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AARP Services review: aarp value 6

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Author of the review
8:38 am EDT
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How is this a good deal from AARPP?

My sister is expecting us on May 1st. I've recently joined AARP and this has been my first attempt to use the AARP Travel Service, powered by Expedia. This is, now, over an hour to correct mistakes in booking dates and charges for it. I chose checking in on May 1 and checking out May 2; the confirmation came back saying that our dates were tomorrow, April 9, though the 12th, and charged us accordingly.
I didn't find a way to correct it on the Itinerary (confirmation) page in front of me. I called the hotel. Yes, it was understandable that they didn't have the booking yet because single digit minutes had passed between the booking and my call. I corrected the date, booking with the clerk, got a confirmation code and asked that a note be left for the day shift to expect my call to make sure the cancellation for the bogus dates was done.
The next breath was to see if the email confirmation would offer help. The email confirming the bogus booking included this notice:

Checking in
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Your room will be guaranteed for late arrival.
Important Hotel Information
Although AARP Travel Center does not charge a fee to change or cancel your booking, Econo Lodge Andalusia may still charge a fee in accordance with its own rules & regulations.
Cancellations or changes made after 2:00 PM (Central Daylight Time (US & Canada)) on April 08, 2015 or no-shows are subject to a hotel fee equal to the first night's rate plus taxes and fees.
View your online itinerary for additional rules and restrictions.

This was already after 2:00 P.M. on April 8th! 2:00 P.M. was several hours before I made the reservation!
Finally, in the string of nothing notes following the confirmation information (and warning), I found the options for addressing problems with the booking, I called the AARP Travel Center, immediately, and as a fee of $55.00 was put forth, I was adamant that none of my money was going to pay for this mistake.
It wasn't easy, but Tina, the Customer Service Representative, finally got the dates fixed, the fee dropped and a refund (for second and third nights) in process to our card. I had wanted the booking via AARP Travel canceled and settled for the dates being fixed and a partial refund. It's not over. We may have to wait up to 2 weeks for our bank to show the refund. We'll be leaving for holiday after the refund is expected, but the time out is pure luck. Tina did a great job, AARP Travel, powered by Expedia failed miserably.
Until I call the hotel for the day shift to find the booking made with them, for which I have a code, the single night is paid for twice. Not canceling the booking via AARP Travel Services, we're left with more to do.
Accidents happen. When it comes to making a correction, “immediately, ” should be an advantage. My willingness to jump right on it and endeavor to mitigate the consequences in real time was worthless because the means weren't available, in real time. I shouldn't have had to go into an email for a way to contact someone for help with it and my expectation of a cancellation should have been all the CSR was doing, rather than saving a booking profit for Expedia/AARP. Trying to charge us a fee was absurd and insulting.
I don't feel as though my AARP Membership is a great deal if it invites and doesn't protect me from such as this. As folks who have been around for more than 50 years and paying dues to an organization of folks who have been around for more than 50 years, I expect better. My being able to get something fixed and not being put-out over it should be an AARP priority. Instead, I have to work and stress to make things right and protect myself from predatory service practices!
How has my AARP Membership saved me time and money? Working directly with the hotel, the 10% discount was applied for mentioning it (and “senior” might have been as valid as “AARP”) and, consideration for our dog was also, easily arranged. There was no way to arrange for the pet at this, filtered for, “pet friendly, ” hotel, via the forms online. This has cost a great deal of time and inconvenience. I'm wondering; “How much of what's left of my life do I owe AARP?” I can make my own reservations, the old fashioned way, just fine. I'm not impressed and, probably, won't be back to AARP Travel.
Sincerely,
Margaret K Hefner
AARP Member # [protected]
AARP Travel Center Itinerary #[protected]

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6 comments
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Michael Friedman
, US
Mar 05, 2023 7:39 am EST

Last week I had a confirmed car rental reservation in Playa del Carmen Mexico at Sixt that I booked thru aarp-Expedia. It was a vendor collect reservation as opposed to a prepaid one. The Expedia confirmation email states “No need to contact the vendor your reservation is confirmed!” I showed up with my family at the Sixt location and they had no record of my reservation in their computer even after showing them the confirmation number on my Expedia email. They had no cars immediately available and since we had a tight timeline on a prepaid activity, we were forced to take a local taxi at quadruple the intended cost of the car rental. Expedia refuses to take accountability for their screw up.

