Priceline confusion

[Clementyne]

I have been trying to get a car on Priceline through the "name your price" option, and instead of getting a "rejection", I am getting a message saying that Priceline couldn't find any cars available, but below are some "low priced options" (for the same type of car!). I tried redoing my bid trying a different type of car, and got the same thing. BTW I am looking for Denver airport, 7/25-8/4.

I have used Priceline quite a bit, but have never gotten this message before...it's always a yes, or a no. Has Priceline recently changed it's practices?

Clem

[thereuare]

It's a rejection message along with some cross-marketing.

Your bid was rejected, PRICELINE knows that you need a car, so now they're offering you a conventional booking in hopes of getting the business.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[CivicBlues]

I got this too just now. Kept waiting for a rejection screen or email. I ended up looking under "My Trips" after calling the robotic customer service and it showed that it was rejected.

Very confusing and misleading. Why don't they just do the same as hotels and tell you when they reject/accept??

[Colfax]

Clementyne,

When I check your Denver dates on Hotwire they have no opaque inventory except SUV class. For all other car classes Hotwire routes you to a conventional retail booking (where you know the car rental company's name in advance) at full retail price.

On Hotwire you can tell if a rental car offering is opaque or retail by the color of the listing. Opaque listings are in red. Retail listings are in gray.

Hotwire and Priceline work with the same rental car companies. If Hotwire doesn't have opaque inventory for your dates then Priceline probably doesn't either.

I think Priceline is routing you to their retail section because they don't have anything opaque in your car class now, no matter how high you bid.

Your 11-day rental term could be part of the problem. When I check just your first 7 days Hotwire offers an opaque option (in red) for several more car classes than they offer for 11 days.

[thereuare]

Why don't they just do the same as hotels and tell you when they reject/accept??

This is just a new type of rejection (it does say something to the effect that they couldn't find a car for your price, but how about these selections...)

It's business, they have a customer infront of them whose first preference (naming their own price) was not available, so might as well try to sell them something they need (a rental car) thru a different method.

And PRICELINE is beginning to do this with hotels too, so don't be suruprised if you see this in the future after a rejected hotel bid.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.