When Priceline.com made its entry into the e-commerce landscape, many travel enthusiasts eagerly embraced the name-your-price pioneer. After all, airlines want to fill empty seats, and passengers don’t want to pay full fare, so everybody wins, right?
Not so fast. Priceline’s last couple of weeks have been nightmarish. Sales forecasts are down, the share price has crashed, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is up to its neck in Priceline customer complaints. Even the company’s quirky spokesman, William Shatner, admitted on national television that he doesn’t use the service.
Now Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has launched a fraud investigation into the company’s practices, claiming that Priceline may be deceiving its customers about what its “bargain” prices really entail.
But is Priceline fraudulent? Or, are Priceline customers just getting what they pay for?
One thing is certain: no company has the right to unfairly take advantage of the public. But it is yet unclear whether Priceline is guilty of deception or if it just needs to mend a seriously flawed operation.
Lower Than Standby
Hello, my name is Dan Gebler, and I’m a repeat Priceline customer. I love the punishment.
Recently, my wife and I looked forward to a Priceline flight from Los Angeles to Seattle – with bargain bids — and all we had to do was switch planes in San Francisco.
But we got quite a scare when we arrived at the airport. The first leg of the flight would leave 90 minutes late, making it impossible to catch the connecting flight to Seattle – the last flight of the evening. When we asked if we could hop on an earlier flight to catch our connector, we learned the real truth about what it means to be a Priceline cog in the air travel machine.
“We’d love to help you,” the nice airline representative behind the counter told us, “but you have Priceline tickets. That means that first we have to see if the flight is full, then we wait to see if anybody else buys a ticket, then we let the standby people have a chance, and then we can see about Priceline.com customers.”
We were considered “lower than standby.” Hard to swallow, but shouldn’t I have read the fine print more closely?
Clean It Up
I’m sure that among the flood of complaints lodged with the DOT are countless tales much more nerve-wracking than mine. In fact, according to published reports, while Priceline booked only one percent of all flight traffic in 1999, more than a third of the complaints against travel agents involved Priceline.
So what can Priceline do?
Well, customers need to know that their travel agent will act on their behalf if the travel systems from which Priceline profits – or not – fail them. If a Priceline customer is charged in advance of renting a car, Priceline must make sure that one is available. When Priceline air passengers pay for flights, the company must ensure that its passengers have the same recourse as other air passengers.
The company must also find ways to be more open with customers, more amenable to issuing refunds, and more forthcoming in the way that it deals with complaints. It also should develop stronger agreements with its partners to guarantee that Priceline customers receive treatment consistent with industry customer service standards.
Fraud Too Strong
In alleging fraud, however, Connecticut’s Blumenthal may be going too far. The central problem for Priceline is that we consumers have grown accustomed to better customer service. That so many of Priceline’s customers are perturbed enough to file formal complaints shows that the company’s operations are fundamentally flawed.
Consumer voices have not gone unnoticed. The company is already retreating from terrible public relations debacles and wincing from Wall Street’s strong reaction to Priceline’s struggle to retain repeat customers. The vicissitudes in Priceline’s stock performance last week show that investors believe improved customer service will help the company’s bottom line.
So while customers deserve better, a fraud investigation misses the point, especially when consumers, investors and industry-watchers have already spoken. Listen to the consumers, not the lawyers, and we’ll soon see Priceline walking the straight and narrow.
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They totally lie by saying that this hotel was this much and you save 65% because if you get it now from our website its only this much. Reality, most of the time the savings are less than 20 dollars and the real percentage would make you laugh. On some you can actually get the room cheaper by going to the actual companies website and book there. Bottom line, never just use one room finder service and when you find what you think is a good deal, then actually contact that hotel first before commiting.
According to their contract, make sure you download a copy of it from their site, it states you can get reimbursed due to family illness or death, etc. Read it, but even though it is in black and white, Priceline will not honor it. They will be out of business soon. They forget that the money that they are getting is from their customers. You forget the customer and the customer forgets you. They are trained monkeys at Priceline and I AM sure the owner(s) do not have degrees and if they do they are probably from some cracker jack box.
Serena,
Try calling 800-340-0575. You may want to visit the following site. There are obviously a lot of problems with Priceline and you may be able to get some further help.
I AM currently fighting with Priceline and have reported them to the BBB. I suggest all of you do the same. Here is my story. My husband and I were out one night and my daughter went onto Priceline’s site and made a bid on a ONE WAY RENTAL. She thought she was getting me a deal on a rental car from Richmond, VA to St. Louis, MO. She bidded $45.00 and after printing out the confirmation found that it was from Richmond to Richmond and an added $20 fee. I was not irate at her for doing this because we had already made reservations through Avis for a car. So I called Priceline to cancel and tell them of the mistake. This is what I was told, sorry we cannot refund your money and we were on hold for about an hour for a supervisor that told us the same thing. I explained to them that my daughter, who is a minor, made a contract on my behalf and that I did not want a rental car that I had to return to the same place. She bidded on a ONE WAY rental. They told me that they did not do ONE WAY rentals. That is when I went to their site and downloaded it to my computer to show the BBB and FTC their deceptive Web advertisements. Get a hold of the FTC and tell them of your complaint. I AM tired of big businesses making money off of mistakes that were made. A good legitimate company would have tried to ratify the situation. We did business with them in the past on a hotel stay in Branson City, MO. We paid $28.00 a night for a Day’s Inn Motel. At first we thought we got a great deal, but then the credit card statement came in and found that they had tacked on an extra $20.00, making the stay $38.00 a night. This is what Day’s Inn was charging its regular customers. Go figure. So, what is Priceline’s real job? I have not met one person that has had anything good to say about them.
The same thing happened to my daughter!!!! She did not submit the information under BUY MY TICKETS NOW and just clicked off since there was no cancel selection. It seems that their web site may be flawed on purpose!!! We have tried to talk to them and they are awful! She didn’t even receive the tickets. Did you get any help? We are considering going to go to the State Attorney General and to the news media.
I have to tell you that I fully agree with you about Priceline. I didn’t have the same thing happen; however, I wanted to rent a SUV and when you look at the description of SUV on their website it states it would be a Blazer or Explorer however after winning the price I find out from Hertz that it is a Suburu Outback….haha what a big difference.
Since I have 5 grown people going on a long trip I told Priceline that this vehicle won’t work and they stated “well when you get to the rental counter the rental agency can upgrade you to a larger vehicle” so I call Hertz and they state “well we can upgrade you but it will cost you $15 per day more” which if you factor that times 5 days it will cost more than if I would have called Hertz directly but Priceline doesn’t give a crap!!!!!
PRICELINE SUCKZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you find out any resolution please let me know.
Thanks
Mark
How did they help you and who helped you?????
Yes Who did you talk to and how did they help you? I AM very interested because Priceline really screwed me out of $2500 for 5 airline tickets and I won’t stop until I get some satisfaction.
eggersmad
my story is very similar to yours. i have called several times for remedy no results. the chairman’s office was of same attitude ‘WE ARE SORRY WE DO NOT REFUND.’ has anyone gotten results? this is AM erica, people. do not give up! what next?
