A QUICK NOTE FROM CHRISTOPHER
Don’t say this
Forbidden words are everywhere — on TV, the internet, even a few email newsletters. 😉
Today’s story about wallabies covers one forbidden word. But here’s another one that’s been on my mind.
It’s “no.”
“No,” as in “no” you can’t have a refund, “no” we won’t review your case, “no” we’re not responding to your email.
When our readers hear the word “no” I’m not happy. That’s why I created Elliott Confidential PRO. Every issue has a members-only Confidentially report that shows you how to fight back, like today’s story on the $450 smoke-sensor charge, and turn a “no” into a “yes.”
There’s still a section with free information and stories, and my website and forum will always be open and accessible to all. But if you want to read the insider stuff, I’ve cut the subscription price by 30% this week. A full year for $59.50 instead of $85 — about $1.14 a week.
Rock-wallabies at the Mt. Rothwell safe haven, where one word is off limits. (Photo by Aren Elliott)
🦘 The word you can’t say at Mt. Rothwell — An hour outside Melbourne, behind a predator-proof fence, dozens of rock-wallabies come out of the shade in the late afternoon and pose like they’re being paid for it. The woman who runs the sanctuary has one request for visitors, and it has nothing to do with feeding the wildlife. So what are you supposed to call them?
On Backchannel, Susan V has enough miles for Thanksgiving flights to Chicago only if she books each direction on its own ticket, and she wants to know what that costs her if something goes wrong.
Confidentially: Two readers say they have never smoked. A sensor in a rental car and another in a hotel room say otherwise, and the bills came to $450 and $500. Who checks the machine? — Christopher Elliott
FEATURED ARTICLE
How conservationists and visitors are saving endangered wallabies in Melbourne
The Southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby once bottomed out at 39 animals on the Australian mainland. A fenced sanctuary an hour from Melbourne now manages about 80% of what’s left, and the people running it would rather visitors stopped at the fence and thought about soil. The animals are doing a job down there, and the dinner on your plate depends on it. What does a wallaby have to do with your vegetables?
FORBES EXCLUSIVE
EU airline passenger rights overhaul: What it means for you
The EU kept its 600-euro delay payments and added deadlines airlines can’t ignore. The U.S. is moving the other way. Here’s what’s changing — and when.
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
How conservationists and visitors are saving endangered wallabies in Melbourne
The Southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby went down to 39 animals on the Australian mainland, and a predator-proof fence an hour outside Melbourne now protects about 80% of what’s left. The foundation running the sanctuary has one request for the tourists and corporate groups paying for the recovery: stop calling the animals cute.
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.
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 asking on Backchannel
Cleared for takeoff.
Susan is pricing Thanksgiving flights to Chicago, where fares are already higher than she expected and the good seats are going. She has enough miles to cover money-plus-miles fares in both directions, but only if she buys the outbound and the return as two separate tickets. What does a traveler give up by splitting a round trip in two? 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
Smmmmokin’.
Smoke sensors are the travel industry’s newest profit center
Budget and Marriott say their sensors caught two nonsmokers lighting up. The machines may be the ones that need checking.
Carol Rose has never smoked in her 72 years. So when her phone flashed a smoke alert from her Budget rental car on Sept. 16, she assumed it was a mistake. It wasn’t. Budget later billed her $450 for “smoke detection,” plus $127 in charges she still can’t identify.
The rest of this exclusive report is for members only.
Behind this line: the $500 charge a Marriott guest says came from her hair dryer, and the one rental car out of three that reported smoke. Plus, the seven things to do the day a smoke charge turns up on your bill.
A Members Only story like this runs in every issue, along with Backchannel and the vault. Annual membership is 30% off through this link.