(Yo Spiff)
T-Mobile Admits It Made A $250 Error, Still Manages To Blame Me
By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 5:00 PM
43 Comments
Welcome to the T-Mobile Customer Service Labyrinth, where every turn brings you back to the center, where headset wearing minotaurs tell you that the exit is right in front of you but it's not the exit, and where the company can admit in writing to making an error that costs you $250 but says it's your fault. More »
Residents Of NJ Neighborhood Say Comcast Can't Fix Oft-Interrupted Service
By Phil Villarreal on January 10, 2012 8:30 AM
32 Comments
Comcast may care, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's competent. A chronic, unidentified problem is reportedly wrecking customers' phone, cable and internet service in a Holiday City, New Jersey neighborhood, and the problems continue despite countless service calls. More »
Yes, There Is Such A Thing As Bad Publicity
By Laura Northrup on December 27, 2011 11:30 PM
110 Comments
This week, a massive customer service clusterfracas swept the gaming world, then the rest of the Internet. It involved a game console controller that was late in shipping, a a marketing firm in over its head, a popular webcomic, the unholy wrath of the Internet hate machine, and one humble customer who just wanted to know whether he was going to get his gadget by Christmas or not. What did we learn here? That there is such a thing as bad publicity, and that sometimes people on the Internet actually are who they claim to be. More »
(lolwhut)
Chick-Fil-A Cashier Just Assumes Customers' Names Are Ching & Chong
By Chris Morran on December 12, 2011 12:30 PM
165 Comments
One would think that by this point in the internet's existence that employees at any sort of business that puts customers' names on receipts might be aware of the fact that putting a potentially offensive nickname, description or slur on said receipts is probably nowhere near as hilarious as it initially seems. More »
(matneym)
Study: Waiting For Installers, Service Techs, Deliveries Costs $37.7 Billion/Year
By Chris Morran on November 4, 2011 1:15 PM
31 Comments
As I'm sitting here waiting for my new washer/dryer to be dropped off — They are still within the not-at-all-narrow 6-hour window of delivery — I stumble upon this new study that attempts to put a dollar value on the time spent idling while waiting for everything from cable installers to home deliveries. More »
Which Companies' Policies Do You Love & Which Do You Loathe?
By Chris Morran on October 6, 2011 1:30 PM
165 Comments
All commercial businesses are in it to make a dollar, but they go about it in so many different ways. Some retailers (and airlines, banks, hotels, food services, etc.) see the customer as a money sponge from which they can — and should — wring every cent through consumer-antagonizing fees and policies. And on the other end of the spectrum are companies that keep their customers happy and coming back with policies that favor the consumer. More »
We're Sorry You Ever Came To Our Store & Wasted Our Precious Time
By Mary Beth Quirk on October 1, 2011 1:00 PM
216 Comments
Believe us when we say, we have read some pretty nasty replies to customer complaints. But this latest example of a manager responding to a shopper's unsatisfactory experience, at a store called GASP in Australia, wins the Consumerist "You Are Deluded And Soulless" award. More »
Scribbling 9/11 Joke On To-Go Container Is A Good Way To Get Fired
By Chris Morran on September 13, 2011 12:15 PM
63 Comments
A bartender at a Houston-area restaurant is without a job today because he apparently thought it was giggle-worthy to leave a "Happy Sep" message — complete with cartoon plane about to hit the Twin Towers — on the to-go container of a Muslim customer. More »
Wendy's Worker Attacks Pregnant Customer For Complaining About Cold Food
By Chris Morran on September 9, 2011 12:15 PM
109 Comments
Last week, a pregnant woman in Illinois complained to a Wendy's staffer about being served a cold burger. Little did she know that such a minor issue would lead to her being chased down in the parking lot. More »
Telling A Diner She Looks Pregnant Is Not A Good Way To Get Tips
By Chris Morran on September 8, 2011 4:30 PM
137 Comments
Here's a tip for everyone, but especially those in the food service field: Even if you're pretty certain that a female customer is pregnant, you might want to not mention it, lest you end up stiffed on a tip and the recipient of an angry note. More »
Sears Repair Stands Customer Up 4 Times, Delays Repair 7 Weeks
By Laura Northrup on September 2, 2011 8:05 AM
63 Comments
It seemed to a California woman that spending a few hundred extra bucks on an extended warranty for her Sears washing machine was a good investment. And with a newborn in the house, the ability to summon a repairman with a phone call for no out-of-pocket cost. That's true: assuming they show up and actually repair the appliance. Local Sears employees instead dismantled the machine, ordered parts, and then proceeded to stand her up four times, leaving the family without a working washer for seven weeks. More »
(.A.A.)
