Best Western Rewards - Not too impressive w/ BW so far

So far I am not too impress with Best Western. There are some screw up in the past, for example, using a CAD AMEX to purchase CAD gift cards on CAD site, results in first the amount was converted to USD and charge to a CAD AMEX card in USD. Hence costing more because of the 'hidden' service charge on exchange rate. CSR explains this only happens if I use AMEX card, and not a problem if I used MC or VISA. Duh, how would I know.

But anyway that's the past.

Today I just booked a BW hotel and found cheaper rate on other site (not a surprise) and tried their "Low Rate Guarantee" process. Gosh, what a scam.

First they said the other site didn't "guarantee's you 2 Single beds" but
1) I am the only traveler, I don't care is one or two beds.
2) According to BW official site, IIRC the standard room at that hotel only shows 2 single bed configuration

So fine... I they suggest they check XP.com. Then they come back with "require payment up front" and therefore my request is denied. (added: I guess that's the "payment requirements" in their T&C (http://www.bestwestern.com/lowrates/terms.asp) and BTW "A claim must be received by BWI within 48 hours after making the original reservation on www.bestwestern.com")

Now does anyone know if there are any travel website will let you book a hotel w/o payment upfront? If not, this is just a marketing gimmick/scam.

http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.flyertalk.com/get/forum/images/icons/icon5.gif Now, a newbie question. If I endup booking the same hotel @ XP.com (and of course I am going to cancel my booking on BW.com) Will I still able to earn points? Or you can only earn points if it is book via BW.com?

Furthermore, I am trying to qualify for the 2 qualify stay promotion. Does booking from other than BW.com counts? It wasn't mention in T&C.

thanks.
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Update: the latest reply from BW CSR now suggesting "...review the terms and conditions of the Low Rate Guarantee and confirm that it meets all of the requirements before submitting the form." So in other words I seems to be wasting their time to submit a claim. :td::td::td:

Maybe is time for me to drop my loyalty for Best Western.

p.s. if anyone from BW is reading this, you guys are below my expectation every single time! (my experience in purchasing gift card, my previous stays etc)

Now does anyone know if there are any travel website will let you book a hotel w/o payment upfront? If not, this is just a marketing gimmick/scam.

Huh? Tons of third-party websites do not require payment upfront (even if a number of other third-parry websites do). Booking.com is one that I've used, but there's tons more out there.

Of course, at those websites that in general don't require payment upfront, if you're getting an advance purchase rate, or if the hotel requires a deposit up front, then in those cases you have to pay upfront. But not in other cases.

Most hotel programs have BRGs, and most of them make you jump through hoops. Typically at any hotel program your first BRG attempt or two might fail, and then only when you learn from why those failed the successive ones are more likely to succeed.

If you look around FT, in every hotel forum where that hotel program has a BRG, you'll find similar complaints like yours about "nitpicking" (or even worse!). It's by no means limited to Best Western's BRG, nor worse there than several others. (Worst right now would have to be IHG's new so-called "best in the industry" BRG with actually the worst implementation in the industry". Visit the IHG Hotels Group forum to see the nightmare that has turned out to be.)

I cancelled my booking at BW.com and booked the same hotel from AirCanada site (earn me some extra miles too).

The only reason at this time I still prefer that BW hotel is only the proximity with where my family will be staying.

At the end, the T&C stayed the CSR has the rights to denied any claims w/o providing a reason... so that said it all. Oh well.
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I recalled checked booking.com it is not as cheap as XP, Travelocity, or even AirCanada's website. Oh well. Don't really care now. All settle.

Update about my booking via AirCanada.com... (It was actually handle by Orbitz.com)

Not only BW keep refusing price match, but here is another update of excuses...

Orbitz CSR called the BW hotel for me, because I will be late check in, as well as I want to add my Best Western Reward # on file.

CSR come back saying one can *ONLY* earn points if booking is via BW.com. Which in line with the other excuses from BW, because you can't earn points if you book via other websites and therefore is not apple-to-apple booking. Denied.

