How will this be handled? Priceline pricing mistake to our benefit...

[Belle5]

Our 25th wedding anniversary is coming up. I was poking around the internet last night and saw a resort that I was interested in staying in GREATLY reduced in price. (This was not a "name your own price" bidding thing--it was the pre-priced area of Priceline like Expedia) I believe that the room was supposed to be $210 a night but it was $21. I purchased the room for eight nights for a total of $190 with tax. Will this be honored? If it is a pricing mistake, will priceline have to "eat" the mistake or the hotel? What is your experience?

BTW--this was NOT for Orlando.

 

[princessmom29]

Our 25th wedding anniversary is coming up. I was poking around the internet last night and saw a resort that I was interested in staying in GREATLY reduced in price. (This was not a "name your own price" bidding thing--it was the pre-priced area of Priceline like Expedia) I believe that the room was supposed to be $210 a night but it was $21. I purchased the room for eight nights for a total of $190 with tax. Will this be honored? If it is a pricing mistake, will priceline have to "eat" the mistake or the hotel? What is your experience?

BTW--this was NOT for Orlando.

They are under no legal obligation to honor a pricing error, and more nad more retailers are not. The can and probably will cancel the reservation, or contact you about new pricing. I don't have experience with priceline specifically, but I would doubt they would honor such a price.

 

[Free4Life11]

http://www.priceline.com/privacypolicy/terms_en.html#section15

Pricing Errors

We endeavor to publish and maintain accurate prices and information for the services we offer, including but not limited to our Name Your Own Price® services. Our Providers provide us with the price and other information related to these services. In the event, however, that a service is listed or provided to us at an incorrect price or with incorrect information due to typographical error or other error in pricing or service information received from our Providers, we retain the right to refuse or cancel any Requests placed for such service. We shall have the right to refuse or cancel any such Requests whether or not the order has been confirmed and/or your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your Request is canceled because of incorrect Provider information, we will promptly issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge.

 

[ontariomonkey]

Interestingly, I read an AP news article about a hotel in Spain or Italy in a prime location that is normally quite pricey that accidentally sold hotel rooms through to 2010 for 1euro a night on their website! That is like 1-2c! The mistake was going to cost them about 150 000euro but they were honouring the reservations but they were non-transferable bla bla bla.

 

[Belle5]

OP here--a few months ago my step-brother had a similar situation with Expedia. The price was honored.

I looked a little closer. There are deals on the hotel's own website for my time-frame--same room type for $140. I believe this hotel can be "won" with bidding for about $80 per night.

 

[BrettS]

The best thing for you to do is to just sit and wait and see what happens. If you call Priceline or the hotel to ask about it then they will very likely discover the mistake and they may cancel your room at that time or ask you to pay the full (correct) price.

If you do nothing, it may slip under the radar, and if you haven't been contacted by priceline or the hotel by the time you show up at the hotel then you should have no problems.

The only other thing I would suggest is that you get a fully cancelable reservation at another hotel nearby just in case this goes south. The worst case would be that you think you're all set for your anniversary and then a few weeks before your trip priceline contacts you and says that they won't honor your reservation. By then it's possible that other hotels may be booked and out of your price range. By getting another reservation now, you'll always have that to fall back on if this doesn't work out... but make sure that you can cancel the new reservation in case the priceline one does work out (and then remember to cancel it, if necessary)

Good luck,
Brett

 

[msmayor]

From Priceline's website...bolding added by me

Pricing Errors

We endeavor to publish and maintain accurate prices and information for the services we offer, including but not limited to our Name Your Own Price® services. Our Providers provide us with the price and other information related to these services. In the event, however, that a service is listed or provided to us at an incorrect price or with incorrect information due to typographical error or other error in pricing or service information received from our Providers, we retain the right to refuse or cancel any Requests placed for such service. We shall have the right to refuse or cancel any such Requests whether or not the order has been confirmed and/or your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your Request is canceled because of incorrect Provider information, we will promptly issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge.

So yes, if it is determined that an error in pricing was made they can indeed cancel the transaction.

 

[Belle5]

OK--should they cancel on me--is there a time-frame on canceling? Our trip is months away.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I've had a few instances of internet pricing errors that were honored by the website.

The first was at the Anaheim Marriott near Disneyland. We had an unbelievable rate of $419 for 2 rooms, 6 nights, breakfast each morning of our stay and 4 adult 3-day DLR passes for the amazing price of $419 total. I had called to confirm this rate just a couple days before my arrival and I canceled a reservation at another hotel when the reservations operator assured me that if that was the rate I booked, that was the rate I was getting.

The second was a reservation thru USAirwaysVacations for 4 nights at an SSR studio w/DDP for 2 adults at a total of $153 plus the cost of park tickets. Not $153/night...that's 4 nights with dining! I booked it and then called 3 times to make chnages to the ressie and to make sure that it was not an error. The first two TA's just told me that they get great discounts because they book large blocks of rooms. The third TA agreed that the rate was unbelievable. Two days later, the rate was changed on their website but my reservation was never altered and I was not charged any additional money.

