priceline reservation cancellation

[mrsbornkuntry]

I don't know if this is the right board to post this question on, but since I always get alot of useful info. from here I thought I'd ask...

We reserved a room through priceline for Radisson Worldgate resorts for a Christmas trip to WDW. Well, my 5 year old ds decided yesterday that he wants to go there for his wish trip so now I need to cancel. I bought the insurance when I reserved it, but I was reading over the policy and it's extremely limited to what it covers. I'm not sure who I should contact to try to cancel anyway, priceline or the hotel? Do I have any other options? The only thing I could think of was asking my MIL if she wants to buy the reservation from me because she was considering going down there for Christmas too with her BF (so they wouldn't want to be with us, just do some things with us), but since she's family I feel like I should give her the room, not sell it, but I really can't afford to eat the $600.00 I paid (7 nights).

Does anyone have an idea of what I can do? Has anyone tried to cancel through priceline?

 

[peacefulgirl]

I can't remember what on line service I used before. But I used one and when I cancelled I got charged a fee, not a big one, but I will never do that again. I will always go right to the hotel for ressies. Does it say what the cancellation fee is ?

 

[CarolA]

You are probably stuck. I don't think the insurance covers changing your mind.

However, the cancellation will be done (if at all) by Priceline. So give them a call and be prepared for a rough time!

 

[simonmunro]

What is a wish trip?

 

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by simonmunro
What is a wish trip?

A wish trip is one from foundations such as "Make A Wish" that provide trips or other things to ill children.

OP, if you can't cancel, you could try selling the reservation on Ebay or maybe someone on the board will see your post and want to buy it from you. You might lose a little money, but it's better than losing it all!

 

[swilshire]

You might be able to get an exception to the rule under the circumstances if you can find a sympathetic person. I'd call on the weekend (always seem to be some nice, inexperienced folks working then at most call centers) then try for a supervisor. You'll never know unless you ask.

I would expect most family members to understand that you need to recover your cost if you go that route. You'd still be saving her money that time of year.

Sheila

 

[disneychrista]

Priceline reservations are non cancellable and non transferable(you can't sell it on ebay). Never make a priceline resevation unless you are SURE that you are going and at that time.

 

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by disneychrista
Priceline reservations are non cancellable and non transferable(you can't sell it on ebay). Never make a priceline resevation unless you are SURE that you are going and at that time.

They can be sold and transferred. It's done all the time. You just call the hotel directly and change the name on the reservation.

 

[Lewisc]

The insurance is probably worthless. It applies if someone is too sick to make the trip and you're planning on still going to Disney. It also excludes pre-existing conditions.

It sounds like you overbid, $600 for 7 nights is generally high for a 3* hotel. I suspect you might have trouble finding a buyer. I guess if you're dates are Christmas week it might be OK.

You might try calling PL on a weekend BUT even if they let you out of the bid they customarily charge you $25/day.

Your best solution may be to to let your MIL use the reservation. Perhaps ask her to pay you half of what you paid.

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by summerrluvv
They can be sold and transferred. It's done all the time. You just call the hotel directly and change the name on the reservation.

Well every Priceline reservation I have gotten say that you must show the credit card you used to make the reservation upon check in. Which I have always had to do.

 

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by disneychrista
Well every Priceline reservation I have gotten say that you must show the credit card you used to make the reservation upon check in. Which I have always had to do.

I've never had to show the card I used to make the reservation. I've had to present a credit card for incidentals but they have never tried to match it up to make sure it's been the one I purchase my reservation with (because it's always a different one).

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by disneychrista
Well every Priceline reservation I have gotten say that you must show the credit card you used to make the reservation upon check in. Which I have always had to do.

They ask for photo id and a credit card. The credit card doesn't have to be the same one you used to make the reservation.

Some people have had luck calling the hotel and adding an extra name to the reservation, I wouldn't say you were selling the reservation, just saying your adding a friend or relative (BIL) and they may be checking in before you.

Some hotels will agree to this and some may refuse.

 

[kneemeister]

The Hotel has no way to even know what CC you used to make the priceline purchase, Priceline and Hotwire actually pay for your reservation with a one time use virtual credit card number that will approve for only the price that Priceline bought the room for.

In fact last time i used it for DL (La Mirada Holiday Inn) the hotel accidently listed the price Priceline paid on the receipt instead of $0.00 like there priceline contract stipulates, I found that priceline made 20 bucks a night on my purchase!

