The trip was a nightmare. Amtrak delayed our first train by seven hours. It failed to provide all the meals on our 26-hour trip. I had paid for a sleeper, but Amtrak seated us in the wrong section of the train. An employee yelled at me for “taking his seat” on a coach train where there were no assigned seats.

So I canceled our return trip and paid almost $1,000 for airfare to get home. The airfare wiped out my savings.

When I canceled our Amtrak return trip and explained why, a representative assured me that I’d receive a “full refund for my purchase.” That promise was six weeks ago, and now they’re saying I’m not eligible for a refund.

In my view, I purchased services that were never delivered (i.e., meals and bedroom accommodations for three days), and as a result of Amtrak not providing the services promised with my purchase, they forced me to spend money I don’t really have in order to transport my daughter and myself back home.

— Kimberli Eicher, Bend, Oregon

ANSWER: I’m sorry you had such a difficult trip to Oklahoma. Amtrak should have done better — no delays, putting you in the right section of the train and treating you with dignity.

None of these issues rises to the level of qualifying for a refund. Amtrak doesn’t provide refunds for late trains. It does refund part of your ticket for an involuntary downgrade. But it does not offer your money back because of rude employees.

But taken together, these complaints add up. You also furnished me with a detailed trip report that you sent to your bank when you disputed the charges for your train fare. You were not exaggerating when you called it a traumatic nightmare. I would have fought for a refund, too.

Technically, Amtrak was entitled to keep your money. After all, it had provided you with transportation from Oregon to Oklahoma. But a representative had already agreed to refund half your fare, so it’s reasonable to expect Amtrak to do what it promised. Instead, Amtrak reneged and insisted on keeping your money.

As I already mentioned, you filed a credit card dispute to recover your money after Amtrak told you it would not refund your ticket. You can file a chargeback for a service that you paid for but did not receive, so I think you had a case. You contacted me before the dispute was resolved, asking me to intervene.

I think you may have missed a step. When a company says “no,” you can always appeal to an executive. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the Amtrak executives on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/amtrak/. I would have tried that before disputing your charges.

I reached out to Amtrak for you. A representative reviewed your file and agreed that your trip did not go as it should have. Amtrak refunded your ticket and offered you a credit for a make-good trip — just in case you want to try Amtrak again.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.(c) 2023 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Windstar claims it booked the tickets through a third party called Global Marine Travel and that they are nonrefundable. I called American Airlines, which confirmed that it sent a refund to Global Marine Travel. It looks like Windstar Cruises is keeping our $17,000 airfare. Can you help us get a refund?

— P. McMurtry, Indio, California

ANSWER: Windstar should have disclosed that your airline tickets were nonrefundable. And if the airline refunded your tickets, it should have at least considered passing that refund along to you.

I reviewed the correspondence between you and Windstar. I could not find any disclosure of the non-refundability in its emails to you. Since business class tickets are often refundable, you had every reason to believe you might get a refund — or, at least, a full ticket credit.

In an email sent to you, Windstar pointed out that according to its terms, air travel is nonrefundable once purchased, no matter what your ticket says. So that means even if American refunds Windstar’s travel agency, it gets to keep the money.

I’ve dealt with these double-jeopardy refund cases before, and I have a problem with any company imposing new rules on a purchase. But that’s not why I took your case. I took it because I could not find any disclosure of Windstar’s refund rules on their website (www.windstarcruises.com/terms-conditions/).

You tried to resolve this yourself by filing a dispute on your credit card (more information on how to do so at www.elliott.org/ultimate-consumer-guides-smart-travelers/). A chargeback is your last line of defense against a fraudulent purchase. You might have contacted one of the executives at Windstar Cruises (found at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/windstar-cruises/) to plead your case before trying a credit card dispute.

Mostly, I was curious about Windstar’s disclosure. The paper trail between you and the cruise line did not spell out the airfare refund rules. I contacted Windstar to see if I had missed something. In response, the cruise line refunded your $17,000 airline tickets.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.(c) 2023 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

I contacted Airbnb, and it issued a coupon to stay at another apartment. But the pictures were a complete misrepresentation of the apartment. The host even admitted that some of the images were wrong and apologized. Since it was getting late, I spent one night in the apartment and checked out the next day.

I ended up booking a hotel out of my own funds, spending $1,875. I spoke with an Airbnb senior ambassador, who agreed to refund only $500 of the hotel and issue the rest as an Airbnb coupon.There were pretentious apologies with no real solution for the duration of my remaining trip. I was short of funds to spend during the rest of my vacation because of this new hotel I’d booked with my own money.