Sirius Satellite Radio Won't Stop Calling Me, 2-3 Times A Day
By Ben Popken on August 5, 2011 11:00 AM
74 Comments
Some people, and companies, just don't take a hint. Sirius has been calling Matthew two and three times a day trying to get him to resubscribe. No matter how many times he tells them no, they still keep coming around, trying to win him back. Ok, that's not so much a problem with taking a hint as serious stalker behavior. More »
(jon gos)
Ryanair Treats Passenger For Cardiac Arrest With A Sandwich
By Ben Popken on August 4, 2011 4:00 PM
64 Comments
A Ryanair passenger's family is angry with the airline because they say their father had a heart attack on the airplane and all the crew gave him was a sandwich. They also made him pay for the sandwich. More »
Man Goes Without Power For Eight Days Because ComEd Won't Believe That His Power Is Out
By Chris Morran on July 5, 2011 11:15 AM
61 Comments
It's completely understandable that you might lose power following a massive storm. It's even understandable that you might be without power for several days while the power company repairs damaged lines. What doesn't make sense is when you have no electricity because the power company is convinced that you have no idea what you're talking about. More »
HP Will Keep Sort Of Fixing Your Computer Until Warranty Runs Out
By Laura Northrup on June 22, 2011 8:00 AM
89 Comments
Terry is a graduate student, and doesn't really need to be shipping his only computer off for repairs every few months. If the computer is unplugged while asleep, the display refuses to come back on. He paid extra for an "in-home" warranty, so why does he have to keep mailing his computer to HP so they can not really fix it? He tells Consumerist that HP really seems to want him to leave him alone, being consistently rude. Even the person who answered the phone at executive customer service called him an "angry person with a phone number." Maybe he wouldn't be so angry if he had a working computer. More »
(KGMH)
Sorry, Your Seeing-Eye Dog Has To Ride In The Trunk
By Laura Northrup on June 8, 2011 8:00 AM
113 Comments
Legally, service animals are allowed in any place that their humans are: stores, restaurants, buses, and, yes, taxis. Yet a Colorado taxi driver has been suspended from work and fined by the state after refusing to let a blind woman bring her dog inside his taxi, claiming allergies. He demanded that the dog ride in the trunk. The woman, late for an appointment, acquiesced... then complained, taking her story to the media to publicize service animals' rights. More »
Survey: Two Out Of Three Consumers Have Walked Out Or Hung Up Without Being Helped
By Chris Morran on June 7, 2011 11:15 AM
111 Comments
We've all been there: Waiting in line — or on the phone line — just to speak to someone about your customer service issue. And if you ever do get to speak to a CSR, the service is lacking. But how many of us actually throw our hands up and walk out of the store or slam the phone down in frustration? More »
Comcast Hangs Up On Me When Office Hours End
By Chris Morran on June 6, 2011 2:30 PM
66 Comments
If you plan on calling Comcast customer service, make sure it's not within minutes of closing time for Kabletown operators because they won't stick around to hear you complain about their awful service. More »
Cable Company Asks For Cable Boxes From Alabama Tornado Victims Before Reconsidering
By Phil Villarreal on May 23, 2011 3:00 PM
64 Comments
After tornadoes swept through Alabama last month, killing hundreds of people and ravaging homes, cable company Charter Communications showed its priorities by asking victims to look around for their cable boxes so they could return them, lest they face hefty fines. The cable company later changed course and decided to credit victims for lost or damaged equipment. More »
Tell Us About Your "Never Again" Moments
By consumerist.com on March 22, 2011 4:30 PM
777 Comments
How far does a business need to go before you not only make the oft-spoken declaration that you'll never shop/eat/order from there again, but that you actually follow through and take away your business permanently? More »
I Took The Day Off, Sears Cancels Service Appointment Without Telling Me
By Mary Beth Quirk on March 5, 2011 2:46 PM
87 Comments
Reader Anthony L. isn't too happy with Sears, and has one less vacation day to boot. He wrote in with a story of woe, after Sears canceled their appointment to service his washing machine but failed to inform him they wouldn't be showing up. More »
(Ian.H)
Hawaiian Restaurant Adds Surcharge For Customers Who Don't Speak English
By Chris Morran on February 4, 2011 1:15 PM
139 Comments
Fed up with being stiffed on tips by foreigners, a restaurant in Hawaii has added on a mandatory 15% gratuity for customers who don't speak English. More »
(nrivera)
I Just Found Out I've Been Subscribing To Satellite Radio For The Past Year
By Phil Villarreal on January 31, 2011 3:30 PM
91 Comments
Brian said last year a Sirius XM representative assured him his subscription wouldn't automatically renew, but he found out recently that his account did auto-renew and he owes for the past year. The company won't refund him and simply points out that its terms and conditions revealed his account would auto-renew. More »
XM Radio: Useful Service, Useless Customer Service
By Laura Northrup on December 29, 2010 9:30 AM
62 Comments
Bruin likes XM satellite radio. Well, the service. Not the customer service. The confusion and incompetence that he encountered while trying to simply get the account permissions stream radio programs online was stunning. He lost his service, was charged an erroneous $480, and put him on endless holds. Until that one magical representative showed up who fixed everything and helped XM keep Bruin as a customer. More »
Should Tron Guy Be Allowed To See Tron Movie In Tron Suit?