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Andrea Mercado
, US
Oct 31, 2022 2:08 pm EDT

NEVER AGAIN. I had to change my plans owing to Hurricane Ian. A simple round trip to Tampa plus a rental car took THREE HOURS by phone to resolve. Maybe they assume that their members have nothing better to do with their time. I am running my own business.

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Arleen Marcel-Mancino
, US
Aug 26, 2022 5:12 pm EDT

I had a flight booked in 2020 which was cancelled because of Covid 19. I have credits thru Expedia for JetBlue and United. To book a flight using the credits you have to call Expedia. You speak with a representative from another country, who put you on hold for over an hour hoping that you will hang up. Once I was ready to book the flight I was told that the flight was three times more than what was listed on the website…..and they could not give me a credible explanation as to why? It would’ve cost me more to book their flight using my credit then it would booking directly with the airline itself. I had gone back-and-forth with Expedia and JetBlue finally after hours and days on hold I got my credits transferred to JetBlue directly. However they will not do this with my United credits. I wonder how many people this has happened to who give up or just let their credits expire without trying to use them . I feel that it is illegal for Expedia to take our money and Not give it back.I wonder How many more people has happened to?

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Agrr
Jasper, US
Jul 08, 2022 8:09 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Same thing just happened to me! AARP travel center what a joke not there to help you at all. If you use it make sure everything is right 😂 not much help. Why use them pretty much useless

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MNM#1
, US
Nov 18, 2021 3:21 pm EST

We booked to vendors through AARP travel in a inclusive deal to Hawaii. 1st was supposed to be a Private Sedan Limousine from the Airport to the Hotel and then the hotel to the airport the following week. ($364.31). We where thoroughly embarrassed by a rude and inconsiderate driver who picked us up in a 12 passenger airport shuttle van and drove us the 5 miles to our Hotel. Called the company next day to inform them and cancel the return trip, the women agreed that the limo company they used was supposed to send a private sedan snd that We would receive a full refund. Now two months later and numerous hours on the phone the limo co won’t refund our money unless we send them a picture of the Van. Absolute fraud being allowed by AARP! Next we booked a kayak trip on a river. We showed up at the meeting place on the itinerary voucher 1 hour before the scheduled trip at the kayak co office waiting 2 hours and calling them 6 times getting voicemail. Finally the other business across the street told us they no longer meet at that office for the trips… Another fraud snd theft of our money from AARP. AARP was who charged our credit card for the whole trip Yet they say there hands are tied. Utterly terrible. Would never use them for anything, and we ate going to cancel are membership eith them and associates.

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Michael Stout
, US
Sep 28, 2021 2:17 pm EDT

On 8/25/2021 I booked a2 tickets from Phoenix, AZ to Boise Idaho, I paid for flight insurance. I did not receive a email confirmation. The next day I placed another reservation for two tickets from Phoenix to Boise believing my original request for tickets were not received by you.
Then I find out it had went through. I requested a cancellation on one of the flights and a refund. You people contacted American Airline and they would not cancel one of the tickets and give me a refund.I contacted the travel insurance and they denied the claim.
This is a real nightmare and I suggest you folks are at fault for not sending me my confirmation number, giving a very difficult system for checking on a reservation and you should provide me with a refund or a credit.
William M Stout
2492 E Oli ln
Meridian, Idaho
[protected]
Kznalstud@aol.com
Date of ticket usage February 28, 2021
Itinerary numbers [protected], and [protected]