orbitz Disney World 5 day MYW+WPFM $193 bait and switch?

[bigmamimia]

I was searching the budget board earlier today and saw a thread that referenced purchasing tickets on Orbitz. I went to the website and searched for Disney World tickets. A page popped up that said
"MORE FLEXIBLE. MORE MAGICAL. IT IS MAGIC YOUR WAY.

With Magic Your Way® Tickets, you can do Disney... More
Want Value and Extra Benefits? Our special Pay for 3, Play for 5 offer on 5-day Magic Your Way Tickets with Water Park Fun & More Option not only gives you 2 more days of Disney Theme Parks, but 2 more Water Park Fun and More too!"
Directly next to this description said "From $193 per person" and a button that said "select".
Well I selected the offer and the next page quoted the MYW "3 day base ticket+ water park+ 2 days free Adult $318.44 $63.69/day
Child (3 - 9) $301.40 $60.28/day"
I Orbitz and was transferred many times. The last transfer the gentleman "couldn't hear me" so he hung up. This was after 30 minutes on the phone.
I immediately called back and spoke with a woman named Ashley she saw the $193 price and attempted to get me the deal but to no avail. After speaking to a supervisor she said that the $193 price is for 2 day MYW base tickets. Looks like a classic bait and switch scam to me. Who do I notify about this? BBB? Is there some other agency I can complain too?

 

[maxiesmom]

I think they have changed it already. When I pull it up it still says pay for 3 play for 5, and the price is $259.74 for a base ticket. It then lists the 2 day ticket as $193.44.

 

[bigmamimia]

I think they have changed it already. When I pull it up it still says pay for 3 play for 5, and the price is $259.74 for a base ticket. It then lists the 2 day ticket as $193.44.

Use the dates 4-18-2013 to 4-23-2013. I just checked and received the same as I did earlier.

 

[davedmaine]

I was searching the budget board earlier today and saw a thread that referenced purchasing tickets on Orbitz. I went to the website and searched for Disney World tickets. A page popped up that said
"MORE FLEXIBLE. MORE MAGICAL. IT IS MAGIC YOUR WAY.

With Magic Your Way® Tickets, you can do Disney... More
Want Value and Extra Benefits? Our special Pay for 3, Play for 5 offer on 5-day Magic Your Way Tickets with Water Park Fun & More Option not only gives you 2 more days of Disney Theme Parks, but 2 more Water Park Fun and More too!"
Directly next to this description said "From $193 per person" and a button that said "select".
Well I selected the offer and the next page quoted the MYW "3 day base ticket+ water park+ 2 days free Adult $318.44 $63.69/day
Child (3 - 9) $301.40 $60.28/day"
I Orbitz and was transferred many times. The last transfer the gentleman "couldn't hear me" so he hung up. This was after 30 minutes on the phone.
I immediately called back and spoke with a woman named Ashley she saw the $193 price and attempted to get me the deal but to no avail. After speaking to a supervisor she said that the $193 price is for 2 day MYW base tickets. Looks like a classic bait and switch scam to me. Who do I notify about this? BBB? Is there some other agency I can complain too?

I don't think a major, national travel company would do a bait and switch scam. Sounds like they just made a mistake..

 

[bigmamimia]

I don't think a major, national travel company would do a bait and switch scam. Sounds like they just made a mistake..[/QUOTE=

I am interested in hearing why you think a major, national travel company wouldn't do a bait and switch scam.

 

[davedmaine]

I don't think a major, national travel company would do a bait and switch scam. Sounds like they just made a mistake..[/QUOTE=

I am interested in hearing why you think a major, national travel company wouldn't do a bait and switch scam.

Sorry, I should have said (in this case). If Orbitz was going to do a bait and switch, they wouldn't do it with Disney deals. They certainly aren't going to jeopardize their relationship with one of their major rain-makers. If it wasn't a mistake, they likely only had a limited number of the deal available. I guess if you want to call that a bait and switch, it's a bait and switch - but everyone does it, including Disney. i.e. Only having some many rooms available at a discount, etc. If the ad was pulled from the site, they only had a few available. It's not like someone said, "She's on to us, pull the ad!" So yes, it may be unethical, but probably not illegal.
But you could certainly contact the BBB as well as the FTC.. good luck..