By Chris Morran on December 23, 2010 9:15 AM
83 Comments
If you're not familiar with internet legend Jay "Tron Guy" Maynard, well... that's him in the picture. And while he's known around the world for his handmade suit that replicates the look of the original Tron costumes, Tron Guy's local cinema doesn't want him wearing the suit inside the theater. More »
Con Ed Reverses Employee's Decision, Allows Gay Couple To Change Name On Electric Bill
By Chris Morran on December 20, 2010 1:30 PM
97 Comments
On Friday, we brought you the story of John, who had recently married another man in Vermont and who had no trouble having his last name changed on his bank statement, his phone bill, his driver's license — everything except his Con Ed electric bill. More »
Con Ed Won't Change The Name On My Electric Bill Because I'm Gay
By Chris Morran on December 17, 2010 6:03 PM
253 Comments
UPDATE: John tells us Con Ed has resolved the problem. More »
Strip Club Sign Declares "No Negro's Allowed"
By Chris Morran on December 17, 2010 11:02 AM
234 Comments
A soon-to-open strip club in Wisconsin has already begun riling up the locals, and not because of the scantily clad women inside. Instead, it's a sign posted on the club's door that makes it pretty clear that black people are not welcome. More »
Pizza Hut Receipt: "Careful This Gal Is A Bitch"
More »
By Laura Northrup on December 9, 2010 9:00 AM
128 Comments
Apparently, at one Nebraska Pizza Hut, complaining about a botched order makes you a bitch. When one customer called to complain about her order, she received a credit for free pizza. That pizza arrived with a special message on the receipt: "CAREFUL THIS GAL IS A BITCH." She chose not to eat the pizza that came with that message, afraid it had been tampered with.More »
CSR Reveals His Most-Hated Customer Cliches
By Chris Morran on December 8, 2010 11:30 AM
246 Comments
The other day we asked readers to vent about those cliched phrases they hate to hear from the mouths of customer service reps. And boy-howdy did you vent. Now it's time to hear from someone who works in the trenches as a CSR about those tired tropes he's sick of hearing customers utter over the phone. More »
I Call AT&T To Cancel Dead Mom's Phone; Get Sales Pitch Instead
By Chris Morran on December 7, 2010 11:20 AM
65 Comments
Most people who have had to deal with closing up the loose ends of a lost loved one will tell you it's at best an unpleasant necessity. But some companies seem downright determined to make it even more miserable by using the opportunity to sell you more crap. More »
Which Customer Service Cliches Most Get On Your Nerves?
By Chris Morran on December 6, 2010 1:45 PM
367 Comments
We all have customer service horror stories, and so many of them involve customer service reps repeating the same old irritating bromides. More »
Staples Makes Me Play Foolish Games To Get Advertised Deal
By Phil Villarreal on November 29, 2010 10:30 AM
71 Comments
Jason is not a man. He's a piece of iron. And that's why he finally got Staples to honor an advertised computer discount program, despite several attempts by employees to derail him. More »
Who Made Consumer Reports' First-Ever Naughty & Nice List?
November 22, 2010 9:45 AM
32 Comments
While Santa and his pointy-eared, non-union laborers toil away at the North Pole, the editors of our more famous sibling publication Consumer Reports have compared their notes on a wide variety of companies' policies on everything from guarantees to fees to refunds and distilled it down to the best and worst of the lot in their first-ever Naughty & Nice Holiday Shopping List. More »
What Did This Woman Do To UPS To Get On Brown's Blacklist?
