Blog homeVictimsOfExpedia is a site that for the last 3 years has documented issues that consumers have had with the Expedia website and company. The site is run by a man under the pseudonym John Doe. He does have a real name (which is known to Expedia and others, including me) but he has asked me not to disclose it. I will respect his wishes.
The purpose of this interview is to understand what drives someone to make a website that single-mindedly looks to track a single company and all their problems. My assumption is that to understand the motivation perhaps we can understand what steps could be taken in order to prevent such sites from cropping up on our own brands.
I know this is a divisive subject – there will be those who will say that I shouldn’t be giving any coverage to such a site. There are those who will say that blogs are an ideal place for such a review to take place. Fellow bloggers have long since given up on “John Doe” as he has had a tendency to add comments on any Expedia related article promoting his site. A recent example (on this blog) was when I wrote about the new Expedia travel agent commission scheme launched recently. Plenty of comments there from fellow journalists, bloggers and travel industry people suggesting that John’s comments are unwanted. Indeed, that discussion was one of my motivations for this article.
Anyway, here it is. You can flame me later.
Tell me more about why you started your website VictimsofExpedia.com? I see you were upset about a specific incident that took place – but what turned that single issue into a desire to create a website and then promote that site?
VofE: I decided to create VictimsofExpedia.com after I had enough evidence that the incident I had with EXPEDIA (starting in September 2005) was not a simple mistake by an EXPEDIA agent but an elaborate attempt to scam me that involved EXPEDIA’s personnel at different level (representatives, supervisors and “customer specialists”).
[Snip]
Alex: I have cut much of the individual case that John Doe reports on. The basic problem seems to be an IT system failure between Expedia and the airline KLM which lead to a ticketing issue. If you really want the detail, you can visit the site. It appears that KLM have attempted to fix the problem but that Expedia are alleged not to have done.
Now I am not going to sit in judgement based on just some of the documentation I have seen however I know that similar system issues occur. The total value of the transaction was USD 1254.95…. a small sum really. I am amazed that Expedia didn’t nip this in the bud and sort it all out 3 years ago…. it does seem that John Doe has a case – although probably not helped by the way he goes about pursuing it (but then again, if you are a powerless consumer with some web knowledge, perhaps it is the natural option)
Have you ever worked in the travel industry? Tell us more about what kind of jobs you have been involved with
VofE: No. I never had any contact with the travel industry. My website is not make EXPEDIA look bad to benefit their competitors. I have no contact from any EXPEDIA’s competitor and I don’t receive money from any of them. My work is related to the medical field, education and science. I worked as physician (a couple of years after I graduated) and later in academics during my PhD and Postdoctoral period (teaching and scientific research).
Have you ever worked in a customer facing role? Tell us more about situations where you have had to give people disappointing news.
VofE: I never worked in a customer facing role but I had sometimes to give bad news to patients and their relatives
When you book travel now – do you book online or do you book via an offline travel agent?
VofE: I still book online but I avoid all “online travel agencies”. After my incident with expedia I did some research putting “OTA complaint” or “OTA scam” as keyword phrase (OTA can be any travel agency) and I found that most of them are not so different from EXPEDIA. They are fine if your trip has no problem. If a problem arise, they do everything (almost like EXPEDIA) to keep the money they charged to the customer.
What I do now is use them as search engine (especially Kayak) and then go directly to the airline or hotel. Even If I use Kayak I avoid any of OTAs that appear in their results.
When I create websites I always look at the competition. Do you compete with sites like http://www.ryanaircampaign.org/ in order to try to “out do” each other?
VofE: I don’t think I have any competition. I don’t consider any site that alerts people about scams a competition but another source to help traveler. On the contrary I’m always willing to refer my visitors to those sites. I believe that if we spread the word travelers will be safer and we might be able to change the standards of the travel industry.
At what stage are you going to consider your mission complete? Do you have a specific, finite, goal for your campaign
VofE: I would consider my mission complete when EXPEDIA apologize to all their customers, revise all the complaints and compensate appropriately all of them.
