Priceline Hotel: Re-Bidding Help

[Cwalkin]

Hi all,

I read the Re-bidding thread, even the diagram but need some assistance as I don't see any "zones" for the city I need and my dates are firm.

Using PRICELINE, I bid $65 for a 3* room and was rejected. There no other zones, just other nearby cities which I don't want to stay in (see screenshot below). Since my bid was rejected at $65, obviously "Paso Robles" is now greyed out. Please help.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

You need to check your re-bid zones before any bidding so that you can view the zones one at a time.

From this page, enter your dates and location in the PRICELINE search box on the top right of this page. Nothing will be selected (or grayed-out) and you should be able to click the zones one at a time to see the star ratings available in each zone.

Let us know if this solves your problem or if you are still having any other issues.

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

[Cwalkin]

So by zones you mean "area" (city)??

They are as follows:

Atascadero

Cambria

Morro Bay

Paso Robles

Pismo Beach

San Luis Obisbo

Paso Robles, Cambria, Pismo, and San Luis Obisbo all have 3 star level hotels. How do I proceed?

[thereuare]

So we're in agreement that Atascadero and Morro Bay each don't have 3* or higher hotels?

If you concur, then you can use these as your re-bid zones (but always double check just before bidding to make sure that nothing has changed.

What is your maximum bid for a 3* hotel for this stay?

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

[Cwalkin]

So we're in agreement that Atascadero and Morro Bay each don't have 3* or higher hotels?

If you concur, then you can use these as your re-bid zones (but always double check just before bidding to make sure that nothing has changed.

What is your maximum bid for a 3* hotel for this stay?

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

My max bid is $100. What is my next step for those re-bid zones (atascadero and morro bay)??

[Romelle]

I understand you've bid $65 for the zone/city/area of your choice, and it failed. You have two free rebid zones - Ata and MB.

After your 24 hour waiting period you can bid again.

First, double-check to be sure the free rebid zones are still valid (don't have 3* or higher bidding available.

Place your first bid in the city you want, at a little higher rate than the original $65 (I don't see your date mentioned, so don't know how fast you need to work up to your maximum).

If that bid isn't successful, add one of the free rebid zones and raise your bid a little.

If that still isn't successful, add the second free rebid zone and raise your bid a little more.

You've got three bids every day.

Repeat every 24 hours until you are successful, hit your maximum budget, or run out of time.

Romelle

[Cwalkin]

My dates are 7/16-7/17.

I guess what I dont understand is what happens if my re-bid zone offer is accepted? Then not only am I staying somehwere i don't want, but for a lesser rated room. I'm missing some part of the reasoning behind this process. Are you saying that as long as I re-bid in a "free bid" zone the same session that I'm rejected in my desired zone that the star level won't reset, therefor since those re-bid levels don't have the 3 star level that that bid will be rejected? I'm just lost.

[Romelle]

It is a weird concept, and usually takes people a while to wrap their head around it. Hang in there.

The thing is that if there are NO hotels offered at the 3* (or higher level) in a zone/city (in your case Morro Bay and Atascadero) then you can use them in your later bids in a 3* bidding session just to give you an opportunity to try higher bids.

Because there aren't any 3* or higher bids in those zones/cities, you won't win there. Because you are bidding 3*, you won't be given a lower star level hotel.

Your 3* re-bid zone offer can only be accepted for a zone in which there are 3* hotels - and that would be the one you started with (the one you want).

Your second and third bids (adding in the two free rebids one at a time) can only win in the zone/city of your choice because there isn't anything that matches your requirements in the free rebid places.

When you add zones, the bid includes the ones you already bid. They just are grayed out to indicate you've already selected them. When you add that second zone, take a careful look at the screen that comes up showing you all the details of the bid (the last one you hit to actually bid). You will see both your original selection, and the new rebid zone. You also will see 3* level.

Romelle

Part of the problem with the terminology here is usually larger cities are marked off into zones. London has about 10. So they really are zones. In the smaller cities/towns, nearby cities/towns are listed as other bidding areas. Usually the word is zone since a preponderance of bidding is done in places like NYC, but city or town is probably more appropriate when bidding the smaller cities/towns.

The must be an event in the general area, because retail prices look really high. I'd suggest you look at the retail prices first, and plan your 3 bids to get clear to your maximum today. Maybe 75, 90 and 100? Priceline sometimes lets one bid the same day, but all the hotels aren't necessarily available for same day bidding.

Be sure to wait a full 24 hours from the last thing you did in your bidding. Otherwise Priceline can restart that 24 hour clock and you are locked out again.

[Cwalkin]

THAT explains it perfectly, THANK YOU!!!

[Cwalkin]

Is there a way to find out what time your 24hours expires?

[Romelle]

Is there a way to find out what time your 24hours expires?

I hope somebody else knows a better way here, but I'll offer what I can. Almost immediately after a failed bid one will get a Priceline email giving you ideas about how to bid better next time (mostly just telling you to bid higher). The clock time on that email is at least 24 hours after your bid since they couldn't send it until you did your bid.

Usually I check my computer clock and post the time to a little document on my desktop - plus areas/zones, bid amount and any comments like whether or not I received a counter-offer. Far too many "senior moments" here to trust my memory.

Romelle

[Cwalkin]

Thanks for all your help!

Must be something major going on up there this weekend, nothing available up to $135!

[thereuare]

Must be something major going on up there this weekend, nothing available up to $135!

What is the best available rate you're able to find thru traditional booking channels?

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

[Cwalkin]

Sorry I never replied to this thread. We ended up just returning home that night and not getting a room.

[thereuare]

Thanks for closing this thread with your decision.

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