Forced to use the coupon code for my next stay despite the horrible experience we had, I tried logging into my account to utilize the coupon, only to find that they had blocked my account. Can you help me?

— Mehar Satsangi, Mumbai, India

ANSWER: Wow, talk about a bad stay. Just about everything that could go wrong with an Airbnb experience went wrong.

First, Airbnb should have conveyed your reservation to your host in London. It’s not clear what went wrong. Did the host have the reservation and then turn you down when you arrived? Or was this a glitch with Airbnb’s reservation system? Either way, Airbnb should have taken full responsibility for it.

Airbnb’s rebooking guarantee (found at www.airbnb.com/help/article/2868/rebooking-and-refund-policy) promises to assist you with finding “comparable or better” accommodations. But that didn’t happen. Instead, you ended up in another apartment, the pictures of which were not representative of the property. Two strikes, Airbnb.

But Airbnb wasn’t done with you. After promising you a credit for future use, the company disabled your account. That’s three strikes.

So are you out of luck? Maybe not. I reviewed your correspondence with Airbnb, and you were clearly upset. That may be why Airbnb banned you, although I can’t be sure. Your chats and phone interaction with the company may have crossed a line.

What would have worked? First, you want to invoke Airbnb’s rebooking guarantee in your correspondence. Airbnb promises to take care of you when a host cancels your reservation. You also could have reached out to one of the customer service managers at Airbnb. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the Airbnb executives on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/airbnb-customer-service-contacts/. I also have a free guide on how to book your next vacation rental (www.elliott.org/answers/how-to-rent-vacation-home-ultimate-guide/) so that this never happens to you again.

I contacted Airbnb on your behalf. The company restored your account and issued a refund for the full $1,875 as a coupon code. You also report having a productive conversation with an Airbnb manager about everything that went wrong with your apartment. Hopefully, Airbnb will use that information to ensure this will never happen to anyone else.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.(c) 2023 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

We had purchased insurance for this cruise, and we have submitted the letter we received from Princess to the insurance company. But the insurance company requires a doctor’s note or other documentation of the test and results in addition to the letter.

We have asked Princess for that documentation, but so far, it has been unresponsive. In my last call with Princess, I waited four hours, only to be given incorrect information and no verification from the ship’s doctor.

Princess also promised to compensate us for meals and lodging while we waited for a flight home, but that has not happened either. Please help!

— Linda Martin, Anacortes, Washington

ANSWER: Princess was correct to deny you boarding. But the way it handled your insurance claim and expenses was incorrect. The cruise line should have done what it promised — cover your expenses and help you file an insurance claim. So why didn’t it? Well, we’re still picking up the pieces from one of the busiest summer travel seasons in recent memory. Everyone wanted to go somewhere. As a result, there’s a backlog of travel insurance claims and long hold times for customer service. Princess is hardly alone.

The cruise line has already refunded you $1,051 for the shore excursions. But you were still out on your cruise fare and the extra expenses of having to quarantine in the U.K.

I like the way you kept careful records of your expenses. You saved every receipt and then presented them to your travel insurance company. Nice work! Unfortunately, your insurance company needed a letter from Princess verifying your husband’s COVID-positive status when you boarded.

I guess it’s come to this: If you’re bumped from a cruise or tour because you’re sick, you need an official test result. A doctor’s letter would be even better. Don’t wait until you get home to ask for the letter — get it right then and there. Otherwise, you may not be able to file a successful travel insurance claim.

I think a polite, written appeal to one of the Princess executives I publish on my advocacy site (www.elliott.org/company-contacts/princess-cruise-lines/) would have helped. I also publish a free guide to cruising (found at www.elliott.org/ultimate-consumer-guides-smart-travelers/the-ultimate-guide-to-taking-a-cruise-now/), which includes a section on how to resolve any cruise problem.

I contacted Princess on your behalf. A representative called you and agreed to reimburse you for the cost of meals, lodging, a transfer and an additional $500 to cover the amount that the insurance would not cover. It also furnished you with the necessary documentation for your insurance. Princess will pay you $2,954, and after you file your insurance claim, you will get $3,700 back.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.(c) 2022 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

I tried changing my flight, but TAP wouldn’t answer the phone. So I purchased new tickets to fly home. When I checked in for my flight back to the U.S., I spoke to a TAP agent at the airport, who promised I’d get a refund.

Instead, my online travel agency, Travelocity, gave me a flight credit. But now, the credit has expired, and TAP won’t respond to me or Travelocity regarding my refund. Also, my TAP account is locked.

The last I heard from TAP is that since Travelocity issued the ticket, Travelocity “has the ability to process our refund and has been provided with instructions on how to do so.” I need your help getting $1,881 refunded from either TAP or Travelocity — whichever company has the money.