Expedia Inc also own TripAdvisor – a website that itself upsets travel providers (e.g. hoteliers) by acting as means through which critical comments are communicated to a wider audience. One of the TripAdvisor rules is that “old” reviews will only be removed as a result of a major brand change or through change in ownership. If Expedia changed ownership would you consider removing your website? What about if Expedia underwent a significant brand change?
VofE: I won’t remove my website if EXPEDIA change ownership. The reason for this is because the new EXPEDIA owner(s) might buy EXPEDIA as it is and assume the risk . When a bank buys another bank they also buy their credits and debts. To illustrate this point, bank customers still need to pay their debt to the new bank owner. In this context if someone want to buy EXPEDIA they might be aware that they are buying company with a very bad reputation and they might be have to deal with that. The new EXPEDIA owner (if they are honest) might buy EXPEDIA at a very cheap price and use the difference to rebuild EXPEDIAs reputation by revising all cases.
Regarding the second part of your question: I won’t remove my site if EXPEDIA undergoes a significant brand change. The reason is because in this case, “changing brand” is equivalent to “laundering brand”. It is the same as “laundering money”. It might be illegal. Would people scammed by ENRON accept that their executives rename ENRON and keep all the money they have stolen? It is just wrong.
A company cannot just change its brand and keep selling a rotten product.
I’ll give one example: EXPEDIA CORPORATE TRAVEL is now “EGENCIA” . I’m not sure if the corporate division of EXPEDIA was scamming their customers (I found some complaints) but I visited their site and it looks very similar to EXPEDIA. They even have the “EGENCIA promise” that sounds very similar to the “EXPEDIA promise”. The last one is just a marketing tool to deceive customers because they don’t keep their promises.
What resistance have you encountered with your campaign?
I have found two kinds of resistance. Honest resistance from people that cannot believe EXPEDIA did try to scam me and a malicious resistance from people that are deliberately attacking my website in different ways: spamming, offensive comments and giving misleading information about my case to make people believe my case is not true or was because I didn’t follow EXPEDIA’s directions to solve my case.
I also can sense that someone is controlling internet traffic and influencing the results in internet search engines search to prevent people to reach my site. There are companies that provide this service to some corporations. I don’t have evidence that expedia is doing this but I can sense something.
Another problem with my campaign is that there is a counter campaign to try to make EXPEDIA look honest and reputable. I can give one example: I found out that Wikipedia is constantly being monitored and any negative aspect that someone introduce about EXPEDIA there is removed. Some tracked to “editor” to an EXPEDIA IP address.
Alex: To answer the question about Internet traffic being “controlled”. I find this unlikely. However what you are experiencing is what happens naturally over time if your “content” is not a relevant page for those looking for Expedia’s site. Search engines will lower your pages in the results if you are not relevant. To you it is relevant, but to the search engine algorithms it isn’t. Therefore it is unlikely anyone is controlling the traffic – just you need to learn more about how search engines work.
On the other topic large companies do edit wikipedia. Yes it is against the Terms & Conditions of the site – but frankly – this is the way it is now. This is not an Expedia specific issue and I wouldn’t draw wider conclusions from it.
What have the Expedia press office and legal team said about your enquiries?
Alex: [Snip] I have cut VofE’s response here. Looks like some communication but nothing of note. Expedia seem to be apologizing that the matter has escalated to the level it has (and are trying to calm it down). John Doe continues to use inflammatory language which would, if I received it, would put it right at the bottom of the action pile.
Has the mainstream media picked up on your case? If not, why not?
VofE: I tried to contact some media to make them investigate my case. I offered them full details including real name and documentation (evidence about my case) and they never responded. I also sent my case to the BBB and I never had any response. I believe that EXPEDIA invests a lot of money in the media in advertising and that they are afraid to lose that money. They might be also afraid of having legal troubles. It is a pity for the unaware traveler.
Alex: I find most journalists and publications impartial and little influenced by their advertisers. However, I think your individual story isn’t an exciting enough story to capture major interest. Its too technical an issue for non-specialist journalists to understand.
Thats all folks!
