Be Careful When Asking Priceline For A Refund
from the don't-ask-for-rain-checks-either dept
Priceline.com had a concert pianist thrown in jail after he called the company asking for a refund of a $953 plane ticket he says he never purchased. Okay, the guy called them 215 times, but Priceline getting police to slap him with 215 charges of harrassment -- one for each call -- seems a little over the top, as does the guy having to spend 40 hours in a holding cell before a judge dismissed the charges. The real kicker, however, is that Priceline's general counsel says all of the guy's calls forced them to install an automated customer-service system. Uh, yeah. Guess that's what they spent the $953 on, so they can't return it.
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No Subject Given
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Re: No Subject Given
I work for a large company that uses priceline alot, not on a corporate basis, but alot of us within the company do. I can't tell you how many times one of my collegues has said they were "Wronged" by priceline.
Anyone who was wronged by priceline is ither and idiot or an ignoramus.
Have any of you ever been to the website? Booked a reservation with them?
They say on ALL of the contracts, that they make you put your Initals in that you read and understood, that the reservations are non-changeable, non-cancelable, and non-refundable.
So one Piano freak from Hell's Kitchen who thinks hes high and mighty decides that contracts don't apply to him, hes too good to follow the rules, and goes off on a tiff about how he wants his money back.
I use priceline alot, and I have saved untold sums of money with it. I'm no priceline advocate however, the website does take some knowlege to use, and a decent bit of internet savy.
But it does indeed tell you everything that will happen before it happens.
The problem is we live in this soft world of "Oh you made a mistake? Oh nevermind well just give you a slap on the hand and let you go."
I'm glad theres a company out there that holds to its rules. If I make a mistake with priceline, I pay for it, no doubt.
But one reservation I booked was done incorrectly, and priceline was at fault. They credited me for the reservations AND accomodated me that evening in the city I was stuck in for free!
In short, if you screw up with this company, you pay, but their willing to do the same.
Ronnie should have paid more attention to what he was putting his initals on, and read what he agreed to, and we wouldn't have this problem.
Personally I hope hes still just as unread and foolish, because i've got a contract here for a bridge in brooklyn i'd like to sell him...
-Trav
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Re: Re: No Subject Given
Just be careful, check with the hotels before leaving home and again when on your way, God forbid you end up in this situation.
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BTW, did you sell that bridge yet? Arrogant prick.
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Get em'
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in beta but it checks the airlines sites and you book with them no third party. Oh, you don't have to sign into Yahoo! to use the service and it is FREE!
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Re: Re: where to get cheap rates
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Re: Re: where to get cheap rates
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Two sides to every story...
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Re: Two sides to every story...
Imagine the amount of frustration that Priceline must have created in this person to get him to call over 200 times...
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Re: Two sides to every story...
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Re: Two sides to every story...
The problem isn't that he called 200 times, the problem is that he had to call more than once. If their customer service provided any "service" it could have resolved a situation like this easily, over the phone, even if its as simple as saying "we'll be contacting your credit card company to get this resolve", then follow through!
I understand this dudes frustration. Customer service for most of these online sites is a joke a lot of times (I spent 30 minutes on the phone last week waiting for a Dell rep only to be told the system was down and to call back tomorrow!). They want you to resolve eveything over the web and therefore, I suspect, don't spend a lot of money or time training their support staff to deal with customers well. I love computers but sometimes there's nothing better than talking to a real person!
Anyway, priceline may have cheap rates but keep treating customers like criminals (especially ones that are alleging the fraudulently charges his credit card) and I don't think folks will keep going there, if for nothing else in fear they may be thrown in jail for a mistake made by the company with their personal information.
Campeon, I hope their not paying you too much because you're not that good a shill.
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Re: Two sides to every story...
"The problem isn't that he called 200 times, the problem is that he had to call more than once. If their customer service provided any "service" it could have resolved a situation like this easily, over the phone, even if its as simple as saying "we'll be contacting your credit card company to get this resolve", then follow through!"
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Re: Two sides to every story...
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Re: Two sides to every story...
As far as Priceline to say this one person was a reason they needed an automated phone system is exaggeration at best, purgury at worst. Kinda like the RIAA saying you owe $10,000 for a single song download.
Corprate idiots, gotta love it!
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Re: Two sides to every story...
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Some Questions....
As for Priceline, say what you want about the model, I have gotten stays at the Hyatt in SF for $50 a night. Someone pls show me where you can you get that someplace else. If you don't like the model, shop someplace else. If you have fraudulent activity on your credit card, call your bank. His 4 hours in the holding cell was just desserts for being such a fool. Stupidity is often expensive - whether you are dealing with corporate titans, or just your wife!
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Re: Some Questions....
