In a strange incident of its kind, a couple from Ontario said that a simple mistake in an online booking process led to them losing an amount exceeding $4,000 while planning a trip to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

Christopher and Emily Marcelino explained in an interview with CP24 that they booked a trip through the Expedia platform to spend a week at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica, but later discovered that they had mistakenly booked the trip from Montreal instead of Toronto.

Despite their urgent attempts to correct the matter minutes after confirming the booking, they were told that the mistake could not be reversed, and the full amount of $4,183 was deducted from their account.

The couple pointed out that they repeatedly contacted customer service at Expedia and the airline, but their attempts failed. Christopher said:

"I feel very disappointed. We had been looking forward to this trip for a long time. We did not get any chance to correct the mistake despite notifying them almost immediately."

In contrast, Expedia stated in a channel statement that it understands the frustration but is bound by the strict cancellation policies set by airlines and hotels.

Consumer rights lawyer Irene Simpson said this story serves as a warning to travelers to carefully check booking details before confirming, adding that the options available are often limited when dealing with promotional prices or non-refundable bookings.

Ultimately, the couple had to book a new trip from Toronto, which significantly increased the total cost of their holiday ‎.