RoomerTravel =bargain, or somewhat of a scam?
Apr 14, 2015, 1:57 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
I did start a topic on this issue, but mods dumped that topic into here. Mods action is understandable, because Roomer is a very specific case within a thousand times larger hotel industry...As to your concern: yes, this thread opened specifically for Roomer opportunities. Alas, none of the opportunities is any good to buyers, if a hotel can give us a shaft of this nature. In my case, it even happened at Westgate (where a name change/reservation change is actually a norm that happens hundred times daily). What adam and whimike are saying is that Roomer deals may well be discriminated against by the hotel industry, who actuarially profit a lot from no-shows. The question to be proven or disproved is whether Roomertravel themselves (as this Westgate manager claimed) may leave your, buyer, booking in the air until you actually show up at check-in...
Apr 14, 2015, 2:08 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: PIT
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 174
A very weird first-hand occurrence: so on March 23 I pay roomer their $500 (all included) asking price for April 5-10 Westgate 2bdrm in Orlando. The immediate email says: thank you for your purchase, we're verifying the seller deal, or something like that. Overnite, a confirmation email: your prepaid booking is confirmed. Even before I originally paid $500, I called Roomer and insisted they verify with the resort that there would be no resort fees, or any fees. Roomer called Westgate and verified. I even send Roomer support a query to verify that verification; and they did! So my card got charged $500 by roomer on March 23.
I'm checking in April 5, and Westgate check-in desk can't find my name. Half hour later, they find "my suite" under Ms.X, and check me in.
At April 10 check-out, I'm told thank you - you're all checked out. I'm almost out on the road, but asking for printout just in case. Westgate printout shows Westgate charged my card (which they required for incidentals at checkin) $712 on April 6!!! I'm asking: "what's this activity?? My stay April 5-10 was prepaid!" Westgate runs upstairs and takes an hour just to come back and tell me: we never got the $500 payment you showed us (and we attached a copy to your registration). I say: why is April 10 the first time I hear about it? And why did you take $712 out of my bank account unauthorized? They say the manager who did that is not in today (Friday), you may call him tomorrow (Saturday). But also, your money is with Roomer, and you should actually deal with them about getting it back. "Roomer doesn't pay us when you pay them. They actually went thru booking.com (who has deal on prepaid fees) to get your suite - but neither of them paid us!
Sorry I can't post more info, as I'm driving from Orlando to NYC right now, and don't even have time to get Roomer on the phone. In the meantime, can anyone chime in on any of this?
P.S. Another funny item mentioned by Westgate was that Ms.X did show up and stayed at the resort!
I'm checking in April 5, and Westgate check-in desk can't find my name. Half hour later, they find "my suite" under Ms.X, and check me in.
At April 10 check-out, I'm told thank you - you're all checked out. I'm almost out on the road, but asking for printout just in case. Westgate printout shows Westgate charged my card (which they required for incidentals at checkin) $712 on April 6!!! I'm asking: "what's this activity?? My stay April 5-10 was prepaid!" Westgate runs upstairs and takes an hour just to come back and tell me: we never got the $500 payment you showed us (and we attached a copy to your registration). I say: why is April 10 the first time I hear about it? And why did you take $712 out of my bank account unauthorized? They say the manager who did that is not in today (Friday), you may call him tomorrow (Saturday). But also, your money is with Roomer, and you should actually deal with them about getting it back. "Roomer doesn't pay us when you pay them. They actually went thru booking.com (who has deal on prepaid fees) to get your suite - but neither of them paid us!
Sorry I can't post more info, as I'm driving from Orlando to NYC right now, and don't even have time to get Roomer on the phone. In the meantime, can anyone chime in on any of this?
P.S. Another funny item mentioned by Westgate was that Ms.X did show up and stayed at the resort!
From what I've seen on the website, it looks like many of the hotels are not actually sold by individuals, but that Roomer shows retail prices for many hotels. Was this the type that you chose? Maybe Roomer makes a reservation using booking.com or another site if that's the case. Anyone else noticed this?
Apr 14, 2015, 2:49 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
My 2bdr executive suite on specific 5-day booking of April 5-10 was advertised by Roomer as 39% off in a colored window as EXCLUSIVE DEAL! It was sitting on the website as such for quite a while, and I was surprised when it was abruptly taken down after Roomer confirmed my purchase (which hinted to me it was indeed an individual resale). The way it looked for weeks before would make one think Roomer had an exclusive deal from Westgate
Apr 14, 2015, 3:20 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 84
My 2bdr executive suite on specific 5-day booking of April 5-10 was advertised by Roomer as 39% off in a colored window as EXCLUSIVE DEAL! It was sitting on the website as such for quite a while, and I was surprised when it was abruptly taken down after Roomer confirmed my purchase (which hinted to me it was indeed an individual resale). The way it looked for weeks before would make one think Roomer had an exclusive deal from Westgate
That aside, this whole situation simply sounds like a miscommunication somewhere along the line rather than ill-intent. There are inherently communication risks using Roomer, because I'm assuming they have to convey the situation and changes to a hotel desk clerk who could be located anywhere in the world. I've run into a desk clerk or two in my travels who I don't think would care enough about their job to accurately transcribe the changes, much less have heard of Roomer before and fully understand what’s going on.
It seems like Roomer is getting everything taken care of for you, so I really wouldn't worry about it much at this point. Plenty of people have successfully used the platform, and while there may be a larger chance of issues than through other booking channels, I think it's still a small enough likelihood that the huge discounts negate the risk.
