CONSUMER ADVOCACY - Page 19 of 21

Hurt on vacation, travel insurance mistake, going to the hospital in Mexico, Expensive medical treatment abroad.

Hurt on vacation? Don’t make this travel insurance mistake

November 10, 2024October 15, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

After she was seriously hurt on vacation, Molly Brooks made a giant, but not uncommon, travel insurance mistake. She left the rural Mexican hospital where she received pricey emergency services and flew home without any documentation of treatment. Her only evidence of hospitalization was a non-itemized $6,000 credit card receipt. As could be expected, this lack of documentation presented an insurmountable problem when she filed her travel insurance claim.

This consumer got caught in an online shopping scam.

How did I lose the credit card dispute after this online shopping scam?

February 19, 2024October 10, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Before you do any more online shopping, you’ll want to read about the scam that just ensnared Susan Leipholtz. She paid an online “merchant” $129 through PayPal and received absolutely nothing in return. But getting blindsided by the internet thief wasn’t nearly as shocking as what happened next. That’s when Capital One sided with the scammer in her credit card dispute.

This traveler says she didn't damage her vacation rental unit and doesn't want to pay for the repairs.

I didn’t damage this vacation rental! Do I have to pay for it?

October 28, 2023October 7, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Could you be falsely accused of causing damage to your next vacation rental — and be forced to pay for it?

Colleen McKenna is sure that the answer to that question is “yes.” She just returned from what she thought was a peaceful and uneventful stay in a rented condo in Hawaii. But the property manager says she and her husband caused significant damage to the vacation rental during a domestic disturbance. As a result, he charged her credit card for cleanup and repairs — several days after the couple’s departure.

Colleen says she has absolutely no idea what this man is talking about and believes it’s a scam. Now she’s asking our advocacy team to investigate.

What happens if a drunk driver demolishes your rental car?

A drunk driver crashed into my rental car but I got the $22,158 bill!

January 29, 2023October 6, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Just days into Joe Vandetta’s recent Florida family vacation, a drunk driver crashed head-on into his rental car. Luckily, the hit-and-run accident didn’t cause serious injuries, and the Vandettas — bruised but otherwise unharmed — completed their trip as planned.

But the shock of getting smashed by an intoxicated motorist was nothing compared to the jolt Joe received a month later. That’s when Budget Rental Car sent a $22,158 bill — the cost of the vehicle damaged by the drunk driver.

Will Jetblue let this old cat fly home from the Dominican Republic?

Can JetBlue really refuse to let my cat fly home from vacation?!

December 3, 2024September 29, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Flying with your cat internationally can be complicated — especially when an airline changes its pet policy mid-trip. Yekis Fortunato found out just how complicated after flying JetBlue to the Dominican Republic with her 19-year-old cat, Foxxy.

Shockingly, soon after arrival, the airline summarily canceled the feline’s return flight. The reason? JetBlue updated its policy prohibiting any pets from flying to or from the island on its aircraft.

United Airlines canceled a passengers flight and then sent his refund to a closed credit card account. Where did the money go? And can our advocacy team help?

Help! United Airlines sent my refund to a closed credit card account.

April 11, 2024September 26, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

United Airlines canceled Eric Noderer’s flight to India and sent his refund to a closed credit card account. Since then, he’s been in an endless battle between the airline and Chase to locate the missing $2,217.

Now he’s hoping our advocacy team can provide the backup assistance he needs to find and retrieve his money.

Can we do it?

It’s never a good idea to close a credit card when you’ve used it to pay for upcoming flight or cruise. There are many reasons this is so, but Noderer’s struggle highlights the primary one. Here’s his frustrating tale.

This Budget customer says she returned her rental car as scheduled. So why doesn't the car rental agency know that?

I left my rental car at the airport, but now it’s missing!

May 12, 2023September 24, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Maureen Heller recently received a shocking message from Budget Security about a missing rental car. The letter accused Maureen of failing to return a Nissan Sentra that she had left at the Detroit airport weeks earlier.

But with no receipt to prove she returned it, will Maureen be on the hook for this missing rental car?

How did an Airbnb scammer book a trip to France with this consumer's account?

If an Airbnb scammer takes $1,942 from your account, can you get it back?

October 5, 2023September 19, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Is your Airbnb account safe from scammers and hackers?

Berenice Anaya certainly thought so. In fact, the possibility of a criminal accessing her Airbnb account and causing havoc had not even crossed her mind.

However, this Airbnb user recently woke up to an unpleasant reality after a scammer successfully hacked right into her account. The Airbnb security team thwarted the thief and prevented him from completing his ultimate goal. But not before $1,942 was removed from Berenice’s bank account.

So why won’t Airbnb return the money to its victimized guest? That’s what Berenice is asking our team after repeatedly trying unsuccessfully to retrieve her cash from the company.

What’s going on here, and can we help?

What should a consumer do if a stranger drops money into their bank account via Zelle and then demands it back?

An angry stranger sent me a Zelle payment by surprise! Is this a scam?

April 5, 2024September 17, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

What’s the safest thing to do if you receive an unexpected Zelle payment and then an angry stranger asks you to send it back?

That’s something Erin Scheithe wants to know. She recently received a surprising text that an unknown person had made a $925 Zelle payment to her. Soon after that, a panicked woman emailed pleading for the return of the misguided funds. But when Erin asked her bank for guidance, things really started going wrong.

Erin’s frustrating tale is one you’ll want to read if you have a cash app like Zelle or Venmo installed on your phone. Although these services can be a great way to send money to friends and family, they’re also a great way to lose a ton of cash. Here’s what you need to know to help you decide if a money transfer app is right for you.

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

October 21, 2024September 7, 2022 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

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.

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