Priceline guide discussion area

10_scientist

Hi all, I have been following MSE (forums and deals sections) for months, but have only just registered

I am wondering if you're committed to pay once you start bidding although it is rejected? i.e. do I have to pay anything if i just bid, get rejected and stop bidding again

blindman

10_scientist wrote: »

Hi all, I have been following MSE (forums and deals sections) for months, but have only just registered

I am wondering if you're committed to pay once you start bidding although it is rejected? i.e. do I have to pay anything if i just bid, get rejected and stop bidding again

Welcome to MSE

No

You only pay when you win.

10_scientist

blindman wrote: »

Welcome to MSE

No

You only pay when you win.

Thanks for the swift response!

I have literally read every single one of your post in this thread:D

looking forward to bidding on london hotels this weekend:j

blindman

10_scientist wrote: »

I have literally read every single one of your post in this thread:D

The most import one is my guide

10_scientist

blindman wrote: »

The most import one is my guide[/URL]

read it and tried bidding just now, starting from 70 pounds to 100 pounds, looking for ANY 5* hotel in london, all got rejected
it seems that people using Priceline USA generally get the hotel cheaper (i.e. around 130-150 USD), according to the wins on my travel dates on betterbidding :idea:

btw, is it OK for me to use Priceline US if i'm over 18 but under 21? I'd think it's a no but just thought i'd ask anyway


p.s. the permutation rebid method no longer works now, probably the priceline system has changed?

where2save

10_scientist wrote: »

p.s. the permutation rebid method no longer works now, probably the priceline system has changed?

I'm pretty sure it still works. Did you remember to close your browser and re-open Priceline to start a bid on the occasions when you needed to do that?

You can only continue from the failed bid page if you are adding a new zone for your next bid. If you want to deselect a zone and add another zone to re-bid then you need to close the browser to do that.

I hope this makes sense!

10_scientist

where2save wrote: »

I'm pretty sure it still works. Did you remember to close your browser and re-open Priceline to start a bid on the occasions when you needed to do that?

You can only continue from the failed bid page if you are adding a new zone for your next bid. If you want to deselect a zone and add another zone to re-bid then you need to close the browser to do that.

I hope this makes sense!

hey thanks! will try again soon :j

hammer24a

Hello All

After having read the article on here about priceline and reassured by their best price & quality experience guarantees, I decided to give it a go and put in a bid for a 4/5 hotel in Prague. I ended up with a hotel for £186, which would not be a bad price for a 4 star hotel in a good location. The problem is that the same hotel is rated on most other websites (lastminute.com, travel republic, hotel.com etc) as 2 or 3 star and available for about half the price I am paying. I rung them within half an hour of receiving the confirmmation and, after being cut off 3 times, spent 45 minutes explaining to the assistant how hotel search engines worked and she suggested refunding $66 (ie what she had calculated as the difference), the price difference was £84 comparing like for like.... she failed to understand different currencies and then started talking about Euros. I pointed out that as the hotel was not to the standard expected and that they had failed on the price promise, I wanted a full refund. I was told to call back an hour later and speak to someone in customer relations. When I rang back, I was put through to someone who sounded like a broken record insisting that no refund was due as I had agreed to the terms and conditions and that I should take any issues up with the hotel. I pointed out that I was calling back based on priceline's guarantees so it was down to them to sort this matter out. I followed this up with an email, attaching screen prints from other sites stating that it was a 2 or 3 star hotel and the price quoted for the dates. All I keep getting are emails saying "we're really sorry but we have a commitment to our partners" (paraphrased). What about their commitment to the client?

The whole point of the trip was to have a budget short break to relax but its all stressing me out before I even get there and now I am paying over the odds for a hotel that doesnt even meet the criteria requested.

I would be extremely grateful for any suggestions in dealing with this matter.

blindman

hammer24a wrote: »

Hello All

After having read the article on here about priceline and reassured by their best price & quality experience guarantees, I decided to give it a go

Did you read my guide and do the research as to the likely hotels you may win?


and put in a bid for a 4/5 hotel in Prague. I ended up with a hotel for £186, which would not be a bad price for a 4 star hotel in a good location.

What was the "normal rate" for the 4* hotels?

The problem is that the same hotel is rated on most other websites (lastminute.com, travel republic, hotel.com etc) as 2 or 3 star and available for about half the price I am paying.

Why did you bid so high?

Which hotel is it ?

I rung them within half an hour of receiving the confirmmation and, after being cut off 3 times, spent 45 minutes explaining to the assistant how hotel search engines worked and she suggested refunding $66 (ie what she had calculated as the difference), the price difference was £84 comparing like for like.... she failed to understand different currencies and then started talking about Euros. I pointed out that as the hotel was not to the standard expected and that they had failed on the price promise, I wanted a full refund. I was told to call back an hour later and speak to someone in customer relations. When I rang back, I was put through to someone who sounded like a broken record insisting that no refund was due as I had agreed to the terms and conditions and that I should take any issues up with the hotel. I pointed out that I was calling back based on priceline's guarantees so it was down to them to sort this matter out. I followed this up with an email, attaching screen prints from other sites stating that it was a 2 or 3 star hotel and the price quoted for the dates. All I keep getting are emails saying "we're really sorry but we have a commitment to our partners" (paraphrased). What about their commitment to the client?

The whole point of the trip was to have a budget short break to relax but its all stressing me out before I even get there and now I am paying over the odds for a hotel that doesn't even meet the criteria requested.

I would be extremely grateful for any suggestions in dealing with this matter.

As I say in my guide the Star rating at Priceline (and TBHO on other sites) can be wildy misleading as they tend to rate on what facilities the hotel has-even if these could be shut\decrepid\ etc.

Sounds like you used the USA site so communication can be a bit awkward (time zones\USA CS reps)


Once you have bid for the hotel it's yours.

If you have over bid then PL will repay the difference.

If you get to the hotel and it's not a true 4* then complain to PL and they may look into it and offer some recompense.

Has the hotel been review on Betterbidding or BFT?
What did others say?

hammer24a

Hi Blindman

Thanks for responding. I am afraid I did not read your guide, I (naively) assumed that I had understood what priceline is about after reading Martin's article.

The average rates I had seen for 4 star hotels was £60+. My max bid was £32 per night, and with charges/taxes the total on priceline came to £186 for 5 nights.

I logged onto priceline.co.uk and assumed (again naively) that the bids would be for the hotels listed on the standard search. I rang the UK 0800 number given on the confirmation but was transferred to the US. They initially offered $66 refund, to cover the price difference, which did not cover the total difference. When I rung back and spoke to customer relations, they said I should take any issues up with the hotel and no refund was due.

The hotel has been reviewed numerous times on tripadvisor and most people would not regard it as a 4 star establishment.

I am considering taking the matter up with my credit card company, is there any other option?

Thanks