Priceline....are we screwed?

[sista]

I am soooooooo upset. Finally after 5 years of not beign able to go back to Disney, we are making it happen.

I made an offer for a van 2 nights ago that was recjected on Priceline. Tried again today, all our correct info was still defualting. Or so I thought. Turns out the vehichle type was a economy INSTEAD OF A VAN! Offer was accepted. I called and they were not helpful at Priceline. Said I could try and upgrade at ALamo but there are no guarantees. We are a family of 6, no way will a car work for us. Never again will I use them. It so easy to mess up if you are not careful.

Does anyone have any experience messing up with them? OR changing something once to get to the rental counter? ???

 

[Brian Noble]

I think you are stuck---PL is very clear that once a bid is accepted, it is final. Chalk it up to a lesson learned.

 

[sista]

Big Whew. I called again and got a different rep and she refunded me everthing except the $28 which was my bid request. A huge relief!!!! I won't be going that route ever again!!! Lesson learned.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Always check and double check, I don't think you can blame Priceline for this.

 

[sadepus]

I wouldn't blame it on Priceline. It all depends on the number of surplus cars available at Alamo. Instead of requesting Alamo to upgrade, on the day check-in ask Alamo "if there are mini-vans or suvs as an option". Usually they will provide higher vehicle for a fee. I recently got an upgrade from van to luxury SUV for an additional fee. I would recommend booking another van at a different company as a backup in case nothing works out. I think if you book directly, there are no charges if you don't show up. Hope this helps.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I agree with jlewisinsyr - you bidding on the wrong size vehicle really ISN'T Priceline's fault. Also, especially now that you've encountered a customer service rep who was able to cancel the Priceline fees - i.e. good customer service - and now that you know to confirm and reconfirm all the applicable information before resubmitting a bid, why wouldn't you try Priceline again?

 

[5boyz]

She never said it was their fault...she said they were not helpful. The said she called back and someone helped her and she is now satisfied. She learned her lesson and will not use PL again.

 

[livie1205]

she did not say it was their fault...she said it was bad customer service , turns out it CAN be fixed because someone fixed it for her so the first person was no help.That is was she was talking about.

 

[Alexander]

she did not say it was their fault...she said it was bad customer service , turns out it CAN be fixed because someone fixed it for her so the first person was no help.That is was she was talking about.

Actually she did say, "It is so easy to mess up if you're not careful." That sounds like she knows it was her fault. She's not saying PL is bad, it is just difficult to fix a problem if you make one since everything with them is a final transaction, and therefore doesn't want to make a mistake again.

 

[kaytieeldr]

All three of you are correct; but it should be noted that because everything with Priceline's "Name your own price" service IS a final transaction, it should have been impossible (not just difficult) to correct anything or get any money at all refunded. Instead, the OP was fortunate enough the second time to get a CSR who refunded whatever fees she had paid - yet she still claims

Never again will I use them

It wouldn't be unreasonable in the least, after experiencing positive customer service as she did, TO patronize that same company again.

 

[Had2stopLurking]

We used Priceline ONCE and only once. NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!

Our experience: we were traveling around Florida and decided to bid on a hotel near MCO for our last night (close to the airport). We were assigned a Days Inn (ok, not the greatest, but, still fine)

We get there, and the hotel is CLOSED. Not just a little refurb or something to some rooms, I'm talking full out wire fence around the entire hotel and grass coming up through the concrete. I called Priceline and they refused to get us another hotel because that hotel was still showing up in their system as available. Available? Ummm, yeah, to buy the vacant lot it's sitting on maybe?

We finally had some nice person at Comfort Inn take pity on us match our rate from Priceline (even though it was a busier time).

It took me MONTHS to get back my money from Priceline that I had already paid for a closed down motel!

Never again

ETA: looking back on it now, we laugh about it. But it was like "vacation". "sorry folks, motel is closed, the hobo minding the gate around the property should have told you"

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

We used Priceline ONCE and only once. NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!

If I had your experience, I wouldn't use Priceline again either.

However, I did have a positive experience purchasing a rental car from Priceline and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again for a rental car or hotel. I don't think I'd use them for a flight though.

 

[kaytieeldr]

We used Priceline ONCE and only once. NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!

If I had your experience, I wouldn't use Priceline again either.

Uh, ditto! It's too bad whoever Had2stopLurking turned to for help didn't consider, oh, I don't know... maybe CALLING the Day's Inn? A reasonable person would expect the "...number you dialed is not in service..." recording would have been great evidence that the place was out of business, wouldn't it?

