lynnpatterson

I have had terrible results using Priceline and on a recent trip, a Hotel reservation, an Airline Ticket and a Rental Car were all made through Priceline. Half way through the trip during a layover we learned that our destination was in a state of emergency and that we should not continue. We called Priceline and we were told there was nothing they could do and that it would cost us 3 times the amount to return home from our layover and that we would loose our total trip cost. We did not have the extra funds to return home and athough we had purchased round trip tickets the Airline would not honor because they were purchased through Priceline. The Hotel reservation was not used due to the Hotel not having power and Priceline will not refund the "prepaid" reservation amount. After numerus attemps and emails they say they will no longer respond. Has anyone else experienced similar misfortunes with Priceline and how do you rectify?

sf7307

Some people (not me) buy trip insurance that will refund costs if the trip is "cancelled" for any reason. Unless Priceline is getting a refund from the subject hotel, airline and car rental, I don't think they're responsible for refunding those charges to you. They didn't cause the problem.

nytraveler

I don't now all of your details - but I wold contact the OMbudsman at Conde Nast Traveler - who is often able to solve problems if you have all of your paperwork, proof of the problems etc.

I wold think if a particular hotel had no power that would be cause for a refund. (On the other hand, if the whole place was a disaster zone due to natural disaster or war, etc - I think you're just stuck as it's an Act of God.) A good reason for travel insurance if you're going someplace that might be risky.

Andrew

That's odd - when I booked an airport hotel with Priceline a year and a half ago, my flight was canceled due to weather, and when I called Priceline to ask about getting a refund, it was very easy. I did not have to argue - they simply asked me for my flight number, verified it right there on the phone, and cheerfully refunded my money.

Another time I booked a hotel with Priceline and had noise complaints, among other issues. I wrote a polite note describing my stay and problems and asked for a partial refund. Instead, they gave me a 100% refund.

The fact that both of these were booked as non-refundable "Name your own price" bookings made no difference. In my experience, Priceline responded very well, which is why I continue to use them whenever I can.

lynnpatterson

I am unfamiliar with Conde Nast Traveler.
Priceline I feel is very unreasonable however my point being is that acording to my conversations with the Airlines, Rental, and Hotels that if purchased direct they would help. And other then a very little bit more work it does not cost anymore.

kodi

I'm so sorry for your ordeal. It must have been very stressful. did you make your arrangements through the "name your own price" feature? If so, they are very specific that it is non refundable. That's what Priceline is all about. In return for a great rate, you have to take the risks that go along with it. The hotels give these rates through Priceline because they then have a guaranteed booking.

They do offer insurance when you are making your bid. DId you take that insurance?

I've always been very pleased with Priceline and have use it alot. SO if I did have to cancel for any reason, I've more than made up for it with all the bargains I've had.

nytraveler

If you paid the same price through Priceline as directly to the hotel and airliens you bid way too much. The entire purpose of Priceline is that you get super cheap prices, but don't know the hotel - or airline - until after your bid is accepted.

If you bought from Priceline at a fixed price that was the same as the hotel - why? It's always better to deal directly with the hotel or airline if you can.

nytraveler

Sorry. Conde Nast Traveler is a magazine. They have an ombudsman who writes an article each month about travelers with problems and how s/he helped with a solution. You write to the ombudsman and they will try to intercede for you - but you do need all of the exact detials, evidence of problem, records and copies of contacts with the vendor etc. S/he is able to solve problems for many - but not all travelers, given the specifics of the situation.

Andrew

Some people use Priceline now as a regular booking engine like Expedia, Orbitz, or Travelocity - you don't have to use the "Name Your Own Price" feature. In that case you would know the hotel and airline ahead of time but probably not get much of a discount if any over booking directly - but as we can see there are often disadvantages in using these third parties. I always book directly with the airlines if I can. Maybe the original poster booked a travel package with Priceline?

sf7307

When you do use Priceline or any other booking engine (as opposed to booking directly with the airline or hotel), you are subject to their booking policies. You can't assume everything is refundable, in fact, it's usually quite the opposite, which is why sites like quikbooks make a big point about their reservations being mostly refundable (they wouldn't need to make that marketing point if that were the norm).

doug_stallings

What exactly was the destination, and what was the specific nature of the state of emergency? Before any ombudsman will help resolve your problem (and it will take months and will only happen if they choose to publish your story), you need to have tried to resolve the problem yourself. But you need to be talking to Priceline, not the airlines, hotels, and car-rental companies that you booked.

We might be able to offer you some advice if we actually know what transpired. There are many other travel ombudsmen than the one at Conde Nast Traveler, but I do know that Priceline is particularly immovable when you have a name-your-own-price booking. However, with these circumstances I'm very curious as to why they would not help at all.

NeoPatrick

There is a reason you "save money" by using Priceline. Obviously you have to give up something for them to give you such a deal. One of the things you give up is any ability to change things after booking. Another thing you give up is your ability to deal directly with the source of your reservations. That's the way it is. Priceline is not for everyone. If you can't "afford" to lose the money on a prepaid reservation that can't be canceled, then you shouldn't use them. The same is true with many hotel sites that now offer a huge discount for long range pre-booking at a super reduced rate. You can't expect to book that way and then later complain because they won't let you change. That's why it was so cheap in the first place.

But I too am curious about a hotel not refunding the money if they indeed had no power -- was it for the entire length of the planned stay? Did you contact the hotel to cancel and find that out, or did you not show up because you "heard" that was the case. I'm curious also about your "halfway through our trip" comment. Are you saying that you still continued to your destination but then didn't use the car rental or the hotel when you got there, but did other things instead?

JJ5

Yes, more details are essential.

For hotels and car rental- I've used Priceline at least 30 to 40 times and have never had a problem. But I don't use Priceline for the very reasons Neopatrick just mentioned for air, just because of the "givens". It's cheaper just because of the rigidity of how and when you booked it.

But now, more specifics would be needed to remedy any issue to posters' being able to help you. You must deal with Priceline- not the airlines, or not with any other vendor missed, used or partially used.