Auction Pricing

[enewseven]

Quick observation - I looked at bidding on a few auctions and before doing so, I checked the actual hotel web site to notice that the same deal was offered at the hotel website (for the minimum auction price) without obviously having to go through the auction process on LL. My question is does LL have the exclusive to these packages orcan the hotels go ahead and duplicate that package on their website ?

[lhbrown]

Hi enewseven,
Are you sure these are the exact same offers. We checked out a property in Vermont that was on LL auction and the owner showed us the room. It was by far the best room in the house and reserved for LL. If you tried to buy the same room, even without the extras, it was considerably more. Perhaps this was an isolated case, but I am sure, going through LL has its extra perks. I have not found any property that we have visited, and we have visited quite a few, where we could have done the same or better without LL.

[enewseven]

Hi Lhbrown,



Yes I agree that most of the deals here have more perks or a better room, etc, however on two occasions I found the identical deal on the resorts webite for the same price and similar perks (nothing that was grossly incomparable) for the set price of the minimum auction price.

[lhbrown]

Hi enewseven,

Your observation is quite interesting. I would say this has to be the exception, because it defeats the purpose of going through LL for the hotel property as well as for the LL user. Sure, by going through the hotel directly, you would save the $20 LL fee, but could LL afford to offer these properties, if the end user can go to the hotel's website directly. I guess it most depend on the hotel how they handle the exclusivity of LL auctions. I once bought a BB offer from LL and then asked the hotel owner while we were there if they would give us the same deal as LL if we made reservations with them for the following year and paid in advance. The flatly said no and felt quite insulted.

PS: don't forget to rate the posts.... since, as we found out, these ratings count toward our status...

[enewseven]

Hi L.Brown,



I agree, this was something I noticed in very few cases, however it's happend and it was on packages that would be toward the higher end on the price point scale for LL. I'm from the school of thought that if in this situation, LL was the place I learned about the deal I would book through them anyway even if it is an extra $20, after all it was their work I was using. But I think others might not be as fair, which would ultimately hurt LL in the long run.



Don't worry , I'm rating the posts, I know the importance of doing so !

[lhbrown]

Hi enewseven,

I agree with you on booking through LL - give credit where credit is due attitude.

On the rating, you say you are rating the posts now, but strangely enough on this link no rating appears on any of my posts to you. Am I missing something? Have a look.

[enewseven]

Hi L. Brown,



I noticed that too, perhaps it has become disabled somehow or maybe someone at LL is upgrading it right now ?

[disneygal]

Hi enewseven. I've often seen the same package on the hotel website when looking at a LL Best Buy. I'm very surprised you found the same package as a LL auction, for the price of the minimum bid. Horrors! Just shows the importance of doing our homework before placing a bid.

[lhbrown]

Hi enewseven,

Thanks for your quick response. Yes the ratings reappeared. Thanks

[lhbrown]

Hi disneygal,

You are right, some of the auction packages also appear under BB offers. However, there is often quite a substantial price difference between the two. I am with enewseven though, to give credit where credit belongs and go with LL to book the package. After all, LL did all the work, and in the long run LL has more pull if things go wrong than an individual. Just my two cents....