I didn't give the sales rep the full details. I gave him what he asked. If the BOGO rate is higher than most rates, then that is totally contrary to what he said. That it's cheaper when averaged would be ok if joining up was free, but it is not.

A large proportion of what we discuss on FT is information that we need in order to make informed decisions, but that hotels and airlines don't disclose easily. I don't know the inner workings of their sales system, nor should I need to. You may know that the sales people have no access to rate information, but the average buyer should not need to know that. Yes, I expect small, dodgy fly-by-night companies to lie to me, but I don't believe there is anything "narrow-minded" about expecting the truth from a company I'm already doing business with.

Nor should I need to know that I need to tell him what my PC number is. If he didn't already know (he had my address, phone number, etc), he should have looked it up or asked.

Obviously you should never have signed up for this program in the first place and should immediately take advantage of the 30-day refund. As clearly outlined the program will pay for itself from the various savings on rates and free or discounted meals. When staying at an IC, the BOGO off sets the sign up cost, though if you book cheap HIs this will not be the case. At the same time in the year I had been a member there have been at least two times when BOGO stays were taken advantage of and the need for a cert was waved. I'd say my ROI has been at least 300 percent if not more. So I suggest you stop complaining and cancel your membership.

I was just informing others of my experience, in case they receive the same kind of misrepresented offer. Of course I told them to give me a refund.

I suggest that you stop complaining and wasting our time with your pathetic personal attacks in support of these toads.

Your experience is simply one of failing to research and read the terms and conditions of the program before accepting a verbal offer, its very clear for those that do their homework what conditions the BOGO applies in terms of rate:

Stay 2 nights for the Price of 1 is based on staying two nights for the cost of one night. This is calculated at the first night being on the Members Best Flexible Rate and the second night will be complimentary.

http://www.priorityprivilege.com/PP_...ml?showTerms=1

That took me 10 seconds to find :eek:

Of course there will be other rates that are cheaper but I have never seen it cheaper than using a BOGO unless its F&F, if your an RA looking to maximise qualifying stays and points at the cheapest rate while still getting all the benefits there is no cheaper way of doing it, expecially when usually half of the ICs in Australia are on special where no cert is required. I have had around 20 free nights in this membership year and pay on average $160 for a club room at any of the ICs across Australia,and get the points!

Your advice is pertinent, dont believe what people say, my advice to you is to have a closer look at the program, it does save you real money, its just a pity its so poorly run when it comes to the telemarketers, but it was like that when it was part of the Parkroyal/Centra/travelodge chain before ICH took over 10 years ago.

Firstly, I have no way to know what the "Members Best Flexible Rate" is, other than to ask.

Secondly, not only should nobody have to track down and read the T&C before joining anything, but the verbal offer might differ from the standard offer. I was offered a free bottle of wine as part of the incentive to join PP. No mention of that in the T&C. For all I know, they might be able to take over the booking and force my rate to stay the same. Other offers I get (e.g. by phone and door-to-door sales, to switch electricity providers) are often better than what is officially offered on the companies' web sites, so the only thing one can rely on when accepting an offer is the offer that is made.

But you've reminded me of another major aspect he left out. He identified the program as being for Intercontinental Hotels group and never said it didn't apply outside Asia/Pacific! Most of my hotel stays are outside Australia, which severely limits its use to me. (Yes, that's really easy to research -- but you shouldn't have to.)

Best Flexible is available for any hotel for any day on the ICH website, do you not have access to the internet :D or not stay with ICH often, its the ICH version of a Rack rate?

Now I am laughing, lets all walk around blind and careless when it comes to what we are getting ourselves into, a telemarketers dream! A Verbal Offer may add more to the deal than your "rights" inferred under the contract of sale as expressed by the terms and conditions, it cannot negate those rights unless you agree as part of that verbal contract.

You should always read the fine print of anything that you are doing the involves a contract, only a fool would part with their money without informing themselves fully in terms of what they are agreeing to!

Stayed 2 nights at IC Sydney on 2 for 1 Priority Privilege a few days ago. Points have just posted. Shows as qualifying stay for 2 nights. Also got usual Amassador benefits.
Great stay and great value.:D

That's to be expected as there have been no changes vis a vis PC points with the Australian program, just the Chinese one. The only issue is how BOGO nights post as these sometimes show as two separate stays: one eligible, the other as ineligible, but it makes little difference over all.

It is worth emphasizing how many hotels in Australasia offer the equivalent of a BOGO or 25% off Best Flex in the monthly email newsletter that PP sends out to their customers. I once spent 10 nights at the IC in Melbourne for the price of 5 - exceptional value.

PP is exceptional value for regular visitors to Australasia, not such good value for the infrequent visitor who spends less than a week a year in the region.

I'm not sure whether it's worth responding to this, but I'll try.

1) What you are saying is totally morally reprehensible. Anyone who says that everyone should research the details of an offer online is effectively just condoning fraudulent behaviour. It is the responsibility of the maker of the offer to provide the details of the offer, not the responsibility of the customer to find out the T&C some other way. Not everyone even has internet access. The offer is the offer. Fine print that you don't know about at the time of the contract isn't legally enforceable.

2) Various companies offer far better deals on the phone than the standard published conditions. (Gee, would I prefer 8% discount on my electricity rate, or the published 3%?) The fool is the one who doesn't take the better offer.

3) I don't know what you're getting all excited about. (Except that apparently I'm hitting some buttons by criticising your precious little programme.) It's not like I'm going to let them keep the money, so the only loss is waste of time.

Kremmen,

How you spend your money is up to you, clearly the PP program does not suit your travel patterns and offers poor value IYHO, best of luck finding value elsewhere, ICH suits my travelling patterns and with the PP program I am happy with getting over a thousand of dollars savings while still earning points, and those points just helped be get to WP level with QF for no cost - so all good.


Safe travels!

I hope others are just as excited as I am for you. My comment was simply my experience, reported in case others get the same call. Shareholder and you have leapt all over it with diatribe about how you think others should act and how much you like the programme. (... which is totally irrelevant.)

If all you want to do is discourage participation in FT by trying to drown out negative information about your pet programme, I guess I can't stop you. In my opinion, it's sad and pathetic and makes FT much less pleasant and much less useful.

I was pointing out the benefits of the program and also offering advice that you should not always believe everything you hear from a salesperson without checking things out for yourself, I think the phrase "caveat emptor" is somewhat pertinent :D.

Correcting "negative information" by providing what is in fact true information, in this instance about what rates the BOGO is applicable (the well known ICH best flexible rate) can only serve to help educate those that want to learn.

To be frank I find your comments about this program being my "pet" program derogatory in the least, and that is what makes FT much less pleasant and much less useful.

as a side note, I'm curious how PP helped you get to WP on QF? I cant imagine you'd get many QF points, and i thought it was only status credits anyway that counted towards status?

Just to be clear, the "free" second night (aka BOGO), the main selling feature of the PP card, requires you to pay the rack rate for the first night?

That would be worthless, as the rack rate is normally double what you'd actually pay, with some care and planning