Popular

These are some of the most popular articles published by Consumer Rescue — covering travel and non-travel-related consumer issues.

Ultimate guide to taking a cruise, expert cruise guidance, what cruisers need to know about planning a cruise, taking a cruise guide 2023

Taking a cruise in 2023? Here’s how to avoid some common mistakes

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With the cruise industry seemingly back in full swing, now is the perfect time to review Consumer Rescue’s ultimate guide to taking a cruise.

Over the years, I’ve mediated hundreds of requests for help from distressed cruise line passengers. Many of these cruise fiascos were the result of passenger mistakes and could have been avoided by following some simple guidelines. Here’s all the information you need to know about taking a cruise before you take your next (or first) maritime adventure.

Franchise hotel adds some fake charges to this traveler's bill.

This hotel just hit me with $500 in fake charges. Help!

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Could a hotel charge you for fake damage long after you’ve checked out? By the looks of our advocacy team’s files, it seems so.

Imagine this. You’re suffering from a terminal illness and hope to experience some adventures while you’re still able to enjoy them. But then, the COVID pandemic comes along and throws a wrench into your plans. After nearly a year of waiting, things seem to be subsiding, so you take off for a short vacation with your family. Unfortunately, an opportunistic hotel manager has been waiting, too — for unsuspecting guests to hit with hefty fake charges.

What would you do if it happened to you? Give up, or fight back?

If you’re Sherry LaSalle, you choose to fight back — with help from our consumer advocacy team.

If you don't want to tip on your cruise, you need to let the cruise line know before you leave the ship. This cruise ship passenger thinks auto-tips are unfair.

This is what happens if you don’t want to tip on your cruise

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What if you don’t want to tip on your cruise? Or maybe you’re not against cruise gratuities but prefer to give on a person-by-person basis. Can the cruise line force you to pay a set amount for the crew’s bonus?

That’s the question Laurie May wants to be answered. She says Oceania recently blindsided her by adding $320 to the cost of her 10-day European cruise. The reason? Automatically added gratuities.

Now she wants our advocacy team to retrieve the crew bonus and put it back in her wallet. But is that something we can do?

Could a hotel charge you a smoking fee even if you don't smoke? This hotel seems to think so.

How to get a surprise hotel smoking fee reversed? Like this

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Getting a surprise hotel smoking fee reversed isn’t easy — even if you’re a non-smoker like Kelsey Russell. Or a determined consumer advocate. But it can be done. Here’s how.

Kelsey’s case is yet another story that illustrates a disturbing trend that seems to be developing in the franchise hotel industry. Increasingly, we’re receiving complaints from guests who say these branded properties have hit them with an array of surprising post-stay charges — no proof included. But, as you’ll see in this case, even when the hotel provides “evidence,”  it might just lead to more questions than answers.

If you find mice in your next vacation rental, should you get a refund? This Airbnb guest believes so.

My vacation rental has mice! Shouldn’t Airbnb refund me?

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If you book a vacation rental and it has mice, are you responsible for catching and disposing of the rodents? And if so, does the Airbnb host owe you a refund or other compensation for your troubles?

That’s what Gabriella Costanza wants to know after her recent unpleasant experience. She and her significant other had planned to celebrate the holidays in a clean, cozy Airbnb property. Unfortunately, soon after the couple arrived, it became clear they weren’t alone in the vacation rental. And although Airbnb allows shared-space rentals, these additional “residents” were of the most unwelcome and unapproved kind – mice.

But maybe even worse than the reality that mice were living at this Airbnb was the host’s response. This vacation rental owner expected Gabby to put down glue traps and spend her holiday dealing with the inevitable outcome, which the young traveler did.

Now Gabby is asking Airbnb for a refund for this vacation rental experience. But will the fact that the couple completed their entire stay make that an impossible outcome?

Zelle mistakes, Zelle errors. Sending money to the wrong person by mistake with the Zelle app. Fixing Zelle problems.

What can you do if you sent money to a stranger by mistake?

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What if you sent $500 to the wrong person by mistake and that person refused to give back your money? That’s the shocking situation in which Rossin Asilo recently found herself.

Using the money transfer app Zelle for the first time, Asilo made a simple typo entering her friend’s phone number. That error dropped the cash intended for a memorial donation into the wrong person’s bank account. Unfortunately, that stranger appears to view the transaction as a $500 windfall and will not return the money.

Now Asilo is hoping that our advocacy team can find a way to get her money back. But that request might just prove to be an impossible task.

Here are six Zelle scams you should know about now!

Here are six Zelle scams that will quickly drain your bank account!

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Zelle users, beware: Scammers are aiming their sights right at you. It’s true – the money transfer service has quickly become the preferred method of thieves everywhere looking for instant cash. In fact, I receive daily pleas for help from bewildered victims of these Zelle scams.

Here are six of the latest Zelle scams that you should know about in 2022.

7 Simple ways to get excellent customer service and fix your consumer problem.

7 simple ways to get excellent customer service and fix any problem!

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It isn’t just wishful thinking to say that every consumer can get excellent customer service. But it does take some effort and strategy.

During my many years as a consumer advocate, I’ve tackled some of the most shocking customer service failures imaginable. I’ve retrieved hundreds of thousands of dollars from companies for consumers who were on the verge of giving up.