First of all, I don't know if Marriot qualifies as a luxury hotel, but the forum only offered two options: Luxury and Budget. In the strict sense of the word, I would place Marriot in the middle. As I don't have this option, I decided to go for Luxury.
Yesterday I reserved 4 nights at the Atlanta Marriot Marquis for next June/July at an incredibly cheap price, at least one third less than I'd get through the official company in charge of accommodation arrangements for the convention I will attend, which is already well discounted. I used an online service called HOTELCOLLECT. The confirmation e-mail listed both UK and USA toll-free numbers. I was aware that the total amount would be charged immediately to my credit card and in case of cancellation the company would reimburse me through a deposit to the same card.
Today, I decided to check my AMEX online page and I found the amount charged from a company called KONUK TUR$ZM B$LG$SAYA $STAMBUL. No, my keyboard is not defective. All the $$$ were there.
I called the US number and talked to a gentleman. He couldn't clarify the matter, but he suggested I called tomorrow between 9 - 7. I asked him in which time zone he was; I am in Toronto and we have a 3 hour difference from California, for example. He said he didn't know. I asked especificaly about Eastern Time, Mountain, Pacific, etc. and at this point he asked me to stay on hold while he talked to someone else.
After 5 minutes he returned and said that the only thing I could do was to call tomorrow from 9 - 7. I used my annoyed intonation number 1 (slightly) and pointed him that if he was representing a company that sold reservations worldwide, it was very proper of me to expect him to know were he was at the moment. He then said he was in Istanbul.
I will call tomorrow to talk to his supervisor. But, in the meantime, i would like to have a good (and knowledgeable) soul to inform me if this company is legit. Have you had any experience with them at all?
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danaraujo, I believe that the most appropriate Forum for your question is the Online Travel Booking Forum. I am hoping that you will find some answers from those with experience on HotelCollect.
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Sounds fishy why would a UK company have a Istanbul billing name? I've used other "coupon" services where you prepay, and get a voucher to use at hotel (i.e. alpharooms). This sounds fishy.
Here is their DNS registration info for their site if that helps:
Registrant:
Travel
uk
uk
london, london 34186
GB
Registrar: DOTSTER
Domain Name: HOTELCOLLECT.COM
Created on: 28-AUG-07
Expires on: 28-AUG-09
Last Updated on: 11-JUL-09
Administrative, Technical Contact:
Travel, Bilsen ****@otshotels.com
Travel
uk
uk
london, london 34186
GB
44 203 318 18 90
44 203 318 19 91
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.EASYDNS.COM
NS2.EASYDNS.COM
Actually if you look at otshotels.com (the registrant email domain) you get this which is in Istanbul odd doesn't seem legit...I've never heard of a global discounter out of Istanbul, but it might be:
Registrant:
Kursat Tepe
Hatice Sultan Mah. Niyazi Misri Sok 4/6 Fatih
Istanbul, Fatih 34500
US
Registrar: DOTSTER
Domain Name: OTSHOTELS.COM
Created on: 13-FEB-06
Expires on: 13-FEB-10
Last Updated on: 09-JUL-09
Administrative, Technical Contact:
Tepe, Kursat ***********@hotmail.com
Kursat Tepe
Hatice Sultan Mah. Niyazi Misri Sok 4/6 Fatih
Istanbul, Fatih 34500
US
+90 212 631 45 97
+90 212 631 45 97
Why not just call the hotel and ask them to confirm your reservation? Hotwire and Priceline frequently have Marriott properties at low prices so there's no surprise that other agencies do. But if you are concerned about where you send credit card information, then don't send it to places you don't know about and try to play detective afterwards. If the agency has not gone and used your credit card information to buy diamonds, cash, and watches, why do you think they are such crooks anyway? Because a clerk in Istanbul doesn't know your time zone? The web has made the world small.
