Well done Choice Hotels!

Perhaps all I needed was to get to the right person.  Here is the response from Shawna:

Mr. Young,

I apologize for the confusion regarding your E-rate submission.  I was able to change your rate for your reservation at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island for July 23 for four nights. 

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention, we appreciate your patronage.

Respectfully,

Shawna-Customer Service Supervisor

Getting to the right person!

So on the advice of Christopher Elliott (Elliott.org), I emailed the "Vice President Customer Care and Reservation" for Choice Hotels:

Dear Sir,

I have been staying at Choice Hotels brands for more than 20 years.  This Summer I was again hoping to stay at a Comfort Suites hotel but have run into an issue that makes me reluctant to continue to choose Choice Hotels.

Your company has offered its "Best Internet eRate Guarantee" for many years, but I have never needed to use it.  However, two weeks ago I found a cheaper rate on Expedia and Orbitz and was frustrated because I could not access the same rate on the Choice Hotels/Comfort Inn site.  I therefore completed your claim form.

As far as I was concerned, I was eligible for the rate adjustment based on the following clause in your guarantee:

The Best Internet Rate Guarantee does not apply to:

• Negotiated rates and any other rates not available to the public, such as group rates, package rates, coupons, motor club, membership rates (including AARP) and Government Rates;

I received a courteous response from Jack initially claiming the Expedia rate was "negotiated", then that it was a "package" rate despite the key clause "and any other rates not available to the public".  Jack and "Member Services" did not respond further.

If you are satisfied that the wording of your guarantee accurately depicts your policy, and that your customer service staff are implementing it correctly then perhaps you will see no need to take action, and I will need to pursue my claim elsewhere.  However, if you agree that there is a disconnect between the current wording and how it is being implemented then I ask that you honor the guarantee and consider adding definitions to some of the terms (notably: negotiated rates" and "package rates").

If you would like more information on my claim, I have documented everything at the following blog:

http://keeping-choice-hotels-honest.blogspot.com/2011/04/dictionarycom-package-deal.html

I have always been happy with my stays at your hotels, and have never previously had a reason to complain.  I trust that you will understand my perspective and give me a reason to continue to choose Choice Hotels.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

A. Young

Tel: 720 *** ****

This ultimately resulted in my email arriving at the desk of Shawna, a supervisor for the eRate Guarantee program.

2007 - Radisson had no problem honoring their guarantee

Just for the record, only once before have I ever tried to hold a company to its guarantee ... back in 2007 a similar thing happened to me with the Radisson Hotel (strangely enough that was also my last trip to the Bahamas).  After finding a lower rate, I contacted the Radisson Group who responded in exemplary fashion and immediately adjusted my rate!

Elliott.org - what a great consumer advocate site for travelers

If I had known about this site: http://www.elliott.org/, I might not have needed to create this blog.  Christopher Elliott does for the entire travel industry, what I was simply trying to do for Choice Hotels ... keep them honest!  I so appreciate people like Mr Elliott and the role they play.

Dictionary.com - Package Deal?

Here is a screenshot of the *current* Choice Hotels terms and conditions (captured 04/21/2011):

The two key clauses are:

• The Competing Rate is:

                 1. Available for the identical hotel, dates, room type, number of guests, type of currency and length of stay; and
                 2. Publicly viewable by Choice at the time the claim is reviewed.

Seems to pass that one ok.

• The Best Internet Rate Guarantee does not apply to:
• Negotiated rates and any other rates not available to the public, such as group rates, package rates, coupons, motor club, membership rates (including AARP) and Government Rates;

 Initially, Choice Hotels claimed this was a negotiated rate - but they do not clarify what this means and surely any rate that differs from their rate is either unauthorized or "negotiated".  Also, it says "any other rate not available to the public" - but this rate IS available to the public.
Subsequently, Choice Hotels claimed this was a "package rate"...

Decide for yourself ... you enter dates at expedia.com; expedia.com provides you with a rate ...

... there is no choice of rate (other than room type) so it is not like you can choose the package rate or the regular rate, there is just a rate ... personally, I would call this a discounted rate, not a "package" - and I believe the dictionary.com definition below would support this.

 To me, it seems like this is just a hokey way for Choice Hotels to pretend they have a guarantee when really they do not.  Please don't waste my time!

