Priceline Manipulating *** System?

[IBDP]

I have just had a rather very bad experience with Priceline using the "free" re-bid system. I bid $55.00 for a 3 *** hotel in University City area. April 3-8, 2004. Was rejected. There were two 2** area for rebids; I checked this thoroughly before adding those areas. I added one of them and bid 60.00, was rejected. I added the other 2 ** area, at which time Priceline had me on "hold" for 45 minutes, stating on the "check your bid " area, that they are searching and will be no longer than 15 minutes. I have never bid before when they did not return a verdict in one minute max. Well, during my 45 minute wait, I emailed once, as I do not have that kind of time to wait; no response; I tried to cancel my bid altogether, but was prevented from doing this...after 45 minutes, my bid was accepted at the former 2** area, which I assume they spent the time making into a 3*** area. First of all, is this in the rules that they can do this. Secondly, isn't this a bit underhanded? It certainly puts a "damper" on the free re-bid. Now my husband is stuck way out in East Podunk and has to travel 18 miles to where he needed to be and should have been in the first place-University City area of Philly. Please send your feedback on this travesty...what can I do?...Have you experienced the same?....anything in the rules about maximum time for customer to wait? I would appreciate hearing any and all comments and suggestions on what, if anything, can be done about this :)

Thank you in advance

IBDP- Donna

[DeltaPurser]

That sucks!

But I don't remember reading anywhere that there is a time limit on how long they have to accept a bid... All I know is that they "will USUALLY have a reply within 15 minutes".

Have you checked the area again afterwards? Does it now offer a 3* hotel?

If not, I don't see how they would turn a 2* into a 3* just to accept one bid... Strange situation.

DeltaPurser :)

[bbbb]

I have never waited over 5 mins for a bid to be accepted,it sounds like they were up grading the system to include the change when you bid.

[WillTravel]

IBDP, could you post what hotel you won in what zone? That might help to figure this out.

[thereuare]

I'll add my comments and thoughts after you post your winning bid :)

Besides being the right thing to do, i'll need that information in order to look into this and respond appropriately.

Please start a new thread for this win in the Pennsylvania>>Priceline section of the board.

[DeltaPurser]

It is my understanding that all PL bids are processed automatically by the res. system (Worldspan). There is no way a human can sit there and analyze each of the tens of thousands of bids that are processed each day, pick one of these and decide to "upgrade" a hotel to a different star level just to accept a bid... (No, not even an underpaid, over-worked off-shore employee in India!)

DeltaPurser :)

[thereuare]

The winning bid is posted here: PHILADELPHIA PRICELINE WINNING BID

[thereuare]

Upgrades have to occur at some point in time and it very well could have been while you were in the process of your bid, but if that is indeed the case i don't think it was some overt plan by Priceline to accept your bid. As DeltaPurser pointed out, the entire system is automated and there are hundreds (thousands?) of bids being placed every hour. Is it at all possible that you made an error in identifying your re-bid zones:

-you state above that there were 2 re-bid zones at the 3* level and indeed there still are (Veterans and Depford/Runnemede)

-more telling i received a PM from another user who found a 3* hotel had been won in this zone before

[IBDP]

Hello Thereuare and others.

I appreciate the feedback on this problem with Priceline. Deltapurser is correct in that everything surely is done by electronics and not touched by human hands. (as an aside, there seems to be no intelligent life in the "travel Specialist" area of Priceline; canned responses to all of my emails). Another possibly correct theory is that the database, indeed, was in flux while I waited 40 or more minutes for their decision. Thereuare, I had stated, I believe, or meant to state that I had used 2 rebid areas. There were indeed three when I went into the bidding process. You yourself have warned against not rechecking the zones each time you bid, as they do change. Well, unfortunately for me, mine changed in the process of a bid. If I implied that Pricelinewas "out to get me", forgive me. That was not my intent. My displeasure with Priceline is their lack of response, lack of caring, I certainly found out the hard way. One can never speak with a human being (Hotwire is responsive that way) and one can never expect anything but canned answers to their questions; for example, after telling them my tale of injustice, they responded by saying " Radisson is in fact a three star hotel. We think you will like it very much." Thereuare and all others: A Caveat Emptor re: re-bids...do not expect your re-bid free zones to remain that while you are in the midst of bidding. I certainly learned my lesson. We had to get another hotel. as my husband cannot commute 45 minutes to University Center, Philly, so the Radisson in Trevose will be empty and we will have paid an outrageous price for a three star hotel. Anyone need a hotel room in Trevose for April 3 through 8th, 2004???

