Current Events in June 2023

As vacation home rentals have grown in popularity, battle lines have been drawn between hosts and guests staying at Airbnb, Vrbo, and other homestay companies.

There were issues with hosts charging outrageous hidden fees -- a matter Airbnb recently took head-on -- and disrespecting guests. Now, a new study from Vivint shows that hosts are pushing their control even further. 

Despite guest concerns, 45% of hosts say they’ll be adding extra safeguards for the summer travel season. A good number of those defenses will come from cameras and microphones inside the home – a move that three in four guests say would force them to choose another place to stay.

Then, there are damage deposits. More than a third of the hosts surveyed said they’ve had guests damage their vacation rental, and nearly a quarter believe the damage was intentional, to the tune of an estimated $530 each time it happens. 

Did we do this to ourselves?

Somewhere along the line, something went wrong and fingers can certainly point both ways. Hosts may have gotten greedy with fees and there were some who should’ve never been allowed to rent their home. But travelers also had a hand in this mess, going too far with disregard for a property and partying down.

“Airbnb was initially built on trust. Hosts and guests both got ratings and feedback after their stays, and hosts could decide which guests they wanted at their property,” Thomas Schaper, Head of Product at DACK, Inc., a guest technology company that enables property managers to provide guests with an all-in-one digital stay experience, told ConsumerAffairs.

"However, as they've scaled, the risk of having troublesome guests has risen as well. Hosts began auto-approving all bookings, and not all OTAs (online travel agencies) protect hosts in the same ways; for example, with some OTAs, the host is the merchant of record and is on the hook for fraud, chargebacks, and, more importantly, property damage or theft.”

Schaper suggests that hosts employing cameras and microphones became a push-come-to-shove matter because short-term rentals didn’t have the same security, safety, and protection guards that hotels do.

No front desk clerk to visually review credit card and ID information from the guest in person. No on-site security, no bellhops, etc. that you would see in a larger hotel. “So technology has to safely and fairly fill that void and make contactless check-in a failproof replacement of the traditional front desk,” he said.

Do guests have a way around this?

If cameras are a little too Big Brother for you, you – the guest – have rights that the hosts are supposed to adhere to.

“It's important to know that most rental platforms have strict policies against this -- both Vrbo and Airbnb do – and guests should report any instances immediately,” Hans Mast, a travel expert at Golden Rule Travel, told ConsumerAffairs. “To mitigate these concerns, guests should thoroughly read reviews and ratings of a potential rental. This way, they can avoid properties with red flags and opt for ones with consistently positive feedback.”

A Vivint spokesperson echoed that, adding that if a guest finds one, they should document that in messages with the host and the company the host lists their property with. 

And the damage issue? That's a gray area that guests should take the time to proactively consider. That gray area is whether the damage was pre-existing or the guest in question is the person who did it.

“While accidents do happen, hosts can have an issue with even the most minor of damages and guests can incur a potential fine. Documenting any existing damages or issues immediately after checking in can be a huge help for both hosts and their guests,” the spokesperson added.

Updated, Friday, June 30.

You can turn on any TV newscast and the first thing you’ll see for the next couple of days is what a hot mess the airlines are. Maybe the hottest mess the industry has seen in several years.

For Friday alone, FlightAware reported total delays within, into, or out of the United States today sat at 1,219, and total cancellations at 922.

“This is not what we want to hear going into a big holiday weekend,” said Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog at U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

“People planning to travel this weekend should take steps now to protect themselves, including learning about their rights, putting trackers in their bags, getting their airline’s app on their phone so they can receive real-time notifications and saving the DOT link that spells out their airline’s guarantees in case of cancellations or delays."

Unfortunately, the potential flood of frustration doesn’t get much attention and ConsumerAffairs thought we’d fill you in on some things you should know about just in case you’re flying out this weekend. Here are some things that you should know about.

The biggest problem no one's talking about

This Saturday, July 1, is the day when wireless carriers can boost their 5G signals. That’s a good thing for those of us on the ground, but it could cause cancellations and delays in situations for planes using older equipment, especially when there’s nasty weather or low visibility. 

