MICHELLE COUCH-FRIEDMAN - Page 13 of 28

car rental nightmare mistake, Thrifty, Hertz car rental counter

How did this $145 car rental turn into a $4,320 nightmare?

July 21, 2025June 25, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Rishabh Gupta expected to pay approximately $145 for his recent one-day Thrifty car rental. So imagine his surprise when the final bill rang in at just under $5,000.

Gupta’s surprise turned to shock when he asked the car rental company to correct the outrageous billing error.

That’s when Thrifty explained that the super-sized invoice wasn’t a mistake at all. The car rental giant informed Gupta that he had returned the vehicle to a competing agency, where it remained undetected for a month.

Now with Thrifty’s parent company, Hertz, confirming that Gupta owes the $4,320 tab, he’s asking for help. He hopes Consumer Rescue can investigate and prove he returned the rental car to the correct location.

But with no evidence to support his claim, will he remain stuck with this nightmare car rental bill?

Vantage Travel River Splendor ship, colorful countryside, long passenger river boat, Letter V in the middle of the boat for Vantage.

How buying travel insurance from a tour operator could be a $20,000 mistake

September 7, 2025June 17, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

For years, legions of Vantage Deluxe World Travel customers eagerly purchased their trip insurance directly from the luxury tour operator. They loved the ease and convenience of having a one-stop shop for their travel planning. Unfortunately, many, if not most of these unsuspecting consumers neither read nor understood the trip protection they were buying.

That was a mistake.

Now with Vantage Travel seemingly unable to pay its bills or operate its tours, a giant light is shining on its pricey waiver product. Thousands of desperate customers are finally reading the details of the trip protection Vantage sold them. Far too late, they’re discovering the policy provides virtually no protection at all if the company runs out of money.

Vantage Travel Ocean Explorer, a cruise ship on the ocean at sunset.

Help! Vantage Travel canceled my cruise. How can I get a refund?

July 5, 2025June 2, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

In the past month, pleas for help from distressed customers, vendors and even employees of Vantage Deluxe World Travel have flooded my inbox at an alarming rate. That’s the Boston-based company that announced bad guys had hit it with ransomware at the end of April. At that time, the tour operator’s website went offline, as did its call center – for an entire week.

Since then, it’s been all downhill for the customers of the once well-respected and beloved operator of luxury tours. Today Vantage Travel appears to be in a state of suspended animation. It has officially canceled all its cruises and land tours through June 10.

Although Vantage Travel has not publicly announced that it will continue to cancel more cruises, it is inevitable. In fact, a Vantage Travel employee sent me an internal memo yesterday that announces that it will cancel all tours through Aug. 28.

The once-lively vessels of Vantage Travel are turning into immobile ghost ships without passengers or crews.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Encore sailing through Alaska, mountains, ship, sunset, ocean

We upgraded our cabin to celebrate! Why did NCL cancel our $3,737 Alaskan cruise?

June 28, 2025May 19, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Did Norwegian Cruise Line really cancel a couple’s Alaskan cruise after first confirming a cabin upgrade to celebrate their anniversary? The answer to that question is “Yes.” Here’s their terrible tale.

Never get in the TSA PreCheck line unless you’re approved. Here’s why

July 28, 2025May 17, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

It goes without saying that travelers should not get in the TSA PreCheck line unless they’ve been approved for the program. Or does it?

Marriott threw away stored luggage in Auckland

Marriott threw our stored luggage in the garbage! Who owes us $5,000?

July 28, 2025May 12, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

When Marriott takes over The Stamford Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, employees discover and throw away some seemingly abandoned luggage. (Surprise! It wasn’t.)

Two weeks later, the owner of those bags turns up at the Marriott looking for her now discarded belongings. Emily G. says the previous management assured her she could safely store her luggage at the hotel while traveling – and never mentioned that the property was about to switch hands.

Now Emily is asking Consumer Rescue for assistance. She values the contents of the suitcases Marriott tossed in the garbage at $5,000 and hopes we can get it.

But does Marriott owe her anything for the bags it trashed, and what should you do if you need to store your luggage abroad? That’s what we’re exploring today.

An Airbnb nightmare: NYC vacation rental problems.

An Airbnb nightmare: Am I looking at blood stains in the bed?

August 21, 2023May 9, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Koji Kawana and his family were looking forward to an exciting five days in New York City. The group had a tight schedule with plenty of activities planned. What they hadn’t planned for is the Airbnb nightmare that was about to confront them.

Now Kawana wants to know: Shouldn’t Airbnb refund him for this nightmare of a vacation rental?

Why did the cruise ship leave me behind? I only needed a blood transfusion!

February 15, 2024May 5, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

If you suffer a sudden medical emergency during a cruise, could the ship leave you behind in a foreign country? Much to his dismay, NCL passenger Andrew Goldstein found out that the answer is ‘yes.’

Filthy garbage outside a vacation rental

A filthy vacation rental is not my thing! How do I get a refund?

June 9, 2025May 2, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

When an Airbnb host directs Andrea Walker to use the service elevator in the building where she is renting an apartment, she’s slightly suspicious. However, when she opens the door to the unit, she knows she definitely won’t be staying. The Airbnb host apologizes for the state of the filthy vacation rental and quickly agrees to a refund.

So why does the host later tell Airbnb that Walker spent the whole weekend at the property?

This is a ship on the ocean owned by the company Vantage Deluxe World Travel.

Vantage Deluxe World Travel: Here are the true tales from bewildered customers

July 5, 2025April 29, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Attention Vantage Deluxe World Travel customers: The news isn’t good if you’ve got a trip planned with this tour operator. The unfortunate reality is that you might not be going anywhere.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, my consumer advocacy team has been fielding a heavy volume of Vantage Travel complaints. But recently, the number of pleas for help from customers of the troubled tour operator has skyrocketed.

On April 21, things went from bad to worse. That’s when the Vantage Travel website suddenly went offline and its phone system stopped working. Simultaneously, the administrator of the tour operator’s Facebook page disabled commenting.

But not before angry Vantage customers began sharing disturbing stories.

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