and forth, I went into biddingfortravel and looked up 4* (remember this is Priceline's own rating, so the rating could be different elsewhere) winning bids in Miami.

Not that many winning 4* bids, folks, not that many winning bids.

What does this tell you?

Not much available for 4* in Miami.

Here's what came up for imaginary dates of April 28-April 30:

Hilton Miami Airport
Prior Priceline winning bid: $82
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $209
Expedia: $216
Sidestep: $159

Hyatt Regency Miami
Prior Priceline winning bid: $74
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $199
Expedia: $189
Sidestep: $148

Intercontinental West Miami
Prior Priceline winning bid: $115
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $144
Expedia: $144
Sidestep: $128

Hyatt Regency Coral Gables
Prior Priceline winning bid: $60, $75, $137
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $279
Expedia: $279
Sidestep: $279

Sidestep is like a clearinghouse of hundreds of rates, so I didn't have to go through "five" or more websites to check individual pricing, just that one website: sidestep. Sidestep will also list the lowest price available.

On sidestep, at the right side you can also instantly compare sidestep rates with Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline (non-bid, just discounted rates), hotelsdotcom, Hotwire, and BookIt rates.

First off, I don't believe Mark did ANY research before placing his bid. If he had, then he would have seen that the highest bid price for a 4* in Miami is $137. That would have been the MAXIMUM of his bid, provided he wanted that zone. Every other winning bid is under $100.

So, if he had done any research at all, his bid would have been $60 to a $82 to try and get a 4* hotel for under $100.

Secondly, why go to only five other hotel discount sites for comparison? If he knew how to do research, he would have used something like Sidestep and gotten more than just five sites.

Conclusion: Mark didn't know how to use Priceline. He didn't do any research. He didn't come to Fodors for any advice.

As a "know-it-all" he got his fingers burnt and now he's blaming Priceline for his own inabilities.

This is a good thread, because it warns others not to just start using Priceline willy-nilly like Mark did. Do your research. Do your research. And you'll end up with wonderful savings.

You don't take the first step, fall off the cliff, and then blame the cliff.

janis-Yes I threw the "R" word in again because I knew that was something mark wasn't familiar with!!

Patrick-After reading your post, I am glad we got such a good deal in Seattle for my DD. $75 as opposed to $228.

easytraveler-Good info but I am sure that mark never looked at any of that. It's the "R" word again.

FWIW, I have read every post in this thread (because I find it so darned amusing!) and I am in complete agreement with all but Mark's [apparent] relatives (LOL). However, from a legal standpoint, there are a couple of things being bandied about that are simply incorrect.

since all of that is based purely on opinion and tastes, there is no way to argue it!

This is simply not true, legally-speaking. Obviously, if they claim 4* and many would say it's not 4* it's only 3*, you wouldn't be able to make a case. But suppose they said it was 4* and it was a flea-bag. You definitely could make a case and win.

The point is, "non-refundable" does not translate to "fraud is permissible". Using the store example above, let's say a store was holding a going out of business sale. They're selling sweaters at a deep discount, on a non-refundable basis. The sign above the sweater table says "100% pure cashmere", but in fact the sweaters are made of nylon. Non-refundable? No, because they lied about the product.

Also, it is illegal, at least in California, to raise the price of a product and then claim a bigger discount (I'm not saying that's what Priceline does, just responding to an earlier poster's comment).

The sign above the sweater table says "100% pure cashmere", but in fact the sweaters are made of nylon. Non-refundable?

Wouldn't you read the label before buying? -- as in doing your research...

Once again, I fail to see the connection. mark didn't bid on a hotel and get a motel. He didn't bid on a hotel in South Beach and get one in Hialeah. He got what he was bidding on. And stars for hotel ratings are based on what amenities they have, not how "nice" or "clean" they are.

I think your sweater example would be much more like mark's situation if the sign said "Compare to $199" or even "Manufacturer's suggested price $199". If you then bought one for $150 without finding out first that the store normally sells them at a discount price of $125, then it wasn't really a scam. You just didn't check it out properly. If the hotel mark "won" has a sign on the back of a room door that lists the price of $250 a night, then they haven't been dishonest, even if NORMALLY everyone, including the hotel itself discounts their rooms significantly and no one ever actually pays that price. Now if they said the hotel was in South Beach and instead it was in Hialeah, then your cashmere sweater example would be more similar.

"Obviously, if they claim 4* and many would say it's not 4* it's only 3*, you wouldn't be able to make a case. But suppose they said it was 4* and it was a flea-bag. You definitely could make a case and win."