What are you talking about? I spoke with caddy at priceline and she was more than helpful, in fact i got a full refund, even the processing fee, after speaking with caddy. Your "story" about mark 7173 sounds fabricated out of frustration,
priceline rulz forever
Please send me this person’s contact information. I AM having a terrible time trying to get a refund.
Thanks you.
I don’t understand why everyone is complaining about Priceline! It’s not their fault you are all too dumb to read the contract page that specifies that YOU AGREE THE TICKETS/RESERVATIONS ARE NON-CANCELABLE, NON-TRANSFERABLE, NON-REFUNDABLE! If you don’t know what this means, it means once the tickets/reservations are confirmed, you do not get your money back. Plain and simple! If you have the slightest doubt if you’ll have a change in your trip, then don’t purchase. If you are purchasing airline tickets and need only evening flights, don’t go with Priceline. Priceline has a Best Price Guarantee for hotels. Priceline matches hotels’ rates according to what is listed on their homepage, refund the difference between the hotel’s rate and your offer price, and also refund the NON-REFUNDABLE PROCESSING FEE!!! If this does not please you then what will? Don’t say full refund, because it won’t happen. People don’t understand, all the regulations are from airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies. The reason why customers can name their own price, according to the airline, hotel, and car rental, is because of the strict stipulations, NO REFUNDS!!! They have made adjustments over the years and Priceline has spoken with Air., Hotel, and Auto Rent., to become more lenient. It used to be ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSES!!!! Now they allow policies for death, illness, etc. BE WARNED, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PROVE IT!!! And I don’t blame them. From all the liars in the world, can’t be anymore careful. So basically, all of you that are crying for a refund, don’t bother because it won’t happen. A contract is a contract!!! Maybe next time you will read EVERYTHING instead of skimming through. It’s not Priceline’s fault you either can’t read, or understand the Terms and Conditions. Quit complaining, geez.
Priceline had contract violations. My customer could
get onto their webpage with no problems but when it
came time to get email information she had to have upgraded tools……. Another problem is that Priceline asked for her pin number not her expiration date, a privacy concern. Yet after asking for her pin, or she could not continue, they didn’t check with her credit company. Also, she wanted to cancel her contract as per the contractual laws of the states in which Priceline resides, her request was ignored. She paid for a trip with no way to get any information as to what airlines she would be using……. The option page that she was referred to was not up to snuff, and after Priceline asked her to go back and change her options, their technology would not accept her new options and would not show those transactions at all. When she tried to get some answers with the customer service phone number that they provided via email, Priceline again wanted her credit card number, which according to her credit card company makes her liable for more travel. This is a travesty and has nothing to do with dumb and dumber, but with ethical practices.
Also, I looked up Priceline complaints, and they were
rated very poorly by BBB and there were hundreds of
complaints against them for unethical practices. They
need to be handled as they are destroying good people’s
lives and companies like them will cause the new
internet frontier to become riddled with consumer
protection laws! It seems they are very greedy and also
very heartless.
Me whining? Lazy? I don’t think so….
When I tried priceline they accepted a bid for a RT to Seoul Korea. Two hours later, I received an email saying, "oops we really can’t do that price. However, for $220 more and different return date we can do it." I declined, but was surprised to see that priceline went ahead and charged me for the more expensive tickets and the wrong dates. I immediately called the credit card company to complain, but all they could do is repeat priceline’s cancellation policy. Really, how can the bank say it is a cancellation issue when priceline didn’t have the authority to charge me the higher AM ount? If priceline is allowed to continue this fraud against consumers, we are doomed.
Anyone know a good lawyer that handles this type of fraud????
MicahN –
Here’s what is likely a safe assumption:
You don’t personally know any of the people who’ve complained about Priceline. Yet you’ve taken it upon your arrogant self to label them Dumb and/or Lazy. People are perhaps ignorant of the facts, but you don’t have the authority to nor do you know any of them well enough to label anyone dumb or lazy.
Are you aware of every circumstance behind every complaint made about specific dealings with this company?!!! If you want to impress the general public with your insider knowledge of airline, hotel, and car rental agency regulations, write a book or syndicate a column. Then, after they’ve been given ALL the information needed to come to reasonable conclusions regarding the various industries – and still take unreasonable steps in making such reservations – then perhaps the word Dumb is appropriate.
It just so happens that in my particular case, I have Priceline’s departure time quote in writing from their own company website – and still, I find myself in a battle with them. I wonder how many other "dumb" people out there have quotes in writing from Priceline too!
Unless you’ve walked in EVERYONE’S shoes and KNOW THE DETAILS BEHIND EVERY COMPLAINT, keep your attitude and rudeness to yourself!
If anyone ever wondered what priceline’s customer service is like, read Michan’s post.
They are trained like monkeys to do nothing but repeat those words ("YOU AGREE THE TICKETS/RESERVATIONS ARE NON-CANCELABLE, NON-TRANSFERABLE, NON-REFUNDABLE!") over and over and over and over again and again no matter what the circumstances. All they see is the bottom line.
I also got charged for a airfare counter-offer that I never accepted. I also AM getting the "you initialed and there are no returns" script. I AM so mad, even more so because I have used them before with no problems. So far I have made a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, started a dispute with my credit card company and wrote them a letter. However I have not yet found any information on how others have beaten Priceline and obtained a refund. I will be greatly appreciative if people would share with me their experiences. Together we would be stronger than alone!!
On November 13, 2005, I submiited a bid to Priceline.com to purchase airline ticket in AM ount of 283.25 However, my offer was rejected at 11:25pm.
I left the Priceline.com website and bought a ticket from some other place.
Next day, the Nightmare began – Incredibly, Priceline.com emailed me that they accepted my bid, immediately billed my credit card ?!
So I contacted my credit card to not pay Priceline.com but somehow the transaction went through. Also, I called Priceline.com immediately to resolve it but the only response I received was their customer service people stating that the ticket was non refundable over-and-over. They totally ignored the fact that there was no ticket, no itinerary, and the bid was rejected !!
I wrote an email to the Vice President who is supposed to resolve these matters. I provided her the date of the rejected bid and all the details and of course, requested a refund.
Her response was to email me back about a ticket that was purchased two years before and concluded that it was non-refunded.
I emailed her again, stating that I had not asked her about my successful trip two years before, but was requesting a refund for the 11/13/05 rejected bid. Of course, there was no response
Priceline.com fraudently used my personal information to make money at my expense.
If there are enough victims of this fraud, then count me in as part of the class-action lawsuit against Priceline.com.
