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.

He'd caught a taxi to the airport in Costa Rica. When he arrived, Lawton, who is from Albuquerque, N.M., didn't bother counting the change.

Do taxi drivers prey on tourists?

January 22, 2024April 18, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

It happened again to Peter Lawton last week. He got scammed by another cab driver, he says.

The offer appeared to be pretty realistic, too. It informed him he'd won "2 roundtrip tickets" worth $1,298.

Is this a scam? “US Airlines” is offering me two roundtrip airline tickets

January 22, 2024April 16, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

The offer looked legit to Richard Clarke — well, almost.

Here's another one for my "honeymoon from hell" file. It comes to us by way of Christine Vianello, who was all set to fly to Jamaica.

I had a panic attack and it ruined my honeymoon

January 22, 2024April 16, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

Here’s another one for my “honeymoon from hell” file. It comes to us by way of Christine Vianello, who was all set to fly to Jamaica after getting married last October when something went terribly wrong.

It happened again last week: A TSA agent was formally charged with swiping yet another iPad from a passenger. Or iPads, in Clayton Keith Dovel's case.

Is the TSA coming for your iPad?

January 22, 2024April 15, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

It happened again last week: A TSA agent was formally charged with swiping yet another iPad from a passenger.

Tom and Terri Dorow didn’t like their recent vacation rental in Scottsdale, Ariz.

New confidentiality clauses can influence vacation rental reviews

November 4, 2024April 14, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

Tom and Terri Dorow didn’t like their recent vacation rental in Scottsdale, Ariz.

We booked a ticket from Washington to the Bahamas recently through Expedia. It was a code-share flight Bahamasair operated by US Airways.

Help! Code-sharing confusion grounded my vacation

January 22, 2024April 13, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

Jay Middour’s flight to the Bahamas never happens because of a code-sharing disaster. His vacation is ruined and the airline still has his money. Can this trip be saved?

The rental cabin in Williams, Ariz., she found through VRBO.com had three bedrooms -- the perfect size for her family.

Was this Grand Canyon vacation rental a grand scam?

January 22, 2024April 12, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

The rental cabin in Williams, Ariz., she found through VRBO.com had three bedrooms — the perfect size for her family. So last year, Trudi Wood sent the owner a $839 check for a deposit.

Allegiant Air's charges passengers for carry-on luggage, you'd think that everything had already been said.

Are fees for carry-on luggage just the beginning?

February 13, 2024April 11, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

Since Allegiant Air’s decision to start charging passengers for carry-on luggage last week, you’d think that everything needed to be said about this outrageous new fee had already been said.

When Marilyn Sweeney bit into a serving of sweet potato casserole during her seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Valor.

Yuck! Carnival served me dinner with a side order of chewing gum

January 22, 2024April 10, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

When Marilyn Sweeney bit into a serving of sweet potato casserole during her seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Valor she tasted something unusual. It was rubbery, with a faint mint flavor.

Daryl Preston and his wife are flying from San Francisco to Rome this summer, and they have tickets on Lufthansa. Four tickets, to be exact.

Double-booked because at this age I tend to forget things

January 22, 2024April 9, 2012 by Christopher Elliott

Daryl Preston and his wife are flying from San Francisco to Rome this summer, and they have tickets on Lufthansa. Four tickets, to be exact.