Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.

On a recent Virgin America flight, an attendant accidentally spilled hot water on her hand, she says. Accidents like this happen alot.

Can this trip be saved? Flight attendant spills boiling water on my hand

January 20, 2024March 14, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

Tea time didn’t go as planned for Star Rivera.

We're very lucky. The devastating earthquake that struck Japan last week caused only minor damage here in the States.

Do people who leave their brains at home deserve to be ripped off?

January 20, 2024March 13, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

We’re very lucky. The devastating earthquake that struck Japan last week caused only minor damage here in the States

You were right. Last week, several readers reported an intrusive, new screening procedure being used by the TSA.

“I cried through the whole experience”

January 20, 2024March 12, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

You were right.

No one expects to get whacked by a tsunami on their vacation. I certainly didn’t when I checked into the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui.

How to survive a tsunami in your hotel

January 20, 2024March 11, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

No one expects to get whacked by a tsunami on their vacation. I certainly didn’t when I checked into the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui on Wednesday night.

I was about to move Don and Carri Schoeller's car rental case into the "solved" file when I got a following email from them.

What would you do? Billed for car rental damage, and then re-billed

January 20, 2024March 10, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

I was about to move Don and Carri Schoeller’s car rental case into the “solved” file when I got the following email from them:

To get an idea of what the hotel bill of the future might look like, take a look at your present bill at the Atlantis in the Bahamas.

Ridiculous or not? Mandatory housekeeping fees are just around the corner

January 20, 2024March 9, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

To get an idea of what the hotel bill of the future might look like, take a look at your present bill at the Atlantis in the Bahamas.

a seven-day sailing from from San Juan to Dominica, Grenada, Aruba, and back again on the Caribbean Princess last month.

Is this enough compensation? A broken toilet, a busted shower — and you’re offering a voucher?

January 20, 2024March 8, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

t was Alicia and Dean Winicks’ first cruise — a seven-day sailing from from San Juan to Dominica, Grenada, Aruba, and back again on the Caribbean Princess last month.

Without you, I would have moved on to the next thing a long time ago. But your interesting questions and lively comments keep this site going.

This is not a travel blog, it’s a …

January 20, 2024March 6, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

Let me start by saying this isn’t my site, even though it bears my name. It’s yours.

As she waited for her flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Medford, Ore., Linda noticed something unusual in the waiting area.

Are we traveling in a police state?

January 24, 2024March 6, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

As she waited for her flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Medford, Ore., last month, Linda Morrison noticed something unusual in the waiting area.

Can things get any worse for the TSA?

January 20, 2024March 5, 2011 by Christopher Elliott

To say the TSA just had a bad week would be a lot like saying Muammar Gaddafi is dealing with a little opposition in Libya.