And it’s not just a handful of planes, either. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that up to 20% of planes serving U.S. airports don’t yet have updated equipment. 

Misery loves company

Because of the hub-and-spoke system that airlines use, if something goes wrong in, say, Houston, it can affect flights to Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, etc.

As of early Thursday, according to FlightAware, the top three problem spots on its MiseryMap are O'Hare, Newark, and Boston Logan. After those airports, the other major troubles are at Houston's IAH, Denver, and Atlanta. Most everything out West is fairly smooth sailing, although there were six delays in Phoenix, Seattle, and at Los Angeles' LAX.

The best advice to stay on top of things is bookmarking FlightAware’s Misery Map, FlightAware’s Cancellation dashboard, and FlightAware's updates on individual flights.

Do you have your TSA PreCheck mark on your boarding pass?

You probably assume that the TSA automatically takes care of synching everything up with the airlines, but the answer is no.

If you do not have a TSA PreCheck indicator on your boarding pass, call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673, or contact them at @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook Messenger.

Pack an empty bag and know before you go 

When airline passengers begin packing for travel, TSA says they should do it carefully, especially on the return trip when they may have picked up a few items not allowed aboard the aircraft. Screening the bag's contents means you are less likely to be stopped at the security checkpoint for having prohibited items and adding 10-15 minutes of patdowns and inspections.

Prior to packing that empty bag, check TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” tool to know what is prohibited. The most common prohibited items at the TSA checkpoint are drinks and foods that are prohibited according to the liquids, gels and aerosols rule.

They lost your bags? Sorry, but…

A lot of bags will be lost this holiday weekend. Possibly well into the thousands. US Pirg’s flier’s bill of rights says that if your bag is delayed overnight, most airlines set guidelines that allow their employees to reimburse you for some emergency expenses. Plus airlines must refund any checked baggage fees, and reimburse you for the lost items up to $3,800.

It may be too late, but if you have an iPhone, you may want to consider getting an AirTag that would enable you to track your luggage.

Don’t lose your wheels if something goes wrong

If anything takes a turn for the worse, keep your cool. Airlines, airports, local police, and TSA are in harmony anytime someone acts up. If you blow your cool, you run the risk of missing your flight, getting arrested, getting fined or any combination of the three.

Yes, and that includes giving a flight attendant grief. All it takes is one p-o’ed flight attendant to ask the pilot to turn the airplane around and take you back to where you came from and causing you to miss your flight.

If you want to vape, that's your business.

But exposing kids to nicotine-containing e-liquids -- the liquid used in “vape” products -- is another matter completely.

E-liquids, especially those containing even small amounts of nicotine, can be dangerous to children -- causing injury and even death -- if they touch or drink it.

Figures from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) show that from April 2022 to March 2023, 7,043 e-cigarette or e-liquid exposure cases were reported, with approximately 88% of exposures occurring among children under five years old.

Why they are dangerous

Harmful effects from drinking e-liquids can include seizure, coma, respiratory arrest and death.

Accidental exposure to e-liquids and their contents -- including nicotine – can occur through contact in the mouth, on the skin, or by inhaling the e-liquid aerosol.

Moreover, containers for storing e-liquids can seem tempting to children of all ages for many reasons. But these products are not meant for children, teens, or young adults.

Safe Storage of e-liquids

As any parent knows, small kids are curious and put all sorts of things in their mouths. If you turn away even for a few seconds, they can get into things quickly that could harm them.

Here are a few tips from the FDA for storing these products:

• Always put your e-cigarettes and/or e-liquids in a safe and elevated location, in the original containers -- and out of the reach and view of children and pets -- every time you use them.
• Ask family members, house guests, and other visitors who vape to store their bags or coats that hold e-cigarettes or e-liquids in a safe and elevated location, out of the reach and view of children and pets.
• Explain to children old enough to understand that these products can be dangerous and should not be touched. Tell them that you or another adult are the only people who should handle these products.
• Know the poison control phone number. To be prepared in case of an emergency, also add the Poison Control HELP number (800-222-1222) to your phone contacts.
• When you remove products (adult-only) from their storage locations, handle them in a way that may help to prevent kids’ exposure to e-liquids.
• Store e-liquids in their original containers and lock product caps when you’re not using them. If a bottle has a cap that turns, twist it until you cannot twist it anymore.
• Clean up any spills or splashes immediately using soap and water.

