One flight, two tickets

Q: I recently tried to buy two plane tickets on United Airlines through Expedia. We were traveling to Germany to celebrate my brother’s return from Iraq.

But something went wrong when Expedia tried to charge the flights, and now we’re stuck with two tickets we don’t want.

As far as I can tell, it all happened during the last step of our transaction — the one where you enter your credit card number. My wife and I typed in our number six times, and it was rejected every time. We gave up, thinking the transaction did not go through.

We later bought tickets for the same trip on Priceline.

But instead of dropping the matter, Expedia apparently, without our knowledge, did further checks on our credit card number and bought two nonrefundable tickets after we went offline.

I think I know what went wrong. The ZIP code on our credit card didn’t match our current address because our ZIP code is being changed. That confused the system, making it think that our credit card might not be legit.

We have sent Expedia screen shots of our transaction to prove that this was a simple misunderstanding. We have been assigned three case numbers during the last six months, but the bottom line is that after weeks of back-and-forth and appeals, they have rejected our refund claim.

How can Expedia charge us for tickets after rejecting our credit card? Can you help us get our money back?

– Russ Cumings, Tucson, Ariz.

A: When a credit card is rejected, you would think the transaction hasn’t gone through. When it’s rejected six times, there can be no doubt that you didn’t buy a ticket.

Looks like a pretty open-and-shut case to me.

What happened? The changing ZIP code is one clue. The credit card processing system couldn’t verify your billing address, so it didn’t purchase your ticket. Now, normally when a credit card fails to work, that’s the end of the story. But during your dispute, you learned that Expedia uses another verification service to handle cards that are turned down. That service found the address glitch — and allowed Expedia to buy your airline ticket.

Most travelers would have been grateful to get the ticket after all. But since you had already made other arrangements, that verification service just added to your troubles. You ended up with two sets of tickets, one of which you couldn’t use.

Why would Expedia insist that you keep your unusable tickets? Well, as you noted, these were nonrefundable tickets. Any refund would have to come from Expedia, not from United. The other explanation is that Expedia doesn’t really know what went wrong, either.

“We’ve looked into it, and from what we can tell, there was an isolated technical error,” said Expedia spokesman David Dennis.

You were wise to make printouts of your computer screen, just in case there was a dispute. But I would have taken this a step further. Next time something goes wrong with an online credit card purchase, do two things: Call the site and send it an e-mail. On the phone, mention what happened and ask the agent to verify that no purchase was made. And in your e-mail, describe what happened and request a written confirmation that you didn’t purchase anything.

And I would wait until you’re absolutely sure you’re in the clear before buying another airline ticket.

Expedia offered you a complete refund for your unused tickets.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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