Hilton Zero Rate
Mar 28, 2002, 12:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hartford, CT, USA
Posts: 155
Hilton Zero Rate
I made a reservation at the Lexington Green property back last August when Hilton was giving 0.00 rates. I was planning on taking advantage of this for spring break this year, but my plans changed.
I know that I canceled it, but for some reason misplaced the cancelation number.
Now they are charging me $200 for the first night, saying my rate was $179.
They never contacted me regarding the 0 rate, like the San Diego property did. So all indication was that the 0 rate was my rate.
I spoke to the property accounting department who said they have to have someone call me back. Now I am waiting....
What do you think I should do?
Thanks!
Adam
I know that I canceled it, but for some reason misplaced the cancelation number.
Now they are charging me $200 for the first night, saying my rate was $179.
They never contacted me regarding the 0 rate, like the San Diego property did. So all indication was that the 0 rate was my rate.
I spoke to the property accounting department who said they have to have someone call me back. Now I am waiting....
What do you think I should do?
Thanks!
Adam
Mar 28, 2002, 1:06 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hartford, CT, USA
Posts: 155
Well I got a phone call back and they said that they would credit my card for the $200. She called Hilton because she thought it was weird that I said my rate was $0. They told her that in fact it was, and that it was their error. Being that I am Gold and it was their error, the hotel was told to bill Hilton.
So, if you have any stays at the Hilton Suites Lexington Green for the $0 rate..watch out, as they will not be honoring it.
So, if you have any stays at the Hilton Suites Lexington Green for the $0 rate..watch out, as they will not be honoring it.
Mar 28, 2002, 3:18 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Boston
Posts: 323
anr...I'm not sure I agree with your conclusion. Reading between the lines it sounds like you MAY have forgotten to cancel the reservation...figuring that you had a "0" rate, anyway....and when you were a no show they charged the going rate. I can only guess what might have happened if you showed up with your "0" reservation in hand. Hilton reservations DID say that it was their fault. I'd love to hear from someone who has tried to use their "0" reservation since I have one for early May.
Mar 28, 2002, 4:21 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hartford, CT, USA
Posts: 155
Assuming the rep from the hotel was honest with me, she said that the hotel had no record of a 0 rate and would never honor it if they did.
She had absolutly no knowledge of any problems with the reservation system that would be giving this kind of rate.
I don't know what they would have done had I showed up, but my guess is they are checking things out now.
She had absolutly no knowledge of any problems with the reservation system that would be giving this kind of rate.
I don't know what they would have done had I showed up, but my guess is they are checking things out now.
Mar 28, 2002, 7:22 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 80
Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior.
If the checkout clerk at the grocery store accidentally gives you $20 extra change, do you keep it?
If you find an item on the shelf with no price tag, do you stick it in your pocket and walk out the door?
Hilton is run by imperfect human beings like any other business. If they make a mistake, it doesn't justify this sort of behavior. Next time, why not call them up and let them know they goofed? It might give you more satisfaction than trying to rip them off.
If the checkout clerk at the grocery store accidentally gives you $20 extra change, do you keep it?
If you find an item on the shelf with no price tag, do you stick it in your pocket and walk out the door?
Hilton is run by imperfect human beings like any other business. If they make a mistake, it doesn't justify this sort of behavior. Next time, why not call them up and let them know they goofed? It might give you more satisfaction than trying to rip them off.
Mar 29, 2002, 9:33 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Boston
Posts: 323
anr...I hear what you're saying but it looks like it was the Hilton reservation operation that was the problem not the hotel itself. If I were at the front desk and the clerk told me he had no record of a "0" reservation I would hand him the printed confirmation that I got from Hilton reservations.
Mar 29, 2002, 10:58 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,856
"Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior."
No it isn't. It is up to the seller to ensure that they charge the right amount, not to the buyer.
"If the checkout clerk at the grocery store accidentally gives you $20 extra change, do you keep it?"
That depends. If it is a store that has a sign saying "please check your change as mistakes cannot be rectified later", I have been known to tell them a couple of minutes later after they have served the next person. It's a shame that it's too late to rectify it then
"If you find an item on the shelf with no price tag, do you stick it in your pocket and walk out the door?"
No price tag is different to it having a tag of $0
"Hilton is run by imperfect human beings like any other business. If they make a mistake, it doesn't justify this sort of behavior."
Of course it does. Airlines have done it and have had to honour it over here. They are under no obligation to sell at a price, but once they have agreed to a price and sold it, they cannot then back out of it.
If they accidently overquoted a rate and you purchased it at that rate, they arn't going to give you a refund. Quid Pro Quo
Dave
No it isn't. It is up to the seller to ensure that they charge the right amount, not to the buyer.
"If the checkout clerk at the grocery store accidentally gives you $20 extra change, do you keep it?"
That depends. If it is a store that has a sign saying "please check your change as mistakes cannot be rectified later", I have been known to tell them a couple of minutes later after they have served the next person. It's a shame that it's too late to rectify it then
"If you find an item on the shelf with no price tag, do you stick it in your pocket and walk out the door?"
No price tag is different to it having a tag of $0
"Hilton is run by imperfect human beings like any other business. If they make a mistake, it doesn't justify this sort of behavior."
Of course it does. Airlines have done it and have had to honour it over here. They are under no obligation to sell at a price, but once they have agreed to a price and sold it, they cannot then back out of it.
If they accidently overquoted a rate and you purchased it at that rate, they arn't going to give you a refund. Quid Pro Quo
Dave
Mar 29, 2002, 11:25 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 80
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Dave Noble:
"Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior."
