Hotwire

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Boy do I wish I had investigated Hotwire a lot better before I chose to book with them!! What a disappointment!! First time booking and all we asked for was a hotel room for 2 adults and 2 kids (since it specifies over the age of 2, we didn't include our toddler) and what do we get??? A hotel 20 minutes out of town in a hotel that, despite being pretty nice was not as well-maintained as it could have been, one that didn't serve a breakfast buffet and a room that only had a king sized bed - for 4 people! There was no table to eat at, just a desk so our kids had nowhere to eat a snack. The only alternative to this room would have been in smoking - when NONE of us smoke or are ever around smokers! I DON'T THINK SO. When calling cust service, took forever to find their number and the only thing they offered was a credit towards a future Hotwire booking...yeah, THAT'S not going to happen. First - and LAST - time I'll be using this company! >:o(

Anonymous 8/23/10 6:23AM

NEVER USE HOTWIRE FOR HOTEL RESERVATION. I have very bad experiences by booking hotel with Hotwire. Always get the worst room in the hotel; single bed for 4 people, smoking or dirty room. The hotel is always fully booked when I request for a change room. One time a hotel told me that because I book through Hotwire, they cannot guarantee my reservation as I need. Last month, I tried to book a 3* hotel in Grand Canyon and it came out with a 2,5*. The market rated as a 2,5* and even on their website, in the star rating description, the hotel that I got should be a 2,5*. I complained and they said their rating is accurate. Do not try to make any comment or complaint; they seem not very care of the customer satisfaction.

Anonymous 8/18/10 10:38AM

we had to change our reservations and we were charged an additional $300 in order to change the dates of our trip. We think this is unfair and we would not recommend hotwire ever again to any of our friends and this website will no longer be used by us. This is unfair to the customers that travel every year and if something comes up that the plans have to be changed, whose pocket does thin money go into. It is unfair and we will
never use this site ever again.

Anonymous 8/3/10 3:13PM

I tried using Hotwire for a car rental. Low bid ended up being Avis. Plane flight delayed my pick up. I called both Hotwire and Avis and both assured me the car was reserved for up to 24 hrs late pickup, no problem. Not so, when I got to location (Memphis TN airport) well under the 24-hr limit, the Avis people insisted my reservation could not be found, and complained that they (Avis) have a longstanding problem not being able to "see" Hotwire reservations in the Avis computer system. I spent upwards of three hours going back and forth, showing my confirmation info to Avis staff, trying to get Hotwire on the 866 number, negotiating, arguing, brainstorming alternatives, passing time while Avis staff pondered and avoided the "issue" this guy had etc. -- ended up having to call Hotwire twice (being on hold of course each time for 20 minutes or more) and doing a sensitivity session, via my personal cell tel, to bring Avis and Hotwire staff "together" to reach a compromise. Hotwire staff gave me different advice on each of the two calls (tip - never ever hang up until you put them on line with the service staff and get at least two independent confirmations "yes this is true; we can do it." It was absurd. By the time I left Avis I felt like I was one of the staff there. I had family waiting on me, missed valuable time, and was left petitioning with other 'walk-in' people who had no reservations and got cars (!) while the Avis staff kept telling me "none for you" (that was the Hotwire advice chapter where Hotwire told me to go ahead and rent a car on my card - pay twice so to speak, and a "panel" at Hotwire would consider reimbursing me the difference after I mailed in receipts; insulting) So basically my one and probably only, I hope, experience with Hotwire car rental was like going to a special kind of hell.

unhappy customer 7/28/10 5:09PM

NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER EVER EVER WOULD I USE HOTWIRE. Their airline booking mistake is going to cost me $500....yup, no changes, no help, no customer service. I should have known that a good deal is hard to find. You certainly won't get any deals or HELP from their so called customer service. I asked for a corporate address and was told they couldn't give it out. I asked for a lsst name and was told they couldn't give that out either. Is this any way to run a company. Let's see how long they stay in business. I will be seeking legal recourse against this company.

K 7/28/10 8:36AM

My experience with Hotwire was the WORST! I was trying to book a trip online to LA and when I got to the last step and booking the trip I kept receiving error messages "could not book flight-flight price chage". The trip start out at $4,800; the price escalated to $ 5, 800 in a matter of seconds so I call customer service. The customer service told me she could get the trip for $5.700. I declined and told them not to book or charge the card. However, they put a hold on the charge for the amount which tied up the credit limit on my card. It took forever to get the hold released. I would NEVER use them again.

Sheila0809 7/21/10 4:08PM

This was my first time booking with Hotwire, and it will be my last. I got a room at a fine hotel, but because I needed two double beds instead of one king, no one at Hotwire would change this reservation for me, nor cancel it, so I could find a room with two double beds. They do not take into consideration the fact that even though you may specify two people, that doesn't mean you prefer to sleep together. The hotel wanted to charge me an extra $40 to change to a room with two double beds. This is not acceptable. I work with people every day, and bend over backwards to make sure they have a pleasant experience. I would never treat them the way Hotwire treated me. When I asked to speak to yet another supervisor, I was told there would be a 5-10 minute wait. In today's technology?!?! I don't think so! There are plenty of other businesses, and I will take mine elsewhere from this time forth. I will also make sure people know how Hotwire treats guests on their site.

sassydj 7/17/10 2:44PM

We booked our rooms 2 months in advance, one week before we were to leave, I had emergency surgery,I was in the hospital 8 days, we asked how to get our money back, and they gave us detailed instructions on how to do so, I have faxed the info 5 times with no result. Where in India are you located.

david 7/7/10 12:20PM

I will never use Hotwire again, the hotel that I booked which was a 3 star hotel in a small town. My first room was stuffy and sweaty with mold and mildew on the floor and the doors were not close to the bathroom. I phoned the hotel's cust. service to switch rooms and to my dismay the conditions were the same. I left msgs. with the hotel's manager. It has been 4 weeks and I have not heard from Hotwire for a refund. This is a complete rip off.

Anonymous 6/30/10 7:19AM

Don't try to get a receipt that can be used for business purposes. They will send you a typed email "receipt" that you could make yourself in 2 min using Word. I hope my company will reimburse me the $900 I spent on Hotwire...
BTW if you ask to talk to a supervisor they will tell you that there are 25 people ahead of you and you can wait. There is no way to lodge a formal complaint. NEVER AGAIN will I use Hotwire.

Anonymous 6/18/10 8:57AM