After a marathon 15-hour drive from the Washington, DC-area to Orlando yesterday, we made it back home at 1:30 a.m. But there’s no time to sleep: this week’s newsletter is filled with fascinating cases that you’ll want to read, from one customer’s Wal-Mart refund that went awry to a car rental insurance screw-up. Also, find out how to avoid the spam scam and read about our adventure in Quebec City on National Geographic Traveler’s Intelligent Travel blog.
Please visit our underwriter, TripInsurance.com, a travel insurance comparison website that provides savings of 40% or more on similar plans from other comparison sites. TripInsurance.com provides one of the easiest ways to buy travel insurance. With quotes sorted into good better and best coverage categories it is simple to compare travel insurance plans to find the right policy for your needs. Customer support is available 24/7 and claims can be filed online – right there on the site.Question of the week: Have you booked an airline ticket in the last few weeks? Now that new rules forcing airlines to show their fees online have gone into effect, have you noticed any difference? Do you feel as if you know how much your next flight will cost, or are you still confused? Send me an email.
Avoiding the Spam Scam: 5 Tips For Handling Unsolicited Email
If you think the spam epidemic is under control, then I have a check from Nigeria with your name on it.
24 Hours in Québec City
If you have only a day to spend in Québec City, the capital of the Canadian province of Québec, here’s my advice: Don’t waste a minute. It’s going to be a full day.
The Travel Troubleshooter: She declined insurance, but then signed for it
Ted Van Anne’s wife isn’t an experienced traveler, but she knows she declined the optional car rental insurance. So why is Dollar charging her an extra $20 a day for her car? And can the charge be reversed?
Case dismissed: “There was no possibility of any damage having occurred”
Peggy Suvak’s car rental started routinely enough. When she picked up the car from an Enterprise location in Indianpolis, an associate walked around the vehicle to check for damage and seemed to have “no concerns.”
Ridiculous or not? Going out of your way to avoid planes
We’re a nation of drivers, no doubt about it.
Is this enough compensation? You missed your deadline — here’s a voucher
It was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime for Johanna Robles and her extended family of 19, which included her husband, children and grandchildren. But when she tried to book the “Great Rivers of Europe” tour through Grand Circle Travel, the experience was less than great.
Can this trip be saved? “This was the worst vacation any of us have ever taken”
Whenever I get complaint like Ashish Kapila’s, my first reaction is, “Oh no, not another laundry list.”
Road trip update: Coming back to Québec City
This is Montmorency Falls, near Québec City, Canada. I missed it the last time I was in town in 2002, because it was January, and people don’t visit the falls during the winter unless they want to go ice climbing.
TSA watch: Exploiting 9/11 for fun and profit
Here we go again.
The smarter consumer: How to turn a “no” into a “yes”
“You killed the bird,” the pet-store owner barked, pointing an accusatory finger at me.
What’s your problem? Wal-Mart won’t price match my discontinued TouchPad
Nancy Heimstra is being punished for being an early adopter. Wal-Mart won’t price match the obsolete HP TouchPad she bought. Is she out of luck?
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Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Pre-order your copy now!
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