Priceline Hotel: 4* Los Angeles (Airport LAX) Sheraton Gateway

[tylab]

Was just accepted in priceline. but it is not the zone I checked in!

I had 2 zones of my "actual" choice and in my rebidding process i ended up adding 2 or 3 more other zones which I made sure there was no rating of my choice (4).

Out of all zones I chose in checkbox, 4 stars were only available in two zones, which were my actual zones of choice.

However the hotel I was accepted in is 4 star, but from none of the zones I checked in and actually wanted/not wanted but added for rebidding.

It is the zone I wanted to avoid! How can this happen? That zone was not even checked in!!!

I would be happy with the price and ratings if the hotel was actually in the zone I wanted. I am so upset right now.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

Sorry to hear that you got a hotel you didn't intend/want; which hotel did you get, which zone/star rating and what were the date/s of travel? On your confirmation in your account, which zone does it say the hotel is in and did you not select that particular zone at any time during the process?

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[tylab]

I chose Beverly hills, Hollywood, (my choices) and a bunch of addups, culver city, Lawndale, Redundo. for a 4 star hotel.

For some reason the request page they show me has LAX in in! I DID NOT CHOOSE LAX! We are not even entering/exiting the city thru the airport!

I was gradually adding up more zones which did not have 4 star hotels, so I was adding one zone at a time, ending up adding those culver city, lawndale and redundo.

The last item i added was culver city. I did not accidentally add LAX.

Is this how they make money, by giving you something you dont want for a higher price?

I checked on tripadvisor, The hotel I got is Sheraton Gateway LAX. My biding price was 96, as I was aiming for a 4 star hotel in Beverly Hills/Hollywood.

Prices on tripadvisor.com are even cheaper than 96 there. And they are still insisting i saved 70 something dollars. Total bs.

[Colfax]

Call the 1-800 number on your acceptance page and speak to Customer Service.

The rules are always changing but the last time I encountered a situation like this Priceline cancelled the reservation for a fee equal to one day's room price---which isnt much help if you're only staying one night.

Then you bid again and if you win a hotel in your desired zone Priceline reduces the fee from one day's room rate to $25/per cancelled day.

A 4* in your desired zones (Hollywood, BH-WH) probably will cost more than a 4* at LAX. And when you add in the $25/day fee you could be looking at $150/night or more vs $96/night to keep what you have, although I know you don't want it.

If Priceline refuses the above scenario (they don't always offer it) and you can find the Sheraton for less than $96 someplace else you're entitled to a Best Price Guarantee for the difference. Small consolation.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes with Customer Service.

p.s. What are you travel dates, so your Sheraton purchase can be added to the Priceline Calendar of Wins where it will help others, even if it's not much use to you. Thanks.

[thereuare]

For some reason the request page they show me has LAX in in... I did not accidentally add LAX.

Has PRICELINE send you a screenshot which shows you did select the LAX zone but you're stating that you did not?

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the date(s) of your stay so we can add this information to the topic title and enable your win to appear in the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins.

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

Has PRICELINE send you a screenshot which shows you did select the LAX zone but you're stating that you did not?

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the date(s) of your stay so we can add this information to the topic title and enable your win to appear in the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins.

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

Dates were July 3-6, but I don't think this means current bidding price for 4 star LAX hotel. I could easily find Sheraton Gateway at the same price or a bit lower from other sites like tripadvisor or Expedia.

This is what pisses me off more. Even though I do price match, no one will be offering a rate so low, and if I was looking for an LAX 4 star hotel in the first place I would have bid around 60~70 and probably have been accepted.

Call the 1-800 number on your acceptance page and speak to Customer Service.

The rules are always changing but the last time I encountered a situation like this Priceline cancelled the reservation for a fee equal to one day's room price---which isnt much help if you're only staying one night.

Then you bid again and if you win a hotel in your desired zone Priceline reduces the fee from one day's room rate to $25/per cancelled day.

A 4* in your desired zones (Hollywood, BH-WH) probably will cost more than a 4* at LAX. And when you add in the $25/day fee you could be looking at $150/night or more vs $96/night to keep what you have, although I know you don't want it.

If Priceline refuses the above scenario (they don't always offer it) and you can find the Sheraton for less than $96 someplace else you're entitled to a Best Price Guarantee for the difference. Small consolation.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes with Customer Service.

p.s. What are you travel dates, so your Sheraton purchase can be added to the Priceline Calendar of Wins where it will help others, even if it's not much use to you. Thanks.

