Hotwire
Reviews and Complaints

I reserved a car for our golf trip in april with enterprise for a total of 8 days and was quoted 345.00 for the eight days... Today, I found through hertz that they allow CAA members to drive their vehicle without charge and so I proceeded to hertz to see what specials they had on... Somehow I got linked to hotwire and found a quote of 376.00, which was fine given that enterprise was going to charge each extra driver 10 dollars a day... When I gave my visa number and confirmed my reservation with hotwire, it popped up not as a hertz reservation but rather as an enterprise reservation but 30 dollars more for the very same reservation... I immediately called hotwire customer service and they said all they could do was match the price and a refund was out of the question. They proceeded to calculate the price match but that came out to be 375.00... The base price matched but the taxes and location charges were somehow different... Both vehicles came from the same location at the airport and yet somehow there was a 30 dollar difference. They blamed the difference on enterprise, which doesn't make sense since taxes are location based... Why would enterprise charge me tax at a different rate when I book through them than they would charge me if I booked the same vehicle through hotwire... I suspect hotwire puts an additional charge hidden as a location tax, hoping the customer wouldn't know the difference and indeed that would have been the case with me, had I not booked the same vehicle for the same period from enterprise directly.. I will never use hotwire again. I believe they reek of superficiality and their intransigence does not deserve my business...

I booked a Flight on Hotwire from Jacksonville, FL to Salt Lake City, UT for 2/23/13 & return on 3/2/13. I went through the whole booking procedure it was quoted at $266.00. I never received a confirmation on my Flight itinerary. I called promptly and sent e-mails continually from mid January through today's date 2/20/13. I have talked to their customer service several times and all they say they are looking into my problem. I send them a e-mail everyday. They don't answer my e-mails anymore. It stated right on their website that my previous booking was $266.00 and it finally disappeared after I mentioned it to them in my calls & e-mails. I kept telling them I had to be in Salt Lake City on these dates for business. I only have a few days left now and I have no confirmation of my booking. I recommend that if your looking for a discount travel site that you look elsewhere for a ticket. Their customer service is worthless and I wouldn't waste your time with them

Beware of hotwire. Never use this website for booking anything. I had the most miserable, stressful, time consuming experience with this website, as well as its customer service representatives, who did not service me at all. I tried to book a flight + hotel package with this website, and my visa card got declined because there was an "error" while processing. I called my visa company right away to clear this up, and they informed me that hotwire in fact charged $1, 970 onto my visa, even though the price of my trip was much lower than that, and I never actually booked the tripl! I was charged for nothing. I even called the hotel and airline company to see if maybe they had a reservation under my name from hotwire, and nothing. After days of lengthy conversations with both my visa company and hotwire, they finally, rudely, credited my card, and never apologized for the trouble they caused.in the meantime, the price of the trip I originally wanted to book went up in price, so I couldn't even purchase it any more. Such a shame that a company can charge an absurd amount of money onto anyones credit card, and get away with it. There should be a class action lawsuit made against hotwire, and when I become I lawyer, that is definitely what I will do. Reading other reviews I realized that I am not the only person this has happened to, and I am not sure why something hasn't been done to stop this scam of a website.

Hotwire rated the Clarion as a three star hotel and I felt safe with that rating. When I pulled into the parking lot I was appalled. Parking lot empty but people outside drinking beer and hanging around the doorways. A phone call to the local police department confirmed my suspicions that it was no place for a women alone to stay. Hotwire basically said too bad soo sad you lost your money, yet there guarantee is for a comfortable stay. I would even feel comfortable walking into that hotel much less stayi g there.

I was booking a ticket online and after I was done putting my credit card information, I received a message stating that my purchase did not go through and I should check back again in 15 minutes. I tried to go to another site and make the booking and I had insufficient funds. I checked my account and the money was going to be on hold for 2 days. I called and they said that I had to wait until the funds are released. I do not think that I should have had that money on hold if the booking was not being made for me and it limit me from booking with someone else. I would never again use this site. I would rather book through the airlines directly.