My disclosure: I work in the travel technology industry but have never undertaken any work for Expedia or their subsidiaries. I would have no problem doing so – to me they seem a perfectly sensible company. I have written about them in the past – sometimes negatively but always objectively. I cover them mainly because they tend to make a good story as people have heard of them. Looking in my accounts I can see that Expedia have, a long time ago, purchased a small travel booking engine usability report from us for 100 GBP (200 USD). Incidentally, unless booking directly, if I am booking with an OTA I will book with Expedia UK. I pay full price. I think they are OK and have no hesitation in suggesting them to friends, colleagues etc.
I am suspicious for two reasons; 1) why no one has not taken up John’s case, surely if it’s as big as a scam as he makes out then the likes of our BBC’s Watchdog program would jump on it. Surely theres similar programmes in the US which deal with consumer complaints.
2) Why keep your name from the public on your own website or within comments? Obviously your entitled to do that but I find that strange.
I also thought that the issue with Expedia and yourself had been dealt with – I am sure I remember a note on your website saying that Expedia had dealt with your issues. Tell me if I am incorrect.
I do not know the case in full, only what I have briefly read here and on the site, but I think it could have been handled better by Expedia and John Doe.
Hi Darren
Not sure he is based in the US actually….. and if I had a separate career I would keep my name off the website as well.
Actually, if you look at 95% of business websites – they have no individual names on…. I don’t have an issue with that – it is only web people who believe that we should put our names everywhere.
Cheers. Alex
Darren:
Response to your questions:
1) My case was originated by expedia.com (based in US). Initially I was trying to involve some of the big news programs but they were not interested. I also found that some news media (FOX news, USA Today) sometimes published some cases of customers cheated by EXPEDIA. FOX news published a video that was online in http://www.shameofexpedia.com (this site is not longer active). The video shows s family that booked a room in New York (that looks very nice in the EXPEDIA – and hotels .com- website when booking) but when they arrive in New York they found a dirty room, that cannot even accomodate a standard bed. Moreover, the place was violating city rules. Of course when they complained to EXPEDIA there was no help.
I still have the video and I had permission of family involved to post it in my website. (I migtht do it soon). I guess you can request that video from FOX5News.
My point is that even when some major media news shows that EXPEDIA is cheating customers (and then ignoring their complaints), EXPEDIA is still able to continue their businness as if nothing happens.
2) Alex answered that question rigth and nicely. I’m not longer based in US now.
If you consider recovering the exact amount of money expedia tried to keep, my case was over, not dealt. In my website is clear that I could recover 1254.95 U$D (and I don’t hide that) -the exact amount of money expedia tried to keep-. I’m just warning people about EXPEDIA because for that incident I lost thousands of dollars in extra expenses.
My case should have been handled by “John Doe” and EXPEDIA. But EXPEDIA’s at some point of the incident EXPEDIA decided to stop anwering and is now ignoring all my messages. (I gave Alex copy of few e-mails I sent and I received form EXPEDIA showing evidence of what I’m saying. I understand that for space limitation and clarity Alex edited and cut them).
If you want Darren -just for your records and to reach you own conclusions-, I can send a copy of what I gave to Alex. Then, If you have further questions, I can give you more details.
You are (no offense here) one of the first kind of resistance I mentioned in my interview with Alex .
@John
Having read through the post from Alex and much of your site, I am willing to put something into play.
If you agree, I am keen for Travolution (in order to demonstrate our independence as a media brand focusing on the online travel industry) to act as an intermediary between yourself and Expedia.
This could potentially shed further light on your particular issue or Expedia’s lack of response and/or even reach some form of resolution.
We would happily share the results of that discussion with our readers, if both parties allow it.
Feel free to contact me (via Alex if you wish or the Contact Us page on the Travolution website) or by responding here on this post.
OK, Ken. I’ll send you more info soon via e-mail (give me a couple of days and also to see the response of EXPEDIA to this blog, since I’m sure they are reading it). I really doubt EXPEDIA will answer you either but I’ll gave them another opportunity. (In fact, I believe, I’ll demonstrate once more through you -Travolution- that EXPEDIA lack of response is part of a systematic scam). By the way Alex, did you try to cantact EXPEDIA? If YES, did you have any response from the interview?. Regards
By the way, I posted the video from Atlanta Fox I mentioned in my response to Darren. it is in the main page of victimsofexpedia.com.
interesting case. wondering however where it will end, as the demands from john doe’s side are somehow difficult to accomplish even for a company such as Expedia. Also, why would someone spend a lot of time on such an issue? Not saying you shouldn’t, but why not make your point and just book with another travel agent instead and save yourself a lot of time? Still, good luck with your case towards Expedia.
