"If you will raise your bid by...."

[amailmanyouknow]

Ok, have been having some issues lately with a certain hotel we have booked many times over the years. It's the only 3* hotel in a certain area, and for years, they have taken a few dollars over 50% off Priceline's advertised rate. It's been easy to bid that one, and yes, I have posted about it before.

The thing is, now they are not doing that. It's still the only 3* hotel, but after I bid unsuccessfully, I get "if you will raise your bid by" $25, $35, even $50.....

What do we do when we get this? I don't want to pay $150 for a room I've been booking for $80 for years! (And yes, the same people still own it, no major improvements to it, or anything like that.) Any ideas?

Thanks -

[thereuare]

Ok, have been having some issues lately with a certain hotel we have booked many times over the years... and yes, I have posted about it before.

Where?? :)

I only see one of your winning priceline bids posted to the board which is not near the $80 price point you're referencing... it would be appreciated if you began to share all your wins to the board so that the information can help others. Even if the hotel has already been reported countless times previously, it's still helpful as it gives users an idea of how frequently some hotels in an area are won vs. others.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[scottlevin]

Yeah I assume you're referring to the Sturbridge Host Hotel.

You've NEVER posted your wins for that hotel.

Post 'em, buddy.

[Romelle]

It is usually best to just ignore those "raise your bid" or similar counteroffer-type messages and keep on with your original strategy. Or maybe even slow down and use smaller increments. All the message is telling you is that indeed there is something available somewhere between your bid and the counteroffer.

There are numerous examples of a $1 increase working after receiving such an offer. Generally about 1/2 way there does the trick.

Exceptions when to take the offer are if you are just out of time/patience/nerve/etc.

Romelle

PS - I also hope you post more in the future. Rates are often date specific. More postings across a range of dates, even with the same hotel, can help other bidders.

[Colfax]

What do we do when we get this? I don't want to pay $150 for a room I've been booking for $80 for years! (And yes, the same people still own it, no major improvements to it, or anything like that.) Any ideas?

Maybe the hotel's sold out for your dates.

Maybe they've decided to stop participating in Priceline.

[amailmanyouknow]

Ok, first, some of you need to read my post before you get rude with me. Maybe more people would post if the tone here wasn't quite so harassing. I have read a lot of what I consider to be off-putting posts to bidders on this site. Not to mention that on my one post, I was harassed for not posting a win, when I never booked AT ALL.... (Yes, I consider it harassment when someone needs to look up my history and question me on something entirely unrelated to my question.) After this, I doubt I will post again. Who needs the denigration?

As far as this thread goes, I posted *about* the hotel I book in Sturbridge, and never said that I GOT a rate for it through here. FYI, I used Priceline for MANY years before I ever even knew about BB, and I have NEVER booked Sturbridge through this site. To that end.....

Thanks Romelle, for explaining the issue to me. You realized that my question was general, not city OR hotel specific. It has to do with "if you will raise your rate." I thought that (general questions) was what this particular board was for?

[dahammer]

I thought that (general questions) was what this particular board was for?

Yes, this is one aspect of the board, and general questions are welcome. But, the main reason for the board is to post winning bids so that other board members can benefit from a posteriori knowledge in crafting a winning bidding strategy. Personally, the information contained on this board gave me the guts to bid for hotel rooms which has saved me thousands of dollars. If it were not for the other board members taking a minute to post the details of their wins, I would probably overbid and waste more time in bidding.

[amailmanyouknow]

Yes, this is one aspect of the board, and general questions are welcome. But, the main reason for the board is to post winning bids so that other board members can benefit from a posteriori knowledge in crafting a winning bidding strategy.

While I get (and mostly agree with) what you are saying, you are talking about the *website*, not this specific board. This is the *General Information* board, where you are to post General questions. Otherwise, they might just as well have one board on the whole website. That is what the label is for. It is Not the appropriate board to report bids, which is something I would gladly do, if I could ever win one.

Every time I bid now, they upgrade the amount another $25 ("if you will raise") - so no matter what you bid, they want $25 more.

[Romelle]

That counter-offer that stays the same, even as you increase your bid, is pretty common. I think PL designed it to scare people into thinking prices were increasing, so they would give up and just accept the counter-offer.

Guess what? It seems to work on some people. Just keep inching your bid up. As I mentioned before, sometimes it only take a dollar or two. Half way between the bid and the counter works most often. I've read of people absolutely swearing by 1/2 the counter +$1. Of course there is the rare case where people gradually bid up to the entire amount of the counter-offer and don't succeed, but that really is pretty rare. I'd imagine the hotel meanwhile filled up, or something else changed.

I just bid for a NM stay, and got a counter-offer of +$15. I incremented by $2 bids then and actually got a win at +$6 (might even have worked at +$5, but I wasn't willing to increment $1 a time and there were no free-rebids). I got the same +$15 counter with the first two of my $2 increases.

Romelle

[kt_mom]

I get that a lot when bidding on hotels in Springfield VA. We get the Hilton about 95% of the time adn I can usually get it for $45 - $50. I often get the raise your bid message but never accept it. I can usually up my bid by about $5 instead of the $10-$20 they usually ask for and get it accepted.

[jmeggs]

What about when you DON'T get the counteroffer?? Does that mean you are waaaay off?!

[thereuare]

jmeggs,

It would be appreciated if you read/replied to your messages and used the requested PRICELINE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Thanks.

[jmeggs]

To answer my own question, I was not getting a counteroffer, and I suspected I was way off. But since I had lots of time, I kept upping my bids in tiny increments. Ultimately I ended up getting the hotel without ever getting a counteroffer, and my accepted bid was only $2 more than a rejected bid.

So don't let the lack of a counteroffer throw ya! And, as has been said many a time, don't ever accept the counteroffer (unless you're really in a bind)!