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Priceline.com review: unauthorized charges 6

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2:16 pm EDT
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My nightmare started when I purchased a business class airline ticket from Priceline.com website to Europe July 2nd 2009. Three days before departure date I contacted Priceline to change my departure date. Everything went well and I paid all penalties/change of rate fees with my debit card.
When I received my confirmation e-mail, I realized that I got dropped from business class to economy; this was after agent told me over the phone that I was still in business class. I contacted Priceline about it, but really didn’t get any help. Their customer service told me that there is nothing they can do about it. When I went to check in at the airport, I find out that I don’t have ticket at all anymore. I called Priceline again (about 15th call in two days!) they said, that it was their fault and they will call my cell phone in next 15 minutes. I waited for 30 and called them again, went through same cycle again, and finally get talk to somebody that can speak English and could do something. She was actually half way helpful, but couldn’t fix the problem right away. No I only had 50 minutes time left for departure and still didn’t have a ticket! She promised to call me back and actually called back 20 minutes later. I finally got ticket and barely made my flight.
28 days after this episode I was checking my bank statement and realized, that Priceline.com had charged my debit card for third time for $530.11. This is over 20 days after trip, and I never authorized it. I called Priceline again, and customer service department told me (after waiting for 25 minutes) that it was their mistake, and they would refund my card in next 10 business days (which is BS on my opinion anyways).
I waited for 2 weeks and no refund. I called again and now story changed, Priceline was going to investigate what actually happened. They told me this will take 14 days, and are going to get back to me. As you can probably guess, nobody called or e-mailed me. I called again, and after transferring me from department to another for 30 minutes I actually talked to somebody that could tell me that they need to investigate what actually happened to original investigation!
At this point I handed this to BBB also, and contacted Priceline again. They gave me case id number and told me that accounting department is handling it, but I can’t talk to anybody in that department, they will let me know. I waited couple of days and called them again. This time they told me that refund was issued on September 7th and paid on September 9th. I told them that I still don’t have money; they told me that my bank is the problem, they have done their part. I try to ask transaction number, but didn’t get one.
After I called to my bank again just to find out, that Priceline.com has never tried to refund my card, I called Priceline again. Now after fighting with them over the phone, they gave me new case number, and couldn’t ever give me an answer, why they lied about the refund. They told me that there is nothing I can do about it, but wait another guess… 14 days!
I’m done with them now, I guess I just have to wait BBB to do their thing.
Very bad and sad skimming and fraud, I can’t believe Priceline.com can still be in business.

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

6 comments
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ReporterOnline
, US
Mar 30, 2018 8:21 am EDT

This morning woke up to find Priceline.com had charged my bank debit card $904.05 for some unknown person to fly from Argentina to Dominican Republic. I have never used Priceline to book any travel arrangements. But did an online search about a week ago using Priceline.

Valerie
Valerie
, US
Nov 07, 2008 12:19 pm EST

On 11/2 I was shopping the internet for hotels on priceline.com, I had never logged onto the site. While trying out the name your price section of the site I was surprised to see that without my initials, the 3 digit code from the credit card that I was confirmed for a hotel reservation and my credit card was to be charged. My profile was in the system from a previous transaction a few years ago with them. I immediately called Priceline to find report this and got no help, sorry all sales final not once but twice.

I called the hotel to see if they could help me and in the conversation she asked me which reservation I was calling about, you see the Hotel has two. One was made on 10/31 and the one that had just been wrongly made on 11/2. When I went back and check email and accounts I see that there was indeed a confirmation and a charge. The same thing had happened to me had happened to my husband when shopping the site. Neither time had the proper data been entered, initial boxes checked, or the submit button clicked. I called Priceline again, and again I got no help.

When I went back to the Priceline site and tried to log off the site to be sure that this does not happen again I could not find a way to sign off. I had to go in and remove my credit card information. Which by the way took two buttons to confirm removal of the information. I guarantee that my family will not be using this site again.

I have since reported this to the Police as fraud and canceled my credit card as stolen as I feel violated. What else can I do to protect myself? What trouble have I caused myself by taking the step of canceling the car.

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Austin
, US
Oct 13, 2009 1:03 pm EDT

On 10/14/07, I purchased airline tickets and a rental car from Avis on Priceline.com website. Priceline ticket request number [protected]. In the process of doing so, the computer screen failed to show car rental charges when displaying flight details. So I re-entered my rental car request thinking rightfully so that my first request was not entered. Upon processing, the computer screen now displayed two rental cars charges plus the airline tickets. On 10/14/07 after seeing the two rental car charges, I emailed Priceline.com customer service asking to cancel one of the car rentals. They told me they were unable to do that because of their contract wording with Avis. I called customer service on 10/15/07 and was given the same answer. This is unacceptable. Failure to refund is criminal under the circumstances. I am being charged $647.20 on my credit card for a computer processing error. If Priceline.com has a right to take money from a customer's account without the customer's permission then I as a customer have the right to request it back.

I do not, did not and will not use nor need a second rental car. I have so far filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs (both could not help me). I have a complaint pending with the Federal Trade Commission.

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JacD96
, US
Dec 30, 2009 1:57 pm EST

There is an unauthorized charge on my credit card from Priceline for $2, 244.27. I brought this to the attention of priceline.com and their response was to deny that it is an unauthorized charge: I was unable to reach a live person through their telephone number that appears with the bank charge. They did not give any other telephone number for contact.

The charge appears to be bogus on it's face (way more than anyone would spend on an economy rental car unless they were using someone else's money: $90 per day for 23 days!). My assumption at this point is that someone hacked my account. But priceline appears to be uncooperative in resolving this matter.

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vegaschk
, US
Aug 16, 2012 3:17 pm EDT

I am having the same issue...although not as bad but i see a charge for $86 on my account from priceline which is not authorized! i hate this company, will never buy travel from them again.

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20kats
Kennewick, US
Dec 05, 2008 11:48 am EST

You did everything right. Next time you purchase online, do not store any information. Get a charge card, like American Express, who will credit you immediately and do all the work to retrieve any mischarges and use it only for online purchases. Watchout for popups while you are on any site as hitting the "x" to close the window sometimes will authorize charges if it's a fraudulent popup. You did well on your follow up. Cancelling a reservation should not cause any problems, especially if you call the company direct and explain and make another reservation directly over the phone. Which, by the way, is the only way I do business. Congratulations on becoming an educated buyer.