How about booking directly with Marriott and then applying for their "Look No Further" best rate guarantee program using HOTELCOLLECT's lower rate? If approved, Marriott will not only match the rate, but further discount it by another 25%.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAV
How about booking directly with Marriott and then applying for their "Look No Further" best rate guarantee program using HOTELCOLLECT's lower rate? If approved, Marriott will not only match the rate, but further discount it by another 25%.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danaraujo
Today, I decided to check my AMEX online page and I found the amount charged from a company called KONUK TUR$ZM B$LG$SAYA $STAMBUL. No, my keyboard is not defective. All the $$$ were there.
FWIW, the $ are there because those characters are not in the standard western alphabet. The AmEx system imports them and displays them that way. There are several "extra" letters in the Turkish alphabet that show up that way. Makes typing on a local keyboard there quite the adventure.
I'd like to thank everyone who replied, but I don't consider this thread closed. I still expect other members to give their advice.
I'll try to answer to some of the replies:
# 3 (philfna) If you're not a detective by profession, you are in the wrong career. Thank you for digging so deeply. Based on your findings, I think I'll ask for a refund, whatever the outcome regarding the following replies. The license for this company will expire before I use the reservation. Will the license be renewed? Only God (or in this case Allah) knows.
# 5 (B1) Time zone: I think I failed to explain this part more properly.The toll-free phone # was listed as USA, and he asked me to call next day between 9 and 7. I asked HIS time zone, to adjust my call accordingly. Off course the poor agent, probably in the lowest range of the pay scale, didn't know what I was talking about. The game for these companies is to make you think you're talking to someone in North America or Europe, so as not to arouse suspicion.
#6 (BEAV) "Look no Further" : I think this is a great idea. I will try it before cancelling the reservation in Istanbul.
# 10 (sbm12) I respectfully disagree with your opinion. I think the excess of $ must be the fruit of an imature mind, who thought he (she,it) would be praised for imagination and creativity, but who only managed to reinforce the suspicion about the whole operation (businesses and churches shouldn't use this sign in vain, as it makes you think they are after your $). In the charge to my CC, the sign $ appears in places where I know the original letter exists in the Turkish alphabet, e.g. $stanbul. Come on, I've been to Istanbul and I saw it written with an "I" everywhere. Thank you, anyway.
I'd like to thank everyone who replied, but I don't consider this thread closed. I still expect other members to give their advice.
I'll try to answer to some of the replies:
#6 (BEAV) "Look no Further" : I think this is a great idea. I will try it before cancelling the reservation in Istanbul.
If you go this route, make sure the Marriott rate is refundable before you book and file a claim. That way if they should deny your claim for whatever reason, you're not stuck with a higher rate than you're getting through HOTELCOLLECT. Good luck!
# 10 (sbm12) I respectfully disagree with your opinion. I think the excess of $ must be the fruit of an imature mind, who thought he (she,it) would be praised for imagination and creativity, but who only managed to reinforce the suspicion about the whole operation (businesses and churches shouldn't use this sign in vain, as it makes you think they are after your $). In the charge to my CC, the sign $ appears in places where I know the original letter exists in the Turkish alphabet, e.g. $stanbul. Come on, I've been to Istanbul and I saw it written with an "I" everywhere. Thank you, anyway.
danaraujo, though I'm not a linguist, I have to disagree with that. While the original Turkish alphabet (in Ottoman script) was largely replaced with the Latin alphabet, some vestiges of the old script remain, because certain syllables cannot be (easily) written in the Latin alphabet. Eg, ç is pronounced something like "ksch". You will agree that it is difficult (esp to pronounce) particularly when it appears in the middle of a word.
Linguistics aside, "Konuk" is "visitor" and "Bilgisayar" is "computer" - so the name of your vendir is possibly a crude approximation of Computerized Visitor / Tourism Company (or "service"). And while I agree that Turkey isn't a country of saints, there ARE a bunch of truly nice people there, too.
In any case, do let us know how your episode ends...