Did you have the same situation like this? I talked to the C/S and they emailed me this "evidence" of my request page showing my zone of selection contains LAX - which I didn't and don't know how it generated.

Maybe their system adds some unpopular zone by default as if the customer added it himself. (I saw other people had the same experience)

They say my hotel is within the zone I chose so they can't do anything about it.

If I can just pay $25 it would be great.

I'm thinking of just calling to cancel last minute faking some kind of emergency situation that prevents me from going on a trip - I heard they don't even verify it. Although it is a bit risky...

Call the 1-800 number on your acceptance page and speak to Customer Service.

The rules are always changing but the last time I encountered a situation like this Priceline cancelled the reservation for a fee equal to one day's room price---which isnt much help if you're only staying one night.

Then you bid again and if you win a hotel in your desired zone Priceline reduces the fee from one day's room rate to $25/per cancelled day.

A 4* in your desired zones (Hollywood, BH-WH) probably will cost more than a 4* at LAX. And when you add in the $25/day fee you could be looking at $150/night or more vs $96/night to keep what you have, although I know you don't want it.

If Priceline refuses the above scenario (they don't always offer it) and you can find the Sheraton for less than $96 someplace else you're entitled to a Best Price Guarantee for the difference. Small consolation.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes with Customer Service.

p.s. What are you travel dates, so your Sheraton purchase can be added to the Priceline Calendar of Wins where it will help others, even if it's not much use to you. Thanks.

BTW, Did your request actually show that you chose the zone you did not? I wonder if your situation was same as mine but they still cancelled it for you.

Otherwise Im going with plan B...

Dates were July 3-6, but I don't think this means current bidding price for 4 star LAX hotel. I could easily find Sheraton Gateway at the same price or a bit lower from other sites like tripadvisor or Expedia.

This is what pisses me off more. Even though I do price match, no one will be offering a rate so low, and if I was looking for an LAX 4 star hotel in the first place I would have bid around 60~70 and probably have been accepted.

Yes, they showed the screenshot.

[Colfax]

I'm sorry you couldn't get Priceline to give you another chance, even for $25/night. Yes, I've encountered this situation before--a few times--won a hotel in a zone I was SURE I didn't add. A couple times Priceline let me cancel and rebid for a fee. The last time I asked they refused. PL sent me a screenshot one time and the other times no. Oddly enough the time they sent me the screenshot "proving" I'd bid the undesired zone they also allowed me rebid. I don't know what accounts for the inconsistent treatment.

Expedia has the Sheraton for $83. You would have been entitled to a $39 ($13 x 3) refund from Priceline under their Best Price Guarantee if you'd applied within 24 hours of purchase. I think 24 hours have already passed. :)

I won't say Priceline is 100% perfect and never wrong but I also don't think they're purposely pulling a scam on you. To make one $96 sale they're not going to lose a potential lifetime customer. I can't say if you bid LAX zone or not but if they've sent you a screenshot I don't think further arguing that the screenshot is wrong, even if it is, will be fruitful.

What to do now?

I'm thinking of just calling to cancel last minute faking some kind of emergency situation that prevents me from going on a trip - I heard they don't even verify it. Although it is a bit risky...

Unless you bought the optional trip insurance (and maybe even if you did) a last minute emergency won't get you a refund. Priceline reservations are nonrefundable for any reason.

I would consider calling Priceline back, speak with a different agent, maybe try a different approach, acknowledging the screenshot and that it's possible you made a mistake, even if you don't think you did. "I've heard that in this situation where people accidentally bid the wrong zone occasionally Priceline lets them rebid in the right zone for a fee. Do you think that's a possibility here?""

If they say no again do you think you can make the Sheraton work for you? Can you afford to write it off and bid again where you want?

[thereuare]

Prices on tripadvisor.com are even cheaper than 96 there.

Even though I do price match, no one will be offering a rate so low...

These are contradictory... either you have found 'retail' rates at $96 or less and can price match OR retail rates are not that low and higher then $96/nite.

Yes, they showed the screenshot.

You wouldn't be the first person who was certain they didn't select a zone but was proven otherwise. I'd follow Colfax's advise to see if you can make any headway with another agent, and at least be open to the idea of the possibility that you selected the wrong zone my mistake.

Please read your messages and use the requested PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your future travel purchases.