When Junewon Lee and his companion, Alex, made a decision to head to Bora Bora for their wedding anniversary, they had their hearts established on remaining in an overwater cottage. Scrolling with the Citi travel site, Lee located an incredible bargain on a Presidential Overwater Villa at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui and swiftly made an appointment.

It had not been till months later on — and simply weeks prior to their journey — that Lee found something uncommon concerning that overwater cottage when he ascertained his appointment: It got on the coastline, not over the water. Worse, after lots of not successful efforts to obtain Citi Travel to deal with this blunder, a representative canceled the couple’s appointment completely.

With time going out and no overwater cottage or any kind of various other holiday accommodation reserved, Lee transformed to TPG for aid.

Could we conserve this much-anticipated journey and obtain this pair the overwater cottage in heaven they’d been fantasizing concerning?

Using Citi Travel with Booking.com to prepare an unique journey

Back in October 2023, Lee was browsing the Citi Travel site, which is powered by Booking.com. He was particularly seeking hotels with overwater cottages in Bora Bora.

“We immediately saw the Conrad, and it looked beautiful,” Lee remembered. “The overwater bungalows were available for our dates, and we were able to use the Citi Prestige fourth-night-free benefit.” The pair would basically have the ability to delight in 4 evenings at the hotel for the price of 3, making this an also far better bargain.

The info for the Citi Prestige® Card has actually been accumulated separately by The Points Guy. The card information on this web page have actually not been evaluated or given by the card provider.

A sidebar for those not familiar with the Citi Prestige fourth-night-free advantage:

• Cardholders need to schedule a minimal four-consecutive-night remain at a getting involved resort with ThankYou.com or by calling 1-800-ThankYou.
• The rate you pay throughout reservation consists of that advantage, and the financial savings amount to the typical nighttime price of your appointment for one evening, omitting tax obligations and charges.
• The client can utilize this advantage as much as 2 times per fiscal year.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily e-newsletter

Join over 700,000 viewers for damaging information, thorough overviews and special bargains from TPG’s specialists

Including the Citi Prestige advantage, the last price for the Presidential Overwater Villa wound up at $852 per evening. That possibly must have been reason for issue.

It had not been simply an incredible bargain. For among the leading space classifications at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, in high period, that price was just incredible.

But Lee claims he had no concept the price must have increased his brow because he had neither reserved a comparable journey in the past, neither done quite resort study on the location.

“We never even looked at any other properties,” Lee informed me. “As soon as we saw the Presidential Overwater Villa at the Conrad was available and at a rate that was well within our price range, we were sold.”

When Citi Travel also permitted the pair to utilize their Prestige advantage to conserve much more on the remain, it appeared like the wedding anniversary journey was integrating flawlessly.

At the very least, at first.

Citi Travel verifies: The Presidential Overwater Villa at the Conrad

If Lee and his companion had any kind of uncertainties concerning the credibility of the rate for the Presidential Overwater Villa, those totally dissipated when the e-mail verification got here from Citi Travel.

“Our card was charged the full cost for the four nights and Citi Travel sent our confirmation via email,” Lee clarified.

With their Presidential Overwater Villa at the Conrad validated, the pair transformed their ideas to exactly how they would certainly reach Bora Bora.

“We redeemed 160,000 American Airlines miles for two business-class seats on Air Tahiti Nui,” Lee informed me. “Then, for our return flight, we were able to snag two business-class seats on Air France for 210,000 [Flying Blue] miles. We really couldn’t believe how perfectly the entire trip came together.”

Unfortunately, troubles with this ideal journey lay in advance — huge troubles.

“The room wasn’t over the water. It was just behind the beach facing the lagoon,” reported Lee. “Because we had booked through Citi Travel, the hotel just referred us back to our booking agent.”

Lee was after that entraped in a round fight in between the resort and Citi Travel, with neither eager neither able to deal with the reservation blunder.

