CONSUMER ADVOCACY - Consumer Rescue

Royal Caribbean passenger says his $16,000 jewelry purchase was a mistake, Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean ship on the sea

I paid $16,000 for a diamond necklace on my Caribbean cruise. Here is its actual value

November 28, 2025November 28, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Alton Locklear returned home from his latest Royal Caribbean cruise with a $16,000 diamond necklace he purchased on the ship. But all was not as it seemed. He says salespeople inside the Effy jewelry shop aboard Utopia of the Seas wildly overinflated the value of that necklace.

When Locklear took his sparkly souvenir to a local jewelry appraiser, he received shocking news. Not only was the total carat weight way off, but the diamonds adorning the necklace were lab-grown. Those details significantly diminished its value.

Now Locklear is hoping that Consumer Rescue can help. He wants to return the jewelry and retrieve his $16,000.

Car rental mistakes to avoid in 2026, expert advises travelers, Michelle Couch-Friedman advises travelers

8 expensive car rental mistakes and scams that can wreck your wallet

November 21, 2025November 20, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Expensive car rental mistakes are easily avoidable with just a little research and preparation. Yet week after week, the Consumer Rescue case files show that many car rental customers do neither. By the time I hear from these blindsided travelers, that oversight has led to hefty fees and other unexpected repercussions.

Here are the most common mistakes car rental customers make and what you can do to avoid them in 2026.

Medicare Plan Finder confusion, Medicare questions, Abe Wischnia is Consumer Rescue's registered Medicare counselor

Why is the Medicare Plan Finder giving me confusing information? Help!

November 16, 2025 by Abe Wischnia

Medicare beneficiary Thomas Devich did everything right. He read his Annual Notice of Change and used the Medicare Plan Finder to compare his drug coverage for the coming year. He even called the insurance companies directly to double-check the numbers.

But instead of getting a clear answer, he ran into something far more confusing: every source gave him a different price for the exact same prescriptions.

What’s going on here? Consumer Rescue’s registered Medicare counselor, Abe Wischnia, explains.

Le Louvre, Tourist scams warning from Michelle Couch-Friedman (ombudsman columnist)

5 terrible tourist scams that could ruin your vacation in 2026

November 16, 2025November 13, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Could an ombudsman columnist who routinely writes about tourist scams become the target of one herself? The answer is, of course, “Yes.” No traveler is immune to the possibility of a brush with a bad actor — not even me.

How a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket turned into a $4,500 scam, Southwest Airlines aircraft on the runway

How a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket cost a scam victim $4,500

November 6, 2025November 4, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

How did a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket end up costing an American Airlines customer in distress $4,500? If you guessed a fake airline call center scam is behind this astounding upsell, you would be right.

An active elderly couple taking a hike to illustrate and article about the Medicare Open Enrollment deadline approaching, Getting Medicare beneficiaries ready for 2026, Abe Wischnia is a registered Medicare counselor for Consumer Rescue

Medicare open enrollment is closing soon. Are you prepared for 2026?

November 16, 2025October 31, 2025 by Abe Wischnia

Sometimes fall can seem like it’s open season on Medicare beneficiaries. Insurance companies are after your money by raising costs, reducing benefits, and dropping covered drugs. And, of course, there are crooks who use this period to target you with Medicare scams.

If you’re on Medicare and want or need to watch your budget, pay attention. Now is the time to protect yourself.

Here’s what Medicare beneficiaries need to know to prepare for 2026.

Ace Rent a Car scam at the Tampa airport, car rental scams, rental car repair scams

Ace Rent a Car charged a customer $1,400 for damage it already knew about

November 13, 2025October 28, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Ace Rent a Car at the Tampa airport blindsided Carla Lemker with a $1,400 repair bill after her last rental. Sure that she didn’t cause any damage to the vehicle, Lemker asked the company for proof. That’s when things got really weird.

Norwegian Spirit cruise ship, Passenger denied boarding cruise, NCL changes its decision later

Norwegian Cruise Line refused to let me board the ship. Is this legal?

October 21, 2025October 20, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Norwegian Cruise Line recently denied boarding to a bewildered passenger in Tokyo — she says, solely because of her nationality. But the next day, NCL reversed course and told the woman she was welcome to join the cruise.

Unfortunately, by then, Norwegian Spirit had sailed and was nearly 500 miles away in Kobe.

SWISS aircraft taking flight, Swiss Air Lines aborted flight, engine troubles, lost upgraded seat

After a Swiss Air mid-flight emergency, we lost our $1,500 upgrade. Help!

October 18, 2025October 14, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Mid-flight engine troubles on Swiss Air led to a couple’s struggle for a $1,500 premium economy upgrade refund. Can Consumer Rescue help?

The Publishers Clearing House scam is thriving, here is a real life example of how this call unfolds, a green phone with the word scam stamped across it is the featured image of this article

Publishers Clearing House scams are thriving. Here is the recorded call to prove it

October 16, 2025October 7, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Publishers Clearing House scams remain a menace to senior citizens, even after the company’s bankruptcy this year. I know because a friendly, self-proclaimed “man of God” called me last week, claiming to be a representative of PCH. He said he’d soon arrive at my house to deliver my sweepstakes award of “a whopping $5.5 million.”

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