I was planning to travel but due to the weather I was unable too. The flight to denver which was my stopping ground was completely cancelled. I brought insurance to protect myself in the event something out of my control happened and it did. Poor Weather conditions so I was unable to go due to this. I called all agency in exchange to get my money and all companies including the credit card company is giving me the run around so I directly disputed the charges in hope that the FDIC protects my interest in collecting my full refund.

I booked for 2 nights/2 rooms through hotwire deals. They provided the rooms at staybridge suites East Stroudsburg. The hotel took my credit card for misc expenses. After two days of stay I noticed that the hotel has charged my credit card for 1 room 2 nights. So effectively I end up paying to both hotwire as well as for Staybridge.
Its been three months I'm reaching out to both hotwire and Staybridge. Staybridge says that hotwire credit card declined the payment and hence they charged to my credit card. So I need to talk to hotwire for refund. Hotwire says that they paid Staybridge and hence they need confirmation from Staybrdige to refund. Seems like Staybridge is not responding to their queries.
Wondering why the customer should be penalised for some goof-up between hotwire and Staybridge ?
I'm still fighting it out. Hope they will settle it out before I try some legal means. Will keep everyone posted.

Thnx
- Kris

I have booked airline tickets, hotel and car rental with hot wire. But that will stop!
I try to book a car rental, I put in my date, location of pick-up and times. I pick the vehicle that I want and extra coverage. Then I proceed to book. Note to anyone use this company always check your travel summary on the right - which reads: hot wire hot rate: the dates may change on you! They will charge you a huge difference in your rental agreement. If I put in my dates and hit search, if find the deal that best fits me, the vehicle of choice, then for no apparent reason! I called the customer service [protected] and I get no where!

I booked a single room for three days in London at their "Secret Hot Rate". After booking for in total 671.34 GBP, I have found the same room in the same hotel for the same time period for in total 580.50 GBP on yeego.com. However, although they have a "Best Price Guarantee" they refused to pay the difference, because www.yeego.com does not show the rate without fees and taxes. (Actually all price comparison sites show a total amount only - fees and taxes are revealed after booking at this site...).
Customer Service was awful: the guy at the telephone refused to connect me with his manager and he didn't want to give his surname.
Therefore I conclude: a) "Secret hot rates" are not a good bargain, because it is very likely that you will find the hotel for a similar or cheaper price in the internet and b) I will not use hotwire any more.

Hotwire not only fails to stand by its guarantee, it also has lousy customer service. I booked a room for three adults and Hotwire guaranteed that the room would sleep the number of guests I booked. However, Hotwire reserved only one king sized bed. The hotel charged me an additional $30 for a rollaway (which I was lucky to get since the hotel was unsure they had one available - and it barely fit in the room). Hotwire offered me a $25 Hotwire credit off my next booking and is making me fax them a receipt, which they will "review' in 10 business days. Their written guarantee states: "All rooms are guaranteed to sleep the number of guests you provided during your search, but we cannot guarantee the number of beds." Their interpretation seems to be as long as three people fit in the room, they are off the hook as far as their guarantee goes. Hotwire holds their customers accountable for no-refund final purchases, yet refuse to uphold their end of the agreement.

I booked two rooms for one night stay near Interstate 5 at Modesto, California. Hotwire rated it 2-star and advertised as a 'Super Saving' buy with FREE BREAKFAST etc. It was a case of total lie and deception on the part of both Hotwire.com and the hotel Americas Best Value Inn, Wesley, CA. There was no such thing as 'breakfast' served, free or otherwise, and the hotel was in a rundown condition. I won't consider it even a 1-star. I wonder if Hotwire has got any machanism to grade these hotels! I shall be very reluctant in future to book hotel rooms through Hotwire.com.

They told me that my insurance was going to be provided through their standard insurance provider at a discounted rate. I made my booking based on the price that they offered. After booking, they emailed me while I was standing in line to pick up my car saying that the insurance they had offered me *after* I entered my address was not valid in the province of Quebec! I had to purchase insurance through Alamo at a rate that ended up costing more than my car rental. After going through the Better Business Bureau, they still told me that they would not refund anything. I am currently working through a dispute process with Visa. Avoid this horrible company and save yourselves the hassle. You don't actually save any money...