Now neither of them had to honor the prices from their websites. Both of them had disclaimers that they were not responsible for listing errors. It was a testiment to good customer relations that those companies honored their published rates. I have yet to return to the Marriott in Anaheim but I have been a Marriott guest numerous times as a result of this experience. And although I try not to fly USAir, I have booked vacations with their affiliate if I found a good rate for a planned trip.

Bottomline: Call Priceline. You don't want any surprises later on. If it's a mistake and they can't honor the rate, you will still have time to find a better rate elsewhere. If they honor the rate, you will have nothing to worry about.

 

[Belle5]

I've had a few instances of internet pricing errors that were honored by the website.

The first was at the Anaheim Marriott near Disneyland. We had an unbelievable rate of $419 for 2 rooms, 6 nights, breakfast each morning of our stay and 4 adult 3-day DLR passes for the amazing price of $419 total. I had called to confirm this rate just a couple days before my arrival and I canceled a reservation at another hotel when the reservations operator assured me that if that was the rate I booked, that was the rate I was getting.

The second was a reservation thru USAirwaysVacations for 4 nights at an SSR studio w/DDP for 2 adults at a total of $153 plus the cost of park tickets. Not $153/night...that's 4 nights with dining! I booked it and then called 3 times to make chnages to the ressie and to make sure that it was not an error. The first two TA's just told me that they get great discounts because they book large blocks of rooms. The third TA agreed that the rate was unbelievable. Two days later, the rate was changed on their website but my reservation was never altered and I was not charged any additional money.

Now neither of them had to honor the prices from their websites. Both of them had disclaimers that they were not responsible for listing errors. It was a testiment to good customer relations that those companies honored their published rates. I have yet to return to the Marriott in Anaheim but I have been a Marriott guest numerous times as a result of this experience. And although I try not to fly USAir, I have booked vacations with their affiliate if I found a good rate for a planned trip.

Bottomline: Call Priceline. You don't want any surprises later on. If it's a mistake and they can't honor the rate, you will still have time to find a better rate elsewhere. If they honor the rate, you will have nothing to worry about.

WOW! This was EXCELLENT advice. I took it and I feel so much better. Priceline will honor my rate and a supervisor has noted in the system.

 

[ontariomonkey]

Great! Have a wonderful trip!

Ps we need an emoticon doing the happy dance with all the money he has saved!

 

[crashbb]

Interestingly, I read an AP news article about a hotel in Spain or Italy in a prime location that is normally quite pricey that accidentally sold hotel rooms through to 2010 for 1euro a night on their website! That is like 1-2c! The mistake was going to cost them about 150 000euro but they were honouring the reservations but they were non-transferable bla bla bla.

Just to be clear - 1 euro is nothing like 1-2 cents. Based on the current exchange rate, 1 euro is about 1.40 USD. Although this fluctuates, the Euro has never been equal to about 1-2 cents.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

WOW! This was EXCELLENT advice. I took it and I feel so much better. Priceline will honor my rate and a supervisor has noted in the system.

That's great news! They probably appreciate that you brought it to their attention. Have a great anniversary trip!

 

[Mrs D]

WOW! This was EXCELLENT advice. I took it and I feel so much better. Priceline will honor my rate and a supervisor has noted in the system.

Wow! I'm so excited you are getting your room at that price! That was great advise!

 

[PinkRhombus]

Just to be clear - 1 euro is nothing like 1-2 cents. Based on the current exchange rate, 1 euro is about 1.40 USD. Although this fluctuates, the Euro has never been equal to about 1-2 cents.

I think the best/worst exchange has been 1.5:1 going in either direction.

The Mexican peso is about a 10:1 (pesos:dollar)


OP: Great deal! I only hear about sheer luck like that.

 

[Dawgie]

I have a friend that also found something similar but when they arrived at the hotel which was international....they would not honor the price but then they actually got a refund in the end from priceline after filling a complaint. They did get a letter signed from the hotel that they did not want to honor the price and then kept detailed accounts.....good luck!!

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

The mistake made was an ICH hotel in Venice, Italy. I believe it was the Crown Plaza. ICH said they would honor the price mistake. I love ICH hotels!!

 

[marlynnp]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ontariomonkey
Interestingly, I read an AP news article about a hotel in Spain or Italy in a prime location that is normally quite pricey that accidentally sold hotel rooms through to 2010 for 1euro a night on their website! That is like 1-2c! The mistake was going to cost them about 150 000euro but they were honouring the reservations but they were non-transferable bla bla bla.

Just to be clear - 1 euro is nothing like 1-2 cents. Based on the current exchange rate, 1 euro is about 1.40 USD. Although this fluctuates, the Euro has never been equal to about 1-2 cents.

It looks like the poster is from Canada.
C = Canadian Dollars - not cents!