⛑️Consumer Rescue presents🛟
Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land
Real stories. Real rescues. Real advice.
Happy Tuesday, friends!❤️
🤗If you’re new here — welcome! I’m Michelle, the Chief Fiasco Fixer in Consumer Advocacy Land.
I hope you’re all staying toasty warm, it snowed a lot in here last Saturday and into Sunday. I thought you might like to see a pretty scene from my window. That deer had a baby with her that she was keeping under a bush in my front yard. I think there are still some remnants from my garden that they’re eating. 🦌
🤿But now let’s dive into what you’re really here for: the Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land.
Today I have a truly frustrating tale from a PayPal customer who was targeted by a fake merchant. That fraudulent operation charged her PayPal account over $1,000. But that wasn’t the worst part…
After PayPal repeatedly sided with the scammer, the victim reached out out to Consumer Rescue. She hoped we could prove to PayPal that she was a victim of a unauthorized transaction and retrieve her cash. Did we do it? Find out today!🧐
Then, of course, I have some tales that you may have missed the first time around. And if you’re new to Consumer Rescue, then they’ll be new to you!
Why did a vacation rental owner falsely accuse a mild-mannered baseball dad of leaving his crack behind after check-out? Well, the answer appears to be so that he could extract a smoking fee from his previous guests, and also embarrass him to stay quiet. Well, the dad didn’t do that. Instead, he reached out to me for help. Here’s what happened next.
And I also have a warning about car rental “agents” who ask you to pay with a gift card. As you might have already guessed, those are scammers. But the couple in this story didn’t know. Is there any way to claw back $800 in gift cards after a bad guy redeems them?
Finally, if you missed my report on the travel agent who is being accused of grand larceny for allegedly stealing over $50,000 from clients, I’ve reshared that article this week as well.
One other note, REI/Intrepid Travel is sponsoring this week’s newsletter again. They have a specific trip that they’re highlighting today. If you’ve ever dreamed of hiking the John Muir Trail, this is a fun one to peek at. It’s a gorgeous itinerary. As I did last week, I’m placing the ad at the bottom of the newsletter for anyone who is interested (and to avoid annoying everyone else 😄).
Enjoy your evening and happy reading!!
This Week’s Fiascos and Fixes 🔍
Just before the holidays, Jill Eberhardt says scammers hit her PayPal account with a $1,010 unauthorized transaction. Although her bank, Chase, immediately identified the unusual "purchase" from Maple & Mist Café as fraudulent, PayPal disagreed. It determined she had authorized the transaction — and PayPal's opinion was the only one that mattered.
Eberhardt's money was gone…
Michelle Couch-Friedman, Chief Fiasco Fixer
If you don’t smoke, I’m pretty sure you don’t pack cigarettes, marijuana, — or a crack pipe — when you go on vacation.
Life-long nonsmoker Jason Gladden certainly didn’t bring any of that when he recently took his family to a baseball tournament. However, that didn’t stop his vacation rental host from charging the stunned dad a $250 smoking fee. (MCF)
Hertz will never ask customers to pay for their car rental with a gift card… but a scammer will. Unawareness of this basic fact led one couple to lose $800 to a devious international scheme.
Is there any possible way to retrieve their cash? (MCF)
A Long Island travel agent has been arrested and charged with scamming would-be cruise ship passengers out of $35,000. That shocked family only found out at the pier that their Royal Caribbean reservation on Symphony of the Seas was fake. And that's not all that Tavia Thomas of Hempstead, New York, is being accused of doing. Other clients say Thomas collected $10,000 for a destination wedding that she booked — and then canceled — behind their backs. Another disgruntled customer paid over $7,000 for a non-existent luxury vacation.
The comment section is open 💬🗣️
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🥾This week’s newsletter sponsor:⬇️
Adventure curated by the brands you trust
Hike the legendary Nüümü Poyo (John Muir Trail), while forming lasting bonds with like-minded travelers.
Set up camp with iconic backdrops, enjoying an authentic travel experience in the outdoors.
This trip is inspired by REI Co-op, operated by Intrepid Travel. REI Co-op members save 15% on this itinerary.
For T&Cs and more info, click here.
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. ❤️ |