I booked a rental car via priceline.com on June 20,2004 from Aug 5 to Aug 10. Pickup was from Avis of Boston airport. Amount was $208.53 which Priceline charged on June 20 itself. On Aug 5 I reached Avis of Boston airport. Avis said that they did not receive payment from priceline and cannot give me a car. I told them that I had already paid priceline and have internet booking printouts. They said it won’t help and called up priceline. Priceline customer rep found that they had a glich in their system and was sorry for not sending the payment to Avis yet. She then told me that I should use another credit card of mine to pick up the rental car now and priceline will refund the AM ount charged by Avis. I used my visa credit card and picked up the rental car. Avis told that my total for 5 days would come to $541.19. I asked them why it was so high. They told that they have special deals for priceline and that they always charge this high when dealing with customers directly and that I should not worry since Priceline will refund anyhow. I had booked a mid sized car through priceline, however Avis gave me a compact car saying that since priceline had not sent their payment they did not reserve the right car. So I just took whatever I got and went away. Next day on Aug 6, I told priceline that I did not get the car I was supposed to get and I want the right car. They told me that if I kept this car they would give me a further refund. I said I don’t want a refund but the right car since I was going on a long trip to Niagara. I called up Avis and asked them what is the extra charge for the next size car. They said $30 + tax. I asked them if priceline would have paid them $208.53 upfront what would be the extra. They said same $30 + tax. So I picked up the next size car. Finally they charged me $578.39. I asked priceline to refund $541.19 only, however they refunded my original $208.53 and said that I upgraded my car so they will not refund $541.19. Hence I ended up paying $578.39 for something which I would have paid only $208.53. This is really crazy. I have the right to upgrade and that happens all the time. Infact the rental car companies by default always ask you if you want to upgrade or not.
I will not let this go just like that. These are the steps I have taken –
1. Filed a BBB report
2. Trying to contact few people who wants to file a class action lawsuit.
My case is exactly genuine and I have all papers from Avis to prove my case. I think it is time to nail these guys.
Dear gourksaha –
Saw your old posting on Ecommerce Times regarding Priceline. Do you reside in the Los Angeles/Southern California area? [email protected]
I AM also a victim of Priceline.com –
They stole $100.00 from my credit card after offering a facility that absolutely did not meet my needs. Any subsequent key-stroke after their download committed the transaction. I immediately canceled the arrangements with the facility and reported the incident to my credit card company. The credit people have denied my dispute and within 2 months have applied $78.00 in late fees towards the $100.00 principal. Seems like a cozy arrangement between the two companies. I need sound advice to battle this deceptive practice using the web. Thank you. .
My god this just happened to my friend. She received a counter offer and closed the screen. 10 minutes later she was notified that she purchased airline tickets to Denmark. She is out $1,026 dollars. I was wondering if you were able to receive a refund. And if you did, how did you do it?
Hi MichelG,
Any luck with getting your money back? I faced a similar situation when booking a hotel in NYC for 7 nights. Priceline told me my bid was not accepted. I got my brother to book 7 nights at the same star level. He was successful. Turns out they fraudulently switched my non acceptance to a "congratulations". We ended up with two duplicate Hilton hotel reservations (same hotel, same nights). I spent plenty of time locating a cust rep. Priceline and Hilton refused to refund me the redundant booking – I’m out $770. This is outright fraud. The fact is, the email should contain the actual response, not asking one to click on a link to get a response. This allowed them to fraudulently switch their response to my bid – since they knew I was giving up on bidding – they decided to accept it after having declined me. Anyone have any luck with a class action lawsuit??? Thanks.
THEY GOT ME TOO! EVERYONE SHOULD COMPLAIN TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AND WE COULD GET THEM SHUT DOWN – OUR STRENGTH IS IN THE NUMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF, CONNED AND OUT RIGHT ROBBED BY THIS COMPANY. TAKE A MINUTE AND DO THIS
Priceline info to fill out forms:
priceline.com Incorporated
800 Connecticut Ave.
Norwalk, CT 06854-9998
Company Web Site Phone: 203-299-8000
Fax: 203-299-8948
Similar sitution here. I recently tried to book a vacation package with priceline. They told me that my credit card was not accepted and that he would run it again. He then told me the same thing that it was not accapted. I thought how could that be. He reasured me that I would not be charged for the transactions because my card was not accepted. Two days later I check my credit card statement online and not only had my card been charged 2 times but 3 for a vacation package that I wasn’t even purchasing. I called customer service and the lady told me that the transactions were denied and I was not charged for them. I then told her that I just got off the phone with my credit card company and the charges were applied to my account. She then told me that they don’t even charge credit cards. Priceline is ripping people off and I don’t know how they are still allowed to operate. I know that I will be filing a complaint with the BBB about them. In the mean time does anybody else have or had this problem?
I recently went to Nassau with a friend and booked the trip through priceline, the hotel they featured online was actually a motel,I believe it was a Holiday Inn, it was called a resort. It was located downtown, it was dirty from the carpets to the pools and non-jacuzzi.
Upon checking in i immediately called priceline
inquiring how they could call this a resort. I was told if i didn’t like the accomadations I could check out and go to another hotel at my own costs. This "motel" was also dangerous and I had to get my key activated every time I tried to re-enter my room. towels were replaced upon requests as well as rooms cleaned.
has anyone here ever got to changed like the departure time or arrival time not having any luck…so unhapppy i know it says in they rules anytime between 6am and 10pm but i was hoping they would 🙁 i don’t know what to do..
Priceline’s customer service number is 1-800-774-2354.
I booked a 1-week mini van rental with them but needed to cancel because my sister had severe flu. She was worried about it turning into bronchitis. I e-mailed them asking if they could charge me a penalty instead. I stated that we would not use the rental. I would be at a $500 loss, the rental company could rent out the mini van (at a shortage during the holidays), and priceline could still get some compensastion. They e-mailed me back asking for the name and phone number of my sister’s doctor and the nature of her illness. They then e-mailed me back with the 1-800 number asking me to contact them. They ended up charging me a one-day rental cancellation fee ($62) and refunded the rest. I hope this help some of you out there. I used the name your price option which supposedly is non-refundable.
I have been on this computer for 5Hrs trying to get Priceline to spell my name correctly on my airline tickets. I"m now afraid the the Airline won"t let me board without the proper name spelling
I wish I had seen this website before I embarked on my transaction with Price Line. Perhaps it should be sited next to Price Line so that another sucker is not added to their victim list every day. The staff are like robots, all programmed to write emails from the same sheet and speak from the same sheet – bottom line being NO! I asked this Customer Relations guy how he could sleep at night willfully doing this job where they knowingly stitch people up. It was easy to identify with most of the people who have written before and it is very unethical of Price Line to conduct their business the way it is. However, none of them were programmed with a heart.
It fraud that happen to me i call because i want change the time only and they said ‘you need canceled every thing and make another and i tried to do but priceline take the money from the card and they said i need to wait 10 days .also they charge $260 for canceled the ticket.please some body help me because i need go to giorgia for my son army graduation and they have the money..
Ready for a class action, keep me posted.
Have you received a response from either:
I encountered similar situation when I tried to bid on flight ticket. I tried to ‘back button’ repeatedly to get to what I wanted but ended up paying for the one I didn’t want. I demanded a refund because I can’t fly on that day with no success.
Now it is time to pay back.
