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This is the letter I sent to hotels.com after spending over an hour on their customer service line, being transferred to the wrong person or cut off four times, being called an ### by customer service and not given a straight answer as to why none of the prices quoted on their recent 'New York on Sale' promotion were actually available:
'This has become completely unacceptable and totally ridiculous. I have been on the phone now with your customer service for over an hour. The first person I spoke with, Angel, was very helpful, but when he tried to connect me to a supervisor to help me further, I was disconnected. I called back to the number he provided and spoke with a second customer service rep who tried to transfer me to a supervisor.
This time I was transferred to an internal help line, where the person who answered it asked for my employee ID number. When I told him I was not an employee, he transferred me back to the main line where I spoke to a THIRD customer service person. I asked again to speak to a supervisor. I was transferred again. I spoke to a woman for several minutes and she was very helpful, but she said she couldn't answer any of my questions because she wasn't a supervisor and wasn't in customer service, she was in the sales department. So she transferred me again to the main number where I got my FOURTH customer service person, I believe her name was Anila.
As she answered the phone, I heard in the background another customer service rep saying, and I quote, 'This guy is a real ###', followed by a mass of giggling. When I asked Anila if she had heard what I heard, and she replied that certainly no one had said that, I told her I know what I heard and that I wanted to speak with a supervisor. She then tried to make up several stories as to why it was impossible for me to speak to a supervisor, including the fact that I didn't have a booking number. None of the other three customer service reps seemed to have a problem with this or any of the other b.s. reasons she gave me for not transferring me.
Finally, when I would not take no for an answer she put me on hold, and after another wait, a woman named Myra answered and identified herself as a supervisor. She was utterly hopeless. She would not let me explain the problem I was having and continually cut me off. When we finally got to the root of the problem, which I will explain shortly, she could not even navigate their own website properly and could not even locate the hotel in New York that I was calling about. I wound up telling her that it was pointless for me to go through this any further, told her goodbye and hung up. If this is the best you can do, then you obviously need to do something drastic quickly to improve your customer service.
'Now, as for the reason I called in the first place, OVER AN HOUR AGO, I was trying to book a three-night hotel stay in New York City starting on February 13th. When I tried to book my stay, there was a link advertising a special on New York City hotels. I clicked on the link and saw some great rates, in particular one for the Millennium Broadway Hotel.
The quoted rate advertised today, Wednesday, December 31, 2008, was $112 per night for a three-night stay. Right now, the lowest rate that you can actually book a room for at this hotel for the dates I requested is about $197. Not even close. So I tried other hotels listed on the promotions page (http://www.hotels.com/promotion.jsp?id=34159&tab=deals&al=h) and several dates for each hotel. As far as I can tell, none of the rates advertised are actually available for any of the dates advertised. I feel that you should either take down this page completely, update it regularly, or try to make things right if someone like myself tries to book through this promotions page--which you are advertising on several places on your website--and is unable to get the rates advertised. I think that this kind of practice is tantamount to fraud and should not be abided.
This is why I will be forwarding this email, as well as screen shots of the pertinent web pages to as many consumer websites I can (i.e. Consumerist.com, Angie's List) if I do not receive some kind of satisfactory reply. I don't think you want the reputation as being a deceitful business and I don't think you want to lose any customers, especially in these difficult economic times. Please respond to this as soon as possible and let me know what you can do about these situations. Thank you.'
That was four days ago and I haven't heard a word from them. I don't really expect to, either. And I won't be doing business with them ever again. I would encourage you to do the same.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Booked a hotel in StLouis that was supposed to have a pool. When we checked in, we were told the pool and hot tub were closed due to the construction to the hotel. Hotels.com said they would only give a refund if we left the hotel. We drove for 4 hours and it was getting late to be running around StLouis trying to find another hotel, so we were stuck. They have the most unprofessional staff that is disrespectful to their customers!
