Expedia "Elite" Scam
Jul 1, 2013 | 1:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 574
Expedia "Elite" Scam
I have heard from Hotel clerks or owners that Expedia is pretty good.
For example they will call the hotel a day before the booking
and confirm everything is okay.
However, lately, any call to Expedia elicits the following response:
"I see you are a trusted traveler and therefore eligible for our
Expedia Elite service." Then the person transfers my call and I wait for 10 minutes or longer listening to elevator jazz.... and often hang up in desperation.
Oh yeah, if the Elite operator does pick up the phone I have
to give him all the numbers and passwords I already gave the other guy.
Expedia Elite is one "club" I do not want to be part of.
Anyone concur?
For example they will call the hotel a day before the booking
and confirm everything is okay.
However, lately, any call to Expedia elicits the following response:
"I see you are a trusted traveler and therefore eligible for our
Expedia Elite service." Then the person transfers my call and I wait for 10 minutes or longer listening to elevator jazz.... and often hang up in desperation.
Oh yeah, if the Elite operator does pick up the phone I have
to give him all the numbers and passwords I already gave the other guy.
Expedia Elite is one "club" I do not want to be part of.
Anyone concur?
Jul 1, 2013 | 1:16 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 983
I have heard from Hotel clerks or owners that Expedia is pretty good.
For example they will call the hotel a day before the booking
and confirm everything is okay.
However, lately, any call to Expedia elicits the following response:
"I see you are a trusted traveler and therefore eligible for our
Expedia Elite service." Then the person transfers my call and I wait for 10 minutes or longer listening to elevator jazz.... and often hang up in desperation.
Oh yeah, if the Elite operator does pick up the phone I have
to give him all the numbers and passwords I already gave the other guy.
Expedia Elite is one "club" I do not want to be part of.
Anyone concur?
For example they will call the hotel a day before the booking
and confirm everything is okay.
However, lately, any call to Expedia elicits the following response:
"I see you are a trusted traveler and therefore eligible for our
Expedia Elite service." Then the person transfers my call and I wait for 10 minutes or longer listening to elevator jazz.... and often hang up in desperation.
Oh yeah, if the Elite operator does pick up the phone I have
to give him all the numbers and passwords I already gave the other guy.
Expedia Elite is one "club" I do not want to be part of.
Anyone concur?
This is not a scam, and your post is a waste of time.
Jul 1, 2013 | 1:26 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 574
vb scams, scamming, scammed. (tr) to swindle (someone) or mislead by means of a trick
Sorry, the term scam comes up as legit on my end, since
what is being offered is not accurately characterized by the
initial Expedia employee, who rudely puts people on hold indefinitely, suggesting
in the process we are part of some elite "club."
You mad, bro?
Sorry, the term scam comes up as legit on my end, since
what is being offered is not accurately characterized by the
initial Expedia employee, who rudely puts people on hold indefinitely, suggesting
in the process we are part of some elite "club."
You mad, bro?
Last edited by yandosan; Jul 1, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Jul 1, 2013 | 3:16 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
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Posts: 53,011
Meh. Just looks like Expedia's home-grown frequent guest program. Not really a scam, but doesn't appear on the surface to be all that rewarding.
I don't like using third parties if I don't have to, even if the Expedia thing is stackable with my other hotel/airline programs. (This varies, especially with hotels.) It's just one more entity to deal with if things go wrong during travel. But it does appear to be a legitimate offering.
If I had to use Expedia often - say, because my airline would not accept any of my credit cards (my own infrequent case for using a travel agent), I'd certainly join the program and take whatever benefit it gave me.
I don't like using third parties if I don't have to, even if the Expedia thing is stackable with my other hotel/airline programs. (This varies, especially with hotels.) It's just one more entity to deal with if things go wrong during travel. But it does appear to be a legitimate offering.
If I had to use Expedia often - say, because my airline would not accept any of my credit cards (my own infrequent case for using a travel agent), I'd certainly join the program and take whatever benefit it gave me.
Jul 2, 2013 | 7:24 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1
Yandosan, I work for the Expedia team and would love to help save you a step and save this frustration. Because you're an Expedia Elite member, your itineraries have a special phone number on them which is our Elite customer service number. If you call into that number, you'll get straight to an Elite agent. Hope that helps save you a step!
^SG
^SG
Jul 2, 2013 | 9:19 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 574
Yandosan, I work for the Expedia team and would love to help save you a step and save this frustration. Because you're an Expedia Elite member, your itineraries have a special phone number on them which is our Elite customer service number. If you call into that number, you'll get straight to an Elite agent. Hope that helps save you a step!
Thank you! Finally someone who cares. Can you also induct me into
the Super Elite Club for an extra round of headaches and bureaucratic loops as well?
