Who’s to blame for an “invalid” reservation number?

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By Christopher Elliott

When Jeff Williams’ pre-paid Priceline reservation number is “invalid” he’s forced to rent a car at a higher price. Should Priceline refund the difference?

Question

I recently pre-paid for a rental car using Priceline’s “name your own price” option. I was given a car through Avis — or at least that’s what I thought.

When we landed in Raleigh-Durham International Airport, I went to the Avis counter and showed them my reservation. But the agent said my number was “invalid.” He said it had already been used in Chicago in 2007, and that the reservation number couldn’t be used again.

I called Priceline, and a representative apologized, but said he couldn’t help us.

So I made a new reservation with Avis, paying $265 more than the original price of the car through Priceline. I’d like Priceline to refund the difference. Do you think I have a chance? — Jeff Williams, Newark, Del.

Answer

Yes, I think you do.

You paid for a rental car that you didn’t get. Obviously, Priceline and Avis shouldn’t be able to keep your money, and they need to cover your extra expenses you incurred as a result of their error.

But whose error was it? The difference between your “name your price” confirmation number and the Avis confirmation number, which were both on your reservation, is slight. Both are 11-digit numbers. Your Avis confirmation had three letters attached to the end.

It appears the counter agent read the wrong one, matching it to an existing reservation from 2007. (Related: Priceline advertised this resort as all-inclusive, but that’s a lie.)

AirAdvisor is a claims management company. We fight for air passenger rights in cases of flight disruptions all over the world. Our mission is to ensure that air passengers are fairly compensated for the inconvenience and frustration caused by delays, cancellations, or overbooking.

Priceline was unable to assist

Could you have handled this differently? Maybe.

You phoned Priceline and it couldn’t help you. You might have also asked to speak with an Avis manager in Raleigh, and if that didn’t work, called the Avis reservation number for help. But you made a good-faith effort to resolve this before accepting the new, more expensive reservation. (Here’s how to fix your own consumer problems.)

I contacted Priceline on your behalf, and it worked with Avis to credit you the difference between your original, pre-paid reservation and the second one.

Who should have taken responsibility for Jeff Williams' botched reservation?

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Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter. He is based in Panamá City.

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