Hilton Price Match Guarantee

[Happy Dude]

Threads relating to this seem to be old/closed so I'll start a new one.

I booked Hilton Garden Inn Arlington/Courthouse Plaza via Expedia during a "third night free" deal. Total price was USD$662.10.

HH website showing the exact same room (there aren't many types) with exact same conditions etc for USD$822, so I made the booking.

Did this quite late at night and on a Friday or Saturday (can't recall) so sent off a PMG claim.

Claim rejected early on the following Tuesday morning, initially, as they couldn't verify the price themselves, clearly the Expedia deal had a time limit.

I told them they didn't need to verify the price, (how could they?), and that my actual booking via Expedia ought to suffice as evidence of a booking with a lower price.

Nope, sorry sir. We cannot find that price so no PMG applies.

To-ing and fro-ing ensues before they change their line to say that my Hilton booking is now based on an automatic room upgrade and now the "deals" are not the same and therefore no PMG applies. No response to subsequent email suggesting they cram their upgrade and have someone competent and rational look into it.

Absolute garbage and weaseling of the highest order. It feels like theft so looking into re-opening this.

 

[mingzie]

That is not how the BRG works, and has never been how the BRG works. You never book the room from the third party. It also doesn't include special limited time promos such as third night free (though may include discounted rates but third night free is completely different)

This is very DYKWIA and I will be the first to complain about the bs BRG and their excuses. But you were not following the T&C and expect some special treatment. If you were actually following T&C feel free to complain

 

[Happy Dude]

That is not how the BRG works, and has never been how the BRG works. You never book the room from the third party. It also doesn't include special limited time promos such as third night free (though may include discounted rates but third night free is completely different)

This is very DYKWIA and I will be the first to complain about the bs BRG and their excuses. But you were not following the T&C and expect some special treatment. If you were actually following T&C feel free to complain

Where does it say that? And which of the T&C's was I not following?

https://www.hilton.com/en/p/price-match-guarantee/

While my rate was "limited" by Expedia's sale period (which I was unaware of and which obviously expired between my claim and their efforts to verify), it was in no way restricted and bookable by anyone. It wasn't advertised by Expedia as a promo as such either IIRC. In the price breakdown the third night was shown as being free.

I'm glad I made the third party booking at the same time, as if I had not then I would have been stuck with the Hilton rate.

Happy to learn something here if I've done something wrong, and yep I'll stop complaining, but it seems my only mistake was to do the claim online and not on the phone, but at midnight or whatever I didn't think I'd get through to anyone.

 

[muppet]

Where does it say that? And which of the T&C's was I not following?

https://www.hilton.com/en/p/price-match-guarantee/

</snip>

The very first T&C:

Find a lower qualified price for the same accommodation and terms either before you book or within 24 hours after you make a reservation through an official Hilton booking channel.

Hilton was never going to reduce your Expedia booking by 25%.

 

[Happy Dude]

The very first T&C:

Find a lower qualified price for the same accommodation and terms either before you book or within 24 hours after you make a reservation through an official Hilton booking channel.

Hilton was never going to reduce your Expedia booking by 25%.

I had two bookings; one with Expedia and one with HH. Details of both bookings were sent with BRG form immediately.

You're right in saying they were never going to BRG. They weren't, and didn't, even if they had no reasonable or rational grounds not to.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I had two bookings; one with Expedia and one with HH. Details of both bookings were sent with BRG form immediately.

You're right in saying they were never going to BRG. They weren't, and didn't, even if they had no reasonable or rational grounds not to.

I think the point being made here is that Expedia is not an official Hilton booking channel.

Directly from Hilton
“Accredited Travel Agents" are travel professionals accredited by a bona fide travel organization or association, to the extent they are booking rates carrying Honors benefits”

You are not getting Hilton Honors benefits with an Expedia booking.

 

[Happy Dude]

I think the point being made here is that Expedia is not an official Hilton booking channel.

Directly from Hilton
“Accredited Travel Agents" are travel professionals accredited by a bona fide travel organization or association, to the extent they are booking rates carrying Honors benefits”

You are not getting Hilton Honors benefits with an Expedia booking.