Kind regards,

Donna

[badbadleroybrown]

I won this hotel about 6 months ago and remember, with 100% confidence, that this hotel was in the Trevose/Bensalem zone and it was a 3 star. I am sure you are mistaken. Its ok, just make sure to double check your checking.

[wcj1]

I have been working on a Philadelphia bid since mid-February (the stay is not until Dec, so I have time), and I have had the Trevose zone marked as 3* in my notes ever since I started bidding.

BillJ

[IBDP]

To All who are trying to be helpful by letting me know that they bid this hotel in Trevose and it was a 3***, I am sure you are correct about that. I have no questions but that the Radisson in Trevose is a 3*** hotel and is probably a very nice place. However, what you are neglecting to understand is that Zones change the # of *** according to availability of the particular 3***( or other) hotel. If there is one or two of these hotels in Trevose and they are not available when I begin my bid process, the 3*** hotel will not show up in the Trevose Zone. My contention is that when I began my bid, I checked every zone for under 3 ***, to determine how many free rebids I had and where. I wrote the zones down on paper and began my bidding. During the process of bidding, which took an hour, btw, I fully believe that there was a database addition to include the Radisson in Trevose, which is why I warn you all not to be so sure of yourselves in a free rebid. It happened to me; it could happen to you. I am sure it happens seldom, but now we know we are taking a chance in landing in the "burbs' or worse by using those lower stars for a free rebid. No, I do not believe that Priceline "did this to me", but again, Caveat Emptor.

Kind regards,

Donna

[thereuare]

However, what you are neglecting to understand is that Zones change the # of *** according to availability of the particular 3***( or other) hotel. If there is one or two of these hotels in Trevose and they are not available when I begin my bid process, the 3*** hotel will not show up in the Trevose Zone

This isn't my understanding of the way it works.

If Priceline has a contract with a 3* hotel in this zone it will show the 3 star option... regardless of whether or not that hotel has made any availability to Priceline for that specific date. If there is no 3* option offered... Priceline has no contract with any 3* hotels in that area.

[WillTravel]

In respect to your original bid, Priceline has occasionally given people partial refunds or helped resolve the situation in some other way when they made an error or some unexpected situation came up. Since you have now made a new bid for the same dates, I think it would be very reasonable to pursue this with Priceline just focusing on the "honest mistake" issue. It might take ages to find a real human to talk to, but it's possible you could get some good results.

[bbbb]

Willtravel is right,sometimes they will make a one time exception that I would try to get if I were you.It would have been better to have asked for the exception before you rebid but you have nothing to lose.When I bid a city I frist go through and write down all the free rebids to avoid problems like this from happening.

[BEAV]

If Priceline has a contract with a 3-star hotel within a particular zone, yet has no availability on a given date within the 3-star category, the box you would normally select indicating you wish to bid for a 3 star hotel is simply "greyed" out, as opposed to the insinuation that the 3 star option is removed from the list of categories to select.

This happens frequently in the Oakland, CA zone where there is only one known 3 star hotel (Marriott). Often times, you'll find the 3 star option greyed out, yet lower categories are available to select. What else could this mean other than Priceline doesn't have access to a 3 star hotel within the zone for the date you're bidding.