VACATION FIASCOS - Consumer Rescue

UTOvacation offered trips to Beijing for $494 per person, Colorful house in Beijing

Is UTOvacation a scam tour operator? This ex-customer says “yes!”

April 14, 2025April 14, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

UTOvacation sold Shih (Richard) Liu and his wife a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China and Japan. But Liu, like many other customers of this particular tour operator, now says he’s the victim of a scam. Nearly a year after collecting full payment from the Lius, the company changed the contract and added new fees.

The couple maintains that the tour operator pulled this bait and switch without any notification or follow-up. But worse than that deception was what UTOvacation did next – also without informing the couple.

Carnival Cruise Line passenger gets scammed, Zelle scam, scammers everywhere, cruise scam, Carnival Freedom cruise ship

This Carnival cruise ship passenger lost $3,556 to a Zelle scam

April 7, 2025April 6, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Cruise ship passengers beware: Never use Zelle to pay for a cruise, excursion or any other part of your vacation. If you do, you could end up like L. Williams, a former Carnival Cruise Line customer.

A scammer pretending to be a cruise consultant tricked Williams into paying for her last cruise with Zelle. That set off a chain reaction that left her $3,556 in debt – and banned indefinitely from the cruise line.

LA Wildfires, Residents flee to Airbnb rentals, illegal Airbnb rental problems, Evicted from Airbnb rental

We were evicted from an illegal Airbnb rental! Aren’t we owed a refund?

March 30, 2025March 29, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

The recent LA wildfires temporarily displaced Rahul Kapur’s family and pets from their home. The Kapurs temporarily relocated to an Airbnb rental in nearby Marina Del Rey. They reserved the unit for two weeks and hoped to return home after their stay. But as the fires continued to burn, it became clear that wouldn’t be possible.

They were displaced again when that apartment wasn’t available beyond the original contract. However, the good news came when an Airbnb rental in the same condominium became available. The family migrated to the new unit and settled in.

Kapur and his family are still reeling from what happened next.

How to get U.K. Electronic Travel Authorization, Avoid scammers, Flying to Great Britain get E.T.A

Flying to Great Britain soon? Here’s how to get your UK ETA without getting scammed

April 11, 2025March 21, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Since January 8, 2025, United States citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to visit Great Britain. The ETA costs about $13, and the online application process is fairly simple. But like lightning, scammers have hit the internet, with official-looking websites aimed at victimizing unaware ETA-seekers.

United Airlines aircraft, blue sky and airplane

United Airlines canceled my flight from Iceland. Am I really owed nothing?

March 9, 2025March 8, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

After United Airlines canceled Tamra McIntyre’s flight home from Iceland, she requested EU 261 compensation – around $622. In response, the airline “awarded” her just 8,000 United Airlines Mileage Plus points, the equivalent of about $108.

Final answer, says United Airlines.

McIntyre, unwilling to accept that answer asked the Consumer Rescue advocacy team to investigate. United Airlines says her flight cancellation doesn’t qualify for EU 261 compensation. She says it does.

Who’s right? You’re about to find out.

If you hate your cruise excursion, can you get a refund? This cruiser found our the jolting answer.

Hate your cruise excursion? A credit card dispute will only make things worse

March 1, 2025March 1, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

If you hate your next shore excursion and the cruise line refuses your refund request, don’t expect a credit card dispute to save the day. It won’t. Joseph Campo can tell you.

After a salmon-fishing excursion in Alaska went all wrong, Campo asked Princess Cruises for his money back. When that didn’t happen, he filed a chargeback with his credit card company — and won. So he assumed that settled the matter.

It didn’t. Not even close.

Princess Cruises can't let these customers board the ship

My Princess cruise sailed without us because of a tiny passport mistake

February 23, 2025February 22, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Don’t make the passport mistake these Princess cruise ship passengers made. You’re in the danger zone if your passport has less than six months left before it expires.

American Airlines aircraft, AA airplane parked at gate, American Airlines canceled flight, delayed flight at gate

Help! American Airlines gave me travel credit instead of $5,075 in cash

February 16, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

American Airlines left Brooke Krukenberg and 24 family members stranded in North Carolina after canceling their flight home to Iowa. As the group scrambled to find alternative transportation, airline agents assured the displaced passengers their refunds were on the way.

Krukenberg calculated that American Airlines owed each family member $250 for the canceled flight – around $5,600. That refund factored into the group’s plans as they booked rental cars and hotels for the unexpected 18-hour road trip back home. Here’s what happened next.

Enterprise Rent a Car lot, rental cars in a row

Enterprise says Mickey Mouse damaged my rental car. Why should I pay?

February 16, 2025February 9, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Like every savvy traveler, Kathy Mason inspected her recent rental car very carefully before driving it off the lot. The vehicle had no visible damage, and she says she returned it in the same condition just two days later. So it was a surprise when Enterprise sent her a $775 repair bill – two months after the rental was over.

But even more surprising than the repair bill was who Enterprise believed was responsible for damaging “things” inside the rental car. In an official incident report, “Mickey Mouse” is named as the alleged suspect.

United Airlines aircraft, sunset with United Airlines

Help! Fake United Airlines customer service charged me a $1,750 service fee

March 21, 2025February 5, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Christian Forthomme made a critical, but common error while booking a round-trip business-class flight to Paris for his wife. After asking Google for United Airlines customer service, he called the first number that popped up in the search results. Instead of reaching the airline, he dialed right into a scam call center where a fake UA agent was waiting. That fraudster easily booked the ticket and charged the unaware Forthomme a whopping $1,750 service fee for her efforts.

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