Vantage Travel Bankruptcy with Michelle Couch Friedman
Easy Prey1 Touko 2024

Vantage Travel Bankruptcy with Michelle Couch Friedman

Imagine booking a vacation only to find out that the company files for bankruptcy a week later. As a consumer, would you know what your rights are? There's a big difference between travel insurance and travel protection. One can leave you with no way to get your money back.

Today's guest is Michelle Couch Friedman. Michelle is the founder and CEO of Consumer Rescue. She is an experienced consumer reporter, advocate, mediator, author, and licensed psychotherapist. Michelle has also been a columnist, contributing editor, and former executive director for Elliott Advocacy, a non-profit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy.

Show Notes:
  • [1:02] - Michelle shares her background and what she does through Consumer Rescue.
  • [5:00] - The only way to get money back from a bankrupt company is through your credit card company if you paid with one, or if you have travel insurance.
  • [6:36] - Right before announcing their bankruptcy, Vantage did a "sales blitz" and offered great deals to loyal customers, knowing that they wouldn't deliver.
  • [9:49] - Vantage was unique in that it had been a successful business for 40 years and had a loyal customer base.
  • [12:44] - Looking back at the way Vantage behaved after the pandemic, there were some red flags.
  • [15:43] - Michelle explains the difference between travel insurance and travel protection.
  • [17:36] - Travel insurance should be purchased away from the company taking you on the trip.
  • [19:47] - Make sure you can find a clause somewhere that says you are protected against the insolvency of the tour operator with or without bankruptcy.
  • [22:10] - If the tour operator is not able to deliver, you could file a credit card dispute. But there are some limitations.
  • [26:04] - You should always pay with credit cards. Don't be tempted by discounts offered with bank transfers.
  • [31:21] - The average age of Vantage Travel clientele was older and scammers took advantage of their vulnerability.
  • [33:10] - When filing claims and filling out forms, personal information makes its way to scammers on a "victim list."
  • [36:09] - Cryptocurrency is a red flag in cases like this as well.
  • [38:41] - There is some information you can find by contacting the court in the jurisdiction of the bankrupt company.
  • [41:53] - A company bought Vantage Travel's customer list and had all of their contact information.
  • [43:57] - In order to protect yourself, even if you have full trust in the company, do research and find red flags and reports.
  • [46:26] - Never pay with a bank transfer, even if they offer a discount.
  • [50:40] - Make sure the travel insurance policy protects against insolvency, not just bankruptcy.
  • [53:34] - Michelle shares how to reach Consumer Rescue and what services they provide for free.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

Links and Resources:

Jaksot(321)

Art Heists

Art Heists

The world of art theft looks glamorous in the movies, but the reality is far more complicated. From multi-million dollar forgery schemes to undercover FBI operations recovering stolen national treasur...

29 Huhti 37min

The Power of Prediction

The Power of Prediction

We make predictions all the time including about the weather, about traffic, about what someone is going to say next. It feels natural, even rational. But when algorithms start making predictions abou...

22 Huhti 39min

Privacy vs Reality

Privacy vs Reality

Online security advice often sounds simple until you actually try to follow it. Between password managers, privacy settings, and data brokers, protecting yourself can start to feel like a full-time jo...

15 Huhti 58min

Wired to Trust

Wired to Trust

It's easy to think scams only work when someone misses something obvious. In reality, most of them don't look obvious at the start. They show up as normal situations with just enough friction to notic...

8 Huhti 41min

Intimate Partner Fraud

Intimate Partner Fraud

Most scams leave a digital trail. A fake email, a spoofed number, a fraudulent website. You can trace them, report them, sometimes even reverse them. But what happens when the scam has no digital trai...

1 Huhti 45min

Identity without Passwords

Identity without Passwords

Every day, employees at hotels, restaurants, and resorts across the country are doing exactly what they were hired to do: being warm, responsive, and eager to help. It's what makes hospitality work. I...

25 Maalis 38min

When Cybercrime Gets Personal

When Cybercrime Gets Personal

Most security breaches don't begin with sophisticated code or elaborate technical exploits. They begin with a phone call, a convincing email, or someone at a help desk who just wanted to be helpful. T...

18 Maalis 45min

Stopping Phone Scams

Stopping Phone Scams

Phone scams get dismissed as background noise or just annoying interruptions and unknown numbers with robotic voices we learn to ignore. But behind that noise is an industry built on psychology, autom...

11 Maalis 45min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
tervo-halme
rss-podme-livebox
aihe
rss-ulkopoditiikkaa
the-ulkopolitist
viisupodi
rss-pinnalla
otetaan-yhdet
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
radio-antro
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-asiastudio
rss-uusi-juttu-mediastartupin-tarina
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-kaikki-uusiksi