I will NEVER, EVER use Expedia again.
In March of this year, I reserved a hotel room at a Sleep Inn through Expedia about 12 miles outside Denver for the last week of August, '08 — the time of the Democratic Natl. Convention. At that time, there were hardly any rooms available for that time period.
On June 20, Expedia sent me an email confirming that my reservation had been cancelled. I was, understandably, horrified and angry. I called Expedia, who said that someone — they don't know who — had used my name and email address to cancel the reservation. Expedia, I was told, does not ask for the last four digits of the credit card used to buy the room. Name and email address is all that's needed to cancel a reservation. (Expedia did refund my money.)
The customer service agent I spoke to that night looked but found no other rooms available in all of Denver for that time period. I was PISSED.
I mailed letters to several Expedia corporate honchos, including Chairman Barry Diller, with CCs to the attorney general's office of Washington State, where Expedia is headquartered, and to Choice Hotels president. Within two days, I got a response from the assistant to Choice Hotel's president, who offered a room 30-35 miles from Denver, the closest in they could find one. But I by then had found another room 25 miles from Denver. But at least they tried and responded quickly.
The Washington AG's office also sent me a response saying they were following up with Expedia. But Expedia took more than a week to respond, with a voicemail. When I called them back, I talked to someone who had no idea what my case was about and simply read the notes of the person who had left me the voicemail earlier. And, she said essentially, there was nothing Expedia could or would do to ameliorate the situation.
So I say again: I WILL NEVER EVER USE EXPEDIA AGAIN. And I suggest you don't either.
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