New on Elliott: Signs you’re being scammed, doing without Twitter, staying on “hold” forever – Sponsored by Floridavacationauction.com

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What I’m reading. What are the seven signs you’re being scammed? I’ve got ‘em right here. Plus, read about why Twitter may not be necessary after all, find out about a hotel-room snafu that got unscrewed and get the lowdown on companies that keep you on “hold” forever.

Featured posts

How to Spot a Scam: 7 Questions To Ask Before Buying
Lyn Cacella found an unbelievably good deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Bermuda through a website she’d never heard of called GlobalCruisesOnSale.com. The catch? She had to wire $1,359 to the business for her fare.

Right hotel, wrong city
Hotwire offers Loretta Krahn a hotel room in Rosemont, Ill. She ends up in Elk Grove, Ill. Now she wants her money back, but Hotwire refuses. Is she out of luck?

Case dismissed: Charged $183 for four hours on my rental car
Phillip Barszczowski’s Hertz car, which he booked through Priceline, cost $122. Not bad for a four-day rental in Wyoming, considering what rates have been doing lately.

Case dismissed: A promised reimbursement, and then a denial
Jennifer Johnson was relieved when American Airlines offered her $175 for out-of-pocket expenses after it misplaced her luggage on a flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia last October. She was in town for a wedding, and needed to buy clothes and toiletries.

Is this enough compensation? He waited too long to use his cruise voucher
Gregg Brady was looking forward to his February cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Of The Seas but the winds of fate were about to blow in a different direction. Just before his vacation, he had to be hospitalized and missed his sailing.

Does Every Business Really Need Twitter?
The conventional wisdom is you can’t have good customer service without Twitter. But there are some exceptions.

10 Companies that Keep You on Hold Forever
If you feel like you’re waiting forever on “hold” when you call Barnes & Noble, or that Crate & Barrel is slow responding to your emails, don’t worry. It’s not your imagination.

10 Companies that Don’t Keep You Waiting on Hold Forever
Nothing says, “We care” quite like picking up the phone on the first ring or answering an email quickly. Find out who’s the fastest.

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