Solving pending issues after the trip

SOLVING SERVICE PROBLEMS
Car Rental - On Monday, August 5, I called Holidayautos and they have given me 21 days to solve the problem with the extra one-way charge at Alamo.

It is not the best thing in the world to realize I have to pay something and now I have to call and solve a problem. But mistakes happen. And I was looking forward to see how they value their costumers that get screwed up.

Wednesday, August 21, they said they were working on the issue.

Friday, August 23, they said they would not refund me the fee, because this extra fee was listed as "Extras" on the booking. But they would refund me 9 pounds becuase the fee value was misquoted.

Really? Wrong! I replied re-stating that I had called twice and twice was told there was no fee, and that if I didn't get my refund with them, I'd have my credit card cancel the whole charge.

SUnday, August 25, I get an email saying that they were sympathetic with my commetns and would refund me the whole amount of the one-way fee.

What a pain. Lessons learned:
- Avoid third party agencies.
- When dialogue doesn't work - threat to sue or cancel with the credit card.

Lodging - On this same day I also filed a complaint with Paypal for the room we paid for and couldn't stay.

Missing Miles - I waited the required 15 days that United told me to wait on their miles website. So I called on  Monday, August 19. Know your stuff before you call, because you can get awesome costumer service people, like the second one I talked to; or ignorant ones like the first one. I could have lost my miles if I had taken her word as final.
Step 1 - tried entering miles on the website. Got a number of error messages.
Step 2 - tried calling the automated service. No reasonable answer.
Step 3 - Insisted on talking to a live agent. had to repeat the word agent at two different times because the the automated service didn't want me to talk to an agent.
Step 4 - Agent 1 told me I could not get miles for my flight because the flight was Boston-Dublin. And Aer Lingus only gave miles for flights between North America and Ireland. Flights from Dublin only count between London, Belfast, Cork, Manchester and Birmingham. Therefore a Boston-Dublin flight is not eligible for mile earning.

Now what is wrong with her information?

Hello-o! BOSTON is in NORTH AMERICA and DUBLIN is in IRELAND!!!!

I told her that.
"But Boston is in North America and Dublin is in Ireland."
 And she said, "No, but Dublin flights are only eligible is to London, Belfast, Cork, Manchester and Birmingham."
"So you are telling me that my flight is not eligible for miles because it is between Boston and Dublin."
"Exactly."
:/
- yes - that was my face after I hung up the phone.

Step 3 - double check website and call again. Has to insist with automated service again, 2 times, to get an agent. Agent 2 was happy and had a good dose of humor. She also understood when I said that Boston-Dublin was a a N.America-Ireland flight. She entered both mine and my husband's info and requested us both the miles for the flight. She said in 15 days it should be there.


RECEIPTS AND EXPENSE CONTROL
Finally, remember to bring something called a receipt pouch with a little note book attached to it, so you can control your expenses and make sure you're not spending more than what you have planned to. It also makes sure you don't go back home and spend days trying to log it all, and account for all the money.
Expenses should be logged as they are made.