Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Hotwire's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Hotwire

  San Francisco, CA 94104-3810

• 

  Hotwire

  PO Box 26285 San Francisco, CA 94126-6285

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/20/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was offered a promo on hotel stays by Hotwire via email promotion. Clicked the link, viewed several hotels and selected one. Entered all my personal information and processed my payment - immediately the charge showed up on my credit card but the screen said failed to process. I tried three more times and got the same message. I called Hotwire support and reported the problem. The woman spoke very poor English but seemed to communicate that this room and rate are no longer valid. I said - you just offered me the rate, took all my personal information and charged my card $351. Why would you do that if the room was no longer available?? She said yeah it happens a lot - I can offer you a different hotel and rate? I said no. She said - your pending charge will be reversed within a couple of hours. I informed her this was a bait and switch that sounded a lot like fraud and I wanted my money returned by that night. That was THREE days ago and the charge is still on there. I wish to have this businesss practices on file and the $351 cleared off my ***** business credit card. Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/25/2025

  *** ********
  **********************************************************************
  
  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********. 
  
  
  
  We are writing in response to your inquiry to Hotwire and the Better Business Bureau regarding the hold of funds on your card. 
  
  
  
  According to our records, there is a contact made to our customer service on April 17th as you just had tried to make a reservation which did not go through and funds were held. During the interaction our agent validated the information and we would like to assure that it was never Hotwire's intention to mislead our customers in any way. Deals are constantly changing as we work with live inventory and they are subject to availability. After attempting the booking, funds were held to ensure there were enough funds on the card to make the purchase, but this is not a charge. This was a pre-authorization hold of funds which automatically falls off.
  
  
  Upon checking, we noticed that the payment method used was ApplePay, and for this type of transaction it takes an estimated of 7-9 business days to release them. For further questions you may contact ***** directly by calling at ************** or visiting their website *********. 
  
  
  We are sorry this happened. As a way of apologizing for the experience, we applied $15.00 Hot Dollars to your Hotwire account. Hot Dollars can be used to book any ************** or Hot Rate Car on the website only, not on the app, and are valid for one year from the date of posting.
  
  
  How to redeem them: 
  
  
  1. Select your Hot Rate Car/hotel 
  2. Payment Section 
  3. Select Payment Method (default is Hot Dollars). Pay for any remaining amount with your credit/debit card. You can see the Hot Dollars deducted from the total amount prior to purchase.  
  4. Click Book Now to complete the transaction. 
  
  
  Here are the steps for you to be able to see the credit:
  
  
  1- Click on name, top right side.
  2- Click 'Account Info'.
  3- Click Payments.
  4- View Hot Dollar balance. 
  
  We appreciate your business and regret any Hotwire experience that was less than exceptional.
  
  
  Best regards,
  
  
  Diego C.
  Customer Care Relations
  ********************** Corporate Office
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I booked a Hotwire reservation on 4/15 at 3:47PM. I checked in around 6:15 PM. The first room I was given was 111, the key didnt work, I walked back to the front desk, the representative changed the room to 119. I get to the room it smells like urine, I let it go as I was too tired to even go back up there for another room. I checked the room outside of the urine smell and proceeded to go to bed. I wake at 4am to use the restroom and as soon as I turn on the light there is roaches in the bathroom. I immediately shake and packed my belongings. I called Hotwire customer service at ****** and spoke to ***** so that when I walk to the front desk theres no confusion between both parties. I go to the front desk, the front desk agent is at a table eating chicken wings. He continues to sit at the table eating while asking me whats wrong. I told him it was very inappropriate to eat while trying to handle a customer service situation. He replies with I can sit for 10 minutes and eat. I laughed as this experience gets worse and worse by the minute. The Hotwire representative put me on hold to call the front desk. I hear the phone ring at the hotel and the front desk agent ignores it, I tell him that is probably Hotwire contacting you as I am on the phone with them. The front desk agent asked do I want another room. I declined. He checked me out the room. Front desk finally picks up the phone speaks to Hotwire. Hotwire gets back on the phone with me and tells me he can only refund me 1 day. I stayed in the room from 6:30ish-4:45am, Hotwire expresses that was considered 1 day. I request a supervisor, Hotwire says theyre not available until 6am pacific time. I called back, spoke to a supervisor she tells me again they can only refund 1 day. I am so disappointed and disgusted with Hotwire for allowing their customer service policy to put to the side that I was in a hotel that they partner with that has an infestation and I can only be refunded 1 day.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/23/2025

  Sanacia *****
  GA 30328
  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary 5968936893.
  
