Consumer Watch: Avoid the DSL Runaround

On Your Side

When I was trying to purchase an airline ticket for my daughter at Priceline.com, I goofed and entered the wrong travel dates. So I clicked the Back button to change the information. I corrected the dates and proceeded to the next screen, but then I got an error message indicating that the company had already accepted my previous, wrong request.

I immediately e-mailed Priceline asking that they disregard the offer because I had incorrectly input the itinerary. The next day I received a response from the company saying, "Congratulations you've got tickets."

I called Priceline, and a representative told me that there was nothing the company could do once an offer is made and accepted by Priceline. I also called the credit card and airline companies, but neither could do anything. I'm out over $400 for a ticket I can't use. Can you help?

Phil Mygatt, Fort Worth, Texas

On Your Side responds: It's appalling to be charged for tickets without having the opportunity to finalize the transaction. So we contacted Priceline.com on Mygatt's behalf. Though the company no longer has a record of what happened, spokesman Brian Ek says, "[Priceline] has issued Mygatt a refund and apologizes for any inconvenience."

If someone makes an offer for an airline ticket today with the wrong dates, "simply contact [Priceline's] customer service department to resubmit the offer with the correct information," adds Ek.

Before providing your credit card information, carefully read the fine print. And before clicking the Next button, proof your entries to ensure that you have provided the correct information.

Gotten a raw deal? Or a great one? E-mail the details to onyourside@pcworld.com. We'll follow up on and publish items of the broadest interest.