Qantas Price Promise Scam [Hotel Bookings]

[zainman]

Not matching sale price? looks a bit like a scam to me. Did anyone actually had a SUCCESSFUL claim?

Just spent 15 minutes explaining to the supervisor at the Hooroo call centre (I think it's the same as JQ as they had J* music playing while I was on hold).

No go. He says it's a "promotional" rate so it's different. He said the rate has to be available at Qantas.com for them to be able to match it. LMAO. If it was able on QF.com why have a BRG anyway?

I say it's Bull****. Only reason I booked with Qantas.com was because the $40 voucher meant I got the cheapest effective rate but never going to use them again!

Terrible.

 

[anchew]

Just received a response to the claim, very quick turnaround I must say:

Thank you for submitting your fully-completed Price Promise claim form. After careful consideration and validation, we regret to inform you that the Price Promise claim has been unsuccessful.

Upon checking the competitor travel website URL and screenshot you have provided in comparison to the booking you’ve made, we have confirmed the following details:

The offer "Limited-Time Offer! Save 40% on This Reservation" you found at the competitor travel website does not match that of the offer your purchased (Early Booking Offer EP Room only breakfast per pax-per night - 27.00 AUD), as it is a price offered under promotion with a third party.

To qualify for Price Promise, the products on Qantas.com and the competitor travel website must be identical in all regards, and all details must be visible on the screenshot of the competitor's website.

For more information about the qualifications for a Price Promise claim, please refer to the following link: Transfers Price Promise | Qantas.

Please don't hesitate to reply to this email if you have further queries, concerns, or clarifications.


What to do now? Should I PM RedRoo? The price is lower on all other websites!

I urge you to submit a complaint with the ACCC as well. It only took me 15 minutes and was a simple process. https://www.accc.gov.au/contact-us/contact-the-accc/consumer-complaint-form

 

[anchew]

I would look at doing a chargeback, as they have taken your money under false pretences and you are not getting what was advertised.

Just make sure you have booked direct at the better price before doing the charge back, or you may miss out on the room.

Having the better price booking that they failed to match makes it certain that your grounds for charge back (failure to deliver on the promise of the better price) is seen to unquestionably be the sole reason for the chargeback.

I have been thinking about lodging a dispute with my bank too. I'm going to wait until Wednesday, which is when the 40% off Accor sale ends, to give them some time to respond.

 

[Mwenenzi]

.....I say it's Bull****. Only reason I booked with Qantas.com was because the $40 voucher meant I got the cheapest effective rate but never going to use them again!

From Transfers Price Promise | Qantas

What doesn't?

• Cancelled bookings.
• Prices as part of a package.
• Prices quoted on websites which do not have the capability to confirm the booking and accept payments (for example, websites that link through to a third party's website).
• Specially negotiated rates such as travel agent, staff, corporate or membership rates, rates that are only available to people who have subscribed to or become a member of a website or any other rate which is not available to the general public.
• Unauthorised resellers, for example, eBay.
• Bookings made with vouchers, coupons or point redemption programs.
• Prices that are lower as a result of an error by the retailer.
• Prices that Qantas is unable to verify, using reasonable means.
• Prices offered under promotion with a third party.
• Prices offered on a website that doesn't end in .au unless it is operated in Australia by an Australian company.

What was the price before applying the voucher?

 

[anchew]

I think zainman's voucher was a Qantas voucher.

 

[zainman]

I think zainman's voucher was a Qantas voucher.

That is correct.

The voucher wasn't even mentioned in my email/phone call

 

[zainman]

Done! I have submitted a complaint with the ACCC

Just submitted my own complaint to both QF and ACCC. Not expecting anything TBH (unless Red Roo steps in).

 

[JohnPhelan]

So the issue is - Hooroo is saying that if it's a "sale" price that is not available to QF (as a wholesaler), then it does not qualify for BRG ?

 

[zainman]

So the issue is - Hooroo is saying that if it's a "sale" price that is not available to QF (as a wholesaler), then it does not qualify for BRG ?

Yes. Also they are saying that a "sale" is a promotion with a 3rd party. Maybe that is true if the promotional rate is available on expedia in conjunction with accor but the rate is also available on accorhotels.com in AUD. I've applied for numerous BRG's with expedia.com.au/uk/USA and travelocity/orbitz. Never been refused because the other website has a "sale". I make sure I read the T&C's clearly and understand them.

 

[zainman]

Just received a phone call from the Qantas hotels team in Melbourne. The person I was speaking to yesterday had escalated my claim and got a response from his manager to approve the claim as a "one off good will gesture". They will be refunding the extra money back to my CC and I will receive 1000 QF points because of the successful claim.

So Good service recovery in the end but it should have been a straight forward approval. Am quite happy, got a hotel for $74.6 (available on expedia for $114.6) and 1401 QF points in the process!

 

[Mattg]

Just received a phone call from the Qantas hotels team in Melbourne. The person I was speaking to yesterday had escalated my claim and got a response from his manager to approve the claim as a "one off good will gesture". They will be refunding the extra money back to my CC and I will receive 1000 QF points because of the successful claim.

So Good service recovery in the end but it should have been a straight forward approval. Am quite happy, got a hotel for $74.6 (available on expedia for $114.6) and 1401 QF points in the process!