Shopping has been in the news lately as Amazon, Walmart and Target have all announced special sales promotions for mid-July. 

Amazon started it all with its annual Prime Day and it remains the best-known of the sales. This week’s ConsumerAffairs-Trend Micro Threat Alert shows scammers are taking advantage of it.

Amazon phishing 

• Trend Micro's research identified a phishing scam in which an SMS message prompts the victim to verify their Amazon account via a fake login page. 

• The top five states being targeted are Virginia, California, Florida, Texas, and Georgia 

“Scammers are ramping up to take advantage of the annual Amazon Prime Day on Tuesday, July 11th. Consumers who want to take advantage of this day of savings should be vigilant in looking out for the plethora of scams we’re likely to see occur, Jon Clay, vice president for Threat Intelligence at Trend Micro told ConsumerAffairs. “Trend Micro’s research team has detected Amazon SMS phishing attacks looking to steal the account owners’ credentials with the top five states being targeted the most Virginia, California, Florida, Texas, and Georgia.”

Travel scams 

• From April 1 to June 26, Trend Micro's research team found 1,979 travel-related scam URLs, which increased by 24.6% compared to the past weeks. This included three fake Booking.com login pages 

• Over one-third of the victims in the U.S. are from Oregon: 32.37%. 

• The top five states being targeted are Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Illinois 

With the Fourth of July coming up Americans are hitting the road in greater numbers and scammers are deploying all types of schemes to ensnare victims. ConsumerAffairs recently reported on several of these summer travel scams, along with ways to avoid them.

Costco Survey Scam 

• Trend Micro's research found scammers inviting customers to participate in a short Costco survey to get a $100 cash value prize. The scammers wish to collect victims’ private information and credit card information. 

• The top five states being targeted are California, Alabama, Texas, Illinois, and Nebraska 

This scam is increasing again, probably because it is highly successful. The victim receives an email that looks like it is coming from Costco and asks the recipient to fill out a short survey.

The bait is a gift card or other item with at least $100. That should be a red flag since retailers can’t afford to pay that much for a consumer’s feedback. The scam seeks to steal personal information, along with credit card information.

FedEx Phishing 

• Trend Micro's research identified scammers impersonating FedEx to ask email receivers to declare their imported items via specific instructions. Victims were prompted to log in on a fake website to collect the victim’s personal information.  

• Trend Micro's research team found 194 logs on June 23. 

“FedEx does not request, via unsolicited mail, email, or text, any personal information pertaining to your account credentials or identity,” the company says on its website. “If you get a suspicious email, do not reply or cooperate with the sender.”

FedEx says red flags include an urgent request for money in return for the delivery of your packages and requests for your personal and financial information.

Office Printer Phishing 

• Trend Micro's research identified scammers pretending to be Office Printer and sent victims a notification letter to redirect them to ‘View Document’ or ‘Download Document.’  

• Trend Micro's research team detected 371 logs on June 26. 

The scammers sending out these emails hope to deceive recipients into clicking on a link. If they do, recipients open a bogus website where scammers try to steal the passwords of email accounts.

If you’re tired of being tracked, tired of website algorithms feeding you things you don’t have an ounce of interest in, or tired of fighting spam, there is now a browser that fights all those annoyances for everyone.

A year after rolling out its nuisance-fighting browser for Mac users, DuckDuckGo (DDG) has released a version for Windows users.

The company claims its alternative to Google search and Chrome won’t track you for a minute, plus it can block other companies from tracking you, too. “Just a fast, lightweight browser that makes the Internet less creepy and less cluttered,” the company calls it.

