CONSUMER ADVOCACY Archives

Catriona Garry missed her flight from Edinburgh to Dublin due to Aer Lingus' staffing issues, which led to a three-hour wait with only one ticket agent. Consequently, she missed her connecting flight to Boston and was wrongly charged $1,200 in rebooking fees. Despite contacting Aer Lingus for six months and escalating the issue to their CEO, she faced delays and unhelpful responses. After a thorough review of her case, highlighting the responsibilities of Aer Lingus and their third-party partner, Swissport, the airline finally refunded her rebooking fees nearly seven months after her trip.

Aer Lingus made me miss my flight. Then it charged me these booking fees!

November 4, 2024August 21, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Catriona Garry misses her flight from Edinburgh to Boston because there’s only one ticket agent at the airport. Can she get $1,200 in rebooking fees refunded?

When Lesle Collins flew from Dallas to Denver, her luggage didn’t make the trip. Despite promptly reporting it to Frontier Airlines, she faced repeated delays and ultimately a denial of her claim due to a missed deadline. Collins insists she never received the necessary forms from Frontier, highlighting the importance of immediately filing a claim at the airport and keeping thorough documentation. While airlines like Frontier have strict timelines, they can make exceptions. After advocacy, Frontier reopened Collins' case, underscoring the need for persistence in resolving lost luggage issues.

Problem with luggage: I waited too long to file a claim with my airline!

November 21, 2024August 19, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

When Lesle Collins flew from Dallas to Denver last summer, her baggage did not. She tried to file a luggage claim — but she could not.

Deirdre Stewart ordered six bras online and paid with PayPal, but received only two bras in the wrong size and a hideous shower curtain. Despite providing all required documentation, she has been waiting six weeks for a refund through PayPal’s Purchase Protection plan. After numerous frustrating interactions with PayPal’s customer service, including a disturbing call with a supposed supervisor, Deirdre reached out for help. With assistance, PayPal finally resolved her case, refunding her purchase. This bizarre experience highlights potential flaws in PayPal’s protection plan and the importance of documented communication.

I ordered bras, but they sent me a hideous shower curtain

August 20, 2024August 16, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Deirdre Stewart orders six bras online but receives only two — plus a “hideous” shower curtain. Will PayPal’s protection plan help her?

Carolyn Allen's home in Saint Cloud, Fla., faced unexpected issues when the seals on her hurricane-resistant window blinds started melting and the door handles began to corrode. Despite multiple calls and emails to FAS Windows & Doors, only some handles were replaced, leaving the rest back-ordered for over a year. Carolyn's polite persistence yielded no response until she sought help from a consumer advocacy team. With their intervention, FAS Windows & Doors finally replaced the remaining door handles, highlighting the importance of persistence and the challenges of dealing with warranty issues and unique hardware replacements.

Help! The seals on my window blinds are melting

August 31, 2024August 9, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Carolyn Allen’s window seals are melting. And now her door handles are corroded too. Can she get them replaced? And if so, how long should it take?

Maxine Biggs booked a flight for her husband from Salt Lake City to Geneva via Booking.com, but United Airlines canceled it and promised a refund. Despite United sending the refund to Booking.com three months later, Maxine is still waiting for her $1,751, six months on. Repeated calls to Booking.com only resulted in empty promises and no concrete information. After contacting both companies on her behalf, it was discovered that United had mistakenly exchanged the ticket instead of refunding it. Finally, after much confusion, Maxine received her long-awaited refund.

Refund confusion after United Airlines cancels his tickets. But where’s the money?

September 25, 2024July 24, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

When United Airlines cancels her husband’s flight, it promises Maxine Biggs a prompt refund. So why is she still waiting for her $1,751 six months later?

Susan Thompson booked a fully refundable car rental through Priceline with Sixt but was denied a refund after canceling due to her travel companion's medical emergency. Despite having written confirmation of the refund policy, Sixt and Priceline initially refused to return her money. After persistent efforts and assistance from consumer advocacy, Priceline reviewed her case, leading to a full refund. This situation highlights the importance of understanding car rental cancellation policies, taking proactive steps to secure refunds, and seeking help when companies are uncooperative.

My car rental is fully refundable. Why is Priceline keeping my money?

November 13, 2024July 22, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Can a car rental company just change its refund rules whenever it wants to?

Craig McAllister paid $524 for front-row tickets to a Mets-Yankees spring training game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., only to find his view obstructed by an ESPN cameraman. With 80% of the game blocked, he stood until he found better seats in the sixth inning. Despite contacting SeatGeek for a refund, he was initially refused, as the venue did not consider the cameraman an obstruction. After reaching out for consumer advocacy, SeatGeek reviewed the complaint and offered Craig a $150 credit as compensation, which he accepted.

I can’t see the baseball game! Can I get my money back from SeatGeek?

July 27, 2024July 19, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Craig McAllister can’t see most of his baseball game in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Does he deserve a refund from SeatGeek?

Can you get a refund for your hotel room when your mattress is soiled? Meet one Hilton guest who wanted his money back.

My mattress was soiled. Can I get a refund from Hilton?

September 5, 2024July 8, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Can you get a refund for your hotel room when your mattress is soiled? Meet one Hilton guest who wanted his money back.

After Laurence Bauman's closet collapses, he hires Beltway Builders to fix it. But soon afterward, the closet collapses again. Now the company wants him to sign a nondisclosure agreement. What's going on?

Overbilled for my closet repair! Should I sign this nondisclosure agreement?

July 13, 2024July 5, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

After Laurence Bauman’s closet collapses, he hires Beltway Builders to fix it. But soon afterward, the closet collapses again. Now the company wants him to sign a nondisclosure agreement. What’s going on?

If your airline changes your schedule and you ask for your money back, how do you get a refund? It should be automatic, but it isn't always.

How do I get a refund for my canceled Aerolíneas Argentinas flight?

July 4, 2024July 3, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

If your airline changes your schedule and you ask for your money back, how do you get a refund? It should be automatic, but it isn’t always.

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