Being a former customer service representative for this company, I have the inside scoop on all you need to know before you decide to use this online travel booking site.
Priceline.com offers hotel, cruises, vacation packages, flights, and car rentals at discounted prices. They are also home to N.Y.O.P. – Name Your Own Price.
N.Y.O.P. is a great option to get a great price on a hotel, car, or flight. However, you are unable to choose any of the itineraries for it. Once you have booked through this option, it is not cancelable. You choose star level and area for hotel, but you never know what you will get.
During my time as an employee, many people would call in to try to cancel these reservations, stating they didn’t know they were actually booking it. Well, let me tell you. Save your time. You are not going to get a refund. It is there, in black and white.
For some reason people see a good deal and forget everything else, such as reading the fine print. This causes a lot of problems for Priceline.com, with upset customers. You must always read the information posted. It is there for a reason, and will save a lot of trouble and headache.
Booking a vacation package can save tons of cash compared to booking separately. There are very strict policies for these packages, most of the time, non cancelable. You never know what can happen, so this is a risk you are taking. You do not get to choose specific flight times, just a time range, so this is only good if you have a flexible schedule.
Hotels are sometimes offered at good prices. At other times, booking through the hotel itself will get you a lower or same price, without the headache of dealing with this company. Although these reservations are cancelable, there are cancellation fees which can equal a night’s hotel stay! You may not pick bed type, views, etc.
If you know you’re stuff before booking, Priceline.com may find you some great deals. Bottom line: Read. Read everything before you book. Check with the hotel first to get their best price.
Customer service is not a priority for this company. If you want to talk to a supervisor, you’re out of luck. The only option there is to send an e-mail and wait for a reply. You can go to an escalation team, but they have almost the same abilities as a customer service rep-none. Getting a refund is like pulling teeth…it can take days, even weeks. Add endless calls to a center in India and you have one frustrating day.
Use this service at your own risk. And don’t forget-read!
