Radisson Best Price guarantee

Old Nov 8, 2013, 5:03 am
  #331  
 
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Originally Posted by treppenlaeufer
I didn't always find it straightforward to deal with the BRG team, but ultimately all of my sensible requests were approved (Getting me into Park Plaza London Westminster for less than £100/night )
THat's good to hear.

I do feel the reliance on very subtle differences between cancelation policies (3pm vs 4pm for example) is underhand. I am used to more reasonable policies elsewhere.
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Old Nov 8, 2013, 5:17 am
  #332  
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Originally Posted by agvxvent
Made my first claim a few days ago after I found a lower rate on 'hotels.com'.

About two days later it was approved with no problem. 25% discount on lower rate.

Though, they modified my reservation online which now shows "0.00" as rate on all nights. Weird. On the email they wrote the new rate currently.


tey will adjust price!
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Old Nov 8, 2013, 5:21 am
  #333  
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Originally Posted by Yul_voyager
So if you find a better rate with a better cancellation policy (or a 1h in cancellation time difference) it is not a truly better rate ?
If you find a better rate with a little difference in the room description, but you know the room MUST be the same because there is just one kind of room in the hotel it is not a truly better rate ?
If you find a rate which is half the CC price but in an other currency it is not a truly better rate ?

Each time SPG or Marriott denied me a BRG it was because the rate was not here anymore when they checked. CC denied 98% of my claim, always for silly reasons.

But yes sometimes it works. Like sometimes poeple win the 6-49...

+1 so is the case for most members!
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Old Nov 8, 2013, 6:34 am
  #334  
 
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This isn't a thread to post successes, but rather whines/complaints about people who don't like the rules. So any generalizations about "most members" is unwarranted.
And yes, other chains will deny a BRG claim if there is a one day difference in cancellation date or if the room is described differently, even though you insist you are right.
Most travelers judge hotels based on their actual services, not the travelers ability to scam them.
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Old Nov 8, 2013, 7:38 am
  #335  
 
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Originally Posted by Adam1222
This isn't a thread to post successes, but rather whines/complaints about people who don't like the rules. So any generalizations about "most members" is unwarranted.
This is a thread about CC BRG, including success, failure and complaint. If there is many more complaints than success, you can draw your own conclusions...

Originally Posted by Adam1222
And yes, other chains will deny a BRG claim if there is a one day difference in cancellation date or if the room is described differently, even though you insist you are right.
Agree on that point. CC is not the only BRG which sucks

Originally Posted by Adam1222
Most travelers judge hotels based on their actual services, not the travelers ability to scam them.
How can you say you scam the hotel when you find a published rate for the same room, same dates, same kind of payment ?
A BRG policy is supposed to be a win-win. No OTA fees for the hotel, and a reduced rate and points / status for the customer. Nobody is scamming anyone. Otherwise I would have scammed SPG and Marriott hundred of times...

Also, agree that BRG policy is not the only reason I don't stay with CC anymore. The lack of gold recognition, the fact they went from best to worst concerning promo and the fact some of their best hotels are leaving them also have to do with it.
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Old Nov 8, 2013, 7:53 am
  #336  
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I think the mention of "scamming" is more related to the MANY instances in this thread where people are complaining when they clearly did NOT have a match to the same room or cancellation policy. I can scroll back through and see a LOT of people that THINK they deserved the BRG to apply, but had clearly booked a different room type or a non-cancel-able room and then tried to argue it was the same.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the company sucks at BRGs sometimes. We've seen many instances where they denied it and then the person called back and they approved it and no one could explain why it was denied in the first place! THAT sort of thing should NOT happen.

But there are simply also a lot of instances where it was NOT a proper match -- and people here still whined and moaned about how they weren't honoring their BRG when, in fact, they simply didn't meet the requirements.

- John...
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Old Nov 8, 2013, 8:01 am
  #337  
 
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Originally Posted by jgoggan
I think the mention of "scamming" is more related to the MANY instances in this thread where people are complaining when they clearly did NOT have a match to the same room or cancellation policy. I can scroll back through and see a LOT of people that THINK they deserved the BRG to apply, but had clearly booked a different room type or a non-cancel-able room and then tried to argue it was the same.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the company sucks at BRGs sometimes. We've seen many instances where they denied it and then the person called back and they approved it and no one could explain why it was denied in the first place! THAT sort of thing should NOT happen.

But there are simply also a lot of instances where it was NOT a proper match -- and people here still whined and moaned about how they weren't honoring their BRG when, in fact, they simply didn't meet the requirements.

- John...
I completely agree with the fact that you cannot compare non-cancellable rate with cancellable rate. I also agree with the fact that you cannot compare rate when the room is actually different in the two sites.
Then there is the currency trick, which IMO really sucks. But at least it is clearly explained in the t&c.
Then there are the really silly reasons to deny a claim. When there is a 1 hour difference in cancellation deadline. Ore worst when the cancellation deadline is better on the third party site. This one, I just can't get it.
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 4:58 am
  #338  
 
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Originally Posted by Yul_voyager
I completely agree with the fact that you cannot compare non-cancellable rate with cancellable rate. I also agree with the fact that you cannot compare rate when the room is actually different in the two sites.
Then there is the currency trick, which IMO really sucks. But at least it is clearly explained in the t&c.
Then there are the really silly reasons to deny a claim. When there is a 1 hour difference in cancellation deadline. Ore worst when the cancellation deadline is better on the third party site. This one, I just can't get it.
And how about this one - where the room rates both include breakfast. Yup, those are denied as not eligible even if ALL OTHER things are identical. And please be sure you understand that both rates include breakfast, which in my mind makes them absolutely identical. Yet, Radisson denies such claims saying rooms with breakfast are not eligible. What sort of game are they playing?
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 5:11 am
  #339  
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Originally Posted by TravelinSperry
And how about this one - where the room rates both include breakfast. Yup, those are denied as not eligible even if ALL OTHER things are identical. And please be sure you understand that both rates include breakfast, which in my mind makes them absolutely identical. Yet, Radisson denies such claims saying rooms with breakfast are not eligible. What sort of game are they playing?