“It was frustrating,” Lee remembered. “Even with my confirmed reservation from Citi Travel, I was getting nowhere fast.”

We can not repair it, so we’re terminating it

For the following 2 weeks, Lee tried to repair his appointment on his very own. The Citi Travel representatives were courteous yet noncommittal. Each e-mail from Citi Travel supplied an apology for the issue with the appointment yet no option.

As Lee remained to email and call daily, the mindset of the customer care representatives started to change.

“They [Citi Travel representatives] weren’t being friendly anymore. One supervisor told me on the phone to take it or leave it. He said we were now confirmed in a garden room and that he couldn’t reach anyone at the hotel who would put us in the overwater bungalow. He told us to hope for the best, and we may get upgraded when we arrive. I told him our confirmation from Citi Travel says a Presidential Overwater Villa, so why would we accept a garden room on land? We don’t want to do that.”

Lee claims the depictive after that educated him that the couple’s appointment was nonrefundable. Therefore, the Citi Travel representative encouraged, the almost $3,000 pre-payed down payment would certainly be waived if they canceled.

Unsure what to do following, Lee and his companion deliberated their choices. One of the main factors they had actually picked Bora Bora was to experience an overwater cottage. Now, the Citi Travel representative had actually provided a last chance: approve the garden-view space or terminate and shed their cash.

Neither selection was attracting the pair, yet it ends up they really did not need to determine. That Citi Travel representative picked to resolve the blunder by terminating the whole appointment and reimbursing their down payment in spite of the previous reference of its nonrefundable condition.

“We did not ask him to cancel the reservation,” Lee cleared up. “We were still thinking about what to do when the cancellation came through.”

This wedding anniversary journey was beginning to appear like a total breast.

However, Lee had not been ready to quit right now. He had another concept: to ask TPG for aid.

Can TPG assist these struggling vacationers?

When Lee’s demand for aid arrived on my workdesk, he was hopeless. The pair had their airline company tickets to French Polynesia and still hung on to some really hope that an overwater cottage remained in the cards.

But with much less than 3 weeks prior to separation, their hope was diminishing.

“Do you think you can help us?” Lee asked me. “Citi Travel says there are no overwater bungalows to book. I called the hotel, and there are [overwater bungalows], so I don’t know why Citi Travel can’t just correct its mistake. Prices are skyrocketing as we get closer to the holidays.”

I absolutely wished we could aid. But as quickly as I began taking a look at the information of the instance, I had my worries. All the timeless characteristics of a “fat finger” bargain existed — that’s when a price is an outcome of a human information entrance mistake.

When I examined prices for overwater cottages for the exact same days throughout Bora Bora, it was instantly clear to me that Lee’s initial appointment was the outcome of a substantial prices mistake.

The nighttime price throughout the atoll for an entry-level overwater cottage did not dip listed below $1,400 at any one of the hotels that I could see.

Lee had actually reserved the Presidential Overwater Villa for $852 per evening — not consisting of tax obligation — with the Citi Prestige 4th evening totally free, bringing the last price to a plain $714 per evening. That specific space kind can choose greater than $6,000 per evening throughout the holiday, however. Undoubtedly, a person goofed when they packed that price right into the Citi Travel system.

When the Conrad Bora Bora Nui obtained the appointment from Citi Travel with the bargain-basement price of $852 per evening, the resort just positioned the pair in a space that matched most very closely to that price: a garden-view space on the coastline.

Lee asked the resort to recognize his initial appointment and validate the Presidential Overwater Villa, yet the Conrad referred him back to Citi Travel, the scheduling representative that had actually supplied the incorrect price for that space classification.