Lets join and campaign against them. It is affordable and easy. The internet is powerful tool. After all, priceline guys make a living on internet.
well first off I have to say i AM a big fan of priceline. I have revieved great deals on hotels and flight. a Friend of mine had the same problem you did. He contacted priceline and yelled and he was told he same thing that he had to call back and he will get a refund. he also requested a a copy of the contract page. and on the page it stated that your flight will start anytime between 6am and 10pm on the dates so if you had to be there for a certain time you should not have done this. and it also stated that the resv was not able to be canceled or refunded and so you should have been happy they were willing to do something for you. i would suggest that you read a contract page before you sign and agree to the terms. i also dont think you should blame them for you mistake in not reading your contract
Went to Priceline rented car & bought plane tickets! stuck in air port for 5 hours tonight because rental company Dollar refused my credit card. how ever the car was completely paid for! I have to wait for 24 hours to Receive my money back to rent a car! after hiring a car (cab) for a 4 hour trip I AM exhausted and disillusioned. how can you except my card, reserve my trip pay for everything & then the kicker they charge me a cancellation fee! Hello people I AM not cancelling I’m here to get my car & go its your britches in A snitch! how can these company’s get away with this? I have paid * Quite thru the nose I feel I wish I had seen this paid before this trip! just post me wary Traveler :}
I just want to let all know that you should never buy vacation packages from Priceline. I just bought one for a trip to Colorado Springs with a hotel and it was for a very great price but they changed the destination without informing me and I’m ending up in Denver – 100 miles away from the hotel they gave me. I’m feeling very ripped off. BEWARE of PRICELINE!
Reference number NPRL8A0360 a rental for a car through Mex car rentals they said the rental was 200. It took the 200. Off of my card for the rental once I showed up mex car rental and paying for my uber there they first told me I needed an extra 200. Meaning 400. Deposit for a 100. Rental after I agreed they then told me I needed a utility bill even after I told them I was traveling didn’t have one then they told me they couldn’t rent me a vehicle I never received my 200.and now they tell me its non refundable even though I was told they was gonna give me my mo ey back because it was there fault at mex rent a car they basically took my money robbed me and not telling me they dont care and are not gonna give me my money back
I recently booked two different stays a the same hotel a week apart with Priceline.com. When I arrived at the hotel they took an imprint of my credit card and then gave me a receipt when I left. I noticed that the price was different than Priceline (it was cheaper) but I thought it was a further discount from Priceline. When I received my credit card bill, I was charged 246.14 by Priceline for each stay and charged 174.40 by the hotel for each stay. I called Priceline and notified them about the double billing and asked why the hotel was cheaper than the Priceline (guaranteed low price) and was just told that the hotel didn’t have the right to charge me. I did receive a credit on my bill but it was for the cheaper hotel charge not the higher Priceline charge. I talked on two different occasions to 4 different employees and on the first call I was told the 71 dollar difference was Priceline’s mark-up that they had to make money and I got the lowest price possible. I pointed out that the hotel charged less than Priceline and I wanted a refund for the difference and was told there would be no refund as they had to make money. I did not yell or lose my temper. I then called the hotel to find out what the price would have been if I had booked directly with them. I was told $99 which was the Priceline price that Priceline said you could only get from them, and then when I said I had a AAA card I was told the price would be 80.15. On the second call I asked to talk to a supervisor and was given a customer service rep who told me that Yes they did guarantee the lowest price but since I didn’t cancel my reservation before I stayed (and accidentally found out the difference in price) I would not be receiving a refund. I will never use Priceline again and those of you who think you are getting the best price might want to call the hotel you want to stay at and check with them to find out your best deal.
I’m a reasonable person and I know my way around contracts. I took the video primer offered on the Priceline website and read the small print and the quality and price guarantees publicized on their website before I decided to "name your own price" for a 3-star hotel in Boca Raton. The quality guarantee basically says that if you notify them of your displeasure with the quality of the hotel before your check-in date, they will cancel your reservations and refund your money. I knew what I was doing before I put in my bid. Yet when I put in the bid, I got a hotel whose recent reviews (for the entire month of December, 2009 and into January 2010) were atrocious – seriously awful – like dirty bedsheets and towels, roaches, mold and mildew, combined with an unhelpful staff. DISGUSTING! I was appalled that this kind of hotel would rate 3-stars. I wrote an e-mail message using the "manager feedback" option on their website, notifying them of my displeasure with the quality of the hotel and that I wanted them to make good on their guarantee. Well, I got a call from someone who gave me a line about "Oh, we have a contract and you can’t get a refund or cancellation blah blah," not once admitting that Priceline had a guarantee, even after I read it to him verbatim from the website! I’m still fighting with them. They obviously could care less about good will. I feel wholly justified in blaming them because they have reneged on their own guarantee… It has nothing whatsoever to do with their contract with the hotels. The money that Priceline got from me upfront doesn’t get transferred to the hotel until I check out of the hotel. My money is sitting in Priceline’s accounts right now… It’s downright unconscionable how they operate. Priceline is wholly at fault here. I did nothing wrong.
Oh please! Since you have never been screwed by Priceline of course you are a "big fan"! No where in that contract does it say you have no choice what-so-ever in AM enities you want in an accomodation/service. This is a big complaint of customers. The customer service reps have no idea what you are talking about when you call to complain, because their command of the English language is so poor. Often they tell you they are the end of the line for complaints. How is this customer friendly? Even government agencies have better customer service and recourse than that! I will NEVER use Priceline again!
Yes, I AM tired of idiots also, including those that work at priceline. Yes, I read my contract, they could not meet my travel needs, received an email from them saying this. Then surprisingly they found me a flight (not to where I was going) and booked it, and then received another email saying they could not meet my travel requirements. Yet I AM saddled with and expense of $330. for travel to a place I AM not going, because "I had authorized it". They took my information and made travel plans that I did not ‘authorize’. Yet it is their word against mine. Just for the record, I just had surgery for removal of cancer and was going to see my grandkids to further my healing. I can surely say ‘priceline’ if anything hindered my healing. Just wanted to let a fan know of their real doings in the field.
I Understand that you did see a recipt from the hotel for a lower rate how this works is the hotel makes special rates available to third party booking agencies. i have worked for hotels.com and the price that is put on the website is put there by the hotel. the booking agency doesn’t make up the prices it is up to the hotels to upload the correct info so that the booking agency can have the most accurate info on their site. i undersatnd that you did want the lower rate and i would have too but the booking companies just have to go by what the hotel says the hotel use the space on website to list their hotel at their rate now if they lower their rates and do not inform the booking agencies then there is nothing they can do
I AM in the communication business. Yet I have spent literally hours, trying to get a refund for a cancelled hotel room. In short, I called the hotel 2 weeks ahead of my arrival to cancel. They said they did not have the reservation yet and that I should call Priceline. I did. I cancelled a rental car and the hotel, keeping the cancellation numbers they gave me. No problem with the car. The hotel, a nightmare! More than three months after I was billed, I AM still trying to get the hotel issue resolved. I have called, emailed almost daily, to no avail. I did notify my CC company but the charges are still there. As late as today I spent another 45 minutes on my cell phone on terminal hold. It is like ground hog day. Today, the first CS rep, Daniel, says, "Yes, I see your cancellation here." Let me transfer you to Eric, the CS manager so we can work on your refund. Eric keeps me on terminal hold while he calls the hotel, so he says, only to tell me no, we do not have your cancellation number, you should call the hotel. This is as far as I have progressed in three months. I will never use Priceline again. I know all these calls and emails are not at all cost effective. I suspect that is the idea. Just to get a live person takes 8-9 tries to get the system to even recognize my account number. Their CS line will hang up on you most of the time. Repeat, use them with extreme caution!
