Hotwire review: Scam 13

When I showed up at the Avis counter, after exiting customs from a transatlantic flight, I was told that my prepaid rental was for one week later. I had only made teh reservation 24-36 hours earlier. Much to my delight Avis told me that Hotwire would refund my money because I had not taken possession of a car. I asked for assurances and was given them amply that this was the case. Indeed Avis would not accept money if the car was not taken possession of.

I arrived at my next destination by subway, train and automobile. I had to do this because I was no longer eligible for a discount and Avis wanted about $400 for a 3 day rental.

I immediately called Hotwire and as you might expect they said tough luck. Any company tha makes money from fat fingered typists shoudl be in a hall of sahme. Worse, Avis denied unequivocally that this conversation took place indeed could have taken place when on aocnfernce call with Hotwire.

Shame on Avis. Hotwire is a very questionnable company but you do expect better of Avis. I'm not kidding the conversation I had at the rental counter lasted more than 5 minute. There was no if ands or buts that I would be getting a refucnd and that Avis stood behind it.

Hotwire SCAM, I booked a Hotel thru this website, it was a 4 star hotel for a 3 star price "supposedly"
When I got to the hotel (HILTON) they told me that the rate DID NOT included parking, internet, and breakfast, and that if I wanted this services I would have to pay $40 more per night, so I called HOTWIRE to try to get my money back and I was not able to, they told me I'd already agree to the terms, I try speaking to the supervisor and they put me on hold forever I finally gave up and pay the extra fee... DO NOT BOOK THRU HOTWIRE.COM

My scenario was even worse than CherylJ, I booked a rental car with "Dollar Rental Cars" via "Hotwire.com, they sent an email to me confirming the reservation" at 1am in Ft.Lauderdale, get to "Dollar Rental", and they told me they don't accept Visa-Debit Cards. However, "Hotwire.com" had already took the $136.00 for the rental.Called Hotwire more than twenty times, and they have "LIED"about my refund each time, because it's been a whole month my Visa-Debit card hasn't shown the refund, and I've called to verify."Hotwire.com" claimed that it would take 10-days to verify the non-rental with "Dollar Rental Cars, in which they verified within 9-days.But like I've just said, It's been a whole month with "No Refund".
R.Askew

I had a disappointing experience with Hotwire. I ended up paying more for the hotel than if I booked it direct and the 'double the difference' guarantee offered by Hotwire isn't worth a damn!

Read about what happen to me here:

http://hotwirescam.blogspot.com/

its a scam, two minutes after booking i checked the hotels website and i could have booked directly for the same price. plus the hotel was a really a half star one. do not use hotwire.

I am trying to book a week vacation for Boston with a friend and we were successful enough to find a cheap flight and hotel package. We got all the way to the page that needs the credit card information and we get to the next page and there is a (502) error code saying that either the credit card information cannot be verified or the amount exceeds the credit limit. We call the bank to make sure and they have a green light on their end, so I try one more time and I get a red light on the website. I call to speak to someone at Hotwire, thinking that maybe there is a technical glitch. She asks to verify the information that I had already put in on the website. She then says that she got the same error code. So she then asks to verify the bank branch with an address and telephone number. My friend's mother is talking to the bank saying that there should not be any problems with the card, and says that it sounds weird that they want the banks information. We ended up not booking or reserving the package because they said there was nothing they can do because of the error code. My friend's mother called Hotwire to find out more information and she gives them the intinerary number and their information for that number is completely wrong from what we had. She once again calls the bank and the bank tells her that Hotwire has charged them $15 for trying to book the flight, eventhough Hotwire said they could not use the card information. So once again my friend's mother calls Hotwire and sayd that they tried to enter the information 15 times but they still kept getting the same error code, and when she asked them to give the information that they were putting in, Hotwire refused. .PLEASE DO NOT HOTWIRE TO BOOK ANYTHING!

do not use hotwire at all, they lie about even the city, they need to be taken to court.

i booked a hotel room for one night in Islamarda florida, they said they can not tell me the address, but it is in the area of Islamarda i kept asking what is the area distance she did not even understand me all she kept saying it is in the area, i am a older man and do not want to drive 30 miles from my room to the city in which i wanted to stay, i called and asked to speak to a supervisor and she told me there is nothing that can be done.that meant i lost my money because i am not stsyin 30 miles away from the party i am attending, this is a terrible company HOTWIRE do not use it i beleave that lie about everything...

I booked with Hotwire many times. They lead you to believe through their icons on their star description that you will be getting one of the brands listed. However, in the fine print, it states that they can substitute independent brands of "similar quality". That is exactly what they did, except similar quality is in the eye of the beholder. My wife and mother in law were put in a crack motel called "Tower Motel" in the heart of the ghetto of Long Beach. The motel was so unsafe they had to leave immediately. Hotwire refused to do anything about it even after arguing with their service reps for over an hour. Little do most know that EXPEDIA, Hotels.com and tripadvisor.com are owned by the same company. Don't do business with any of these fraud artists.

I booked a 2 star hotel in Atlanta for 3 nights and was charged by hotwire $312 when I checked out of the hotel they asked if i'd like to have a recepit, I said "sure". Took a look at my recepit only to find that I should have charged $250 and they rates hotwire charged me per day were different! I called hotwire and was told "you weren't supposed to see the hotel rates, the hotel should not have disclosed that information to you" ..WHAT THE HELL!?!?! THEN they have the NERVE to tell me that I will be given back the difference with "Hot Dollars" so whenever I book again (which is definately never) I can use it towards my next trip. HOTWIRE IS A BIG SCAM! NEVER BOOKING THROUGH THEM AGAIN!

IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT!
YEAH THATS FOR ALL OF YOU MOTHER###ERS!

This was supposed to be our first honeymoon and we got scam to fly on jet blue to take one flight to Long beach from Sacramento and then one flight to Las Vegas from long beach and dido on the way back home to Sacramento. Thought it was a hotel and airline package deal found out it was a rip off.

I had the same situation with Hotwire.com. I was told the hotel was on Ft. Myers Beach, FL when in actuality (after I confirmed), it's more like a place called Captiva Island, which is about 4 miles south of where I wanted to be. I tried to fight incessantly, but I keep being ignored and mistreated. I am a lawyer, class action suit anyone?