Expedia/BA

running2021

Good evening

This is a very complicated one, but I’m now completely lost as to what to do. I’ll try my best to explain the situation. 

Back in March I started to look at a summer trip. I found some accommodation via Expedia and decided to book the trip via them. I selected the flights, both outbound and return, along with the accommodation. 

On a number of occasions, possibly 3 or 4, my attempts to get the trip successfully booked failed. Each time a message appeared to say that as being the case. 

I decided to give up and assumed nothing had gone through. I had no confirmation emails or booking references to say it had been successful. 

I decided to check my bank account via online banking a couple of days later, after feeling a little uneasy, and to my amazement I noticed a number of pending payments that related to these failed attempts. 

I immediately called my bank and they acknowledged they were ‘pending’, but to sit tight as they would very likely be removed from the statement if nothing had gone through. 

A few days later, most of the pending payments had indeed been removed, except for 4 payments totalling £505.60 that were for British Airways, which I assumed were the 4 return flights as part of the unsuccessful booking. 

I immediately requested that Lloyds challenge these payments and they re credited my account accordingly. 

At that point I thought the matter was over. How wrong I was. 

British Airways contested that the payments were correct and the amount was again added to my credit card statement. 

I had no confirmation from BA as to the details of this booking, nor any record from Expedia to confirm their handling of it. 

At this point I asked my bank to raise a Section 75 dispute and seek a full refund. I awaited a response. 

A number of weeks went by and seemingly I missed a communication from the bank saying that British Airways had every right to the money and provided evidence of a purchase. I was sent the details showing all the information, including a flight number and booking reference. 

This was the first time I had seen a booking reference. They also made reference to a third party booking via ……Expedia. 

I have since had a couple of long conversations with Expedia, which is almost impossible, BA and my bank. 

Seemingly no one is able to tell me who I should be talking to so that I can get a refund. 

Expedia have no record of any booking, yet BA seem to have evidence to support the purchase via Expedia. 

Expedia acknowledge the booking was unsuccessful and can see the BA flights as part of the unsuccessful booking. They can not refund as the payment is to BA. 

BA are refusing to acknowledge they are duty bound to refund my money, yet I have no communication from them that gives me any details of the booking. 

I’m now pretty desperate. 


Help!!

FlimFlam01

your contract is with Expedia and not BA as you used Expedia here.

I had a situation in the past where I ended up booked on the same flight twice (can't remember how but think it was corporate travel desk) and BA auto cancelled one of the bookings.

Maybe some sort of official complaint to the CC provider is required - clearly spell out the chain of events:

eg, on DD/MM/YY I attempted to book a package via Expedia consisting of Hotel and Flights.  These attempts to purchase failed and Expedia have no record of my booking but somehow these found there way to BA who took payment.  At no point did I book anything directly with BA, all attempts were made by Expedia, etc, etc.

born_again

Did you at any point contact BA re the flights when you saw the charge on your bank account, or did you simply ask bank to claim money back?


Expedia need to refund, as they passed the details to BA. So their system worked there. BA have done nothing wrong. They received the purchase request, booked tickets & billed you.
No breech of contract, or chargeback rights.
On the basis you got no confirmation, that is Expedia issue, unless wrong email used. Did you check spam/junk folders?
As that will be for Expedia to advise you of.

tightauldgit

Seems like Expedia are the ones at fault here and I presume your contract was with Expedia so they would be who you have to pursue. Did you contact Expedia at any point from making the booking (or at least attempting to), seeing the charges, and then the back and forth with the bank and BA? 

Do you have any evidence of the messages you got from the website saying your booking had been unsuccessful? What exactly did it say? 

I notice in Expedia's terms that it says if you don't receive a booking confirmation within 24 hours you should contact them - so it may not be as simple as saying they didn't send you any confirmation so they've broken the contract. 

Do you have the evidence that BA provided to the bank of a booking being made via Expedia - seems like this would be useful to demonstrate to Expedia that they made the booking and have responsibility for it.  

running2021

Hi all

many thanks for taking the time to reply

lots to take on board

but as mentioned the fact that ba acknowledged Expedia as third party seems to be the evidence needed

Trying to get any sense from Expedia is almost impossible

a hopeless organisation 

thank you again 

waldopbarnstormer

I have a very similar problem to you with Expedia. I recently made a hotel booking in the USA through Expedia. First attempt I got a failed payment message so I went back through the booking process and the second time payment was successful. I received no booking confirmation email for either. The next day I checked my credit card statement and found 2 payments had been taken by Expedia.

I called Expedia straight away and explained the problem that the first attempt had failed and I had received no confirmation email. First rep was entirely unhelpful saying that without a reference number he couldn't do anything. Cue over an hour on the phone to different customer service reps. Eventually got my booking reference but Expedia said it is not them who refund me but the hotel. They contacted the hotel for me who said the double booking can not be cancelled as it is non refundable, despite it being a legitimate mistake. More time spent arguing with Expedia who eventually said to give them 72 hours to resolve with the hotel. Having read many posts on here about Expedia I have little faith in them coming through.

Hopefully it works out but if not can I get my credit card company to refund me one of the bookings?

born_again

CC will not cover for this type of error.

waldopbarnstormer

I have seen many posts on different forums about people having a similar problem with Expedia's website and failed payments, yet what angers me the most is the way Expedia just shirks all responsibility and tells you to take it up with the hotel. It is not the hotel's website that double charged me it is Expedia, and it is Expedia's name on the charge to my credit card. I am down nearly £1000 and Expedia's attitude is tough, better luck next time.

They should at the very least be compelled to put a warning up that says a failed payment message may still result in a charge being placed to your account.

I saw one story on This is money website of 1 guy who was charged £2,500 for a weekend trip to Dublin, all because he kept getting failed payment messages and was directed back to the search process.

Orange2323

Hello,

Has anyone in this thread found a resolution to this?

I've had exactly the same issue with Expedia making a flight and hotel booking to Amsterdam.  The first attempt gave me an error message but the second attempt went through without issue.

Like running2021, the hotel and flight charges for both attempts then showed up on my credit card statement - the error charge for the hotel was refunded straight way automatically,  but the error flight charges somehow made their way to British Airways.  This is confirmed as I now have two separate bookings on my British Airways account for the same flights on the same dates.

It has now been two weeks since the payments went through.  I have contacted Expedia multiple times, but they keep saying that as the payments are showing as cancelled at their end, there is nothing they can do and keep advising me to contact my bank.

Fortunately, it's a relatively minor sum I have been overcharged by, but it's the very frustrating principle that Expedia have taken my money in error and don't see to be able to give it back!

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

born_again

Given you have 2 bookings with BA, you would need to go to them for a refund. As BA take the funds not Expedia.

This is the danger when you get a error making a purchase & then clicking again. Often the error is triggered as their system has timed out. But the payment has already been approved.