Any experience buying or selling with Roomer?
Sep 5, 2016, 11:42 am
#92
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 2
I had a bad experience with this service. I paid for the first night of a four night non-refundable hotel room, as their website asks. They sent me a text that said my room was sold- I was joyous because my husband had just gotten laid off and we couldn't afford it. (However,if the room had not sold, we would have gone on the trip just because we were charged for it anyway.)
I asked via email and text what I should do next, but got no response. After the dates had expired, I got an email that said they couldn't pay me because there was no prepayment. I engaged them on text via their website. This time they engaged.
They said the room hadn't sold. (Confused?, me too.) The manager said that there was a bug that sent the erroneous text that my room had been sold. I don't know why there were no responses to my questions about this for two weeks, or why they didn't tell me about the bug once they discovered it.
Just want you all to know about my experience with RoomerTravel. I will not use them again.
I asked via email and text what I should do next, but got no response. After the dates had expired, I got an email that said they couldn't pay me because there was no prepayment. I engaged them on text via their website. This time they engaged.
They said the room hadn't sold. (Confused?, me too.) The manager said that there was a bug that sent the erroneous text that my room had been sold. I don't know why there were no responses to my questions about this for two weeks, or why they didn't tell me about the bug once they discovered it.
Just want you all to know about my experience with RoomerTravel. I will not use them again.
Nov 29, 2016, 2:11 am
#93
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: N/A
Posts: 685
Does anyone here have updated experiences selling on roomer? I was able to take advantage of a great deal in Singapore (non-cancellable) and booked several extra rooms, I may not be using two.
As long as I am diligent in requesting confirmation that my room has sold, and send over proof of prepayment, is selling on roomer still a viable option?
Are there any other options as well?
As long as I am diligent in requesting confirmation that my room has sold, and send over proof of prepayment, is selling on roomer still a viable option?
Are there any other options as well?
Feb 12, 2017, 9:28 pm
#94
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 226
Searching for European / UAE hotels, it seemed that most hotels were actually a regular rate and not those second hand ones they advertise.
For paying the regular rate, I prefer a regular site.
For more expensive hotels, I have a way of getting 10% or more off.
I'd rather not post it here.
For paying the regular rate, I prefer a regular site.
For more expensive hotels, I have a way of getting 10% or more off.
I'd rather not post it here.
Mar 31, 2017, 9:36 am
#95
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: EWR
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXP
Posts: 178
I recently looked at roomer, but decide not to use it due to the potential hassles. There are just too many problems and a startup like roomer truly has limited ability to help if anything goes wrong.
Fundamentally, their concept is really cool- it looks like great value proposition for the seller and buyer of the room. Realistically though, there are huge issues. 1 is that there's not much value in transferring a room for the hotel or for the booking agency. 2 is that there simply isn't much of a margin for roomer. On average most hotel reservations are probably under $500 unless booked for long stays or in extremely expensive hotels (which may very well be refundable). This leaves very little margin for roomer. And considering the fact that the system isn't really automated and will oftentimes require customer service it just doesn't seem viable. I'm actually the founder of a startup that has a similar concept (we help renters break or assign their apartment leases), and can tell you from experience that unless you can charge a couple hundred bucks per transaction it's not going to be worth providing personal service. The cost involved with providing personal service or support is just too high.
Fundamentally, their concept is really cool- it looks like great value proposition for the seller and buyer of the room. Realistically though, there are huge issues. 1 is that there's not much value in transferring a room for the hotel or for the booking agency. 2 is that there simply isn't much of a margin for roomer. On average most hotel reservations are probably under $500 unless booked for long stays or in extremely expensive hotels (which may very well be refundable). This leaves very little margin for roomer. And considering the fact that the system isn't really automated and will oftentimes require customer service it just doesn't seem viable. I'm actually the founder of a startup that has a similar concept (we help renters break or assign their apartment leases), and can tell you from experience that unless you can charge a couple hundred bucks per transaction it's not going to be worth providing personal service. The cost involved with providing personal service or support is just too high.
Apr 4, 2017, 8:15 am
#96
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 413
I would never use Roomer to buy a room but as i posted above, i have had a successful experience as a seller and i do think the person who bought my room booking had a good deal as well because it was for at the time a couple of very in demand dates where prices all over the city had just blown out
What other options are there to sell room reservations you can't get refunds for ?
What other options are there to sell room reservations you can't get refunds for ?
Oct 20, 2017, 3:08 pm
#97
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
Do not trust Roomer Travel
The worst company I have come across. they advertise to make you to believing you have free cancellation and then after booking you get an email confirmation that the free cancellation is in fact through Life Happens BS that gives you only 80% less admin fees. Calling customer service got me nowhere with people who can not speak in a clear English. First time I called the said they will send me an email for me to fill out a claim, never got that email. I escalated this to my credit card company which after a few weeks they informed me that Roomer has agreed to refund me 74%. When called Roomer the said that they have no such record. This entire website seems like a scam.
Keep away like fire is my recommendations.
Keep away like fire is my recommendations.
Oct 21, 2017, 5:42 am
#98
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
I smell a SCAM!
The worst company I have come across. they advertise to make you to believing you have free cancellation and then after booking you get an email confirmation that the free cancellation is in fact through Life Happens BS that gives you only 80% less admin fees. Calling customer service got me nowhere with people who can not speak in a clear English. First time I called the said they will send me an email for me to fill out a claim, never got that email. I escalated this to my credit card company which after a few weeks they informed me that Roomer has agreed to refund me 74%. When called Roomer the said that they have no such record. This entire website seems like a scam.
Keep away like fire is my recommendations.
Keep away like fire is my recommendations.