  Dear Sanacia,
  
  We are writing in response to your inquiry to Hotwire, and the Better Business Bureau regarding your ************** reservation with Sonesta Select Atlanta Norcross. 
  
  We understand you were dissatisfied with your recent hotel reservation due room unsatisfactory conditions. As such, you are seeking for a full refund. 
  
  Upon reviewing your case, we confirmed you had a reservation from April 15th to April 17th. A contact was made on April 16th around 5:00 AM (hotel local time) reporting that the room provided had roaches, our agent reached the property to check alternatives to resolve the issue, a room change was offered but you declined as it was not a suitable solution.  Therefore, our agent offered a refund for the second night that was not going to be used, this option was also declined and you asked for supervisor, our agent clarified supervisors are available between the hours of 6AM - 6PM Pacific Standard Time. 
  
  Later that day you reached us back to speak with a supervisor. Additional to the issue you previously mentioned it was included that the first night the room smelled bad and, that was the reason why you considered a full refund should have been processed. The supervisor reinforced that the first night was used and offered the refund for the unused night, the option was accepted and it was processed back to the original form of payment. 
  
  We regret to hear about your experience and any discomfort this situation has caused. Hotwire works closely with our hotel partners to address any issues that may arise during a guests stay, we have re-evaluated your case and considering that you just used a portion of the first night and, as a way to rectify the situation, Hotwire will process the refund for the first night $72.83 USD back to the original form of payment. Hotwire processes refunds in 1-2 business days back to the original card used for the booking. It then typically takes a bank or credit card company 5-7 business days to return these funds to your account.
  
  For future reference, we encourage our customers to contact us immediately if any issues arise during their stay so that we can address them with our supplier on the spot. Hotwire customer care agents are available 24/7 by using the Message Us button on the app or website or by texting HELP to 45190.
  
  We thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address the issues brought to our attention. 
  
  Best regards,
  
  ****** *.
  Customer Care Relations.
  ********************** Corporate Office.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/03/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am filing a complaint against Hotwire for false advertising and a violation of their terms of use regarding a hotel booking. On January 16, 2025, I booked a hotel through Hotwire based on their advertised guarantee (see attached photo), which explicitly stated that I would receive accommodations at a hotel from one of the following brands: ******* ****** ********* ** ******* However, upon completing my booking, I was assigned a hotel that does not belong to any of these brands. I paid $643.08 for this reservation, expecting Hotwire to honor its guarantee. I reviewed Hotwire’s Terms of Use and found no clear exception allowing them to substitute a hotel outside of the guaranteed brands. This constitutes misleading advertising and a breach of contract. I have contacted Hotwire’s customer service, but they have not provided a satisfactory resolution. Therefore, I am requesting a full refund of $643.08 to my original payment method (credit card), not as Hotwire account credit. I am seeking the BBB’s assistance in resolving this matter. I have attached supporting evidence, including the original advertisement and my booking confirmation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2025

  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary **********.
  
  Dear Bertina,
  
  We understand you were dissatisfied with your hotel reservation, as the property you received was not one of the four hotel options displayed at time of booking. As such, you are seeking a refund back to your original form of payment. 
  
  After reviewing your case, we confirmed you had a reservation at ****** ****** ***** for check-in from February 16 to February 20, 2025. On January 15, you contacted our Customer Service team requesting a change as the assigned hotel was not family-friendly and lacked a pool. Our agent verified via the hotel's official website that the pool amenity was available and that kids were welcomed at the property. As your boking was made under one of our more restrictive rates, we reached out to the hotel to request a refund on your behalf. Since they were unable to authorize it at the time, we offered you two options: cancel the reservation in exchange for Hot Dollars credit (minus a cancellation fee) or proceed with a follow-up case to further pursue a refund, with the understanding that if the refund was ultimately denied, the first option would then be processed. On January 17, our back-office team followed up via email to inform you that the hotel denied the refund request and thus, the Hot Dollar credit option was processed. 
  
