I still can’t believe the reason Airbnb banned Jannick Vielleuse.
As far as I can tell, she did absolutely nothing wrong. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time — specifically, she logged into a wireless router at the wrong moment.
And now she’ll never rent from Airbnb again. At least that’s what she thinks.
What if your all all-inclusive hotel is only half-inclusive? If you’re booking through Priceline, as Michael O’Connor was, you can ask for clarification — and if you can’t get it, you can ask our advocacy team for help.
O’Connor booked a room for his family at the Barcelo, an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
I can’t tell the story of Wendy Schlessinger’s efforts to get a refund from Rodan and Fields without also exploring the dark history of multilevel marketing (MLM).
On the surface, Schlessinger’s attempt to get her money back looks like an open-and-shut case. Maybe it’s just an innocent error made by a $4 billion skincare company. Then again, maybe it’s part of a business strategy that includes pushing pricey subscriptions on unwitting consumers.
Multilevel marketing schemes have touched more than one of our readers. Chances are, you’ve run across products that were aggressively marketed through these methods. I have, and I’ll tell you my embarrassing story in just a moment.
Schlessinger’s case left me not only sad, but furious. It involved Rodan and Fields sending products she says she didn’t order, a destroyed friendship, a denied request for a refund, and a credit card dispute that the company fought — even though it knew it was wrong.
But is this case even fixable?
Can Vivid Seats keep your money for a canceled show? Douglas Himberger would really like to know. Before the pandemic, he paid $689 for two tickets to a Jerry Seinfeld show in Atlantic City. The event kept getting postponed — and now he can’t get his money back.
Vivid Seats, a ticket exchange and resale company, should have refunded the money a long time ago. So why is it holding on to Himberger’s money? And what does that mean for the rest of us who are trying to get our money back for shows that were canceled during the pandemic?
Himberger’s case is about more than a company that tries to keep your money. It’s also about credit card disputes and when to use them.
It’s been more than a year since Virginia Cepero returned the dining room chairs she bought on the Pottery Barn website. The company insists it refunded her money months ago, but Cepero can’t find it.
What do you do when it’s a company’s word against yours? And how do you defend your position when the company throws up a favorite defense tactic?
The deeper I dug into Cepero’s case, the more convinced I became that corporate America’s favorite new strategy for keeping your money is still largely a secret. I’ll tell you about it in a second. I’ll also reveal how to avoid a chaotic return like this and get your money back from Pottery Barn.
Even in an industry littered with broken promises, Michelle Fiorelli’s case against Extended Stay America is a standout.
Fiorelli’s problem involves a hotel sweepstakes won many years ago, a Kid Trax toy car, and nieces that are outgrowing a would-be Christmas present.
All Tom Moran wanted was a television that would be compatible with the MLB app. So he asked a Samsung representative if the TV he was considering would allow him to watch Major League Baseball through the app. The agent says it would — but it turns out it won’t. Can he get a refund?
I went on Samsung’s website in November 2020 and requested a recommendation from their salesperson for a television that is compatible with the MLB app. I have a copy of the chat. So I purchased a 58″ Class TU7000 Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV based on the company’s written recommendation.
But I could not test the television until April 2021, when the baseball season started. And when I did, the app didn’t work.
Mark Kovac pays for three tickets to an NBA game but receives only two from Vivid Seats. Where’s the third ticket, and can the company make the assist before game time?
I ordered and paid for three tickets to the Mavs-Wizards game through Vivid Seats. But the seller only delivered two tickets to my Ticketmaster account.
I’ve been trying to resolve this issue for six weeks but to no avail. I’ve spoken with 12 customer service representatives (I have their names). I begged them to help me, but all I got was lip service from the customer support team.
Samsung promised Kristin Graham a $150 e-certificate if she purchased a Galaxy Z Fold3. She kept up her end of the bargain, but now the manufacturer isn’t sending the reward. Can we help?
Samsung recently sent me a promotional email promising me a $150 E-certificate if I would buy a Galaxy Z Fold3. It was a substantial investment, but I took a chance.
Samsung didn’t sent the E-certificate as promised and never gave me any other information about it. I researched, then finally called Samsung a couple of weeks after I received the phone.
I provided copies of the promo and proof of purchase. Everything was clear and concise. The Samsung reps first tried to get me to accept a one-time code for a lesser value instead of the promised $150. Then they made many excuses, including pretending they couldn’t read their own ad, which shows the device as eligible.
At the same time BTS canceled their world tour, Barbara Evans canceled the credit card she used to buy tickets to the show. That’s a problem since Ticketmaster will only refund the concert to the original form of payment. So will she ever see the money again?
In early 2020, I bought tickets to the BTS Map of the Soul Tour for June. I used my Chase Visa to make the purchase. After the pandemic started, I canceled this Chase travel card.
This August, Ticketmaster emailed to say the concert scheduled for 14 months ago had officially been canceled and to expect refunds to the card used to purchase within 30 days. Knowing a refund to my card would not be possible, I contacted Chase bank to confirm they didn’t receive a refund for me.
