Author Topic: My World Series Experience and Expedia.com (Read 4085 times)

Alkie · « **on:** October 25, 2005, 11:52:54 am »

I know this is not what the site is for, but please, if someone else on here had a similar experience, I would have wanted to hear about it.

We are in Houston.

But we are NOT at the hotel I booked on Expedia.com last week so I could attend the World Series.

When I arrived at the Comfort Inn and Suites last night (as I'm sure jaklewein did) I found out that my reservation did not exist and that Expedia.com had booked 50+ people at a hotel that had been sold out since Katrina.

Expedia had me on hold for 25 minutes in a hotel lobby at 11pm last night and reluctantly offered me a FULL REFUND (whoopedee DOO, you fuckers) and a VOUCHER for an unnamed DISCOUNT next time I wanted to use Expedia.com.

They could not find me a replacement hotel and weren't really all that sorry. Thank god I have a lot of friends and family in this city, or I'd have been fucked.

As a friend, I'm begging you all to not use expedia if possible. Their system is crap and this is the second time I've been burned by their horrific customer service.

The baseball tie-in here is that with the $350 I saved, we can afford Game Three tix tonight. What is everyone seeing on prices right now?

hostros7 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 25, 2005, 12:02:43 pm »

i can explain this (maybe not so well).

Technically, ALL hotels only guarantee reservations if they are made directly from the purchaser directly to the hotel. Making them over the phone is the only way to achieve this legally binding agreement.

The shitty thing they do is over the internet. Even if you are technically on THEIR webpage, they have some stipulation written into the fine print that you are making an agreemetn through a third party.

you got tworked by the man, it sucks. they will sacrifice service and customer service to assure 100% capacity in the short term

hostros7 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 25, 2005, 12:03:49 pm »

I am curious about prices as well...and do people think cheaper tix closer to game time by the field? how high is the risk for fakes?

Taras Bulba · « **Reply #3 on:** October 25, 2005, 12:36:20 pm »

Apparently there is a huge quilting (yes, I said quilting) convention in Houston smack dab in the middle of the World Fucking Series. Perhaps you can get Waldo or Craig the Bastard to swing by and fart on all of the quilts, thereby running off some of the conventioneers that are occupying your room. Just a thought.

CJM · « **Reply #4 on:** October 25, 2005, 01:04:58 pm »

I had a friend of mine get 2 rooms at a place near NASA yesterday. I think it's Oxford Inn, or something like that. He said when they checked in the mgr. told him that there were quite a few rooms left in the Clear Lake area.

Alkie · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2005, 02:12:17 pm »

Thanks man.

We're staying with friends in Pearland and spending the cash on tickets instead.

Looks like everything worked out ok.

Except the drive from Pearland, of course.

CJM · « **Reply #6 on:** October 25, 2005, 02:53:26 pm »

Quote:

Except the drive from Pearland, of course.

The drive shouldn't be too bad up 45. It takes me about 15 minutes, 20 tops to get to the park from Clear Lake.

Has anybody heard if they are changing the street parking for the WS? We always get there early and park at a meter about a block or two away. The meters are turned off at 5 I think so you only have to put in a few dollars for a nice spot. I am always amazed when there are dozens of spots left on the street, yet there are still idiots passing on them to pay $25 for a space the same distance away. I guess the red flags the parking lot attendants wave have a hypnotic effect on drivers.

Alkie · « **Reply #8 on:** October 25, 2005, 02:59:39 pm »

Oh man. We drove past $30 parking for the NLDS (across the street from the stadium) and paid $7 to park at the Brown CC, literally 20 feet further down the street. Just makes me laugh.

That's like .78 beers.

BUWebguy · « **Reply #10 on:** October 25, 2005, 03:14:51 pm »

Alkie -
Don't give up with Expedia; this story sounds eerily familiar:

The Link

Alkie · « **Reply #12 on:** October 25, 2005, 04:22:59 pm »

No, not if you're FROM Houston.

Alkie · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2005, 04:26:58 pm »

Oh, I didn't mean to the GAME. I just meant in general.

Alkie · « **Reply #16 on:** October 25, 2005, 04:33:20 pm »

A good point.

The Amazing Mr. Ed · « **Reply #17 on:** October 25, 2005, 06:14:52 pm »

I can probably explain what happened better than most, as I work for one of Expedia's competitors.

What you did was purchase a merchant hotel. Expedia arranges for blocks of rooms at a certain rate and sells them at a higher rate thus giving them a large profit margin. They store these room blocks in their own database, and don't check the hotel's database to see if they are still available.
When a person books one of these rooms, expedia requests (notice I said request not reserve) the room by sending a FAX to the hotel. They don't check for actual availability, and they don't check to confirm that the fax was receved or that the room was even booked at the hotel.

This process alone is how they became the #1 online travel tool.

For a while I know Hotels.com used the same process, so be careful there too.

With that said go to one of the competitors. We'd love for expedia to lose market share.

Juli · « **Reply #18 on:** October 25, 2005, 06:41:43 pm »

FYI on the parking around downtown. I took a walk a little while ago and the prices on the lots between the criminal courthouse and MMPUS are pretty scary. I saw one lot priced at $50 and another at $150, normally priced at $2.50 and $7. Most meters had bags on them.

astrox · « **Reply #20 on:** October 25, 2005, 06:46:50 pm »

Just another brick in the wall.

This is getting out of hand. First it was the scalpers, then it was MLB and the damn roof. Now it's the damn parking lots! What's next? How else will John Q. Astrosfan get violated by the powers that be? The city waited 44 years for this. The fans have waited 44 years for this. And this is the shitburger that we get to eat? At least give us some cheddar cheese to drizzle on top of it. At least give me a freaking spoon to scoop up the clingons.

I'm telling you. Pink isn't well, he stayed back at the hotel.