  On January 20th, you called us to express that you did not agree to receive Hot Dollars credit minus a cancellation fee. You also mentioned that you spoke with the hotel's manager and he approved a refund. However, the reservation was already cancelled, and as the team verified that the terms and conditions of the follow-up option were provided, they were unable to reverse the process. Additional contacts have been made on regards this matter, but the resolution has been the same. 
  
  Allow us to assure you it is never Hotwires intention to mislead our customers in anyway, therefore, we would like to address some specific points of the interaction. In regards to the disagreement to receive Hot Dollars credit, we thoroughly reviewed the interaction and validated that our agent explained both possible outcomes prior to submitting the follow-up. Therefore, our Customer Service team provided the correct information. Additionally, considering you have an approval from the hotel's manager, we have attempted one more time to confirm it. We spoke with the property's manager and he informed us that there are no records of any approved refund and reinforced the non-refundable policy.
  
  We would also like to clarify that, depending on the deal type, our platform may display hotel chain names as a general reference to provide an idea of what type of hotels are associated with the star rating that is being booked. That said, based on the screenshot you shared, we acknowledge that the hotel you received was not among the guaranteed hotel chains displayed at the time of booking. Unfortunately, since this image was not shared earlier, we were unable to assist effectively. In an effort to rectify the situation, we made an exception. We have removed the Hot Dollars previously issued to your account and have processed a manual refund of $643.08 USD back to the original card used. It takes 10 to 15 business days for you to see it on your statement. If you have questions about the timing of the refund, we recommend you contact your bank or credit card company directly for more specifics.
  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to clarify this matter and regret any confusion this may have caused.
  
  Best Regards,
  
  ****** *. 
  Customer Care Relations
  Hotwire Corporate Office
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/09/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I would like to clarify that I previously explained to the agents that my primary concern has always been that the hotel ultimately selected for me was not one of the guaranteed hotel chains that were originally promised. I requested to send images to support my claim, but the response I consistently received from the agent was that they could not process a refund and continued to reference an issue with the pool. While the pool was just one example of the issues I encountered, my main concern remains that the hotel chosen was not from the guaranteed list of chains.
  
  
  That said, I do appreciate that you’ve now agreed to process a refund and are working to resolve this matter swiftly.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Bertina V******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/31/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I booked a hotel with Hotwire and it was a guaranteed room. I called several times while I was driving to the hotel to confirm that we are on our way but delayed we would arrive around 11pm. The hotel confirmed and said they were updating notes on the account. When I arrived the hotel said they were overbooked. I asked if they were going to honor the walking process (where the hotel calls another hotel and set up your first night free of charge for the inconvenience) the hotel said no we dont do that. I contacted Hotwire and they said that because they were not contacted right away, now they cant do anything to help me get the first night of stay covered at another hotel

  Business Response

  Date: 04/07/2025

  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary 5292467390.
  
  Dear *******,
  
  We understand you were dissatisfied with your recent hotel experience, as the property was unable to honor your reservation and did not offer alternate accommodations  As such, you are seeking a refund.
  
  After carefully reviewing your case, we confirmed that your reservation was scheduled for check-in from March 29 to March 30, 2025. On March 31, we received the first contact in which you informed us that the property did not have rooms available upon your arrival, despite having reassured you earlier that day that everything was set. Additionally, you pointed out that no alternate accommodations were offered, which led you to secure a room independently. Considering the alternate room was more expensive, in an effort to rectify the situation, our agent advised you to submit the documentation of it to process a refund. During a subsequent interaction, your refund request was assigned to our Finance team, and you also inquired about an additional refund due to the walk process not being followed by the hotel. To acknowledge the inconvenience, our agent added $40.00 Hot Dollars to your account.
  
  Later that day, you called us requesting to speak with a manager, as you believed the proper procedure was not followed. Our supervisor explained that Hotwire encourages customers to contact us immediately when experiencing any issues during their stay, allowing us the opportunity to assist and offer alternatives in real time.
  
  We would like to clarify, each property has their own policies and procedures when they face an overbooking. As our agent mentioned, for Hotwire, we encourage to reach us immediately when facing any issue so alternative options can be offered from our end, as not all the properties might offer a walk option. At this moment, we have confirmed that reimbursement for the full amount of the alternate booking has been processed so you do not have to pay any additional cost because of the inconvenience. 
  
  We appreciate your business and regret your Hotwire experience was anything less than exceptional.
  
