Loading...

New Hotel Rooms Guarantee


ufjoe21
By ufjoe21,
in

Recommended Posts

I recommended to my friend to use priceline, but they've never used their credit card online before so they were asking me a zillion questions about what kind of guarantee they will have about the whole experience and they were just skeptical of priceline in general, so I was getting stuff in writing for them and noticed this new addition for hotels:

Quality Experience Guarantee

Just because you're saving a lot of money on your hotel stay doesn't mean you're sacrificing quality. We guarantee that you'll always purchase a quality hotel when you Name Your Own Price

Link to comment
say you get the Hyatt Orlando Airport hotel and priceline rates it a 4*......then you go onto hotwire and they rate it a 3*, then you can get a refund

I don't see where it says this, all it basically says is that Priceline uses rigorous standards and as part of those standards they compare the star rating to that of other services. No where does it say or imply "if you find it rated lower elsewhere you'll get a refund".

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

Link to comment

"compared star ratings assigned by other rating services"

this is where they might be getting into more then they're bargaining for.....

say I ask for a refund based on this and priceline refuses, all I have to do is provide my credit card company with that specific quote to secure my win

I will admit the language is a little vague....so not everybody will see it the same as me

I love priceline and have never been disappointed by priceline's ratings, unlike Hotwire

I showed the line to a friend of mine in the legal world, and they said they leave themselves open to problems by phrasing it that way

personally, I'm a little sad.......I haven't made a priceline reservation for 7 months :)

Link to comment
I showed the line to a friend of mine in the legal world, and they said they leave themselves open to problems by phrasing it that way
They do not guarantee that their star ratings match. If you would have continued searching their FAQ, you would have seen this:
We know that you rely on us for accurate information on the quality of the hotels in our program - that's why we take the time to independently evaluate hotels and assign our own hotel rating based on such criteria as level of amenities and services.

Our ratings may sometimes differ from those of other rating systems that you may be familiar with but remember - our hotel partners are the most recognized national brands and quality independent hotels. We screen each participating hotel carefully and update our information to ensure you always receive quality accommodations.

Link to comment
If you would have continued searching their FAQ, you would have seen this:

Is it getting TOBB in here, or is it just me?

ufjoe makes a good point. The law supersedes Priceline's FAQ. How much wiggle room is in Priceline's star ratings, and how much force this "guarantee" really has, is a matter of valid debate.

I'm OK with Priceline's ratings maybe 90% of the time. But they're not perfect; I stayed at a blatantly misrated 3* just a couple weeks ago. It would reflect well on PL to stand behind their ratings and respond to complaints.

Link to comment

That statement was not an attacking or sarcastic statement. If he had provided his friend a complete picture of the facts, they possibly would have came to a different conclusion.

The law supersedes Priceline's FAQ.
You are entering into a contract with priceline when bidding. They clearly do not guarantee that their star levels match other services.
Link to comment
Is it getting TOBB in here, or is it just me?
This thread still exists, doesn't it? :)
The law supersedes Priceline's FAQ. How much wiggle room is in Priceline's star ratings, and how much force this "guarantee" really has, is a matter of valid debate.
lowballer, do you really agree with the premise of this thread that the above priceline statements would enable a user to cancel a priceline hotel if they found a lower star rating elsewhere? I don't even think the law (or a credit card company) would side with the consumer in this instance. All the above says to me is that they use a rigorous rating system which includes checking the rating system of other sites.... i think that to conclude from that statement that the star rating will match that of other sites is a leap that isn't stated.

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

Link to comment
lowballer, do you really agree with the premise of this thread that the above priceline statements would enable a user to cancel a priceline hotel if they found a lower star rating elsewhere? I don't even think the law (or a credit card company) would side with the consumer in this instance. All the above says to me is that they use a rigorous rating system which includes checking the rating system of other sites.... i think that to conclude from that statement that the star rating will match that of other sites is a leap that isn't stated.