 

[sunshinehighway]

Sorry, I should have said (in this case). If Orbitz was going to do a bait and switch, they wouldn't do it with Disney deals. They certainly aren't going to jeopardize their relationship with one of their major rain-makers. If it wasn't a mistake, they likely only had a limited number of the deal available. I guess if you want to call that a bait and switch, it's a bait and switch - but everyone does it, including Disney. i.e. Only having some many rooms available at a discount, etc. If the ad was pulled from the site, they only had a few available. It's not like someone said, "She's on to us, pull the ad!" So yes, it may be unethical, but probably not illegal.
But you could certainly contact the BBB as well as the FTC.. good luck..

It was more likely a poorly worded or positioned ad. Orbitz never had 5 day passes for under $200. It can get confusing when they do that from $x but the original thread the Op looked at had the same price she got when she put in her options ($318ish).

 

[kaytieeldr]

I immediately called back and spoke with a woman named Ashley she saw the $193 price and attempted to get me the deal but to no avail. After speaking to a supervisor she said that the $193 price is for 2 day MYW base tickets. Looks like a classic bait and switch scam to me. Who do I notify about this? BBB? Is there some other agency I can complain too?

No bait & switch going on. Orbits is offering tickets priced from $193.00. Not all the WDW tickets are that price, and - important in B&S claims - it's not that they advertised a product at a ridiculously low price then had only one (or none) in stock. They have tickets starting at $193.00. As someone above indicated, the confusion sounds like poor page design.

 

[bumbershoot]

I
With Magic Your Way® Tickets, you can do Disney... More
Want Value and Extra Benefits? Our special Pay for 3, Play for 5 offer on 5-day Magic Your Way Tickets with Water Park Fun & More Option not only gives you 2 more days of Disney Theme Parks, but 2 more Water Park Fun and More too!"
Directly next to this description said "From $193 per person" and a button that said "select".
Well I selected the offer and the next page quoted the MYW "3 day base ticket+ water park+ 2 days free Adult $318.44 $63.69/day
Child (3 - 9) $301.40 $60.28/day"
I Orbitz and was transferred many times. The last transfer the gentleman "couldn't hear me" so he hung up. This was after 30 minutes on the phone.
I immediately called back and spoke with a woman named Ashley she saw the $193 price and attempted to get me the deal but to no avail. After speaking to a supervisor she said that the $193 price is for 2 day MYW base tickets. Looks like a classic bait and switch scam to me. Who do I notify about this? BBB? Is there some other agency I can complain too?

I used your dates.

MORE FLEXIBLE. MORE MAGICAL. IT IS MAGIC YOUR WAY.

With Magic Your Way® Tickets, you can do Disney... More

To the side, but separated by a line which is an internet way to indicate it's separate, is *from* 193 per person.

In separate, bold and green font, is the description of the deal.

When designing webpages, you have to use things like lines and links and bolding and font changes and color changes to not only draw the eye, but to *separate* thoughts. That's what they've done.


Click on More and there's a chart of available options. Look past the special and you see the 2 day at 193.44 per person.

The special, 3 day base plus 2 days free, is 259.74


The absolute key word in that whole thing is "from". Very very common word in advertising and marketing.

At least they didn't say "from $96.72", meaning from that amount per DAY. But even if they did it still would have been true.



Never get excited about an amazing deal until you have clicked all the links, taken colors and fonts into account, made sure you are reading it correctly, and are at the very very last page before you click to pay for it.

 

[clintswifeymomof4]

You have to click the box to add Water Park & More- just like I did when I bought my tickets from them... it's the same way on Disney's own site- you have to check the selections to add hoppers, no expiration, or WPM...

I didn't miss it... so I'm not sure how you did. I don't think it's Orbitz fault that you didn't verify what you were purchasing before you confirmed the purchase.

You could have saved more if you would have linked to Orbitz through e*b_tes, fyi.

 

[sunshinehighway]

You have to click the box to add Water Park & More- just like I did when I bought my tickets from them... it's the same way on Disney's own site- you have to check the selections to add hoppers, no expiration, or WPM...

I didn't miss it... so I'm not sure how you did. I don't think it's Orbitz fault that you didn't verify what you were purchasing before you confirmed the purchase.

You could have saved more if you would have linked to Orbitz through e*b_tes, fyi.

I'm not sure the Op even purchased the tickets. It seems like when the options were added, the Op got the correct price, just not the price she wanted.