That’s not a shock. If a reserving representative or travel site makes a rates mistake and the resort is not ready to recognize the incorrect price, the tourist has 3 selections:

• Cancel for a reimbursement: The scheduling representative should allow the tourist terminate for a complete reimbursement if the price is not legitimate for the exact same space classification on the appointment. This holds true also if the price that gets on the verification claims “nonrefundable.” In completion, that’s why Citi Travel reimbursed Lee’s pre paid reservation for the Presidential Overwater Villa that it could not offer the rate he paid.
• Accept a “downgrade”: In this instance, the Conrad looked for a space that much more very closely straightened with the price the pair paid. This sort of downgrade can be an appropriate resolution for vacationers that have actually reserved an incorrect price.
• Pay the rate distinction: The scheduling representative might try to discuss something affordable with the residential or commercial property for the client — and there might be a price included.

But Lee claims he existed just with a take-it-or-leave-it choice … and afterwards an uncontrolled termination. However, terminating had not been the resolution the pair desired, neither would certainly it have actually been a reasonable result.

Can Booking.com discover this pair an overwater cottage?

Even though a third-party reservation representative is not called for to recognize a rates blunder, in some cases a tourist will certainly obtain fortunate if the mistake isn’t as well shocking and the client made the reservation in great confidence. That’s to state, the tourist had not been attempting to video game the system and make use of a quickly recognizable prices mistake.

Based on my discussions with Lee, I was encouraged that he had actually made the initial appointment in great confidence. So I really hoped Citi Travel with Booking.com could proper this issue by discovering some classification of overwater cottage for the pair, albeit not always a $6,000-per-night Presidential Overwater Villa.

I sent out Lee’s demand to our exec call at Booking.com and requested a fast testimonial as the clock was ticking. This is not a customer-facing agent, yet a person I have accessibility to as a customer supporter and participant of the media.

Here’s a passage of what I composed:

As they examined their appointments a couple of days ago with [the Conrad], they figured out that their appointment with Booking/Citi Travel does not match what the resort has them validated in. They particularly reserved the resort for the over-the-water cottages, and it resembles Booking/Citi validated them in a land-side cottage.

Can your group look and see what can be done currently? Thanks!

Michelle Couch-Friedman, Consumer supporter

After the Booking.com group obtained included, great information at some point came for Lee … in a huge method.

Overwater bungalow validated — at the Four Seasons Bora Bora!

About 10 days after Lee very first spoken to TPG with his overwater cottage reservation issue, some excellent information got here.

Citi Travel validated the pair in an overwater cottage at the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora rather and soaked up the rate distinction — around $5,000.

Lee composed me, happy:

Michelle!

Finally, great information!

Before we spoke to TPG, we will step down and quit – particularly after the Citi Travel representative canceled our appointment. I’m so thankful we really did not.

Thank you a lot for your aid. Junewon Lee

And I’m pleased to report that in spite of the harsh begin, the pair had a remarkable journey to Bora Bora. The overwater cottage at the Four Seasons was every little thing they wished for, and the journey was a total success many thanks to the treatment of TPG.

What to recognize prior to scheduling a resort with a 3rd party

To decrease your possibilities of winding up in a comparable blunder, right here are some points to keep in mind when scheduling resorts, plane tickets, cruise ships and cars and truck leasings with a third-party website.

Take screenshots

Descriptions and images you see on a third-party internet site are not constantly present. It’s ideal to take a screenshot of the information as you’re scheduling. That method, must there be a trouble later on, you’ll have the proof to reveal specifically what you reserved.

Review your verification instantly

After you get your verification from the third-party reservation representative, make certain to assess all the information completely. Remember, when you do not publication straight, there is an additional layer in between you and the resort to resolve if troubles appear, such as if your appointment is for the incorrect days or space classification. It will certainly depend on you and the third-party representative, not the resort, to deal with those concerns, so constantly assess your verification as quickly as you get it.

Contact the resort straight

This following component is critical to efficiently browse a possible blunder with an appointment reserved with a 3rd party. After obtaining the verification from the scheduling representative and examining its precision, get in touch with the resort. Because you’re taking care of 2 appointment systems, make certain the resort’s verification information match your own. You could discover, as Lee did, that they do not match. The earlier you figure out you have actually obtained a trouble, the far better your possibility of fixing that issue with very little cost and frustration.