If PL is unwilling to lay out a recourse available to customers when a hotel is misrated, what exactly makes it a "guarantee"? My complaint here is not with anyone's opinion in this thread, but with PL. If it's not a guarantee, isn't it unethical to for PL to call it that? People are OK with this?

I just checked whether AAA guarantees its ratings. A 2005 TourBook states: "When you find your room is not as specified... you should be given the option of choosing a different room or finding one elsewhere. Should you choose to go elsewhere and a refund is refused or resisted, submit the matter to AAA/CAA within 30 days along with complete documentation..." "As specified" presumably means conforming to everything printed in the TourBook such as amenities and diamond level.

A legal contract is two-sided. Both buyer and seller have obligations. And generally, if the seller contradicts himself in the contract by saying "star level is guaranteed" in one place and "star level is not guaranteed" in another... then the buyer pretty much wins any disputes.

Most of us frequent PL users have stayed in misrated hotels by now. (If you haven't, consider yourself lucky.) Most of us know of zones to stay away from and levels not to bid -- thanks in part to this board. Doesn't this taint the PL experience? Wouldn't PL be more useful if we had a more consistent idea of what a 3* was?

Finally, while it's fair game to point someone to a link or posted FAQ answer a question or support one's point, statements such as "If you would have continued searching their FAQ, you would have seen..." come across as crass and remind me of That Other Place. PL's Web site is not the easiest to navigate or completely digest (I think this is a bit intentional on PL's part), and usually we're nicer here. Something like "Elsewhere in their FAQ, it states..." would have been friendlier. Others may disagree, and I'm cool with that.

Link to comment

They do not guarantee that their star ratings match. If you would have continued searching their FAQ, you would have seen this:

mmm I actually missed that......

well actually, this opens up a bigger can of worms then!....because the 2 statements are contradictory to me at least

ufjoe makes a good point. The law supersedes Priceline's FAQ. How much wiggle room is in Priceline's star ratings, and how much force this "guarantee" really has, is a matter of valid debate.

I'm OK with Priceline's ratings maybe 90% of the time. But they're not perfect; I stayed at a blatantly misrated 3* just a couple weeks ago. It would reflect well on PL to stand behind their ratings and respond to complaints.

thanks lowballer, I agree with priceline ratings 90% of the time too.....but there seems to be a lot of people who aren't as lucky

That statement was not an attacking or sarcastic statement. If he had provided his friend a complete picture of the facts, they possibly would have came to a different conclusion.

You are entering into a contract with priceline when bidding. They clearly do not guarantee that their star levels match other services.

right, but if the contract has contradictory statements then you can make a case

If PL is unwilling to lay out a recourse available to customers when a hotel is misrated, what exactly makes it a "guarantee"? My complaint here is not with anyone's opinion in this thread, but with PL. If it's not a guarantee, isn't it unethical to for PL to call it that? People are OK with this?

I just checked whether AAA guarantees its ratings. A 2005 TourBook states: "When you find your room is not as specified... you should be given the option of choosing a different room or finding one elsewhere. Should you choose to go elsewhere and a refund is refused or resisted, submit the matter to AAA/CAA within 30 days along with complete documentation..." "As specified" presumably means conforming to everything printed in the TourBook such as amenities and diamond level.

A legal contract is two-sided. Both buyer and seller have obligations. And generally, if the seller contradicts himself in the contract by saying "star level is guaranteed" in one place and "star level is not guaranteed" in another... then the buyer pretty much wins any disputes.

exactly!

Most of us frequent PL users have stayed in misrated hotels by now. (If you haven't, consider yourself lucky.) Most of us know of zones to stay away from and levels not to bid -- thanks in part to this board. Doesn't this taint the PL experience? Wouldn't PL be more useful if we had a more consistent idea of what a 3* was?

Finally, while it's fair game to point someone to a link or posted FAQ answer a question or support one's point, statements such as "If you would have continued searching their FAQ, you would have seen..." come across as crass and remind me of That Other Place. PL's Web site is not the easiest to navigate or completely digest (I think this is a bit intentional on PL's part), and usually we're nicer here. Something like "Elsewhere in their FAQ, it states..." would have been friendlier. Others may disagree, and I'm cool with that.