By Laura Northrup on November 18, 2010 9:00 AM
102 Comments
An Oregon woman whose medical problems leave her unable to drive thought that being able to buy almost anything online would make her life easier. That was before UPS began its mysterious war with her. Now, she's forced to either buy from stores that use a different carrier, or have her packages delivered to a neighbor's house. Why? The Oregonian tried to find out. More »
(KCRA.com)
Burger King Customer Told 'F@*k You' On Drive-Thru Receipt -- Twice
By Chris Morran on November 17, 2010 11:15 AM
77 Comments
It's bad enough that, after spending nearly $10 at a Sacramento, CA, Burger King, a customer found the words 'F*CK YOU' on his receipt in place of his order number; but the BK employee who felt compelled to take out their anger on the customer did it twice on the same receipt. More »
(stirwise)
It Took 13 Months To Get My Incredibly Crappy Wedding Video - What Should I Do?
By Laura Northrup on November 11, 2010 8:00 AM
92 Comments
What's more precious: money or memories? A bad wedding videographer can leave you with with neither. Autumn writes that she and her husband hired a videographer for their wedding, assuming that when you pay $1,000 for a videographer, you receive a video of highlights of the wedding and reception in a timely manner. Instead, Autumn had to hound the company to actually get her video, finally receiving it in August 2010 after a July 2009 wedding. Oh, and the video is also missing most of the moments from the reception that people actually want to remember. Maybe the company assumed that after a year passed, the couple would forget that there had been a father-daughter dance. And speeches. More »
(afagen)
AT&T Won't Let Me Drop Old Landline After A Move
By Phil Villarreal on November 10, 2010 4:20 PM
47 Comments
When Deanna moved from one unit to another in the same building, she figured it would be simple enough to move her AT&T landline account from the old apartment to the new one. Despite numerous dealings with AT&T's bumbling customer service, she can't seem to shake the old account. More »
At Least One Overpriced NYC Bar Ditches Mandatory 20% Tip
By Chris Morran on November 2, 2010 3:00 PM
30 Comments
Yesterday we brought you the story about several overpriced, overhyped NYC hotel bars that were adding mandatory 18-20% tips to drinks that already cost more than a good meal. Today, we're happy to report that at least one of these spots has changed its policy. More »
I Like The Times, But Not Enough To Pay Double The Subscription Fee
By Phil Villarreal on November 2, 2010 1:30 PM
48 Comments
Newspaper workers like to think their news gathering skills keep readers interested in their product, but no matter how well they do their jobs, crummy billing and delivery execution drive readers away from the struggling industry. More »
(nrivera)
What You Hate About Retailers
By Chris Morran on November 1, 2010 12:45 PM
262 Comments
Over at DailyFinance.com, they asked readers to give nominate the most annoying ways in which retail stores try to squeeze you for extra cash or tempt you into spending more. More »
(Ninja M.)
Overpriced Bars Now Adding Mandatory 18-20% Tips
By Chris Morran on November 1, 2010 11:20 AM
125 Comments
Here in New York City, there are certain bars — most of them in hotels and most of them frequented by people who read in Us Weekly that celebrities party there — that are not only charging absolutely ridiculous amounts of cash for basic cocktails, but are automatically adding hefty tips onto the tab. More »
(tubbynj)
PC Game Box Says It Supports Controller, Only Supports Version Few Have
By Phil Villarreal on October 25, 2010 3:20 PM
126 Comments
Kurt says he bought the PC game Dead Rising 2 hoping to use his wireless Xbox 360 controller to slay the undead. Because the box indicated it supported the controller, he thought he was good to go. But it turns out the game is only compatible with the much less popular wired version of the controller. More »
(amanjo)
Why Does ShopRite Need My Credit Card Info To Buy Liquor When I'm Paying Cash?
