Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Help with Hotel Changing Rate

Not sure if this is the right forum.

I booked a Best Western hotel on Travelocity, and was guaranteed $100.00 night rate. I checked in, and rate was confirmed. The next day, when I checked out, the front desk said this was a Canadian government employee rate, and I had to pay $150.00. I have hard copies of the original reservation, and the email confirming the reservation. NOWHERE does it mention a restriction for gov't employees.

I wrote to Travelocity with documentation, and they respond that when they check the rate on there website NOW (a month later), the hotel rate comes up as gov't employee rate.

Suggestions? How do I proceed. I feel like this is "bait and switch". I feel as though my complaint is with Travelocity, but do I complain to a government agency?

Not sure if this is the right forum.

I booked a Best Western hotel on Travelocity, and was guaranteed $100.00 night rate. I checked in, and rate was confirmed. The next day, when I checked out, the front desk said this was a Canadian government employee rate, and I had to pay $150.00. I have hard copies of the original reservation, and the email confirming the reservation. NOWHERE does it mention a restriction for gov't employees.

I wrote to Travelocity with documentation, and they respond that when they check the rate on there website NOW (a month later), the hotel rate comes up as gov't employee rate.

Suggestions? How do I proceed. I feel like this is "bait and switch". I feel as though my complaint is with Travelocity, but do I complain to a government agency?

You can complain to the Better Business Bureau, FTC and state department of consumer affairs or the like. However, the best, most expedient resolution more often comes from communicating with Best Western and then, if no resolution is forthcoming, communicating with Travelocity. Travelocity has provided me with some superb customer service in areas where I expected that they would not.

First step is always to deal direct with the company you were billed by. If Best Western charged the extra $150 then i would contact them about those charges, if travelocity than i would contact them. Chance are that Best Western will blame travelocity and Travelocity will blame Best Western... and you'll get caught in a loop of the 'he said she said'. If whoever charged the extra $150 doesn't resolve the issue after one phone call, i would wipe my own hands clean of the situation and proceed to contact your credit card company.

Tell the cc company that you would like to stop payment on that charge. The credit card company will ask why, you'll explain your case and send them the printed confirmation screen and any other proof you have, and they will handle the rest.

Make it easy on yourself and let the cc company deal with the headache.

Good luck and keep us updated.

I believe the fault will lie with SABRE as that is what Travelocity uses for its hotel bookings. So you must take the matter up with Travelocity as they are the ones who booked you the hotel.

I have hard copies of the original reservation, and the email confirming the reservation.



If you have not resolved this already my suggestion is to send the info to Travelocity. Any reservation with a preferred rate such as AAA/CAA or Us Govt' or Canadian GOVT always has a note in field of the confirmation that says eg: "Canadian Government ID required at C/I"

The hotel may as a gesture of goodwill refund the difference, but I do not feel it would lie with them.

BTW What city was this in?

If you have not resolved this already my suggestion is to send the info to Travelocity. Any reservation with a preferred rate such as AAA/CAA or Us Govt' or Canadian GOVT always has a note in field of the confirmation that says eg: "Canadian Government ID required at C/I"

The hotel may as a gesture of goodwill refund the difference, but I do not feel it would lie with them.

BTW What city was this in?


I have written to Travelocity twice. The first time, the gentleman told me that he gets a Canadian gov't employee rate on the screen when he tries to book the same hotel. (He did not even address the copies of the email confirmation, and the printed confirmation from Travelocity's site which NOWHERE mention the CAN gov't rate). I sent a second letter to his supervisor. She has never acknowledged or responded for over 2 months. I finally called Travelocity again. The woman said that the computer screen should have said about the CAN gov't employee rate, but acknowledged that the email and site confirmation do not contain this admonishment. I think I might file a complaint with... FTC??? And the hotel was in Vancouver. I just haven't used Travelocity again for reservations.

I have written to Travelocity twice. The first time, the gentleman told me that he gets a Canadian gov't employee rate on the screen when he tries to book the same hotel. (He did not even address the copies of the email confirmation, and the printed confirmation from Travelocity's site which NOWHERE mention the CAN gov't rate). I sent a second letter to his supervisor. She has never acknowledged or responded for over 2 months. I finally called Travelocity again. The woman said that the computer screen should have said about the CAN gov't employee rate, but acknowledged that the email and site confirmation do not contain this admonishment. I think I might file a complaint with... FTC??? And the hotel was in Vancouver. I just haven't used Travelocity again for reservations.

travelocity -- as the vendor -- has the responsibility to disseminate all the information on your reservation.

i am not sure what type of hotel reservation you made through travelocity. if you made a "goodbuy" hotel reservation, then there should be NO additional costs/charges/taxes. if you made a normal hotel reservation, then hotel taxes and fees can be in addition to what you were shown [i understand that this is probably not an issue in your case, but i put this here for the sake of completeness].

since travelocity has not done its part properly, you are entitled to some reimbursement/compensation. do not write to their dallas address. write to their san antonio address, because that is where the customer service agents with whom you spoke most likely were. the san antonio address is:
Travelocity.com
Attention: Customer Service Director
8750 Tesoro Drive, Suite 100
San Antonio, TX 78217

in/with your letter, provide copies of your printouts, precis of your prior phone conversations, and a statement clearly stating what you wish to receive as appropriate compensation. lastly, state that if you do not receive the compensation by [pick your favorite date], you will be contacting the ftc and the dot [since travelocity is a travel agency, they also have to adhere to dot regulations, even though this is a hotel, not air, reservation].

good luck.

....was guaranteed $100.00 night rate. I checked in, and rate was confirmed.....
I feel as though my complaint is with Travelocity, but do I complain to a government agency?

Why did you pay more than $100?
Try to get the money back from the hotel or Travelocity. Or ask the CC company to credit the 50$.

I would not complain to a "government agency". They may "punish" the hotel, Travelocity ... but they don't give you your money back .. the hotel Travelocity may even refuse to "negotiate" with you..

Why did you pay more than $100?
Try to get the money back from the hotel or Travelocity. Or ask the CC company to credit the 50$.

I would not complain to a "government agency". They may "punish" the hotel, Travelocity ... but they don't give you your money back .. the hotel Travelocity may even refuse to "negotiate" with you..
What was I supposed to do? I was checking out of the hotel, and the clerk insisted that the rate was 50% higher since I wasn't a Candian Gov't employee. It is illegal to leave! I paid with credit card, wrote "Payment Disputed" on the CC receipt. I contacted Best Western USA. They say matter is with Travelocity. I have written 2 letters to Travelocity including all documentation. And I have disputed charge with the credit card company. (They responded the charged amount was correct). I may make one more attempt with registered letter to Travelocity corporate office. On the phone, I got a Travelocity woman to admit that the Candian Gov't employee requirement is NOT stated on the confirmation or email receipt. But still wouldn't authorize credit since she says (I don't remember this or even believe necessarily) that at the time of booking, the screen mentioned the Canadian Gov't employee rate. She admitted it seemed to be a programming flaw since it would not necessarily print out on the receipt. I've just used only Expedia or Orbitz since as I can't trust Travelocity!

I don't understand why the bill was paid in the first place. In instances where something like this has happened, I tell the manager that I am not paying it, leave, and call my credit card company immediately.

No one can just charge your credit card without your permission, and if you have a confirmation/receipt proving the $100 rate, it should be a non-issue.

Forget "negotiating" with Travelocity and the hotel (and the BB and FTC and DOT :confused: , what a waste of time) - your credit card company has FAR more influence than you. Keep pushing them.