  Best Regards,
  
  ****** *. 
  Customer Care Relations
  ********************** Corporate Office
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/30/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I booked travel for hubby and I to stay 2 nights at a Days Inn in ************** using ************************** We checked in and were given our key to room. 3/15/2025 to 3/17/2025 I take medication that needs to be refrigerated. The refrigerator did not have a k*** to turn it on. It also did not have shelves in it. The girl at the desk brought an extra ice bucket so we could put 2 ice buckets in fridge to keep food and my meds cold.Clerks excuses: They had no other rooms. They don't have maintenance on weekends. I contacted Hotwire for help that day. They were having computer issues. I was told they would reach out to manager on Monday to get a code to process refund.The clerk also told me the manager would process refund on Monday afternoon - which was after our checkout. She said her 'hands were tied'. I started getting the run around from the hotel and Hotwire. First it was full refund will be processed in 7 to 10 days. I reached out to the hotel and was told they processed refund for one day. Today I called Hotwire and was told the hotel refused refund because I already stayed there. They also told me to call them during the stay - which I did. It sounds like my refund got caught up in Hotwire's computer issues. I sent them pictures - asked for management escalation and was told they wouldn't do anything else for me. They have also blocked all my hotel stays on my account I can only see cars.There were bugs in the room. The bathtub had two drains - one over the other weird but couldn't use bath - and it could be dangerous for those using it.The patio was roped off so we couldn't even sit outside to try to enjoy a meal.The staff was quirky - nice one minute then rude. The batteries in remote died and the night clerk was rude about having to come bring batteries. Hotwire is not standing by refund they promised me. They need to process a full refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/07/2025

  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary 5021378095.
  
  Dear ****,
  
  We understand you are seeking a refund that was promised by the property.  
  
  After reviewing your case, we confirmed that you had a reservation at ******** by **********************/*********** for check-in from March 15 to March 17, 2025. On March 30, you contacted our **************** team to inquire about a refund offered by the hotel due to the rooms unsatisfactory conditions. You mentioned that you contacted us during your stay to notify about the issue and were advised to work directly with the hotel to request a room change. Unfortunately, the property was unable to accommodate it. Our agent found the last contact on March 1st, 2025 related to a different itinerary and, subsequently reached out to the hotel to verify the refund authorization. However, the hotel could not approve it, stating they had no record of the issue nor any approved refund. Because the booking was fully used, we were unable to fulfill your request.
  
  You then escalated the matter to a supervisor. During this interaction, you reiterated that you contacted us from a different phone during your stay, but encountered system issues on Hotwires end. Our supervisor reinforced the same information previously provided by our agent but, suggested to reach the hotel to gather the name of the person who promised a refund so we could further check on it. 
  
  Allow us to assure you it is never Hotwire's intention to mislead our customers in anyway. We have thoroughly reviewed your account and found no record of previous contact regarding this case prior to March 30, nor any notification of a refund approval from the hotel. Additionally, we did not identify any reports of system issues affecting our contact channels during your travel dates. Therefore, we can confirm that the resolution provided by both our agent and supervisor was accurate. Please note, we work closely with our hotel partners and the experience you described is not characteristic of what we expect from them. In our effort to resolve this matter, we contacted the property again to advocate on your behalf. We are pleased to inform you that the hotel has now approved a partial refund for one night. Therefore, we processed $154.02 USD back to the original form of payment. We have assigned this request to our Financial team and this will take from 3 to 5 business days for them to work on it, and once it is completed the refund will be manually processed within the next 10 to 15 business days. 
  
  In regards to your trips not showing in 'My Trips' section on your account, if this happens while using the mobile application, kindly note, we have recently updated the app, and to avoid this in the future, we recommend you to uninstall the app, and install it again to ensure you have the most recent set up. As a workaround, you may also access your trips by logging in through the Hotwire website. 
  
  We appreciate your business and regret your Hotwire experience was anything less than exceptional.
  
