Like so many travelers, Cheryl Emerson had second thoughts about her upcoming trip to Europe this summer. But then an Expedia booking mistake made an uncertain situation even more uncertain, and she wants to know how to fix it.
Category: Travel Problems
Here it is: The most expensive car rental pricing mistake ever!
Marvin Payne believes he’s uncovered the most expensive car rental pricing mistake ever, and I think you might agree. Several weeks after returning his most recent vehicle, he got the shock of his life — a $6,000 upcharge.
The problem is, even three months down the road, Payless Car Rental won’t correct or even acknowledge its error.
Now Payne is hoping that the Elliott Advocacy team can fix this outrageous mistake. (Reprint)
Here it is: the worst car rental experience so far this year!
Beth Mowery just had the worst car rental experience of her life, and she wants you to know about it.
When you rent a car, you probably assume you’ll only pay for your own rental. But several days after Mowery returned her last rental car, she received a nearly $1,000 upcharge. As it turns out, Hertz billed her for someone else’s rental. What followed was a series of careless mistakes that the car rental company refused to acknowledge or correct. And each mistake was more frustrating than the last.
Now Mowery hopes the Elliott Advocacy team can help fix these errors and retrieve her money.
Looking for an Overseas Adventure Travel refund? Here is the good news!
Did Overseas Adventure Travel or another tour company promise you a refund during the pandemic and then renege later? If so, you’re certainly not alone. One of the most frequent complaints we’re fielding involves tour operators changing contract terms after the coronavirus cancellation wave began.
The good news? One of the top tour operators has recently changed its stance once more — this time, in favor of its customers. If you’ve been battling for a refund from Overseas Adventure Travel or Grand Circle during the pandemic, you’re in luck. (Reprint)
Is this the worst Airbnb experience ever?!
Lee Smith believes she just had the worst Airbnb experience ever. And after you hear — and see — what she (and her cat) endured during the past month, I think you might agree.
Her tale is a harsh reminder of the risky nature of shared-space rentals. Smith assumed the Airbnb host had properly vetted the man with whom she would be sharing an apartment. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
If a worried host asks you to pretend not to be a guest, it’s time to go
If your vacation rental host asks you to pretend not to be a guest during your stay, would you?
That’s the odd situation that confronted Josephine Avina last July when her family planned a short trip during the pandemic. But pretending not to be guests wasn’t the only thing the host wanted the Avinas to do. She also expected them to be OK with living in the remnants of a bachelorette party held the night before.
As you’ve probably already guessed, the Avinas with their two small children in tow weren’t OK with any of it. They promptly asked for a refund and took off for a hotel. And although the owner agreed to return their rental payment, it’s eight months later and the Avinas are still waiting.
Now, after a failed credit card dispute over the missing refund, the Elliott Advocacy team is the family’s last hope. (Reprint)
If the host promised me a refund why did Airbnb refuse?
The host of Carl Baeuerlen’s planned Airbnb vacation rental offered him a refund last May because of the pandemic. But Airbnb says he can’t get his money back. What’s going on here?
I wasted $2,000 on a vacation rental that does not exist!
Paul Trosclair says he just spent nearly two grand on a vacation rental that does not exist. To make matters worse, Vrbo sided with the person he believes is a thief disguised as a host.
Now Trosclair hopes the Elliott Advocacy team can prove this vacation rental is nonexistent and get his money back.
But can we do it?
All the reasons why you can’t get a refund for your destination wedding
All Melanie Brown wanted was a refund for a destination wedding in Belize last summer. All she got was excuse after excuse after excuse.
It’s something else to keep in mind one year after the COVID-19 pandemic sank large segments of the travel industry. Salvaging your refund may mean navigating an excuse factory that hotels and other companies have hastily built to keep your money.
Brown’s experience is also instructive because it’s a map that shows you how to bypass these bogus reasons for pocketing your deposits — whether it’s a refund for a destination wedding or just a hard-earned vacation.
How to avoid vacation rental cleaning fees? Do this before you check in
If you’re planning a vacation rental stay, you need to do one thing before you kick off your shoes and unpack — if you don’t want to end up with surprise cleaning fees. Grab your phone and start taking pictures.
Lots of pictures.
I speak from personal experience. I just checked out of a vacation rental and got broadsided with one of the most outrageous cleaning fee claims in my career. More on that in a minute.
