How risky is Priceline?

[dutton]

How risky is bidding on Priceline? I need a minivan for week of Dec8 - Dec15. I saw on another website where a man had rented a compact car and they didn't have any when he showed up at the store where he got his priceline quote so they offered him a pick up. Needless to say he was livid! If I rent a van, I need a van! I have 7 people to seat -- I can't risk them not having one. Could this happen under priceline's agreement? This man was told to appeal but I don't know what happened. Any info. would help. I'm renting out of Savannah,Ga airport!Thanks!

 

[travelgoddess]

As a professional travel agent, I hear horror stories daily about priceline and other online
travel agencies. I would use a real live travel agent in your area, ask your friends and co-
workers for referrals. With priceline you never know what you are going to get. With any
online travel service, if any changes or errors are made it's a big hassel getting them corrected.

Good luck

 

[seashoreCM]

Very.

If the replacement or "upgraded" vehicle is not suitable for the intended usage, the customer has a case for a refund. Not having the merchandise or services that were ordered is one example of bait and switch, which in many states is outright illegal.

He should ahve called Priceline directly from the rental agency office pay phone.

Priceline remains a risky deal. Their purpose is to help fill otherwise empty plane seats and hotel rooms and otherwise idle rental cars. Priceline does not have adequate consumer protections when the provider fails to honor the reservation.

More Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[robinb]

I don't think that bidding on Priceline for a car is any riskier than making a normal reservation. You are worried about them being out of the car type you purchased and that can happen anytime you reserve a car.

Many people make reservations for cars and then don't show up for their cars and car companies over-book (like airlines). What would happen if all the people who reserved a compact car showed up for their compact car? The way that car companies take care of that is they UPGRADE people from one level of car to another that they have more of. In the case that you mentioned the man was UPGRADED to a pickup truck. Some people even make reservations for ecomomy and compact cars hoping that they will be upgraded to an intermediate or full size car for free.

FWIW, I've rented using both Priceline and Hotwire and received the compact car I requested. Darn .

 

[seashoreCM]

A pickup truck may be an "upgrade" but a compact car will hold four people while it is illegal to carry more than three people in a pickup. It is also against the rental company rules to carry more people than there are seat belts.

Therefore Priceline is more risky.

 

[robinb]

Well ... I don't know the whole story and am only going by what dutton said. I don't recall her (him?) saying anything about 4 people. You're right, a regular pick-up cannot hold 4 people and in that case is totally unacceptable. Heck, I think it would be unacceptable on athestics alone . My point was that such an "upgrade" can happen anytime, not just with Priceline. I have been upgraded myself many times when renting a compact or economy car through regular channels.

Now, I'm not sure what the policies are when you have a reservation (Priceline or regular) for a minivan and the rental car company doesn't have one available for you. Do they "walk" you to another agency that has a car for you at the same rate? Does anyone know?

 

[mrsmom]

We have rented twice on priceline and WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEART BEAT!!
We got budget both times and the first time we had are kids with us which we needed a car to fit six of us we got a premium but when we got there they didn't have any so the upgraded us to a luxury lincoln towncar very nice!!!
The second time we got a compact and it was great too, but it was just the two of us, The other times we went we used mears and i will never do that again!
Mrsmom
allstar Dec95'
holiday inn sunpree Oct 98"
westgate lakes Sept 2000
Hotel royal plaza 2001
wyndham palace and spa Sept 2001
westgate lakes June 2002

 

[Lucky4me]

Renting a car through Priceline is not any riskier than renting through anyone else. Running out of the right size car happens all the time at all rental companies. Most of the time you are upgraded to a better car. If not, a refund is in order for sure. I would have insisted on a car that would seat more than two. If that was impossible, I would have rented elsewhere and got a refund through the proper channels at Priceline. With proof that he did not get the car he bid on, I'm sure a refund would have been forthcoming. The person in question probably wanted a refund on the spot and that is impossible.

I've used Priceline hundreds of times over the last year for cars, hotels, and airfare. 99% of what I've booked has gone off without a hitch. The couple of problems I did encounter were quickly corrected by Priceline. I think they are a great company to work with.