Price Line Warning

This has nothing to do with chess, but is a warning to anyone negotiating on Price Line. We were planning a trip to New York City this weekend and I rented a car at LaGuardia Airport on Price Line. I was very pleased with the cost compared to regular rates. However, after considering the travel time to the airport from home, required early arrival, flight time, time to pick up the car at LaGuardia and drive to our destination, I realized that it was going to take us 8 hours. It is only a two hour flight to New York City but is going to take 8 hours; we can drive it in the same amout of time! Plus there is no hassle involved that you encounter in flying these days and we avoid the hectic drive out of New York City. I say hectic because Google maps printed 3 pages of driving directions. Driving from our house required less than one page and we don’t have to leave the house at 3am Saturday morning to make the flight.

Thus I canceled the flight and called the car rental company at LaGuardia to cancel the car reservation. I was informed that because the reservation was made through Price Line I had to call them. That’s when I discovered there is a cancellation fee of $65 for a medical emergency and you have to supply the name of the doctor and other information. Otherwise the fee is non-refundable! They are going to charge us $260 even though we will not be using the car. An expensive lesson. Be aware that if you use Price Line you had better not cancel your reservations!!