Fiches Mouser
Established Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2013
- Posts
- 1,416
The other day I was just casually checking some rates for a Sydney hotel on Agoda (with the aim of earning Velocity points).
Decided to leave it. Immediately, while browsing other sites, the almighty Google started serving me targeted ads for some Sydney hotels I had just been looking at. One of those was the Park Hyatt at the wonderfully low rate of $190/night! I was thrilled. This was a huge saving so I clicked through trying to book it.
Funnily enough, I couldn't price it back on Agoda at said wonderfully low rate. Confused, and starting to casually mutter some ACCC legislation to myself, I decided to send an email. I was in a bit of a playful mood.
Today, I got a response (bolding mine):
I followed up with this:
Within minutes I had a follow up:
Am I being unreasonable? Mistakes happen all the time right? Perhaps. And initially, I did think it was a simple mistake.
But the instant follow up to my last email makes it seem like these kind of "tech errors caused by a system glitch" happen all the time.
Did someone say ACCC?
Decided to leave it. Immediately, while browsing other sites, the almighty Google started serving me targeted ads for some Sydney hotels I had just been looking at. One of those was the Park Hyatt at the wonderfully low rate of $190/night! I was thrilled. This was a huge saving so I clicked through trying to book it.
Funnily enough, I couldn't price it back on Agoda at said wonderfully low rate. Confused, and starting to casually mutter some ACCC legislation to myself, I decided to send an email. I was in a bit of a playful mood.
Today, I got a response (bolding mine):
Dear mrsmart
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately the hotel is no longer available for that rate but since you mentioned that you're extremely flexible, here's a 15% future discount for you to use in one of your next booking with us. There are only few minimum requirements to follows, instruction in the box below.
How to use the 15% future discount: Make a new booking and pay for the whole amount that the booking requires. Return this email with the new booking ID asking us to apply the discount. We will do so and refund you whatever the discount makes off the amount spent in the new booking. This discount is for one time use only and must be used within a year from the date issued. Note: We have (1) prepaid hotels and (2) postpaid hotels. The discount applies to prepaid hotels only. You may not use it in postpaid hotels. To identify, if your selected hotel has this message, it is a postpaid hotel: Agoda will not charge your credit card for this booking. You will be charged by the hotel directly in the local currency.
Regards,
[Agent]
Agoda Customer Satisfaction Team
I followed up with this:
Hi [Agent],
Can you tell me the date that this was advertised for? I find it extremely hard to believe the Park Hyatt Sydney (which retails for around $900/night normally) would sell for that low.
If this price was not possible to honour, it’s a violation of consumer law. You cannot advertise a price that is not actually available.
If you can confirm the details of when this was available, it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
mrsmart
Within minutes I had a follow up:
Dear mrsmart
Thank you for your email. Park Hyatt Sydney is never available for that rate; it was in fact a tech error caused by system glitch.
Regards,
[Same Agent]
Agoda Customer Satisfaction Team
Am I being unreasonable? Mistakes happen all the time right? Perhaps. And initially, I did think it was a simple mistake.
But the instant follow up to my last email makes it seem like these kind of "tech errors caused by a system glitch" happen all the time.
Did someone say ACCC?
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