  Best Regards,
  
  ****** *. 
  Customer Care Relations
  ********************** Corporate Office
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/10/2025

   
  Complaint: 23136133
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  First there is obvious confusion on the part of Hotwire. I'm not sure why they are referencing a separate itinerary with a different hotel that had *** issues - the complaint for that one was related to handicap accessibility that was not available.  I have a disability and the room was too far from entrance that had handicap parking - a clear violation of Federal and State *** ****. Hotwire and the hotel both refused to work on that issue as well - also a violation of those laws. When both of them said - there is nothing we can do - it is clear that neither cared to help the customer. Again, that trip was not part of this complaint and Hotwire is wasting time trying to make me look bad on that complaint.  It will be a separate issue for them as I should have been refunded and/or other arrangements made by Hotwire to move me to a new hotel.

  With regards to what this complaint is actually about - A partial refund is not acceptable and a full refund for the stay at the *********************** referenced in my complaint is expected.  My card company has not received any acknowledgement of ANY refund from Hotwire or the hotel.

  Hotwire customer service is still at issue as well -they have blocked my access to past trips.  I used them many times for travel over more than 15 years. This year their customer service responses, their hiding of my account from my view - I still do not see anything but car rentals on any platform I use to access my account. 

  For whatever reason Hotwire has started to lie about customer contact, or they simply have technical issues that are not allowing them to see all the contacts I have made with them.  My bookings are no longer available for me to pull records and attach - and that is on Hotwire.  I have other people who have stated that they are doing the same to them.  I used to be VIP access with them and had actual phone numbers to call people for help - they have changed their business and now do not care about how their customers are treated.  I have since started booking my travel with other 3rd party services not related to Hotwire. They owe a full refund for the stay that was the subject of this complaint. 

  The stay from 3/1 will be a separate complaint and is being reviewed by an attorney that deals with disability issues - Hotwire brought it up in their response that is the only reason I am addressing it here - it was unacceptable for them to try to throw another complaint on this.  Obviously horrible customer service on their part. They're making themselves look worse.  As I stated - the Days Inn clerk promised a full refund of both nights - that is what is expected.  They need to process both nights.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ***********

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2025

  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary 5021378095.
  
  Dear ****,
  
  We are writing in response to your additional correspondence to Hotwire and the Better Business Bureau regarding your ************** reservation with Days Inn by **********************/************
  
  We understand your dissatisfaction with the resolution provided. While you mentioned that the property promised a full refund, our latest communication with them confirmed the approval for only one night. As the reservation was fully used and, we were not given the opportunity during your stay to address the issue, we are unable to offer a full refund. To clarify a point from our earlier response, the mention of your reservation at *********** & Suites *************************************** (Feb 28 Mar 1) was to reference the last recorded contact before March 30. 
  
  Regarding technical issues about your past trips not showing on your account, we have escalated this with the appropriate team to work on a fix and, we appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
  
  While we regret that you remain dissatisfied, our position on this matter remains unchanged, and this will serve as our final communication. Our goal is to exceed your expectations. We hope we have the opportunity to better serve your travel needs in the near future.
  
  Best Regards,

  ****** *. 
  Customer Care Relations
  ********************** Corporate Office

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/10/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I made a hotel booking through **************************. They sent me an itinerary but wont send a receipt of my payment. Been on the phone for hours. They just keep sending me the same itinerary number.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2025

  ***** ****
  PA 19547 
  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary 5548556163.
  
  Dear *****, 
  
  We are writing in response to your inquiry to Hotwire, and the Better Business Bureau regarding your ************** reservation with **********************************, an IHG Hotel.
  
  We understand you are dissatisfied with your recent hotel reservation as you did not receive a booking confirmation with the breakdown of the charges. As such, you are requesting for an explanation.
  
  Upon reviewing your case, we confirmed you contacted our customer care team on March 9th reporting that you were not able to find your reservation and the price details. Our agent explained that when booking a reservation through an Apple device with the "Hide My Email" feature enabled during the Apple sign-on, a unique Apple-generated email address is used to create a new Hotwire account, which may lead to not receive our notifications to your personal email address. Our agent also sent a message with the breakdown of the charges, resent the booking confirmation to a different email address and explained that while Hotwire does not provide a regular receipt, we use the booking confirmation as a proof of payment. Two additional contacts were made on the same day, but the same information was provided.
  
  Based on the information above we can confirm our agents provided you with the correct information. On your initial confirmation email, right below your booking details, you will find the price per night, taxes and fees, total cost and the last four digits of the card charged.  Nonetheless, as an exception, we have sent you a manual email containing the breakdown of the charges associated with this booking to the email address that was provided to our customer care team during the interactions.  We hope this information will suffice your requirements.  
  
