‘Glee’ Piano Player Gets a Hand From The ABC News Fixer
— -- Dear ABC News Fixer: My husband needed to go to New York on business, so I arranged his trip through Expedia.com. They convinced me to buy travel insurance for $32 so if he needed to change his flight, it would be free.
Well, as it turned out, he did need to change the flight. When I called, Expedia told me the airline requires us to pay $200 to change the ticket, and then Expedia refunds the money within two weeks.
It’s been two months.
I called twice. The first time, they apologized profusely and said it was an oversight and I’d get the refund in two weeks.
Toward the end of April, I called again and after two very long holds, the supervisor would only say my refund was “in the queue.” I asked her what that meant and she just repeated that it was “in the queue.” I asked her to email me this information, and she said she couldn’t do that. Then the phone line went dead. Help?
- Eydie Ellis, North Hollywood, Calif.
TUNE IN to "Good Morning America" Sunday for more on this story from The ABC News Fixer. And have you got a consumer problem? The ABC News Fixer may be able to help. Click here to submit your problem online. Letters are edited for length and clarity.
Dear Eydie: Your letter is like one of those “Celebrities are Just Like the Rest of Us” articles we’ve all seen in the supermarket tabloids, because as the ABC News Fixer quickly learned, your hubby isn’t just Eydie Ellis’ husband. He’s Brad Ellis, a.k.a. Brad the piano player from the hit television show, “Glee”! And if Brad from “Glee” can’t fix his Hollywood-to-New York airfare problem, what hope is there for the rest of us little consumers?
You were so sincerely exasperated by this problem, we had to help.
As you said, the really annoying part of this story was that you had paid extra for Expedia’s insurance just so you could avoid such a hassle.We got in touch with Expedia’s PR firm and were able to get your complaint to someone at the company who could do something. Within a day, they shook loose your $200 and apologized to you for the delay and the disconnected phone call.
And now we will GLEEFULLY pronounce this problem “fixed!”
As for others who may be traveling this summer, the ABC News Fixer occasionally hears from people who couldn’t travel at the last minute due to a hospitalization or death in the family. If that happens with a non-refundable ticket, you’re at the mercy of the airlines, which have their own rules. If you experience an emergency and can’t travel, call the airline right away and see if they’ll make a special hard-luck exception or at least let you use the ticket in the future (expect to pay a fee for this).
If you’re planning an expensive trip and are worried about something going wrong, consider buying a more flexible ticket or purchasing travel insurance. However, be sure to read all the fine print carefully and know exactly what is covered by the insurance. For example, some policies won’t cover pre-existing medical conditions that cause you to miss your trip.
- The ABC News Fixer
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