Kacee

That's not correct. You can absolutely dispute a charge on that basis. It's a different section of the FCBA than that which applies to a "billing dispute," but the net result is the same.

FCBA, 15 USC § 1666i

farnorthtrader

Maybe you posted the wrong link? That link had no information in regard to viable reasons for charge back.

Sisosig

That's what I thought. Out of curiosity (and because Hampton Inn De Ming is only a Cat 1 points property) I checked it on streetview. But honestly, there's only one tiny roadside sign along I-10 that says "Deming next four exits". It could be very easily missed, like when you're passing a large vehicle. The exits themself don't even mention the town, they just say Exit 82A etc. Neither do the billboards mention anything else but business names. Still, when you're driving through rural southwestern USA you should always double check your direction, distances, travel times, gas level and the items you may need in case of an emergency.

gengar

Is the HH forum even the right one for this thread? Surely the dispute is only with Priceline and not the Hampton Inn, unless for some reason Hampton management would want to issue the OP a courtesy credit (and the logistics of that would certainly be a question, at that). The thread title should also be changed for clarity.

pisistratus

Thank you all for responding, especially those who took time to look things up.

A couple of things to add. When booking in Lordsburg, PL shows a circle covering Lordsburg (Deming not included). I do not know how Deming got in the circle.

Also, I am not trying to say that I did not make a mistake. I am asking for an advice what to do in such situations.

smmrfld

Asking for advice? I'd advise you to accept your mistake and move on.

Doc Savage

Here's what I get when I Priceline "Lordsburg, NM"

Note that it says "Hotels in Lordsburg" and the first two on the list are in Deming.

Sneaky crap from Priceline when the two towns are many miles apart. It's late at night, the search was for a certain town, and the OP reserved what he thought, in his tired state, was a hotel in Lordsburg.

Priceline is sleazy this way. They're probably covered by their T&Cs, but it is a poor way to do business.

I think you're probably stuck, OP. I empathize with you.

SR12

@Doc Savage
It might not be the clearest way, but on the left hand side (not visible in your screenshot) it clearly lists area. There all area "Lordsburg" is prechecked, below that it lists Deming incl. its distance and lets you limit the search to the city of "Lordsburg" only.
Some might call this preselection poor or bad faith, but priceline has to decide on a preselected search radius for its searches, which seems to be 100miles. That might be a bit too generous for most, but remember that a fair share of people actually might like such a broad search radius when searching. Because what amounts to in the middle of nowhere in the case of Deming, might be far cheaper suburb hotel with decent/good public transit connection in a large city. Cities like Sao Paulo e.g. stretch out over miles and miles, so a 25-30 or even 50mile radius might not work for some travellers to find the best hotel for their travel needs.

I dont know the app, just their website. But even if tired, you get all the location info incl. distances right off the bat, so it should take 1-2min to check & confirm this before booking.

Doc Savage

Nope. That is the whole screen. There is no map when you use the iPad.

Listing the hotels as "42 Hotels in Lordsburg" is deceptive, especially when the list includes a town 45+ miles away.

Should the OP have checked the map more closely before clicking "book?" That's what Priceline will rely on to keep his money. But bad IT or deceptive practice, it's bad business practice.

SR12

If you scroll down, just below the hotel amenities selection part they list the hotel area. At least thats what they show when I search their site with a macbook or ipad. What actually shows up on a users screen obviously depends on screen size, resolution, zoom and other factors.
From a webdesign standpoint, the hotel area probably is less used than hotel amenities selections, so it makes sense to order them that way.

On the other hand: Is the preselection of a 100mile radius questionable at best? Probably...but either way the distance and search radius is clearly shown, plus there is a link to the hotels exact location on a map right next to every result.

CanuckFlyHigh

Pay more attention to things. Lesson learned. A cheap one, at that. Although, after a long day of driving, I can see how this mistake was made.

Hippster

I'm curious how they give star ratings as well... the Hampton is only 1/2 star higher than the previous listed establishment.

PayItForward

If you have the time and you want to try and recover some coats, you should direct the efforts at Priceline. Hilton will be a waste of time. With PL, you might get lucky.

Doc Savage

Star ratings on PL don't necessarily reflect reality, either.

You have to read between the lines with PL. another way they try to hose people is with very high "taxes and fees."

Caveat emptor.

farnorthtrader

The star ratings on Priceline are not about the quality of the lodging but simply about what amenities they have. So if they have a pool, even if it is one of those plastic kiddie wading pools, they will get credit for it the same as if they have a full blown water park.