Sunshine Guaranteed…or Your Money Back

06/5/08  Print This Post Print This Post    6 Comments      Written by Julie Schwietert
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So, you’ve plugged away in your cubicle all year and can FINALLY see your vacation days on the horizon. Your bags are packed, you’re on your way, you’re sure you’ll have a great time… and then it rains. For seven days straight. Back to the cube, it’s suddenly sunny.

Life can be so cruel.

That’s why Priceline is poised to revive itself as a go-to website of choice for travelers. Having identified the silver (or gold?) lining in the vacationer’s rain cloud, Priceline has announced a novel idea to attract customers: If it rains on your vacation, you’ll get your money back.

There’s fine print, of course, which you can read here. But the idea just might make you willing to endure William Shatner.

Sunshine guaranteed… that’s better than the local weatherman!

Photo: wiseacre


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About the Author

Matador ID: collazo

Julie Schwietert is the managing editor of Matador Network. She contributed a chapter to the recently published book, The Voluntary Traveler, and is currently working on five features for Fodor's Puerto Rico, 6th Edition.

6 Comments... join the discussion!

  • ian replied on June 5, 2008

    That's quite a guarantee. Certainly interesting enough to mention around the water-cooler at work – which would pique the curiosity of many. As far as marketing ploys, it's pretty ingenious. They're betting, of cours, that they won't lose money on the guarantee – and they probably won't considering all the products now that have "if you're not satisfied, you get your money back!" and the small amount of people that actually do the work to get the refund.

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  • Eva replied on June 5, 2008

    Ian – I thought of your trip to Hawaii when I read this!

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  • ian replied on June 5, 2008

    Haha, yeah that was brutal. Monsoon rains for the first 2 weeks. But when I left the Big Island and flew to Kuaui…it was clear skies for the last week.

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  • ian replied on June 5, 2008

    That’s quite a guarantee. Certainly interesting enough to mention around the water-cooler at work – which would pique the curiosity of many. As far as marketing ploys, it’s pretty ingenious. They’re betting, of cours, that they won’t lose money on the guarantee – and they probably won’t considering all the products now that have “if you’re not satisfied, you get your money back!” and the small amount of people that actually do the work to get the refund.

    (Report comment)

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  • Eva replied on June 5, 2008

    Ian – I thought of your trip to Hawaii when I read this!

    (Report comment)

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  • ian replied on June 5, 2008

    Haha, yeah that was brutal. Monsoon rains for the first 2 weeks. But when I left the Big Island and flew to Kuaui…it was clear skies for the last week.

    (Report comment)

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