Comments on: ‘Keystroke error’ turns $289 rate into $28

By: Shannon

Shannon — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:08:12 +0000

Many states have laws that say if something is “tagged” at an incorrect amount the business must honor that amount. I know this applies to retail stores but I’m not sure about other services. He should have checked with the Florida Department of Consumer Services to see if there was recourse. (http://www.800helpfla.com/travel_text.html) It seems to me, Elliott, that you are just guessing about this one.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:09:12 +0000

Kevin, the answer to your question is simple, the unfastened traveler is a haggler.

By: barbie45

barbie45 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:53:44 +0000

Kevin in terms of clarifiying technical issues your post was the best I have ever seen on this blog. They were written in language a layperson could comprehend. Please continue to post.

By: Kevin M

Kevin M — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:10:52 +0000

First, some math: Assume for a moment that the OP’s “getaway weekend” involved at least three and possibly more nights (Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights would be a likely scenario, with possibly Monday night added if it was a holiday weekend). The “normal” price for the room was supposedly $289, but the Westin offered a compromise rate of $99. That means $190 x 3 nights = $570 the hotel “gave up” in revenue for that room. As another poster noted, the room rate average is one metric that hotel management reviews to see whether a property is giving away rooms too cheaply. Hotel management has wide discretion on what to charge for a room, but if they are always cutting deals to the lowest possible price, it hurts the company, so management likes to see higher “average” numbers.

On the other hand, hotel managers also have a budget for “fixing things” for customers, and they may not be judged as strictly (sometimes) on the revenue from ancillary fees. So crediting off the fees to keep the room rate higher, and even paying for a ticket (which could have been as low as $200) might still be better than cutting to the lower room charge.

@Barbie: The point isn’t that Quincy isn’t a nice place, or isn’t convenient, or full of wonderful things to do. The point is that (a) the hotel in question isn’t a 4-star hotel, it’s a 3-star, and even at that, the rating is apparently questionable, and (b) 7 miles, even if only 20 minutes travel time, is a huge distance for, say, a business traveler at a convention, or one who is calling on downtown Boston clients. A leisure traveler might find Quincy perfectly adequate for a visit; someone who needs to be able to leave his hotel and be at a convention or law office or whatever within a few minutes will not. He may have a large amount of material he must bring with him to the convention, there might be an accident on the way in from Quincy blocking traffic, there are a hundred reasons why seasoned business travelers prefer to stay downtown, and pay a premium to do so. And that premium location (and the extra star in the rating) is worth a lot of money. If even a 3-star hotel in a suburb of Boston which is a 20-minute drive from downtown can get $50/night, why on earth would you defend as reasonable a $28 rate at a higher-ranked property practically in the lap of Universal Studios Orlando?

By: barbie45

barbie45 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:38:07 +0000

I am curious as to the number of people who responded to the ad and what there results were. I have the same opinion you do.They were overly generous for just that reason.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:43:58 +0000

Given that the hotel discovered the error in advance of the guest’s arrival and notified him/her and also made a very reasonable substitute offer, I am shocked (and don’t understand) why Westin agreed to pay the airfare! They must be very afraid of bad PR. I am thinking they did not honor the lower room rate instead so as not to open the door to honoring ALL the mistken rates. In the long run, depending how many there were, the loss might have been the great of the two remdies.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:27:49 +0000

If I book a $28 rate, and call the hotel to confirm it’s legit, then I expect to get a room for $28. Period. Forget waived parking fees and the offered $99 rate and the offer to comp airfare. Just do what you agreed to do.

I wonder what would happen if I mistakenly booked a non-refundable room rate, then called the hotel and said my finger slipped and I selected the wrong rate? Hey Westin, honest mistake, you’re just a greedy hotel if you don’t allow me to cancel and get my money back.

I know exactly what would happen – “you agreed to the rate” and “there’s nothing I can do”.

This is not a win-win situation. The hotel had to be pressed for everything they offered. Greedy and short-sighted management. I’ll never stay at Westin Imagine Orlando if this is how they resolve problems.

By: barbie45

barbie45 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:36:15 +0000

oops I meant try to negotiate.

By: barbie45

barbie45 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:35:11 +0000

As an added note the Fenway is no where near Boston proper. For a team to stay in Quincy is yuk. It is a real hassle to get from Quincy to the Fenway. No wonder the team was upset. Joel he was negotiating. When you purchase a house or an automobile people do not negotiate. Many financial consultants even recommend trying to negotiate for medical work, home appliances. For instance if you noticed a few sctatches or other imperfections on furniture or appliances. That is not being greedy. it is negotiation. In some countries it is an honorable way of purchases. I mean this is not really worth a philisophical debate. It could have gone another way. This is the real world.

By: Joel Wechsler

Joel Wechsler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:53:43 +0000

The OP admits to being amazed by the rate and apparently got someone at the Westin to confirm it. In the absence of a name or other corroborating evidence, it becomes her word against that of some, probebly, low level employee without authority. If push came to shove the OP would not have a leg to stand on, as $28 for the Westin in Orlando is clearly not reasonable. I think the hotel’s original offer was reasonable, especially with the waiving of the parking fee. In other word, the OP, in my opinion is being a bit greedy here.