Having read a number of complaints I felt the necessity to note down few words to help the reviewers/customers. I'm a regular traveler and I used Hotels.com too; so I'm familiar with the problems described. I robustly recommend the possessor of the organization to have these problems fixed in the soonest time feasible. Meanwhile, you guys may have a look on http://theholidayhotels.com/That site includes all the offers and results as on hotels.com and extra offers, cheap rate, hotels as well. In addition, cheap flights and car hire on the top menu could be genuine lifesavers!
I seem to be one of many people who have had a horrible experience with hotels.com - long story short I was told 10 days ago I would be given a refund, every day I call back to find out the status I get told the refund was never made but that have done it now - for 10 DAYS! Iv'e dealt with the hangups, the incorrectly transferred calls, supervisors not being around, disconnected calls, emails with no responses, being lied to and sworn at. What body, or who can I go to, to lay a complaint that will actually effect the way they do business? Forums are all good but at this point I feel like that have stolen from me and won't de anything to rectify that - I need help :(
Spent over an hour on the phone trying to book a hotel room in San Antonio, TX for the fourth of July night...the rep kept telling me their computers were slow as they were waiting on my credit card to go through...he was flat out lying to me. He didn't have the rooms, or else they are unable to book them because they aren't available but for some reason they won't tell the customer (me) that they don't have the rooms, they just string you along hoping there is some cancellation while they lie about their "slow computer." What a colossal waste of time, not only was I unable to get a room through them I wasted an hour of my vacation talking to this bumbling CS rep. I found a hotel myself after 2 phone calls. Never using them again!
I booked two rooms through hotels.com on my return from my stay I found the hotel had charged me for four rooms they told me that hotels .com had booked the two extra rooms, three times I have contacted hotels.com and on each occasion they would look into this and would respond within 72 hours I have not heard a thing from them .IWOULD AVOID THESE ROBBERS AT ALL COST.
Hotels.com customer service and the website is awful. I think they may know exactly what they are doing. However they are losing business. I have booked 35 plus nights without using them. Every time I try to get into my account I am unable to because of incorrect password or email address which is not true. I have a free room available for $327 and will attempt to use it but if not that is ok because after this I will never book with them again. They are the worst ever to deal with. If you call them you cannot understand the people and they cannot understand you.
I agree with the letter above. I would avoid these robbers at all cost.
This is what I am currently dealing with and they have said I can't gain access and I have 87 missing welcome rewards nights. I have spent hours and no resolution.
I am totally and utterly disgusted at the LACK of service and consistancy provided by hotels.com. I booked over seas accommodation using hotels.com for my husband and myself. I called & made an amendment to the reservation as my two young daughters decided to join us. When making the amendments I specifically asked the customer service rep for the additional costs and room configuration. His response in regards to room configuration was "I don't know. You will have to wait to receive your email confirmation". In regards to the additional costs he stated it would be in the vicinity of $350 AUD. Low and behold when I received my email confirmation, it was an additional $3600 AUD!
Immediately I contacted hotels.com to rectify the issue. I was numerous times cut off, transferred to a number of supervisors and departments and told someone would return my call - with nil result. After many long exhausting phone calls I finally received a verbal confirmation from a supervisor to a FULL refund which she confirmed with the hotel, whilst i was placed on hold. (By this stage the hotel could not cater for my two girls as I refused the the $3600 room and no other rooms were available for 4 people).
Two months later I have still not received my refund. Again I spoke with a supervisor (Jackie) and requested she listen to the recored calls which would clarify the refund. Jackie stated she would pull the calls up and get back to me within three days - to date I have never received a call or email.
Today I again call to speak with a supervisor (Tony Brabo) requesting an update. He states there is nothing in the notes to suggest hotels.com or the hotel agreed to a full refund. He also REFUSED to listen to the recorded conversations. By this stage I'm ropable and enquire why he is refusing to listen to the recordings - his response. "Because our notes say the hotel refused your refund". I again pled for him to listen to the recordings to verify I am entitled to a full refund. Tony terminated the call.
My question is. Is it really that hard to listen to a recorded conversation as their policy states they record for 'quality, coaching and VERIFICATION PURPOSES'.