By Chris Morran on October 25, 2010 12:40 PM
92 Comments
Over at Reddit, things are buzzing with a story from one 23-year-old reader who went to their local ShopRite in New Jersey to pick up some beer only to be told they needed to fill out a form that includes their credit card number — even though they weren't using their credit card. More »
Bank Refused Service To My Wife Because We're On Unemployment
By Phil Villarreal on October 21, 2010 1:30 PM
92 Comments
Robert says three employees at an Oregon U.S. Bank refused to serve his wife, saying they don't consider unemployment beneficiaries "real customers" on the level of conventional account holders. More »
Dunkin' Donuts Staffers Tells Blind Customer Her Guide Dog Isn't Welcome
By Chris Morran on October 20, 2010 3:15 PM
119 Comments
A legally blind woman in Massachusetts claims that she was recently told twice in the same day that her guide dog was not allowed in her local Dunkin' Donuts. More »
Mall Apologizes To Lesbian Couple For Kicking Them Out For No Good Reason
By Phil Villarreal on October 19, 2010 3:45 PM
108 Comments
A lesbian couple who were tossed out of a North Carolina mall for being so bold as to kiss and hug in public view met with management to listen to an apology. More »
(yksin)
Bank Fires Complaining Customer
By Phil Villarreal on October 18, 2010 9:15 AM
117 Comments
Tim walked into his bank to deposit a check, but the bank told him to get lost. More »
Check Fraud Leads To Kafkaesque Nightmare For Wachovia Customer
By Laura Northrup on October 8, 2010 4:15 PM
69 Comments
What do you do when you have tried every possible tactic you can think of to resolve a situation, and you can still make no progress? Michael, a 20-year Wachovia customer, now finds himself in just this situation with the bank. No one at Wachovia has the power to straighten out his customer service nightmare that began when someone forged a check on his account back in June. More »
Staples Offers PC Tune-Up Via Cold Call
By Phil Villarreal on October 1, 2010 3:30 PM
43 Comments
Who hasn't sat around bored and lonely, staring into a computer screen, wishing someone from a retailer would call with an annoying PC tune-up offer? More »
Why Won't Gamefly Answer Their Stupid Phones?
By Laura Northrup on September 30, 2010 9:30 AM
81 Comments
John tells Consumerist that he is having a baffling problem with Gamefly. He can't cancel his son's account online, but customer service is unreachable. The company keeps sending games that he doesn't want and charging his card. What's wrong here? Update: the account has now been closed. More »
(afagen)
Men's Wearhouse Nearly Doubles Quoted Dress Suit Prices When I Come In To Buy
By Phil Villarreal on September 22, 2010 3:30 PM
47 Comments
Erik was getting married. As if that alone isn't enough of a reason to feel bad for him, Men's Wearhouse went and twisted the knife by quoting him dress shoes for the men in his wedding party at one rate, then nearly doubling the price when he went in to buy them. More »
(Ryan)
This Goodwill Sign Was Drafted By Arizona Lawmakers
By Phil Villarreal on September 22, 2010 2:30 PM
73 Comments
Ryan happened upon a Goodwill that feels the need to check your ID before it lets you partake in the pleasures of its restroom. More »
AT&T Accepts Me As Customer Only After 3-Week Battle
By Phil Villarreal on September 22, 2010 1:30 PM
29 Comments
In jumping from Comcast to AT&T for his internet service, J figured he was stepping up in the world of customer service. But he was actually switching over to a company that operated against the rules of capitalism. Try as he might, he could not get this phantom business to hook him up with service and take his money. For he was ordering service from a company that operated in... the Twilight Zone. More »
Price Chopper Supermarket Emails Customer's Employer, Demands Disciplinary Action For Negative Tweet
By Chris Walters on September 21, 2010 11:30 AM
122 Comments
Last week, a customer at Price Chopper in upstate New York tweeted a relatively mild insult about the store: "Every time I go to @PriceChopperNY I realize why they r not @wegmans. Tonight -bare produce areas & this sign 4 ex http://yfrog.com/2tfj9sj." In return, Price Chopper contacted the man's employer and complained about him. More »
(Razor512)
Charter To Customer With Five Failed Service Calls: "You Haven't Bugged Us Enough To Resolve Your Problem"
By Chris Walters on September 21, 2010 10:30 AM
31 Comments
Charter tells it like it is: the problem with Eric's incorrectly installed Internet service is that he hasn't been trying hard enough to fix it. Here's a copy of an email that Eric tried to send to Charter's CEO last week, but it bounced back. Maybe someone at Charter can read it here? More »
(laffy4k)
What Do You Do When You're Asked To Pre-Tip?