That is called SCAM in my country.
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 8:14 am
  #340  
 
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Originally Posted by TallestHotelInJapan
That is called SCAM in my country.
Yes, we know your thoughts. However, when a discount program explicitly lays out its terms and conditions, following those terms and conditions is not a "scam." In this country, we call your statements "hyperbole" and "trade libel."
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 9:05 am
  #341  
 
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Originally Posted by TravelinSperry
And how about this one - where the room rates both include breakfast. Yup, those are denied as not eligible even if ALL OTHER things are identical. And please be sure you understand that both rates include breakfast, which in my mind makes them absolutely identical. Yet, Radisson denies such claims saying rooms with breakfast are not eligible. What sort of game are they playing?
Forgot this one, particularly funny when the hotel offers free breakfast for everybody, which means the hotel is basically ineligible for any BRG
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 9:09 am
  #342  
 
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Originally Posted by Adam1222
Yes, we know your thoughts. However, when a discount program explicitly lays out its terms and conditions, following those terms and conditions is not a "scam." In this country, we call your statements "hyperbole" and "trade libel."
It depends what you call a scam. Is it illegal ? probably not. Is it honest ? definitely not. This is clearly false advertising.
How would you call that is Apple put on their website "New iPhone 6 for 1$" and at the end of the t&c, in small character "for the first 2 clients" ?
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 4:10 pm
  #343  
 
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Originally Posted by Yul_voyager
It depends what you call a scam. Is it illegal ? probably not. Is it honest ? definitely not. This is clearly false advertising.
How would you call that is Apple put on their website "New iPhone 6 for 1$" and at the end of the t&c, in small character "for the first 2 clients" ?
It wouldnt be false advertising. At all. "False advertising" is a term of art, which means more than "I think its wrong" or "Could have been clearer."

Plenty of commercials and ads have big promo headlines and terms in the small print. That's how advertising works.
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 8:58 pm
  #344  
 
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Originally Posted by Yul_voyager
Forgot this one, particularly funny when the hotel offers free breakfast for everybody, which means the hotel is basically ineligible for any BRG
Agreed. I stayed at the Radisson in Vilnius Lithuania... they have free breakfast for all - which means this hotel is 100% ineligible. Unlike the other posters, I don't call it a scam. It is however misleading.

Originally Posted by Adam1222
It wouldnt be false advertising. At all. "False advertising" is a term of art, which means more than "I think its wrong" or "Could have been clearer."

Plenty of commercials and ads have big promo headlines and terms in the small print. That's how advertising works.
Look Adam, apparently you're a lawyer. So I'm sure I'll never convince you of anything. However, I think it's disingenuous for a hotel chain to say "With our Best Rates Guarantee you can book any hotel at radissonblu.com and be confident you are receiving the best hotel room rate available on the web – guaranteed." (bold emphasis mine). And yet - there are hotels that are 100% not eligible based on the fact that breakfast is free for everyone. I understand their are T&C's. However, their T&C's do not state that certain properties may not be eligible. They do state that "Package rates that include the room and other components such as meals, amenities and entertainment." are ineligible. However, that is a sneaky way of getting around the "any hotel" claim. It is not upfront and is not easy for someone to understand. For example, it was only upon arrival at the hotel that I discovered that the hotel provides free breakfast for all.

Second, and perhaps even more importantly, they claim "We will respond within 72 hours on the status of your claim. If you have not had a response within this timeframe please e-mail [email protected]". Now, I had an example where it took them 10 days to respond. 10 days! Of course, by the time they responded (and yes, I emailed them as well, and even emailed them on Facebook and tweeted them on Twitter), the lower rate was gone. And they denied my claim because they couldn't find my lower rate. Now that could be referred to as a scam. Wait it out until the lower rate is gone and then respond. I doubt this is intentional but rather simply horrible service on their part due to understaffing and untrained personnel. However class actions have taken place on a lot less than this.

So yes, sometimes they honor the best price guarantee. But many times they make it so difficult and frustrating that people like me give up. And this I believe is intentional on their part. Unfortunately they are counting on me staying with their chain and just not participating in their BPG program. I however vote with my $'s and do not stay at their chain unless it's the only hotel in town.
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Old Nov 10, 2013, 10:04 pm
  #345  
 
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Since the ball keeps moving here as to exactly what about the program is a scam and/or false advertising. let's just accept some of us think it's a scam, some false advertising, and some not intended to be an easy 30% off promo.
Many of these words are tossed around on the BRG threads of other hotels as well, but this thread seems unique in terms of the anti Cc trolls it attracts. Perhaps we should start separate threads for those who want to rant against the program, and those who have successes (including at properties with breakfasts) and are willing to share with others and help them navigate the system.
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