« Orbitz Scams its Customers | A Marine STRANDED by Orbitz and Delta - a letter to Glenn Beck »

Orbitz Price Assurance Scam…, Buyers Beware !

Just got off the phone with a second customer service rep in a week. Bastards Scammers White collar crooks ! I am surprised that they are still able to conduct business here in the US.

I booked 3 tickets for over $1100 with them even though I was getting it cheaper else where bcoz of their so called “price assurance”. Later our aunt decides to join us for the trip and her daughter books the exact same flight (same day/same time/next row) for around $250, so the difference Orbitz owes me is well over $100 per ticket, but the lying SOG Orbitz tracker still says that I have the lowest price. First time I called, they asked me to give 48 hours, I said fine, I will give you a week, 2 weeks later, still the same. Today, I was told that she is going to write to the back office folks as to why the lowest price has not been reflected yet. I told her that Orbitz better straighten it out or I want a fkin refund by tomorrow so I can book the lower price directly with the airlines. Lets see.

This one, I have all the proof, screen-shots, screen videos, printouts, their Price Assurance policy, everything and am willing to take it all the way. If it does not go nicely, I will first complete the travel, then dispute the entire CC charge with Amex (which rocks by the way) and send them the entire information. I will make sure that not only I get the price difference which is by all means mine but I also get reimbursed for all the pain and anxiety caused by their criminal intent.

New Buyers Beware - you may not be that lucky to know some one who has booked the exact same flight!

This entry was posted on April 16, 2009 at 9:21 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

29 Responses to “Orbitz Price Assurance Scam…, Buyers Beware !”

  1. JB says:
    April 20, 2009 at 9:09 pm

    here is the scoop…, my threat of cancellation on the basis of documented proof worked. I got an email from Orbitz Price Assurance on Sunday (2 days after my 2nd call) that I have earned a refund.

    Gosh, I am never ever going to trust this scums again. I am so sure that if my aunt had not booked the same flight and if I was not so persistent in calling them and emailing them, I would have never seen the light of refund.

    I wish BBB and the SEC can do more and audit these scamsters and expose their ugly practice.

    Orbitiz, I assure you that you will never ever see a dime from me and from anybody I know well enough.

  2. Robert says:
    April 21, 2009 at 10:42 pm

    I wish I had read this before January 11, 2009, when I stupidly got 6 tickets to Rome for July 2009, trusting in the Price Assurance promise. The tickets were about $9,000 on Northwest, and now are about $6,000 (around $4,700 on American). I am not getting a dime back.

    Since the beginning of Orbitz, I have used them for all non-business travel and thought them honorable. I am very disappointed and will never use them again. I would have preferred that they had made no “assurance.”

  3. CustRelsGal says:
    April 22, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    Gentlemen,

    I work for Orbitz Customer Relations and would like to review your individual situations.

    If you would please write me at customerrelations@orbitz.com with the information pertaining to the booking, I will be happy to review this matter on your behalf.

    Sincerely,

    CustRelsGal

  4. ziko says:
    May 15, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    OK guys this is my story on Orbitz Price Assurance……so I bought 2 r/t fares through Orbitz for 708 from SFO to Geneva on Apr/30 and two weeks later the same fare, same departure, same arrival, same everything is now 677…..i emailed Orbitz requesting the credit for the difference (for 2 tickets is about $60) and their response was

    ———————————————————————————————————–
    Dear Orbitz Customer,

    Thank you for contacting Orbitz.

    I understand you would like to claim price guarantee for you flight reservation.

    Airfares change throughout the day, based on demand for the flight and the airlines’ right to change them at any time.

    We monitor these changes closely and make every effort to keep our fare displays as current as possible. At the time of your fare search and when you bought your ticket, our display showed the lowest fare available for purchase for the time and dates you requested.

    If you should find a lower fare after purchasing a non-refundable ticket, we will not be able to issue a credit for the difference in price. If you wish to take advantage of a lower price you see on the website, you may cancel the ticket and re-book. You will be subject to the refundability policy associated with your current ticket and may be charged any fees listed in that policy.

    Sincerely,

    Peter Emanuel
    OrbitzTLC Team

    ———————————————————————————————————–

    So basically, they lie, mislead and do not stand behind their promise just so they can make a sale. BEWARE!!!!!!

