Booked for one night but charged for two
Lenore Davies books one night at an Econo Lodge by phone. She’s charged for two. Now, neither her hotel nor her credit card will help her. Is she out of luck?
The Travel Troubleshooter
The Travel Troubleshooter is a weekly consumer column that solves travel problems. Missing cruise refunds, lousy airline service, car rental surcharges — it’s all fair game for this feature. Each story presents a problem and fixes it in a quick Q&A format.
A broken Disney Vacation Club promise?
David Willard is offered help with making a booking at a Disney Vacation Club — a promise Disney reneges on after his salesman goes on medical leave. Is there any way to get Mickey to keep his word?
The Travel Troubleshooter: Am I stuck with this $378 phone bill?
Jeffrey Grim can’t make a connection in Brussels because of an error made by his online travel agency. In order to fix the problem, he racks up $378 in phone bills. Should the company cover his expenses?
A “little dent” in my Enterprise rental adds $500 to my car rental bill
Carri Schoeller is charged an extra $500 after she returns her rental car to Enterprise. The reason? There’s a small scratch on the bumper. Didn’t they say little scratches don’t count? Yeah, but talk is cheap.
The Travel Troubleshooter: Airline won’t refund my ticket after my husband dies
After Ursula Maul’s husband passes away suddenly, she tries to get a refund for his nonrefundable ticket. But neither her online agency, nor her airline, will help her. Does she have any other options?
Help, my Amtrak tickets were accidentally canceled
Mel Jung’s Amtrak tickets are canceled accidentally, and he’s forced to pay a $236 for a new ticket. No one is taking the responsibility for the error. Is he stuck with the higher fare?
She declined insurance but then signed for it anyway
Ted Van Anne’s wife isn’t an experienced traveler, but she knows she declined the optional car rental insurance. So why is Dollar charging her an extra $20 a day for her car? And can the charge be reversed?
Help! I’ve been ‘walked’ to a motel
Karen Johnson gets some bad news from her hotel just before she checks in: There’s no room for her. Instead, she’s sent packing to an inferior motel, and when she complains, she’s mailed a form response. Now what?
Sick in Puerto Vallarta — does my hotel owe me anything?
Daniel Vosburgh is afflicted by a mysterious illness while he’s in Mexico. His hotel isn’t answering his complaints, but he thinks he’s entitled to either a refund or credit. Is he?
The Travel Troubleshooter: I signed the damage form — now they want me to pay
When Leigh Barber returns his rental van to Enterprise, he discovers a small scratch that was overlooked when he picked up the vehicle. He signs a form acknowledging the damage, but with the assurance from a manager that thee scratch can be “buffed out.” Now Enterprise wants him to pay. Does he have to?