Policies don't make sense. Especially in this league.

To be honest, the solution to this is relatively simple, though it might require a SLIGHT increase to their hosting bandwidth at the core Dallas datacenter. (which is the one that "Saves" character data) However, it would work with the already existing client-instance-backend system that PoE uses. (which is also identical to pretty much any other persistent online game; it's a topology that's been proven for a couple decades)

When the player activates the map device, the instance gateway (the server running your hideout) ALREADY sends a "save" packet to the backend (which holds your character data and stash) to let it know that your map device no longer has a map placed in it, AND to subtract the necessary currency.

Because that is saved IMMEDIATELY, no instance or server crash ANYWHERE will undo that expenditure. And yes, these crashes can happen AFTERWARDS. The most common is for the MAP instance to crash itself, thereby erasing its entire contents.

The reason your character's EXP and loot get reset is that your character status (EXP, items in inventory, etc.) are normally only "saved" to the storage server (in Dallas) whenever you see a loading screen. (exception: accessing your stash saves inventory, too) Of course, when you enter a map, this means the last time it "saved" your character was the moment it entered.

Hence, there's a few REALLY simple options that can be done:

• Save "important" gains as they happen - As I mentioned above, the game also saves your inventory anytime you move stuff in and out of your stash: this is necessary to prevent possible abuse and item duping. This COULD potentially be applied to in-game, to save your character's inventory anytime you picked up something deemed "important," such as a T16 map, exalted orb, etc.
  
  Downside: this could get messy and heavier on bandwidth, (granted, a lot is eaten just by people working their stashes ANYWAY) and of course runs into the question of where you draw the line.
  
  
• Guaratee a "refund" for failed maps - This CAN be accomplished with zero risk of abuse, taking advantage of what would otherwise be one of the less-thoughtful parts of the game's design. (that already is and can be abused)
  
  Simply put, whenever you activate the map device, it should "save" a flag that identifies "hey, the player started up this map. We'll hold the map and chaos orbs spent in escrow until we get confirmation they were able to portal out/logout from within it fine." This "escrow" flag would be wiped the moment the player was "saved" with a status from either portaling, logging, client-crashing, or otherwise "normally" leaving the map.
  
  If instead, the instance itself crashed, when the character loaded up, there'd be a discrepancy the game would detect that the player failed to ever "leave" the instance that crashed, and would thus refund the "escrowed" map and orbs.
  
  Potential new exploits: None. this actually could NOT be exploited to abuse RNG, because... The game actually uses procedural generation for maps, not RNG. When it pops open a map, it already knows what loot can drop and where; this HAS been abused by some players who use a RAM-reader program. (which is relatively easy to detect and ban)
  
  Hence, because maps are procedurally generated, (using the item's own data as the seed, IIRC) if you ran it again, you should get exactly the same results as before. So there'd be no benefit in trying to "reset" and re-run for better results. Even better... It means that if someone truly had "That mirror drop" eaten by an instance crash? Well, they could re-run that and get that mirror back again.