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.

My kids are pet magnets when we're on the road. They're constantly adopting dogs and cats and other animals we encounter in our vacation rentals.

Everything you need to know about traveling with animals (and kids)

January 26, 2024April 27, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

My kids are pet magnets when we’re on the road. They’re constantly adopting dogs and cats and other animals we encounter in our vacation rentals.

Before her recent cruise, Elizabeth Maglione stayed one night at the Marriott in Miami. But the hotel charged her for two nights. And she wants a refund?

I only stayed at the Marriott one night before my cruise!

January 26, 2024April 26, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

Before her recent cruise, Elizabeth Maglione stayed just one night at the Courtyard Marriott Miami Downtown/Brickell. Later she realized the hotel charged her gift card for two nights and she asked for a refund. Now the hotel wants to issue a future travel credit.

Thomas Ansberry bid on an upgrade for his recent international Icelandair flight. Later he discovered he paid a lot more than he thought. Can we help?

He bid on an upgrade and won. Then the surprise $ 1,620 bill arrived

January 26, 2024April 23, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

Thomas Ansberry bid on an upgrade for his recent Icelandair flight from Cleveland to Reykjavik, Iceland. But he paid a lot more than he expected and now wants us to help him get a refund.

Medd and her husband accepted a seat downgrade from business class to economy to get home for work.So where is their refund from American Airlines?

I took a seat downgrade to get home on time. Do I get a refund?

January 26, 2024April 22, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

When American Airlines canceled Denise Medd’s flight from Punta Cana to Philadelphia, it quickly offered her a seat on another flight. But Medd and her husband accepted a seat downgrade from business class to economy. Should American refund the price difference between the seats?

Here's what you can do when you never want your family vacation to end. You can become what's known as a "vacation mover."

What to do when you never want your family vacation to end

January 26, 2024April 20, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

Ever visited a place that you liked so much that you didn’t want to leave? Me too.I have a short list of destinations that we were so enamored of, we would live there. Some of them might be on your list, like Hawaii and Southern California. Others, like Fort Collins, Colo., New Orleans, and Ketchum, Idaho, might come as a surprise.

There have always been extended-stay hotels. But now extended-stay hotels are the fastest growing industry segment in the United States.

Is an extended-stay hotel better than a vacation rental?

January 26, 2024April 18, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

When Kathryn Valdes travels somewhere for more than a week, she skips a hotel and rents an apartment or vacation rental instead.”An apartment has a kitchen and a sitting area to gather,” says Valdes, a retired program manager from Mahomet, Illinois. “A hotel has no private area to relax with others.”Another must-have amenity: a kitchen. Valdes loves to visit farmers markets while she’s on vacation and prepare her own meals. Most hotel rooms don’t have kitchens.With the summer travel season just ahead, there’s good news for travelers like Valdes. Hotels, in an effort to keep long-term guests who want a more home-like experience, are adding amenities that may make Valdes and others rethink their plans to stay in an apartment.

The La-Z-Boy recliners Bryan Curran and his fiancée ordered aren't the ones he expected. Why does he have to wait 12 days for a resolution that may, or may not, be to his satisfaction?

How can I return these La-Z-Boy recliners for a refund?

January 26, 2024April 17, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

The La-Z-Boy recliners Bryan Curran and his fiancée ordered aren’t the ones he expected. Why does he have to wait 12 days for a resolution that may, or may not, be to his satisfaction?

Wendy Rutkowski stayed in a terrible hotel, and she wants a full refund. But can you get your money back after your stay at the No-Tell Motel?

Can you stay in a terrible hotel and then get a refund?

July 15, 2024April 16, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

Wendy Rutkowski stayed in a terrible hotel, and she wants a full refund. But can you get your money back when you accidentally booked a room at the No-Tell Motel?

What should you do if you think you've just checked into a dangerous vacation rental? That's the problem Shui-man Tong faced recently. Can she get a refund?

This is a dangerous vacation rental, Tripadvisor. I want a refund!

January 26, 2024April 15, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

What should you do if you check into a dangerous vacation rental? That’s the problem Shui-man Tong faced when she arrived in Lisbon and found her TripAdvisor rental in a deep freeze.It was early December, and the temperature inside the rental had plunged below 40 degrees. What happened next forced Tong to find alternate accommodations and ask TripAdvisor for a refund.

Here's a family vacation planning guide from a guy who knows a thing or two about family travel. Christopher Elliott shares his path to easy planning.

The family vacation planning guide for families who hate to plan

January 26, 2024April 13, 2019 by Christopher Elliott

If you hate to plan, your last family vacation probably was filled with chaos. I know a thing or two about that.

Christopher Elliott

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