Actually, my understanding is that the star-rating system is not qualitative. The ratings are based on the existence of certain amenities, which are objectively determinable, and not on whether a particular property is "nice." A 4* hotel, for example, must have room service, while a 2* doesn't. So, you could indeed have a nominally 4* hotel that is a flea bag as long as it has room service and the other amenities required for that category. Since these criteria are objective -- and it's easy to figure out whether a hotel meets the requirements -- there is a further premium on the "R" word.

The room service example is a good choice. In New York City, for instance, many hotels fail to achieve 4* ratings on Priceline because of this very factor. But with a dozen restaurants and takeout places on the same block, who needs room service? Sometimes, the local takeout places will deliver to your room, a much better variety and value than the usual hotel room service. I've gotten some very nice 3* places in NYC because of the PL rating system.

My point exactly, Callaloo. I'd really enjoy watching the court proceedings with someone trying to get money back because a hotel billed itself as a four star, had all the amenities that classify a four star, but yet didn't "satisfy the personal taste" of the person suing. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one! Especially if the person suing never even stayed in the hotel but refused it based on his "personal understanding" of it.

Wouldn't you read the label before buying? -- as in doing your research...

In my example, I'm assuming the label also says 100% pure cashmere. And before you ask, no, I don't think you have to do a scientific analysis!

You just didn't check it out properly. If the hotel mark "won" has a sign on the back of a room door that lists the price of $250 a night, then they haven't been dishonest, even if NORMALLY everyone, including the hotel itself discounts their rooms significantly and no one ever actually pays that price.

Actually, for the sale of "goods", this is exactly what is illegal in California. I don't mean illegal as in you might or might win a court case, I mean illegal as in there is a statute prohibiting this practice. If the price is "normally" discounted, then you can't claim the amount of the "discount" off the higher, never-actually-used price. You can't raise the price for one day (to $200 in your example) and then claim $150 is a 25% discount.

Mark99-Are you out there?

I'm throwing out a challenge to Mark--tell us the NAME of the hotel before this post hits 200 responses?
Can you? Will you?

p.s. I'll re-fold the entire table of cashmere, I mean nylon sweaters.
C'mon -- only 40 responses to go and counting......

jbass, we all know that mark will not post the name of the hotel. First of all, it's clear than much of the information he's reported here is totally bogus (including what he claims it said on the Priceline websire), and if he were to name a hotel, it would be too easy for someone to either find a place where it was advertised for the amount they listed or else someone would easily disprove that everyone discounts it that much, or someone would point out that that hotel does in fact meet all the criteria for being a four star hotel as rated by Priceline, or someone will post other winning bids there he should have looked up on Bidding for Travel, or else someone would rave about the hotel he refused to stay at, or . . .well, any of a dozen other things.

dmlove: You are mixing apples and oranges. A CA store cannot raise the prices to inflate a sale discount. But a hotel definitely CAN post a rack rate in the room - even if it is seldom if ever rented at that price.

The rack rate is simply what the hotel could charge, not that it does or ever will.

Or actually those posted rack rates may be charged -- like once a year during the annual "art fair" or special convention or whatever.

I think the bottom line is that Mark didn't do his homework and is blaming priceline for his mistakes.

Those of us who have taken the time to learn the ropes know priceline is a good deal.

Bump... Want to see this get to 200...

agreed GoTravel.

However, I prefer not to use Priceline often just because, call me stuck in my ways, I just like to know where I'm staying.

kellyhaves: if you do your research, you pretty much KNOW which hotel you'll get at which * level at which bid price. Or it'll be one in a group of hotels acceptable to you.

At least for me, that's the case for about 75-80% of the time, if not higher.

For example, for Orange County in Southern California, I will get either the 4* Hyatt or the Hilton, sometimes the Westin and very rarely the Marriott. Any one of these hotels is fine by me. They are all pretty much grouped together so location is not a problem.

Bidding on Priceline is really pretty simple but it's like learning to ride a bike. You just have to learn how to do things and then you're off. Instead Mark has wasted a lot of time fussing over nothings instead of learning how to bid properly.

<<getting a Hilton in London for $77 when the rack rate is $335 - now that is the kind of savings I can get used to)>> janis, that is truly nice. I am fortunate to get really good rates at Hiltons too, as my SIL works for them.

<<Really? So you've never been to a sale where it said, "all markdowns are final, no returns, no exchanges, no refunds"?
Or you've never gone for the specially priced plane ticket or hotel reservation that said, "prepaid only, no refunds given"?>>
Neo - that would be "NO" and "NO". I do not buy anything at stores that have an overall policy as such and I do not buy "markdowned" items that I cannot return for valid reasons. Nope. Can't think of a single time I've bought something I couldn't return. Especially clothes.