By Phil Villarreal on September 15, 2010 1:30 PM
189 Comments
Eric suffered a traumatic experience at a smoothie bar that left him contemplating the very meaning of life. Or, at least, the proper protocol for customers asked to tip before any service is rendered. More »
Samsung Not Sure Where Its Samsung Apps Will Work
By Chris Walters on September 15, 2010 12:30 PM
40 Comments
James wanted to buy a new Samsung Blu-ray player that could download and run Samsung Apps, which are widgets that can connect to the Internet or—in the case of the Hulu Plus app—stream video content. He tried to make sure he knew what he was doing before making a purchase, because his whole point for upgrading was to access Hulu, but he still chose the wrong player. Or did he? No, he did. Right? More »
This Dunkin' Donuts Employee Doesn't Run On Anything
By Chris Walters on September 14, 2010 11:30 AM
126 Comments
I guess it's not appropriate to force Dunkin' Donuts employees to drink the coffee they sell, but they should at least show up to work with their short term memory intact. More »
Hobby Lobby's Return Policy: We Don't Have To Take Back Anything
By Chris Walters on September 14, 2010 10:30 AM
127 Comments
Michael says the first bullet point on the Return Policy plaque at his local Hobby Lobby (and also online) reads, "If for any reason you need to return merchandise purchased at Hobby Lobby, please return the product with the original sales receipt within 60 days of purchase." That sounds great—you can shop with confidence that they'll handle returns without too much trouble—but the reality is that the store can and will refuse any return, with or without a receipt, if someone there thinks it might lose them money in the short term. More »
Bank Of America Wants Customer To Travel 1,500 Miles To Close His Mother's Account
By Chris Walters on September 14, 2010 8:00 AM
62 Comments
It hasn't even been a month since our last dead Bank of America customer story, but here the bank is at it again, refusing to let a woman's son close her checking account no matter what he does. Although she lived and banked in Tennessee and he lives in Pennsylvania, the latest nonsense has the bank demanding that he visit Texas in person to get a document notarized. More »
Neiman Marcus Won't Take Me Off Its Spam List
By Phil Villarreal on September 2, 2010 2:30 PM
35 Comments
Henry has done seemingly everything possible to get Neiman Marcus to take him off its email list, but after several clicks on the "unsubscribe" link and a call to customer service, he's still getting bombarded with useless emails. More »
United Hates U.S. Diplomatic Relations With Pakistan
By Chris Walters on September 1, 2010 11:30 AM
72 Comments
United has already mastered guitar bashing, so now the airline is moving on to more ambitious projects: screwing up diplomatic relations with other countries. More »
Ryanair Kicks Kid Off Flight For Not Buying Extra Seat For Her Violin
By Ben Popken on August 31, 2010 3:00 PM
83 Comments
Extreme discount airline Ryanair kicked a 12-year old girl and her dad off a flight because they didn't buy an extra ticket for her violin. More »
Loan Applicant Receives Rejection Letter Calling Her 'One Crazy Ass Bitch'
By Chris Morran on August 30, 2010 1:30 PM
134 Comments
When the owner of a Seattle beauty salon had her application for a loan from the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund denied last year, that was bad enough. When she later received what appeared to be a second rejection letter for the same loan application, she discovered that the reason for her inability to get the loan was that she is a "crazy ass bitch." More »
Cab Driver Locks Doors, Holds Passenger Hostage For Trying To Pay With Credit Card
By Chris Walters on August 30, 2010 11:30 AM
191 Comments
There's a driver for Pittsburgh Yellow Cab Company who doesn't like it when you try to pay with a Discover card, even though the company's website says they accept it. When Adam tried this, the driver accused him of trying to avoid paying, then locked the doors and initially refused to let him go to an ATM 15 feet away unless he left all of his belongings behind. While Adam called the cab company to complain (he was routed to a voicemail inbox), the driver called the police. Twice. More »
Reader's Digest Wants My Grandma To Pay For Gift Subscription
By Phil Villarreal on August 18, 2010 3:30 PM
79 Comments
Amy tried to buy her grandma a present that would show up regularly in her mailbox and keep her occupied. The Reader's Digest subscription she bought her fit the bill, but not the way Amy hoped because the magazine kept insisting that Granny owed $20. More »
CitiFinancial Auto Keeps Deducting Payment On Zero Balance Loan, Triggers Overdraft Fees
By Chris Walters on August 18, 2010 10:32 AM
62 Comments
Marc's monthly budget just exploded into a mess of overdraft fees thanks to CitiFinancial Auto's negligence, and now he's not sure how to get them to actually do anything to fix it. More »
VIDEO: Forever 21 Security Puts Choke Hold On Deaf Customer
August 12, 2010 4:21 PM
312 Comments
Clothing store Forever 21 is under fire today over a YouTube video showing a security guard for the store's Hollywood Blvd. outlet wrestling a deaf customer to the ground and putting him into a choke hold on the sidewalk. More »
Comcast Refuses To Believe My Father Is Dead
By Chris Morran on August 10, 2010 2:15 PM
44 Comments
The death of a family member is never easy to handle. And the last thing you need in the wake of a tragic loss is to get caught up in red tape and incompetence over something as minor as canceling your late loved one's Comcast account. Unfortunately for Consumerist reader Wyatt, that's exactly what is happening to him and his family right now. More »
(Frostey)
Subway Manager Fined $75 For Asking Pakistani Customer If He Was A Terrorist
By Carey Alexander on August 8, 2010 10:00 AM
122 Comments
Four days after the attempted Times Square bombing, a 64-year-old Indian-born Subway manager in North Chicago walked up to a 29-year-old Pakistani-born customer and said: "I heard you guys were recruiting more terrorists in New York. Are you one of them?" More »
(ashi)
Comcast Plays Ping Pong With My Poor Dad
By Phil Villarreal on August 6, 2010 3:30 PM
40 Comments
Jordan coaxed his dad into ordering Comcast's broadband service and buying his own cable modem in order to save on rental fees. The two moves combined to give them plenty of father-son bonding time through the endless hell that Comcast's customer service can be. More »
Which Industry Has The Worst Customer Service?
