Complain about a product or service

Priceline - Hotels

Susan of Advance, NC November 4, 2009

I went to Priceline.com in Sept. to get a hotel for a family get together in Washington, DC. I was told by my family that they were getting hotels directly in the Dupont Circle area and that that's where I needed to be. I went to Name Your Own Price and there are blocks you check to designate the area you want to be in. I checked "Dupont Circle". I named my own price. What I got was a hotel in a different area, more than a mile away.

I immediately called Priceline but to no avail. I emailed. The next day I called 10 or more times and threatened to get an attorney and they did refund PART of my money back, but kept 105.00 of MY money. It was their mistake - not mine. They should refund it all. And to top it off, they wouldn't even work with me about letting me use that 105.00 against another room.

They are so crooked. They just take innocent citizens'money. Do not deal with them. Deal directly with the hotel or with Travelocity, Expedia or one of those. Priceline is the crooked company. The economic damage is 105.28. The emotional damage - well I didn't even get to go to the family reunion because of Priceline. All of this upset me so much. I don't have a job and to lose 105.00 is a BIG deal to me. It's been very upsetting.

DURGAPRASAD of REDMOND, WA October 26, 2009

I booked a air & hotel package on priceline.com. Total package cost was cheaper for the hotel (Cottonwoods Resort) compare to others. After arriving at hotel, they said they will charge 10 per day as resort fee. If you add that, once can get a upgraded hotel without any additional fee.

I think priceline and their travel partners are squeezing customers without any advance notice on additional fees like this. I called priceline, they said they can't do anything.

Mary of Rose City, MI October 25, 2009

I reserved a 3 night stay at the Tradewinds for 3 nights, Priceline got me a price of 75.00 a night, but when I checked the motels web-site I found out they charge a extra 25.00 each day for phone calls, which I have my own cell phone, towels,beach and on and on with things everyone else expects to get with the room. They took my money, refuse to reimburse even a penny, was very nasty stateing over and over again that I accepted this room

JAMES of ROUND O, SC October 23, 2009

I went on Priceline to book a room in isle of Palms a specific hotel and they booked a room 9 miles away. When I tried to cancel they said that couldn't be done. Well, I finally got a cancellation after threats, but am still out of monies. They snateched out of my bank and now they won't put it back.

Why can't something be done with this company. They are a scam. The room was 75.00 and they took 93.21 out of my account. Why can't the consumer affairs put a stop to companies like these especially in these times when the economy is bad and people don't have the money to throw away. I had booked a room for my wife's and our anniversary on Saturday, but now we want be able to go because priceline has my money.

Sharron of SAn Francicsco, CA October 21, 2009

Bait and Switch on Hotel Rating Level of Trump tower in Las Vegas. I love how the Trump did not appear as an option when we were looking at 5 star hotels in Vegas. I have looked at various other sites Hotwire and Expedia and the Trump is listed as a 4-star. We both know what you are up to with the bait and switch. I am going to be blogging along with friends about my experience. If this appeared during our search and we received the Trump and if other companies listed the Trump as a 5 star then I would agree I would need to live with it, but we both know this was dishonest. I will never use your service again and will deter others as well.

Lisa of San Jose, CA October 17, 2009

I used the "Name Your Own Price" feature after hearing about Priceline from a friend. I already had a refundable hotels.com reservation for my 3-night stay in London for 120/night, but I just wanted somewhere reasonably clean and safe to stay, so I was hoping I could get something cheaper via Priceline. Since I knew Priceline was nonrefundable, nonchangeable, I planned to cancel my hotels.com reservation if I found something cheaper on Priceline. I submitted an 81 bid on Priceline and the website came back with a confirmation page congratulating me on reserving a 179/night hotel.