And I refused to pay a deposit on any of my hotels in Europe last year, for the same reason. There are still plenty of hotels and B&Bs that will take a credit card to hold your room- without charging you until you've actually shown up or cancelled according to their policy. Probably why I have NEVER even looked at Priceline.

And to all others posting who've obviously not really read what I wrote:

Have to point out that people posting here should READ what is written and not make assumptions: My statement was "IF" Priceline's website said XX. I did not say Mark had a case, I said he MAY have a case IF what he was saying was true. I could not say he DID have a case, as I've never been to Priceline.

Peace

"I did not say Mark had a case, I said he MAY have a case IF what he was saying was true." Oh, well, then that clarifies it. He doesn't have a case after all since much of what he said wasn't true -- starting with the hysterically funny "I did state that I wanted a 4 STAR and that I expected a resoanble discount for that hotel."

Has anyone ever even guessed WHERE he stated that on the website?

I must say that there are strang things at play here. So I am not pointing any fingers of how this got started. But I do spend about 160 days a year on the road and in hotels. I Have used Priceline / expedia / Hot wire / Travelocity / Hotelcom
and have found one thing for sure.

Rarely do you get a 40% - 50% discount from the hotels rate that will be quoted by the front desk of that hotel.

I do use Priceline for booking flights and they are pretty much the best on that one.

The hotel business has been corrupted so much by these third party booking companies that I never book without first calling the hotel directly.

My last trip was booked by expedia by my office. When I got to the hotel it was the same price as if I walked in the door off the street.

I use Tripadvisor to first locate the location of the hotel that works the best. Then I look up the hotel website. When I call them I almost always find the price is the same. If it is not I quote them the price I saw on the third party site.
They always meet that price if it is lower (Which it rarely is). Also never believe anything on tripadvisor it is bull. When you book direct the hotel gets all the money and you are treated better than a bargain hunter. Expedia gets abot 25-30% of the hotels funds. The hotel also gives me a more decent room. The only people I hear complaining, when I do, is ones that have booked through a third party booking service. They have come to believe that these third parties have some pull. They really don't. Remember that the hotel does not get your money for as much as thirty days. You have morepower when you book direct. Now you can get on with your argument. But please let me leave you with a story.

When the train is headed in a bad direction (Like a cliff). It makes no sence to argue what side of the train is best to sit on. Someone needs to get out of the train a lay some new track.

Sometimes it is more work to do all this research than just pik up the phone and call.

marly10: "But I do spend about 160 days a year on the road and in hotels."

You have my sympathies. One year, I spent 80% of my time on the road and I could care less whether I was in Vienna Austria or Binghamton, New York. Hotel rooms just got to be the same, the same, the same. so glad I'm retired now.


Good point, tho, about booking directly with the hotel - except that Priceline does give a better than hotel rate, but I personally would never use Expedia et al. There was an article years ago which said that these "full price" middlemen get as much as 60% of the price of a hotel room for doing essentially nothing.

Why top a thread from 2008?

Priceline only gives a better rate when you use "name your price" feature. Their regular bookings, is pretty much the same as the other booking sights.

wliwl: "Why top a thread from 2008?"

Actually that is pretty good -- her only other post topped a thread from 2004

Good point, MFNYC. I keep forgetting that Priceline has that newer non-bid feature.

Marly10: thanks for your input. You make excellent points, despite the age of the original posts.

"Why top a thread from 2008?"

Why not! You are reading it. Yes?

Lol I read the whole thing(again). I wonder if poor Mark actually stayed at the mystery hotel. We will probably never know.

OMG. Hysterical thread with some practical advice on a variety of travel questions. (Skimmed some comments, stopped and noted some advice.)

I'm not a business traveler and I prefer rental homes and apartments for my vacation travel. More space, privacy, full kitchen, etc. Often less expensive than hotels when traveling with family and friends. May not work for short stays but worth investigating for trips of a week or more.

When I do book hotels I try to get the best price from the hotel itself, following some research on two or three web sites. I'm not interested in doing much more for a trip that may involve several cities or countries. It can become tedious. I agree with the comment about getting better service when you deal directly with the hotel, based on my somewhat limited experience.

I admire the commitment to getting the best price on quality hotels that many wrote about.

And, a final thought: I wouldn't count on the customer "service" offered by any travel web site. You takes your chances . . .

We've all had our travel disappointments, it's not the end of the world.