Author: 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 also hosts a weekly consumer advocacy podcast on Spotify. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes weekly columns for King Features Syndicate, USA Today, and the Washington Post. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter. Read more of Christopher's articles here.

Need help with Quest Diagnostics? Here’s what our research team can do for you

By Christopher Elliott |

Before today, we didn’t know the names, numbers and email addresses for the customer service executives at Quest Diagnostics. But then George Fornero asked our team for help with a Quest Diagnostics case. And now we do.

Actually, I should say before today those names weren’t public. But we have an amazing research team, capable of finding the company employees whose names and contact information are a closely guarded secret: the executives who handle customer service problems. Read more “Need help with Quest Diagnostics? Here’s what our research team can do for you”

How can you avoid a bad hotel room?

By Christopher Elliott |

What can you do to avoid being assigned a bad hotel room?

For Michael Rewers, he knows that he increases his chances of avoiding a bad hotel room by staying away from “free stay” vouchers – and at least one four-star hotel.

Rewers, who frequently travels as a sales rep for a European energy company, recently tried to redeem a hotel coupon for a weekend at an upscale hotel in Warsaw. “Big mistake,” he recalls. (reprint) Read more “How can you avoid a bad hotel room?”

I need your help. Should I delete this story?

By Christopher Elliott |

Remember that article about the resume scam I fell for? Someone wants me to take it down. I need your help. Should I delete the story?

Come to think of it, there are several articles on this site that people want me to remove. And I’m not just talking about the ones people disagree with, like the one about losing my LastPass password.

I’m not deleting that one, by the way, so don’t get your hopes up. Read more “I need your help. Should I delete this story?”

How to get a refund from Airbnb during the pandemic

By Christopher Elliott |

Elena Lopez wants to know how to get a refund from Airbnb during the pandemic. She had to cancel her stay in London and thought she could get her money back. Is getting an Airbnb refund impossible? (reprint – last updated Sept 8)
Read more “How to get a refund from Airbnb during the pandemic”

How to get an airline to waive its rules now

By Christopher Elliott |

Well, that didn’t take long. The U.S. airlines have quietly started tightening their rules again, even as COVID-19 cases take off in America. And now, travelers want to know how they can get an airline to waive its rules. (reprint) Read more “How to get an airline to waive its rules now”

Here it is: the bad parent’s guide to travel

By Christopher Elliott |

Last week some of you called for my head after I disclosed that my teenage daughter threatened to hack my computer. Why, the nerve of that girl! One commenter, who demanded that I delete the offending story, scolded me for being a bad parent.

My response? That’s not bad parenting. Read more “Here it is: the bad parent’s guide to travel”

Coronavirus concerns made me cancel my tour. Where is my refund?

By Christopher Elliott |

When coronavirus concerns cause Patricia Fuja to cancel her West Coast tour, she tries to get a refund from her tour operator. But why is it taking so long? (reprint) Read more “Coronavirus concerns made me cancel my tour. Where is my refund?”

Help! My LastPass login doesn’t work. What’s the fix?

By Christopher Elliott |

Before passwords got complicated, and before the massive data breaches scared the living daylights out of us, LastPass was the perfect app for remembering my login information. It stored all of my passwords on my laptop and recalled them securely whenever I needed them.

Until one day, it didn’t. Read more “Help! My LastPass login doesn’t work. What’s the fix?”

Will travel insurance protect you during the coronavirus outbreak?

By Christopher Elliott |

David Klement wants to know if his travel insurance will protect him during the coronavirus outbreak. Specifically, could it get him a full $15,506 refund for his Grand Circle Travel tour of India?

The question — “Will travel insurance protect me during the coronavirus outbreak?” — is driving travelers a little crazy during the pandemic. After all, they bought travel insurance believing it would fully protect them. And by “fully protect,” they mean being made whole if something catastrophic happened.

And then something catastrophic happened.  (Reprint) Read more “Will travel insurance protect you during the coronavirus outbreak?”

Money talks: How one small change in my personal finance led to a big discovery

By Christopher Elliott |

In a confessional blog post that shocked some of you last week, I told you about how a company called BLD Resume conned my son out of almost $500. I also shared some small but important changes in my personal finances that will ensure no one rips us off again. I have an update that might surprise you as much as the original story. Read more “Money talks: How one small change in my personal finance led to a big discovery”