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Priceline

Priceline • Air Travel • Wrong Airport! • Cruises • Hotels • Rental Cars • Compassion Policies • Cancellation Insurance • Disputed Charges • Defenders • Insider's View --- • Priceline Faces Class Action Suits

The idea of Priceline is appealing. It presents itself as auctioning off unsold seats, beds, etc. But the reality can sometimes be quite a bit different, as the complaints below illustrate. You may be able to get better arrangements for the same price by planning ahead and shopping around. Priceline tends to book travelers on flights that leave at odd times and that require multiple connections.

Other things to be aware of:

• There is little customer service when you are a Priceline traveler. If your plans go awry, it's not likely a quick call to an 800 number will help.
• The airline will not help you and will absolutely not let you exchange your ticket. You don't own the ticket, Priceline does. Even if the airline wants to be helpful, there's not much it can do.
• Priceline fees and surcharges are sometimes higher than those charged by travel agents and airlines, so you may end up paying more even if the ticket price is lower than you might find somewhere else.

Also, remember that Priceline's "secret" is that while the customer specifies what price he is willing to pay, he must commit to pay that price. There's no backing on once the other party accepts the offer. It's important to understand this upfront and to do your price shopping before you enter a bid on Priceline.

We have tested Priceline and found it to be a good way to get cheap airline tickets with just a few days notice. But if you have plenty of time to shop around and live near a major airport, you can probably do better by using Orbitz, Travelocity or a local travel agent.

Amongst all the complaints, we've heard from some Priceline defenders, and a Priceline employee.

Just be sure that what they're selling is what you want to buy -- and be sure you're not paying too much for it. Remember, nothing is free.

A few of the most recent complaints:

Walter of Newnan, GA February 5, 2010

I purchased airline tickets through Priceline and paid for the cancelation insurance as well. American Airlines left my wife and I standing at the airport with a delayed flight. Priceline would not refund the money or help with future flight credits. Incedentally, this also caused us to miss a connecting flight and a cruise liner. I was out well over a thousand dollars and NOBODY cared. Left at the airport, missed my cruise, had to pay for a hotel room. Cost about 1500.00

Yolan of Reynoldsburg, OH January 31, 2010

I booked my ticket with the rep and they had me arriving at the WRONG airport. I called back and they told me that there was nothing they could do! I would have to rebook. and my credit card would be charged again. I called several time with no resolution! PLEASE DO NOT BOOK WITH PRICELINE! I lost 625.00 I could not take my flight. They keep saying it is nothing they can do!

john of lacey, WA January 28, 2010

Purchesed round trip tickets from priceline and requested a direct flight to my destination and also return flight. You could just guess the shock when I opened my intenerary to find that there were connecting flights. I called customer service and they just kept telling me sorry there is nothing that they can do. They would not even correct the flight let alone refund or offer a credit. Please do not use this company for anything.

Pamela of Wheelersburg, OH January 24, 2010

BOYCOTT PRICELINE! Priceline continues to deceive and cheat innocent customers! I thought I was booking a hotel in Key West, but instead the hotel was in Key West Beach! This was far from where I wanted to be. Of course, even though I called their Customer Service immediately, no changes could be made.

They should call it "CUSTOMER NONSERVICE." I called the hotel to cancel and of course they could not cancel either. So the room was paid for and left empty for the night. 175 wasted from my retirement income!

Di of Salem, OR January 23, 2010

My husband wanted to buy tickets from Seattle to Tulsa, OK. He had meeting on Tuesday 26th January at 10:00am. He didn't name his price. He just chose the tickets that appeared with the rate. He chose the departing flight from Seattle for Monday afternoon and while he was choosing returning flight some link appeared to add a rental car. He clicked on it and boom... he got the confirmation that he is returning on Tuesday at 6:30 am. He hadn't even chosen the returning flight. He just added a rental car and there... he bought a ticket.

He called the customer service...no one answered. After almost 4 calls someone from customer service answered. She did not even speak english and here he was explaining her the situation. She did not listen to him and just kept repeating mechanically that it is our cancellation poilicy to charge 100 fee. My husband did not get to even choose the return flight and how could he be charged with the web error that occured. Its priceline's responsibility to make sure their website is working efficiently and for any mal-function they shouldn't charge customers. It is mine and our family's last time doing business with priceline.

