Refunds Too Late, Excuses Too Many: CPB Calls Out Expedia Failings
The Consumer Protection Bureau (CPB) is highlighting a recent case that exposes deep flaws in the way large travel platforms handle consumer complaints.
By the Consumer Protection Bureau (CPB) | August 2025
A CPB member and his family endured unnecessary stress, contradictory communications, and weeks of frustration after two separate car rental bookings through Expedia in Bergamo, Italy went badly wrong.
What Went Wrong
- Booking 1 (Autovia): The rental desk refused to accept a debit card for deposit unless the consumer paid an additional €800 insurance. After consulting Expedia by phone, where a refund was promised during a recorded call, the customer cancelled at the counter. Expedia later refused the refund in writing, citing “terms and conditions.”
- Booking 2 (Sixt): A request for a toddler seat was ignored, leaving a family with a three-year-old child stranded. Again, Expedia’s customer service assured a refund by phone, only to later deny it, citing “non-refundable” booking terms. The travel insurance bought alongside this booking was also denied a refund.
Despite clear promises made during recorded calls, Expedia initially refused to refund either booking. Only after persistent pressure did the company eventually issue repayments — but with no explanation for the reversal or apology for the ordeal caused.
Why It Matters
This is not just about money. It is about trust, accountability, and consumer rights.
- Refunds should not require relentless chasing.
- Recorded assurances from customer service must be honoured.
- Safety-critical requests, such as child car seats, must be treated as essential, not optional extras.
CPB’s Action
CPB has written formally to Expedia to demand:
- A gesture of goodwill compensation to reflect the wasted time, stress, and disruption caused.
-
A clear statement of process improvements, including:
- Ensuring verbal assurances given on recorded calls are respected.
- Better communication of essential booking requirements to rental partners.
- An end to hiding behind “non-refundable” terms when consumer safety and rights are at stake.
CPB Statement
“Consumers should not have to struggle endlessly to obtain refunds that were already promised to them. In this case, a family was left stranded without essential child safety equipment and forced to endure weeks of contradictory responses from Expedia. While refunds have now been issued, the way the matter was handled is unacceptable. CPB is calling on Expedia to provide a gesture of goodwill compensation and to urgently review its processes so that no other family has to go through this ordeal.”
