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Fiascos and Fixes
Consumer reporter and ombudsman columnist
As Sherry Warren and her husband prepared for their upcoming Celebrity cruise, she bought a colorful passport case. The little wallet was stylish and protective, with Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) blocking features. It would be the perfect way to carry their passports, Warren thought.
And it surely would have – had she not forgotten the wallet with their passports inside when they left for the cruise.
As she searched for a new job, love suddenly was in the air — or so Karen C. thought. But behind the inappropriate emails she received from her recruiter with carefully typed romantic promises lurked a scammer weaving a web of deceit.
Karen couldn’t believe her luck. She thought she had found a dream job and a romantic partner, but the reality was much, much different.
UTOvacation sold Shih (Richard) Liu and his wife a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China and Japan. But Liu, like many other customers of this particular tour operator, now says he’s the victim of a scam. Nearly a year after collecting full payment from the Lius, the company changed the contract and added new fees.
The couple maintains that the tour operator pulled this bait and switch without any notification or follow-up. But worse than that deception was what UTOvacation did next – also without informing the couple.
Cruise ship passengers beware: Never use Zelle to pay for a cruise, excursion or any other part of your vacation. If you do, you could end up like L. Williams, a former Carnival Cruise Line customer.
A scammer pretending to be a cruise consultant tricked Williams into paying for her last cruise with Zelle. That set off a chain reaction that left her $3,556 in debt – and banned indefinitely from the cruise line.
The recent LA wildfires temporarily displaced Rahul Kapur’s family and pets from their home. The Kapurs temporarily relocated to an Airbnb rental in nearby Marina Del Rey. They reserved the unit for two weeks and hoped to return home after their stay. But as the fires continued to burn, it became clear that wouldn’t be possible.
They were displaced again when that apartment wasn’t available beyond the original contract. However, the good news came when an Airbnb rental in the same condominium became available. The family migrated to the new unit and settled in.
Kapur and his family are still reeling from what happened next.
Since January 8, 2025, United States citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to visit Great Britain. The ETA costs about $13, and the online application process is fairly simple. But like lightning, scammers have hit the internet, with official-looking websites aimed at victimizing unaware ETA-seekers.
Would Hertz accuse a customer of completely ruining a rental car even if it was returned in perfect condition? According to Darleen Brazoban, the answer is yes.
Brazoban says she drove a Hertz vehicle for four days last November without even the hint of a problem. When she returned the rental car to the Nashville Airport, an employee inspected it with her. He noted no damage, handed her a receipt, and Brazoban was on her way.
…On her way to big rental car problems, that is, but she didn’t know that yet.
After United Airlines canceled Tamra McIntyre’s flight home from Iceland, she requested EU 261 compensation – around $622. In response, the airline “awarded” her just 8,000 United Airlines Mileage Plus points, the equivalent of about $108.
Final answer, says United Airlines.
McIntyre, unwilling to accept that answer asked the Consumer Rescue advocacy team to investigate. United Airlines says her flight cancellation doesn’t qualify for EU 261 compensation. She says it does.
Who’s right? You’re about to find out.
If you hate your next shore excursion and the cruise line refuses your refund request, don’t expect a credit card dispute to save the day. It won’t. Joseph Campo can tell you.
After a salmon-fishing excursion in Alaska went all wrong, Campo asked Princess Cruises for his money back. When that didn’t happen, he filed a chargeback with his credit card company — and won. So he assumed that settled the matter.
It didn’t. Not even close.
There’s a new scam coming to your home phone. Aggressive, fake customer service agents are on duty, demanding payment for Keto supplements you didn’t order.
I learned about this bizarre scam firsthand when a pushy, fast-talking woman called me to deliver an ultimatum. She told me that her company, Keto Supplements, wanted me to pay for the diet pills they’d sent me. If I didn’t give her a valid credit card immediately, she said, I would regret it.
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© 2025 Consumer Rescue / Michelle Couch-Friedman