If he had simply called the credit card company they would have launched an investigation and gave him his money back.
I'm just wondering what Priceline told him each time...if anyone at Priceline even told him to try doing that?
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Clarification...
The guy wasn't trying to get over on Priceline by getting a refund for a ticket he claims to have purchased but actually did not (which is what I thought it meant)
He's trying to get a refund for a ticket that showed up on his bill that he did not buy.
The wording just seems ambivalent...
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No Subject Given
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Re: No Subject Given
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Re: who do you think you are?
The point is that these discount sites take advantage of people and if a situation arises they absolutely do not give refunds under any circumstances. We recently have learned the hard way.
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And oh, Mr. "Queerkiller," just a heads up, all of my gay friends have concealed carry's.
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"I'm willing and able to pay top-dollar for a premium hotel experience and then I see some obvious Priceline customer in the lobby in shower shoes, acid-washed cutoffs, and a NASCAR wifebeater." - Wealthy Coward
"[Campeon] is a formal name for camel dung in the middle eastern countries." - Thuggie
I betcha these are all SOCKPUPPET SHILLS.
>to call a customer service line 200 times when he could get his money refunded with ONE call to his credit card company has too much time on his hands
Yes.
>DESERVES to spend 40 hours in jail
No.
If the guy is in the right, I wish him luck with his fraud suit.
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No Subject Given
I work for a large company that uses priceline alot, not on a corporate basis, but alot of us within the company do. I can't tell you how many times one of my collegues has said they were "Wronged" by priceline.
Anyone who was wronged by priceline is ither and idiot or an ignoramus.
Have any of you ever been to the website? Booked a reservation with them?
They say on ALL of the contracts, that they make you put your Initals in that you read and understood, that the reservations are non-changeable, non-cancelable, and non-refundable.
So one Piano freak from Hell's Kitchen who thinks hes high and mighty decides that contracts don't apply to him, hes too good to follow the rules, and goes off on a tiff about how he wants his money back.
I use priceline alot, and I have saved untold sums of money with it. I'm no priceline advocate however, the website does take some knowlege to use, and a decent bit of internet savy.
But it does indeed tell you everything that will happen before it happens.
The problem is we live in this soft world of "Oh you made a mistake? Oh nevermind well just give you a slap on the hand and let you go."
I'm glad theres a company out there that holds to its rules. If I make a mistake with priceline, I pay for it, no doubt.
But one reservation I booked was done incorrectly, and priceline was at fault. They credited me for the reservations AND accomodated me that evening in the city I was stuck in for free!
In short, if you screw up with this company, you pay, but their willing to do the same.
Ronnie should have paid more attention to what he was putting his initals on, and read what he agreed to, and we wouldn't have this problem.
Personally I hope hes still just as unread and foolish, because i've got a contract here for a bridge in brooklyn i'd like to sell him...
-Trav
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Re: No Subject Given
Not bad for someone who posted his comment twice...
"They say on ALL of the contracts, that they make you put your Initals in that you read and understood, that the reservations are non-changeable, non-cancelable, and non-refundable."
Thats all well and good for someone who bought a ticket...but for someone who claims they never booked a ticket thats interesting to say the least.
Its again like the RIAA sueing a customer on the grounds they "illegally" downloaded music. Then later find out that actually they never even owned a computer.
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I just experiece priceline CS dept which was useless
-They can't on saying sorry can help you at all.
-And yes you have CS dept.
-Yes we have manager, but they so talk with customers..
I guess this is my fault having about 4 windows open to work
and my finger were faster then I thought and come to relaize that I did want this area which f-- 1hr away where I need to be.
And now have rebid again blindly and get charge $25.
NOw I got figure out how still save money on what I thought was going to a cheap trip..
I agree with 80% of unhappy ex priceline customers- NEVER USED THEM AGAIN for any travel arrangements.
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Re: Re: No Subject Given
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It's your right
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Re: It's your right
As others mentioned, all he had to do was call his credit card company and dispute the charges as fraudulent. They would chargeback pending their own investigation.
This man had no legitimate to reason to call priceline more than once or twice. He got exactly what he deserved.
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Re: It's your right
Oh yeah, that's not exactly how the whole credit card fraud thing works in the REAL WORLD. For example, I had $600 + charged to my account over a 2 month period, by AOL for services I did not ask for or authorize (I did have a basic subscription at the time). I called them each time it appeared and they initially refused to do anything so I canceled my subscription. I called my credit card company and they said, "since you had an account with AOL, we cannot help you". My credit card company refused to help me file credit card fraud charges or block any new AOL charges. I was forced to cancel my credit card. I called back AOL and explained what my situation was and mentioned I would file fraud charges, spoke with ALOT of people over a long period of time, until finally they removed the charges. In the mantime, AOL had collections people calling me about the phantom $600.00 + , it negatively affected my credit, forced me to cancel one of my credit cards, and took up alot of my valuable time.
