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WilliamK

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Everything posted by WilliamK

  1. Does Priceline still have Express Deals for car rentals? I'm trying to find, but not getting it on their website. Their cancellable rates are really bad compared to Costco Travel car rental rates, around 4 times as much money.
  2. I'd like to bid for rental car in France, but it gives error: Name Your Own Price is not available for the itinerary you requested. Is this specific to my itinerary, or is France not available for Name your own Price?
  3. Used the PRICELINE link to bid three times for a 3.5* hotel in San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach, last bid was rejected at $161 per night for one night (day before Martin Luther King Day). Surprisingly, it was rejected since I saw $149 offer on Hotwire for Apple Farm Inn which is listed as 3.5* on Priceline. Although with fees even $161 would have been less than the approximately $197 total on Hotwire for Apple Farm. For PRICELINE EXPRESS Deals only 3* was offered. Ended up calling the San Luis Creek Lodge directly and booked at that rate for total with taxes of around $147. They must not be on PRICELINE or HOTWIRE.
  4. I've noticed that the taxes and fees have weird jumps I was pricing out possible bids to Boston Logan airport for various size cars and found weird results for two day rentals. For example: $50/day Total: $137.8 Economy $51/day Total: $165.77 Economy A jump of $27.97!!! $48/day $125.98 Compact $49/day $125.67 Compact A lower price by $0.31??? $50/day $128.10 Compact Lower than Economy car by $9.70!!! $51/day $130.57 Compact Lower than Economy car by $35.20!!! $52/day $134.98 Compact $53/day $171.12 Compact A jump of $36.14 $49/day $128.23 Mid-Sized $50/day $137.80 Mid-Sized Same price as the Economy car??? $53/day $144.19 Mid-Sized $54/day $137.98 Mid-Sized A lower price by $6.21??? $55/day $176.47 Mid-Sized A jump of $38.49!!! What the heck is going on? Is this a bug or intentional on their part to trick you into paying a lot more by giving bidding approval to ones where fees favor themselves?
  5. I found a great cancellable rate at Costco Travel on a mid-size/intermediate car in BOS from 11/30/16 morning to 12/3/16 evening (4 days) total including taxes and fees only: $82.10 from Alamo. I then tried to use the PRICELINE link to bid on a mid-size for $7/day and was told inventory is low and it has almost no chance of success. I bid anyway and it gave me the Negotiations on Hold message, but offered direct bookings, in which Alamo appeared for $7/day total with taxes $82 for prepay or $8/day with taxes $85 pay at the counter. So why would Priceline reject a bid and then offer the same rate unhidden? I keep getting Negotiations on Hold message on this trip for over a month now, meanwhile the rental rates for this period keep falling. What is going on, why doesn't the Priceline bidding work in this market?
  6. Reviews of this Hotel seem inflated at 3.5 stars, I read from PRICELINE's reviews quotes including the following negatives: It did not have a small refrigerator in the room. There was no shampoo provided. There was no blow dryer. For a 3.5 star hotel usually those things are available. Did not seem like a 3 1/2 star motel I'm sure they may have rooms at this establishment that may meet a 3 star level. As for our room it was a 1.5 at best. This is a motel not a hotel. It's more of a summer spot for beach goers. It's more of a 2 star motel. No indoor pool as advertised. A lot of rooms are motel style .The entire reason for this trip was to spend time with my 2 year at the pool, since described with indoor pool. This was not the case, wasted trip, waste money! i would not give this a 3.5 star experience. Yes the location is nice, however the room is very dated, smelled very musty and old and there was a lot of dust. very over rated - not 3.5 stars Bathroom was filthy - hairs on the floor, dirty towel on hook Big section of wallcovering was missing No closet in room. There was a wardrobe cabinet with some hanging space, but not for long garments THIS IS NOT A 3.5 STAR HOTEL Our room was not a 3.5 stars caliber hotel room.The furnishings and rugs were old, stained and outdated, as were the mattresses.There were water stains on the ceiling,the bathroom doors struck each other when opened, and fridge was in the bathroom vanity. Hotel has wide range of rooms, many of which do not qualify as 3 1/2 star quality. I called Priceline to complain it was overrated. They stated the 3.5 star is the consensus of many sites, such as hotels.com and tripadvisor.com. I asked them to look into it anyway and they filed a ticket for that. How could this run down Motel with rooms that open into the parking lot qualify as 3.5 stars whereas other hotels in the same town ranked 3 stars are much nicer and have a higher list price to reflect their higher quality? Seems like an anomaly in the system.