Tracy of Eureka, CA January 19, 2010

my father fell shattered his knee, had to have emergency knee replacement could not travel DR's orders - we called of course priceline was no help its 150 cancellation fee no exceptions - ok we agreed 2 -tickets @ 150 = 300 2 days later we were charged 600 cancellation fee's - its been 2-months and we cannot get a straight answer from anyone priceline blamed our bank our bank sends the statement showing priceline deducted (4) 150 fees = 600 we've tried everything to just get our 300 back can anyone help???

Marc of Arlington, TN January 18, 2010

Hotel Reservations were made for a hotel in Mobile, AL. Upon learning that the business trip was canceled, I called the Hotel first to cancel the reservation. They indicated I must call Priceline.com to cancel the reservation. I checked Priceline's website for information concerning the hotel and it indicated that cancellations must be made by noon on the day before the reservation time.

So I called Priceline.com and spoke to two individuals who indicated that reservations cannot be canceled and that my credit card would be charged regardless. I offered to pay a cancellation fee but insisted that I need to cancel the entire reservation. They refused stating that their policy is that the reservation cannot be canceled.

Arna of Wegefield, SC January 17, 2010

I purchased an airline ticket using Priceline.com but due to a sudden death, I had to cancel my reservation. Priceline states that you have 24 hours to cancel a reservation with no penalty and no charge to your credit card. This is totally untrue. My card was debited the same day I made the reservation and I have not been refunded as of yet...that was over a month ago. Because of this incident, my bank account is overdrawn. Priceline told me that I needed to contact the airlines and the airlines told me that since I made the reservation through Priceline, it was not their responsibility. Priceline stated that the airline had my money, and the airline stated that Priceline had my money. After numerous phone calls to Priceline and after numerous excuses from Priceline (which I feel are all lies), I am still awaiting my refund.

Stephen of jacksonville, FL January 13, 2010

I booked a rental car for 12 December 2009 till 8 Jan 2010 thru Pciceline.com. I went online 2 Jan 2010 to book my reservation for another 28 days to the same company. Alamo car rental stated that I had to come back on 8 Jan 2010 to update the contract. With going to the hospital for knee surgery rehab and other issues I forgot about the new contract on 8 Jan 2010. I received a call from Alamo on 13 Jan 2010 to come up and sign the new contract with no problem. Alamo was unable to do this because my original reservation date with Priceline was for the 8th of Jan. and Priceline refused to change it to the 13th. The other option was to cancel the current contract and start a new one (when you have your credit limit tied up with Priceline like I do you don't have anymore funds to work with)which the customer service rep said it would take 5-7 bussiness days for the refund to get completed and then we could start a new one. I explained that if we did that I would end up walking home, or missing work and end up in the Military Brig because I couldn't get to work. They didn't want to hear this at all.

I was transferred to a supervisor and she told me that she could put a 1 day refund on my account but she too was unable to just transfer the funds to a new contract even if I paid a penalty or not. After talking with both customer service reps for over an hour my only option was to accept the rush refund (which will hopefully be going in at the 1 day like I was told) and walk home(14 miles with just having my ACL replaced in my knee)with everything that was in the rental car. They didn't even give this a second thought all they kept saying was "Sorry but we can't start a new contract, all we can do is refund your money minus a penalty of a one day rental fee. As far as me walking home they couldn't give a rats ass and that to me is piss poor.

I've been in the Armed Forces for 23 years and have used your company for many different issues and this is the way that your Company treated me is completely screwed-up and wrong no matter which way you look at it. I will be making a complaint to the Armed Forces Legal Administration and do my best to make this a very well known issue with every resource that I can. I can't get over that your company have an ounce of humanity and would rather have a injured person walk 14 miles to get home rather then work with them on a new contract. This is #1 on my list the worst customer service issue that I have been involved in. I hope that everybody in the Priceline Company has a great day even if thier customers are able to do so with the way that customer service Reps handle business like they do.

Rebecca of New Haven, VT January 11, 2010

I booked a flight with Priceline, when I went to get on the flight they would not let me because there was a different name. Priceline used a different name and I dont know how they got it and I could not go on this flight and lost 650.00 and they wont refund my money. This is there computer glitch and they wont help, I feel they stole my money.

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