merle123

Yesterday, I found a $74 rate for the Park Plaza in Bloomington MN on Expedia. The rate was fully cancellable by 3 p.m. on the date of arrival. The Club Carlson rates were a prepaid rate of $89.25; and a rate of $105.00 fully cancellable by 6 p.m. on date of arrival.

I booked the $105 rate which is the closest to the Expedia rate. It was denied because the $105 rate can be cancelled up until 6 p.m. whereas the Expedia rate had to be cancelled by 3 p.m.

pmarrsouth

Booked: Radisson Kalamazoo, 2 nights $159/nt on Radisson/CC website - non refundable advance rate, king

Found: $154/nt for my dates on hotels.com, expedia, travelocity and a bunch more - non refundable advance rate, king

Submitted Claim on their webform 17th April, about 10 mins after booking

1st reply - 18th April, denied as no screenshots sent - rate still online and no option to include screenshots on form - replied right away with screenshots

2nd reply - 21st April (i had emailed them a few hour before, asking for update, but this reply was to my mail on the 18th) - denied as cancellation policy did not match - agent quoted hotels.com refundable rate to me, at least she looked up the rates I suppose - I replied asking to please check the correct cancellation policy of no refund

3rd reply - 22nd April - success! 25% off hotels.com rate applied to stay, new rate $114. Agent did say that it does not qualify for points "as per Club Carlson terms", so I have asked for clarification on this


Not bad overall - 3 emails to them about it, they could give the option to include screenshots in the claim form to stop the presumed blanket 1st round denials. Much better than Accor (weeks to get it sorted and then usually given rate due to the delay) and Hilton BRG programs. 25% off is very nice too!

pmarrsouth

Update on the above, agent error, rate/stay counts for gold points.

Next booking:

Booked: Radisson Kalamazoo, 1 night (previous night to other 2) $143/nt on Radisson/CC website - non refundable advance rate, 1 bed

Found: $139/nt for my dates on hotels.com, expedia, travelocity and a bunch more - non refundable advance rate, 1 bed

Submitted Claim on their webform 27th April, about 30 mins after booking

1st reply - 29th April - success! 25% off hotels.com rate applied to stay, new rate $104. Surprised at the no BS at all - no screenshots submitted again so the agent must have looked up the rate himself, great

This rate and the one from my previous post have updated on the My Account section to reflect the new dates. Both were non-refundabe rates and the emails with the BRG success both confirm this as the case. However, on the My Account section, both state:

latteqpon

Radisson Royal hotel in Dubai

Radisson.com Lowest Rate of $251.31
Travelzoo.com Lowest Rate of $91.67

Reply received
___
We are unable to approve your Best online rate claim due to Travel Zoo searches other sites in order to book.
The rate has to be viewable and bookable online, as oppose to take you to additional sites in order to book the rate.
___


But this is not true,

http://www.travelzoo.com/hotel-booki...ocationId=2503

This is a direct link to a viewable and bookable online room via travelzoo.com

I submitted a new claim where they just said that i've passed the 24 hour after time of booking limit. Anyone know how i can escalate this claim? Or should i just give up. I feel like they are just stalling and waiting for the good rate to disappear.

Delectatio

I am afraid that this is not a valid claim because Travelzoo requires being a member and logging onto the website to see the rate and book it (rate is not available to the 'public'), even though this is free...

Colt Seavers

So my claim has been denied for a Park Plaza hotel in London and the customer care has been no help at all. No matter what I ask they send me a copy of the Terms and say once again that my claim is ineligible based on the currency being different in the comparison rate.

I booked on their site at a rate showing 15% off, then found a rate of 30% off on Hotels.com. After the first denial I went to Hotels.com and changed the currency display option to British Pounds and sure enough the rate not only changed the currency but also went back to 15% off to match the Park Plaza site. The language of the terms appear to indicate that the clause is there to remove any claims based only on the currency conversion rate but the 15%/30% has nothing to do with the currency conversion.

It is beyond me how they can get away with showing rates in this way and also how they can deny a claim that clearly had a better rate shown. It is even more puzzling that a company would see it beneficial to claim a guarantee only to use a questionable detail to invalidate that guarantee.

UpgradeMe

Not exactly:

A "Competing Rate" is defined as a rate available online for the same date(s), the same length of stay, the same number of guests, and the same room type (i.e. room size and amenities) at the same hotel, in the same currency, subject to the same rate rules and/or restrictions.

Colt Seavers

I was referring to the next paragraph where it goes into detail about conversion rates not being valid as a basis for a claim. If the only valid comparison rates are in the same currency, why would there be any need to mention conversion rates?

But further one has to ask why and how they can exclude a comparison rate based solely on the currency displayed. Are residents of certain countries entitled to better rates at these hotels? Most sites make it clear that the currency conversion is only for display and any payment will be converted to the local currency of the hotel anyway so I don't see how it makes a difference.

I would also point out that just because something is written in the terms does not make it right or even legal. If they changed their terms to simply state "Except when we don't feel like it" would you be satisfied when they denied your claim?

pmarrsouth

I think this is to stop angling from claimers when it comes to finding a "cheaper" rate. A marginal change in an XE rate (incredibly normal and happens hundreds of times a day) could suddenly make a rate more than $1 less (especially for much more expensive room rates) when trying to convert the currencies. As this is not a truly cheaper rate, its easier to blanket ban all claims with differing currencies.

It should not be too hard to find whatever cheaper rate you are looking for in the currency that you booked your hotel rate in. If not, then its also clearly more profitable to book a rate and pay whatever % your bank will charge you for currency conversion, if you are getting matched to a lower rate and then a further 25% off of it too

Colt Seavers

I get why they would have that clause in general but as I mentioned they are denying a rate of 30% off compared to their rate of 15% off ONLY because the 30% off rate is displayed in dollars. I have looked everywhere for the same rate in British Pounds but even on the site where I found the 30% off rate it reverts to 15% when I change the currency option. Also interesting is that the terms shown by Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and probably many other chains word the currency clause completely differently so that it is clearly only excluding differences caused only by the conversion rate.

pmarrsouth

nvm..

fassy

What about the site you found the great deal on is just broken? If it changes from 30% to 15% if you just change the displayed currency something is not right.

I had a couple of valid claims, mostly with booking.com and got it approved every time as long as all the details where matching.

By the way, the other chains BRG, LNF etc programs are pretty picky as well.

YMMV.

nacho

This is just one of the ways to turn claims down - booking.com is a bit special because they don't have country specific sites like hotel.com (.dk, .se etc.)

Every chain has their own rules, and if you want to play, you'd better know with the rules. I have had success with Radisson a couple of times.

Paul4Travel

it's 72h since I've submitted my claim and I'm still waiting for their decision. Idiots.

fassy

Let's see... I have submitted a BRG yesterday. So far nothing, just the rate on Expedia (60% of the official one) is gone now