Priceline - Free Rebids, maybe I am missing some details

[C-Hawk]

Having spent time on this board and the web I attempted to make multiple bids on a hotel.

Unfortunately, the Priceline system didn't allow me to do it. Some of the details are below, the specifics of location and date are irrelevant, so I will keep it generic.

My understanding of the free rebid strategy is that you add cities in your desired area that do not have the star rating you are looking for to allow for rebidding.

For Example:

Seeking 4* hotel in a Metro Area

Areas:

A - with 4* hotels

B - no 4* hotels

C - no 4* hotels

D - no 4* hotels

E - no 4* hotels

I understood that I could bid as follows

Bid 1 - Area A

Bid 2 - Area A and B

Bid 3 - Area A and C

Bid 4 - Area A and D

Bid 5 - Area A and E

Bid 6 - Area A and B and C

Bid 7 - Area A and B and D

Bid 8 - Area A and B and E

Bid 9 - Area A and C and D

etc.

However Priceline stopped me after bid 2. I would not allow me to remove area B from my search. I have read that you simply use your back button to get to the screen that allows you to deselect Area B and replace it with Area C. I did this and I got a Priceline message that I had already bid and needed to change something. It lead me to a screen that still had area B selected.

Have I missed something technical? Do I turn off cookies or have to clear my history in my browser or something. Or does this strategy simply no longer apply.

Thanks in advance.

[Gallus50]

You can't unclick anything you've already clicked. You need to close your browser and start over.

The easiest thing to do is to bid A, add B, then add C, etc, until you've covered them all. Then close your browser and just try A plus C, close browser. Then try A plus D, and so on. Some people have put together complicated matrixes and thereuare can probably answer this better than I can. It may seem like a pain to close your browser and start over all the time, but it works.

[Romelle]

With your example, to "clear B", you have to sign completely off Priceline and then come back in anew. You then have a fresh blank screen.

In lots of the detailed instructions here it is referred to as "close your browser". Just closing the screen does the job, or clicking on that "sign out" up top. And there are probably other ways.

Once you are out and come back in again, you still can't repeat any exact combination you already did. But your old choices are gone and you can make new different choices.

If you want to help support this board so it is around to answer questions, you can link back to Priceline from this site.

With your example, you need to "close your browser" between each bid after Bid 2.

If you want to get an actual bidding pattern geared to your particular situation, you can post bid particulars. You've got one generic version right, but I've seen lots of interesting variations more finely tailored to certain needs.

Romelle

[rc408]

Have I missed something technical? Do I turn off cookies or have to clear my history in my browser or something. Or does this strategy simply no longer apply.

I have always had to sign out of Priceline and sign back in and then select both A and the new zone to get it to work. Simply hitting back on the browser does not clear the selection.

[C-Hawk]

Thanks for the advice. Does it make a difference if you are a 'registered' Priceline user or do the same rules apply regardless.

[Romelle]

Thanks for the advice. Does it make a difference if you are a 'registered' Priceline user or do the same rules apply regardless.

I don't know it for a fact, but I can't imagine why there would be a difference.

Romelle

[thereuare]

No difference if you're a registered user or not, but i will add that if you use the search box on the top right of this page it will save you a few steps when you need to close the browser.

When you start with the top right search box the bidding page will open in a new window. If after your first rejected bid you close the browser, this window would be the one that is shown and all of your information still remains in the search box so all you need to do is click the GO button rather than re-enter all of your city, zone, date, etc information.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases (or the search boxes).

[C-Hawk]

Thanks for the tip, will do.

If I find success I will post in the appropriate section.

Cheers!

[toledo]

I've used Priceline dozens of times and this just happened to me.  I couldn't bid more than two zones.  It takes me to the regular hotel list, saying my bid was not accepted. 

[Romelle]

I think this is just Price.line making things more of a challenge.  Nothing has really changed.  Bail clear out of Price.line (sign out or close your browser) and click back in again from Betterbidding.  Then you should be able to continue your bidding pattern.

 

Romelle