Hotwire's 'Hot Deals' pricing model is a predatory practice, which does not allow customers to cancel hotel, flight, or car rental reservations for any reason (beyond verifiable critical medical emergency or confirmed flight schedule change) after clicking the 'Confirm' button. There is absolutely no cool-down period to reconsider, alter or cancel a purchase, even within an hour after placing the reservation - a basic customer service practice included with practically every other American or European service company.

Furthermore, Hotwire's absolutely-no-refunds policy is included as 'fine print' on their payment confirmation page. It is one of several pieces of information next to a standard 'I agree to the terms…' box. The fact that cancellations will not be granted for any reason or within any time frame is not communicated clearly.

A cursory Google search on consumer complaint forums reveals that innumerable frustrated customers have had the same issue with Hotwire refusing to cancel, change, or refund reservations, regardless of the reason.

Under Hotwire's current system a customer who clicks 'Confirm Payment' completely by accident would be charged the full price of their reservation, regardless of what action they took afterward, and whether or not they utilized the service in question. This cost could run from the $380 Hotwire currently owes me for a canceled, unused car reservation, to potentially thousands of dollars for an unwanted flight and hotel package. No form of recourse is available after clicking that button (unless an immediate family member has an emergency, in which case you must fax a physician's signature on hospital letterhead detailing the incident).

On Friday May 25, 2012 at 12:06pm I made a car rental reservation through Hotwire, for pickup at Alamo in Seatac at 12pm on Monday May 28, 2012. The cost was $382.

At exactly 12:23pm on Friday, May 25, 2012, I contacted the Hotwire Customer Service email address provided in Hotwire's confirmation email, canceling the reservation. I believed the price had been misquoted, and was concerned that I would need to change my travel schedule for separate reasons.

Every travel company I have dealt with has a cancellation policy allowing full refunds with a 24 hour advance notice. Having sent my request 72 hours in advance, I assumed that I would be entitled to a full refund. When I hurriedly clicked 'I Agree to the Terms' next to the fine print on Hotwire's payment page on May 25, I did not realize that it would be impossible for me to cancel my reservation 3 days prior to my scheduled departure date, regardless of the reason.

I just spoke with Hotwire again on Monday, July 30, having been forced to wait on attempts to resolve the issue separately through Visa (disputing the transaction) and Alamo (who told me only Hotwire could resolve the issue). Their message to me was the same - no refunds, regardless of when the cancellation was submitted or if the service was ever used. They did not offer to resolve the issue with a $50 cancellation fee, or offer me credit for other Hotwire services. They apparently feel that they are entitled to all $382 of my money, despite my having canceled the reservation by the only means available within minutes of the purchase, 3 days prior to the rental date.

I feel strongly that I was taken advantage of for $380 by Hotwire, and am actively exploring the available channels of litigation and online advocacy to protect other customers from being taken advantage of in a similar fashion. I would greatly appreciate your help in resolving this matter, and thank you for your time.

I recently booked a vacation thru Hotwire. I booked hotel, flight & car oh so I thought. Hotwire gave me the impression my car was included in my package and when I got to my destination & tried to pick up the car I found out my car was never included. So basically I only booked hotel & flight for a price that I would have never paid had I known the car was not included. The best is when I went to the rental car window they already knew who I had booked my trip with cause they get complaints about Hotwire at least twice a day. SMDH that is a shame! I had to go my whole vacation without a car. I will NEVER book anything thru Hotwire again and I will make sure to tell everyone I know not to also...