What if the resort and the scheduling representative validate a rates mistake?

Pricing mistakes on third-party scheduling websites are not unusual.

Travelers must constantly watch out for too-good-to-be-true bargains supplied on third-party scheduling websites for planes tickets, resorts, cruise ships, and cars and truck leasings.

You must recognize that there are presently no regulations or policies that shield customers and need a reservation representative to recognize a data-entry prices blunder.

If you efficiently schedule an offer that becomes a mistake, it will certainly go through termination. Typically, when these prices are found, the tourist’s strategies are nullified, or a greater price is enforced.

So, customers are cautious.

I connected to our exec call at Hilton concerning Lee’s instance and concerning prices mistakes. Here is the firm’s main feedback:

At Hilton, we are an organization of individuals offering individuals, and it’s our leading concern to care for our consumers and visitors throughout their whole travel experience – from scheduling to invoicing – while additionally providing them selection and control. We urge our visitors to publication guide with authorities Hilton networks, consisting of Hilton.com and the Hilton Honors application, for the very best readily available stock and prices.

If scheduling mistakes accompany third-party suppliers, our resort groups strive to discover the most effective options with their readily available stock, which varies daily.

In this instance, the most effective option the Conrad Bora Bora Nui located was offering the pair a space in spite of Citi Travel’s blunder, albeit one that was not in the exact same classification the pair had actually planned to publication.

What can you do if neither the resort neither the scheduling representative will recognize the price?

There are no regulations that need a travel service provider to recognize a rates mistake. So what occurs if you schedule a price that becomes void — and you’ve currently purchased various other components of the journey?

The trick is versatility; be open to endanger.

Most travel service providers do not intend to spoil their consumers’ holidays. But these are for-profit services. As such, because travel service providers and reservation representatives aren’t forced to recognize a wrongly included price (which could additionally set you back the firm countless bucks), generally, they will not.

Instead, a trustworthy reservation representative will possibly use you an affordable concession that must come with little to no charge to you. If that does not occur, you can intensify your issue from the standard customer care degree.

You’re possibly asking yourself, in this age of expert system, exactly how to get to a customer-facing exec with your message. That component is very easy.

If you’re having no good luck, as Lee was, discovering a genuine individual at the firm that has the capability to repair your issue, my campaigning for company Consumer Rescue can assist. You inform us the name of business you’re battling with, and we’ll provide you the name of a person there that we understand has a favorable record aiding consumers. This solution is absolutely free to customers.

With that info in hand, you can create a brief, courteous ask for reconsideration.

Where to submit a protest

Finally, if your best shots to find to an affordable resolution are useless, you could have a couple of even more choices. If the truths of your instance get on your side, submitting a protest with a customer defense firm will certainly commonly provide the firm included the push it requires to do the best point.

Here are a few of the areas you could begin:

Bottom line

Although the magnificent price that Lee reserved at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui was just the outcome of a human mistake, it was not a noticeable blunder. Lee had no factor to think Citi Travel’s verification was void, although it was. If he had not gotten in touch with the resort numerous weeks ahead of time and revealed the inconsistencies, this pair would certainly have remained in for an unsatisfactory shock at check-in.

As Lee found, when scheduling blunders like this occur, the customer typically winds up with the brief end of the stick.

But Lee connected to TPG, to ensure that had not been this couple’s destiny. Instead, they commemorated their wedding anniversary specifically where they constantly planned — over the water in an exotic cottage in French Polynesia.

Happy wedding anniversary, Junewon and Alex!

If you remain in a customer fight with a cruise ship line, resort, cars and truck rental firm, airline company or holiday rental firm, send your ask for aid to ombudsman@thepointsguy.com, and I’ll enjoy to assist you, as well.