I have been a priceline.com customer for over 10 years and have used the "name your own price" feature with much success and also purchased rooms at the published prices. I have had no complaints until today when I tried to book a hotel in Orlando for five nights starting tomorrow (Jan. 1), using the Express feature.
This listed a 2.5 star hotel in Altamonte Springs/Maitland for $45.00/night, to include free parking, internet and breakfast. The hotels listed in the box under "What hotel?" where: Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, Best Western, Holiday Inn, Fairfield Inn by Marriott, and the Marriott Springhill Suites were listed as possible hotels. Although I missed the fine print that other hotels might be included (this is not visible unless you click on another button) and the Quality Inn in Maitland/Altamonte Springs does come up as a 2.5 star hotel once you locate it on their website, this is extremely misleading. This hotel is not in the same category as the hotels mentioned, under any circumstances. I spent over one hour on the line with three Priceline representatives (the last call went through my credit card company) only to hear the same "can't cancel it, can't transfer or change it, etc...".
This Express Deals option is false advertising and Priceline needs to show some flexibility on this issue until they make it very clear what hotels might be booked.
I will never use Priceline again and am trying to dispute this charge with my credit card company, but am still left with the possibility of paying for two simultaneous hotel stays (as I refuse to stay at the Quality Inn).
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