I agree with your statement about Priceline customer service reps. They are poorly trained and have a terrible command of the English language. They are unable to explain policies or understand problems customers are having. Also here is another thing about Priceline that SUCKS!!! You can name your own price but not chose some of the AM entities you would like before bidding. This used to be possible. I wanted to book a beach vacation for me and my sons. I thought I would be able to specify at least the fact that I wanted to be on the beach. This was not the case and Priceline booked us in a hotel 2 miles from the beach! Why would anyone book a beach vacation and stay that far away from the beach? I have asked for another hotel or a refund but no one will help at all.
All I can say, don’t use Priceline unless you have no preference what so ever as to the AM enities you will have available!
Definitely FRAUD. Their customer service is a joke and a disgrace to anybody’s standards.
Nobody should buy anything from priceline. They should go out of business.
Richard Braddock should be ashamed of himself for putting in place the worse customer service organization anyone has ever seen.
regards,
Fraud is probably too strong a word for what Priceline does–at least legal fraud. My guess is they have a very active legal department that makes sure to use all the weasel words they need to keep them in business. And what a business it is. A stock [PCLN] doesn’t increase over 12 times in 4 years if their earnings per share isn’t outstanding. They’ve got to be hauling in the cash for that to happen and PCLN users are throwing it at them. My experience is that PCLN does this by making it appear that their prices are low, but the "extras" bump the price up beyond what you expect. They warn you that extras "may" cost more, but they don’t tell you those extras will cost more than you expect–and neither do the collusive hotels I dealt with tell you unless you ask very specific questions. So you wind up with what AM ounts to an accepted bid price that is incomplete–apparently low, but a come-on that enriches both the hotel and PCLN. I’m tempted to short the stock–the more often PCLN users get burned, the more the word will get around that they’re no deal at all.
"Not one hundred percent efficient, of course…but nothing ever is." — Kirk in Star Trek–‘Metamorphosis.’
Right you are, Mr. Shatner.
you said it right
fraud!!!!!!!!!
why are people under the impression that businesses care about us and care to cater to us and give us special pricing…….
Definitely Fraud. An unjust law/policy is no law or policy at all. There has to be consumer protection laws put in place. When there is no services rendered and no products received; and someone just goes online and takes $150 out of your account just by clicking a button, something is very wrong with the system. In my case, the fraud surrounds the Hotel Cancellation policies. The Hampton Hotel nor I received any money or services as a result of this transaction. Yet, Priceline received $156.00 for nothing. They made out like the bandits that they are. I made my own reservations and cancelled far in advance in compliances with the cancellation policies of the Hampton Inn where I have stayed regularily for over 6 years.
Ihave never had a cancellation problem with the hotel and they were willing to give a refund but could not do so because Priceline locks the Hotel out of the system so that they could not make any changes or issue a cancellation number. Priceline negotiated nothing for me and in fact, the larger concern is that the cancellation policy with the hotel was adhered to. To not issue me a full refund when 1) Priceline rendered no services and 2) the reservation through Priceline were made in error is thief. The fact, that I ended upon Pricelines site instead of the Hampton site was not known until after the reservation was made. There were obvious online technical problems and Priceline refuses to acknowledge the rror. The polices must be changed. I AM assuming that these stringent policies are more in line with the abuse that many citizens are now encountering as a result of globalization and the impact of corporate greed.
Priceline has a very clever new bait and switched switch strategy. I just bought a $120 hotel room for a $200 because of it. I specified a 3 star hotel in DC and the average rate was quoted at $290. I bid $200 and they booked me into a crappy Holiday Inn and said it was a 3 Star Hotel!!!!!. I immediately checked the web and found that the same hotel had a published rate for $129. So I called Priceline to complain but it mysteriously vanished when Priceline (allegedly) checked the price in response to my complaint….saying that there was no availability. I think that i got lucky to see that rate….here is what i think really happened.
This is actually a sweet scam for Priceline. The hotel holds a block of rooms for Priceline only…Priceline then sells them for a "Three Star" Rate when they are only "Two Star Hotels." If anyone complains, Priceline then "finds" that there is no availability for the rooms on that night and does not offer a refund. Priceline and Hotel split the profits. I AM done with them…and will spend the next few hours telling this story all over the net
I too got the blown off by Priceline, I was a strong supporter of Priceline for the last 8 years until now. I spent over $400 for tickets for Disneyland Park in Anahiem and was sent a voucher to use. It states right on the voucher word for word" Voucher may be redeemed for the Disneyland Parks. Voucher will be required for redemption. The Guest Services told me they dont have any info on their system regarding my tickets for admission to the park. They check a total of six times and nothing, even the manager tryed and still nothing.
So I have to turn to my 7 year old son and tell him we flew over 3000 miles to Disneyland and cant go in the gate because our "Priceline Voucher " is not valid . All priceline can say is we can get back to you in 7days with a answer to why the voucher is not valid. Luckly I AM a parent who has the financil means to dish out another $460 dollars to enter the park, but what about the families who don’t have this fianancial mean, could you imagine. Shame on you Priceline!!!
So they get back to me 5 days later and blow me off saying I purchased tickets through them (Priceline) that are non-refundable and its my problem not theirs. Is it me or AM I in the wrong, you got to be kidding me Priceline. Believe me the fight is not over, you have picked the wrong family to blow off and STEAL my 7 year old sons money, are you kidding me!!!!
Yesterday I reserved a motel room via Priceline. An hour later I found the identical room listed for $5 less (excluding taxes and fees on both sites) on Expedia and decided to make a claim with Priceline. They put me on hold while they checked the Expedia website. After a long wait, they claimed the Expedia website listed the same price. When I objected (I was looking at the Expedia screen on my computer), they told me to renew my screen. They insisted the price had been updated in the course of our conversation. (The update did occur about an hour later.) Evidently, they contacted the hotel and had them update their price on Expedia. Bottom line, they did not honor the terms of their guarantee and committed fraud.
PLEASE BE WARE..PRICELINE.COM gives your credit card # so companys like GREAT FUN without your knowledge. I was a true blue priceline.com person..honestly…used it regularily..got great deals..recently seen a charge on my credit card from great fun..contacted them..they said they received my CREDIT CARD # from priceline.com. i contacted priceline and yes..they said I signed up for this offer to receive 15% off this great fun..i AM from canada…we do not have gret fun..and i honestly do not even know what it is. so beware..priceline.com givs out your credit card #. I have absolutely quit using priceline.com and also have files BBB reports on both priceline and great fun.
Where to begin. First of all their customer service is atrocious. The first time I called I found out several crucial things:
1. Their representatives have NO IDEA what is on their website.
2. Their representatives cannot help you with any price discrepancies advertised on their website.
3. Their representatives are total spam artists. They talk so much nonsense, I AM surprised they don’t find themselves laughing at their own absurdities.
The second call to customer service I found out something else:
1. They are technically not allowed to transfer calls to their supervisors.
2. They are also not allowed to transfer you to "real" customer service without a request number…which ofcourse is gained by.
3. They broke rules 1 and 2 by transferring me to a supervisor and customer service the first time I called.
4. They are good at arguing.
I AM flabbergasted. I called in with a grievance and AM more frustrated then ever. You want good service? Don’t call these guys.
I understand you want to go ahead with class action lawsuit. Well, think about it. Can we take on the big companies like priceline?
