After reviewing the Expedia.com listing for this Hakone Hotel hot springs, I prepaid Expedia for a three day visit. After arriving, I was refused service to the hot springs because I have a small tattoo on my forearm. The hotel later confirmed that people with tattoos (regardless of size) are strictly forbidden from using their hot springs facilities.
I contacted Expedia via the chat function on their app informing them I was refused service and asked for a refund on my stay. I indicated I had relied on Expedia’s listing and assumed their description of the hot springs to be truthful and accurate before I decided to prepay Expedia. Expedia’s listing made no mention that people with tattoos would be refused service to the hot springs. The hot springs experience was my only reason for visiting that property. Had Expedia provided an accurate, truthful description, I would not have made this purchase.
Expedia refused to refund any amount of the purchase and has, as today, refused to update their online listing to indicate that people with tattoos are refused entry into the property’s hot springs facilities. A basic tenet of commerce is that an advertiser must provide truthful, accurate descriptions of their product or service for the transaction to be valid. False or misleading advertising is unethical and unlawful.