Unpaid Booking Via Expedia: Small Business Transparency
A guest booked and completed a stay at Bell Sister Flats through Expedia. However, the booking was accepted without a CVV number attached to the credit card. After the stay, payment was withheld, and the guest could not be contacted to resolve the issue.
Despite the stay being completed and the issue being entirely outside of our control, Expedia has refused to pay us for the stay.
The Financial Impact
This situation goes beyond lost revenue. Even without receiving payment, we were still required to:
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Professionally clean the unit
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Service and reset the space for future guests
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Cover unavoidable operational costs
As a result, we are now out an even larger amount of money after fully delivering the service expected of us as hosts.
Not an Isolated Issue
After reviewing feedback and discussions within Expedia Partner Central, it is clear that many hosts report similar unpaid booking issues. This appears to be a recurring problem rather than a one-time mistake.
Why We’re Speaking Out
Small businesses rely on booking platforms to uphold fair payment practices and support hosts when issues arise outside of their control. Allowing bookings without complete payment verification and then shifting the financial burden onto hosts is not acceptable.
At a certain point, enough is enough. Small businesses deserve transparency, accountability, and fair treatment. In the future, we would like to encourage all of our guests to book with us directly at Bellsisterflats.com.