Expedia won't refund after double charging disaster
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1
Expedia won't refund after double charging disaster
I booked a flight through Expedia from HON to BOS. A couple weeks later, Expedia contacted me to say that they needed to change my flight so that I would fly out a day earlier and it would be with AA instead of Delta. Okay, no problem... Until I show up to check in for my flight.
AA told me that I had my ticket but needed to pay a $1,250 change fee (basically the cost of the ticket)! So I go to Delta to ask why my flight was changed in the first place - they apparently had no record of me ever being booked for the flight. Expedia had "booked" me for an overbooked flight and when they realized their mistake changed it without paying any change fee so that it fell on me.
In a panic because it was the last flight out for 3 days (spring break overbooked flights), I paid the change fee. This was after 2.5 hours at the ticket counter trying to work with AA and going through the hoops on the phone with Expedia. Finally, the person on the phone from Expedia told me they would refund me if I paid the fee.
The original flight with Delta cost me $750. The change fee cost $1,250. That is a lot of money! Since that day, between my husband and I, we have spent approximately ten hours on the phone with Expedia to no avail.
Any recommendations?!
AA told me that I had my ticket but needed to pay a $1,250 change fee (basically the cost of the ticket)! So I go to Delta to ask why my flight was changed in the first place - they apparently had no record of me ever being booked for the flight. Expedia had "booked" me for an overbooked flight and when they realized their mistake changed it without paying any change fee so that it fell on me.
In a panic because it was the last flight out for 3 days (spring break overbooked flights), I paid the change fee. This was after 2.5 hours at the ticket counter trying to work with AA and going through the hoops on the phone with Expedia. Finally, the person on the phone from Expedia told me they would refund me if I paid the fee.
The original flight with Delta cost me $750. The change fee cost $1,250. That is a lot of money! Since that day, between my husband and I, we have spent approximately ten hours on the phone with Expedia to no avail.
Any recommendations?!
#2
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2
I think the only solution is to request a full refund and make a new book DIRECTLY on the company's website.. If they don't want to refund you, you should contact the operator of your credit card & open a case.. Next time don't book in cheapset tickets websites, you will always have problems like that, and even worse.. Book directly!
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
OP - I can't quite figure out how it is that AA wanted a "change fee". My suspicion is that Expedia collected $750 for the DL ticket, but could not issue it and thus, booked but did not pay for the AA ticket. AA had the reservation but simply had not been paid for it.
You can certainly initiate a chargeback of the Expedia payment, but that only gets you $750 and leaves you out the balance of $500. You certainly don't have a basis to dispute the AA charge as they simply collected the AA fare.
You will likely need to sue Expedia in small claims court in order to get the balance of $500. It may be worth sending a letter to that effect, but my guess is that you are going to have to sue.
Water under the bridge for OP, but for others: why on earth book on Expedia when you can book direct on a carrier's website? FT is a tiny sample and there are hundreds of examples of people who have had horrible experiences.
Sure, when things go right, it is fine. But, when they go wrong, you are really stuck. Rarely are there much, if any savings. And when they are they don't justify the hassle.
You can certainly initiate a chargeback of the Expedia payment, but that only gets you $750 and leaves you out the balance of $500. You certainly don't have a basis to dispute the AA charge as they simply collected the AA fare.
You will likely need to sue Expedia in small claims court in order to get the balance of $500. It may be worth sending a letter to that effect, but my guess is that you are going to have to sue.
Water under the bridge for OP, but for others: why on earth book on Expedia when you can book direct on a carrier's website? FT is a tiny sample and there are hundreds of examples of people who have had horrible experiences.
Sure, when things go right, it is fine. But, when they go wrong, you are really stuck. Rarely are there much, if any savings. And when they are they don't justify the hassle.
#4
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: AA GLD, AC
Posts: 4,215
In fact, they helped me out a great deal in March, when US canceled a flight I had booked to MEX for a business trip and would only offer to reaccommodate me on another US flight the following day. After I talked to my boss and we made the decision to buy a new ticket for later that day, I couldn't get through to US to cancel the US-rebooked flight because their phone lines were swamped - but Expedia took control of that and canceled for me. That definitely saved me lots of time and hassle because otherwise I would have had to fight with US after the fact.
I'd ask whether the OP received an email or other confirmation from either Expedia or AA showing s/he was ticketed on the new flight. It sounds like that didn't happen. OP, if you're around, what form did the initial contact from Expedia about the flight change take?
Also, fear of stuff like this is why I always print out a hard copy of the ticket/itinerary before I travel. And ALWAYS reconfirm the reservation before going to the airport!
At any rate, I've had pretty big problems in the past with tickets being assigned from one airline to another - even without a TA's involvement - so I'll personally refrain from fleeing Expedia at the moment.
#5
Moderator: Hilton Honors, Practical Travel Safety Issues & San Francisco
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Francisco CA
Programs: UA, Hilton, Priceline, AirBnB
Posts: 11,001
Some ideas
Do you have any emails from Expedia OK'ing the change fee?
Contact EXPEDIA'S twitter account - usually gets a quick response.
challenge the charge on your credit card
Contact EXPEDIA'S twitter account - usually gets a quick response.
challenge the charge on your credit card
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
For this, it's worth both a complaint to the FTC (not that the FTC does anything on individual complaints), and a SCC claim.
