The listing said peaceful five times over. The neighbors upstairs never read it. (Illustration by Dustin Elliott)
😴 The refund Airbnb put in writing — One of our readers rented a Toronto apartment whose listing promised peace. He spent most of two months waking at 4 a.m. to heavy impact noise from the unit above. He recorded it, reported it inside the 72-hour window and got a written commitment from an Airbnb agent. What happens when a company walks back its own promise?
On Backchannel, David Code spent 30 days, three supervisors and one FCC complaint trying to buy the phone Google Fi’s own website had offered him.
For Members Only: Are Samsung’s TVs spying on you? A new lawsuit says so. What can you do about it? — Christopher Elliott
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Airbnb promised a refund for a noisy rental. Then it went quiet.
Tatsuyuki Morishita booked a “quiet” Airbnb in Toronto, only to be jolted awake by noise every night. An Airbnb agent promised a refund if he moved out early, but once he handed back the keys, the company tried to close the case with no refund. Can Morishita get Airbnb to honor its word?
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Travel Leaders Group is transforming travel through its progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Travel Leaders Group assists millions of travelers through its leisure, business and network travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands, including All Aboard Travel, Andrew Harper Travel, Colletts Travel, Corporate Travel Services, CruCon Cruise Outlet, Cruise Specialists, Nexion, Protravel International, SinglesCruise.com, Travel Leaders Corporate, Travel Leaders Network and Tzell Travel Group, and its merger with ALTOUR. With more than 7,000 agency locations and 52,000 travel advisors, Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of the industry’s largest retail travel agency companies.
📌 Here’s what you missed this week
Catch up on the latest stories from the Elliott Report
Airbnb promised a refund for a noisy rental. Then it went quiet.
Tatsuyuki Morishita’s Toronto rental was advertised as peaceful, and the unit above woke him at 4 a.m. through most of a two-month stay. An Airbnb agent reviewed his recordings, confirmed AirCover covered him and committed in writing to refund 12 unused nights plus 30% of the 20 nights he stayed, then the file passed to agents who denied he was eligible at all.
Can your internet provider charge you for equipment you already own?
Zachary Scott owned the modem and router he used on his Cox Communications account for years. When his military orders sent him from Virginia to Hawaii, Cox billed him $252 for equipment it says he kept, then referred the unpaid charge to a collections agency. A $240 delinquency is now on his credit report.
Refundable booking? You may not get all your money back
William Farrer read terms promising a New Orleans hotel room was refundable for a limited period, then got an email seconds after booking saying the period had closed on his $3,228. Agencies now subtract a $30 distribution charge and their own cancellation fees from rates still advertised as refundable, and small hotels bill back the cost of sending the money home.
Are holiday flights too expensive?
Thanksgiving round trips average $402 and Christmas fares $452, both the highest in a decade. Jet fuel is up almost 70% this year, which is the industry’s explanation, but Delta’s chief executive told analysts in October that he sees limited resistance from passengers.
No, your pet doesn’t want to go on vacation with you
I’ve never heard a pet ask to go on vacation, and unless you’ve been taking hallucinogenic drugs, neither have you.
Is your hotel room safe? The mistake you’re making right now
Nala Fox left a balcony door cracked at a five-star resort in Negril, Jamaica, and woke from a nap to find her carry-on and passport gone, with the security desk telling her this sometimes happens. Hotel security consultants call the condition resort security amnesia, and it shows up in cloned key cards, key sleeves with the room number printed on them and balconies an intruder can cross at night.
Holland America canceled my cruise because of a pricing error. Can it do that?
Cindy Woodring booked a 10-day Zuiderdam sailing at $479 a person, applied a $200 credit and paid the $758 balance in full. Three days later Holland America called the fare a pricing error and billed her $1,530 more, then offered a complimentary stateroom upgrade to anyone willing to pay it.
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Travelex Insurance Services is a leading travel insurance provider in the United States with over 55 years combined industry expertise of helping people dream, explore and travel with confidence. We offer comprehensive travel insurance plans with optional upgrades allowing travelers to customize the plans to fit their needs. Compare plans, get a quote and buy online at Travelexinsurance.com.
💬 What you’re saying on Backchannel
Google? Is that you?
David Code has been a Google Fi customer since the day the service launched in 2015, and on his fifth upgrade cycle the website offered him a new Pixel, then refused to complete the order. After 30 days, three supervisors and an FCC complaint, Fi has credited him $150. He wants another $470 for the hours the fight cost him. Is that a reasonable ask? Here’s our team’s advice on Backchannel.
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TravelInsurance.com makes it fast and easy to compare and buy travel insurance online from top-rated providers. Our unbiased comparison engine allows travelers to read reviews, compare pricing and benefits and buy the right policy with a price guarantee, every time. Compare and buy travel insurance now at TravelInsurance.com.
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Information and insights for Elliott Confidential PRO subscribers
I’m watching you.
Your TV is watching you, says a new lawsuit
A class-action complaint says Samsung’s televisions read the screen about twice a second, whatever you’re watching, and turn it into advertising data.
If you own a Samsung smart TV, it may know more about your viewing habits than your family does. A new class-action lawsuit claims the company checks what’s on your screen about twice a second and turns that information into advertising data.
The rest of this exclusive report is for members only.
Behind this line: who filed and where, and what the 88-page complaint says about the button you tapped the day you set up the television. Plus, the six things to do with your own remote tonight.
A Members Only story like this runs in every issue, along with Backchannel and the vault. Annual membership is 30% off through this link.