  We appreciate your business and regret your Hotwire experience was anything less than exceptional. 
   
  *** *.
  Customer Care Relations
  Hotwire Corporate Office 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2025

   
  Complaint: 23042875
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Your agents were incapable of providing me proof of my payment which clearly you received.  I needed proof of payment in case the Hotel had an issue whether or not I had paid.  
  

  In addition,  another problem post trip was the additional $299.00 that I had to pay at the desk for fees.  
  Not a good way to do business.  
  judging by your reviews on various platforms, you have clearly failed to provide acceptable customer service to many of your platform users.   I dont need a canned response from you.  Just do better.  However, I will continue to make sure I tell everyone I know that your company is NOT one to use for travel.  .  Clearly unacceptable.

  P.S.  your customer service agents need to be trained better.  They all just repeat the same thing that is on their generic script.  Very frustrating for a customer just seeking a receipt.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2025

  ***** ****
  PA 19547
  
  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary 5548556163.
  
  Dear *****,
  
  We are writing in response to your additional correspondence to Hotwire and the Better Business Bureau regarding your ************** reservation with **********************************, an **********
  
  We understand you remain dissatisfied with the resolution provided. As stated on our previous correspondence, while Hotwire does not provide a regular invoice, our booking confirmation is used as a proof of payment, which has a breakdown of the charges and the payment method used to complete the purchase. Additionally, a manual invoice was sent to the email address provided with all the trip and payment details.
  
  Regarding your concerns about the $299.00, a contact was made to the property and they confirmed they charged $236.68 with the following breakdown:
  
  $139.66 for Parking fee.
  $97.02 for Resort fee.
  
  After reviewing your reservation,  free parking was not advertised nor included. Additionally the resort fee amount is disclosed during the booking process and this information is also sent on the booking confirmation. That is the reason why these additional expenses were charged directly by the property .
  
  While we regret to hear that you remain dissatisfied with our answer, our position on the matter will stay the same and will consider this as our final communication.
  
  Our goal is to exceed your expectations. We hope we have the opportunity to better serve your travel needs in the near future.
  
  *** *.
  Customer *********************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/01/2025

   
  Complaint: 23042875
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Your customer service is in need of some training.  You send the same canned response each time you reply.  I was hoping that with this inquiry about your customer service would prompt a more intelligent, educated response.  Like I said before,  your track record is not conducive to staying in business.  Do better.  Hire someone to keep your company above water. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/09/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I booked a hotel room through Hotwire for one night of stay on Saturday, March 8th 2025, for my son *******. The hotel is ***************************, ************* (Phone: ************). The Hotwire itinerary is **********. My son was bringing his cat, so I specifically searched for a pet-friendly hotel in ********** area on Hotwire, and the Quality Inn showed up as a hotel that accepts pets. However, when my son arrived at ***********, he was told that it does NOT allow pets and he cannot check in. It was already past mid-night, and he has no choice but to search for another hotel nearby. He finally checked into a Holiday Inn at 3AM Sunday morning. We were totally surprised by the situation, and I called the Hotwire on Sunday morning to request a full refund. The Hotwire representative told me they cannot issue a refund because it is treated a no-show. She said all she can do is to only provide a $25 credit. I am totally disappointed that Hotwire does not have the honor to acknowledge its error and denied us a full refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2025

  Jee ****
  NC 28173 
  
  
  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary 5570884086.
  
  Dear Jee,
  
  We are writing in response to your inquiry to Hotwire, and the Better Business Bureau regarding your ************** reservation with Quality Inn **************** 
  
  We understand you were dissatisfied with your recent hotel reservation as your son was not able to check-in due to the hotel's restrictions. As such, you are seeking for a refund.
  
  Upon reviewing your case, we confirmed you contacted our customer care team on March 9th reporting that your son arrived late at night at the property and the hotel did not allow him to check-in as he was bringing a cat with him and they only accept dogs. Our agent contacted the hotel and they informed the reservation had been charged and marked as a no-show, therefore, the refund request was not approved.  As this was a past reservation, our agent offered to apply a compensation of $25.00 Hot Dollars for a future Hot Rate booking. The compensation was rejected and the case was escalated to a manager who offered $35.00 instead. The credit was accepted and no further actions were taken. 
  
