In partnership with
⛑️Consumer Rescue presents🛟
Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land
Real stories. Real Rescues. Real advice.
Happy Tuesday, friends!! ❤️ I’ve got two all-new Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land for you tonight. One from Consumer Rescue and one over at The Points Guy.
💥🚗First up: A graduate student decides to take himself (and his wife) on a scenic drive north of San Francisco, but isn’t prepared for the dramatic twists and turns. The good news is that this first-time car renter purchased Loss Damage Waiver protection. The bad news is that he crashed that rental car within 24 hours of taking the wheel — and totaled it.
More good news: no one was hurt. But there was more bad news as well. Hertz claimed that the police impounded the rental car for an investigation. The impound fee was $1,900, and they said it wasn’t covered by LDW.
Find out what my investigation uncovered. Was that vehicle really impounded, or did the local Hertz branch just neglect to go pick it up?
🚬💸Next up: I’ve been receiving a flood of complaints from nonsmoking travelers across the hotel industry who have received $300 to $600 smoking fees after checkout. What is at the heart of this surge? A tiny air-quality sensor called Rest. Over at The Points Guy, I share the results of my investigation covering four couples — all unlikely candidates for smoking fees.
For this report, I spoke to travelers, hotel managers, hospitality companies, and finally, the spokesperson for the sensor. I’ll tell you how to best dodge these wacky charges and how to defend yourself if you get hit with one.
Of course, as always, I have a few other stories you might have missed. And if you’re new to Consumer Rescue, they’ll be all new to you 🤓
PS. We have a new newsletter sponsor this week: Fisher Investments. As usual, I placed the copy at the bottom of the newsletter so that if you’re interested, you can review it, and if you're not, you won’t be bothered by an unwanted ad.
Enjoy your evening, and don’t forget, our comment section is open under each article, and my team and I love to hear from you 🥰
This Week’s Fiascos and Fixes 🔍
Ph.D. student Rayhan Rashed doesn't have a personal vehicle or auto insurance. So when he recently booked a rental car for the first time, he wisely purchased Hertz's Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). As it turns out, he would definitely need it.
He crashed that rental car on a twisty California road less than 24 hours later, totaling it.
The good news was that Rashed and his wife, who was traveling with him, were unhurt in the one-vehicle accident. The bad news is that since then, Hertz has been demanding that Rashed pay a $1,900 impound fee. The car rental giant says the charge resulted from a police investigation and isn't covered by LDW. But was the car really impounded?
Michelle Couch-Friedman, Chief Fiasco Fixer
🚭As a consumer advocate and TPG's ombudsman, my case files show that across the industry, hotel guests are being falsely accused of smoking, with the sole judge, jury, and executioner being air-quality sensors.
These are some of those travelers' frustrating experiences with Rest, the brand of air-quality sensor at the heart of many similar complaints.
Here's what you can do to protect yourself from surprise smoking fees during your next hotel stay.
Michelle Couch-Friedman, ombudsman for The Points Guy
Just days into Joe Vandetta’s recent Florida family vacation, a drunk driver crashed head-on into his rental car. Luckily, the hit-and-run accident didn’t cause serious injuries, and the Vandettas — bruised but otherwise unharmed — completed their trip as planned.
But the shock of getting smashed by an intoxicated motorist was nothing compared to the jolt Joe received a month later. That’s when Budget Rental Car sent a $22,158 bill — the cost of the vehicle damaged by the drunk driver. (MCF)
Maybe you’ve chosen to fly on the same day as your cruise, and things went off without a hitch. But for Marcelino and Julieta Bautista, that’s a gamble they lost.
They redeemed a free Norwegian Cruise Lines “Casinos at Sea” cruise through the Alaskan glaciers. But they pressed their bets too far when they flew into Anchorage on the same day as embarkation. Although their flight arrived as scheduled, something went terribly wrong, and they missed the cruise.
Why didn’t anyone tell them the ship was actually located three hours away from the airport?! (MCF)
What Will Your Retirement Look Like?
Planning for retirement raises many questions. Have you considered how much it will cost, and how you’ll generate the income you’ll need to pay for it? For many, these questions can feel overwhelming, but answering them is a crucial step forward for a comfortable future.
Start by understanding your goals, estimating your expenses and identifying potential income streams. The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income can help you navigate these essential questions. If you have $1,000,000 or more saved for retirement, download your free guide today to learn how to build a clear and effective retirement income plan. Discover ways to align your portfolio with your long-term goals, so you can reach the future you deserve.
The comment section is open 💬🗣️
Do you have an opinion about today's articles? Want to share a suggestion? We love to hear from you.
Our comment section on the site is open and ready for you to share your thoughts. You can also add your comments under our articles on the Consumer Rescue Facebook page.
Or you can join our "Consumer Rescue: What's Your Problem?" Facebook group. It's a community where we can discuss consumer issues, solve real-time problems, chat about consumer news and our articles, and get quick answers to questions. Members can also share tips, guidance, and travel experiences.
It's a private group, so only members can see what's inside. We hope to see you there!
Welcome, new friends! 🥰
🤗Welcome to all our new subscribers! We're delighted to have you here with us.
*Ps. If you've received this newsletter as a forward, here's how to subscribe.
Friends! Don’t be shy. Sharing our newsletter with other like-minded consumers is a great way to show your support for our mission!
Until next time 😃
Don't forget! Consumer Rescue is just a click away. One of us is always here to answer your questions.
You can get direct consumer advocacy assistance here
What's your problem? Private Facebook group.
Ask Abe (Your registered Medicare counselor)
Of course, you can always reach me at [email protected]
Your friend and loyal consumer advocate,
Michelle Couch-Friedman
Founder/CFF (Chief Fiasco Fixer) 😛
917-841-0583
The Consumer Rescue newsletter and the articles you read on the site are fine-tuned by a team of absolutely wonderful editors (and my friends): Art Ellis, Karen Roberts, Irene Rawlings, Wendie Feinberg, Tanya Anticevic, Jennifer Finger, Robyn Whittingham, Teri Bergin, Dwayne Coward, and Chip Elam. ❤️ |