She had insurance and was entitled to all her money back, but her refund was lost at sea.
"They are my world," said Joan Ellison, the would-be traveler. "I love my kids but my grandkids and my great-grands are my world."
Ellison lives for her family, helping raise most from cradle to college. She planned to celebrate with them on a Caribbean cruise.
"I booked a seven-day cruise for six people," she said.
Ellison saved for years, splurging on a trip booked online through BJ's Travel, part of BJ's Wholesale Club.
"When she told me, I was like, let's go," said Tywell Lynen, one of her grandsons.
As misfortune would have it, the year was 2020, and that spring, COVID-19 spread throughout the world, forcing Ellison to cancel the cruise. "I just felt really bad," she said.
She had insurance, but four years later, still no refund.
"I waited, I waited," she said.
Ellison says she was asked to fill out the same paperwork three times. "This is ridiculous," she said.
Then, her daughter sent 7 On Your Side an SOS.
"They just kept giving her the runaround," said Natalie Bryant. "Let's try 7 On Your Side."
7 On Your Side contacted all the parties involved, BJ's, the cruise line, and the insurance company.
And guess what? A check finally arrived via FedEx. No longer high and dry, they got all their money back to book another cruise.
"And all thanks to 7 On Your Side," she said. "Thank you so much."
The company told 7 On Your Side in a statement: "At BJ's Wholesale Club we are committed to serving our members and we are pleased this matter has been resolved."
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