Posted on 08/29/2017 3:55:37 PM PDT by bgill
Saturday, a KXAN crew booked a room at the Best Western Plus in Robstown, a small town 20 miles west of Corpus Christi. An internet search showed room rates for a two queen bed priced between $120 and $149 a night. But, when it came time to book the room at the hotels counter, that price nearly tripled.
Whats the total going to be? reporter Wes Rapaport asked the hotel clerk. $321.89, the clerk responded.
A few minutes of questioning ensued about why the price nearly tripled. In a video recorded conversation, the clerk admits the $289 room rates are not what the hotel normally charges.
(Excerpt) Read more at kxan.com ...
Come guys..
At least there was no extra charge for the bed bugs and ticks.
So?
Number one, raising prices at times of heavy use is normal.
Nyumber two, raising prices in crisis makes economic and sense and is more compassionate. Say a family of 6 needs a hotel. At $350, they’ll pack in the same room, at $150, they might get 2-3 rooms, leaving others outside sleeping in their cars.
A month ago, I stayed at a hotel in a large university town. The cost was about $120. A week ago, I tried to book another room at the same hotel, it was $275. It was orientation week at the school.
Nothing like the price-gouging during disaster.
That’s why I filled up my SUV the morning of September 11, 2001. I knew exactly what some of them were going to try.
The state AG is going to make the price gougers pay!
Here in Missouri we had an ice storm over a decade ago. Gas stations tripled their prices (or more). So the state AG made them sell an entire truck load of fuel for like .19 cents a gallon to avoid prosecution.
Should've booked the room at $120-$149 when they had the chance.
He's a gouger. No question about it. But that means potential customers have a choice: pay what he's asking, or do business somewhere else. And don't whine about everyone else charging the same price. That does nothing more than support my point.
I may be wrong, but I think the price gouging is illegal if businesses are doing it during an emergency. If the demand is high, and the reason is fun and games (eclipse), they can charge any price they want. At least that’s how it sounded when the TX Atty. Gen. Was being interviewed.
I’m sure the laws vary from state to state.
Patel = Smith
Gotta get all those price gougers and put’em in JAIL. There is no excuse for letting prices naturally rise. We can’t permit conditions to deteriorate to the point that more food and supplies come rapidly to the stricken zone. It’s just not FAIR.
Isn’t the sun being turned off an emergency? We assume it’s coming back, but what if we are wrong?
There's no such thing as "price gouging". That term is only used to justify -- and seek -- government price controls.
That said, if the room was reserved at an advertised price, the hotel should honor it. Otherwise that's false advertising / fraud.
Taking advantage of “Lunar Paparazzi” is one thing, taking advantage of victims of a tragedy is a whole lot lower into the slime.
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