A NOTE FROM CHRISTOPHER
You deserve better
This morning’s new Confidentially section is about air travelers with complaints who get scammed. How did the bad guys know about their grievance? I’ll explain.
You deserve better than that. Airlines, and the federal government, should be protecting you from this nonsense. But they’re not.
That’s why I created Elliott Confidential PRO and our newly-expanded Confidentially section (scroll down to read it). You’ll find exclusive information in every issue that will protect you from the scammers and help you have a smooth trip.
There’s still a section with free information and stories, and my website and forum will always be free. But if you want to read everything, I’ve cut the subscription price by 30% this week. A full year for $59.50 instead of $85 — about $1.14 a week.
Eight shipments from GE Parts, and not one working propeller in the bag. (Illustration by Dustin Elliott)
🧊 The part that arrives broken every time — A sealed plastic bag should be enough to get a small motor and a three-blade propeller across the country in one piece. But no. Eight of those bags reached Paul Clarke in Savannah, Georgia, and every propeller inside was in pieces, with no blades anywhere in the bag. So who fixes an appliance the manufacturer can’t supply parts for?
On Backchannel, Suleyman Usman walked out of an Airbnb after two nights of mold and insects, and the case was closed without a refund.
Confidentially: Two readers filed complaints with their airlines. Within days, a caller who already knew about those complaints rang them up offering money. It was fraud. How did the scammers know? — Christopher Elliott
FEATURED ARTICLE
Can GE really send the same broken part eight times?
Paul Clarke’s GE Profile ice maker is broken, and despite eight attempts to fix it with an approved vendor, the company keeps re-sending the same damaged part. Now he’s stuck with a $3,000 appliance that doesn’t work. Is it time for a new machine?
OUR UNDERWRITER
Internova Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel services companies, bringing together a portfolio of leading brands that deliver high-touch, personalized travel expertise to leisure, corporate and entertainment clients. Through its distinctive divisions, Internova manages leisure, business and franchise operations and represents more than 100,000 travel advisors across 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, with a presence in more than 80 countries worldwide.
📌 Here’s what you missed this week
Catch up on the latest stories from the Elliott Report
Can GE really send the same broken part eight times?
Paul Clarke’s GE Profile ice maker needed one component, and GE Parts shipped the same impeller motor and three-blade propeller eight times with the blades snapped off, inside a sealed bag that held no broken pieces. Four months in, the Assurant warranty that would cover the appliance still can’t start, because the approved vendor has no working part to install.
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.
OUR UNDERWRITER
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
I’m not staying here!
Suleyman Usman checked into an Airbnb and found mold on the walls, insects crossing the floor and a large spider next to the bed. He left inside 48 hours and reported it well within AirCover’s 72-hour window, and the case closed with the agent telling him Airbnb couldn’t override the host’s cancellation policy. Does a listing in that condition clear the bar for a refund? Here’s our team’s advice on Backchannel.
OUR UNDERWRITER
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.
CONFIDENTIALLY
Information and insights for Elliott Confidential PRO subscribers
Help, they’re coming for me!
She asked American for a refund. A scammer took $4,000 instead.
Fraudsters are watching for travelers with open complaints. One reader lost almost $4,000 to a caller who reached her before the airline did.
One of our readers had a miserable flight from New York to Las Vegas earlier this month. A child near his seat got sick on him, and he spent the rest of the trip in soiled clothes. He filed a complaint with JetBlue. That same day, his phone started ringing.
The caller called himself “Patrick” and said he worked for JetBlue. He followed up with emails from a Gmail account styled “JetBlue Care Crew.” Patrick offered our reader $500 for his trouble.
The rest of this exclusive report is for members only.
Behind this line: What the fake JetBlue agent asked our reader to install, and how a second reader lost almost $4,000 to someone claiming to be American’s help desk. Plus the six checks that tell you whether the person calling about your complaint works for the airline.
A Members Only story like this runs in every issue, along with Backchannel and the vault. Annual membership is 30% off through this link.