A Los Angeles resident, Kim booked a round-trip flight to Hawaii, a hotel, and car rental for about $6,000 through Expedia. Within an hour of paying, he realized his dates had been pushed back by a day. Kim contacted the company to see if he could reschedule, but they told him he could cancel and rebook within five days for a refund. Kim did like he was told so.
Five days later, he was only refunded about $3,500. He contacted the company again. The representative told him that the airline was delaying the refund and he should wait five more days, but the money was never returned to his account. When Kim called Expedia again, the representative said, “We refunded the money, but the bank is not receiving it.” He called the bank to find out they hadn’t, eventually making him file a credit card dispute and get his money back in three months.
Lee from Torrance booked a great deal on a vacation hotel in Mexico through Expedia. He was reassured by the 100% refund guarantee. But a week before departure, he had to cancel due to her child’s health issues. Lee expected to get a full refund for his $1,000 hotel bill but ended up only getting half of it. He complained and asked for a full refund but was told that it was not possible due to company policy.
Customers who booked accommodations or flights through the travel booking giant Expedia are increasingly frustrated that their refunds are being delayed or denied, even when they follow due process.
Reviews online are full of stories of people who have not received refunds from Expedia. The New York Post reported last month on an Australian couple who were forced to cancel their flight reservations due to lockdowns caused by the 2021 pandemic. The couple still haven’t received a refund more than three years later. Given the situation, countless articles online offer tips for getting a refund from Expedia.
Experts point out that when consumers use a third party like Expedia instead of booking directly from a hotel or flight, the refund process can be more complicated. If the company refuses to refund your money without a legitimate reason, you should first contact the third party platform, then the hotel or airline, and then the credit card company you used to pay, experts say.
Before contacting Expedia, you should carefully review the refund terms of your booking to make sure you’re asking the right questions. However, more complaints are coming in lately about the difficulty of getting through to the customer service center, as the chatbot often gives scripted answers.
If you can’t resolve your issue through Expedia, you can contact the hotel or airline directly. It’s relatively easy to connect with them and explain the reason for the refund. If they agree that you should get a refund, they’ll often accept it and issue the refund. It’s a good idea to record the name of the representative you spoke to and the length of the call and include this in your correspondence with Expedia.
Your last option is to file a dispute with your credit card company. However, it is important to note that in some cases the credit card company might side with Expedia in the dispute process.
BY WONHEE CHO, HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