  5. Dave Perkins says:
    June 9, 2009 at 4:30 pm

    Different person but essentially the same story. There “price assurance” is a God damned lie.

    Booked for two Des Moines to Seattle months ago for a trip comming up in a couple weeks. Repeately was shown “you currently have the lowest price” on the web site. Just curious I checked for tickets while not logged in to their site and found a much, much better offer (less than half the price and one less stop) leaving the same day, same carrier and flight.

    I called Orbitz (alleged) customer service and was told that to claim a refund ANOTHER ORBITZ CUSTOMER WOULD HAVE TO BOOK THE EXACT SAME FLIGHT FOR A LOWER PRICE. So it’s not just that there exists a lower cost option, someone has to book EXACTLY the same flight with Oritz. What bullshit. I hope to get the gate agent to re-route us to the alternate connection in Denver, but I’m completely at their mercy.

    Orbitz as a customer agent is a bare faced lie; these bastards charged my VISA debit card about 5 nanoseconds after I booked the flight; they’ve had six monnths use of my money, for free and I didn’t even get a sincere sounding apology let alone any offer to at least TRY to help.

    I don’t forget and I’m VERY vocal - it’ll cost ‘em in the long run, no matter how long it takes me. Bet on it.

  6. Steve says:
    July 6, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    I puirchased a couple of tickets through Orebitz for roughly $932. A couple of day’s later I get an e-mail stating that someone else had booked the same flight and i’d be getting a rebate of roughly $400 (a little more then that). Unfortunatley we missed the oputbound leg of the trip and the airline messeed around with the tickets, so it showed as cancelled. I called Orbitz today 6 July 09. And was told that I am out of luck on the rebate. Since the travel was not completed I am not eligible. They certainly billed my CC pretty quick though. At this point, I am going totell every single person and every single business traveller I know to avoid orbitz. Congratulations on screwing someone out of $432 Orbitz, lets see how much that costs you.

  7. Dennis says:
    September 25, 2009 at 10:23 pm

    Here’s another example of Orbitz scamming. Found a flight from our home town to Arizona for $194 + 46 tax.. Tried to book and it came back that we had timed out, researched and selected flights went through all the info and it reported bank refused charge (B.S.!!) tried 3 times. Redid search and flights show up the same price until you get to the final page where you pay, now it’s gone up to $909!! That’s why we don’t use Orbitz.

  8. Sterling Pepper says:
    December 5, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    I too have experience “The Orbitz Price Assurance Scam”. I purchased a ticket on 12/2 and found (through their website) a lower price ($66.00) on 12/5. When I contact their customer service, they spoke the “scripted answer” that if someone else buys the same flight, then I’ll get a refund. That’s not price assurance. Three days and the price drops. Refund the difference. That’s price assurance. Customer Service told me there nothing they can do but I can do something. Never use Orbitz again. Buyer Beware!!!!!

  9. Eric says:
    December 6, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    After arguing with a customer agent for half an hour I am no closer to getting a refund or price match. Their Price Assurance policy does not make any sense, especially when it comes to round trip tickets. When I purchased my tickets I did so specifically because I had assumed that Orbitz would cover the price difference should the fare drop. Unfortunately I didn’t spend the time reading the fine print until later on when I discovered that my flight price had dropped considerably over a 30 day period. When I contacted them they gave me the scripted answer that someone has to purchase an identical ROUND TRIP ticket. What are the chances of someone buying the same exact ticket as me for a round trip flight? The odds are pretty astronomical when you consider the number of travel agency websites that are booking flights and the number of alternate flights that people could book. I expect it to be impossible for there ever to be a qualified matching flight resulting in a price match. After reading this article I guess it doesn’t matter if someone does buy that one in a million flight because they don’t seem to even qualify legitimate price assurance requests. After this experience I am going to go out of my way to tell others not to use Orbitz.

  10. Dave says:
    January 27, 2010 at 6:01 pm

    Their call center is a bunch of 25 cent an hour, taco bending jerks from Mexico City. Orbitz doesn’t care about anything but making money, and their promises mean absolutely dick.

