JanetNC Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Rented cars in Florida Dec & Jan, both times Priceline offered good rates attached to hotel itinerary, in the $16-$18 range.For Tampa,their offer was $51 mid-size. Hotwire is currently showing $34.95 but I have booked through an American Airlines code a Budget mid-size for about the same. For the past few days have been bidding in the $15-$20 range and getting a message haven't seen before:"$18 would be a great price, but it is so far below currently available rates that none of our partners are likely to accept it" Re-bid "$26 for a good chance or $27 for a great chance". I don't bid on cars that often-what is your strategy with this message? When I get counteroffers on hotels, usually re-bid only about a third of the difference. Know it's spring break, baseball training, etc, but still can't believe I need to go over $20. Might $22 work? or does it have to be $26? Any advice appreciated. Janet Link to comment
AaronJB Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 I'm unfamiliar with bidding on rental cars (since I don't drive), but I would recommend keeping in mind that PRICELINE is a business; just because they say that a certain rate isn't likely to be accepted doesn't mean 100% it won't be. I would try $18 if you have not already.Please use the site's PRICELINE link to start your bidding. Link to comment
JanetNC Posted February 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Yesterday, tried $18, PL responded with above message, I re-bid $20. Only using standard and mid sizes. Have five more days to bid too if last-minute price drops are seen for car rentals. Link to comment
farnorthtrader Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 I have made repeated requests at different prices when I received the message and it is always the same response, so it doesn't matter what bid you have put in, so going a certain fraction of the way to the suggested prices will not work. My guess is that the bottom threshold is is either a certain dollar amount or a certain percentage below what they suggest. I have found that the message won't come up if you bid about $5 under the lower price, so i am guessing that this might be as low as you could go. Link to comment
JanetNC Posted February 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Thank you, FarNorthTrader. Just the info I needed. I too had noticed that no matter if the bid was $15, 17 or 18, PRICELINE stuck with that $26 counter, nor has it changed as the rental date became closer. Link to comment
traceyn Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Thank you, FarNorthTrader. Just the info I needed. I too had noticed that no matter if the bid was $15, 17 or 18, PRICELINE stuck with that $26 counter, nor has it changed as the rental date became closer.I have been getting the same message on my HNL bids the last 2 days with the same dolllar amounts they suggested to you. Thanks to FarNorthTrader for his info too. Link to comment
JanetNC Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 I have been getting the same message on my HNL bids the last 2 days with the same dolllar amounts they suggested to you. Thanks to FarNorthTrader for his info too.I went to up to $22 yesterday, still not accepted and with same "you have to bid $26" message. I can just hear the computer saying "not her again" when I enter my PL account. :) In exasperation, yesterday PL also gave me a "one-time offer" to re-bid without changing any parameters. However, $22 was not the number they wanted in response to their kindness. Interesting that $26 offers a "good chance" in two sunny markets, both with tons of rental cars. Link to comment
szymon Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 $26 = $143, and a reservation with National for a midsize using a free weekend day coupon = $149. National lets you select your own car and bypass the counter (if you join the Emerald Aisle program) so I don't recommend saving $6 and giving up these benefits.Szymon Link to comment
JanetNC Posted February 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 syzmon,Thanks for the National tip, but the free weekend coupon must be returned by Monday (this a Sat to Weds) and even National's "last minute special" was $43/day for a mid-size in Tampa! That's almost as "special" as Priceline's original $51 offer. Where did you see $26?Today PL refused $25 and Hotwire increased to $36.95 from $34.95, so this is not going my way. I'm OK with my back-up, but it is such an increase from my two recent visits, makes me wonder about this "rumor" of a recession. :) Thanks to everyone for your advice, Janet Link to comment
JanetNC Posted February 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 This has been a learning experience...price has continued to go up we as get closer to pick-up date. PRICELINE never took less than $26, and now the message is "good chance=$30"! HOTWIRE is now $39.95 for mid-size. Also today PL sent me a "Still looking for Car in Tampa?" email. Mid-size is $28 on that email (list looks similar to the list which may be attached to a hotel itinerary). Way better than their first $51 price, but higher than my first "$26 good chance message." One possibility in Florida Spring break season is that should a rental company need cars in Orlando/FLL etc, it is easy to move cars around to other cities. So even if there isn't anything other than usual Tampa baseball/spring break demand, inventory could still be tight, and getting tighter. I keep checking all "last-minute specials" but no joy. Will try once more Friday, but unlikely with fees to be worth upping my bid to $30. Link to comment
szymon Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 syzmon,Thanks for the National tip, but the free weekend coupon must be returned by Monday (this a Sat to Weds) and even National's "last minute special" was $43/day for a mid-size in Tampa! That's almost as "special" as Priceline's original $51 offer. Where did you see $26?Go to VacationOutlet.com, click on Car Rentals, and National. Then click on the Free Weekend Day which will bring you to the reservation page.Enter your dates 2/28 - 3/4. If you choose the midsize, the total price will be $149.24.The coupon is still accepted as you have a Saturday night stay and are within the 5 day maximum restriction of the coupon.$26 was your bid on PRICELINE, what I meant was that with taxes/fees your total would be $143 or within $6 of National's rate.Szymon Link to comment
JanetNC Posted February 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 MANY, many thanks for that tip. I'm reserved with National and done! VacationOutlet was the key. The free day coupon looked the same as the one on the National home page, but it was a different ID number and did not require the Monday return the company website did. Big difference between two seemingly same coupons. Great advice and your time is much appreciated, Szymon. Thanks to all at BetterBidding. You are my new favorite travel message board. :) Link to comment
farnorthtrader Posted February 28, 2009 Report Share Posted February 28, 2009 Okay, turns out the good chance great chance prices mean absolutely nothing. I have been putting in bids of $20 just to see what the good chance great chance prices would come up as and then actually completing the bid every couple of days or so. The bid has been rejected for weeks now, but tonight it went through. So apparently when you have a good chance at $38, a bid of $20 will be accepted, Go figure! Link to comment
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