Expedia Cyber Monday 90% Off Coupon - FAIL
Nov 30, 2015, 4:11 pm
#121
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 10
Called customer support and asked for supervisor nicely. The supervisor listened to me regarding having a screenshot (I didn't) and I was charged full price even though the app took my coupon and IT DID SHOW PROMO DISCOUNT. She looked at the hotel, confirmed eligibility. Also checked the transaction time which was 11:00:53am. She confirmed everything checked out including seeing promo code and processed the refund. Stratosphere for New Years 12/31-1/2 went from $610 to $120
Nov 30, 2015, 4:17 pm
#122
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BDL/NYC/BOS
Programs: UA/*A Gold, Global Entry, Marriott Plat, Hilton+IHG Gold, Hertz PC, DL
Posts: 1,752
Called customer support and asked for supervisor nicely. The supervisor listened to me regarding having a screenshot (I didn't) and I was charged full price even though the app took my coupon and IT DID SHOW PROMO DISCOUNT. She looked at the hotel, confirmed eligibility. Also checked the transaction time which was 11:00:53am. She confirmed everything checked out including seeing promo code and processed the refund. Stratosphere for New Years 12/31-1/2 went from $610 to $120
stunning incompetence all around by expedia.
Nov 30, 2015, 4:18 pm
#123
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
I was able to jump on the New Orleans deal for a two night stay in December. I had everything already filled out and ready for when they posted the code at 1:00.
Grand total of $113, $44 for the room and $69 in taxes and fees. To answer an earlier question, taxes are calculated on the cost of the room BEFORE the discount, I.e. my taxes were based on a total of $442 rather than $44. This was confirmed with an inquiry call to Expedia's customer service. I'll let other more experienced travelers determine the legality of that.
Just wanted to confirm that some of us did manage to break through. I know it's my first post, but I promise I'm not a robot or Expedia worker
Grand total of $113, $44 for the room and $69 in taxes and fees. To answer an earlier question, taxes are calculated on the cost of the room BEFORE the discount, I.e. my taxes were based on a total of $442 rather than $44. This was confirmed with an inquiry call to Expedia's customer service. I'll let other more experienced travelers determine the legality of that.
Just wanted to confirm that some of us did manage to break through. I know it's my first post, but I promise I'm not a robot or Expedia worker
What Expedia offered here (as a time-thrift lottery, as some pointed out) might have been not a huge value. Some dates can be had for next to nothing elsewhere, outside of Expedia. Key to real coup in this CyberDeal were dates, like what actually transpired with last year's visacheckout that proved to include no blackouts
Nov 30, 2015, 4:21 pm
#124
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: Once upon a time...
Posts: 863
I ended up with 4 1/2 bookings. 4 with the promo code, and 1 with the promo code that ended up being billed by Expedia at the full rate. Will call CS and fix that one after dinner. Here's a screenshot of my best score:
Nov 30, 2015, 4:25 pm
#125
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum (OWE), HHonors Gold
Posts: 203
I got 2 out of the 3 hotels I wanted. With the last one I was charged the whole price at the end of the process and I went ahead and just went ahead and cancelled that.
In retrospect I suppose I could have gone the complaint route and asked for more coupons or the original price but hey, at least I got 3 nights in San Francisco for $166. Not perhaps the 90% discount it was slated to be but still better than anything else out ther.
In retrospect I suppose I could have gone the complaint route and asked for more coupons or the original price but hey, at least I got 3 nights in San Francisco for $166. Not perhaps the 90% discount it was slated to be but still better than anything else out ther.
Nov 30, 2015, 8:20 pm
#129
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
Well, that's great news! At least there was rainbow in the end of that storm. That screen shot is a swell deal: $200 including all taxes for 10 day all-inclusive!! I can't say I wouldn't get Mexico; I only tried Orlando, and only prime dates. So I still think algo was knocking holiday attempts, although I've noticed no Expedia disclosure about blackouts
Nov 30, 2015, 8:47 pm
#130
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: Once upon a time...
Posts: 863
Dec 1, 2015, 6:58 am
#133
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: C1, C1.5 C2
Programs: aa ua dl jb starwood marriott hyatt
Posts: 442
Worst communicated and executed promo ever. Can't imagine they got any good will from this more like pissed off customers.
I downloaded app and there was more info about promotion on the regular website.
Deleted app right after 9:01AM when all coupons were used.
Sure others did the same.
I downloaded app and there was more info about promotion on the regular website.
Deleted app right after 9:01AM when all coupons were used.
Sure others did the same.
Dec 1, 2015, 2:37 pm
#134
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum (OWE), HHonors Gold
Posts: 203
There's a joke about the two hard things in computer science: naming things, cache invalidation and off by one errors.
This was a case of the middle issue. When you hit F5 or press refresh or do similar things in your modern web browser it doesn't always actually ask the server for the same page again. It just flashes and retrieves the page from the cache on your machine. This is to avoid loading the server on the other end needlessly.
Expedia had set all their cache expiry headers for that correctly to 0 to "force" a reload yet most browsers go ahead and ignore the directive for a short time and show you a cached version. Add to that the fact that the page loads a million scripts etc. it'll take another 2-3 seconds to load completely and that's also time off your clock.
After that it's about the time it takes to type in the code to an app window, press OK and slide to reserve and give the CVV code. That shouldn't vary too many seconds for most people so if you get the code within the first 5 seconds you probably will be able to make the booking.
Expedia really had thought about several things. To prevent bots from retrieving the code immediately they changed the rows at least during some hours. As far as I can tell the code was published around 2-3 seconds after the hour to fool most things that have been scheduled retrieve the page exactly on the hour.
For future reference there are extensions for Chrome that disable all caching and you can disable caching in developer mode. I'll personally keep on using the arcane spells of wget and grep. Might go with disabling cache on Chrome if I don't know where on the page the code will display as I didn't with the first round.
Dec 1, 2015, 3:31 pm
#135
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
very useful!! Alas, the greater issue is to know if OTA coded blackouts or not. I wouldn't hold it against them, as that's the only dates they actually take a loss. But I haven't seen it in T&C, and this non-disclosure would rise to be very damaging to a savvy consumer. If warned to avoid certain dates, then u can adjust. If misled, you then lose this very time-thrift lottery. Of course OTA doesn't want to admit they push cheaper inventory on you, and OTA doesn't want to talk about their fees still embedded in any rez...Except our hero who posted Mexico screenshot- I don't understand how OTA messed up so big!