Michelle Couch-Friedman

Consumer reporter and ombudsman columnist

Michelle Couch-Friedman is the founder and CEO of Consumer Rescue. She is a journalist, consumer advocate, travel writer, mediator, and former psychotherapist. Michelle is also the travel ombudsman columnist for The Points Guy, contributing author at Fodor's Travel and previously served as the executive director of the nonprofit Elliott Advocacy. During her six years managing that organization, she resolved thousands of cases for troubled travelers and other consumers. You can read hundreds of 5-star reviews Michelle earned during her service to the nonprofit on Great Nonprofits. Michelle is a public speaker, and her expert guidance has been cited in the Washington Post, MarketWatch, Consumer Reports, Travel & Leisure, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Popular Science, CNN, CNBC, Boston Globe, CBS News, National Geographic, Travel Weekly, Reader's Digest and more. You might even catch Michelle on TV reporting on a situation. :) Professionally, Michelle is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (asja). Today, she continues to spend as much time as possible fiercely defending consumers and traveling the world. Contact her at Michelle Couch-Friedman or on Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook.

United Airlines aircraft, blue sky and airplane

United Airlines canceled my flight from Iceland. Am I really owed nothing?

March 9, 2025March 8, 2025

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 cruise excursion, can you get a refund? This cruiser found our the jolting answer.

Hate your cruise excursion? A credit card dispute will only make things worse

March 1, 2025March 1, 2025

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.

Keto scam alert, scammer calling asking for payment, diet pills, con artist demanding payment

Keto Supplement customer service says I owe big money! What is this scam?

March 9, 2025February 27, 2025

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.

Princess Cruises can't let these customers board the ship

My Princess cruise sailed without us because of a tiny passport mistake

February 23, 2025February 22, 2025

Don’t make the passport mistake these Princess cruise ship passengers made. You’re in the danger zone if your passport has less than six months left before it expires.

American Airlines aircraft, AA airplane parked at gate, American Airlines canceled flight, delayed flight at gate

Help! American Airlines gave me travel credit instead of $5,075 in cash

April 27, 2025February 16, 2025

American Airlines left Brooke Krukenberg and 24 family members stranded in North Carolina after canceling their flight home to Iowa. As the group scrambled to find alternative transportation, airline agents assured the displaced passengers their refunds were on the way.

Krukenberg calculated that American Airlines owed each family member $250 for the canceled flight – around $5,600. That refund factored into the group’s plans as they booked rental cars and hotels for the unexpected 18-hour road trip back home. Here’s what happened next.

Endless Road Trip, 30-days with teenagers on a road trip, beautiful adventures

A 30 day road trip with 4 teenagers can be fun. Here’s how

April 24, 2025February 12, 2025

I love traditions. One of my favorite family traditions is the annual road trip I take with my two daughters and a couple of their friends every summer. That’s when I load up the minivan with these four teenagers and all their “necessities” to hit the open road looking for adventure (and plenty of Hampton Inn waffles and takeout pizza).

I call it the “Endless Road Trip.”

Enterprise Rent a Car lot, rental cars in a row

Enterprise says Mickey Mouse damaged my rental car. Why should I pay?

February 16, 2025February 9, 2025

Like every savvy traveler, Kathy Mason inspected her recent rental car very carefully before driving it off the lot. The vehicle had no visible damage, and she says she returned it in the same condition just two days later. So it was a surprise when Enterprise sent her a $775 repair bill – two months after the rental was over.

But even more surprising than the repair bill was who Enterprise believed was responsible for damaging “things” inside the rental car. In an official incident report, “Mickey Mouse” is named as the alleged suspect.

United Airlines aircraft, sunset with United Airlines

Help! Fake United Airlines customer service charged me a $1,750 service fee

March 21, 2025February 5, 2025

Christian Forthomme made a critical, but common error while booking a round-trip business-class flight to Paris for his wife. After asking Google for United Airlines customer service, he called the first number that popped up in the search results. Instead of reaching the airline, he dialed right into a scam call center where a fake UA agent was waiting. That fraudster easily booked the ticket and charged the unaware Forthomme a whopping $1,750 service fee for her efforts.

Cruise passenger on this ship says she was tricked into buying a lab grown diamond, Royal Caribbean passenger news, Rhapsody of the Seas on the ocean

Was this cruise ship passenger tricked into buying a lab grown diamond?

January 31, 2025January 29, 2025

On the last night of her recent Royal Caribbean cruise, Amy G. bought a beautiful diamond ring on the ship. She was quite pleased with her purchase – especially because she snagged it during a flash 50-percent-off sale. But the pleasant feeling only lasted until she got home and had a good look at the Certificate of Authenticity.

Airbnb problems in tropical Mexico, surveillance cameras in my Airbnb help, vacation rental problems.

Help! My Airbnb vacation rental has a surveillance camera aimed at my bed

March 29, 2025January 21, 2025

What if you were gazing out the window of your Airbnb and found a surveillance camera “gazing” right back at you? That was the startling scene that confronted Susan Scott as she relaxed in bed at her recent Mexican vacation rental.

Michelle Couch-Friedman

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