"OMG" is all I can say about this miserable online company. I just used it for the first time, and it will be the last. They have the "Low Price Guarantee" posted all over the place. I guess they are feeling some pressure from Orbitz' commercials, lol.
I found a lower price at the same type of room, at the same exact hotel, and the same reservation date within 48 hours of booking, and they still refused to refund the difference. I booked a hotel room for two nights, but, according to Hotwire, the first night is showing as "unavailable." When I told them that there are plenty of room for the second night at a much lower price, they said, because they are not the exact, same itinerary, they can't honor the price guarantee. I even contacted the hotel and one of Hotwire's competitors directly and was able to confirm that the rates were cheaper and the rooms were available.
So, basically, what Hotwire was telling me is that, they can't refund me for the difference for the second night stay because the first night is showing as "unavailable" in their system. So what kind of "guarantee" is this? It's like someone buying two cans of soda at a store because it is having a "special price guarantee." Then, when the customer goes back to the store to ask for a refund because he/she found out that there is another store that's selling the same can of soda at 1/2 the price price, the store refuses to give the refund because the customer bought two cans of sodas instead of one from them. What??!!
I even printed-out the supporting pages from the Internet, scanned them, and e-mailed them to the Customer Service Dept. It replied by stating that they do not open any e-mail attachment because they don't want to risk their computers getting infected with viruses. I am not kidding. I feel like tweeting a copy of that e-mail reply from them.
I even called the Customer Service to speak with a live person. The Customer Service Rep. Suggested that I e-mail them the link of the site where I found the cheaper price. I went the the same site, but, as I expected the price has been changed because the site gets updated everyday. I called the Customer Service again, this time, to get a fax number for me to send the documents. The response to my fax was the same old answer, utilizing their rules, technicality, and semantics as a loophole not to honor their "guarantee."
I am confident that the owners of Hotwire do not give a rat's rear about the customer service. Their Customer Service Reps are basically brainless robots programmed to repeat the same thing over and over (just slightly differently each time). I sent three separate e-mails to the Customer Service Dept. (and called twice) and someone new always repeats the same thing that the previous rep. Already stated. There is nothing "customized" about Hotwire's customer service.
Whenever I tried to point-out the facts and explain why I feel that I should get the refund, they come back with whatever reason they can pull out of their butt at that moment to put a roadblock. It reminds me of a low-class, corrupt businesses in developing countries during the 1970's. Pretty pathetic.
I understand that businesses are operating to make profits, but I think it's unethical, "dirty, " and bad business practice to advertise a "guarantee" to give the consumers a FALSE sense of security, then use technicality, semantics of words, and not-so-obvious, "fine-print" rules to not honor it.
I certainly hope that the saying that "what goes around comes around" is true. I just don't see how they can continue to survive as a viable business entity, practicing deceptive business practices.
To top it off, one of the e-mails stated that "We sincerely hope that you will continue to visit our website." In addition, the rep. I spoke also asked me if I wanted to take a Customer Service Survey at the end. It was comical. It was like finding a dead cockroach in your food, and the restaurant asking the customer to rate them on their "cleanliness." Do these people think?
0 comments