Welcome to Consumer Rescue
Your Fiasco Fixer
Michelle Couch-Friedman is an author and consumer advocate. She is the founder of Consumer Rescue. Michelle has successfully mediated thousands of problems for troubled travelers and other consumers during her career as an advocate.
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.
False claims for car rental damage are through the roof. To protect yourself from being unfairly billed for rental car repairs, download Consumer Rescue’s free rental car inspection checklist. Print and use these pre- and post-rental checklists when you rent … Read More
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 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.
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 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.
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?
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.”
Aurora Expeditions’ subsidiary Vantage Explorations just turned two years old. To celebrate this milestone, the cruise line has big news and a $2,500 booking bonus for cruisers.
Here’s what’s next for Vantage Explorations and Aurora Expeditions.
Cruise ship passengers frequently contact Consumer Rescue after falling victim to scams during their travels. Unfortunately, by then it’s usually too late to do anything – except to tell their stories so others can avoid the same fate.
Here are the eight most common travel scams you should know before your next cruise.
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© 2026 Consumer Rescue / Michelle Couch-Friedman