#7
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,665
The OP says that she and her husband are having trouble with Expedia but the points she makes confuse me. A change fee would apply if she decided to take a different flight. This is not what happened. Instead, she says that they were booked onto a more expensive AA flight - there is no change fee that could be refunded so why expect it? The amount collected by Expedia for a flight that was not booked seems to be the issue that needs clarification. I've found that Expedia does their job and will go to a higher level if needed. I would put the story in writing and send a letter to Expedia and insist on receiving a written response. Multi-hour phone calls have no clear record and things easily get misunderstood despite good intentions. Expedia is a reputable organization - they do slip up but they should want to correct their errors.
Last edited by B1; Jun 11, 2015 at 5:34 am
#8
Join Date: May 2014
Programs: DL DM 360, Qatar Plat, Etihad Silver, MR Plat
Posts: 149
I just used Expedia for the first time to book a hotel and purchased the quote at $181 a night receiving the page that my booking was confirmed. 30 minutes later, I received my confirmation email that said my rate was $231 and my card had been charged more than $200 more. I was able to go back in and rebook the hotel at the $181 rate right up until the purchase screen and took screenshots of the pricing. I called Expedia and after waiting 50 minutes, got a CS agent to apologize and said he would help me, only to disconnect the call. I emailed and after 5 days, received a reply that didn't address the issue, only said sorry we don't price match. I called again today and there was a 70 min projected wait. Guess this will be going to AMEX instead since Expedia doesn't appear to care and will be the last time I book with them.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,825
After the ordeal with last-minute and no-warning cancellations by Exp earlier this year
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hotel...t-stay-25.html
I'm for sure through with Exp - never again...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hotel...t-stay-25.html
I'm for sure through with Exp - never again...
#10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SMF
Posts: 1,251
OP, if Expedia is truly being impossible to work with I'd suggest getting in touch with the consumer advocates at Elliott.org. They can help steer you in the right direction and this sounds like the kind of case they can help with.
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
It's too late for OP, but this is all part of a consistent issue. Do not, do not, do not book through third-party vendors unless: 1) you are somewhere where you cannot for some reason book through an air carrier's channels, e.g. online or telephone; or 2) there are significant (and I really do mean significant) savings.
Had this been booked through DL, DL would have handled the reroute and reissue and that would have been the end of it.
The fact that many people have good experiences does not excuse the many people who either never see satisfaction or wind up spending hours, if not days, fixing something easy.
Had this been booked through DL, DL would have handled the reroute and reissue and that would have been the end of it.
The fact that many people have good experiences does not excuse the many people who either never see satisfaction or wind up spending hours, if not days, fixing something easy.
#12
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,451
Often, a carriers website won't allow you to book some combinations that OTA allow (Take LH, LX or OS as extreme examples of "cant-do")
There are reasons why several airlines have tried/are trying to slap OTA's (and traditional TAs) with extra fees - they simply have more capability than their own website.
That said, Expedia seems to majorly having it gotten wrong here. I thought Expedia was in the same camp as Opodo, Ebookers etc. - reasonable OTAs that one can trust on.
There are reasons why several airlines have tried/are trying to slap OTA's (and traditional TAs) with extra fees - they simply have more capability than their own website.
That said, Expedia seems to majorly having it gotten wrong here. I thought Expedia was in the same camp as Opodo, Ebookers etc. - reasonable OTAs that one can trust on.
#13
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 152
I just used Expedia for the first time to book a hotel and purchased the quote at $181 a night receiving the page that my booking was confirmed. 30 minutes later, I received my confirmation email that said my rate was $231 and my card had been charged more than $200 more. I was able to go back in and rebook the hotel at the $181 rate right up until the purchase screen and took screenshots of the pricing. I called Expedia and after waiting 50 minutes, got a CS agent to apologize and said he would help me, only to disconnect the call. I emailed and after 5 days, received a reply that didn't address the issue, only said sorry we don't price match. I called again today and there was a 70 min projected wait. Guess this will be going to AMEX instead since Expedia doesn't appear to care and will be the last time I book with them.
#14
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 152
I booked a flight through Expedia from HON to BOS. A couple weeks later, Expedia contacted me to say that they needed to change my flight so that I would fly out a day earlier and it would be with AA instead of Delta. Okay, no problem... Until I show up to check in for my flight.
AA told me that I had my ticket but needed to pay a $1,250 change fee (basically the cost of the ticket)! So I go to Delta to ask why my flight was changed in the first place - they apparently had no record of me ever being booked for the flight. Expedia had "booked" me for an overbooked flight and when they realized their mistake changed it without paying any change fee so that it fell on me.
In a panic because it was the last flight out for 3 days (spring break overbooked flights), I paid the change fee. This was after 2.5 hours at the ticket counter trying to work with AA and going through the hoops on the phone with Expedia. Finally, the person on the phone from Expedia told me they would refund me if I paid the fee.
The original flight with Delta cost me $750. The change fee cost $1,250. That is a lot of money! Since that day, between my husband and I, we have spent approximately ten hours on the phone with Expedia to no avail.
Any recommendations?!
AA told me that I had my ticket but needed to pay a $1,250 change fee (basically the cost of the ticket)! So I go to Delta to ask why my flight was changed in the first place - they apparently had no record of me ever being booked for the flight. Expedia had "booked" me for an overbooked flight and when they realized their mistake changed it without paying any change fee so that it fell on me.
In a panic because it was the last flight out for 3 days (spring break overbooked flights), I paid the change fee. This was after 2.5 hours at the ticket counter trying to work with AA and going through the hoops on the phone with Expedia. Finally, the person on the phone from Expedia told me they would refund me if I paid the fee.
The original flight with Delta cost me $750. The change fee cost $1,250. That is a lot of money! Since that day, between my husband and I, we have spent approximately ten hours on the phone with Expedia to no avail.
Any recommendations?!