Thats a good outcome for you, but doesn't change the systematic problem with QF Hotels.

 

[zainman]

Thats a good outcome for you, but doesn't change the systematic problem with QF Hotels.

Absolutely. The person on the phone acknowledged that the "price promise" scheme was there to attract customers but it doesn't work well.

 

[eastwest101]

I suspect that we won't see the "price promise" scheme (in its current form) for much longer if the ACCC has anything to do with it!

 

[anchew]

Just received a phone call from the Qantas hotels team in Melbourne. The person I was speaking to yesterday had escalated my claim and got a response from his manager to approve the claim as a "one off good will gesture". They will be refunding the extra money back to my CC and I will receive 1000 QF points because of the successful claim.

So Good service recovery in the end but it should have been a straight forward approval. Am quite happy, got a hotel for $74.6 (available on expedia for $114.6) and 1401 QF points in the process!

I got a message on my message bank from Qantas Hotel this afternoon. In my case, they said that they are relooking at my claim and will confirm with me by tomorrow after verifying with Mercure. Looks hopeful, but as you said, it should have been a simple process.

 

[anchew]

Got another voice message from Qantas Hotels this evening saying that they will now honor the price promise and apologising for the the inconvenience.

They also followed up with an email:

Hi anchew,

Thank you for you email.

Your concern has been escalated to me for consultation. I have since reopened your case and re-evaluated the claim.

The price promise claim has been deemed valid and we will honor the lower price. I have already processed the claim and you should receive an email confirmation which would reflect the refund for $77.6. We will also be awarding 1000 QFF points for your successful claim.

We appreciate your valuable feedback. Rest assured - we will continuously work to improve our site, features as well as our services to our valued guests.

Should you have further questions or concerns, please let us know.


Kind regards,

Pao
Hooroo Support
‘We’re all travellers’
Hooroo Pty Limited, a Qantas Group Company
Hotels & accommodation, great rates and no fees | Hooroo

Good on you Pao!

Interestingly, I was copied into an email to a Hooroo senior manager summarising my claim which outlined that "Our decline triggered a response with legal threats" (maybe they interpreted my complaint to the ACCC as a legal threat? I also forward my ACCC complaint email acknowledgement to Hooroo & QF Customer Care). They also acknowledged that "Cancellation policy, conditions, occupants, dates, room type inclusions are identical".

It seems that they tried unsuccessfully to claim the price difference from Mercure. The email ends by saying that "As a result, we have honored the claim and shouldered the difference as goodwill for now."

I guess that QF will be further in the red by $77.60 this financial year.

 

[markis10]

Another good outcome, I wonder how many claims do get denied though and the consumer just accepts it?

 

[eastwest101]

Another good outcome, I wonder how many claims do get denied though and the consumer just accepts it?

As long as they can continue to get away with it, I doubt they have a lot of BRG claims. I love the line about the "gesture of goodwill" - thats hilarious. If they want to sail close to the wind with misleading and deceptive conduct - then thats their choice and their business to do so, fine, but when you get caught out it just annoys people more when you call the back down/correction a gesture of goodwill.....it isn't a gesture of goodwill - they have been caught out by people whom pursue their consumer rights and their own sloppy fine print and.or making it up as they go along.

 

[Mattg]

As long as they can continue to get away with it, I doubt they have a lot of BRG claims. I love the line about the "gesture of goodwill" - thats hilarious. If they want to sail close to the wind with misleading and deceptive conduct - then thats their choice and their business to do so, fine, but when you get caught out it just annoys people more when you call the back down/correction a gesture of goodwill.....it isn't a gesture of goodwill - they have been caught out by people whom pursue their consumer rights and their own sloppy fine print and.or making it up as they go along.

Don't get me started on that gesture of goodwill thing - American Airlines sent me a voucher because I had been involuntarily downgraded from first to economy and arrived 19 hours late, and called it a "gesture of goodwill"...

 

[harvyk]

Another good outcome, I wonder how many claims do get denied though and the consumer just accepts it?

I'd say most, IME most places will attempt to deflect first and foremost. It's not until the customer actually pushes the issue in such a way that it could cause them pain that the "gesture of goodwill" comes out...

In my mind the "gesture of goodwill" is pretty much saying "you are right, we are wrong, but if we give you this hopefully you won't continue with your complain to someone that could hurt us, thus we can continue with business as usual against people who are not as strong as you". If I offered a service such as this, and I honestly thought I was in the right by not offering a price match, then you can bet your bottom dollar that I would fight it all the way, even if that meant defending myself against the ACCC.

 

[Mattg]

Thought I would post about my recent experience trying to do a price promise claim through QF Hotels.

I booked a room at a particular hotel in Malaysia last May, then stayed there in June. I found a room for $1.30 cheaper on expedia or something like that, and was satisfied it met the conditions of the price promise claim, so I booked with QF Hotels (Hooroo) and put in a claim that same afternoon.

For 2 months, I then didn't hear back from QF, but I sent a follow up email on the weekend and this morning I finally got a response, acknowledging that my claim was successful. So, it took 2 months but I will be getting a refund of $1.30 in the next 10 days and 1000 points credited to my account in 8-10 weeks. (You have probably worked out that I only did this for the points!) Okay, I'm satisfied with that.