Cancelling Travelocity's Top Secret Hotel reservation w/ non refundable policy

I just booked a 2 nights stay through Travelocity via their Top Secret hotels. Big mistake. I ended up with a hotel (Days Inn @ Elk Grove Village) that was only $29 bucks a night but 15-20 miles away from the airport with no nearby/convenient access to public transportation.

I called Travelocity and they would not budge b/c booking a top secret hotel is non refundable. I then called my credit card issuer, Chase, and they said I can file a dispute but I wouldn't likely lose in the dispute due to the non refundable clause of the agreement.

What are my options? Will I likely win the dispute? I don't have access to a vehicle while I'm there and a taxi ride from the hotel to the airport is easily $25, which negates the savings of using the "Top secret hotel deal".

Next up on FWF, "How do I erase permanent marker that I used to write some girls phone number on my marriage certificate", followed by "Can I get a refund for a non-refundable flight", "Can I pay later for my prepaid phone service", "Can I shut off the electric motor in my hybrid car", "I bought speakers from the back of a van at Home Depot and they suck, do you have his phone number?"

You clearly chose price over location. Why would you think you'd get a do-over if the location didnt suit you? If you have specific location restrictions, THAT should've been your priority when booking. Now its too late; either make due, or consider it a $58 lesson learned.

It seems to me that none of 2-star hotel (using Secret Hotel) in Elk Groove provides shuttle service. You should notice that before you book it.

If your reservation is within 24 hr of booking. You can call in and cancelled. They don't tell you this, but it is true.

BrlDsguise said: juliox said: Next up on FWF, "How do I erase permanent marker that I used to write some girls phone number on my marriage certificate", followed by "Can I get a refund for a non-refundable flight", "Can I pay later for my prepaid phone service", "Can I shut off the electric motor in my hybrid car", "I bought speakers from the back of a van at Home Depot and they suck, do you have his phone number?"

We have had #2 in several variations already - this is one of them:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/travel-discussion/988918/

The Bank of Southwest used to be almost that good. Can still cancel and keep the full value of the ticket, but you can only reuse the credit for the original named passenger now.

Big reason why I fly WN, though. Can cancel and rebook if the price drops, or cancel and use it later if the trip needs to move.

jlawrence01 said: NachA said: I just booked a 2 nights stay through Travelocity via their Top Secret hotels. Big mistake. I ended up with a hotel (Days Inn @ Elk Grove Village) that was only $29 bucks a night but 15-20 miles away from the airport with no nearby/convenient access to public transportation.

There are TWO Days Inn hotels in Elk Grove Village, one is 1.9 miles west of O'Hare and the other 4.3 miles away from O'Hare. The first has an airport shuttle.

Something doesn't smell right with your post.Agreed!

Elk Grove Village is a suburb in close proximity to ORD and the hotel couldn't be more than 5 miles away.

To go 20 miles from Elk Grove Village would essentially put you in downtown Chicago.

Your posted information is completely bogus and you have nothing about which to complain.

Despite your false claim that the hotel is 20 miles from ORD (when in reality it is only 2 to 5 miles), you entered into a contract that clearly contained the provision that the reservation is nonrefundable.

You seem to have a serious problems getting your facts straight.

NachA said: Sorry, I should mentioned which Days Inn. It is the one located at 1000 West Devon Ave in Elk Grove Village which is 13.9 mi away.
That location is no more than 10 or 11 miles from ORD, rather than the 15-20 miles you originally stated.

No matter, you entered into a contract to get a low price in exchange for a nonrefundable reservation at an unknowm hotel and Travelocity makes the terms very clear before you complete the transaction.

NachA said: I don't have access to a vehicle while I'm there and a taxi ride from the hotel to the airport is easily $25,..$16 actually, according to Schaumburg Taxi (You might even negoiate less if you call and prepay for both ways).

NachA said: Thanks for the Schaumburg Taxi link. I'll look into it

It looks like I'll have to pay $23 because I'm pretty far west from the airport and in an area that charges more.

Try this:

http://www.americantaxi.com/

$16 flat to/from ORD-EGV

jaimelobo said: NachA said: I don't have access to a vehicle while I'm there and a taxi ride from the hotel to the airport is easily $25,..$16 actually, according to Schaumburg Taxi (You might even negotiate less if you call and prepay for both ways).
Nice! I love deals that are negotiable.

I, too, did the top secret hotel and Travelocity booked me a hotel in an area that was 40 minutes away from where I needed to be. I did my transaction through the IPhone app and did not see that the reservations were non-refundable. (If I would have saw that I would not have chosen the top secret hotel.) I called them within 12 hours of making reservation and they canceled my reservation but they charged me the room rate as a penalty. I think there needs to be some sort of leeway with this type of service. I get it non-refundable is non-refundable but to err is human and companies need to take that into consideration.

ali6030 said: I did my transaction through the IPhone app and did not see that the reservations were non-refundable.I presonally have never used the Travelocity blind booking, but I find it hard to believe, that you didn't have to click through one (or more) warning screens about that.


ali6030 said: I think there needs to be some sort of leeway with this type of service. I get it non-refundable is non-refundable but to err is human and companies need to take that into consideration.Then what would be the point of these great rates for blind purchases, everyone would just get the room and if they didn't like the price (or location or swimming pool, or whatever), call and cancel. That's the tradeoff with thses types of bookings or for that matter, non-refundable airfares. If you don't want to gamble, you have to pay more.

oceanblue5 said: Seems to me you made a mistake.

Seems to me that the OP very well knows he/she made a mistake and is looking for some help in trying to correct that mistake and save money, not some holier-than-thou wiseass comments that state the obvious without being helpful. Did I miss something? Isn't this the travel forum, not the finance forum? Last time I checked, Fatwallet was about consumers helping other consumers save money, not putting other FW members down and being pro-business.

lousygolfer said: oceanblue5 said: Seems to me you made a mistake. Seems to me that the OP very well knows he/she made a mistake and is looking for some help in trying to correct that mistake and save money, not some holier-than-thou wiseass comments that state the obvious without being helpful. Did I miss something? Isn't this the travel forum, not the finance forum? Last time I checked, Fatwallet was about consumers helping other consumers save money, not putting other FW members down and being pro-business.Wrong, OP did not "make a mistake"; OP gambled on booking a blind, non-refundable room to try to save money, and OP lost the bet. OP stated that Travelocity wouldn't budge (why would they) and called CC to find out about disputing and found out chances are slim to none (also why would it be otherwise). OP came here asking about options and was given options (taxi, walkaway from the reservation, etc.), but that is not what OP wanted. OP seemed to want some secret way to weasle out of agreement (a doctor's excuse or note from the funeral home?)

If you hung around on the travel forum, you would see these posts come up regularly - "I booked a non-refundable airline flight to save money, but now I can't go. How to I get my money back?". As if these non-refundable deals have some loophole or back exit.

The reality is, if you are going to try to save money with these types of deal, then you have to accept risk when it backfires. Don't come here asking how to break a contract.

So...reminding people to understand the terms of the deal before clicking "purchase," and expecting them to honor their part of the transaction is "pro-business?"

a rental car cost less then a taxi? After taxes, gas, insurance and other fees they will add on?