Done: I sent Kevin May (with copy to Alex) detailed information about my case and more evidence of EXPEDIA lies. I will also put a link of this blog in http://www.victimsofexpedia.com. Let see how EXPEDIA responds ……………
Expedia are evil and aggressive. Couple of years ago I bought a domain name with the word Expedia in it. Within a month I had a letter from Expedia’s lawyers demanding I hand over ownership of the domain to them as the word Expedia is copyrighted/ a trademark. I couldn’t be bothered with the fight, and caved in. What £”$%^£$”.
Hi
I have been in contact with ‘John Doe’ via his website. He has been very helpfull and polite to me. Unlike Expedia who have lied and lied to us. If it was not for John’s site we would not have known what to do or even where to start. My first letter (on John’s site with my permission) was 3 pages long (OK I know a bit long but I had alot to moan about). This was answered by Expedia with a 3 paragraph letter, not answering any points I had raised. My second letter is ‘being dealt with’. Last week Expedia called my friend (who is coming on the holiday with me) and said if we paid an extra £90.00 each Expedia would sort our booking out and then refund all our money to us!!?? They then called back 5 minutes later asking for credit card details. My friend said we wanted a reply to our letter in writing and they could put this offer in the letter. The Expedia rep (another manager!) said she would do this by Thursday last week. We have just made another call and there is no record of Expedia calling us last week.!!!!! Absolutely unbelievable that such a large company gets away with this type of treatment. I actually think the training given at Expedia must include this underhand manner as ALL representatives we have spoken to (too many to mention as they always say the person you spoke to previously, is not in the day you call back….just another way for them to try and confuse you) are totally rude and unhelpfull.
I have NEVER been treated this way before. I have never had consistant lieing from company representatives at all levels. John is right to have started his website. Expedia are trying to say we entered in the wrong dates in our case. We know we didn’t. If I had not seen John’s site (and ALOT of other unhappy people on various other sites / blogs) we may have been more likely to believe we had made some sort of mistake.
Thanks John … if more people were like you and took a stand maybe Expedia would not be allowed to get away with such bad behaviour.
I aggree with John that he should keep his name out of the limelight. He has given his real details to people that are legimate (the journalist) so what is the problem. My real name is Kim Cogley..I can be contacted on kim.cogley@ntlworld.com. If I knew how to start a website I would be doing this also. It really is the only way we can get any sort of help. At the moemnt Expedia have had our money for a month and we still don’t know if we have a holiday. We are in their incapable hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS – I know this reply is very out of date but I am just letting you know EXpedia are STILL GETTING AWAY with it.
…”influencing the results in internet search engine”
This is called search engine optimization – would have thought a guy writing a blog about e-commerce would know about seo and how you can game the SERPs.
This was a poorly written up interview and you come a cross as by no means impartial. I would have loved to have read this story from a “what a company should do to not get a hate site created/what to do when you have a hate site on your hands” point of view. Or, really, any point. I guess what I’m saying is that this blog post does not explain why you wrote it or indeed have any closing.
Hi Claudia
Thanks you for your feedback. That line about “influencing the results in internet search engine” comes from the Victims of Expedia person, not me!
Hence I think your primary argument against me misses and goes well wide of the mark.
But thanks for commenting anyways!
I quoted the person you chose to interviewed. And, you did respond to it, did you not?
Well, let me rephrase, and point out the fact that you did use the phrase “To answer the question about Internet traffic being “controlled”. I find this unlikely.”
Have you ever heard about “Reputation Management”? It’s very similar to SEO and affecting the SERP rankings. You may want to look into this as it is a pretty well used online activity, at least with the top travel companies.
Hence I think your core argument misses completely and goes well beyond the mark of online marketing…
All the best,
Claudia