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Dear Travel Troubleshooter: Last year I booked a KLM flight through Expedia. KLM canceled the flight in October due to covid. Expedia told me to wait 12 weeks for a refund. I contacted Expedia when there was no refund.
Expedia says KLM refunded me, even though I paid Expedia, KLM said they refunded Expedia, which should have refunded the money.
After some time and forward, Expedia told me to connect my bank. I contacted my credit card company, Chase, to dispute the charge, but it was too late.
Expedia has stopped responding to my refund requests. I have proof of all communications. I would like Expedia to refund me for the amount of the flight. Since Expedia said I’m out of options, KLM and Chase can’t do anything. Can you help me get my $427 back?
– Eric Erd, Zurich, Switzerland
Answer: You should have received a prompt refund. If you use Expedia in the United States, Department of Transportation regulations govern your ticket. The rules require the airline to issue a refund within seven business days of paying by credit card, and within 20 days of paying by cash or check. Europe has similar laws.
I have reviewed the paper trail between you and various parties – Expedia, Chase and KLM. What a tangled web. You are right, they are blaming each other.
So who is ultimately responsible for your refund? Your online travel agent, Expedia. He takes your money and agrees to act as your agent to buy the flight. After KLM canceled your flight, Expedia had to make sure you got a lightning-fast refund. Shouldn’t have passed on to KLM.
And, what about your credit card? A Chase representative told you that too much time had passed between your purchase and the answer to your question. This is nonsense. Credit card companies can help their customers if they want, but after 60 days they choose to cut off all inquiries. They say the Fair Credit Billing Act, a law that protects credit card customers, doesn’t allow them to dispute claims that are more than two months old. However, the law does not prevent banks from handling old disputes.
A short, polite email to Expedia may have done the trick. I have forwarded all of your correspondence, along with a courtesy cover letter, to the Expedia executive contacts I have listed on the Consumer Advocate website at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/expedia-customer-service-contacts/. If that didn’t work you could contact KLM. I have also published their executive contacts at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/klm-airlines/.
I contacted Expedia on your behalf. “My representatives have confirmed that the refund has been issued, and the customer has been notified,” an Expedia representative said. “The delay appears to be an agent error, so we apologize to the customer for the inconvenience and have added a $100 voucher to the traveler’s Expedia account.”
Christopher Elliott is the Chief Advocacy Officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be a Smart World Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.
(c) 2022 Christopher Elliott
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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