Complaint Review: Hotwire

 I used the Hotwire.com special rates to purchase a 2.5 star hotel. I would have been happy with the ones listed that it could possibly be, but then I read the ACTUAL reviews of what they chose to book me with. I searched on Expedia (their sister company), orbitz, Travelocity and Google, and all of these had this hotel Lexington Inn & Suites had actual reviews rating them as 1 star. However, for every 4-5 reviews would be an anonymous or empty review that would rate them at 4/5 stars. Thus it would "bump" up the star rating to 2.5. I called them once after making the reservation to alter it and they disconnected me. Tried again, was quoted a 5 minute wait and waited for 30 minutes Hung up and called again, spoke to Joanne and while explaining the situation about how all other sites show it to be a 1 star hotel with reviews such as "receptionist behind a billet proof glass", "unsavory neighborhood, right next to a train track with subway train passing every 5 minutes" "prostitutes soliciting outside to come in," they allow fake 5 star reviews with things like as "dam! They called the cops!" To alter their scoring of these hotels. Joanne disconnects me! Hotwire claims to have a cheaper rate by filling empty hotel rooms BUT the true reason is that they are deceptive in their scoring of these hotels by allowing the companies they are in business with to lie and score them higher. me Call again, wait 8 minutes when I'm quoted 4 and speak to Ray at Hotwire, he says they base it off of surveying actual customers -- then why have actual customers given them 1 star, which moves them to go on all other site reviews to make it known? A simple actual search shows that it is by no means a 2.5 star hotel and Hotwire must know this. They claim to change it accordingly but have not done so despite all of these reviews. I requested that he give me an actual 2.5 star hotel. He refused and said that I agreed to pay this amount. I said that Hotwire agreed to give me a 2.5 star hotel, which they did not. This is FALSE advertisement and absolutely misleading. I requested to speak to someone higher and he went silent for 2 minutes, then hung up -- disconnected again! They have given me the runaround and refuse to refund me in any other way or even move me to an actual 2.5 stars hotel. Their dealings are completely dishonest!