  7. I had to quit and restart browser. On October 31 I used the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to find out that $51 was offered for 3.5* hotel in Mystic on both Hotwire and PricelineExpress, totaling slightly less on Priceline at $247.52. I bid on 3.5* for $30 (declined), $35 (declined), and $40(declined), adding in areas 5 and 8 without 3.5* hotels. Amenities listed on Priceline Express were: Free Parking Restaurant Free Internet Indoor or Outdoor Pool No Smoking Rooms/Facilities On November 1, perhaps due to the new calendar month, the PRICELINE EXPRESS deal was gone. I bid on 3.5* for $41 (declined), $46 (declined), and $51 (accepted). Inn At Mystic 3.5 out of 5 star Hotel Wed Nov 30, 2016 - After 03:00 PM Check-out: Fri Dec 2, 2016 - 12:00 PM Address: 3 Williams Ave., Po Box 526, Mystic , CT , United States Number of rooms: 2 rooms Total charged:$246.68 Savings:You saved 35%*
  8. Recently, on PRICELINE when I go to add another zone that is not in that star level and rebid, I get this error: Is this a known issue? It never works on rebid, just goes in circles.
  9. Used the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to first determine the upper bound price for 3.5 star hotel as being PRICELINE EXPRESS total (incl. taxes) of $233.56 and Hotwire being $243.31 (Hotwire was up $4 from two days ago). I started at $175 and added zones without 3.5 star hotels until I reached $190 which was accepted ($185 declined): Sheraton Burlington Hotel 3.5 out of 5 star Hotel Check-in: Sat Oct 22, 2016 - After 03:00 PM Check-out: Sun Oct 23, 2016 - 11:00 AM Address: 870 Williston Road, Burlington , VT , United States $12.36 less than PRICELINE EXPRESS offer and probably for the same hotel.
  10. Used the PRICELINE link to bid and won on first try at $29/day mid-size car out of BOS airport. Many previous attempts stated "negotiations on hold". I had not tried again for about a month, but noticed that Costco Travel price had fallen significantly, so thought I'd try again since now closer to the date, perhaps they are finding inventory is too big. Because of the short time, I started much higher than I would have otherwise at $29/day. Priceline suggested $31/day. Pick-up:Wed Aug 3, 2016 - 9:30 AM Drop-off:Wed Aug 10, 2016 - 6:00 PM Rental location: Hertz Corporation Gen Edward Logan Intl Airport (BOS) 156 Tomahawk Drive 42a, Boston Logan, MA 02128 Car type: Mid-Size Car: Chevrolet Cruze or similar Purchase date: Jul 31, 2016 Payment method: Priceline Rewards Deal type: Name Your Own Price Daily offer price: $29.00 Number of days: 8 Taxes & Fees $134.18 Total charged: $366.18
  11. I'm trying to bid using the PRICELINE link and I keep getting the message: Negotiation on Hold: Please Try Again with offers for normal rentals, not name your own price. What does this mean? Will it go away after 24 hours?
