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.

Did Amazon lose your return package? Learn how to get your refund and understand Amazon's policies for lost returns in this frustrating tale of customer disservice.

Amazon didn’t receive my return package. What should I do?

March 27, 2025April 10, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

If you return a product to Amazon, but it says the package never arrived, what can you do?

If you want to get away from it all, there's remote -- and then there's Tasmania. Here's why more Americans are visiting in 2023.

Remote, wild and devilishly subversive: Here’s why Americans are coming back to Tasmania

January 19, 2024April 7, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

If you want to get away from it all, there’s remote — and then there’s Tasmania. Here’s why more Americans are visiting in 2023.

What is it about the luggage carousel that brings out the worst in air travelers? Maybe it's the decline of civility. Maybe not.

Luggage etiquette: Do’s and don’ts for claiming your bags

April 6, 2025April 7, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

What is it about the luggage carousel that brings out the worst in air travelers? Maybe it’s the decline of civility. Maybe not.

Krista O'Brien accidentally pays $449 extra for her checked luggage on an Aer Lingus flight. Why won't the airline help her undo the mistake?

I paid Aer Lingus for extra luggage I didn’t need. Can I get a refund?

November 4, 2024April 4, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Krista O’Brien accidentally pays $449 extra for her checked luggage on an Aer Lingus flight. Why won’t the airline help her undo the mistake?

When a U.S. Customs agent confiscates Adriana Cordero's passport, she tries to get it back. But government bureaucracy is standing between her and her ID.

U.S. Customs confiscated her passport. How does she get it back?

December 6, 2023April 3, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

When a U.S. Customs agent confiscates Adriana Cordero’s passport, she tries to get it back. But government bureaucracy is standing between her and her ID.

How do you get on a car rental company’s Do Not Rent list? And can it really keep your money if you make a nonrefundable reservation?

I’m on a car rental company’s Do Not Rent list — now they’re keeping my money, too!

May 1, 2024April 1, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

How do you get on a car rental company’s Do Not Rent list? And can it really keep your money if you make a nonrefundable reservation?

Lisamarie Monaco never expected anyone to offer her a vacation do-over. She was staying at a resort hotel in Fort Lauderdale, and things were not going as planned.

When travel goes bad, can you get a vacation do-over?

January 19, 2024March 30, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Lisamarie Monaco never expected anyone to offer her a vacation do-over. She was staying at a resort hotel in Fort Lauderdale, and things were not going as planned.

Daniel Onn books a business class ticket on Amtrak. Then the rail carrier removes the business class car. Does it owe him anything?

Does Amtrak owe me anything for a forced downgrade?

January 19, 2024March 29, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Daniel Onn books a business class ticket on Amtrak. Then the rail carrier removes the business class car. Does it owe him anything?

When Maura Ruzhnikov sends money to a stranger by mistake on Zelle, she tries to undo the transaction. That's easier said than done. Will she ever get her money back?

I sent a stranger money through Zelle by mistake. How do I undo it?

January 19, 2024March 28, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

When Maura Ruzhnikov sends money to a stranger by mistake on Zelle, she tries to undo the transaction. That’s easier said than done. Will she ever get her money back?

Midway through her VRBO rental, a neighbor reveals a shocking secret about the host to Anne Penner. Will she still pay?

My VRBO vacation rental host is accused of arson and murder. Do I still have to pay?

January 19, 2024March 26, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

More than halfway through her stay in a Vrbo vacation rental in Mount Holly, N.C., a neighbor told Anne Penner a shocking secret about her host: He was about to go on trial for arson and murder.