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Hotwire Hotel: 2.5* Kelso - Longview Best Western Aladdin Motor Inn Kelso


Noob_888
By Noob_888,
in

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Winning bid price was $59. Taxes and other charges (unknown) are $13.52. Total is $72.52. I've emailed Hotwire for the breakdown of the $13.52 and they are giving me the runaround. I had to threaten them to provide me on how they arrived at the $13.52. I wrote to them that I will dispute the charges above the local state tax plus lodging tax with my credit card company. Their lack of disclosure is very very concerning.

BTW,a word of caution. There are two Best Westerns that pop-up, one with a 2.5 star rating and another with a 2.0 star rating.

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Is there a breakdown of additional charges that Hotwire and Priceline uses? With Hotwire, the taxes et al have all the charges lumped in together. One has absolutely no idea what the extra charges are. One hotel manager I spoke to recently said HW gets a huge cut so i need to be on top of things with them. I am also very surprised nobody has challenged the lack of full disclosure in court because there seems to be no mechanism is in place to charge to prevent them to charge whatever they want and they just group all charges into one without any breakdown the exception of the hotel room cost.

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There are two Best Westerns that pop-up, one with a 2.5 star rating and another with a 2.0 star rating.

Thank you for sharing your results with the board.

I'm only aware of one Best Western in this area, the Best Western Aladdin Motor Inn Kelso at 310 Long Avenue... is this the one you received? What is the other one?

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the amenities shown before your purchase... you can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

As per your first post, there is no breakdown of taxes and fees. Just like every major online booking agency that i'm aware of, the taxes and fees are included together as one line item. The total price is shown before your purchase, you can decide if you want to make the purchase or not by comparing the total price shown vs. the total price of booking thru other channels.

As this is not price a negotiable transaction, I'd focus making your purchase decisions based upon the based price available to you vs. your other options... and not by how much any of the other parties involved in the transaction are making.

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

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Yes, it was the Aladdin. The amenities are not accurate on Hotwire. The amenities listed are: Pool(s) Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal. Laundry Facilities (self-service) Free Breakfast. I did not see any onsite laundry facilities. The hot tub has been sealed up, now it's just an extra room. There is free internet, but not mentioned. Perhaps because it's not reliable? The details for the 2* hotel do not specify which Best Western it is but I believe we drove by another one just over the bridge close to McDonalds, also in Kelso. I wouldn't be surprised if we pay for a 2.5* accomodation but actually get a 2*.

For audit purposes, I must assume every retailer in North America must account for all their earnings, charges, and taxes individually. Lumping the taxes and any other charges may be discretionary but details should be provided when asked or challenged. Some ignorant people may accept this practice of taking everything at face value as being in order, but in my experience I have seen countless of examples where there is fraud and it is only discovered during random audits.

This is why I believe legally and for accounting purposes, the retailer must show it separately in their books and to Uncle Sam (IRS). Afterall, Uncle Sam and local state governments must verify that they're charging, collecting the correct amount for the applicable taxes and not just pocketing it. Who knows if HW is suppose to reimburse the hotel or directly to the IRS the taxes they collected.

Simply put, it is clearly not logical to accept at face value that any establishment is charging the correct amount of taxes. The usual way businesses get audited is when there is a complaint that they're being overcharged on taxes. With HW, we have no idea what the tax rate(s) they are using and what the recovery or HW's surcharge is. Put it another way, would you just accept a separate line on a bill you receive, say, for car repairs, where it says: other charges? Wouldnt you question it?

I really am dumbfounded. Why the secrecy and rationalizing of their actions is beyond my comprehension. I had a separate thread on the matter and you moved it here. Do you think people will know to go to this thread and learn how HW is not revealing how they calculate their charges. Your visitors to your site have a right to know, unless you're trying to hide something? I believe any any reasonable person would want to know how the charges they are being billed for are calculated. I shall be writing a letter to the IRS and advising them of my concerns and also to the Better Business Bureau because the BBB has a badge on HW's site.

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