TRAVEL TIPS: how to avoid being scammed online
I’ll use my scammer (EXPEDIA) as example. They tried really hard to scam me.
If you read the related pages you might be masochist if you decide to buy something from EXPEDIA. But, if you had already made that mistake and you have to complain to EXPEDIA about anything:
1) Never trust what an EXPEDIA agent, supervisor or customer advisor tell to you by phone. When you call EXPEDIA you will listen a voice telling that “for quality purposes, your call might be recorded”. This is a trick because you think that you are covered and that you might have a chance to use these recording in the future if you have to dispute something. The fact is that EXPEDIA will probably use those recording only if it is for EXPEDIA’s benefit. Otherwise they will tell you “We random record conversations” and you will not have any chance to prove what someone from EXPEDIA told to you by phone.
2) If you have a recording machine try to record the conversation by yourself. I know this is not useful because few people have this kind of devices. In addition, EXPEDIA will put you on hold for hours before they actually talk to you.
3) Ask confirmation by e-mail of anything EXPEDIA tells to you by phone. This is the only way you can have some document to fight at the legal level. Remember that most of the times the agents will tell you that they will send an e-mail to you but they are actually lying.
4) Never use the web-based e-mail system EXPEDIA provides in their “customer support” web page. You will not have any copy of the messages you sent to them by this system. Most of the times (if you are complaining about something) EXPEDIA will simply ignore your messages. More important, since you don’t have a copy of the message, EXPEDIA will probably deny receiving your messages.
5) Contact EXPEDIA from an e-mail address that allows you to keep a copy of the message you sent to them (like yahoo, gmail)
6) Always try to talk to a “customer specialist advisor”. This is the highest level you can reach at EXPEDIA. When you call for the first time an “agent or representative” will talk to you. According to my own experience, these agents or representative most of the times are not going to solve your problem and they will put you on hold for hours until you can talk to a “supervisor”. This second level is also non useful since “supervisors” have almost no authority and they will put you again on hold for hours until you talk to a “customer advisor specialist”. These specialist will try to do anything to keep your money. They will lie to you. They will deny information, they will tell you it is your fault . Even if you show to them evidence that EXPEDIA’s employees at the lower level made the mistake they will try to keep your money and they will tell you that “that is all EXPEDIA can do for you”. In the best cases, they will reimburse part of the money they charged in your credit card (meaning EXPEDIA will try to steal the rest). They will give you a “coupon” (meaning that you have to spend more money using EXPEDIA if you want to use this coupon. Finally, if you still complain they will ignore you.
6) EXPEDIA most of the times will ignore you when you complain. Here is when you realize EXPEDIA is ‘”cheating” you.
If EXPEDIA is cheating you or is trying to cheat you:
1) If the service was paid by a credit card, ask your credit card company to fight for you. It works!!! I recovered the full amount of a ticket (1,254.96 U$D) EXPEDIA tried to steal from me. This is probably the only way you can recover money from EXPEDIA without hiring a lawyer. Most credit card are powerful enough to recover money from bad companies because they prefer to keep customers and not be part of a fraud scheme. They know they can be sued by the cardholder if they are found to be part of a fraud scheme.