— Mary Dexter, Newton Centre, Massachusetts

ANSWER: You should have never received a credit from TAP Air Portugal or Travelocity. Instead, they should have given you a complete refund after canceling your return flight.

After the COVID outbreak in 2020, TAP argued that the pandemic was an extraordinary circumstance and that it could only offer a flight credit for canceled tickets. But EU regulations require an airline to offer either your choice of a full refund or a credit for a canceled flight, no matter the reason for the cancellation.

Eventually, authorities forced TAP to issue full refunds, but the airline took its time. It’s nothing short of the biggest refund scandal in modern aviation (more information about refunds can be found at www.elliott.org/airline-problems/what-should-you-do-if-your-airline-wont-refund-your-ticket/).

But somewhere between TAP and Travelocity, your tickets remained in the system as an expiring credit. It’s highly unusual — though, not unprecedented — for an online agency to be an accomplice to an airline that doesn’t want to return your money. So I thought something else might be going on.

I publish the company contacts for TAP Air Portugal and Travelocity on my advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/tap-air-portugal and www.elliott.org/company-contacts/expedia-customer-service-contacts. (Expedia owns Travelocity.) You could have sent a brief, polite email to one of them, asking them to review your refund request. I checked your paper trail, and it seemed everyone was cooperating with your refund request — until they weren’t.

It’s possible that Travelocity’s emails went to your spam folder. It’s always a good idea to check your spam folder every once in a while and whitelist emails from companies you trust. Also, if you’re expecting a refund and your card expires, let the company know your new credit card information.

You received a full refund of $1,881 from Travelocity.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.(c) 2022 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

But after a lot of back and forth, I changed my ticket for an additional fee of $1,149. Between the chaos of my father’s condition and the rude agent, I realized I had booked the wrong flight. I was flying back from the wrong airport — San Jose instead of San Francisco. It was much too far from where I was, and I wouldn’t be able to get there on time. I immediately called American Airlines to explain my mistake and advised the agent I would not be on the San Jose flight.

The representative indicated that the airline could not refund me at that time, but that I should follow up with the customer service department for a refund. I saw a seat online from San Francisco to New York and asked him to book it. He did, but it cost an extra $1,648.

Because of these events and my disability, I paid $2,797 in change fees to move up my flight one day. I want a refund for these charges.

— Linda Brucia, New York

ANSWER: I’m so sorry to hear about your father. I hope he is well on his way to recovery. There’s so much that went wrong with this case that it’s hard to know where to start.

Airlines strongly prefer that you make your flight changes online. But American Airlines should have been accommodating because of your disability and your state of mind, having just learned of your father’s stroke.I don’t know if American believed your story. For example, you said you had to call the airline because of your macular degeneration, but you later checked the flights online. That might have made the representatives question your narrative. (And, for the record, I believe you.)

You asked for a ticket change, but I think the representative misunderstood you and put in for a refund. American should have changed your ticket from San Jose to San Francisco. But it looks like you purchased an entirely new ticket. That should have left you with a ticket credit for your original flight from San Jose to New York.

But, more to the point, you had a complicated interaction with the reservation agents. And that’s understandable. You were under a lot of stress at the time. When you’re trying to solve a consumer problem, it helps to remember the three P’s — patience, persistence and politeness. I have more strategies on how to fix any airline problem in my free guide to booking an airline ticket, which you can access at www.elliott.org/airline-problems/best-way-buy-airline-tickets-guide/. I also publish the names, numbers and emails of American Airlines’ executives on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/american-airlines/.

I contacted American Airlines on your behalf to see if we could get this sorted out. It looks like you already disputed the charges for your first ticket on your credit card. American said that it would not fight the dispute as a goodwill gesture, so you will get your money back.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.(c) 2022 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

As a military base, the Presidio defended the Golden Gate for two centuries before the U.S. Army left in 1994 and it became a national park. Two years later, Congress set up the Presidio Trust to care for the park and its surprising resources.

“We really are a city,” says the Presidio Trust’s public relation manager, Lisa Petrie. “We’ve inherited this old infrastructure — we have our own roads, electric grid … and 3,000 homes plus 200 businesses.”

Unlike other national park support organizations, the Presidio Trust doesn’t get a direct annual appropriation — its budget comes from managing the park’s businesses and housing stock along with visitor amenities.

From art installations to eateries, two boutique hotels, a bowling alley, golf course, community theater and more, the Presidio packs a punch, and there’s no entrance fee. Visitors can pay to park at the Presidio or take the free Presidio Go downtown shuttle or San Francisco Muni 30 and 29 lines. Visitors can also bike to the park or take a cab, Uber or Lyft.