Oct 21, 2017, 5:54 am
#99
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
The worst company I have come across. they advertise to make you to believing you have free cancellation and then after booking you get an email confirmation that the free cancellation is in fact through Life Happens BS that gives you only 80% less admin fees. Calling customer service got me nowhere with people who can not speak in a clear English. First time I called the said they will send me an email for me to fill out a claim, never got that email. I escalated this to my credit card company which after a few weeks they informed me that Roomer has agreed to refund me 74%. When called Roomer the said that they have no such record. This entire website seems like a scam.
Keep away like fire is my recommendations.
Keep away like fire is my recommendations.
They might even agree to refund all of the money.
Also you might want to go back to your credit card company and tell them that you believe they are running a scam and that your personal information might be at risk. Get a new credit card number issued to you just to be safe. I don't trust these overseas call centers. Im not sure why Companies in the US seem to think its ok to put their customers at risk with sending all of our personal information over to these people just to save a few dollars.
There are tons of call centers overseas that are set up just to scam people. Alot of scammers that work in these scam call centers also have connections to other people working in legitimate ones over there. In the end the consumers are the ones who take the loss.
Oct 22, 2017, 7:38 am
#100
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
File a complaint with the Attorney General in the state where Roomer Travel is located and the FTC for fraudulent Business Practices. If nothing else it will get their attention especially since they have to explain themselves to the Attorney General and justify why they are keeping your money.
They might even agree to refund all of the money.
Also you might want to go back to your credit card company and tell them that you believe they are running a scam and that your personal information might be at risk. Get a new credit card number issued to you just to be safe. I don't trust these overseas call centers. Im not sure why Companies in the US seem to think its ok to put their customers at risk with sending all of our personal information over to these people just to save a few dollars.
There are tons of call centers overseas that are set up just to scam people. Alot of scammers that work in these scam call centers also have connections to other people working in legitimate ones over there. In the end the consumers are the ones who take the loss.
They might even agree to refund all of the money.
Also you might want to go back to your credit card company and tell them that you believe they are running a scam and that your personal information might be at risk. Get a new credit card number issued to you just to be safe. I don't trust these overseas call centers. Im not sure why Companies in the US seem to think its ok to put their customers at risk with sending all of our personal information over to these people just to save a few dollars.
There are tons of call centers overseas that are set up just to scam people. Alot of scammers that work in these scam call centers also have connections to other people working in legitimate ones over there. In the end the consumers are the ones who take the loss.
Jan 16, 2018, 12:47 pm
#101
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: US
Programs: KLM Gold, DL Silver
Posts: 744
And here comes the BIG one. My friend and I were using Roomer for several stays in NYC in good hotels for $45 /night.
Although we stayed in the hotels in good faith I could not resist the feeling that there's something dodgy going on.
Well, today my friend received a call from one of the hotels, saying that there was a chargeback on the original payment, and they tried to charge my friend's card instead for the full price (that might be a thousand dollars or two). Luckily, he did not have that card anymore and the charge declined, and that is why the hotel called him "to obtain new credit card details".
That makes me extremely nervous. I have stayed with roomer maybe 5 times, and if the scammers are selling rooms on this platform, the properties might come back to me demanding the full payment.
Your thoughts?
Although we stayed in the hotels in good faith I could not resist the feeling that there's something dodgy going on.
Well, today my friend received a call from one of the hotels, saying that there was a chargeback on the original payment, and they tried to charge my friend's card instead for the full price (that might be a thousand dollars or two). Luckily, he did not have that card anymore and the charge declined, and that is why the hotel called him "to obtain new credit card details".
That makes me extremely nervous. I have stayed with roomer maybe 5 times, and if the scammers are selling rooms on this platform, the properties might come back to me demanding the full payment.
Your thoughts?
Jan 17, 2018, 2:07 am
#102
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
And here comes the BIG one. My friend and I were using Roomer for several stays in NYC in good hotels for $45 /night.
Although we stayed in the hotels in good faith I could not resist the feeling that there's something dodgy going on.
Well, today my friend received a call from one of the hotels, saying that there was a chargeback on the original payment, and they tried to charge my friend's card instead for the full price (that might be a thousand dollars or two). Luckily, he did not have that card anymore and the charge declined, and that is why the hotel called him "to obtain new credit card details".
That makes me extremely nervous. I have stayed with roomer maybe 5 times, and if the scammers are selling rooms on this platform, the properties might come back to me demanding the full payment.
Your thoughts?
Although we stayed in the hotels in good faith I could not resist the feeling that there's something dodgy going on.
Well, today my friend received a call from one of the hotels, saying that there was a chargeback on the original payment, and they tried to charge my friend's card instead for the full price (that might be a thousand dollars or two). Luckily, he did not have that card anymore and the charge declined, and that is why the hotel called him "to obtain new credit card details".
That makes me extremely nervous. I have stayed with roomer maybe 5 times, and if the scammers are selling rooms on this platform, the properties might come back to me demanding the full payment.
Your thoughts?
Jan 24, 2018, 1:14 pm
#103
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: US
Programs: KLM Gold, DL Silver
Posts: 744
I can see a raised eyebrow of a guest service person when handed over a prepaid credit card...
Jan 24, 2018, 1:23 pm
#104
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
The problem is not in paying to roomer, but rather in hotels having your credit card details that you must to submit when checking in "for incidentals". What happens when the seller initiates the chargeback on the card, or a scammer buys a hotel with a stolen card and then sells it on roomer?
I can see a raised eyebrow of a guest service person when handed over a prepaid credit card...
I can see a raised eyebrow of a guest service person when handed over a prepaid credit card...
I am a front desk clerk. We get prepaid cards all the time. No raised eyebrows. The majority of people have no idea what a prepaid card even looks like. I would say I am probably the only one at my hotel that knows what a Vanilla Reload card is.