Apr 14, 2015, 3:41 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
hey, if $712 comes back as promised by Roomer cleaners around tomorrow - I'll have no beef with Roomer. Westgate's secret sale to my MasterCard is a different issue
Apr 14, 2015, 5:04 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 84
Keep us informed, at least to the extent that you positively get your money back. I'm curious about Roomer's willingness to follow up on problems like this, as well as whether they refund you or get the resort to do so.
Apr 14, 2015, 11:52 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: West Coast, USA
Programs: Skywards Platinum
Posts: 3,747
Both of you friends: why are you making actionable posts into rants. You may be posting to post; I post to exchange timely information. I needed to know, if anyone ever heard of Roomer going thru booking.com, or of Roomer not paying the hotels (or changing name registration) before buyer actually shows up to check-in. Both of these innuendo were aired by Westgate employee, as if to underscore that Roomer is in the league way below them. She actually said: "(instead of calling us back) you should get on top of Roomer - that's who is holding your money". Are any of these statements true, at least in part?
As to seeking reparation from Westgate, an important question is whether actions of that upstairs manager are in fact somewhat of their policy (M.O.)? Or should Westgate bigwigs be dismayed to hear of such treatment of a guest
Mind you, I was trying to get some thoughts on this during the February case involving a smaller hotel. Alas, no one supported that discussion - and we still don't know whether a U.S. hotel manager can use your card information to just sell you future stay, unauthorized. Really: should this be lawful?
I'd love one reader to be able to state that they've managed to check into a hotel WITHOUT providing their card information "for incidentals". I'm afraid this is 100% unavoidable. Well, in the last two of my stays, the hotels made use of my card information to sell me future stay at their arbitrary rates and in total secrecy. I only found out accidently at check-out
As to seeking reparation from Westgate, an important question is whether actions of that upstairs manager are in fact somewhat of their policy (M.O.)? Or should Westgate bigwigs be dismayed to hear of such treatment of a guest
Mind you, I was trying to get some thoughts on this during the February case involving a smaller hotel. Alas, no one supported that discussion - and we still don't know whether a U.S. hotel manager can use your card information to just sell you future stay, unauthorized. Really: should this be lawful?
I'd love one reader to be able to state that they've managed to check into a hotel WITHOUT providing their card information "for incidentals". I'm afraid this is 100% unavoidable. Well, in the last two of my stays, the hotels made use of my card information to sell me future stay at their arbitrary rates and in total secrecy. I only found out accidently at check-out
Apr 15, 2015, 1:47 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Amsterdam
Programs: SkyTeam Gold, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 1,421
The Westin Annapolis, $46 per night, April 19-24 - Traditional room
Or the Westin Annapolis for $46 per night, April 19-24 - Traditional room
https://www.roomertravel.com/hotels/...0156/43952434?
https://www.roomertravel.com/hotels/...0156/43952434?
Apr 15, 2015, 1:49 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
Mods - Can all this debate about whether roomertravel is a 'scam' be moved to its own thread in Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies? It's not cool to keep bumping this sort of debate in a forum that is monitored for deals...
Apr 15, 2015, 2:59 am
#26
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: EWR Ionosphere Club, LAX Clipper Club, Still Traveling Global, yearly BIS miles
Programs: EAL Silver Wings, I-Club, Flying Colonels DL, WorldPass PLat from the olde Meatball and PE SMARTbank
Posts: 1,987
Will Roomer tell u if the booking is from a third party of OTA or directly with the hotel's website?
my reservation is with a major chain hotel.
is there anyway to see how the booking was orig made? have they added my name to the reservation with the hotel or chain?
Its a cancel able rate booking with roomer that is still a good deal. how does that work?
thanks!
my reservation is with a major chain hotel.
is there anyway to see how the booking was orig made? have they added my name to the reservation with the hotel or chain?
Its a cancel able rate booking with roomer that is still a good deal. how does that work?
thanks!
Apr 15, 2015, 5:05 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
The invaluable BobKop's posts are easy to see in between discussion. But also, they are only of value if in fact they're as easily realizable as bookings on traditional OTA sites...Which hasn't been proven yet; today is the moment of truth for Roomer trouble shooters (as promised) to recover my 240% inflated bargain
Apr 16, 2015, 4:16 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
Instead of money in my bank, just received another email from Roomer: we are still working on the issue...Not good...I might have been better off contacting hotel manager by myself(?)
Apr 19, 2015, 6:54 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
Going from bad to worse: all previous messages and phone calls from Roomer sounded to the point and straight forward (alas, checking my bank daily proved fruitless). But this one today is making less sense:
"I understand your frustration, thus I am happy to inform you that I have informed the hotel to issue a full refund to you, thus it can only be done after the weekend.
I will keep you updated as soon as the hotel confirms the refund.
Regards"
He is happy to inform me (this time) of...what?? Twilight zone
"I understand your frustration, thus I am happy to inform you that I have informed the hotel to issue a full refund to you, thus it can only be done after the weekend.
I will keep you updated as soon as the hotel confirms the refund.
Regards"
He is happy to inform me (this time) of...what?? Twilight zone
Apr 21, 2015, 8:50 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
A happy update: Roomer did make the hotel TODAY finally refund my card the unauthorized $712 charge of April 5. I have no issue with Roomer's handling of the incident.
Whatever the hotel was thinking is entirely different issue. This is a major major chain - and to charge secretly while the printout of fully pre-paid stay is attached to guest's registration??
Whatever the hotel was thinking is entirely different issue. This is a major major chain - and to charge secretly while the printout of fully pre-paid stay is attached to guest's registration??