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Michelle Couch-Friedman

Chief Fiasco Fixer / Consumer reporter

Michelle Couch-Friedman is the Chief Fiasco Fixer, and founder of Consumer Rescue. She is an award-winning journalist, consumer advocate, travel writer, mediator, and trained psychotherapist (LCSW). Michelle is also the travel ombudsman columnist for The Points Guy, contributing author at Fodor's Travel and writes Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land, Consumer Rescue's newsletter read by thousands of subscribers each week. In 2026, NATJA awarded Michelle and Consumer Rescue the Silver Award in the Best Independent Travel Blog category in its annual competition celebrating excellence in journalism. Previously, she served as the executive director of the nonprofit Elliott Advocacy. During her six years managing all aspects of that organization from its inception until 2022, she resolved thousands of cases for troubled travelers and other consumers, earning hundreds of 5-star reviews on Great Nonprofits from those she helped. 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), the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), and the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA). 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. You can also check out Consumer Rescue's "What's your Problem?" Facebook group to get quick answers to your consumer questions.
Hertz at DFW mistake, Hertz can't send a rental car repair bill 7 months later, Car rental scams

Help! Hertz billed me $1,050 to repair a rental car I drove 7 months ago

Lori Gallant agrees that if a Hertz rental car was damaged while in her possession, she should pay the repair bill. Or at least her insurance company should. But the last time she rented from Hertz was in January. That makes the Vehicle Incident Report detailing her responsibility for repairing that car peculiar since Hertz created it in August.  

JetBlue aircraft, delayed flight, JFK International Airport, JetBlue flight on runway

A JetBlue flight delay made me miss my connection. Where’s my free hotel?

An extended flight delay stranded JetBlue customer Ellen LaPaglia overnight at New York City’s JFK International Airport. Airline employees instructed all the displaced passengers to wait in a long line to receive a free hotel voucher. 

However, by the time LaPaglia got to the front of that queue no hotel vouchers remained.

JetBlue, JetBlue passengers-of-size plan, overweight passengers, plus-size passengers guidance, JetBlue

Did JetBlue force a passenger to share his seat with a stranger?

During a flight across the country, JetBlue forced Samuel Cristol to share his seat. 

That’s correct. Cristol had a partial seatmate on his flight — a man who did not quite fit in his own space. And, although the guy seemed pleasant enough, Cristol did not want to share his seat. Now, he wants JetBlue to compensate him.

Why did this Quality falsely accuse a customer of theft?

Help! Quality Inn falsely accused me of theft and now I’m banned forever

Brak Moczygemba got the shock of her life after a recent one-night stay in a budget hotel. The manager of that Quality Inn accused her of pillow theft… remarkably pricey pillows for such an establishment. To make matters worse, that same manager then informed a stunned Moczygemba that she was permanently banned from the two-star hotel. 

Why did the bank reverse this credit card dispute?

Help! My credit card company reversed my $16,544 dispute a year later

Your bank can’t reverse a successful credit card dispute nearly a year after confirming a positive resolution. So why did Nusenda backtrack and surprise this customer with a $16,544 recharge long after his dispute was finalized?

That’s what the Consumer Rescue team aimed to find out after this unusual request for help hit our inbox.

Aurora Expeditions' Greg Mortimer on an Arctic cruise to East Greenland.

10 amazing things you’ll see and do on your Arctic cruise to Greenland

Taking an Arctic cruise under the Midnight Sun is an experience you’ll never forget. I should know. My recent expedition cruise from Svalbard, Norway, to Greenland and Iceland was an adventure like no other.

Here’s what you should know about taking an Arctic cruise.

Bankrupt Spirit Airlines has shut down as of May 2, 2026, leaving passengers stranded. (original photo of a Spirit Airlines aircraft on the runway taken by Michelle Couch-Friedman)

This is how to get a refund from a bankrupt airline

Bankrupt Spirit Airlines has canceled all future flights and announced its total cessation of operations on May 2, 2026, ending its 34-year run. Unfortunately, the troubled airline’s sudden shutdown has stranded thousands and perhaps millions of passengers mid-trip. Here’s what to know if you are one of those stranded travelers.