Description

I am writing to formally report a distressing and financially devastating situation that occurred in connection with a recent trip I booked through Expedia. I was the victim of a scam perpetrated by a fraudulent company impersonating Expedia, and due to a combination of apparent system failures on Expedia’s part — including a cancelled flight, missing itinerary information, and lack of accessible customer service — I was left vulnerable and incurred nearly $3,000 in unnecessary charges. Here is what happened: Prior to my trip to Barbados, I noticed that my itinerary had disappeared from the Expedia app, with a message stating “no upcoming trips.” Concerned, I attempted to contact Expedia through the app, but there was no visible phone number, and even the chat assistant failed to provide one. Desperate for help, I searched for a customer service number online and was unknowingly directed to a fraudulent company that was impersonating Expedia. Shockingly, this fraudulent company had access to my personal trip details, including flight and hotel information, which made them appear legitimate. They told me my flights were on standby, that my trip was nonrefundable, and that I needed to cancel and rebook immediately to avoid losing the entire reservation. Under pressure and convinced of their authenticity, I followed their instructions and repurchased flights and hotel accommodations, which resulted in a loss of almost $3,000 I later contacted Accra Beach Hotel directly and learned that they only had my original reservation — the one I had booked through Expedia. At that point, I was finally able to connect with a real Expedia representative, who confirmed I had been scammed. They reassured me that my original trip was intact and successfully restored my outbound flight to Barbados. However, once I arrived in Barbados, I discovered that my return flight with American Airlines had been cancelled. When I contacted American Airlines, they informed me that since the ticket was marked as nonrefundable — even though it was cancelled by the fraudulent party — they would only issue a partial credit, further compounding my financial loss. I had to buy additional tickets costing $1500 This situation has caused extreme emotional distress, financial hardship, and significant anxiety. I trusted that Expedia, as a major travel platform, would safeguard my trip information, provide accessible customer service, and notify me of any changes. Instead, I was left in the dark and misled by scammers who had access to my sensitive travel details — something that should never have happened. To summarize, this situation resulted in: • Nearly $3,000 in unnecessary rebooking charges • A cancelled return flight • Emotional trauma, stress, and lost time while trying to fix the situation • Inadequate support from Expedia at a time I needed it most • Potential compromise of my travel data by third parties I believe Expedia bears partial responsibility for the financial and emotional damages caused by this incident, due to the combination of system errors, lack of support access, and apparent data vulnerabilities. I respectfully request that Expedia: 1. Launch an immediate investigation into how my trip data was accessed and misused 2. Improve support access, including displaying a visible customer service number in the app 3. Fully reimburse me for the nearly $3,000 in costs incurred due to fraudulent rebooking of flights and hotel 4. Assist in resolving the issue with American Airlines regarding my cancelled return flight I am prepared to provide full documentation, including screenshots, receipts, charge records, and communications with both legitimate and fraudulent contacts.