  11. Kevin says:
    February 10, 2010 at 6:41 pm

    Isn’t it against some law for them to falsely advertise they way they are?
    I’ve also been subject to the “Orbitz Price Assurance” and, after being shuffled around on their phone system from operator to operator, for over an hour and none of them knew anything about “Orbitz Price Assurance”.

    Isn’t someone in our government supposed to prosecute companies that cheat like this?

  12. Sally says:
    February 24, 2010 at 2:47 pm

    To the OP: Did your aunt purchase her tickets through Orbitz as well?

    Like others are saying, apparently someone has to purchase the exact same round trip flight as you *through Orbitz* for the “price assurance” benefit to kick in. If your aunt purchased through Orbitz you’d think you should have qualified.. so I’m wondering if she didn’t.

  13. Raelee says:
    April 17, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    I am a travel agent and just to make this a little more clear for everyone. Tickets are non-refundable. The only way that Orbitz can actually give you a refund for the difference - assuming someone books the exact same flight on the exact same day (also in the exact same class of service - not something you can see online) is if they catch it within 24 hours. They can “void” your ticket and re-issue it at the lower price without penalty. In turn, if the airlines change the fare a week later, they can not re-issue your ticket without the change fees. It’s got some very small print in the terms of the price assurance. I suggest that you use a travel agent and they will give you the lowest fare. Use Orbitz or other online search engines to search for fares, but if you want to book, then book with the airlines directly. If you see that it is a Delta flight that you want to book, book it directly with them or whatever airline you are flying. You will get better customer service if you run into a schedule change or flight cancellation, or use a travel agent. A person with some knowledge. We do this all day every day professionally. We save you from tons of hassle and give you personalized service. Smart! Pay attention to the flights you are looking at too. As Dave Perkins had mentioned, it was the exact same flight, but it had one less stop and cost less money. Clearly it is not the exact same flight if it has one less stop. Things change within minutes and sometimes they stay the same for months. I don’t think that Orbitz accurately describes the policies when they are advertising them because they want to lure you in. Always read the fine print… and buy with a travel agent!

  14. Bruce says:
    April 21, 2010 at 4:27 pm

    While Orbitz is technically following its clearly stated rules, they deserve to be publicly shamed for having a “Price Assurance” policy that will almost never be invoked. It’s not “assurance” if the benefit relies on the extremely small chance that another customer will book the identical itinerary through Orbitz. Orbitz might be right legally (though I’d love to see a class-action suit for misleading use of the term “price assurance”), but they deserve to lose customers for such a cynical gimmick.

  15. Mark says:
    August 2, 2010 at 8:10 pm

    I really don’t get the issue here. I’ve been booking flights directly with airlines for years and have used Orbitz once before and read their price assurance thingy and I thought it was perfectly clear how it worked and I immediately dismissed it as a highly improbable benefit. However, does ANYONE really guarantee against price drops on cheap non-refundable flights? The only one I know is Southwest Airlines that will issue a credit. So far they are my favorite airline. I buy their cheapest “web” rates and make all kinds of changes without any fees. I just pay the difference (or get a credit). Alas, they do not go everywhere and are only domestic.
    Sites like Orbitz simply collate cheap rates and act as a ticket issuer. Aside from that I would never expect too much. They are most useful for multi-leg trips that are difficult to match going directly to the airlines. If you can get the same rate directly, go for it. That’s what I do.

  16. OP - JB says:
    August 3, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    Hi, I originated this thread. Thank you all for taking the time and reporting your experiences with Orbitz and their price assurance scam.

    To Sally: Yes, my aunt/cousin had booked the exact same flight with Orbitz. And that is why I was bummed that even after 2-3 weeks of booking, the tracker kept saying that “you have the lowest price”

    An update: After almost 2-3 months of travel completion, I got my refund. That $300 some dollars never felt so sweet and hard earned.

    Thank you Orbitz, but you have lost my trust. You tried to be too cute with your promo but I am sure you have hurt many a loyal customer base in the process and it is going to cost you.

  17. OP - JB says:
    August 3, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    Also few folks here are missing the point and concluding that it is improbable to find someone who books the exact same flight/itinerary through orbitz.

