Orbitz: a Guaranteed pain in the ass

I'm planning a vacation, so I've been searching the internet for cheap hotel rooms. Expedia, Hotels.com, and Travelocity are all roughly the same price, but Orbitz is consistently more.

One hotel I found was $159 a night everywhere else, but $219 at Orbitz. Since they continually parrot their "low price guarantee," I decided to ask for details. Could I book the room for $159 a night through them, since that's what every other website charged? Or, if I paid the $219 they wanted, could they tell me in advance that this was the exact same room, and that I'd have no problem getting a refund?

I got a reply within 24 hours.

Dear Roman Hans,

We received your e-mail seeking assistance in finding the lowest hotel rates online. To search for hotels in your destination, please log on to www.orbitz.com and select the hotel tab to begin your search. If you would like help using our web site, Orbitz Customer Service would be happy to help you. Just call a representative toll free at 1-866-540-7062..

We promise the lowest hotel rates online, or we'll refund the difference -- it's the Orbitz Low Price Guarantee.

Sincerely,

OrbitzTLC

Yeah, that's it. I can't find hotels on their website. I need to call them so I can get put on hold.

I looked a bit more into it, and I quickly caught onto their tactic: charge the highest prices while "guaranteeing" the lowest, so it's up to the poor sap who books through them to notice it and press for a refund.

So, adios, Orbitz. I'm going on vacation without you. And if you want my business in the future, you need to start reading my email. We'll talk about shady business practices next.