That would make me feel really important.
Thank you! Finally someone who cares. Can you also induct me into
the Super Elite Club for an extra round of headaches and bureaucratic loops as well?
That would make me feel really important.
Jul 2, 2013 | 9:23 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
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Yandosan, I work for the Expedia team and would love to help save you a step and save this frustration. Because you're an Expedia Elite member, your itineraries have a special phone number on them which is our Elite customer service number. If you call into that number, you'll get straight to an Elite agent. Hope that helps save you a step!
Thank you! Finally someone who cares. Can you also induct me into
the Super Elite Club for an extra round of headaches and bureaucratic loops as well?
That would make me feel really important.
Thank you! Finally someone who cares. Can you also induct me into
the Super Elite Club for an extra round of headaches and bureaucratic loops as well?
That would make me feel really important.
Jul 2, 2013 | 9:28 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: UA 1P
Posts: 545
Yandosan, I work for the Expedia team and would love to help save you a step and save this frustration. Because you're an Expedia Elite member, your itineraries have a special phone number on them which is our Elite customer service number. If you call into that number, you'll get straight to an Elite agent. Hope that helps save you a step!
Thank you! Finally someone who cares. Can you also induct me into
the Super Elite Club for an extra round of headaches and bureaucratic loops as well?
That would make me feel really important.
Thank you! Finally someone who cares. Can you also induct me into
the Super Elite Club for an extra round of headaches and bureaucratic loops as well?
That would make me feel really important.
Jul 2, 2013 | 9:38 am
#9
Join Date: May 2012
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 506
the <insert outfit name here> is a scam.
They end up being more trouble than they are worth so we cancel their
account and refund any transactions and let them move along to the next
"scam" outfit.
Jul 3, 2013 | 6:39 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 574
Wow, that was a singularly ungracious response to someone who tried to help solve your problem.
That person was not trying to solve the problem but
offering some comic relief. Right? I was just trying to
add some more irony to the mix, since he provided a humorous reply.
If they want to cancel me, fine, but so far not one person has offered any info
on how the "Elite" program is anything other than an annoyance.
By the way logging into FlyerTalk lately requires numerous frustrating
logins. Has Expedia Elite taken the helm of this website?
That person was not trying to solve the problem but
offering some comic relief. Right? I was just trying to
add some more irony to the mix, since he provided a humorous reply.
If they want to cancel me, fine, but so far not one person has offered any info
on how the "Elite" program is anything other than an annoyance.
By the way logging into FlyerTalk lately requires numerous frustrating
logins. Has Expedia Elite taken the helm of this website?
Jul 3, 2013 | 7:18 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,369
Wow, that was a singularly ungracious response to someone who tried to help solve your problem.
That person was not trying to solve the problem but
offering some comic relief. Right? I was just trying to
add some more irony to the mix, since he provided a humorous reply.
If they want to cancel me, fine, but so far not one person has offered any info
on how the "Elite" program is anything other than an annoyance.
By the way logging into FlyerTalk lately requires numerous frustrating
logins. Has Expedia Elite taken the helm of this website?
That person was not trying to solve the problem but
offering some comic relief. Right? I was just trying to
add some more irony to the mix, since he provided a humorous reply.
If they want to cancel me, fine, but so far not one person has offered any info
on how the "Elite" program is anything other than an annoyance.
By the way logging into FlyerTalk lately requires numerous frustrating
logins. Has Expedia Elite taken the helm of this website?
Jul 3, 2013 | 7:43 am
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 53,011
I can't even figure out how the OP even thinks Expedia has "scammed" him.
It's too bad the OP went this way...might've been interesting to have a decent Flyertalk dissection of this program, how/when/if it can be useful in addition to other programs, etc. This thread is the first I've heard of Expedia Elite.
It's too bad the OP went this way...might've been interesting to have a decent Flyertalk dissection of this program, how/when/if it can be useful in addition to other programs, etc. This thread is the first I've heard of Expedia Elite.
Jul 3, 2013 | 8:06 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 574
I am the Original Poster.
Maybe I should have used the word "misrepresentation"
instead of scam. The word scam can be used to denote
misrepresentation of services. They seem to be euphemistically
assigning people to some "club" in order to put them on
hold for 20 minutes or longer. It's one club I can do without
since I don't see any benefits--when I demanded that they
not transfer me to "Elite" last time it was 20 times easier
to deal with my problem.
Maybe I should have used the word "misrepresentation"
instead of scam. The word scam can be used to denote
misrepresentation of services. They seem to be euphemistically
assigning people to some "club" in order to put them on
hold for 20 minutes or longer. It's one club I can do without
since I don't see any benefits--when I demanded that they
not transfer me to "Elite" last time it was 20 times easier
to deal with my problem.