Who here has used Priceline?

[mommaU4]

And what did you think of it? Any good or bad stories to share?
Anyone used it for a car rental??

 

[DawnCt1]

DH has used it for car rental and has saved some money. When we go on vacation, I usually reserve so far ahead and use www.rentalcodes.com that by the time I am tempted to bid on Priceline, they can't approach what I end up paying. I did very well on the Marriott Marina Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale a couple of years ago. The best rate available was $200 and we got a marina view for $65. I probably could have bid lower but I was splitting it two ways with a friend and it wasn't worth losing the room.

 

[HaleyB]

I do it all the time. I have never gotten a horror story, but I tend to bid 3* and up. I have always felt that I got a really good deal on priceline for rooms.

Go here to learn the ins and outs of bidding and to see what people are winning...

www.biddingfortravel.com

 

[bsnyder]

I"ve used Priceline many times for hotels, and a few times for rental cars.

I've never really had any horror stories. And I've definitely had some unbelievable successes. Like the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC for $150.00 a night. And two rooms at a Homestead Suites right off of I-85 north of Atlanta for $10.00 each. And back when they were first starting out, and they had the $25.00 free bonus money added to your bid, I once got 4 rooms at the Wyndham I-Drive, for $30.00 each - so 4 rooms = $20.00.

And even though Priceline is suppose to be non-cancellable, they do have a little leeway for extenuating circumstances. They gave me my money back on a hotel stay when my travel plans were waylaid by Hurricane Charlie. They charged me a $25.00 cancellation fee. Which I was fine with, considering all the money I have saved with them over the years.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I've used them several times. There are a couple of things that you have to do and understand in order to get a good experience.

#1 Read betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com extensively. Have a very good understanding of what they mean when they say Free Rebids, what the zones are, what hotels consistently participate, and what the current winning bids are running.

#2. Understand that Priceline guarantees you a room in the hotel with a bed. Most hotels will try to accomodate requests such as two beds, non-smoking, a crib, connecting rooms or whatever -- but they are not required to and if the hotel is full you can bet that you will be fit in around all the higher paying customers.

#3. Priceline takes a bit of adventure. The lists on the websites are who has won in the past and what hotels they have won at. New hotels can be added all the time, hotels that were previously 2 stars all the sudden win at three star categories etc.

#4. My own personal rule -- I don't bid on anything less than a 3 star (which really are more of 2 star hotels) and really try to only bid on 4 star or resorts. In all the places I've stayed, there are some really scary and/or yucky places on those 2 star lists.

#5. If you mess it up -- NON-REFUNDABLE. You will live with it.

 

[In a hurry]

I got a great deal for our minivan, last trip! The bad news was that it was Alamo, and I won't risk using them again. It wasn't Priceline's fault that Alamo made me absolutely stark raving crazy, but it happened!

Otherwise, all rooms have been just what I bid for, and I've been really happy with a couple of them.

 

[jajuan]

I always bid on 4 star hotels and above and I have always been pleased with my rate and the hotels.