 

[JanaV]

I called a few days before the arrival date and said there was a death in the family. I thought they'd certainly buy that. They didn't. They sent me an online form asking for the name of the deceased and the funeral home. So I went online and found someone in NJ who could have been my grandad and used his information from his online obit. Like I said, I'm not proud of it, but it worked.

I would say that if you call now and ask to get out it, this method might not work for you, since they might make a note of your call and be on to you if you call back with a death in the family a few months later.

Good luck!!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Thank-you everyone for your replies, I've never dealt with priceline before. I tried to get my son to wish for something else since we were already planning the disney trip, but he was really sold on flying (which we weren't going to do) and GKTW, which I have to admit sounds really cool. I'm hoping that I can get someone at priceline to make an exception or something, although everything you've told me about their policies is exactly what I've read, too. It wasn't really that I changed my mind, it was more like a 5 year old little boy in remission from a 3 year battle with leukemia changed it for me and I'm not trying to do anything dishonest to get out of the reservation, but we're not staying there so I would like my money back, or at least some of it.

I think I will ask my MIL if she would like to buy the room for half and if not maybe try selling it on ebay. My husband is also getting ready to come down on orders (Army) so I'm going now to re-read the policies to see if there are any clauses pertaining to that, if so we may be able to cancel after we have the official orders.

Thanks for the idea about calling on a weekend, too, I wouldn't have thought of that.

 

[robinb]

It sounds like you have some options. I have personally sold a Priceline reservation for the same time period you're talking about. It's also worth a try to ask Priceline to cancel your reservation. The worst they can say is "no".

Originally posted by mrsbornkuntry
I tried to get my son to wish for something else since we were already planning the disney trip, but he was really sold on flying (which we weren't going to do) and GKTW, which I have to admit sounds really cool.

Why won't you let him fly? Many local small flying schools have introductory flights with an experienced flight instructor. I recall it costs less than $50 for a half hour in the air. If your son wants to fly, he'll love it and it's cheaper than a Wish.

 

[swilshire]

I think the OP meant that they had not planned to fly.

But this did remind me of something. Watch the news. I can't recall the exact name of the organization, but there is a national group of pilots that annually have a day where they treat children to a free flight in their small aircraft. I took three of my kids a couple of years ago and they loved it. Because of the size of the planes, they get a birds eye view of the locale, which was great fun for them. We spent most of a morning standing in lines and going through a mandatory class about related topics, but it was a morning well spent.

Sheila

 

[munchie22]

i have just gone through a three month battle with priceline and my credit card company trying to cancel a reservation. Priceline would just not budge - and when i contacted the hotel to see if i could rearrange the trip (just coming one day later and adding an extra day at the end) the hotel told me that we have to go through Priceline. It was just one big circle. Though I have used PRiceline successfully in the past, the fact that they did not give one ounce during this ensures that i will NEVER use them again (even though they can offer great deals). It is just not worth the aggravation.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by munchie22
i have just gone through a three month battle with priceline and my credit card company trying to cancel a reservation. Priceline would just not budge - and when i contacted the hotel to see if i could rearrange the trip (just coming one day later and adding an extra day at the end) the hotel told me that we have to go through Priceline. It was just one big circle. Though I have used PRiceline successfully in the past, the fact that they did not give one ounce during this ensures that i will NEVER use them again (even though they can offer great deals). It is just not worth the aggravation.

PL's polices are well documented. You shouldn't use PL until your plans are set in concrete. I'll never book a room with PL months before my trip.

In your case you should have just called the hotel and asked if you could check in a day late. Some hotels may need you to check in on the date of your reservation, see if you can checkin by phone. For your extra day ask the hotel for their best rate, if that's not good enough you can always bid on PL for the extra night.

 

[munchie22]

Originally posted by Lewisc
PL's polices are well documented. You shouldn't use PL until your plans are set in concrete. I'll never book a room with PL months before my trip.

In your case you should have just called the hotel and asked if you could check in a day late. Some hotels may need you to check in on the date of your reservation, see if you can checkin by phone. For your extra day ask the hotel for their best rate, if that's not good enough you can always bid on PL for the extra night.

Thanks for the advice - only using priceline when you know your exact dates is definately right on! But, at the time, i thought i was doing the right thing. I learned a very valuable lesson.

I called the hotel directly about the change of dates and was told that they could not change the reservation since it was booked through priceline. I'm sure i could check in a day late but the hotel would not extend my stay and the best rate they could give me was $99/night (I payed almost less than half of that).

Priceline will only assist in extending your stay if it is within 30 days of the original reservation (mine was not).

Know anyone who might want a good deal on a hotel room??

Thanks.