🤬✈️Hilton increased the price of our hotel room by $1,800. Is this legal?

 ⛑️Consumer Rescue presents🛟

Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land

Real stories. Real rescues. Real advice.

Happy Tuesday, friends! 🤓

I don’t know what the weather was like for you on the 4th of July, but over here in New Jersey, it was wild. We had two giant storms, one right after the other, over the weekend. Together, they knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes, and some are still without electricity today. Most towns around here canceled all the celebrations because of the danger of falling trees, lightning, and, of course, poor visibility.

Our electricity was only out for 12 hours, so I feel fairly lucky about that. But I want to write the newsletter fast, in case of any other power lapses.

First up today in Consumer Advocacy Land, I’ll tell you the tale of a family that was really looking forward a winter escape to Mexico. They had prepaid for their vacation months in advance. So imagine their surprise when Hilton contacted them just a few days before check-in to inform them that the price of their hotel room had increased — by $1,800. 🤨

While they should have been packing, the family wasted hours of their time trying to reason with Hilton. Surely, it couldn’t be legal to raise the cost of a hotel room months after booking. When that argument fell on unsympathetic ears, they had no choice but to pay the bill.

Find out in our first featured article what happened after the family got home — and contacted Consumer Rescue.

Then, over at Fodor’s Travel, I have a comprehensive guide on driving and renting an electric vehicle this summer. Although EVs look like a standard car, there are some crucial differences that you need to know before taking the wheel of one.

Note: That article might require a subscription to Fodor’s premium content.

And we’ll round off our tales this week with a few that you might have missed before:

And don’t forget: the latest edition of Life, Lately is at the bottom of the newsletter. 🤓

Enjoy!

Between the double storms on Friday night and Saturday night, we had a little reprieve on July 4th. So the kids were able to have all their friends over for one last pool party before we say goodbye to our home of nearly 27 years. (I painted the photo with Adobe Photoshop to preserve the privacy of the attendees. 😝)

I am happy to report that the weather held up until after our BBQ. No fireworks that night, but lightning sure lit up the sky!

_______

After last week's Life, Lately column, I received a steady stream of emails from readers. Because I mentioned I had a closing date for my house but hadn't decided where to live next, it raised concerns. 

Sorry! I didn’t mean to do that.

I replied to dozens of readers, reassuring them not to worry. I had been confident I'd find a suitable place in the blink of an eye.

But first, I just needed to finish several articles and respond to pressing consumer questions. I wasn't in a rush.

Then, four days later, it hit me like a lightning bolt in the middle of the night. I woke up at 3 a.m. in a panic.

Our closing date is in 1 ½ weeks. I had not felt an urgency about the situation until the wee hours of that night. 

Poor timing. 

As a trained psychotherapist, I know that I must have been operating under some form of denial. After all, I've lived here almost all of my adult life. It seems impossible to imagine not living here.

However, that night, something jolted me into reality. While I should have been sleeping, I finally got the message from the Universe: red alert, you've sold your house, and you must leave.

I couldn't ignore that fact any longer.

So, I popped out of the bed, went into my office, and sat down at my desk, determined to fix this "problem." 

If you've followed my column for a while, then you probably already know that when I set a goal or start a mission, I become laser-focused. I have been known to tackle projects with what has been described as obsessive determination. (I think that’s a compliment… 😬)

🤓That trait has served me well in Consumer Advocacy Land, enabling me to resolve thousands of complaints and recover millions of dollars for the people who have come to me for help for more than a decade.

However, that night, it was time for me to apply those skills to the task at hand. I promised myself not to rest until I found a place that checked all the boxes for me — at least for a temporary abode. That included a nearby train station that is easily accessible to Philadelphia and New York City, since one of my gals is south and the other is north. 

After a few hours of searching, I found it! 

By 3 p.m. that afternoon, I was touring the property, and by 5 p.m. I had committed to the place. 

I love the location, the fact that pets are welcome, and the resort-style vibe with a pool, gym, concierge, movie theater, breakfast, and business center — none of which I have to maintain. 

So there you have it, I’m not going to be a boxcar hobo with my old dog after all🚂

❤️And that's Life, Lately. 

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Until next time 😃

Don't forget! Consumer Rescue is just a click away. One of us is always here to answer your questions. 

Of course, you can always reach me at [email protected]