Building trust in the Bitcoin world can be quite a challenge these days, as companies who deal with digital currency payments hardly have a clue as to what to do if something goes awry with a customer’s payment. Moreover, the payment processors in question are responsible for funds arriving where they should in a timely manner, although they might run into issues with that as well. This story stems from a Reddit user who experienced a series of problems when booking a hotel on Expedia using the Coinbase checkout page.
Also read: Bitcoin Technical Analysis for 3/24/16 – Slow and Steady
Expedia and Coinbase Issue Causes Bitcoin Concern
Using a website such as Expedia to rent a hotel room or a flight with Bitcoin sounds like a great opportunity for any Bitcoin enthusiasts. It is of the utmost importance to have major retailers and brands supporting digital currency payments, and Expedia is a great addition.
Unfortunately, hardly anyone on the Expedia support team has a clue what to do when it comes to Bitcoin transactions. Fortunately for them, they have a capable payment processor – Coinbase – which can help with any issues that may arise during any Bitcoin payment process associated with Expedia.
However, the recent Reddit post makes a mention of how things can still go horribly wrong and escalate from zero to one hundred real quick. For some reason, the Coinbase payment website never acknowledged the incoming Bitcoin transaction, and the user was redirected to the Expedia payment screen. Although it is not uncommon for payment processor web pages to not update instantly, a 15-minute delay or longer is rather unusual.
Resolving such an issue should not be all that difficult, as Coinbase should be able to sort out the problem manually, and ensure Expedia receives the Bitcoin transfer. At least that is what should happen, yet for some reason this is not always the case. After a lot of back-and-forth communication in this bizarre love triangle, the issue has still not been resolved thanks to horrible communication from Expedia and Coinbase not being able to do anything as they do not control the funds once the payment has been processed.
Although Expedia has a refund process on their website, this option could not be used as the booking platform did not acknowledge the hotel reservation in question had been paid for. Moreover, the booking itself was not visible in their system. Thus there could not be a case of a “lost Bitcoin payment”.
In the end, it becomes clear that, while it is good payment processors can offer technical assistance with payment issues, the companies dealing with digital currency need to step up their game. Businesses can not accept new payment methods without having a clue as to how they work, or what needs to be done. Train your staff properly; it will only take a few days to get them accustomed to the concept anyway. Or at least, set up a script they can follow, rather than forcing them to send email templates.
Source: Reddit
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