By Chris Morran on August 4, 2010 12:15 PM
101 Comments
Here at Consumerist Central, we get a lot of complaints from pissed-off readers about a host of different problems. But looking through all the customer service gripes we get each day, we see that there are 10 industries in particular that represent the lion's share of reader's ire. More »
Virgin Atlantic Thinks Customer Is Making Up Pakistan Flood Disaster
By Chris Walters on August 3, 2010 9:30 AM
30 Comments
You can't expect every person to be up to date on the latest news cycle, especially not on a global scale. But there's a Virgin Atlantic Airlines CSR who not only somehow missed that Pakistan just suffered its worst flooding in 80 years, but who kept insisting the Elisa, a customer trying to make her way back home to NYC, prove that the flooding happened. Elisa says the CSR "insisted that there were no indications in her notes that a flood had happened in Pakistan," and that Elisa would have to prove the news or pay $933 for a "service change fee" to get back home. More »
Dial Says It Will Replace My Leaky Antiperspirant, Sends Measly Coupon Instead
By Phil Villarreal on July 29, 2010 2:30 PM
50 Comments
Joe's antiperspirant sprung more holes than WikiLeaks sources, so he called up the Dial Corporation to ask about a replacement. The customer service rep promised a coupon for a free replacement but sent him a lowball manufacturer's coupon instead. He called back to complain and Dial passed the buck to the retailer. More »
Chase Concierge Grills Me About Why I Bank With ING
By Phil Villarreal on July 28, 2010 9:45 AM
118 Comments
All Kristen wanted to do was make a deposit into her checking account at a Chase bank in Washington State, but she says a pushy concierge pulled her out of line and gave her the third degree about why she used ING rather than Chase as her primary bank. More »
Western Dental Upsells Relentlessly, Then Pulls Dirty Trick With Billing
By Chris Walters on July 26, 2010 9:00 AM
76 Comments
Ryan recently went to a clinic operated by Western Dental Centers, a franchise that operates in California, Arizona and Nevada, and now he regrets that decision. He writes that first he was forced to endure $800 worth of upsells while he was stuck in the chair, even though he was just going in for a cleaning. What happened with billing, though, was worse and may lead to lasting credit issues. More »
Nickelodeon Keeps Its Broadcast Schedule Secret For "Competitive Reasons"?
