LOS ANGELES – If there was ever a case to be made for booking with a travel agent instead of an OTA, this is it.
A Los Angeles woman has come forward claiming that Expedia cancelled her family trip and wrote ‘F— you” on her itinerary after she submitted a negative review on an online survey, reports the Toronto Sun.
Cara Viramontes told CBS Los Angeles that while trying to book a trip for her family to Utah for New Year’s, she complained when Expedia charged her travel insurance for her eight-month-old son who doesn’t need an airline ticket since he will sit on her lap. She called Expedia and spoke with a customer services representative, who Viramontes says wasn’t particularly helpful.
Following the phone call, Viramontes filled out an online survey, which she answered candidly.
“I was honest. I said ‘do you know what, the lady wasn’t helpful – I asked to speak with the supervisor and she wouldn’t let me’.”
Two days after submitting the survey, Viramontes said she received an email in her inbox from Expedia, which not only informed her that her trip had been cancelled, but it also included the words ‘F— you!” in big bold letters at the top of the message.
“Everyone I show, they laugh and think it’s a joke,” she told CBS. “No one can believe a company as credible as Expedia would every do something like this.”
Viramontes called customer service again but was told that she was to blame for the cancellation. She took a screenshot and sent it to an Expedia supervisor but did not receive a response.
To add insult to injury, she told CBS on Tuesday that Expedia hadn’t offered to compensate her for the $600 she paid for trip, and that an employee told her she would have to pay an additional $200 to book another flight.
According to CBS, who contacted Expedia after the story broke, the online retail agency said it had opened an investigation and confirmed it would rebook Viramontes’ flights, refund her money and provide her with a US$500 travel voucher.
Expedia’s CEO wrote on Twitter: “Sometimes when you give individuals the power to do right by customers, they do wrong. We will make it right for Cara, @JJMothershed.”
After a bad review @Expedia cancels mother's flight and writes "Fuck you" on her itinerary. https://t.co/PaE5mkCkPp pic.twitter.com/2NYaGvSXUn
— Juliet Mothershed (@JJMothershed) October 18, 2016
