Fleaflyfloflum

I have been using Expedia for years to book flights, but after this weeks episode with them...NEVER EVER AGAIN!!

As normal i filled in my booking online along with credit card payment details. I clicked the proceed with payment button. Suddenly a screen flashed up in red writing saying the price of my tickets had increased by $660 do i wish to proceed. Well NO!! I didnt want to pay that as i knew there were still much cheaper tickets. Unfortunately, the page i was on did not give me any option to cancel, only a click button to accept the higher charge!
I called OH to check i hadnt missed a button somewhere but he couldnt see one either. In the end we decided that we would just shut the page down and start again.
To our disbelief, Expedia had taken our money from our credit card!! But the strange thing was, not at the higher price they had asked for but the lower original price advertised!
OH phoned them to ask what was going on and to our utter dismay, they announced it was regular practice to freeze peoples money in their account for the ticket price whether or not they accepted it.....WHAT!!!!!!!!! :curse::curse:
OH flipped his lid and said how dare you take money from my credit card for something i never agreed to pay for!! We were met with disinterest and a unhelpful attitude. The customer service rep (and i use service very loosely) said dont worry the money will go back in your account within 5 working days!!!!
To cut a very long, laborious, and stressful story short, we ended up on the phone to the bank and Exepdia, tooing and frowing for the entire day arguing htat they had no right to hold our money. Eventually one day later we got it put back in!

That is the last time i ever use them for anything. Please be warned! :curse:

tieve

I'm sorry to hear that :-( I've actually had a similar problem with them 'freezing' money. I was coming over to visit my then boyfriend here in Australia and I was a 21 year old student at the time and so I didn't have much money. I booked my tickets online around 5 days before I was paid. Not only did Expedia take their money (around 750GBP at the time from memory), they also FROZE the exact same amount and therefore I couldn't take any money out of my bank account! Luckily my parents were able to help me out with cash for the few days before it cleared and I was paid.

I was tooing and frowing on the phone between the bank, Expedia, and also the airline (Expedia tried to pass the blame onto them when I said the bank weren't responsible). I just remember thinking at the time how hard it would be for someone who had NO access to other money.

I've heard it happen to a few people, for example a friend who went to do Camp America couldn't use her credit card once she got there because the airline had frozen a set amount and it had just never cleared. I don't think that was through Expedia though, from the airline directly. I wonder how common it is?

I can't believe they froze your money though when you hadn't even finalised a payment! That is really poor service. I hope you were (or are) able to get better prices and service from somewhere else.

Fleaflyfloflum

Itis outrageous behaviour isnt it?

As my husband said to the manager he spoke to, if you went into a department store to buy a TV and saw the advertised price at $2000 and walked up to the counter to pay, would they get away with halfway through the transaction informing you the price has now changed and we want to charge you $3000? Then after you refuse, telling you that the original $2000 has been frozen in your credit account for several days even though you dont want it now? I THINK NOT!

WHAT A BLOODY NERVE!!

BristolUK

I thought this deserved a bigger audience.....so I posted here.
Hope you don't mind.

Fleaflyfloflum

Thanks Bristol

I did post in the main section of MBTTUK, but a mod has seen fit to shove it in here. Not sure why, as its a helpful warning to all those looking to book flights home!!

BristolUK

Or in any direction.
No other comments on the Canada part yet...early but 36 hits and no comment
Flight threads are usually quite active...I don't understand the lack of comments so far. Probably all talking about Jade Goody.

BadgeIsBack

I think this is a regular practise with *airlines*...sure I've heard about this before..... something to do with seat availability....<scratches head> I have no issue with the initial freeze, I see it as an 'option' and at the end of the day, they could sell the seat to someone else BUT

they should refund immediately as soon as they know you will not be proceeding.

You're lucky it was not an Australian outfit otherwise they would be on to you by now.

times up

Hotels do this as do hire car firms but websites and airlines ? Never heard of it in UK, Thailand, Singapore, Japan or Hong Kong.

The reasons the two examples do it is to cover themselves but the only way an online business could do it would be for the purchase process to be as follows:

You search
Accept
Enter details
Request authorisation
Double checks price

Then you decline but they already have the authorisation for the original amount. No money has changed hands, they just have to tell the card company that they no longer need the authorisation. That should really be as intantaneous as the approval.

I can understand them doing it really as they could be out of pocket unless the airlines gave them say X minutes grace but that would screw up the airlines complicated yield management system.

I wouldn't unduly worry about such things as no money went missing. However, with some tiny credit limit, I understand how it could be a problem.

tonrob

Yes - all a little bit over-dramatic, surely? No funds were taken - it was merely a pre-authorization that took place. It's up to your credit card company how long they keep a pre-auth in place - nothing to do with Expedia.

Fleaflyfloflum

No, why over dramatic? Why does an airline or internet travel agent have the right to freeze your funds if you have not given permission or purchased anything?
And no, it wasnt the credit card company keeping the funds frozen, it was Expedia not bothering to fax the credit card people to release the funds. I know this because my husband spoke to them several times.
We were in a tight position at the time as all our major funds were in cyber transit to my UK bank account and just enough money for tickets, dog transport and minimal living expenses were left in the credit card account, so yes, it was a tiny credit limit

times up

I understand your frustration but there is now more to this story isn't there ? Normally you would have been ok but you cut things fine with the funds transfer etc.

Doesn't detract from my disbelief, not with you but with Expedia, that a company set up in the dot com boom with a near sole internet presence and doing all financial transactions automatically, had to get a paper fax to yout cc people.

To give you an recent example from my own experience. I stayed in a relatively mid / high end hotel for 12 days and they took a guarantee from my cc. Upon check out I had too much cash so I paid in cash. Within seconds I get a print out from the cc machine saying at pre authorisation is released. This was in the 3rd world, in a hotel, not a major 5* chain either.

Same happens with car hire. You don't think you wait weeks for them to release the authorisation they take as your excess do you ?

Sorry but I think someone in Expedia was telling you porkies. In any case, you just contact the bank or cc people and sort it out.

aasmith1957

hi fffm;

just notice you had posted since being back in uk.hope everything went well with your flights.can you post an update in the next few months to let us know how you are settling in?(hopefully we will get back this year to the highlands when house sells)anyway enjoy your grandies and being back with the rest of your family.
audrey.

Fleaflyfloflum

Hi Audrey. All is good, will update in the morning after i get a long well deserved sleep!

exvj

This is my expedia complaint:

>>>>>

http://www.tenerifecarp.co.uk/expedia.html

the flights are cheaper direct to the airlines except for British Airways Seattle Heathrow - 40 cents more

BigDavyG

All online travel retailers usually offer 24 hour courtesy cancels. There must be something about your scenario that lead to them not doing this, but I cannot tell from your article.