  12. Used the PRICELINE link to bid and was declined a compact at $22, then denied a mid-size at $23, allowed to bid mid-size again at $24 and was accepted. Purchase date:May 19, 2016 Daily offer price:$24.00 Number of days:17 Taxes & Fees$258.18 Total charged:$666.18
  13. Added a second night using the PRICELINE link on 2/10/16, rejected at $170, accepted at $180 per night. Room subtotal: $180.00 Taxes & fees: $39.02 Total charged today: $219.02 Total charged: $219.02
  14. Used PRICELINE link to buy, was rejected at $140 and accepted at $150. HOT.WIRE offered $220 w/ tax and PRICELINE EXPRESS offered $201 w/ tax. Offer price:$150.00/night Number of rooms:1 room Number of nights:1 night Room subtotal:$150.00 Taxes & fees:$33.64 Total charged today:$183.64
  15. Tried Name your Own Price using the PRICELINE link and failed up to $140, so took the PRICELINE EXPRESS deal. HOTWIRE offered $153. Amenities: Pets Allowed Business Center Restaurant Free Internet Fitness Center Room price:$147.00/night Number of rooms:1 room Number of nights:1 night Room subtotal:$147.00 Taxes & fees:$33.21 Total charged today:$180.21
  16. Check-in: Sat, September 12, 2015 - after 03:00 PM Check-out: Sun, September 13, 2015 at 11:00 AM Hotel Address: 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, USA 93449 Number of Rooms:1 Room Room Type: Room Assigned On Check-In, All rooms are booked for double occupancy Deal type: Name Your Own Price Offer price: $166.00/night Number of rooms: 1 room Number of nights: 1 night Room subtotal: $166.00 Taxes & fees: $31.99 Total charged today: $197.99 Total charged: $197.99 Amenities: Free Internet (in Room)Free ParkingIndoor PoolNon-SmokingGymBusiness CenterOn July 17, I was turned down for 3* $161 bid for here and San Luis Obispo areas, also turned down today for 3.5* bid of $201 for San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach areas. Saw express deal 3* offered today for $176 with choice of bed and with amenities Free Parking, Business Center, Free Internet, Indoor Pool, and Gym, so I think it is likely the Express deal was also for the Hilton Garden in Pismo Beach. I also looked on Hotwire on July 17 and was offered a 3* in Pismo beach for $159 for a total cost of $196. Today the hotwire prices was raised up to $175 for total cost of $215.66. The Hotwire 3* amenities were:Free parkingFitness centerPool(s)Restaurant(s)Business centerSelf-service laundryAccessible for hearing impairedAccessible path of travelIn-room accessibilityAccessible bathroomAccessible parking
  17. I used the PRICELINE link to bid $19 on a Mid-Size car rental and won: Mid-Size Car Pick-Up /Drop Off: Gen Edward Logan Intl Airport (BOS) 15 Transportation Way, Boston, MA 02128 On Airport Pick-Up Date & Time: Saturday, June 20 2015 - 9:30 PM Drop-Off Date & Time: Thursday, July 09 2015 - 4:00 PM Driver's Age: 25 and over Purchased Date: June 06 2015 Your Offer Price: $19.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 19 SubTotal: $361.00 Taxes and Fees: $280.93 Total Rental Car Charges: $641.93 I had just previously checked the HOTWIRE link and found their best Mid-Size rate at: $29 99 per day for a $874.58 total. I had also been using my Costco Warehouse membership at CostcoTravel.com to get a backup cancelable rental whose price had kept coming down as I kept rechecking over the past two months and today I rebooked Costco at $647 for an Intermediate car with Carbon Offset $1.25 before trying Priceline again. I preferred getting Priceline at the same rate because I use my PricelineRewardsVisa.com card that gives me extra discount, so the same pricing on PRICELINE is actually significantly less than elsewhere for me. I was surprised to win and now wish I had tried lower first, but did not expect success given all the higher bids that had failed. It seems waiting to book, pays off in this market. Back on May 15, I had been turned down by Priceline for these same dates at $24/day for a smaller Compact sized car when my Costco reservation for a smaller Compact had been priced at $747.
