I booked a hotel for 4 nights on-line from Expedia, and did the pay in full option. After the second night, we had a family emergency and had to check out early. I called Expedia to see if we could get a refund for the 2 unused nights. The night I called, I waited on hold for almost an hour, and still no customer service agent answered. I called again the next morning, and they said there would be no charge on their part to check out early if it was OK with the Hotel. They said I needed to check out first though then call back. I went and talked to the hotel manager and he said that would be no problem with him, but I couldn't check out until Expedia "released" the room, that they had already booked it, and they would be the ones that had to cancel. I talked to another agent (after a very long wait), and he said he would call the hotel. Long story short, Expedia said the hotel wouldn't cooperate. I told the Expedia agent to keep talking to me while I walked up to the hotel manager and I would put them on the speaker phone together on my cell phone. The Expedia agent hung up knowing I would never get the same agent and have to wait another 1/2 hour on hold. The hotel manager said Expedia does this all the time - try's to make the hotel look like they are the ones that won't cooperate, when it's really Expedia. I could have booked direct with the hotel for the same price and would have saved a bundle in money and hassles. Stay away from Expedia and other third party booking services. Most hotels will give you the same price when you book on-line!
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