Can't use priceline hotel, now what?
 

I used priceline to book the National resort on Miami Beach for next Saturday night for only $93. My husband's military orders were just changed and now we can't use it.<BR><BR>I know Priceline does not offer refunds. Has anyone else ever been in a similar situation? Can anyone give me a suggestion of what I could do so I don't have to eat the price of the room?<BR><BR>Thanks!

We are military too and have had to change plans many times. Have never used Priceline, but in our situations it has worked to have our travel agent go to bat for us. It has always worked very well. You may try contacting Priceline as well as the hotel. Possibly your credit card company also. Maybe they would let you use the room at another time even. Explain that its due to military orders...many places are understanding, especially after last year. I do hope you get to go at some point:)

Unfortunately, priceline makes no exceptions but it doesn't hurt to try! If not, maybe the hotel will go to bat for you.

Can you try to sell it on ebay? I'm not sure of the <BR>technicalities for this but maybe someone here has experience doing this.

UPDATE... My husband contacted the hotel, which of course directed us to Priceline. They were very understanding and said they would refund our money. Maybe with everything going on in the world they decided to make an exception. I can't believe it. I am honestly shocked... but in a good way!!!

Wow, I have never, ever heard of anyone getting a refund on Priceline. Come to think of it, I haven't even heard of anyone getting through to a human being in their customer service department.

So glad that it worked out! Nice to hear happy things like that:)

I encountered this dilemma once with a two night hotel stay I'd purchased through Hotwire (similar to Priceline in non-refundable policy). I ended up hospitalized and unable to travel and simply ate the cost. Later on I read in this forum of someone with a similar dilemma who called the hotel to explain that they'd be unable to make the trip and advisinig the hotel management that the room would be unoccupied in the event they were getting booked and needed it for other people. The hotel thanked them and offered a voucher to allow them to stay there on another occasion - I'll certainly try for that if it happens again. In the meantime, although Priceline has that risk, I'll continue to use it because I have saved enough to justify the expense.

So just HOW did the original poster reach a human being at Priceline - since the impossibility of that feat has often been a topic here. (And by the way, good for you! Glad they worked it our for you.)

I've actually found Priceline to be very understanding. I travelled to Boston a week and a half after Sept. 11th and had reservations at the airport hotel. I was a bit freaked out at the thought of staying there and called Priceline. They were very understanding and refunded my money. Maybe it was just 9/11 but I would give them a call, just keep hitting zero, and eventually you should get through.