# Priceline hotel cancellation due to bedbugs?



## KenK (May 11, 2007)

Priceline has a no cancellation policy.  Would a person be allowed to cancel when they discovered reports of bed bug infestations?


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## MRSFUSSY (May 11, 2007)

*bugs*

Wow,that must have been some place.  Hands down cancellation in my book!


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## aliron (May 12, 2007)

*Not Priceline but try Hotel*

I think Priceline may not be the place to cancel but the business that you are planning on using should issue the refund. I would contact them first and see what other accomodations are available. 

To me, Priceline is only a service to bring seller and buyer together. They are not the ones providing the actual service. 

Priceline should be able to assist you in dealing with the business they put you with.


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## DeniseM (May 13, 2007)

I'm sorry, but the above post was not accurate.  To get a refund you will have to go to Priceline.  However, unless YOU personally experience bedbugs, you aren't likely to get a refund.  If you google bedbugs, you will find that global travel is bringing them into even 5 Star resorts in the US.  It has nothing to do with housekeeping or cleanliness - they simply travel with people from countries where they are common and set up shop where ever they land.  The only way to be 100% sure you will avoid them is to stay home.


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## Malibu Sky (May 13, 2007)

I "bought" a hotel room in San Diego via Hotwire...similiar to Priceline.  After I found out what hotel it was, I checked out reviews on Trip Adviser and Yahoo only to find out that it have a lot of very negative reviews.  My brother was doing me a favor and taking my son for a tennis tournament and I felt guilty making them stay at a hotel "that smelled like urine!"  

I contacted Hotwire and told them that I had heard really bad things about the hotel and that I would not be staying there.  They indicated they would not refund my money unless it didn't meet the "star level" associated with the hotel and that they would do "some research" and if the rating was not correct, thney would refund my $$.  About 1 week later, I was informed that indeed the hotel fit it star rating and thus no refund.

Good luck to you but I doubt you will be seein your $$ back!!


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## wackymother (May 13, 2007)

But someone did post a story a while back about getting a room on Priceline, finding out from TripAdvisor that it was terrible, and writing to Priceline to request a refund. In that case Priceline decided the star rating was not correct and refunded the money. I remember the story because I thought it was pretty surprising!


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## DeniseM (May 13, 2007)

wackymother said:


> But someone did post a story a while back about getting a room on Priceline, finding out from TripAdvisor that it was terrible, and writing to Priceline to request a refund. In that case Priceline decided the star rating was not correct and refunded the money. I remember the story because I thought it was pretty surprising!



Yes, but finding bedbugs would not affect the Star rating.  The star rating is mostly based on amenities.


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## wackymother (May 13, 2007)

DeniseM said:


> Yes, but finding bedbugs would not affect the Star rating.  The star rating is mostly based on amenities.



Yes...but I would give it a whirl anyway, Ken. You don't have anything to lose by trying.


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## wauhob3 (May 13, 2007)

I received a refund from Priceline due to a re-rating of the star quality. That's what it usually takes. It doesn't hurt to ask nothing ventured, nothing gained.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 14, 2007)

Essentially, your contract with Priceline or Hotwire is that they will give you a room at a hotel of the specified rating quality in exchange for the money you give them.  That's about it.

So as long as they give you a resort of the agreed upon quality, they have fulfilled their part of the contract.  Hence, with rare exceptions, as long as the hotel provides you with a room with at least a double bed the only basis to request a refund is that the hotel itself did not meet the quality standards for the level of quality you bid on (with Priceline) or accepted (with Hotwire).


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## ctreelmom (May 15, 2007)

wackymother said:


> But someone did post a story a while back about getting a room on Priceline, finding out from TripAdvisor that it was terrible, and writing to Priceline to request a refund. In that case Priceline decided the star rating was not correct and refunded the money. I remember the story because I thought it was pretty surprising!



I think that was me!  It took a lot of persistence, but it did work.  I had to use a special email address that you find under, I think, shareholder services on their website.  What tipped me off was when I went to the Days Inn (I think that's the chain it was) website there was only a photo of the sign outside the place and even that looked scary and whatever self-rating system they use (suns, I think) led me to think they rated their own property lower than what I had bid for on Priceline.  Then I went onto TripAdvisor and saw all the bad reviews.  When I contacted them, I emphasized my concerns about cleanliness and safety, made it very clear what I wanted (either an upgrade to one of a list of other properties I had researched or a refund), and I got the refund.  They said it was because their investigation revealed that the property's star rating was indeed incorrect.


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## Cathy in Boston (May 15, 2007)

Always wondered if we should try booking through one of those discount sites rather than going directly through the hotels like we usually do.

I think I will continue to book directly....


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 15, 2007)

Cathy in Boston said:


> Always wondered if we should try booking through one of those discount sites rather than going directly through the hotels like we usually do.
> 
> I think I will continue to book directly....



That's a matter of how much money you want to save.  As with timesharing, PL and HW are better in some situations, not so good in others.

I use PL and HW frequently; I typically save at least 25% off the lowest price available elsewhere (for hotels, that's off the lowest internet rate, not the rack rate) and often 50% less.  I have had a couple of instances where I have saved more than $100/night.

For those kinds of savings, I can live with not dealing directly with the vendor.


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## wackymother (May 15, 2007)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> That's a matter of how much money you want to save.  As with timesharing, PL and HW are better in some situations, not so good in others.
> 
> I use PL and HW frequently; I typically save at least 25% off the lowest price available elsewhere (for hotels, that's off the lowest internet rate, not the rack rate) and often 50% less.  I have had a couple of instances where I have saved more than $100/night.
> 
> For those kinds of savings, I can live with not dealing directly with the vendor.



Yes, we've had great luck with Priceline and Hotwire. But we almost always use them strictly for big cities with lots of hotels, and even then we rarely bid on anything below four stars. We've saved a FORTUNE that way. But like timesharing, you have to do your research first and understand what you're doing.


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