Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Need Help..... 'Have you ever bought a hotel room through eBay???'

Any experience with eBay in buying hotel rooms???

If you have experienced this, please kindly PM me your email address so that I will be able to send you the questionnaire about buying rooms through eBay. I need your assistance since i'm currently conducting a survey about this for my study in one of hotel schools in Switzerland.

The questionnaire is very simple, straightforward, and doesn't relate your personal details.

Thanks in advance

Is there such a thing as a hotel room on eBay? Doesn't the OP mean Priceline?

Is there such a thing as a hotel room on eBay? Doesn't the OP mean Priceline?

The Seattle Red Cross has an auction (http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=american-red-cross) on eBay that often has travel-related stuff like round-trip airline tickets, hotel stays, and restaurant meals, all donated by the respective airlines, hotels, and restaurants. I have bid on and "won" a number of hotel stays and have been very pleased with the result. I felt comfortable doing this on eBay because 1) the money was going to support a worthy cause, and 2) the certificates were from the original provider of the travel service.

There are lots of other hotel rooms (http://travel.listings.ebay.com/Lodging_Hotel_W0QQfromZR10QQsacatZ3255QQsocmdZList ingItemListQQfclZ3) offered for bid on eBay. I would never bid on a hotel stay offered from an "unknown" person on eBay, too many risks involved.

There's a lot of rip-off "certs" that are also on there. Buyer beware.

There's a lot of rip-off "certs" that are also on there. Buyer beware.

To elaborate on the above, there are lots of eBay auctions that are auctioning worthless "vacation" certificates, or worthless lists of web sites where you can go to book travel. You have to read the fine print very, very carefully. A good sign that the product or service is bogus is the low current bid (most eBay buyers won't bite). The travel section of eBay requires many travel sellers to include a statement to the effect that they are the direct provider of the travel, that no other fees apply except as stated, etc. etc.

You used to be able to link to priceline via eBay travel and earn eBay anything points for successful bids - it was the best deal going (i.e. my $65 3-Star for one night became $50 for the night once the anything points were credited). But alas, eBay anything points are no more.

A lot of hotels are now experimenting with selling rooms on ebay for weekends. The Holiday Inn Hamburg was certainly there earlier this week. Do a search under 'Holiday Inn' and 'Marriott' and see what comes up.

There's also a "professionell" ebay client who sells priceline-rooms on ebay (Germany at least).. German company registered in Florida :-)

jetlagtravel.de

I got ripped off on ebay in an auction for a 2 night stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas. The seller supposedly won the 2 night stay in an charity auction and could no go. They even provided photos of the certificate from the auction. But after I paid and received the certificate in the mail, it seemed pretty clear that it was forged. I called hte Four Seasons in Las Vegas to inquire about getting a room and they said that they do not provide stays via charity auctions. They only provide hotel credits to reputable charities.

So I was screwed... I guess it was too good to be true to get a 2 night stay for only $100.00...


P.S. Although I did have success getting a room at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas (this was prior to the FS debaucle) for real cheap via ebay. After my last experience, however, I am done with ebay.

Stick with PL - at least it is legitmate....

I've gotten wonderful deals for hotel rooms through eBay Germany. Just got back from a super weekend at the Karlsruhe Renaissance - 2 nights with breakfast buffet and 4-course candlelight dinner with wine on one evening. Total price for two people - just about €110 !
Will be at the Lisbon Marriott in August - one 3-night package, one 2-night package, all with breakfast buffet, the 2-nighter "honeymoon" special with champagne, etc. Total cost for 5 nights €217.00
In September we're at the Crowne Plaza in Prague - 2 nights with breakfast for €182.00 (not cheap, but Prague is pricey for hotels - almost regretted bidding for this one as I got the Marriott Prague a couple of days later on Priceline for ca. €80 per night - much more centrally located).
I am very careful about which companies I deal with for the bidding. In Germany (also England and Switzerland), most of the major hotels deal with cultuzz.de(?) to take care of the vouchers, etc. I've never had a problem and the vouchers can be downloaded as soon as they receive payment. SUPER!