March Moss / 27 August 2016 / Categories: Corporate Brands

Expedia

Until I had a problem with Expedia and started researching the brand I had no idea the monster I was fuelling with my regular bookings with Expedia, 6 - 10 per year I was a really great customer for them. Had I known the CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was paid £94.6 million dollars, according to Fortune a 881% pay rise for him in 2015 I perhaps wouldn't have readily handed over my hard earned cash to this Internet giant.

I only discovered what the company is really like after booking a 5 star spa break through them which turned out to be a restricted calorie strict weight loss centre, no salt and pepper, no tea and coffee, diet supplements and I didn't need to lose weight.

Of course we were concerned early on in the week's holiday no real food for us on vacation was going to be a problem and quickly got onto the hotel staff and Expedia.

The series of unbelievable communications with Expedia that followed and went on for months afterwards is too long and boring to document in detail. Suffice to say I got absolutely no where, calls not returned, no way to speak to the person you spoke to previously. Lots of bobbing weaving and frankly speaking lying until I had a list with over 20 names of customer service representatives in three different call centre locations in India, two of which were supposed to be managers with no email address or direct phone numbers.

At one point in the discussions we were offered £200 compensation to help cover some of all the additional food expenses by Luke in the social media team after frustratedly starting a campaign for action on Twitter but when I turned that down because I had paid £2500 for the "holiday" I was immediately blocked by Expedia.com and Expedia.co.uk.

Furious at just being blocked and with no UK office I took the fight to Expedia in the US and spoke twice to a representative in Las Vegas, but again nothing happened and when I tried to follow up no one was available. I tried desperately to get an address or contact in the UK to file a small claim against Expedia but they avoid anyone taking action against them as they do not have a UK address.

Hands completely tied and feeling completely ripped off with no course of action available I enlisted the help of an organisation called A spokesman said, set up to help people fight back. We did get the story in the Sun but still Expedia did nothing. After all my efforts I still cannot believe they got away with this.

This company are so blatant in their unethical business practise, rip off merchant tactics and lying and blocking customer service it is a joke and I cannot believe how much business I have given them and how many other people have been hurt and continue to be.

So even though they are convenient and I have to say it is hard to get into the habit of booking a different way I will NEVER give this organisation another penny. They should be shut down.