I don't think you're suggesting that only bookings between/within the official booking channels can be compared, but in case anyone is erroneously interpreting the BRG, I'll also add:

1. at no stage did the BRG person say that only rates obtained through the official bookings channels apply or can be compared, and even sent me details of the best rate on Expedia that they could find at that time. So they're happy to compare rates from outside the official channels. Plus, they simply said "we can't verify that rate" and then, ludicrously, "we've upgraded you're booking to a better room than Expedia so no BRG applies".

2. I've had a successful BRG claim with a Wotif booking, and there's many similar successful examples on these forums.

3. If the claim was denied because the Expedia rate does not include HH tier benefits, which it wasn't, then no-one with status could ever get a BRG.

 

[mingzie]

I don't think you're suggesting that only bookings between/within the official booking channels can be compared, but in case anyone is erroneously interpreting the BRG, I'll also add:

1. at no stage did the BRG person say that only rates obtained through the official bookings channels apply or can be compared, and even sent me details of the best rate on Expedia that they could find at that time. So they're happy to compare rates from outside the official channels. Plus, they simply said "we can't verify that rate" and then, ludicrously, "we've upgraded you're booking to a better room than Expedia so no BRG applies".

2. I've had a successful BRG claim with a Wotif booking, and there's many similar successful examples on these forums.

3. If the claim was denied because the Expedia rate does not include HH tier benefits, which it wasn't, then no-one with status could ever get a BRG.

I am the OP and let me clarify. Also as background context, I have been using BRG for almost a decade with dozens of successful claims.
1) The T&C you did not follow is clearly outlined
"The same accommodations must be available for booking at a qualifying lower price in the currency of the hotel when we validate your claim."
it does NOT say "book the room with the third party then send a screenshot of that as proof". It says it has to be available when they validate your claim.
2) there is no such thing as "third night free" auto applied on Expedia. The 35% off for 3 nights that they do offer (gold rectangles) refers to a member rate that requires login to book. In fact any such deal with free night offering would require an Expedia login
the following are excluded as per the t&c

"Prices that require a login to view"

3) thus, it follows that you expect special treatment past the T&C because you went on to cry that they don't need to validate the price or availability (which is clearly stated in the T&C I have quoted above). Booking the third party yourself and then using that as proof has never been grounds for a valid BRG

and I think 2) shows you are somewhat dishonest as any such rate would be a login rate

4) I know exactly how the BRG works, and have successfully claimed against Expedia. What the agent is saying to you as reason for rejection is moot because not only is the price not verifiable (you yourself have confirmed it's no longer available), a third party booking is not sufficient proof nor does trying to pretend a log in rate doesn't require login

Yes their excuses are annoying but that doesn't change the fact that you don't have a valid claim in the first place. Even if you "were" to call them up at the time (and it's also strange you don't remember the day you made the booking since you get an instant email confirmation from both Hilton AND Expedia), it's a login rate.

There are lots of valid complaints about BRG in the BRG thread where they actually have a 100% valid claim and the agent makes a silly excuse despite the claim being fully valid (trust me, I know). This does not look like one of them. This is even less of an excuse today since you can now utilize the call centre at any time (not that yours should have been approved anyway)

 

[Happy Dude]

You might be on to the real reason @mingzie.

I did log into Expedia using a membership, I'm silver level, but that happens automatically when opening the website. I'd have to manually log out to view the site as a non-member. Same for the app. I think most wouldn't think too much about that when using Expedia.

So maybe there was some kind of Expedia membership offer. I don't recall any banner or notification of such at the time and there's no indication in the email booking confirmation. If there was, then, obviously and as is common, such an offer would be time limited.

If that's the case, then yes the T&C's are clear in stating that situation wouldn't qualify. Your accusations of me being dishonest are insulting. I just made a booking that was cheaper. End of story.

However, they didn't use that as the reason for the denial, either before or after they gave me an upgrade and using that as the basis for denial.

They simply said they could not verify the rate.

Well of course they couldn't. But I'm not to know what efforts they made or when. That's the problem when one side is the judge, jury and executioner. I have their word for it, that the rate doesn't exist, and they have my booking, which I ended up using, that proved demonstrably that it did.

I'm sure I wouldn't have been too upset if I called up at the time (1am according to the emails) and was pointed to the relevant exclusion. Always happy to learn something, even if the hard way. I still would have used the Expedia booking though.

I will only use the phone at the time of booking in future BRG claims. Pointless using the form as that can interpreted how and when they please.