    The point I was trying to make that Orbitz with its scam policy has/had no intention of honoring the lower price given the extremely low chance that you know the other person with the lower price. In my case, I was lucky to know my Aunt who decided to join us for the trip and and used Orbitz.

    And given the fact that Orbtiz.com is one of the biggest online booking site, I am sure it is booking at least 3-4 different tickets for each flight.

  18. Richard says:
    August 18, 2010 at 4:24 am

    I bought the ticket thinking that I can get a refund believing that I would get an assurance. The day I after I bought the ticket, each of my tickets dropped $60. My friend booked the same flight with orbitz 2 days later, still $60 less, I emailed and talked to a representative and no refund in hand after 2 weeks.

    Representative said that they are monitoring it will get you a refund.

    Email response:

    Dear Orbitz Customer,

    Thank you for contacting Orbitz.

    I understand you have found the same itinerary at lower rate.

    Airfares change throughout the day, based on demand for the flight and the airlines’ right to change them at any time.

    We monitor these changes closely and make every effort to keep our fare displays as current as possible. At the time of your fare search and when you booked your ticket, our display showed the lowest fare available for reservation for the time and dates you requested.

    Our Price Assurance benefit means that once you book a flight reservation through Orbitz, if another customer subsequently books the same exact flight on the Orbitz web site for a lower price, we will offer a refund for the price difference, up to $250 per ticket. You must travel as booked. If your trip is cancelled for any reason or if the airline refunds your ticket, Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply.

    This applies to:
    · Flight only reservations
    · Payment made using a valid credit card with a United States billing address.
    ·The difference in fare must be at least $5 to qualify for a refund.

    To read more about our Price Assurance benefit, please go to the “Customer Support” area of the website and under Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) enter the key words “Price Assurance”.

    Sincerely,

    Esther Ekoh
    Orbitz Email Service Team

    When you Orbitz, you know!
    www.Orbitz.com

  19. Jon says:
    October 7, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    I was skeptical to use Orbitz under the Price Assurance Guarantee and by the posts on this website my thoughts where right. Thats 1 less customer for Orbitz and i book many business and personal flights.

  20. Andy Mejia says:
    October 11, 2010 at 6:17 pm

    I booked on 02/14/10, i was told i would get a Orbitz Price Assurance check ASAP. Its now 10/11/10 and still NO REFUND….WTF ORBITZ SUCKS!!!!

  21. Scammed says:
    October 19, 2010 at 12:02 pm

    No doubt orbitz is a scam. I tried cancelling a one-way ticket well in advance. I had paid the extra 15 dollar insurance fee. Apparently my excuse wasn’t “good enough” to get ANY of my money back. It’d seem fair to get back my money minus the insurance charge. So I filed a BBB complaint. Apparently the category of my complaint on BBB.ORG was by far the largest…

  22. Matt M says:
    November 22, 2010 at 6:16 pm

    I found this thread because I was curious if anybody in the history of Orbitz had received a refund from their price assurance guarantee. Looks like a handful of people have. Interesting. Probably non-stop trips on huge airplanes between two cities whose fliers like to book Orbitz most of the time.

  23. Michael G, says:
    January 9, 2011 at 11:04 am

    “Me too.” Wife and I booked 2 r/t airline tickets through
    Orbitz @ $310/ticket. My mother-in-law decided to join
    us — got the aisle seat in the same row as us! Her price
    is $285. No sign an “automatic” refund so I submitted a
    support request through orbitz.com — no response so I
    called and was told to give them 48 hours. After 3 days,
    “My Price Assurance” says “You currently have the lowest
    price”. Umm, no, my mother-in-law has a lower price…
    So I called and someone in India says they’ve escalated
    to “the back office.” As has been pointed out above,
    I’m lucky in that I know the person who booked the same
    itinerary and have her Orbitz record locator etc. so I’m
    optimistic that by being persistent, I may be luck enough
    to get the $50 back. I’d love to know if anyone without
    specific knowledge of a like booking has ever gotten the
    “automatic” refund…

    Orbitz’ price assurance is a shady deal at best in my
    humble opinion. I think the best we can all do is take
    our business elsewhere and let our friends, relatives,
    coworkers, employers, etc. know our experience so they
    can save the aggravation and the feeling of being taken
    in we’ve all experienced.

