SOCIAL MEDIA Archives

Justin Brog was abruptly banned from Airbnb and all his upcoming reservations canceled, accused of falsifying his Airbnb account identity, though he claimed innocence. His appeals were quickly denied. It turned out someone had created a fake Airbnb account impersonating Brog, likely triggering Airbnb’s automated security systems to deactivate his real account. After contact from our advocacy team questioning the ban, Airbnb reinstated Brog upon realizing their mistake. But with largely automated customer service, could false bans of Airbnb accounts happen more easily? The system seems prone to abuse or error without sufficient human oversight.

The secret of disabled Airbnb accounts: Is it sabotage?

August 24, 2025February 5, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Why is Justin Brog banned from Airbnb? He’s been a model guest and receives excellent reviews from Airbnb hosts, so there’s no reason Airbnb would disable his account.

Ling Lu Yamaki navigated a $28,000 timeshare entanglement with Hilton Grand Vacations after feeling misled. Her journey uncovers the intricacies of timeshare agreements, the importance of consumer rights, and the unexpected twists in resolving such disputes. This tale serves as a cautionary lesson for anyone considering or trying to exit a timeshare.

How do you get out of a $28,000 timeshare mistake? Definitely not like this

November 6, 2023October 13, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Ling Lu Yamaki wanted to get out of her timeshare with Hilton Grand Vacations after she discovered a serious problem with it.

Royal Caribbean charged me $1,556 to leave my cruise early. Can I get my money back?

March 1, 2024March 12, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Can a cruise line charge you more to leave your cruise early? As a matter of fact, it can. But should it charge you? That is what we’re here to find out.

Todd Brown's mattress order arrives in pieces from Amerisleep. After waiting months, he just wants a refund. Is that allowed?

His bed arrived in pieces. Can he get a refund from Amerisleep?

January 19, 2024February 21, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Todd Brown’s mattress order arrives in pieces from Amerisleep. After waiting months, he just wants a refund. Is that allowed?

Retargeting — in a world of personalized ads, here’s how to resist the come-ons — and come out on top

October 23, 2023January 29, 2018 by Christopher Elliott

To get an idea of how smart marketers have become, spend a few minutes online. Just hint that you might be interested in a product by doing a search or browsing a big site like Amazon.com. It’s enough to trigger a never-ending cascade of ads that seems to follow you around, no matter where you go.

Twitter has a secret about you

February 5, 2024November 14, 2015 by Christopher Elliott

This week’s top story was Janice Hough’s first-person account about the power of social media. Twitter has a secret about you.

Have you seen the stories about the "miracle" of social media and how real-time social media platforms can lead to superior customer service.

Have companies stopped listening to us online?

January 26, 2024May 21, 2014 by Christopher Elliott

Google Plus doesn't like David Books' name. And now it's stopped listening to his requests for a social media account.

Google Plus says my name is not allowed — now what?

January 23, 2024September 19, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

Google Plus doesn’t like David Books’ name. And now it’s stopped listening to his requests for a social media account. Is there anything he can do to get the company’s attention?

It's true, social media fatigue is starting to set in across the Internet. Consumers say they're tired of receiving useless information.

3 reasons social media matters more than you think

January 23, 2024August 28, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

It’s true, social media fatigue is starting to set in across the Internet.

You're surrounded by fakes. The clothes you wear could be fake. The money you use? Your "friends" on social media are sometimes fake

Surrounded by impostors, what’s a consumer to do?

January 23, 2024July 31, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

You’re surrounded by fakes. The clothes you wear could be fake. The money you use? Not real, maybe. Even your “friends” on social media are sometimes fake. What’s a consumer to do?

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