Comments on: Caught in the opt-out trap http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jess http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-16487 Jess Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:04:36 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5621#comment-16487 I just ordered tickets on the Continental website and like their set-up much better. You must check either Yes or No for flight insurance (neither box is pre-checked). If you don't, you receive a message that you did not complete all information and cannot proceed to the next page. This makes you really think about why you should/shouldn't take the insurance and makes sure that you are not subjected to a fee without realizing it. I just ordered tickets on the Continental website and like their set-up much better. You must check either Yes or No for flight insurance (neither box is pre-checked). If you don’t, you receive a message that you did not complete all information and cannot proceed to the next page. This makes you really think about why you should/shouldn’t take the insurance and makes sure that you are not subjected to a fee without realizing it.

]]> By: Ed http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-16466 Ed Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:52:53 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5621#comment-16466 A small percentage of Frontier’s customers — less than half of 1 percent — have asked for their money back Yeah, those are the ones who actually noticed that they were unethically charged for something they didn't know they were paying for...the other 99% probably never noticed that they were getting charged for something they never wanted... What do you expect from a company that books $40million junkets while asking for federal handouts...sheesh! Ed web/gadget guru A small percentage of Frontier’s customers — less than half of 1 percent — have asked for their money back

Yeah, those are the ones who actually noticed that they were unethically charged for something they didn’t know they were paying for…the other 99% probably never noticed that they were getting charged for something they never wanted…

What do you expect from a company that books $40million junkets while asking for federal handouts…sheesh!

Ed
web/gadget guru

]]> By: Michael http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-16464 Michael Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:47:14 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5621#comment-16464 I would appreciate it if the airline would pre-check the "Ontime" checkbox when I buy tickets online, I always forget to specify that I'd like to get there on schedule. I would appreciate it if the airline would pre-check the “Ontime” checkbox when I buy tickets online, I always forget to specify that I’d like to get there on schedule.

]]> By: Sandy http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-16447 Sandy Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:13:13 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5621#comment-16447 United has similar pre-checked boxes when you check in online. One is for an upgraded seating at an extra charge and the other is I think to pay extra to get bonus miles on your next flight (not the present one). Interestingly, they are on the far left side of the page and very light so when you are possibly rushing to get checked in, they are easy to miss since you are used to looking for the "continue" box in the center or right of the page. I didn't get caught by it but did still contact United in three ways, at the counter (they said if you had checked it, they couldn't reverse it) by phone and by e-mail. Only the counter agent agreed that this was not ethical and I got no response from the other contacts. I have warned everyone in my family and that I know to be cautious when dealing with any of the airlines. United has similar pre-checked boxes when you check in online. One is for an upgraded seating at an extra charge and the other is I think to pay extra to get bonus miles on your next flight (not the present one). Interestingly, they are on the far left side of the page and very light so when you are possibly rushing to get checked in, they are easy to miss since you are used to looking for the “continue” box in the center or right of the page. I didn’t get caught by it but did still contact United in three ways, at the counter (they said if you had checked it, they couldn’t reverse it) by phone and by e-mail. Only the counter agent agreed that this was not ethical and I got no response from the other contacts. I have warned everyone in my family and that I know to be cautious when dealing with any of the airlines.

]]> By: Carl G. http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-16445 Carl G. Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:03:20 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5621#comment-16445 I don't know about this specific case. But many of these are not actually insurance as such. They are called by various other terms, 'protection plans' or similar, in order to avoid having to deal with state insurance commissions. Doesn't hurt to send them comments, but more than likely will go straight to the bit-bucket. I don’t know about this specific case. But many of these are not actually insurance as such. They are called by various other terms, ‘protection plans’ or similar, in order to avoid having to deal with state insurance commissions. Doesn’t hurt to send them comments, but more than likely will go straight to the bit-bucket.

]]> By: MoNgo http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-16444 MoNgo Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:01:39 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5621#comment-16444 I thought this was about flight insurance--paying your beneficiaries a death benefit when you DIE in a Frontier flight. Now that I got to the end about $10.95 vs. $150. for change in ticket, I'm interested in what all the insurance covers. Does it COMPensate you automatically when you're bumped off an OVERBOOKED Frontier flight? Does it ENsure that you have best place in queue for rerouting after a CANCELED Frontier flight? Does it GAURANTEE you a flight on another airline to get you to your destintation without additional charge when Frontier is unable get you a seat on Frontier (bump someone without prechecked Frontier insurance from AIG?) Or is it a worthless third-party piece of paper that has fine print that can negate any promise Frontier may have made? Back to my original error about flight insurance: Fellow ranters: Anyone of you ever get a payout when someone you loved was killed in a commercial aircraft and took out flight insurance at the airport? How did you get a copy of the policy--the insurance company provides no prepaid postage or even a mailslot. Anyone collect from free, automatic coverage insurance from charge cards? AIG didn't become a multi-billion dollar entrenched corporation by paying off benefits they could get out of. And they can get $100 billions of YOUR money from the government, no questions asked, to perpetuate their business practices. I thought this was about flight insurance–paying your beneficiaries a death benefit when you DIE in a Frontier flight. Now that I got to the end about $10.95 vs. $150. for change in ticket, I’m interested in what all the insurance covers. Does it COMPensate you automatically when you’re bumped off an OVERBOOKED Frontier flight? Does it ENsure that you have best place in queue for rerouting after a CANCELED Frontier flight? Does it GAURANTEE you a flight on another airline to get you to your destintation without additional charge when Frontier is unable get you a seat on Frontier (bump someone without prechecked Frontier insurance from AIG?)
Or is it a worthless third-party piece of paper that has fine print that can negate any promise Frontier may have made?

Back to my original error about flight insurance:
Fellow ranters: Anyone of you ever get a payout when someone you loved was killed in a commercial aircraft and took out flight insurance at the airport? How did you get a copy of the policy–the insurance company provides no prepaid postage or even a mailslot.
Anyone collect from free, automatic coverage insurance from charge cards?
AIG didn’t become a multi-billion dollar entrenched corporation by paying off benefits they could get out of. And they can get $100 billions of YOUR money from the government, no questions asked, to perpetuate their business practices.

]]> By: Carver http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/caught-in-the-opt-out-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-16440 Carver Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:16:11 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5621#comment-16440 Chris is 100% correct when he states that opt-out are considered an unethical practice by the online community. Personally, that would be sufficient reason for me to not patronize that vendor. I figure if they are being unethical up front, I can only imagine what shenanigans are happening behind the scenes. The Frontier's spokesman should be ashamed of himself for trying to defend such a practice. Chris is 100% correct when he states that opt-out are considered an unethical practice by the online community. Personally, that would be sufficient reason for me to not patronize that vendor. I figure if they are being unethical up front, I can only imagine what shenanigans are happening behind the scenes.

The Frontier’s spokesman should be ashamed of himself for trying to defend such a practice.

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