Boots

Just to let you all know.... I frequently check several sites - Bid4vacations, SkyAuction and 11thhourvacations but had never bid on anything. I was interested in a week-long hotel stay advertised as a "for purchase" on Bid4vacation. I called them first and they checked and then assured me that hotel was available for the week we needed, so I had them charge my credit card over $700.

A few days later a Bid4vacations rep called me and said they made a mistake and the hotel is NOT actually available. That's fine- I just asked them to credit the money back to my credit card. They said they wanted to try to find alternate accomodations for us. I said fine. Two days days later they called and offered us an inferior place at the same rate and I said no - please just credit the $700+ to my credit card. Here it is one month after that last phone call and they have not yet credited the money back to me. We'll challenge the charge with our credit card company of course- but what a hassle. These folks aren't very professional IMHO.

cd

Boots
Thanks for the info. I've never used them but have been tempted to. Don't think I'm interested any longer.

Patrick

I think if anything like that happened to me, I'd still request them to immediately credit my initial deposit and tell them if they found a suitable replacement I would then authorize a new deposit for that. Holding my "deposit" for something that no longer exists while they try to find a replacement, doesn't make much sense to me. Hope you have no problem getting your refund -- which you shouldn't.

xxx

Patrick: Why shouldn't Boots get a refund?

Don

I'm no lawyer, but I don't think Patrick's saying Boots shouldn't get a refund. I think he's just saying that Boots' agreeing to let them find alternate accommodations complicates things a little.

If Boots bought a vacation where the hotel wasn't available and just asked for a credit to his credit card, that's pretty much an open and shut case.

Bid4Vacations can try to claim they did what Boots verbally agreed to--they found him another place to stay. If Boots said "equivalent" accommodations, that's one thing; if he/she just said "alternate accommodations," that's another. They did apparently find Boots alternate accommodations--just not equivalent.

Anyway, I hope Boots gets his/her money back. And I'll avoid Bid4Vacations at all costs. Thanks, Boots, for sharing this info.

annie

I think Patrick menat that Boots should not have a problem getting a refund.

Patrick

What? Of course, Boots should get a refund. Isn't that what I said? Even if this company gives him some grief, his credit card company should credit it, just as he said. I agree with Boots, sometimes it is a hassle, but there is no reason he shouldn't get it back.

Boots

Uh-oh. I'm a lawyer and Patrick is right, it would have been "cleaner" to say credit the money back to my credit card and then we'll talk about alternatives. But I was trying to be agreeable (see where that gets you?!)(plus I really wanted the two bedroom condo in Palm Springs at that price!)

Anyways, I have no doubt at all that the charge will be taken off my card because Bid4vacations doesn't have a leg to stand on. It's just annoying to have to go through this. Maybe this isn't typical of Bid's "service," but I won't try them again. - (Lady) Boots