CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A New York woman who planned to celebrate her wedding anniversary with a Morgan Wallen concert in Charlotte was left scrambling at the last minute when the unbelievable deal she found turned out to be useless.
Kersten Eaton is driving to Charlotte for the concert. She told WCNC Charlotte her hotel was canceled at the last minute, leaving her with no place to stay just days before the trip. Easton is sharing her story so others won't be the victim of shady websites offering deals that turn out too good to be true.
Eaton said her mom got her tickets to see Morgan Wallen at Bank of America Stadium later this month.
"We had planned this for months," she explained.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
Eaton said they immediately started looking for hotels, worried it might be difficult to find a good deal closer to the show.
"My husband booked it like two months ago, just so we wouldn't have to worry," Eaton said.
A few weeks later, she received an email saying the hotel was suddenly "overbooked."
"Oh, we are overbooked, and we've canceled your reservation," Eaton said. "They automatically canceled it and didn't say anything else."
So what went wrong? Eaton said they usually book vacations using reputable sites like Expedia. However, her husband was looking to save money on the room so he used a website called GoSplitty.
"I think he just saw a good deal," she said. "He was like, 'Let's jump on it because we know how busy it gets.'"
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
According to the GoSplitty website, the company claims it will get "unbeatable deals you can't find anywhere else." However, a quick search on the Better Business Bureau's website shows hundreds of complaints. Most of them are unanswered, too.
Kristen Johnson, the communications director for the BBB, said she sees this kind of thing all the time.
"Unfortunately, our excitement kinds of supersedes logic in those cases," Johnson said.
That's why she encourages everyone to do their research before booking any reservations online. And always read the fine print.
"If you look at the GoSplitty website under the frequently asked questions, it says there that each deal has its own cancellation and refund policy," Johnson explained. "You want to know what that is before you hand over your credit card information."
Johnson doesn't want to discourage people from using third-party booking sites to save money, but does want them to be vigilant.
"If it's a business that you've never done business with before, you want to be extra cautious," she warned.
Eaton is thankful her husband booked their hotel stay with a credit card so they'll get a full refund. And while they'll get to enjoy the show, their last-minute scramble forced the couple to cut their vacation short.
WCNC Charlotte's Where's The Money series is all about leveling the playing field in the Carolinas by helping others and breaking down barriers. WCNC Charlotte doesn't want our viewers to be taken advantage of, so we’re here to help. Watch previous stories where we ask the question “Where’s the Money” in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.