  We would like to clarify each hotel may work under different pet policies, we encourage our customers to call the hotel after they book to get more details. In the scenario those policies do not accommodate your need, you can contact us immediately to check alternative options. Unfortunately, since no contact was made on the check-in date we were unable to investigate or address the situation in real time.  
  
  We regret to hear about your experience and any discomfort this situation has caused. Therefore, Hotwire has processed a full refund in the amount of $92.72 USD back to the original form of payment. Hotwire processes refunds in 1-2 business days back to the original card used for the booking. It then typically takes a bank or credit card company 5-7 business days to return these funds to your account.
  In addition to that, the $35.00 Hot Dollars will remain available on your Hotwire account. 
  
  Hot Dollars can be used to book any Hot Rate hotel or Hot Rate car on the website only (not in the app) and are valid for one year from the date of posting. Each Hot Dollar is equivalent to one U.S. dollar.
   
  How to redeem them:
  
  1. Select your Hot Rate Car/hotel
  2. Payment Section
  3. Select Payment Method (default is Hot Dollars). Pay for any remaining amount with your credit/debit card. You can see the Hot Dollars deducted from the total amount prior to purchase.
  4. Click Book Now to complete the transaction.
  
  Here are the steps for you to be able to see the credit:
  
  1- Click on name, top right side.
  2- Click 'Account Info'.
  3- Click Payments.
  4- View Hot Dollar balance 
  
  We appreciate your business and regret your Hotwire experience was anything less than exceptional. 
   
  *** *.
  Customer Care Relations
  ********************** Corporate Office 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hello, My husband booked a car with hotwire with my credit card (I did not authorize) and as soon as I recevied the email, I realized he had booked the wrong dates and destination. I immediately called hotwire to cancel or to re-book. The credit card had not even hit my account yet (it was still pending) and they said there is no way to change or cancel this booking. There should be a window of at least 48 hours if you get the dates wrong. I was not asking for a refund but to change the location and dates as he had gotten it wrong.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/28/2025

  **** ********
  ***************************************************************
  
  Dear ****,
  
  We are writing in response to your inquiry to Hotwire, and the Better Business Bureau regarding your Hot Rate Car reservation with Alamo. 
  
  We understand that you are seeking a refund/modification towards the reservations as details were booked incorrectly. 
  
  Upon reviewing your case, we confirmed that the reservation was completed on February 22nd and a contact was made until February 24th. Here, you informed that the location was booked incorrectly, and the charge had not impacted your card yet, therefore a cancellation/modification was requested. The agents and supervisor that assisted mentioned that the reservation booked did not qualify for cancellations or modifications. 
  
  Hotwire strives for clarity both on our website and mobile application, as our travelers are charged for their reservations at the time of booking, we are sure to point out booking details along the booking path. On the final billing page, within the Booking Rules and Restrictions section, which outlines the Hotwire Terms of Use, we mentioned the car reservation was final and non-refundable. Prior to completing the reservation, a box was selected stating that the terms were understood and agreed. 
  
  Even though the card reflected the charge as pending only by the contact date, once a reservation is confirmed on our website, the details of your booking and our payment information is sent directly to the supplier. 
  
  With the information listed above, we are not able to honor your request for a refund. We appreciate your business and regret your Hotwire experience that was anything less than exceptional. 
  
  Best regards, 
  Diego C. 
  Customer Care Relations 
  
  ********************** Corporate Office.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Regarding my auto rental for February 24, 2024, my flight was cancelled and I had to change it to the next day February 25, 2024. At midnight I had chat conversations with first ******* then ******, who requested many documents from me and screenshots then finally admitted after 1.5 hours of wasting my time that no matter what documents I provided my rental could not be changed. For THIS waste of time of 1.5 hours, I request a full refund of the $27. paid for this rental. I rent from Hotwire a lot and this is the first time I have requested a refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/04/2025

  ******* *******

  CA 92091 

  
  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Hotwire itinerary  3282167358. 
  
  We understand you are dissatisfied with your recent Hot Rate car rental as you were not able to pick-up the vehicle due to a flight cancellation. As such, you are seeking a refund. 
  