:)

Link to comment

I'm still not seeing a guarantee for their star levels.

Your hotel will be star-rated by priceline according to our rigorous rating system.
They will independently rate it using their system
This means that our hotel staff has researched your hotel,
Check.
reviewed customer comments
Check.
and compared star ratings assigned by other rating services.
Compared other sites, check. Doesn't say matches. Just compared.
The hotel you get will meet priceline's strict quality standards.
Priceline's standards, not some other star rating system's standards.

It's still not contradictory.

Link to comment

Compared other sites, check. Doesn't say matches. Just compared.

"compared other sites", what if there's vast discrepancy between PL and another site......that leaves grounds for the customer to be displeased........this is why a person would ask for a refund and rightfully deserve one IMO
Link to comment
"compared other sites", what if there's vast discrepancy between PL and another site
This has always been the 'issue' and what makes the typical non-BetterBidding user scared to try Priceline... and in my opinion none of the above changes that.

I think most who have replied to this thread are in agreement, but where i disagree and the problem i have with this thread is this quote:

say you get the Hyatt Orlando Airport hotel and priceline rates it a 4*......then you go onto hotwire and they rate it a 3*, then you can get a refund
I don't believe that the above is accurate and it implies "not happy with your hotel, find it rated lower and priceline will be forced to refund your money" which i think is very far from accurate and a very BIG leap to take from what the above priceline policy actually states.

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

Link to comment

This has always been the 'issue' and what makes the typical non-BetterBidding user scared to try Priceline... and in my opinion none of the above changes that.

I think most who have replied to this thread are in agreement, but where i disagree and the problem i have with this thread is this quote:I don't believe that the above is accurate and it implies "not happy with your hotel, find it rated lower and priceline will be forced to refund your money" which i think is very far from accurate and a very BIG leap to take from what the above priceline policy actually states.

as for the exact hotel, I just made it up as an example........

like I said before the language isn't clear EITHER way, this is all somebody needs to make a case for a refund..............when the credit card companies aren't dealing with fraud and it's online the only way they can side with the customer is when the exact language of the contract/rules online aren't clear

I had a similar situation with some online sites where I wasn't defrauded out of my money, but wasn't satisfied with my product either and the online retailer refused a refund but I took a screenshot of their refund policy, which they had changed shortly after I had asked for a refund, before they made the change and it was very similar............the language was vague, although it didn't clearly side with my view, it didn't clearly side with the retailer's view either, so this is what won the case for me

this was for something fairly cheap that I fought hard for, if somebody is spending hundreds of dollars on a vacation for them and their families and believe they've been swindled I have no doubt they would fight just as hard

all I'm trying to say is that this is a new addition to the rules, and PL may be getting more then they're bargaining for...........personally I don't know when I'll be able to make a PL reservation anytime soon so it doesn't affect me that much

Link to comment
as for the exact hotel, I just made it up as an example........
That was clear.
...the language isn't clear EITHER way...
I disagree... if i only glanced at the policy i might accept your interpretation, but based upon what it actually states i think you're interpretation is a big leap to draw the conclusion you did. I'm not saying you won't get a company card company to reverse the charge, but i also think it's very plausible that a credit card company would side with priceline based upon what the policy states.

Bottomline: it's not as "open and shut" as your quote above suggests.

We'll have to agree to disagree on what the official policy does say.

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

Link to comment
Need help with your own trip?

Register now, we have a huge community of travel enthusiasts to answer any questions you might have.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account
Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
EXCLUSIVELY at BetterBidding:
10% OFF

PRICELINE COUPON


(click here) and use

promo code

: EASTEREGG

(Hotel and Car Express Deals max $60 discount... expires 03/31/2024)
QUICKQUOTE [X]
PRICELINE & HOTWIRE on one screen!
NOTE: Priceline searches for
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ONLY
Room %roomN%:
Age of child:
FINDFAST[X]
×
×
  • Create New...