No it isn't. It is up to the seller to ensure that they charge the right amount, not to the buyer.
"If the checkout clerk at the grocery store accidentally gives you $20 extra change, do you keep it?"
That depends. If it is a store that has a sign saying "please check your change as mistakes cannot be rectified later", I have been known to tell them a couple of minutes later after they have served the next person. It's a shame that it's too late to rectify it then
"If you find an item on the shelf with no price tag, do you stick it in your pocket and walk out the door?"
No price tag is different to it having a tag of $0
"Hilton is run by imperfect human beings like any other business. If they make a mistake, it doesn't justify this sort of behavior."
Of course it does. Airlines have done it and have had to honour it over here. They are under no obligation to sell at a price, but once they have agreed to a price and sold it, they cannot then back out of it.
If they accidently overquoted a rate and you purchased it at that rate, they arn't going to give you a refund. Quid Pro Quo
Dave</font>
"Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior."
No it isn't. It is up to the seller to ensure that they charge the right amount, not to the buyer.
"If the checkout clerk at the grocery store accidentally gives you $20 extra change, do you keep it?"
That depends. If it is a store that has a sign saying "please check your change as mistakes cannot be rectified later", I have been known to tell them a couple of minutes later after they have served the next person. It's a shame that it's too late to rectify it then
"If you find an item on the shelf with no price tag, do you stick it in your pocket and walk out the door?"
No price tag is different to it having a tag of $0
"Hilton is run by imperfect human beings like any other business. If they make a mistake, it doesn't justify this sort of behavior."
Of course it does. Airlines have done it and have had to honour it over here. They are under no obligation to sell at a price, but once they have agreed to a price and sold it, they cannot then back out of it.
If they accidently overquoted a rate and you purchased it at that rate, they arn't going to give you a refund. Quid Pro Quo
Dave</font>
Dude, you ought to work a little harder on living up to your last name.
Mar 29, 2002, 11:35 am
#9
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,074
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mm42:
Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior... </font>
Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior... </font>
Mar 29, 2002, 11:40 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Memphis, TN USA UA 1K, NW Platinum, AA Gold, Starwood Platinum, HHonors Gold
Posts: 701
I add my disdain for this kind of behaviour. It is unethical and planly wrong. It is not complicated at all but very straightforward. Oh do I long for a pervasive wave of integrity in this nation!
Mar 29, 2002, 11:44 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hartford, CT, USA
Posts: 155
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mm42:
Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior...</font>
Attempting to take advantage of an obvious mistake like this is dishonest and shameful behavior...</font>
What determines an obvious mistake? If I go into a store A and they have a price tag of $100 more than store B for the exact same item, should I assume it is an obvious mistake and will be corrected at the register? And then which one made the mistake, the lower or higher?
It's no different then assuming that a 0 rate is some type of limited promotion. It does get publicity, right?
Mar 29, 2002, 11:45 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,856
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mm42:
Another of our human imperfections is the tendency to rationalize our own imperfect behavior.
Dude, you ought to work a little harder on living up to your last name.</font>
Another of our human imperfections is the tendency to rationalize our own imperfect behavior.
Dude, you ought to work a little harder on living up to your last name.</font>
The company tries to reduce costs by enticing people to use on line booking. It is up to them to ensure that they program the rates in correctly. If they had any sense, they would program the system to warn if they were setting up stupid values into the rates.
If they can make mistakes favourable to the customer, I would be surprised if they never make mistakes that are beneficial to them. If they quoted 70 rather than the normal 50 for a weekend rate and I booked it at 70, do you reckon that they would agree to give me the difference back or do you think that they would stand by their rate quote?
Dave
Mar 29, 2002, 12:41 pm
#13
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,074
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by anr:
... It's no different then assuming that a 0 rate is some type of limited promotion. It does get publicity, right?</font>
... It's no different then assuming that a 0 rate is some type of limited promotion. It does get publicity, right?</font>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mm42:
Another of our human imperfections is the tendency to rationalize our own imperfect behavior...</font>
Another of our human imperfections is the tendency to rationalize our own imperfect behavior...</font>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Dave Noble:
...If they had any sense, they would program the system to warn if they were setting up stupid values into the rates. </font>
...If they had any sense, they would program the system to warn if they were setting up stupid values into the rates. </font>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">If they can make mistakes favourable to the customer, I would be surprised if they never make mistakes that are beneficial to them. If they quoted 70 rather than the normal 50 for a weekend rate and I booked it at 70, do you reckon that they would agree to give me the difference back or do you think that they would stand by their rate quote?
</font>
Why are folks so quick to take advantage of a "corporation," and do things they would never do to folks in person?
Mar 29, 2002, 1:52 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,856
"I've certainly been in such situations, pointed it out politely, and then been charged the lower price. If they did not, then I would make an appropriate complaint, expect (and have usually received) rectification -- and if not, then that is not an establishment I will deal with again and will warn others that they are uncivil.
Why are folks so quick to take advantage of a "corporation," and do things they would never do to folks in person? "
But you have just stated that you would expect to be able to have the lower rate. What is the difference to that to my using my legal right to have it at the lower rate.
You have stated that you are just as quick to take advantage of an organisation. With a web booking, who are you going to speak to anyway?
Dave
[/B][/QUOTE]
Why are folks so quick to take advantage of a "corporation," and do things they would never do to folks in person? "
But you have just stated that you would expect to be able to have the lower rate. What is the difference to that to my using my legal right to have it at the lower rate.
You have stated that you are just as quick to take advantage of an organisation. With a web booking, who are you going to speak to anyway?
Dave
[/B][/QUOTE]