  24. bobbyd says:
    September 1, 2011 at 8:54 am

    I am so relieved to know that I am not alone about the Orbitz Scam. I too was just scammed and have been trying to file a complaint with the Attorney General of Michigan who is aware of the issue but can only report it as a complaint. Its still IMPORTANT to file against them. did you also notice that the people you deal with at Orbitz are not even in the United States. The last so-called manager (Mark) gave me a hard time in disclosing his origin…finally got him to admit he is in the Phillipine Islands. Bottomline, file a complaint to get it on file and NEVER do business with these scammers!

  25. bobbyd says:
    September 1, 2011 at 9:03 am

    I have to add some info I uncovered. Orbitz, like all agents (Travelocity, Yapta etc…) buy tickets in bundles, so they are stuck with those tickets to sell. Orbitz will NOT tell you that, but instead say their pricing is controlled by the airlines. Bull. I bought my ticket for $471 and 2 weeks later it was selling (”hurry..1 ticket left”)for $451. I called Orbitz claiming I was due a $20 rebate. Of course they say wait till the flight concludes. After the concluded flight they tell me that my $471 was the cheapest and that they probably sold the ticket back. Unbelievable. Neither the Attorney General nor BBB can access their records to confirm the scam, but still please file a complaint to get it on record. Again, DON’T GIVE ORBITZ ANYMORE BUSINESS.

  26. Joe Totoraitis says:
    September 25, 2011 at 9:11 am

    As others have written, I, too, wish I had read this blog earlier. Same scenario happened.

    The crafty TV ad hides the “exact same” qualifiers in the copy being read because of the distracting antics of the actors.

    The CS is a South American call center. All they do is re-read the scripted answers.

    What we have here is a “failure to communicate.”

    I’ll never use Orbitz, again.

  27. Jan says:
    September 26, 2011 at 4:38 am

    I think the crucial difference between what you think you read and what it actually says will solve 90% of the issues, not that I agree with the policy, but it states that is ANYONE books the same itinerary at a lower price you will be refunded the difference. It seems that many of you assume that if there EXISTS a lower price at any point between when you book and when you leave, you will be refunded the difference, but that is unfortunately not what it says. You can well imagine that a lower price will exists some time, say tuesday afternoon the week after you booked it (that is normally when the lower prices are available), but if no one actually books a ticket at that price, then you do NOT get the difference; the difference will ONLY be paid out to you IF someone actually books the ticket. It is a small, but subtle, difference between what you think it reads (and perhaps what they would like you to think that it reads) and what it actually reads. This is one of the reasons I always search for hours - buy the ticket and NEVER check ;-) I know I would get pissed off if I found a cheaper one, but until someone regulates these damn airlines and their crooked price policies, its better to not know when you have been taken for a ride. My philosophy is “If I were satisfied with the price I got when I booked it, there is no reason to keep searching” - I mean, at that point I know I have a seat for the days that I want to travel, and that is worth a little these days when the planes are so overcrowded, so relax ;-) (said the guy who argues with airlines till he is blue in the face) ;-)

  28. Kris P. says:
    October 11, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    Interesting to read the thread of comments. I guess I will be a living witness of this so-called “Price Assurance Guarantee”. I booked a R/T flight to PI months back and paid $1,022. Out of the blue, I went ahead and checked today. Low & behold.. The price actually dropped to $905. I’m looking at over $100 refund if someone else books the same cheaper flight. Per my Orbitz account, I still have the lowest fare which is bull! (I won’t ever trust that tracking message). That said, I’m going to ask a rhetorical question: Q: How the hell should I know if someone booked the same cheaper flight? A: Absolutely no way to find out! Meaning, I would have to rely on Orbitzs’ honesty and integrity. Screw that! I won’t even expect a refund unless my situation is quite similar to the person who wrote the original comment. I read some comments about this being a marketing strategy to lure us in and they are absolutely right. The moral is that there is no reason to stress out over something not worth it (such as a crappy policy) especially when you are going away for vacation like myself. I personally feel that I did not overpay for the flight as this is not the first time I booked the same itinerary, but I’ll be more than happy to share with everyone my experience if and when I get a refund.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.