When booking the hotel room through Hotwire, I used their "Priceline" section to save money. I booked a room that was compared to the Ramada Inn or Howard Johnson's. Upon arrival, my guests were confronted with cockroaches and a door that had been kicked in and badly repaired so that the door didn't lock properly. My guests requested that I find another hotel for them since their experience was so awful the first night.
When I call Hotwire for a refund, I was told that because my guests didn't complain and ask to change rooms (like the cockroaches wouldn't be in the new room!), I could not get a refund. On top of that they argued with me about why I couldn't get a refund. That was four night's billing that Hotwire got for no rooms being used. The hotel could easily have rented out the rooms and double dipped.
The prior month I used Hotwire for a hotel in an Diego. We were put in a hotel that was next to a railroad track and in a flight pattern of the airport. No one got any sleep and it was dirty.

I wanted to comment/complain about the service I recieved from a hotel that I booked through Hotwire. I booked what was rated as a two star hotel. I booked two rooms for two nights. Being from the area that I have booked a hotel in, I know the names of the hotels and upon completion of the reservation I was appalled. I know that this hotel is a one star hotel. Nevertheless, I had an emergency at home that caused me and my family to seek shelter in a hotel, my card was already charged and according to your policy I was stuck. When I arrived at the hotel there was a sign that stated that they were under new management. I thought maybe the hotel had changed, I was wrong. The clerk (who by the way was nice) gave me two keys to the rooms. The hallway going to the rooms smelled like the carpet had been wet and cigarette smoke, although there clearly are non smoking hotel signs. I went in the first one, it had a bad odor and the bathroom light wouldnt come on. It took maybe five minutes and it came on. The mirror was taped up with duct tape, the tub was dirty and the tile was coming up off the floor in the bathroom. The desk clerk changed us to another room. We went in this one that took the bathroom light two minutes to come on (the clerk was now with us) he stated that sometimes it takes a minute for the lights to kick in. Ok, so the bathroom looks better. The clerk leaves. I go to sit my bags down, turn on the air, and sit on the bed, which breaks down to the floor. I get up and my husband attempts to put the frame back together. He then sits on it and it breaks down again. I go get the clerk. He tries to fix it while we are standing there. To no avail. He says that he is almost sold out of rooms and that he will put us in a King. I have two children and myself and husband so now this is an inconvenience as we will all have to sleep in the same bed. WOW! I call your Hotwire number and get a young lady who states that as long as the room is clean there is no changes that can be made only if there was a mistake in booking! So we go into the King room, it is 100 degrees outside and the air blows very low, again the clerk says that it takes a minute to kick in. So we are preparing to get ourselves showered. There are only two towels, two hand towels and two washcloths. As it should be, the room is made for two people! I go to desk, ask for towels, he states that housekeeping is gone and he only has one towel, one wash cloth and one hand towel. I take it, do I have a choice? Go back to the room, explain to my husband that the children can share a towel as they do not have anymore. He tell me that the toilet is stopped up! I go back to the desk, he says that maintenance usually handles that and they are also gone for the day but he says that he has a plunger! He can not change my room as he is sold out. My husband plunges the toilet over and over and the water wont go down. So we put the top down on the toilet and we decide to use the toilet in the other room that we have on our reservation until the toilet can be fixed. Which means that we are sharing it with my brother/sister n law and their child who have been put in the room with the broken bed. But at least there toilet works.I get in the shower first, that fills up around my feet as if I was taking a bath. Clearly there is something wrong with the plumbing. At last we are all finished showering over and hour and a half later as we have to wait for the water to drain in between each shower. We go to get something to eat and candles and air freshner because I can not take the musty, wet smell any longer. And when we exit the side door there is a group of men smoking narcotics! We get in the car and my husband is very upset, he tells me to never book a hotel with Hotwire again. I agree. We get back from picking up our dinner. The guys are now hanging in the hallway, they have no shirts on and they are talking loud and cursing. After dinner we settle down to watch tv in the crammed space we are suppose to sleep in. My husband ends up sleeping in the chair, as it was just too crowded. This morning when I drew open the curtains there were two men who appeared to be making a drug transaction. I still have another night to stay here, in a cramped space where the toilet and shower do not drain, it has a bad odor, and we have three towels. I will never use your service again. In fact I will be posting this commentay elsewhere and deterring any of my family and friends from utilizing your services. I called to have my room upgraded last night and again got someone who said (after they put me on hold to talk to a manager) that I could not change my reservation. I am wondering how on earth this hotel has received a two star rating by your company and a one star by EVERY other website that I have visited. I know that this is a big corporation and that my one voice probably means noothing. However I feel as though my concerns should at least be read and shared with the proper people so that no other family has to endure this mess. Maybe someone from hotwire should stay in these places and see what they are subjecting their customers to. To whomever so happens to read this, please have a wonderful day, I will not say that it was nice doing business with you. I will say that you wont have to worry about my complaints any longer as I will not be using Hotwire again.

