The Elliott Advocacy team’s problem solved cases are tales from our advocacy files. Each story provides helpful guidance and information while illustrating how our team helped a specific consumer.
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.
The Colorado Avalanche canceled a game at the start of the pandemic and the organizer promised Sara DeGroot a ticket refund. Then later the company switches the refund offer to credit. Is that fair?
In February 2020, I bought tickets to a Colorado Avalanche game for March. Well, then the pandemic hit and the team canceled the game.
In May 2020, the Avalanche (Kroenke Sports and Entertainment) sent us an email saying we could request a refund. I promptly requested my refund and then waited. It’s now been more than a year and I have exchanged several emails with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, and they have reneged on their refund offer, saying that the billionaire owner of the team can’t afford to give us the refund the team promised.
When Gloria Lenoir received approval from eBay to return a recent purchase, she expected a prompt refund. Instead, the company sent her a notification that it had closed her case. How does she get eBay to reopen it?
I recently bought two tubes of Voltaren, a pain medication, through eBay. I paid $29 for the product but decided I could not use it and I asked eBay for return approval after the seller did not respond.
eBay provided a USPS shipping label so I could send back this product. I returned the item to the eBay seller about a month ago but I did not get my refund.
When I tried to enter the USPS tracking number, the eBay website would not accept it. eBay has now closed the case and refused to send my refund. Can you help me? — Gloria Lenoir, Austin, Texas
Why won’t Ticketmaster refund Barbara Davenport’s VIP tickets to the Lady Gaga show? It claims she missed her window for requesting a cancellation. But is that true?
I bought VIP tickets for a Lady Gaga concert in New Jersey, but the event was postponed twice because of COVID. No new date has been set. Ticketmaster sent me an email that said I could have tickets to the new concert or a full refund. I asked for a refund, but now Ticketmaster is refusing.
I’m 68 years old and have been diagnosed with long-haul COVID. I don’t feel I will be able to make a trip from Florida to New Jersey. Can you help me get my $1,795 back for these Lady Gaga tickets? — Barbara Davenport, Port Orange, Fla.
After the latest update to Jonathan Sinnwell’s Dell laptop, it broke. The company seems to be unable to fix the problem. Will Dell give him a refund instead?
I ordered a Dell laptop recently. About a month after it was delivered, I began receiving notifications from the Dell support tools preinstalled on the computer that a critical BIOS update was required.
I ignored the continual pop-ups reminding me to install the update for about four weeks. Eventually, about two months after I received the laptop, I installed the BIOS update. Immediately after applying the update from Dell and rebooting the laptop, the computer stopped outputting video on the USB-C port to the monitors connected to my Dell dock. I believe the Dell recommended update broke my laptop.
Conservatively, I’ve spent 15 hours of my personal time dealing with this support case, including more than three hours of the tech on-site working with me. This does not include the time it took me to install all applications and configure the laptop for my purposes.
Tricia Lewis canceled her tickets to a Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan show in New Orleans because of surging COVID cases. Vivid Seats refused her request for a refund. Is there a way to get her money back?
I canceled tickets to a Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan show in New Orleans that I bought through Vivid Seats. At the time of the show, there were too many COVID-19 cases and I didn’t want to risk attending it.
When I called Vivid Seats, they were experiencing “high call volume,” so I tried contacting the company via email. I received an automatic response that an agent would respond to my email inquiry within 24 hours. After two business days without any response, I contacted Vivid Seats via chat. They advised me the only way I can receive a refund for the tickets would be if the Dave Chappelle/Joe Rogan show gets canceled or significantly postponed.
