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Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land
Real stories. Real rescues. Real advice.
🌻Hello friends, TGIF!
This evening, I have a few new Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land for you.
Do you like to shop on Facebook? (Confession time: I do 🤓) There is a way to safely shop on Facebook, and then there is the other way. Consumers often contact me after they’ve impulsively purchased items through a Facebook ad before vetting the “business.”
In our first featured article today, I’ll tell you about a reader who recently fell for two separate Facebook ad scams and what you can do to avoid the same.
Next: Over at Fodor’s Travel, I’ll tell you all the ways you can protect your vacation dollars this year.
Of course, I have some other stories you may have missed the first time around as well.
Enjoy your weekend!!
💡Did you know that Consumer Rescue depends on display ads and contributions from our audience to fund the work we do here every day?
If you’ve ever benefited from our service journalism and consumer advocacy, and you have the means and desire to support our mission, here’s how to do it. And if you don’t or can’t, that’s ok, too. This site will never have paywalls or any other hidden content. Consumer Rescue exists to help and protect you. Everything here will always be free for all.
If you’re curious about what has changed in the digital landscape for website publishers in the past 36 months, scroll down below the articles, and I will give a detailed explanation.
This Week’s Fiascos and Fixes 🔍
People either love Facebook or hate it. An increasing number of former users are leaning toward the latter and pressing the eject button. In their place, though, swarms of scammers have moved in. The bad actors create “helpful” Facebook groups, lurk in Direct Messenger, advertise non-existent products, and stalk the Marketplace for victims. Their only intention is to con as many legitimate Facebook users as possible before being detected — and banned.
Elena Pavlova just made the worst travel mistake of her life. Before setting off on her dream vacation to Europe, she neglected to check Switzerland's entry requirements. Then she managed to board her Swiss Air International (SWISS) flight to Zurich with an invalid passport for her trip to the Schengen area. Not surprisingly, her vacation plans came to a screeching halt when she landed. She was denied entry, and border police took her into custody. (MCF)
After helping thousands of people resolve costly problems over the years, I know that travelers frequently overspend. From booking errors to missed discounts and overlooked perks, even experienced travelers make mistakes that can end in unnecessary charges and expenses.
Here are ten ways travel experts keep those vacation costs under control.
A Carnival cruise ship passenger says a beauty shop in Nassau somehow extracted $30,000 from her and her husband during a port stop. They’re the latest victims of the free facial scam to contact me in recent months. But the story she has to tell is much more sinister than the others. She says these bad guys drugged her and then filmed her thanking them and praising their products.
Here’s her harrowing tale and what cruise passengers need to know if their ship is heading to the Bahamas. (MCF)
🌻Here’s how to support Consumer Rescue
There is a crisis facing online publishers in 2026. Google is making it nearly impossible for independent outlets to remain viable through display advertising.
The AI Overview and AI Mode, ChatGPT, and other similar AI programs deliver answers to almost any question directly to searchers, extracting information from existing articles published on the Internet. Before 2022, Google would point searchers to the article itself, which would take them to the actual webpage - it was a perfect relationship between online publishers and Google. But now Google is visiting the source destination, extracting the information, and handing it over without sending traffic back to the original content, author, or website.
For organizations that depend on ad revenue to sustain themselves, like Consumer Rescue, it’s been terrible. That’s why you are seeing many organizations put their content behind paywalls and only show it to paid subscribers. As I mentioned last week, I won't be doing that. But in response to many readers asking how to support our mission, I’ve set up a system for voluntary paid subscriptions. There won’t be paywalls, hidden content, or any prizes or awards. This isn’t a gimmick; it’s simply a way to try to solve a problem all online publishers face in the age of AI.
😃If you’ve ever benefited from what we do here at Consumer Rescue and you have the urge to support our work, here’s how.
The comment section is open 💬🗣️
Do you have an opinion about today's articles? Want to share a suggestion? I love to hear from you.
Our site's comment section is open and ready for you to offer 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!
Explore Peru with purpose
See Peru through the eyes of the women who call it home on Intrepid’s brand-new Women’s Expedition.
With an expert local leader out front and a small group of like-minded women by your side, this trip connects you with the local communities you visit ,giving you a unique insight into Peru’s culture and traditions.
With an expert local leader out front and a small group of like-minded travellers by your side, this trip gives you a unique insight into Peru’s culture and traditions.
Part of Intrepid’s Women’s expedition range, this eight-day adventure has been thoughtfully designed to support local women in tourism while delivering immersive experiences specifically for women travellers.
You’ll traverse the lesser-known Chinchero to Urquillos trail in the Peruvian Andes alongside an all-female crew, spend time in an Andean village learning about daily life, take part in a traditional textile workshop led by local women and experience a spiritual cleansing ritual guided by a female shaman.
Welcome, new friends! 🥰
🤗Welcome to all our new subscribers! We're delighted to have you here with us.
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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.
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. ❤️ |