  18. Used the HOTWIRE link to purchase a 4* Hotel at Pismo Beach Not sure why the tax recover charges and fees was 36%, seems pretty steep, but the underlying rate was okay. Listed amenities: Free parkingFree InternetPet friendlyNear beachOceanfront hotelAirport shuttleFitness centerPool(s)Restaurant(s)Business centerSelf-service laundryInternet accessGolf nearbySpa servicesAccessibilityAccessible for visually impairedAccessible path of travelIn-room accessibilityAccessible bathroomAccessible parkingRoll-in shower
  19. Used the HOTWIRE link to purchase a 4.5* Hotel at Pismo Beach: Rate per night $136.00 (was at $134, but a subsequent search gave $136) Nights 2 Rooms ( 2 adults ) 1 Subtotal $272.00 Tax recovery charges + fees $97.77 Hotwire total $369.77 Not sure why the tax recover charges and fees was 36%, seems pretty steep, but the underlying rate was good. Listed amenities: Free parkingFree InternetPet friendlyNear beachOceanfront hotelAirport shuttleFitness centerPool(s)Restaurant(s)Business centerSelf-service laundryInternet accessGolf nearbySpa servicesAccessible for visually impairedAccessible path of travelIn-room accessibilityAccessible bathroomAccessible parkingRoll-in shower
  20. The closest area I find is Atascadero that shows up under the San Luis Obispo area of Priceline. Do you have the list of hotels? What are the 3.5* hotels at Pismo Beach Area? Does it include the Cliffs Resort that Hotwire lists as 4*?
  21. I need a car rental in BOS but am not seeing anything other than normal rentals and "Special" cars at Hot.wire. The "Special" car may be any size compact and up, but specifies the rental company. I see no option to pre-pay an uncancelable reservation for a discount. Has HOT.WIRE dropped this feature and ceded that market to PRICE.LINE?
  22. I used the PRICELINE link to first see PRICELINE EXPRESS 4* offer, that was at $307 that failed to book, and was on previous day $271 and also failed to book, and was on day before that listed at $267. After failing, I bid on a 4* and lost at $311, but won at $321. Prior day I had bid $301 and lost too. Check-in: Sat, Apr 4, 2015 - After 04:00 PM Check-out: Mon, Apr 6, 2015 - 11:00 AM Address: 633 East Cabrillo Boulevard, Santa Barbara , USA Number of rooms: 2 rooms Some Amenities: Pet FriendlyOutdoor PoolShuttleNon-SmokingGymBusiness CenterRoom type: Room Assigned On Check-In, All rooms are booked for double occupancy Deal type: Name Your Own Price Offer price: $321.00 /night Number of rooms: 2 rooms Number of nights: 2 nights Room subtotal: $1,284.00 Taxes & fees: $197.40 Total: $1,481.40
  23. I've notice this pattern a couple times now, I see a Priceline Express Deal, then try and bid amounts up to right below that rate, having failed, I return to try and take the Priceline Express deal and now they've raised the price a bit, e.g. from $267 to $273 per night. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this just the hotel doing this (both of my occurrences were for the same 4* hotel).
  24. Used the PRICELINE link to bid and did not win and did not retry because I had a 3-star Ramada West Sacramento Hotel and Suites, West Sacramento for $100 including taxes and fees as a normal reservation. 4 Star Deluxe Hotel 4-Star Which hotel will I get? Check-In Date: Friday, February 27, 2015 Check-Out Date: Saturday, February 28, 2015 Region Sacramento, CA City Areas: Sacramento Check-In Time: Varies by hotel. Guaranteed late night arrival if needed. Check-Out Time: Check-out times vary by hotel Room 1: Roberta L. Scott Number of Rooms: 1 Guaranteed Amenities: Guest Score 8/10 or Higher Number of Nights: 1 Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: US$ 84.00 Subtotal: US$ 84.00 Taxes and Service Fees: US$ 18.93 Total Charges*: US$ 102.93
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