I think the best way to take on them is campaign against them. I have pretty good idea.
Today I tried to purchase tickets going From Chicago to Arizona on Mar 18th and returning to Chicago Mar 23rd. My first bid was accepted right away but when I got my itinerary my flight was to leave Arizona Mar 23 at 11:47pm but after going to a layover in Atlanta I would not be back in Chicago until the 24th close to 11am. I immediately called them and told them I needed to be in Chicago on the 23rd. Initially the told me there was nothing they could do for me and there was no refunds. I asked to speak to a supervisor, who told me they would refund some of my money but only if I cancelled the first flight and booked a second flight through them for a different return date and for an equal or greater value. Then I was to call back with the new and old request numbers to process my refund. Even though I was mad I thought getting most of my money back would be better then none of it. So I booked my flight and specifically made sure I requested to be in Chicago by the afternoon of the 23rd and not the 24th. When I called to process my refund, they told my that the dates were the same and I would not be getting any refund. So now I have basically paid more than double the cost of the original tickets as they will not refund my second set of tickets either. I spent more than 4 hours on the phone with different people I could barely understand to no avail. I will join any class action against these people and AM looking at filing complaints with my BBB. If anyone has any ideas how to handle this please contact me at [email protected].
Thanks.
George L.
Indiana
U.S.A.
After using priceline for years with no issues, their computer rejected a request of mine for hotel reservations (7 days) in SF while accepting the same request.
I only saw the rejection. I proceeded to re-bid at a lower star level. I was accepted.
Only later- The next day – I saw my email and saw TWO acceptances- (but no rejections) one for the same as the rejected request, and one for the later bid at a lower start level which I had no problem with.
Problem is- now I have two reservations- same period. Priceline says I made both the accepted and rejected bid at the same moment- no delay.
I would not even think this was possible. The accepted request which I have no issue with was made a few minutes later. It is their word against mine and they refuse to even consider that their computers may have a problem.
Bottom line- even if you follow the rules in good faith, they will try and screw you if there is a problem.
I was bidding airline tickets and only offered $500 each for two (2) tickets. My price came back rejected with a message to try an another date. I selected a one week later departure and return dates. At no time did I authorize more than $500.00 per ticket. When it came back accepted, I noticed the price per ticket was almost $1,200.00. I called my credit card company and put this on dispute. I was baited and then the price was switched without my knowledge. I also contacted Pricline. At first, I couldn’t contact them by phone. A recorded message stated that they will only accept calls within one week of the departure date. My flight was in July 2009. After several emails to their customer service, I was able to talk to a representative. They offered to cancel the tickets with a $200 fee per ticket! Needless to say, I didn’t accept this.
In addition to placing this in dispute with my credit card company, I filed complaints with the Attorney Generals’ Offices of the States of Louisiana and Ohio and the BBB. Also, I AM considering contacting my attorney and providing him with all correspondence and other information.
DoubleR
Louisiana
U.S.A.
Yes their buisness practices seem fraudulant. I could not contact them after they book my reservations to make changes or fix a mistake they had created. They only care up to the point when they collected payment from me. After I googled priceline I found that the feedback about their customer service was that they simply do not have any customer service available to anyone. It seems as though they have no way to contact anyone within the company for a reason. I think everyone who has been dealt with unjust, and screwed out of their money ought to sue priceline for the way they are operating their company. I will be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. If anyone feels the same I would like to hear from you.
I was double charged. I was told my first attempt to book my itinerary was not confirmed, and that I would not see any charges on my card. Priceline then directed me to go back online and rebook a different itinerary (I have emails and voicemails from Priceline detailing this direction). Low and behold, I have over $7,000 in charges on my card! I called Priceline and they said they can’t do anything about it because they do not have any bank information that states they went ahead with the charge. They then told me to call the airline. (Crazy!-I booked it through them, not the airline??) I was transferred to 5 different people, never to a supervisor or manager, only to be told that our conversation was becoming "unproductive" and to be hung up on. Disgraceful customer service.
I called my credit card company and disputed the claim, but have no idea when it will be removed or refunded.
I certainly commiserate with everybody else’s frustration. I still have not been refunded the double charge, and it has been over a week.
Any suggestions?
PS: I will never book with a discount service, again. So not worth it.
I will never use Priceline again, for anything. My name was mis-spelled on my eticket itinerary. When I noticed this error I contacted Priceline; they sent a notice to American Airlines of the error and stated that the correction had been made in their records. No correction has appeared that I can see, much less print. My request for a copy of the notification sent to American Airlines has been denied. American Airlines staff state that only Priceline can correct the error; that Priceline must void and reissue the ticket (a matter of correcting the database entry so that the boarding pass will print correctly.) Priceline declines to do so.
I’ll purchase a new ticket, for about $130 less that I paid for the Priceline ticket, and will arrive about a day later than I planned.
I bought non-refundable tickets through Price-Line on 8/28/2006 for 2 adult tickets (cost $642.14) to visit grandchildren on the East coast. In September our daughter who lives near us found out she needed emergency gall bladder surgery. Since she is a single mom with two boys, we would need to keep them & her until she recovered. I called Priceline to find out what their policy was for medical emergencies. They said I had up to one year to re-make the flights. They said it would cost $50 more per ticket. They gave me ticket #’s & said I would need to call the re-issue desk when I could re-schedule the flight. In May 2007 I called & Priceline said they had no record of a previous call with me & sadly nothing could be done. That’s the last time I do business with Priceline. I re-scheduled with another online service & this time I took out flight insurance. I just wish I had done it the last time. $28 is a cheap price compared to the $642. Does anyone know of any other avenue I can use to get my money back?
here is my encounter
Comments:I made an error on booking and wanted to change date and or
hotel of reservation Granted I made the error,had never used your site
and was a little confused by it.All I wanted to do is cancel and was
willing to use again to re book even wanted to upgrade, but after the
policy and service you have exhibited I discovered I really dont want
to use your company at all if this is the way you treat people. I went
thru two tiers of phone service already with out results and couldnt go
any higher with them as I requested to do. I have never been so
disappointed in a company instead of a good customer in the future you
have made a very vocal and disgruntled one…I have notified my card
company to remove the authorization and two notify me if you still post
it and then will file a dispute. I have never had to go this route at
anytime and find it incredulous that I have to go this far. this could
have been so easy to solve and it still is .
the charges you want impose are way out of line and are restrictive.and
offensive….you appear not to be a customer friendly company…in this
day and age with tools available to us it is even more puzzling why you
are this way. Waiting to hear from you on this matter.. .
Priceline.com is the worst selling site I ever saw.
Customer service representatives are rude and non-responsive.
I bought 4 airline tickets through this site and when I saw itenerary I find a wrong date right away for returning tickets. I called them right away but their representative did not want to talk to me telling that this is final and tickets are non-refundable and non exchangeable. Then I called to my credit card company(Chase)to ask them do not process this transaction.They promise me to help
when it will go through but charge my account.
So, I was charged $826.35 for nothing because we couldn’t use those tickets with wrong dates. I AM still fighting with both companies. I have never experienced that bad customer services. If somebody out there knows what to do i would appreciate any help or advice.
Don’t deal with Priceline.com and Chase Credt card!
