ibdkb

Travelers, please remember this:

Do NOT soley rely on reviews or the backing of an online travel agency when you are searching for a property. Check things for yourself!

http://www.ShameOnExpedia.com

Neopolitan

Bravo.

wtm003

I'm sorry if this has already been covered, I didn't read all the posts from your other thread, but have you tried contesting your charges with your credit card company? Your photos were horrifying and educational.

Scarlett

You did a great job on that letter!
Good for you!
I am sooo sorry that this happened to you..you should tell the news people too, I know on the news in NYC (Live at 5) and such, they have consumer stories that they try to help people with..

paula1470

What a horrible story!! I hope lots of other people add to your website. Not only does Expedia need to respond but there must be something that can be done to stop the owners of the building.

LLindaC

Oh Kelly, I am already a huge fan of yours. I admire your passion. This fired you up enough to write splendid letters, do a lot of research and do good computer work as well. I will write to Expedia on your behalf, because I book lots of travel through them both personally and for my husband's company. I do believe that the travel industry is one of many that is ever changing due to the Internet. When a business tries to "mess with" consumers, there's going to be talk! Places that work hard for their guests should be rewarded and given lots of good press as well. Hang in there!

GoTravel

Good for you!

Did you send this letter to Mr. Diller?

I would mail it certified and CC Certified the following: NY Attorney Generals Office, Mayor Bloombergs Office, The New York Times, The New York Post, and the New York City Convention & Visitors Bureau (NYCCVB).

Once you get the newspapers and the CVB involved, all hell usually breaks loose.

Kath

This has really changed the way I feel about Expedia. How could they allow their customers to book this place.

ibdkb

Thanks to everyone here for their help!

My complaint probably would have vanished if it wasn't for the info and assistance I have recevied here and other forums. Instead, it has become so much more. Kudos to Fodor's for giving us a place to come together.

With your continued help, momentum will only keep growing. The best way to effect change is to tell as many people as possible. Please voice your disapproval to your local/favorite travel/consumer columnists ... Don't have one? try Linda Burbank at [email protected]

Neopolitan

I agree about this experience tarnishing my respect for Expedia. I've always approached Craigslist with great trepidation for renting an apartment. I realize there you are at the mercy of any crook who might want to post a false listing. Now I find that Expedia is no different. They will actually handle the booking for an illegal and totally bogus operation. What's the point of even going to Expedia to look if you can't trust their listings?

FainaAgain

I don't think websites like Expedia, Orbitz and other such sites just post whatever the hotels give them. Same as advertizing in any tourist booklet or in a AAA book.

That's why we have Fodor's - to share our opinions and experiences.

I wonder if TripAdvisor agrees with Expedia's description.

Barbara

I just checked the reviews for this property on Expedia and Tripadvisor. I didn't see one from you on either site and I wondered why not? Surely those would be the first places to post bad reviews, where people actually considering booking there would be most likely to see how bad it is. Certainly, there are no good reviews on Tripadvisor, but there aren't any really bad ones on Expedia. None of them seem to be for visits prior to March this year. As we all know, it's easy to "plant" reviews, good or bad, but I think I would have started there.It seems to be a very recent thing and perhaps you have not given Expedia time to investigate and correct any mistake they may have made.

FainaAgain

"Travelers, please remember this:
Do NOT soley rely on reviews or the backing of an online travel agency when you are searching for a property. Check things for yourself!" - this is a statement everybody will agree with!

I always run a hotel in question by Fodorites posting my question on this (and not only this!) website.

LLindaC

For the record, reviews on Trip Advisor sometimes take a few days to be posted, and then the advisors have to decide whether it falls in their guidelines. If you step over the boundaries, they write you and ask you to redo your review.

michelleNYC

Wow! This is really terrible. I am really shocked that they (Expedia) would allow bookings at this pseudo-hotel!! Gee... and I was in the process of booking tickets to 4 European countries in the next 2 months. I'll make sure I book elsewhere and that Expedia no longer gets any of my business (which is extensive).

Barbara

This property is also listed on Orbitz, priced "from $98 per night". There are more photos there.

ibdkb

Barbara, it's buried in the details on my site, but I originally started WooGoSucks.com because Expedia would not allow me to post a review. You see even though I ended staying there one night they "cancelled" my reserveration to avoid futher penalties by WooGo -- that cancellation stoped by ability to post a review. Two written requests to post a review to Expedia were ignored.

I also wrote a review to TripAdvisor. My review was rejected three days later quoting the entire review policy page, but no specifics.

You should know that TripAdvisior.com, Hotels.com, Expedia.com and Hotwire.com are all owned by the same company.

As far as not giving them enough time. Pshaw! Check the reviews, I'm not the first complaint. I wish someone would have complained this loud SOONER!!! (and I might not have been so unlucky)

ibdkb

p.s. I just notified Orbitz.

Barbara

Did you read ANY reviews before you booked?

Barbara

Perhaps if you posted reviews which were calm, but descriptive, they might not reject them. There's a lot to be gained by stepping away for a while and calming down.