My point is, you make it sound easy but in the REAL WORLD, it's not always as simple as you make it sound. I know alot of people that have problems like this from big companies.
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Re: It's your right
That's not true, unless you make a valid arraingment or provide an alternate number that you can be reached at agencies and businesses can keep calling you if you owe them money.
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Re: It's your right
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Re: It's your right
The site can help you with your travel needs. I now use it for my travels
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Re: Priceline Employee
1. Priceline physically is allowed to yell and scream at the customers. We would swear at customers who swore at us. It was a unstated policy.
2. The second policy was NEVER, under any circumstances give any money back no matter what. In fact during my time of 2 years there I was never even taught how to give a refund, even the manager above me only knew how to switch to another package.
3. We used to get people calling all the time, I want my money back, "I didn't make this charge!" and for the most part I believed them. We'd even have people call from the bank (back before credit card fraud was HUGE) and we'd tell them there was nothing we could do, and that we "knew" they made the charges and would use every means possible to pursue them if they didn't pay.
4. We were told to threaten customers with lawsuits and that we we would put marks on their credit report if they somehow cancelled with their bank.
5. Priceline never refunds no matter what. Family member die? Sorry no refund. Sure you could get a good deal, but their are plenty of places to get good deals. EVEN EMPLOYEES wouldn't use priceline, after working their you knew to much.
6. Everyone hated working for Priceline, it feels like a giant scam, and at the end of the day you usually end leaving your job upset, and angry at yourself for all the people you hurt.
I say to anyone who continues to use Priceline to get cheep deals, stop. One day it will come back to bite you in the ass and you will be sorry. There are plenty of other sites with better deals and better customer service. Even though you haven't been screwed by priceline yet, in the words of AT&T "You will."
Obviously this guy was very angry, and didn't want to just charge it off with his credit card company, it HAS ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING to do with him being "sneaky" and just wanting to cancel his trip. The judge investigated and dropped all charges, BECAUSE the persons credit card was FRAUDULENTLY USED. Why don't you read the case for yourself?
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Re: Re: Priceline Employee
I love that I'm going to China and back before I'm headed for my final destination.
F-priceline.
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Re: It's your right
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Bad publicity
Talk about negative publicity.
I'm wondering if they'll drop the suit and just settle with him, giving him the money back and a bit more maybe.
Is this legally possible? Just say I don't pay my bills and I start charging the bill collectors for harrasement each time they call me =D
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Re: Bad publicity
1) priceline doesnt have the $$, the airlines do. priceline makes maybe $12-20 per the sale
2)When folks say they didnt buy it. but the IP address matches the city
3) the name match the ticket, which can ONLY be used by the person whos name is on it.
I have been in air travel biz 25 years, we have heard all the stories and fakes.this just sounds like another fake story trying to get a refund. despite the rules airlines have stated of no refund
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Monday's should be "call priceline" days
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215 calls shouldn't result in 215 charges
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No Subject Given
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PRICELINE
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Priceline
I don’t care what the Priceline guy said. In the US the Credit Card company must charge back if it is fraudulent. Especially, if you don’t have a priceline account.
You need to write the credit card company not call them to dispute the item. That what I would of done. His card was obviously compromised. Credit card companies do not call the company. They write them. Saying they made charge is not an excuse.
Another thing you could claim in the U.S. is the zero liability protection for either MasterCard and Visa.
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Priceline Customer Service
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Priceline Class Action Lawsuit?
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I'm not an ignoramous
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Priceline SUCKS!
Priceline has not changed and never will!!!
I have named my own price on a hotel in a specific location at Myrtle Beach, SC (you can make a selection when you place a bid), and they accepted. Once I looked at the location of the hotel that they gave me it was no where near the location that I selected. After fighting with them for an hour over the phone and not being able to talk to a supervisor, because they are there only for administrative purposes, I was told to write an e-mail, which I did. They do not guarantee the location yet there is a selection for it. Well once again another unsatisfied customer. Buyers be ware!!!
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Priceline will do anything to make a profit!!!
I paid $167 for a hotel stay, but was suprised, when I checked out, to see that the hotel was only paid $140.
Priceline refused to even address the issue and no, there are no managers willing to talk to you as the Customer Resolution Rep is apparently the highest paid staff memeber in that center!!!
DON'T USE PRICELINE!!!!
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Priceline Refunds
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PRICELINE SUCKS !!!!
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Re: PRICELINE SUCKS !!!!
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Priceline forked me..
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Horrible company
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WORST SERVICE EVER
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