  Upon reviewing your case, we confirmed you contacted our customer care team on February 24th at midnight, reporting that your flight was cancelled, and needed assistance with a modification of your car booking. Our agent was able to confirm the flight cancellation was not reflected through the airline's website, hence additional proof was required, given that the images were not coming through on our initial conversation, it was instructed to contact us through our website. The second ****** reviewed the screenshots shared but considering the same flight was still showing active on the website, it was determined that these were not valid, and the refund request was denied. Additional contacts were made in which our agents and supervisor reinforced the same information. 
  
  According to our records, your reservation is a Hot Rate, and as per our Terms of Use agreed at the time of booking, all Hot Rate bookings are final and cannot be changed, cancelled, or refunded. However, we understand an airline cancellation or schedule change may happen and in case it prevents you from picking up your car within 24 hours of your scheduled time, our team is instructed to look for options after the verification of the flights changes. Let us reiterate, the purpose was always to help on the changes mentioned and not to extend the conversation unnecessarily. The information shared in the previous interactions is actually a result of an extensive effort of validation.
  
  In our effort to meet your needs, we also contacted the flight agency which confirmed that the flight was delayed for one hour resulting on a voluntary change of dates. While we understand this may not be the resolution expected, we have determined the correct process was followed by our agents. Therefore, we will not be able to honor your request for a refund. 
  
  We appreciate your business and regret your Hotwire experience was anything less than exceptional.
  

  Diego C.
  Customer Care Relations
  Hotwire Corporate Office

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  - I booked a non cancellable rental car on 1/25/25 for 7 days from 1/27/25 to 2/3/25 at an amount of $113.65(rent) + $123.55(tax) = $237.20 (total) to be picked up at **************************- I got sick on 1/26/25 with a flu and needed to change my plan to travel on 1/30/25 to 2/3/25. - I called Hotwire to tell them that i won't be able to pick up the car on 1/27 but i will pickup on 1/30 and will return the car on the original scheduled date of 2/3/25. They denied my request.- I told them that they are not providing my booked car so what do i do and they said "Hertz", the rental car company Hotwire booked me to, won't refund or hold the car.- I called Hertz and the representative said, Hotwire already cancelled the booking and you can ask the refund from them which Hotwire earlier denied citing it was a non cancellable booking.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2025

  In response to BBB Complaint ID ********, Itinerary **********.
  
  Dear Akhtar,
  
  We are writing in response to your inquiry to Hotwire, as well as the Better Business Bureau, regarding your Hot Rate Car reservation with Hertz at ****************************************
  
  We understand you are requesting a refund for your reservation as you could not travel on the schedule dates.
  
  After reviewing your case, we confirmed the reservation was completed for pick-up on Jan 27th at 1:30 PM, to Feb 03 at 1:30 PM. A contact was made to our **************** Team on Jan 27th, letting us know you could no longer travel as scheduled due to extenuating circumstances. As such, you requested to either change or hold the vehicle until the new arrival dates on Jan 30th. You also indicated that when reaching out to Hertz, they advised to have Hotwire contact them directly to make arrangements. While we understand the inconvenience, our agent informed that no modifications or refunds could be made according to the policy communicated at the time of booking. The case was then escalated with a supervisor who reinforced the same policy and after reaching out to *****, we learned that the car would be held for 48 hours maximum as per their policies and no additional changes were allowed. 
  
  Hotwire strives for clarity both on our website and mobile application, as our travelers are charged for their reservations at the time of booking, we are sure to point out booking details along the booking path. On the final billing page, within the Booking Rules and Restrictions section, which outlines the Hotwire Terms of Use, we mentioned the car reservation was final and non-refundable. Once we confirm a Hot Rate car reservation, the booking details and payment information are sent directly to our partner. Regardless of whether the reservation is used, Hotwire is charged. For this reason, we confirm the information provided by our agents and supervisor is correct.
  
  Based on the new information added that ***** could issue a refund, we contacted our car partner to verify the authorization. We gladly inform you, that as an exception it has been approved and it was submitted today in the amount of $237.20 USD back to the original card used for the booking. Hotwire processes refunds in 1-2 business days. It then typically takes a bank or credit card company 5-7 days to return these funds to your account. If you have questions about the timing of the refund, we recommend you contact your bank or credit card company directly for more specifics. 
  
  Thank you for choosing Hotwire.
  
  Best Regards,
  
  ****** *.
  Customer *********************************************************