I booked a hotel room in Charlotte, NC using Priceline.com. Usually I am able to get a competitive rate using the "Name Your Own Price" option, but after nearly 30 minutes of "gambling" for the best price, I opted to book a hotel room at the Crowne Plaza using Priceline's "Special Rate".

Well, the "Special Rate" ended up being nearly $30 per night *MORE* than the hotel's own published rate. I did not notice the significant discrepancy until I checked out more than 24 hours after I booked the room.

Here's my beef with Priceline: the company offers a "Best Price Guarantee", which essentially enables customers to report a better rate and receive a refund for the difference from Priceline. BUT THE CUSTOMER NEEDS TO REPORT THE BETTER RATE WITHIN 24 HOURS! By the time I booked my hotel and received a statement from the hotel showing their lower rate, it was 48 hours. So, essentially I got screwed by Priceline.

Refund me the difference between the published hotel rate of $161.50/night and Pricelines "Special Price" of $190.00/night: $28.50