Priceline.com has made millions on naming your own price. There are days that you just wish you listen to that little voice that says…"Don’t submit". I made that error earlier today to the tune of over $500. and want to warn anyone that buys their travel insurance to think again. I thought that I could change my reservation or at least cancel it should any need arise. WRONG!!! I have one week vacation booked in Myrtle Beach at the end of July/Aug, 2006 that I have no chance of taking due to a date conflict that was scheduled after I placed the booking. The travel insurance option did not clearly say it could not be used to cancel the booking. Since the cancellation was not due to a car failure, doctor’s order, death in the family, all of which must be officially documented by someone other than myself, Priceline says I will not get my money back. Now, when you consider that the hotel is not in the area I thought that I requested according to the map, I would say that is the icing on the cake. I wanted a dream vacation on the Boardwalk at Myrtle Beach that I could afford for my family and me. What I have is a nightmare.
Just bid on a resort hotel in San Diego Coastal; but what I really won was handicap rooms on the first floor. I believe I bid on 2 regular guestrooms and rooms in the hotel kitchen and most definitely not handicap rooms. I called the resort hotel to confirm my hotel reservation for 2 guestrooms and instead I was told I have reserved 2 handicap rooms on the first floor. I called priceline and was put on hold for 10 minutes only to tell me priceline has no say so on what type of rooms the hotel would give me. In addition, Mary (priceline customer rep) told me I’ve agreed to their contract so on and so forth. So I ended the conversation by telling her that there is nowhere in the website which informs customers are bidding on kitchen pantry rooms and handicap rooms. If I had known this I would’ve called the hotel itself and I would’ve made a reservation for their broom closets.
I ordered 5 airline tickets on priceline.com. Their computer had a problem because instead of getting 5 tickets to Manchester, United Kingdom I got tickets to Manchester, New Hampshire. I called and had a terrible time getting anyone to talk to, only a recording. By the time I finally got a real person I was so upset I could hardly talk in a mild voice. They told me that it was my fault that I put New Hampshire in but I told them that I didn’t. There were 3 drop down boxes one where I selected Europe, then United Kingdom and then Manchester. Well I had to put the 5 tickets on hold then purchase 5 more tickets from some other company and I was informed that I would have to pay an additional $100 per ticket total of $500 to change the tickets when I decided to us them. So now I AM out of $2000 plus $500 when I want to fly somewhere else before Jan. 31. I put a dispute on my credit card but they said I have to have a letter from priceline agreeing to pay me back or change the fee for changing the tickets. I will never use Priceline again and I hope they go out business.
Sharon
Another Priceline nightmare.
I made hotel reservations through Priceline, and my sister promptly looked through hotel review sites by customers and found several very poor reviews for the hotel we were booked in. The worst part of the reviews were "not clean, moldy, and mildew." When I wrote Priceline an email (after attempting to get through to customer service at both numbers from their site, and went around and around in an automated system, where there wasnt any option to actually speak with a customer service representative) I told them I would like to change the hotel due to very poor reviews regarding cleanliness, they sent me an email with one of the same numbers to call to speak with a customer service representative. I was so upset at their total lack of customer service, I consulted my credit company to see if I had any recourse. I explained my dilemma, and they asked if I wanted Priceline’s telephone number to call them and I said sure, then she suggested a conference call, and I said sure. Miraculously she got through to Priceline and a customer care rep. I told the Priceline rep I wanted to change or cancel. I told her about the very poor reviews of uncleanliness and mold. She then asked which site. I couldnt respond … I didnt know. My sister found them online and sent them to me to read. She said there had to be bad reviews from "several" sites. I was getting the same old unchangeable, non refundable spiel when my credit card person spoke up and said, "would you just like to dispute the charge Ma’am.?" I was so frustrated, I said yes. Luckily their dispute dept wasnt open today, it being Sunday. After reading all the Negative Priceline posts, I could see the outcome of the dispute … afer 30 days I would get the charge, whether I stayed at the hotel or not, regardless of the reason. I just wrote Priceline another email. I AM allergic to mold and get untoward symptoms when exposed to mold for long periods. 8 hours a night, 7 nights in row would be very bad indeed. I AM awaiting their reply. After being enlightened by the complaints on this board, I can see it will most likely be all for naught. It is still puzzling me how my credit card company got through to a Priceline rep, when I couldnt … I even attemtped to call Priceline back later to report the websites and the bad reviews after I spoken with my sister and got the info … again I went around and around, with no possible way to speak with a real live service person. Who knows maybe Priceline is making deals with more than travel accomadations people. Who was it who said, "something is rotten in Denmark?" I had better bring my sleeping bag. I may end up sleeping in the car or perhaps in a lounge chair outside by the pool to avoid the respiratory symptoms I get when exposed to mold. Let me see … breathing, sleeping, breathing, sleeping. Guess I had better pick breathing, but I will never pick Priceline again.
I recently used priceline for airline tickets.
I never expected to be charged before seeing an itinerary! I was however, and even though the contract stated I was willing to depart between 6AM and 10PM they booked me on a flight leaving Pittsburgh at 10:30PM. I have fought with priceline and the bank on this issue. My bank even issued a credit. But upon returning from my travel (on a ticket purchased directly from Delta – for $2 more) found the credit was revoked! The bank said the credit was only "provisional" but they sent nothing in writing to state this. Priceline still refuses to acknowledge that the travel was not within their own guidelines but for some reason has recently changed those flight times that you are accepting to fly! Don’t buy from Priceline. It is not worth your trouble. I would appreciate contact info for the CT Attorneys General to file fraud charges.
Priceline is so wrong and that became apparent just a few minutes ago.
I go to the website to purchase hotel rooms for my upcoming vacation. I get approved and go to the hotel’s site to check out all of their offerings. Come to find out the hotel is charging less than priceline did! How is that right? I get mistreated with customer service and I feel they are very unprofessional. They adjusted the price, but why should I pay them a $6 fee when I could go straight to the hotel’s site and buy from them? I have used priceline many many times in the past, but I will NEVER use them again!
I recently purchased plane tickets through priceline. I believed that I had read all the fine print and understood that if my bid was accepted, there would be no opportunity to change my tickets in any way. What I didn’t expect was that priceline would accept my bid, purchase my tickets, and then within the space of the following 2 weeks change my intinerary twice. I can not find anything on their web site that states that they can do this. If I can’t make changes to our agreement, they shouldn’t be able to either.
Priceline.com misleads buyers by soliciting travel preferences prior to a transaction, but not disclosing specific travel arrangements until after acceptance. These travel arrangements, whether acceptable or not, then become binding and provide no flexibility whatsoever.
Tickets purchased with Priceline.com for travel to Phoenix, AZ. meant 12 hours between airports, by way of Salt Lake City, Utah, and arriving in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport at midnight. Normally travel to Phoenix is no more than a 2-hour trip for us.
Upon contacting Priceline.com customer service immediately after learning of our itinerary, in an attempt to discuss is~~~s and options, the representative was rude and uncompromising, indicating that our flight arrangements were a closed-end transaction. We also received the same response in subsequent communications with Priceline.com corporate headquarters.