I called customer service twice, and they kept insisting that I had accepted their counteroffer by signing the contract page. However, I never saw the contract page for 179 (only for 81), and could not find any trace of this supposed page on my browser history. The customer service representatives were no help, only able to repeat that "you initialed this page and it indicated to us that you understand the reservation is non-changeable and non-cancellable." I tried to explain multiple times that I did not authorize the 179 transaction, but the representatives just kept repeating the contract agreement. Since a contract is not valid unless both parties actually agree to it, I believe this is an error or even fraud on the part of Priceline.

Joe of Stockbridge, GA October 15, 2009

Priceline is useless and risky! I have used Priceline in the past and been pleased with them, but not this time. I used Priceline to purchase a hotel room for 3 nights for my wife and her friend in Las Vegas. Even though it is my understanding that when you pay Priceline, the full price has been paid, the hotel (Trump Hotel) added a 15/day resort fee plus taxes. My wife complained to the hotel but they wouldn't do anything about it.

I called Priceline to complain actually expecting them to do something about this, but they said that during the process of buying the room, I agreed to accept the hotel being able to add fees. Maybe I did, who knows. But even assuming that to be true, Priceline is a complete risk and with that policy makes it completely unusable. You have no idea prior to purchase who the hotel will be, and they can add any fee they want? How does that allow me to name my price? I agreed to a certain amount per day, but Priceline allows the hotel to add any fee they want thereby nullifying the deal I got. What if the hotel wanted to add a 200/day fee? They could do it according to what I supposedly agreed to. That makes their sales slogan "Name Your Own Price" a fraud. False advertizing if you ask me.

Larry of Lawndale, NC October 5, 2009

Booked a room through Priceline for 96.97. On arrival hotel (Comnfort Suites, Morristown, TN) desk clerk advised that regular rate would have been 65 (+ change), but I had already paid priceline. Contacted priceline the follwing Monday, was advised, "There is no option to refund you the difference." Will never use Priceline again.

Michael of Westerville, OH October 5, 2009

I made a reservation at the Virginian Suites Hotel in Arlington, VA, through Priceline. The Room charge was 149.06 plus tax. On checking into the hotel I initialed and signed the registration sheet that showed a "daily rate" of 109.00!

On returning from my trip I called Priceline to ask for a partial refund and was told the 109.00 was the wholesale rate to Priceline and the hotel should not have shown me that rate! There would be no refund. Nothing on the hotel sheet said it was a wholesale rate. Priceline appears to be gouging.

Steven of Port saint Lucie, FL October 2, 2009

I tried to book a hotel in manhattan for an upcoming medical procedure. I did not get accepted because I bid too low. I received an email from priceline stating "try again", so I did, raising my price. Unbeknown to me, priceline had added areas outside of manhattan without my permission, then accepted my offer for a manhattan hotel, instead giving me a long island city hotel with "manhattan view".

I spent almost 2 hours on the phone w/ them, utilizing every valid argument about this. They insisted I had signed a contract and would be held to it, in spite of my having a medical condition requiring me to be close to my doctor in manhattan, my statement that I did not select these additional areas and my further statement that after finding out about pricelines deceptive practices I do not wish to do business with them. I further stated that a contract is not valid if there is no meeting of the minds, and that there is always a certain amount of time (varied by state), during which one can cancel any contract.

I called them immediately upon realizing they were charging me manhattan fees for a non-manhattan motel room and had added these undesirable areas to my search without my knowledge or permission. After spending almost 2 hours refusing to get off the phone, the CSR stated that I could pay a 25 fee and get a refund based on my medical condition, or cancel and resubmit in a different area for the same fee.

I inquired as to why they would keep a sick disabled person on the phone for 2 hours before offering them cancellation, which they only offered after I found info regarding it on the internet. They stated that it was their policy, and would only give a refund after they got a customer like me, who refused to take no for an answer.

I spent the following day throwing up with a migraine due to the stress and exceptionally long time I had to remain on the phone in order to mitigate my damages. I am willing to join any class action lawsuit against priceline, and would very much like to sue them for pain and suffering after they caused my migraine.

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