Elliott Advocacy is a nonprofit organization that mediates cases between consumers and businesses. These are commentary articles that detail our efforts and provide educational information for consumers.
If you’re in the market for a new computer, there are things you need to know. Things your PC manufacturer or retailer won’t necessarily share with you.
And with the frenzied days of buying just ahead, now is the time to inform yourself. Otherwise you could end up overpaying — I mean really overpaying — for your next laptop or desktop.
What do you really want when you check into a hotel?
The lodging industry thinks it knows. The pollsters do, but too often they ask the wrong questions. One recent survey suggested guests crave more technology. (It was sponsored by Oracle.) Another claimed guests desire free Wi-Fi, breakfast and parking. Well, duh.
“I’m weary of those entitled passengers who are continuously whining and complaining,” says Lisa Thomas, a veteran flight attendant based in Denver. “I feel like telling them, ‘Take some responsibility for your choices.’ ”
Thomas’s comments, made to me after a recent column about the rise of fees in the travel industry, triggered a fascinating debate. Many travelers say that they think fees are out of control, particularly in the airline business. The top 10 airlines collected more than $28 billion in revenue from extra fees and services last year, up from about $2 billion a decade ago, according to a recent study by the consulting firm IdeaWorks.
At the same time, many in the industry say that they think people are getting exactly what they paid for: a quality product at a ridiculously low price. Industry employees like Thomas suggest that travelers have become spoiled.
It’s time to disrupt the tipping economy. The travel industry is a great place to start.
Pamela O’Meara narrowly escaped the pre-existing conditions trap.
Oh, you know the trap. It’s the one where your insurance company tells you the policy is no good because your medical condition existed before you bought the policy. Yeah, that one.
If there’s a busy season for travel insurance claims, this is probably it. Summer vacations are over, some prematurely. Hundreds of thousands of claims are working their way through the system.
When Marc Burdiss stepped into the shower at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, he was shocked by the clear view of the bedroom through a glass window.
If you’re reading this, chances are something horrible has happened while you’re on vacation — a health scare, a disruption, even an unexpected death.
Maybe you’ve phoned your travel insurance company and the wheels are now in motion for a claim. And you’re wondering: What now?
If enough travelers stopped paying the travel industry’s infuriating surcharges and fees, would the unwanted add-ons simply disappear? Would extra charges for checked luggage, ticket change fees and mandatory hotel resort fees vanish into thin air?
You can always cancel. Those are the four most dangerous words a consumer can hear. They’re often preceded by: “Don’t worry!”