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the Presidio Tunnel Tops, which opened in the park last July. A $118 million project that was 20 years in the making, the Tunnel Tops are built on and around the Presidio Parkway tunnels. There are grassy meadows, picnic tables, food trucks, a campfire circle and trails — all with mind-blowing views of the Golden Gate Bridge and waterfront.

At the Tunnel Tops Outpost, kids can climb on play structures made from fallen tree trunks, boulders and other natural structures. In fact, the whole Presidio is a play-and-learn “power spot” for urban kids, says Damien Raffa, a Presidio park experience and partnerships specialist.

“[It’s got] immersive wild habitats, serendipitous opportunities for climbing and balancing and creating with nature,” Raffa says, adding that kids can find colorful creatures in the Presidio such as red velvet ants and green hairstreak butterflies. A field station acts as a curiosity lab to encourage children to explore with their senses.

One of the more memorable ways to see the Presidio is on a Segway. Oakland hills resident Drew Foster, who owns Segway Off Road, gives exhilarating private tours on beefed-up Segways with deep-tread tires. Riding what Foster calls “the world’s first robotic human transport,” you cruise on paved paths along the San Francisco waterfront and go off-roading to places like Baker Beach and the Presidio’s forested dirt trails.

The smiles on folks’ faces when you glide past the Palace of Fine Arts make the ride even more fun. Foster stops several times for photo ops of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Inspiration Point, Fort Point and more on a route that’s eye-candy every mile of the way.

You may be surprised to find four installations by world-renowned nature artist Andy Goldsworthy in the park. He first visited the Presidio in 2006 and was impressed with the interplay of city and nature. Goldsworthy’s art can be seen along a 3-mile hiking loop on the Presidio’s network of trails. His 1,200-foot-long “Wood Line” sculpture is especially impressive, made from eucalyptus branches in the parks largest eucalyptus grove.

With so much to do in the Presidio, you may want to spend the night. There are two options that blend history with luxury accommodations. The Lodge at the Presidio has 42 rooms with bridge, park or skyline views and gives you a complimentary breakfast and an evening wine reception.

Inn at the Presidio has 22 spacious rooms and is elegant and historic, having served as the home for bachelor officers. Both inns are within walking distance of one of the best Mexican restaurants in the city. Colibri is the perfect use of the former Presidio Officers’ Club, with its turn-of-the-century cantina vibe and amazing made-to-order guacamole, handmade tortillas, smoky mezcal cocktails and more.

The restaurant even has happy hour, almost unheard of in a national park setting. It’s just one more example of the unique offerings in this gem of an urban national park.

Ginny Prior can be followed on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and at ginnyprior.com. Email her at ginnyprior@hotmail.com.

FYI

For help planning your trip to the Presidio, visit presidio.gov online. For more information on Segway tours, go to segwayoffroad.com. To find out more about the Colibri restaurant, visit colibrimexicanbistro.com.

We used the card to pay for part of a snorkeling trip to Cuba. My husband tested positive for COVID two days before we were supposed to leave, and we had to cancel. The entire trip was nonrefundable at that point.

I filed a claim with Chase seven months ago. I have spent numerous hours on the phone, as well as online, communicating with its claims department. I’ve spent many hours on hold and spoken with at least a dozen people at Chase.

A Chase representative told me three months after I filed my claim that it had been approved, but that it needed to be “verified.” After more calls, Chase still needed more documentation. Can you help me get my claim for $15,194 approved?

— Judy Lambert, Sacramento

ANSWER: Chase should have processed your claim quickly, as promised. Instead, it took its time, dragging it on for months.

I have never been a fan of credit cards that try to hook you with all kinds of bells and whistles, but when a card like Chase Sapphire Reserve makes a promise to you, it should keep it. In your case, you received a call from a representative months ago assuring you that a check for $15,194 was in the mail, only to discover another email from its claims processor asking for more documentation.

It isn’t unusual for a travel insurance company to dot every “i” and cross every “t” when you have a large claim. It is unusual to have the claim drag on for this long. I reviewed the paper trail between you and Chase. It appears you quickly sent everything that the company asked for.

There’s a way to get unstuck. You can send a brief, polite email to the claims department. If that doesn’t work, you can appeal to one of the company executives. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the Chase executives on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/chase-bank/. I also have tips on how to file an insurance claim in my free guide to travel insurance found at www.elliott.org/ultimate-consumer-guides-smart-travelers/how-find-best-travel-insurance/.