DuckDuckGo isn’t exactly a household name, but it has proved to be the little search engine that could. Since it first launched in 2008, its daily searches have moved from the hundreds of thousands to the hundreds of millions.

Is privacy important to you?

Privacy is at the heart of DDG’s browser update, a fact the company’s CEO doesn’t want to be lost on anyone.

“Search alone doesn’t actually solve the privacy harms people are concerned with,” Gabriel Weinberg said. “Like ads following you around, unsettling targeting, or people grabbing up your personal information. Search is part of that, but there are lots of trackers hiding behind websites.” 

That privacy crusade begins with DDG’s Duck Player, a YouTube player that lets you watch YouTube videos without privacy-invading ads and keeps video views from impacting the recommendations pushed your way.‌‌

Another plus is tracker blocking which the company claims goes way past what’s available from Chrome and other browsers. For example, its Tracker Loading Protection is designed to block hidden trackers from companies like Google and Facebook that may be lurking on other websites before they ever get a chance to load. ‌‌‌‌

There’s also…

• Smarter Encryption to guarantee that more of the websites you visit and the links you click on are encrypted and secure – at least relative to other browsers.

• For those who don’t like leaving any trace of where they’ve been on the internet, DuckDuckGo is introducing the Fire Button, which supposedly burns recent browsing data in one click. On the flip side, there’s also a handy “Fireproof” option for any sites you want to stay logged into.

• Another privacy perk is Email Protection, which has the ability to disguise your email address with unique @duck.com email addresses so when you’re signing up for things online, your Gmail or other regular inboxes don’t get spammed with spew.

Users like what they see, but there’s room for improvement

In the reviews ConsumerAffairs saw of DuckDuckGo, it’s hard to find any naysayers. Out of the 1.81M reviews on Google Play Store, the app averages a 4.7-star rating.

The only thing pundits say is a concern is that DDG’s competitors like Microsoft and Google have tied their services tightly to their apps and it’s making it tougher for someone to make the switch. For example, Google Docs is tied to Chrome.

“DuckDuckGo’s hope is that it can get people to do the one download to get into the browser, and then the company can provide all kinds of services,” said The Verge’s David Pierce.

And both Weinberg and the company’s product director, Peter Dolanjski, said Pierce is speaking to the choir when it comes to features. Weinberg cited DuckDuckGo’s email protection as one example. “Ideally, these are features that protect you, that we can also make more visible,” he said.

As pockets of thunderstorms, hail, and the threat of tornadoes dance across the U.S., so are scammers, trying to cash in on every power outage, mangled roof, and damaged house they can find. Oh, and even better, a consumer they can exploit to go along with it.

In Colorado, for example, scammers are offering tornado victims who might need repairs or clean-up one-day discounts, pretending like they’re from some real – but unknown – company, like a contractor, one without a physical business address or a business license.

In a recent Oklahoma scam spree, fraudsters were pretending to be from FEMA, going straight for a victim’s financial jugular – their personal banking information as part of a form they could fill out to get disaster relief. Scammers will also don the hat of insurance agents and utility company representatives, too.

The telltale signs

The threads that run true through all of these disaster-related scams are impersonation and pressure to use electronic payment or gift cards, both of which are difficult to trace or recover.

With both in full swing, Kent Welch, the chief data officer at First Orion, a communications technology provider, has some scam protection tips that he’s willing to talk through, including: 

• Don’t answer unknown numbers. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.  

• Do your research. Before allowing someone to do a job, ask for their license and ensure they are registered with the state.  

• Call your utility company before making any sort of payment.  

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adds these tips:

• Don’t pay to apply for FEMA assistance. If they say you need to pay to qualify for FEMA funds, it’s a scam. The best place to get information from FEMA is from FEMA.gov or by downloading the FEMA Mobile App to get alerts and information.

• Walk away if someone demands cash payments up front, or refuses to give you a contract in writing.

• Steer clear of rental listing scams. Scammers know people need a place to live while they rebuild. They’ll advertise rentals that don’t exist to get your money and run. Never wire or give money for a deposit or rent before you’ve met or signed a lease.