Critical disclosures warning an individual who may be unfamiliar with Priceline.com tactics that "you get what you get," regardless of suitability, were not evident until a frantic search of Priceline.com’s website for some type of recourse.
Unfortunately Priceline.com refused to cancel the credit card transaction after being disputed with Citi Card Customer Service. Needless to say, as a result we also cancelled our account with Citi Card.
In the end, we were forced to purchase replacement tickets for our travel, and the Priceline.com tickets went unused. I suppose Priceline.com may be ideal for those that have total flexibility, for the rest of us they’re totally impractical.
Obviously, Priceline.com is a perfect example of why the buyer must beware.
I thought I was the only priceline victim, now I see that even this website must be only the tip of the iceberg! I submitted several bids to get a hotel room on priceline. All of which came back stating that my bid was not accepted via email/online, it advised that I make changes such as price, location, etc. to my bid and resubmit. After several tries I finally gave up and got my hotel room elsewhere, but they charged my credit card stating that my second bid went through!! They claim they have four bids on file for me and the second was accepted even though he confirmed that all the bids had the same bidding information like price, location, etc. If it is the same information within seconds of each other, why was only one accepted and the others rejected? I thought I was losing my mind but this website has enlightened me. I have contacted the Operations office but they won’t refund my money. I AM considering small claims court or any other way to get my money back.
Short story: We rented a car but the wrong size. A simple mistake. But it would be
unlawful for us to drive the car. I offered to pay any reasonable rate for this change.
After many E-mails and direct letters to the CEO of all companies,
only the CEO directly from the car rental agency responded to correct the situation.
I have yet to hear from anyone at priceline.com whom say “the customer always comes
first.” However they simply don’t care……… but Priceline does pay customer
support people to rudely tell you, “We offer no support, no changes, modifications or
refunds” …..When asked why are you answering the phone? “I get paid to!” You can however
send complaints to:
Chairman Richard S. Braddock
PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL
800 Connecticut Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06854
Phone: (203) 299-8000
Fax: (203) 595-0160
Priceline.com . Thank you, we’re sorry, see ya!
Here is a list of names, numbers and emails at Priceline.com. They helped me and hopefully they will help you GET YOUR MONEY BACK!
Good Luck,
Mike Taka
PS – feel free to repost!
Priceline.com Inc.
800 Connecticut Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06854
Phone: (203) 299-8000
SEND FAXES HERE: (203) 595-0160
Employees (last reported count): 355
Rick Braddock Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(203) 299-8000, 1, 27233625#
Jeffery H. Boyd President and Chief Operating Officer
(203) 299-8000, 1, 269353#
Robert Mylod Chief Financial Officer
(203) 299-8000, 1, 69563#
Brett Keller Chief Marketing Officer
(203) 299-8000, 1, 535537#
Ronald V. Rose Chief Information Officer
(203) 299-8000, 1, 7673766#
Trey Urbahn President, Airlines
(203) 299-8000, 1, 872246#
Christopher L. Soder President, Hotels
(203) 299-8000, 1, 76337#
Jeanne D. Wisniewski Executive Vice President, Human Resources
(203) 299-8000, 1, 9476439#
Lisa Gillingham Senior Vice President, Customer Service and Operations
(203) 299-8000, 1, 4455464426#
Mitch Truwit Executive Vice President, Operations and Product Development
(203) 299-8000, 1, 8789488#
Thomas P. D’Angelo Senior Vice President, Finance and Controller
(203) 299-8000, 1, 3264356#
Lisa Singer Barnes Customer Service Manager
(203) 299-8000, 0
Brian Ek Media Relations
(203) 299-8167
I was a first time user on priceline.com web site. I was looking to book a room in the San Diego downtown area. While on the site I choose Downtown & Harbor Island area. I kept pressing next on the screens to move me through the reservation all the while thinking I was going to be able to choose Downtown or Harbor Island. The next thing I know I was at the last screen saying that my offer was waiting acceptance. I thought I would be able to choose the Downtown area the whole time. I right away called customer service & spoke with a woman that kept giving me verbatim re: the no cancel policy. I explained that the site mislead me & I AM asking for someone to accommodate me in the Downtown area instead. Not by the airport. She transferred me to a woman named Tia in customer relations #7294. She heard that I felt mislead & was not willing to accommodate me in the area I was thinking I would be able to choose. All I heard was no cancels, no help at all to accommodate you. This is a scam. Don’t buy from them, you almost never get what you request.
I, too, AM having a very sour, unpleasant experience w/ Priceline.com!!
I went to use their site in July 2001, on recommendation by a family member.
I performed a couple of inquiries that were rejected, then placed a bid on a economy rental car for $36/day. It was accepted, but that’s not what I wanted and had no way to cancel. I left the site and booked a vehicle reservation through another site.
One month later – I was billed for the priceline inquiry – even though I never rented the car. I’m still trying to dispute the transaction and get the $367 removed from my credit card, but priceline sent my credit card company a statement that states “customer agreed that the transaction is non-refundable/non-changable.”
PRICELINE.COM operates on very unscrupulous business principles. I will NEVER use their “baitline.com” service again. And I want my money back for a product I NEVER USED !!!!!
Priceline’s customer service is non exsistent. They don’t care about customers complaints or problems. My son used my credit card to book 3 airline tickets several months in advance. He told me and I call priceline within 30 minutes of the transaction and their response was tough, your stuck. The customer service person and their supervisor would not work with me in any way. I notified and cancel the credit card charge
but has since been recharged back to me. The customer service people at priceline refused to give me their mailing address for fear me invoking
contract law that allows a person to concel a contract by written notice in three days, I sent a letter of cancellation by Email. Upon receipt of the tickets I mail them back certified registered mail with return receipt which they signed and returned. Priceline has not attempted
to mail the tickets back. Presently I AM still battling the charges with my credit card company and do not have any tickets. Any ideas out there.
Definitely FRAUD. Their customer service is a joke and a disgrace to anybody’s standards.
Nobody should buy anything from priceline. They should go out of business.
Richard Braddock should be ashamed of himself for putting in place the worse customer service organization anyone has ever seen.
regards, mike
I requested reservations for 2 rooms for 3-nights at a beach resort. Priceline booked my rooms at an extremely low-rate hotel near the city’s industrial district. Not exactly what I had in mind. I contacted them regarding my displeasure and expressed my willingness to pay more for a higher rate facility in a better part of town, but I was offered no options. Whatever happened to customer service?
I recently was charged for tickets by priceline.com before I made the request through their web site. All my information was put in then I decided against going through with the request. I closed out their web site and found the next day they processed the information and charged me for tickets. All calls and e-mails to them are responded to with an arrogance and they refuse to address the problem.
I requested airline tickets through priceline.com, but never received a confirmation. My account was charged anyway!! I’m unable to locate a telephone number for the company, and the number listed on their site is an automated system for generic questions only. If someone has a telephone number for priceline.com where you can actually speak with a live person-please contact me. I filed a dispute with my bank, and they said I probably won’t get my money back. If anyone knows how I could resolve this issue to get a refund, please inform me.
When a family emergency kept me from using my round-trip tickets to Anchorage, I was dismayed to discover that I was not allowed to even reschedule the flight. My almost $500 investment was simply gone. You can be sure that I will not be visiting Priceline the next time I need airline tickets.