This is VERY different from the OP's experience, which was, by her own admission, resolved to her reasonable satisfaction - yet even though she admits the problem was her own mistake, she refuses to give Priceline another chance?

 

[Elisa84]

Add me to the never using Priceline again.. I'm not a complainer(no really, I'm not), but their customer service is very poor and they would not refund me for a night I ended up not staying at the hotel(because the hotel didn't even has us in their system and gave our room away). The hotel said they couldn't refund us and that we had to go through PL, and PL was saying we had to go through the hotel to have them call up PL to tell them what happened(which had no record of our ever being there or talking to any of their managers). Of course, that night at the hotel they were switching their computer systems because the chain had been bought out, took 45 mins just to talk to anyone at the front desk(this is a small town, btw). So it was our fault we didn't stay in a non-existing room that we paid for?

Anyways.. never again with PL or that hotel.

 

[Had2stopLurking]

Uh, ditto! It's too bad whoever Had2stopLurking turned to for help didn't consider, oh, I don't know... maybe CALLING the Day's Inn? A reasonable person would expect the "...number you dialed is not in service..." recording would have been great evidence that the place was out of business, wouldn't it?

This is VERY different from the OP's experience, which was, by her own admission, resolved to her reasonable satisfaction - yet even though she admits the problem was her own mistake, she refuses to give Priceline another chance?

oh i agree, different situations, and the OP got her situation resolved pretty quickly!!! (thankfully). I just had to share what my husband and I now refer to as the "priceline Parrot Sketch" (think Monty Python).

<talks with a British accent> It's a NON HOTEL. The Hotel is no more. The hotel ceases to exist.

 

[sista]

I wouldn't use them again simply because it was sooo easy for me to screw up, I would be to afraid to chance it. MY first call in the girl read from a script with canned answers and kept telling me all the other CAR options, not that will fit 6 people. I had to tell her several times I had 4 kids, my husband and I to fit in a car. I googled refunds and on the articles I found they do give refunds. I asked to speak to a manager and the person put me on hold and came back and refunded me. Not once did I bash them. I am just not a risk taker I guess!

 

[Pig Pen]

We used Priceline ONCE and only once. NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!

Our experience: we were traveling around Florida and decided to bid on a hotel near MCO for our last night (close to the airport). We were assigned a Days Inn (ok, not the greatest, but, still fine)

We get there, and the hotel is CLOSED. Not just a little refurb or something to some rooms, I'm talking full out wire fence around the entire hotel and grass coming up through the concrete. I called Priceline and they refused to get us another hotel because that hotel was still showing up in their system as available. Available? Ummm, yeah, to buy the vacant lot it's sitting on maybe?

We finally had some nice person at Comfort Inn take pity on us match our rate from Priceline (even though it was a busier time).

Okay, this is the worst priceline story I have heard so far. I bid on a car last night and won...$15 per night for next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Avis is still at the airport!

It took me MONTHS to get back my money from Priceline that I had already paid for a closed down motel!

Never again

ETA: looking back on it now, we laugh about it. But it was like "vacation". "sorry folks, motel is closed, the hobo minding the gate around the property should have told you"

Okay...so this is the WORST priceline story I have ever heard! I just bid on a car last night and won...$15 per day for next week at WDW. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Avis is still at the airport!

 

[PatMcDuck]

I never used Priceline for rental cars/ but I used it for a stay in chicago and another in philadelphia. It was FANTASTIC both times! 4* hotels, in the middle of each city for $79 or so per night. SO, I love Priceline.

 

[frkymcky]

I have used priceline for my car rentals in MCO and have NEVER had a problem. I did double check my entries before placing my bid because I understood if I made an error we couldn't change it.

The hotel story is unbelievable, if I had an experience like that I would not want to use the service that I purchased from either.

 

[Suellen]

All three of you are correct; but it should be noted that because everything with Priceline's "Name your own price" service IS a final transaction, it should have been impossible (not just difficult) to correct anything or get any money at all refunded. Instead, the OP was fortunate enough the second time to get a CSR who refunded whatever fees she had paid - yet she still claims
It wouldn't be unreasonable in the least, after experiencing positive customer service as she did, TO patronize that same company again.

Sounds like from what she is saying is that it is too easy for HER to mess up and wouldn't risk it again as all sales are supposed to be final.

OP ~ sounds like you got lucky this time! Glad you were able to get most of your money back!