Man attacks a con artist with a golf club after being sold fake plane ticket vouchers on Craigslist

by Jamie Rhein on

This story reads like something you’d see in a movie scene. It actually would make a good movie scene if you could build a movie around it.

This funny tale came our way from Christopher Elliot’s blog. Elliot, problem solver extraordinaire sometimes helps unhappy travelers find resolutions to their hotel and airline woes in order to get them a favorable outcome.

In the case of Ted LeClair, a man who bought travel vouchers for Southwest Airlines tickets at Craigslist from someone who checked out as reputable–but wasn’t, found his own happy ending from swinging a nine iron at the crook.

Elliot recounts the story in humorous detail, but here are the highlights:

  • LeClair buys Southwest ticket vouchers through Craigslist after meeting the guy selling the vouchers. They meet in person and the guy checks out.
  • LeClair’s daughter is at the airport with LeClair’s mother to use the Southwest ticket, only to find out the ticket needs to be paid for with cash since the credit card purchase was canceled.
  • LeClair’s daughter can’t take the Southwest flight and is in tears.
  • LeClair is hopping mad.
  • LeClair arranges to buy ticket vouchers on Craigslist from the same person, but as a fictious female using a female friend of his to make the phone call connection.
  • LeClair calls the police to tell them he knows how to catch a criminal. The police say, “Yeah, yeah, but give us five days.”
  • LeClair shows up at a health food store with a golf club where the crook is to hand over the vouchers to the fake female and book the ticket.
  • LeClair demands his money back and when the crook doesn’t comply, LeClair whomps on the crook with the nine-iron.
  • The police are called by folks at the health food store.
  • The police eventually arrest the crook and let LeClair go.

Car rental scams to look out for

by Jamie Rhein on

Whenever I’ve rented a car, I’ve always felt a bit anxious wondering what option to take when it comes to the insurance–or if the price is going to truly be what the information says it will be. Driving off a car lot in something I don’t own is thrilling on one hand, but disconcerting in another. What if something goes wrong?

So far, I haven’t been scammed, but I’ve probably paid for insurance I didn’t need–that loss of use business makes me wary–and I’ve double and triple checked what it is I’m signing up for. In many cases, I’ve been able to work out a better deal like trading up for a roomier car at the same initial rate for a smaller car.

Chris Elliot outlines scams to watch out for in his article “Hell on Wheels: Four Car Rental Scams.” They are scams because they unfairly tip in the car rental companies’ favor if a customer doesn’t pay attention to the fine print. Here are the three that I’ve watched out for myself. For the fourth one, read his article.

1. Refueling- For example, as with happened with us this summer when we rented our car at the Bellingham airport, the car rental person offered us the refueling charge option. At first it seemed like a fair deal, but it only would have been be a fair deal if we brought back the car with an empty tank. In our case, we turned him down and refueled making sure the needle went above the F right before we hit the airport. Elliot says that sometimes car rental companies will charge refueling anyway, even if the tank is full, but the needle is a tad below the F.

2. Doing anything outside of the initial terms of the contract. If you bring a car back early you can pay for a much higher rental feel. If you’ve rented for a week, you have a week rate. One day earlier puts you into the pay by the day category. I’ve always stayed within the original contract so this hasn’t been a problem. Years ago I added an extra week to a car leasing deal in Paris for not much extra money, but that sort of deal may be long gone.

3. Damage to the car. Car rental companies have also been known to charge for the same dent more than once. Technically, if the car is damaged while in your care, your insurance is responsible, unless you have the insurance through the car rental company. Elliot suggests taking pictures of the different sides of the car before you drive it off the lot to prevent the chance you may be charged for something you didn’t do. This fall I had a car rental after a car accident and made sure the guy marked down any ding I saw no matter how small. The car was white which made me feel nervous the whole time I was driving it. I found myself parking far away from other cars whenever possible.

[via CNN.com/travel]