Hi everyone!

I was wondering if I could get any insight on this issue; and if I or Travelocity could have handled it better.

Background:
Last week, I had made a booking for November for a hotel in Seoul. Sure, the rate was low but it wasn't a ridiculous $1 or something which would obviously be a mistake. The rate was around $65 for 3 nights...I simply booked it because it turned out to be the lowest price for all hotels in Seoul offered by Travelocity during that time. and Travelocity confirmed my reservation. and I happily planned my trip and transport based on that hotel.

Then the phone call came:
...this came a day or 2 later by someone claiming to be from Travelocity. The line wasn't very clear on my mobile and got cut off. I heard the parts where "hotel was unable to honour my rate" and I was told to cancel my reservation. I was also told to ring back customer service. I am currently in Kuala Lumpur, callbacks to Travelocity's US number cost IDD rates!

Sent email
I sent an email to Travelocity, and was told to call back. I explained again in detail, and was told to call back again. fine.

Phone callback #1:
A very polite CS agent took my call, and confirmed to me over and over again that my booking is confirmed. He even resent me the confirmation, even after I mentioned someone had called that this reservation needs to be canceled. Before ending the call, I requested his kind help to check again with his team, and to contact me by email, if anything.

Email to Travelocity again
In case they forgot during the call, I had sent another email via their website, requesting their kind assistance to check on this reservation, and why someone had called me and told me I need to cancel my reservation.
You guessed it: another reply saying that my reservation is confirmed

Resend email reply
Advising them to please double check and basically, restated what I had already wrote the previous time

Finally, something, after much pressing and checking
"A review of our records indicates that the hotel had contacted us and informed that its rate is changed. So they advised us to cancel the booking. This is the reason that the Customer Care Representative had contacted you to inform the same. " and to callback for "personal assistance in this matter."
Didn't someone review the records the previous times I called and emailed?

Phone callback #2
Again, another IDD call from Kuala Lumpur. Good thing that they picked up the call very quickly. Agents were textbook polite and apologetic but couldn't do anything. They kept blaming the hotel for not honouring the rate. But in my opinion, I deal with Travelocity. You deal with your partners!
I was talked into cancelling my reservation. Upon further pressing, and some holding, the gave me a measly $25 voucher valid for min. 2 nights stay.

Summary and what I think could have been done better
With all of Travelocity's big claim on customer service and the "Travelocity Guarantee" where "Everything about your booking will be right, or we'll work with our partners to make it right, right away."

They did not, in my humble opinion:
1) Get the booking right
2) Work with their partners to make it right, right away.
-and instead asked me to cancel my reservation

Good things:
Fast ^ but not really helpful email replies
Very quick in picking up calls ^^
Textbook polite agents :-:

but lousy resolution
Any thoughts and opinions from fellow FTs out here?


While I do agree that sometimes mistakes my happen, but why do they keep blaming the hotel? In my opinion, they placed the rate on their website, and I paid to them. and they confirmed my reservation over and over again.
If it were another site without a guarantee like this, I concede and cancel. But they have such a nice, 5 star guarantee --> and I felt they shouldn't deceive customers that way