Is anyone aware of an independent body who deals with these issues?
Never EVER again will I use hotels.com
Hi all, I have recently experienced something similar and I have sent this email 5 times to various different emails for hotels.com and expedia.co.uk, although half of them cancel as the domain states it's an illegal user and I haven't heard back from the others.
Dear Help Team at hotels.com,
I am writing to make you aware of the unbelievably poor customer service I have received on 05/10/17 whilst making an online booking with yourselves.
At first I was very excited to book a package Deal through hotels.com as I have heard great things about the company and received a pop up on your website telling me to enter Promo code: AUT10 to get 10% off my booking. As I followed the steps and entered my payment details I soon realised that there was no sign of a Promo code/voucher box to copy the code into to receive discount (please see attachment.) I was getting very disheartened by this point. I found a number printed at the top of the page and decided to call as it states (FREE CALLS, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) I spent 10 minutes waiting to get through and then a gentleman tried to help me by filling out the details from his end and trying to put the promotional code in, he had no luck and diverted my call to customer services. I explained my situation to the next person but she claimed she could not help me as she in fact works for sister company Expedia.co.uk. I then got diverted a third time, feeling very frustrated, another gentleman tried to help me but again could not. Waiting another 10 minutes on the line, I was cut off! I then had to call back and go through the same process a further 31 minutes being diverted another 3 times to 2 more people who could not help from Expedia.co.uk. In the end I spoke to a gentleman named Bernard, he was very helpful and explained the coupon could not be inserted because it's not a hotel only booking, I was very upset and he agreed this was not clearly stated on the website (only in small print which you can't look into whilst making a booking!) I was very unhappy but appreciated Bernard's help, before I ended the call I checked with him that the call definitely was free, to find I was being charged from my mobile and I had been on the phone to your company for an hour by this point! This again is not stated on the your website therefore Trading standards would call it false advertisement! (Please see attachment.)
Feeling frustrated, upset and tired by this point I had no choice but to book without discount and I proceeded with the booking online. I followed the steps and was waiting for my confirmation email to come through, within 5-10 minutes I got this but I was highly confused as it stated I had made this booking as a "guest" but I had in fact signed up as a member and now my booking is not visible under by account bookings so I cannot monitor it or receive any rewards for my booking. I was extremely confused and called your company for the third time to again be diverted 2 times and be held on the line for what felt like forever! A gentleman named Vijay then tried to support my call but explained he did not know how to help and told me there is no complaints team or customer services to be directed to and he suggested I wrote an email to explain my ordeal and try and get some help/money reimbursed for the poor service I have received.
I have paid what I think to be a lot of money on a package deal through your company, my expectations were high and now I am feeling very disheartened and upset with the lack of help and knowledge your call staff have on relative topics and the false advertisement on your website. I did not get to type in the promotional code that I believe to be poorly advertised, the "free calls" I have made are possibly going to cost me a fortune on mobile rate and nearly two hours of my time was spent on the phone to your call team trying to resolve issues which should not have occurred in the first place! I just wish this could have been a better experience for me so I could look forward to my trip.
I cannot find a more appropriate email address for customer satisfaction-related emails so my apologies if this email does not reach the correct person.
In addition to this, I have called a further 4 times from a landline, been redirected through hotels.com and expedia.co.uk staff who have been unable to help me, I have emailed both expedia and hotels.com for support. Finally expedia.co.uk have made me aware that my booking has been found but I am still unhappy about the horrendous ordeal I have gone through to get the correct answers! I am also very unhappy that I am going to have an expensive phone bill next month and would appreciate being reimbursed for this.
I am still yet to receive any replies.
Anybody have any recommendations?
I am tempted to take this further to Citizens Advice! I understand I may have got it wrong regarding the Promo code but the whole ordeal afterwards... The false advertisement for free calls and lack of help from the staff? Also, What company doesn't have a complaints policy and loses your booking because its automatically transferred over to sister company without informing you?
I am so upset over this.