F* BW. I booked 2 stays just for the current promo (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/best-western-rewards/1247227-stay-2-separate-times-between-9-12-11-20-11-earn-double-points.html). (one is actually booked via BW.com, and the other on on AC.com)

After this, I am not going to stay with BW anymore. Bye-bye BW, you royally sucks. And no thanks for your Gold Elite membership. :td:

Just come across this https://goldcrownclub.bestwestern.com/custserv/faq.asp#q13

So make sure NOT to book with one of the site listed below for your next BW stay....

A qualifying rate is a nightly rate paid that is eligible for earning points or airline/partner rewards. All rates qualify for Best Western Rewards® points except the following:
Amenity Packages
Crew and Deeply Discounted Extended Stay and Hotel Negotiated-(greater than 20 percent discount)
Dynamic Net Tour- (X2)
Dynamic Vacation Packages- (WB)
Employee/Member- (E)
European Employee- (EE)
Expedia- (FIT)
Free Nights- (FX)
Group- (OF/OG)
House Plan- (HP)
Leisure Club- (LC)
Net/FIT- (FI)
Orbitz Promotional- (44)
Preferred Net- (DI/D2)
Priceline- (PL/PN)
Site 59- (59)
Tours- (Group Tour Operator)
Travel Agent Discount- (TA)
Travelocity Promotional- (D3)
Unit Card- (UC)

After this, I am not going to stay with BW anymore. Bye-bye BW, you royally sucks. And no thanks for your Gold Elite membership. :td:
Well, you have two choices: Learn about BW and then know not to repeat this mistake again, or go to another program and make the same mistake all over again.

The thing is, most if not all hotel points programs don't give you points or promo stay credit on third-party bookings. This is far from unique to BW. I don't know why you thought it should work!

That's why people get so intersted in Best Rate Guarantees: Because that's the only way (though it doesn't always work) to try to get points because of (but not by actually booking) a third-party rate (that's better than the rate the hotel program's own website shows).

Now, yes, there are some programs here or there that give some elite status benefits for third-party bookings, but not points and not stay credit toward promotions. (There's a difference between stay credit toward status and stay credit toward promotions in some other hotel programs.) I think this has led to confusion about what you can and can't get with third-party bookings at some other programs.

But if you "simplify" the rule as to "third-party bookings never count toward points or promos", then you'll always earn. You issue then becomes how to get the best points-earning rate, not just best rate.

If you want to make your life complicated by trying to figure out the handful of unreliable exceptions and roll the dice, go ahead. But I find it simpler to either book on the hotel program's website, or if the rate is unacceptable, choose a different hotel. My world has no room for the complexity of third-party websites when it comes to hotel program properties. I only use third-party websites either for Best Rate Guarantees*, or for booking indie hotels.

*To clarify: The only hotel program I've so far tried Best Rate Guarantee is Marriott. I've never tried it at BW, and consensus is that it works way better at Marriott than at BW. But even at Marriott, my first two BRG attemtps failed, but I learned from those, and 100% of my attempts since those first two have succeeded. (Having said that, 95% of the time at Marriott I can't find a lower rate on a third party site at all.)

Screw BW. I am no longer loyal about BW reward program.

And I do like Marriott and I never have problems with them even I often book via 3rd party websites...

Oh BTW, I thought I went to India when I was actually in HK, there are no toilet paper (or even a toilet paper holder) in bathroom. I spoke to another guests this morning, is the same for them. Glad there is a box of tissue paper in the room. Or I might have to use my left hand...

Also get scammed for 'discounted rate' breakfast. When booking online it said it has free breakfast, even during check in last night I asked about it and confirmed. But this morning half way thru breakfast they give me a bill and said sorry my room rate only qualify for 'discounted rate breakfast'. Same issue with the table of 4 next to me. Was only present the bill afterwards.

There is no winning me back to BW.

I commented on another thread that the big problem seems to be that BW is very decentralized. It reminds me of an agricultural co-op where the local farmers have all the power and corporate does marketing, sales and quality control but very little power over the farmers that own the business.