I contacted Chase on your behalf. A representative called you and said your claim had already been approved and that the check was on its way. This time, you got your money. “

I was ready to give up,” you said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”That’s what I do. I’m happy to help.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.(c) 2022 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

The Avis shop was closed when I dropped the van off on a Sunday. I followed the instructions on the door and left the keys with the hotel clerk. I parked the van in front of the Avis door.

I expected a receipt via email within a couple of days, but none came. Avis then charged me two times — once for $1,459 and then again a few days later for $1,125.

I could not get through the Avis phone jungle to find out what was going on, so I had my credit card block the second payment.

Since then, I have been going back and forth with Avis, answering several repetitive questions and providing copies of my reservations. I would like to get a revised rental agreement invoice for $1,770 and have Avis cancel the second charge, then bill me for the remainder owed. Can you help me?

— Robert Cipriani, Beverly, Massachusetts

ANSWER: Avis should have billed you for the correct amount the first time. Once you pointed out the error, it should have quickly reviewed its records and adjusted your bill.

But it didn’t. I reviewed the correspondence between you and Avis, and you’re absolutely right. The company keeps asking you the same questions, to which it already knows the answers. It feels like you are dealing with a bot (and maybe you are).

Here’s my best guess about what happened. You returned your van on time, but for some reason, Avis didn’t mark it as returned in its system. So it simply charged you for the extra days until it found the vehicle. That often happens with car rental companies. It’s one reason I advise car rental customers to always return their vehicle when the rental location is open, so they can get a receipt. Unfortunately, leaving the keys with a hotel clerk isn’t enough, no matter what the car rental company says. But you couldn’t have known that.

Blocking the second charge on your bill fixed your problem in the short term. But if you had refused to pay, Avis could have referred you to a collection agency or added you to its “Do Not Rent List.” That would have affected your credit and your ability to rent cars in the future.

You needed to elevate your case to someone higher up the food chain than a bot. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the Avis executives on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/avis-budget/.

I noticed that, after a while, you began writing in all uppercase letters (that’s considered shouting) and threatened that they would hear from your legal counsel. These tactics are understandable, but not always helpful in resolving your case. I have some strategies on how to advocate your own case on my site at www.elliott.org/answers/how-to-fix-your-own-consumer-problem/.

I contacted Avis on your behalf. A representative reviewed your invoices and adjusted the amount as you had requested.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.

(c) 2022 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

— Russ DeVries, Midlothian, Virginia

ANSWER: If you didn’t bring a dog with you, then you should not have to pay a cleaning fee.

Car rental companies have been clamping down on customers who trash their vehicles. I reviewed the correspondence between you and Budget, and here’s how it justified the fee.”Charges for cleaning vehicles that are returned in such poor condition that the vehicle must be sent out for detailing will be charged in proportion to the level of cleaning that is needed,” it said in an email. “This includes, but is not limited to, vehicles returned with food stains on the seats, dog or animal hair that cannot be removed through normal vacuuming of the car, excessive odor, smoke odor and cigarette burns. We find that the location has provided documentation of the condition of the vehicle at return.”

Budget said it would gladly remove the charge if you could show the condition of the car before you rented it. That’s a valid request. You should always take a picture of your car — inside and outside — before you leave the lot. If someone forgot to clean the vehicle, or if it has dings or dents on the outside, ask for a different car.

Budget then told you about the dog hair, which you vehemently denied. You were on a business trip and did not bring a dog with you.

In the end, it’s difficult to prove you didn’t have a dog. I see cases like this all the time. Among the car rental companies’ favorite fees is charging nonsmokers a cleaning fee for “smoking” in a rental vehicle. But pet cleaning fees seem to be a close second. And it’s not limited to car rental companies. A few years ago, a vacation rental management company in Sedona, Arizona, tried to charge me for dog hair in my vacation rental. Yet, I don’t have a dog. When I pointed that out, the company dropped the fee.

I would have pressed Budget for more proof. In your email correspondence, the company insisted it had the evidence. But it couldn’t show you any evidence that proves you (or your non-existent dog) messed up the back seat of your rental. I wonder why? If a car rental company wants to charge you an extra $450, it should at least have something to show for it.

Here’s another problem with your case: Budget didn’t notify you of the cleaning fee. Instead, it simply charged your credit card. You had to ask the car rental company about a mysterious $450 charge on your card. Come on. At least the company could have let you know it was billing you — and maybe ask for your side of the story.

A brief, polite email to one of the executives at Budget might have produced more evidence. Or it might have convinced the powers that be of your innocence. There was no dog and, therefore, no dog hair.I contacted Budget on your behalf. It refunded the $450 it charged your card.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.

(c) 2022 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.