Email to Choice Hotels Advising of Blog

Jack [or whomever] ... I have documented my compaint here.
http://keeping-choice-hotels-honest.blogspot.com/

Feel free to respond, and I will post according.

Next Steps?

I guess next steps might be to contact BBB in an attempt to have them update their guarantee terms and conditions, or even perhaps the Maryland Small Claims Court if I end up paying with via a "qualified online source".  I'm not sure I can really be bothered to take it that far - but maybe their intransigence will motivate me to go there.  We'll see.

Hello? Anyone there? Earth to Choice Hotels?

That was 4/16/2011 ... today is 4/20/2011.  So I figure they are blowing me off.  No problem, my wife is out of town, the kids are in bed ... I'll take a little time to try to keep them honest. 

One of the beauties of the internet is that it makes communication so easy.  Ten years ago I could have written a letter to a newspaper or a travel magazine and hoped that someone might listen, but my odds of success would have been slim.  Now, I can publish to a blog and anyone interested who has Internet access can hear what I have to say.

I'm offering Choice every opportunity to provide a resolution - and I will post here if they do - or, if they do not, others will be warned about their deceptive guarantee.

Reply to Email #2 From Choice

Jack - Choice's guarantee is grossly misleading at best.  I happen to be staying four nights - the rate that expedia/orbitz etc. gave me for my dates is the only one they had on offer.  If Choice chooses to call this a package, then I believe they should clarify what package means in the terms and conditions. 

I had always intended to stay at the Comfort Suites, but now I am seriously considering cancelling and staying elsewhere in Nassau.  I refuse to support companies that mislead customers.

I appreciate that you are just communicating your policy, but Choice needs to do a better job doing on its website if they are not going to waste people's time.

Even more frustrated,

Mr Young
(***) *** ****

Email #2 From Choice

Jack's response:

Thank you for your email Mr Young,

I apologize for any inconvenience. The rate offered is stay Three nights get the Fourth night free. Because this rate requires a minimum number of nights it is considered a package and does not qualify for the e-rate guarantee.

Thank you for your inquiry. I look forward to hearing from you should you need any further assistance.

Jack
Email Resolution Desk

Reply to Email #1 From Choice

My response to Jack's email:

Jack [or whomever]:

"Negotiated rates and any other rates not available to the public, such as group rates, package rates, coupons, motor club, membership rates (including AARP) and Government Rates;"

With respect, the relevant clause in your guarantee states "and other rates not available to the public".  Expedia/Orbitz etc. rates are indeed available to the public.  Additionally, nowhere else in your terms and conditions do you qualify the term "negotiated rate".  Therefore, the submitted rate should not be disqualified.In my opinion, your legal department needs to update your 'terms and conditions' page or Choice needs to stand behind what it currently says.  Why waste everyone's time with such a misleading statement?

Frustrated,

Mr Young
(***) *** ****

Email #1 FROM Choice

After submitting my request through their claim form, here's the response I received:

Thank you for your interest in participating in our Best Choice E-Rate Guarantee program.

The competing website rate information you submitted is for a negotiated rate for a multiple night stay. The competing site does not offer this discount unless you stay a certain number of nights. Negotiated rates are ineligible for the guarantee program. If you find lower rates that do not require a multiple night stay at this hotel on a competing website, within the 24-hour time frame, please submit your claim form again and we will be happy to process your request.

If you have additional questions please see our terms & conditions page.

We look forward to serving you in the future.

Jack
Best Choice E-Rate Guarantee

Choice - please don't waste my time!

If you are going to have offer a "best rate" guarantee, stand by it - dont't weazle out!
 
I prefer to book direct when I know the hotel I want to stay, but I will usually check Expedia/Orbitz etc. for a better rate - just in case.  Sure enough the Choice Hotels rate for a 4 night stay at the Comfort Suites on Paradise Island (Nassau, Bahamas) was $226 per night, while the various alternative sites offered $174.

Frustrated at not being able to get the same rate on the Choice hotels site, I came across Choice's "Best Internet eRate Terms and Conditions"
http://www.choicehotels.com/en/bestraterules
"Choice will honor a lower publicly available rate on a non-Choice branded website ("Competing Rate") plus give and additional 10% discount off of the Competing Rate".   (Apparently, their proof reading was as good as the guarantee itself).

As always, the guarantee was subject to terms and conditions, but I could see nothing that would prevent them from honoring it.