Do not book through hotwire.com!... My husband booked a flight to the phiippines last nov 2011 for a scheduled flight this july 5th 2012. Hotwire sent me an email last april regarding an updated itinerary for changes in some time schedule. I called korean air for a special seating arrangement and the agent informed me that I was missing one leg of my flight coming back (Japan to chicago). I called hotwire and the agent said that we should coordinate it w/ korean air (In which korean air can't really touch the booking since it was made through a travel agency). I've been dealing w/ different customer rep at hotwire which everyone was not helpful at all. So, I let my husband handle it but it was still the same... They just lie... They say they can't rebook a flight (It's actually they won't!). They won't do it because it will cost them more because the air fare is higher now. The only option they gave us is to refund the money (7 days)... Which we haven't heard regarding this refund as well.

I was trying to reschedule/refund my flight because it was scheduled for the wrong day. The Customer Care representatives stated ..."we could refund and rebook your flight..." via email. I call in right when I receive the at email, was on hold for 20 minutes and the representative tells me that I missed the scheduling period so they can no longer give me a refund. I talked to their representative who tells me they can rebook my the flight. THEN I talk to the manager who says we cannot rebook your flight- THESE PEOPLE NEED TO GET THEIR STORY STRAIGHT AND LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE BETWEEN EACH OTHER AND THEIR CUSTOMERS! Never again will I use Hotwire and I recommend no one does. You will get screwed! They say "Customer Care" but really they are NOT taking care of their customers!

I booked a 2 1/2 star hotel through hotwire. Once the booking was confirmed I checked out the Hotel website. It was not a Holiday Inn or Best Western like they compared it to. It was the DrawBridge INN, a locally owned hotel by the Cincinnati Airport. That is fine as long as it has the same standards. Once on the website I see where the hotel has had numerous complaints about the hotels dated intererior, customer service and been in the news for BEDBUGS! This Hotel was by no way comparable to a Holiday Inn or Clarion. If we took bedbugs home it would cost thousands to get rid of them and I have children so it is not worth the risk. Knowing the cancellation policy at Hotwire I called for their help anyways. I couldn't believe they would be affiliated with with a place like this or at least rate it a 2 1/2 star. I spoke with Justin who tried to reassure me by telling me that I would be suprised by how many hotels have Bedbugs (& Cinncy is very well known for them) and I would run into this problem almost at every hotel I went to. He did remain professional on the phone but was not going to help me. I asked to speak with his supervisor. By this time I had been on hold for a total of 20 minutes. Jessica, employee ID 1522 (Justins supervisor) finally answered the phone. She told me she would call the hotel and speak with them about the bedbugs but there was nothing she could do for us until after we checked in. I told her it would be at least midnight before we got to the hotel and she told me that Hotwire would not beable to help us till the next day if we had problems...then she laughed at me. I asked her if she was laughing at me but of course she denied it. I will never book through hotwire again. Not only is their star rating off their customer service sucks!

Booked a hotel room with Hotwire, and got lied to as he misrepresented the type of room. I requested a non smoking room and when I arrived at the hotel they had reserved a smoking room? The hotel (Days Inn) wanted a additional $10 a night to upgrade to a non smoking room. After arguing with the hotel manager and getting nowhere I called the customer complaint line for Hotwire. They would not budge and would not refund the room, telling me that it was my fault that the room was not properly booked. STAY AWAY FROM HOTWIRE, THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF!