Online booking boo-boo costs thousands, traveller says
11.06.2008 20:00
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- Source: cbc.ca
A Newfoundland and Labrador woman has learned the hard way that making a typo when buying a plane ticket online can mean more than just a spelling mistake. "I've been so stressed," said Evelyn Parrott, a Corner Brook woman who estimates a mistake she made while buying return airfare to Texas has wound up costing her family an extra $2,100, above her original $900 ticket. 'When you book on the internet, and you push that enter button, it's there. It's done.'— Travel agent Ellen Tucker"I can't sleep, I haven't been eating well and it's like this just can't be happening, because this is just too much stress for someone to do." This winter, a friend helped Parrott book an online fare through the online travel site Expedia. But the ticket was accidentally addressed to Evelyn Evelyn, instead of Evelyn Parrott. When Parrott finally noticed the mistake, she was told she would have to buy a whole new ticket, with her full name. According to Expedia, a customer has until midnight of the day that a reservation is made to cancel the ticket. However, Parrott did not contact the company for two months. As well, Parrott said, carrier American Airlines will not allow any name changes for security reasons.
'I will never buy a plane ticket from Expedia after reading this story and seeing how unhelpful and un compassionate they are!' --Jenn Rachelle Add your comment Ellen Tucker, the Atlantic Canadian chair of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, said consumers should know that there is no room for errors when they book online. "When you book on the internet, and you push that enter button, it's there," Tucker told CBC News. "It's done." Parrott told CBC News that she knows she cannot do anything now, although she added she will never book with Expedia again. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksYOUR VIEW: Buying plane tickets online: A costly convenience?Consumer HeadlinesCalif., Florida tomatoes cleared in salmonella investigationTomatoes grown in California and Florida are safe to eat, according to U.S. health officials investigating a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 167 people.Big price gap still exists between Canadian, U.S. goods: studyCanadians are still paying much more than Americans for the same goods, even though the loonie has been near parity with the U.S. dollar for much of the past year, a new report says.Housing prices up 5.2% in April, slowest rise in 2 years: StatsCanSelling prices for new homes increased 5.2 per cent between April 2007 and this April, the slowest rate of increase in more than two years, Statistics Canada says.Problem gamblers hit Ontario casinos with $3.5B lawsuitA $3.5-billion proposed class-action lawsuit has been launched on behalf of thousands of addicted gamblers who allege they asked to be barred from Ontario's casinos, but were still allowed in.Toyota promises plug-in hybrid vehicle by 2010Toyota is introducing a plug-in hybrid with next-generation lithium-ion batteries in Japan, the U.S. and Europe by 2010, under a widespread green strategy outlined Wednesday. Consumer Life FeaturesINTERACTIVEWhat we drinkCanada's changing tastes for alcoholVIDEOHybrid vehiclesIs the extra cost worth it? (2:15)TECHNOLOGYGPS showdownFive global positioning devices put to testBLOGFood BytesRobbing coffee from the poor?BLOGComm-OdditiesPrince Charles settles 17th century tab with clothiersPeople who read this also read …
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