Expedia conveniently finds excuses not to address concerns of customers by always saying that it is not in their control to do so and so one should contact the airlines/hotels directly as the airlines/hotels have direct control over the tickets/reservations. While it may hold true in some cases but not all.
In my case, I checked with the airlines several times since last year till date and they confirmed to me every time that it was up to Expedia to consider my request regarding extension of the validity of that particular credit that was issued by Expedia in their name when flights got cancelled due to COVID-19 lockdown since it seemed to be under the control of Expedia.
The concerned airlines took the time to explain that credits associated with their airlines started with a certain digit which was not the case with the itinerary number that this credit was issued for by Expedia. Also, if a credit is issued by an airline, it can be used not only to buy a ticket but also pay for extra baggage etc. while this credit did not allow that on checking with Expedia. Therefore, it was obvious that this was an internal credit given by Expedia and not the airlines since the ticket was booked through Expedia. It was a credit issued by Expedia itself and could be altered by them only. But Expedia refuses to accept that. The credit is reflecting in the Expedia account and is only valid till next month, but Expedia is just delaying addressing the issue effectively.
Whatever the reason may be for the refusal, the airline agreed with me that Expedia should take the time to give factual reasons and explanations for the refusal to extend the validity of this credit instead of passing on the responsibility to the airline. This particular airline is always very helpful and works closely with its customers to effectively resolve issues but here they are not able to do anything because this is a credit that was issued directly by Expedia.
I feel that Expedia runs away from taking responsibility for any reservations made through them and are not even willing to cooperate with the customer to resolve issues or address queries. They have support desks to coordinate with different airlines and hotels they partner with but instead they leave it to the customers to find answers and resolve issues on their own. In fact, in the past while working as Manager at a hotel I often encountered challenges in dealing with Expedia to resolve issues pertaining to their reservations of guests at the hotel since they would often create so much of confusion and then just would leave it entirely to the hotel to resolve the mess that they would create.
I feel Expedia is not equipped to handle escalated complaints and is not equipped to co-ordinate well with their partner airlines or partner hotels to create a smooth experience for most of its customers. This is their deficiency, and they are not doing anything over the years to change that. In times of pandemic, I feel it is much better to book directly with airlines and hotels instead of Expedia.
The airline credit issued by Expedia continues to reflect in my account and I am informed by the reps. over the time till date that it is very much active and valid but has to be used before the expiry date in Feb. 2022. Yet when I request for an extension of its validity, they give me a list of excuses and the latest one being that the credit is invalid. My question to them was that then why it continues to reflect in my account till date. And even if it is a so called "misinformation" from their end as they put it, then shouldn't it have been corrected all this while or as soon as I started discussing it with them. This is misleading a customer. I have a mind of actually trying to use it now before the date of expiry just to prove my point! The entire experience with them reveals that they lack professionalism and sense of responsibility to stand by what they say or what they reflect in the accounts of customers. I have an email that the credit is valid but could only be extended through the airline. So, they are contradicting themselves every time! Somewhere Expedia is so baffled! Be careful of any credit or reward they post in your Expedia account as they can label it as invalid anytime they want. I have lost confidence in booking through them. There is no accountability or proper follow up on any complaints. Their escalation team is useless too as they don't seem to want to deal with any questions at all. Firstly, for hours they will keep you waiting or tire you out by asking you to repeat your complaint every time they make you talk to 2-3 different people in the same call instead of adding notes to your account to refer to. I think these are all tactics to avoid addressing the subject and then after a while they disconnect the call hoping that you would have lost patience to call them again. I had specifically requested them to call back in case the call got disconnected but the escalation manager did not even have the courtesy to do so though they have the number of a customer on file. It just goes to show that they have no regard for the customer. It is better to deal with smaller companies who will make efforts to retain their clients. Also, while dealing with Expedia make sure you save all email communications and take screenshot of any credit reflecting in your account. Having phone conversations with them holds no relevance since they have a habit of going back on what they say. I just spent another 2 hours on yet another call today waiting for the representative to connect me to one of the supervisors in the escalation team which did not happen as expected. For me as a blogger, such experiences with me or others become a case study so that I can base my articles on facts and write responsibly. So, I tend to devote more time to these things. It is important that we share our experiences so that we do not give business to companies who do not value their clients or consumers until they start treating the customers rightly.
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