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.

Discover how to handle the 'delay rage,' by understanding your passenger rights and utilizing coping strategies during flight delays. Explore the bigger issue of airline accountability and potential government regulation to improve the air travel experience.

Don’t become a victim of delay rage this summer. Here’s how.

July 15, 2024July 23, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

If the click of the public announcement system in the boarding area is all it takes to make your heart skip a beat, maybe you’re susceptible to this summer’s travel epidemic: delay rage.

Ryan Maietta orders an Arc A770 graphics card from Amazon. Instead, he gets a different card, an A750. How does he get this fixed?

Amazon sent me the wrong graphics card. How do I get this fixed?

April 22, 2024July 18, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Ryan Maietta orders an Arc A770 graphics card from Amazon. Instead, he gets a different card, an A750. How does he get this fixed?

Why did Airbnb ban Solange Reyner? The company won't tell her. But will it tell this consumer advocate?

I’ve been banned by Airbnb, but no one will tell me why

January 7, 2025July 17, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Why did Airbnb ban Solange Reyner? The company won’t tell her. But will it tell this consumer advocate?

On a recent flight from Phoenix to London, Gerri Hether found herself seated next to an overweight passenger -- so overweight that he couldn't fit into his seat.

Do overweight passengers deserve a bigger seat on a plane?

July 15, 2024July 15, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

On a recent flight from Phoenix to London, Gerri Hether found herself seated next to an overweight passenger — so overweight that he couldn’t fit into his seat.

Keith Cantrell's new refrigerator is making a loud buzzing sound. GE can't fix it, and Home Depot won't let him return it. What should he do?

His refrigerator won’t stop buzzing. Will Home Depot take it back?

January 19, 2024July 12, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Keith Cantrell’s new refrigerator is making a loud buzzing sound. GE can’t fix it, and Home Depot won’t let him return it. What should he do?

When William Houck returns his rental car to LAX, Budget tries to charge him a fee for refueling and cleaning. But he brought the car back with a full gas tank, and it was clean. How can he fight these charges?

Budget wants to charge me for refueling and cleaning. Is that allowed?

May 4, 2024July 10, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

When William Houck returns his rental car to LAX, Budget tries to charge him a fee for refueling and cleaning. But he brought the car back with a full gas tank, and it was clean. How can he fight these charges?

My son sat next to the world's worst tourist on a flight from Sydney to Denpasar, Indonesia. His seatmate nursed a bottle of sizzurp -- a potent mix of codeine and Sprite -- and the man twitched uncontrollably for the seven-hour flight to Bali.

Travel tip: Beware of bad tourists this summer!

June 20, 2024July 9, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

My son sat next to the world’s worst tourist on a flight from Sydney to Denpasar, Indonesia. His seatmate nursed a bottle of sizzurp — a potent mix of codeine and Sprite — and the man twitched uncontrollably for the seven-hour flight to Bali.

Frontier Airlines overcharged Abbey Colville for her luggage on a recent flight from Denver to Detroit. Way overcharged her.

What should you do when an airline overcharges you for luggage?

August 21, 2025July 7, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Frontier Airlines overcharged Abbey Colville for her luggage on a recent flight from Denver to Detroit. Way overcharged her.

When Robert Preuss tries to buy a Fisher-Price Power Wheels Dune Racer from Amazon, he can't complete the purchase. Amazon offers to fix the problem but then reneges, leaving him with a $304 bill.

Did Amazon bait-and-switch me on this toy car I ordered online?

February 2, 2024July 5, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

When Robert Preuss tries to buy a Fisher-Price Power Wheels Dune Racer from Amazon, he can’t complete the purchase. Amazon offers to fix the problem but then reneges, leaving him with a $304 bill.

Peter Holt prepays $66 for two checked bags on his Avianca flight from San Jose, Costa Rica, to Mexico City.

I had to pay twice for my checked luggage on Avianca. I want a refund!

February 13, 2024July 2, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Peter Holt prepays $66 for two checked bags on his Avianca flight from San Jose, Costa Rica, to Mexico City. Why did he pay twice?