Strolling off a flight to see her son in Texas was the second Nina Aliprandi-Bolley’s cellphone rang and her world turned the wrong way up.
“The physician mentioned to me, ‘Have been you conscious that your husband was touring this morning?'” Aliprandi-Bolley mentioned. “Nicely, with that, I knew one thing was terribly improper.”
Tragically, it was: Again at dwelling, Aliprandi-Bolley’s husband Nigel Bolley had collapsed at O’Hare Worldwide Airport as he was checking in for his personal journey.
“He mentioned he was feeling dizzy. And he sat down on the dimensions the place you’d weigh baggage, and that was it,” she instructed NBC 5 Responds.
Bolley was solely 64 years outdated when he died, a deep-sea diver who three weeks earlier than acquired a clear invoice of well being.
“Nigel and I had solely been married for six years,” Aliprandi-Bolley defined. “It took us a very long time to search out one another.”
Aliprandi-Bolley then mentioned she sat within the busy Texas airport and turned her thoughts to the main points of dealing with a loss of life. She has a long time of expertise in dealing with crises, in her job as affiliate government director of the Maryville Academy the place she runs the disaster nursery, amongst different duties.
“I am educated and really skilled in coping with crises,” Aliprandi-Bolley instructed NBC 5 Responds. “It is a complete different ballgame when it is you.”
As she made the troublesome calls to household and associates, Aliprandi-Bolley mentioned she needed to unravel the plans she had made for her Texas journey.
The cancellation of her lodge? No downside.
However Aliprandi-Bolley mentioned she bumped into an surprising hitch when she known as reserving firm Priceline to cancel her four-day rental automotive.
“She mentioned, ‘We’re having bother reaching anyone on the line at Hertz,'” Aliprandi-Bolley mentioned Priceline instructed her. “‘We’ll hold engaged on this right now, and somebody will get again to you.'”
However she mentioned Priceline didn’t get again to her. Weeks glided by, she mentioned: a memorial, a funeral, a burial. And thru the fog, she realized that the $400 cost from Priceline was by no means lifted.
She requested Priceline: Why not?
“I acquired a supervisor, and what he mentioned to me actually floored me,” Aliprandi-Bolley defined. “He mentioned as a result of my first cellphone name to Priceline was one hour after the time I used to be supposed to select up the automotive in Austin, Texas, they might not be capable to refund me.”
Priceline defined, she mentioned, that the corporate wanted permission from Hertz to claw again that cash charged to Aliprandi-Bolley’s bank card.
When NBC 5 Responds inquired with Priceline, a spokesperson gave the same clarification.
However Hertz disputed that, telling NBC 5 Responds it by no means had Aliprandi-Bolley’s cash, and solely will get paid after a buyer picks up a automotive.
Is her case an outlier? Complaints filed with the Higher Enterprise Bureau (BBB) about Priceline give attention to the corporate’s customer support and problem acquiring refunds. The BBB has given Priceline a one out of five-star score.
After NBC 5 Responds’ inquiry, Priceline mentioned it resolved the difficulty and gave Aliprandi-Bolley the complete refund.
She nonetheless feels that decision ought to have come sooner.
“Given the best way that I used to be handled as a client, I’ll by no means use Priceline once more. By no means,” she mentioned.
A small wrinkle in a a lot bigger, private story, however one which mattered to a buyer in disaster who believes somewhat kindness can go a good distance.
“Whether or not you’re employed at Priceline, or whether or not you’re employed at NBC or whether or not I work at Maryville, we’re all shoppers,” Aliprandi-Bolley instructed NBC5 Responds. “I used to be making an attempt to enchantment to those individuals on the different finish of the cellphone.”
In a press release, Priceline mentioned it supplied its condolences to Aliprandi-Bolley when the corporate known as to verify her refund can be issued. The corporate didn’t reply to NBC 5’s request for remark concerning its one-star BBB score.
