Given some of my small town and more remote travel in the upcoming months, I joined TripRewards. Although one gets what one pays for, I would have thought that Cendant could have done a little better job with this program.

Upon my first stay, points never posted and I had to call and fax my folio. When the points posted, they posted as points rather than airline miles. TripRewards could not fix this.

Upon my second stay, I was told at check-in that my rate was not eligible to earn points even though I booked the room on the TripRewards web site. I phone TripRewards upon my return and was told that the rate was in fact eligible and to give the points 45 days to post before calling back. The points did in fact post, but once again as points rather than airline miles. As such, I called TripRewards and was told that they could do nothing about this.

What a way to run a business!

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I agree, avoid Trip Rewards. I have had nothing but trouble with these people since they took over programs such as Ramada. Here is an over view of my issues:

1) Rude....The customer service department has just been blunt and rude to me when I called in with issues

2) Would not work with me. I held 7 nights of Ramada certificates in hand and they requested I mail them in to Trip Rewards. I just asked them to renew the certificates plus I payed them $25. Trip Rewards immediately adjusted my stays Downwards and I would up with 5 nights of lesser hotels. This was just flat wrong when I held the Ramada Certificates in hand.

3) They cannot seem to get anything right. Twice I have used my Trip Reward points for stays only to get to the hotel and they showed me as a Paying Guest....once I can understand, twice is unacceptable

4) The conversion from other programs (ramada & others), was done where you could not get a 1 for 1 exchange of equal hotels. Frankly I got shafted and am having to stay at lesser hotels because the nicer ones cost too many points where as the Ramada program did not care what kind of hotel you stayed at

I could go on but I wont to save you the blog...Just take my advice, avoid trip rewards as there are much better programs out there with much nicer hotels.

I agree that getting the rewards system to post as they should is difficult. Had to keep prompting to get some. Marriott and Hilton have more automatic postings, and the CS is easier to deal with.

Because I am not re-imbursed for my stays to be near my work, I am more involved it reducing my costs and getting something for nothing.

I have received 12 free nights because of their guarantee and I am working on another 12. Once they agree that I have the free nights, there should be no problem, But they are still "Discussing" the second 12 with the owner. (He was nasty to me on the phone, etc).

If pricing was not an issue, I would be staying elsewhere.

If you look at the poll question on the home page, pursuing points is a hobby, but it comes down to benefit vs hassle.

I have been pursing them for 2 months to make good on the $25 "Thank You" bonus. Registered, stayed twice and no points. Harrassed them into posting points but no bonus. Have to start all over again. I'd advise saying "no thank you" to their "thank you" promo.

I have had 2 stays in Trip Rewards and had to fax in both folios to receive credit. Thats a hassle. It didnt surprise me though, since the hotels in question had stone age computer technology, complete with dot matrix printers...

Trip Rewards affiliated hotels are a last resort for me and only for small town trips, even further below Best Western!

I have not had any problems, my ff miles always posted promptly, though I have only stayed at Wingates. I have found customer service to be very helpful the occassion that I called (not a posting problem, I was having trouble logging in to website).

Opposite experience: I have found that they always honor their "free night" guarantee.

Last May, I spent a week at a Ramada Inn in Deerfield Beach. I got the price from the Ramada website, found it cheaper by a few dollars at Expedia, sent in the electronic "claim form" and was given the first night free.

Ditto, same hotel, same story, in November.

I am going back to Deerfield Beach later this month. This time, I only needed a hotel for one night. The Ramada Inn website gave me an $80 price. Expedia had it for $72 and I sent in the claim form yesterday (Sunday). Today I got an e-mail telling me that my night will be free.

I expected that when I had my week-long stays but was surprised that they were so quick to give it to me on a one-night visit.