ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A local couple said they felt duped after prepaying for hotels on their dream road trip, only to find out they could have saved more money by paying at the hotel.
“Mount Rushmore is always something we wanted to see. And so, the parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton,” Donna Nguyen.
Booking the trip through Expedia
Nguyen and her husband Paul used Expedia to book five hotels for their trip, which was planned four months in advance for September.
“So we just got on the computer and looked for the things that we wanted that would be near the places that we were interested in seeing,” Nguyen said.
While booking, Nguyen said Expedia offered a pop-up discount for prepaying.
“They come up on the screen, oh you can save 123, 125 dollars if you pay for it right now,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen said, “We did it because who doesn’t want to save money and you also had a guarantee that you would get fully refunded as long as you canceled by the cancelation date.”
Nguyen said they believed they would be saving close to $400.
What if they booked through the hotel?
However, after the trip, they learned that paying at the hotel would have saved them more than $700. For example, at the Jackson SouthTown in Wyoming, they paid $1,221.75 for three nights by prepaying. The hotel’s receipt showed they would have been charged $806.79 if they paid at the hotel, a difference of almost $415.
At the Roosevelt Hotel at Yellowstone, they prepaid just over $1,117, but the hotel charge would have been about $807—a difference of about $310. They called Expedia to ask for a refund.
“And she came back and said there is no refund. You agreed to this price and it’s not our fault that the price went down so basically you’re SOL,” said Nguyen.
Tips for booking hotels
If using a third-party site like Expedia, always check the hotel’s website as well. If booking months in advance, it is best not to prepay, especially during the off season. Instead, reserve with the option to cancel and continue to check the site as the date gets closer. If the price drops, re-book at the new price and cancel the old reservation.
Expedia’s response
News10NBC reached out to Expedia. A spokesperson said Paul and Donna do not qualify for a refund. The spokesperson said hotels set their own rates and those can differ from the rates on Expedia, so travelers should always check the hotel’s website because booking directly might be cheaper and is generally safer.
Consumer Alert: Prepaying for a hotel can backfire if rates drop before your trip WHEC.com.
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