By Chris Morran on July 23, 2010 3:00 PM
107 Comments
Consumerist reader Frank noticed that the shows on Nickelodeon didn't match what was showing up on his TiVo schedule. He'd try to record Dora the Explorer and end up with Spongebob. Thinking it must be an issue with TiVo, he checked against what was on TVguide.com and found that they also had incorrect info. More »
(Gregory)
Undercover IKEA Receipt Checker Detained Me, Manager Threatened Jail
By Phil Villarreal on July 21, 2010 1:00 PM
206 Comments
Andrew ran into an IKEA receipt checker who seemed to have used Paul Blart: Mall Cop as a training video. The un-uniformed shopping cop demanded to see his receipt, threatened his arrest if he didn't comply and made him sweat out the shakedown as he took an unreasonable amount of time. More »
Call AmEx To Negotiate Payment Plan, Get A Stern Lecture Instead
By Laura Northrup on July 21, 2010 9:15 AM
157 Comments
Sophie did what any good Consumerist struggling with credit card debt would do. She called up her lender, American Express, and asked if they would be able to help her with some kind of payment plan before she missed any payments. knows that some credit card companies are currently happy to negotiate when struggling customers call them up, since a customer making lower payments is better than a customer missing payments, or not making any payments at all. Right? More »
(Karim M)
An iTunes Thief Ran Up $200 On My Card, Customer Service Won't Help
By Phil Villarreal on July 19, 2010 3:30 PM
94 Comments
Don was robbed by a thief who went on a $200 iTunes spree. Determined not to let something like this happen again, he called Apple's customer service, which took days to respond before giving him no useful help. More »
You Want Off Our Mailing List? Wait 3 Or 4 Months
By Phil Villarreal on July 16, 2010 1:30 PM
61 Comments
Noel discovered what the "Beyond" in Bed Bath & Beyond stands for — the point past reason it intends to stretch his patience when he requests to be taken off its junk mail list. More »
MTA Doesn't Understand Meaning Of The Word "Unlimited"
By Chris Morran on July 13, 2010 1:30 PM
87 Comments
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority has already redefined the term "customer service" as "screwing over customers by cutting service." But now the MTA is tackling another item in the dictionary, attempting to put a limit on that which is supposedly "unlimited." More »
(CBS)
Verizon Retreats From Charging Marine Widow $350 Early Termination Fee
By Ben Popken on June 30, 2010 12:00 PM
109 Comments
After achieving "clarity," Verizon has decided to not charge the widow of a Marine who died in Afghanistan a $350 early termination fee. The woman had moved back home following her husband's death so as to be closer to family, and in the new area she had no cellphone reception. In announcing the situation's resolution, Verizon Wireless also took the opportunity to take a jab at the media for sensationalizing their incompetence. More »
OKCupid Is Hiding The Good-Looking People From Us Ugly Freaks
By Chris Morran on June 15, 2010 1:40 PM
133 Comments
We've received e-mails from a handful of readers in recent weeks who also have profiles on the popular dating site OKCupid.com. They had been sent messages by the matchmakers informing them of the good news that they were among the site's more attractive users. Which meant they now have the privilege of seeing other hotties that are apparently being held back from the slack-jawed masses. More »
Hyundai Dealer Wouldn't Give Car Back Because They Ordered The Wrong Part Seven Times
By Chris Morran on June 13, 2010 2:00 PM
119 Comments
They say the third time's the charm, but that wasn't the case for a Hyundai owner in Springfield, Illinois, whose car sat in the dealer's garage for nearly two months because the dealer kept ordering the wrong replacement part — seven times in a row. More »
Walgreens Launches Innovative Showroom Store, Where You Can Look But Not Buy
By Chris Walters on June 9, 2010 2:13 PM
82 Comments
The thing about locking up all of your merchandise behind glass is your customers can't actually buy it. Well, they can if you have employees who give a damn about helping a customer. This Walgreens in Brooklyn does not have those kind of employees. More »
Sorry, We Already Buried A Lady Next To Your Husband
By Chris Walters on June 7, 2010 4:12 PM
137 Comments
The last place you want to find The Other Woman is on her back next to your husband. Especially when he's dead. A woman named Lillas Hawkins in California found just that when she went to visit her husband's grave two weeks ago. When she pointed out the error to a cemetery worker, she says he responded, "We are in terrible trouble." The cemetery is owned by a company named Dignity. More »
How LA Fitness Convinced Me To Cancel Two Memberships Instead Of One
By Phil Villarreal on June 7, 2010 8:30 AM
95 Comments
One bungled customer service experience can change your whole outlook of a company. Joseph proves this as he talks about how LA Fitness — a gym he once adored — bought itself two membership cancellations instead of one by screwing up his attempts to cancel his partner's contract. More »
AUDIO: Listen To AT&T Ask Customer To Stop Sending Them E-mails
By Chris Morran on June 3, 2010 12:59 PM
52 Comments
Earlier today, we posted about an AT&T customer who, having attempted an Executive E-mail Carpet Bomb on some biggies at the telecom behemoth, received a phone call letting him know he would receive a cease and desist notice if he continued to send e-mails. Now, there's audio of the AT&T rep giving the customer the warning via voicemail. More »
Do Not Market Your $8 Cupcakes By Insulting Fat People
By Laura Northrup on June 3, 2010 12:00 PM
212 Comments
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when launching a small business. One of them: try not to build your marketing around an insult a substantial portion of the American population. A small bakery in North Carolina forgot this important truth, and launched with the tagline “So Good It Makes Fat People Cry." The slogan didn't make anyone cry—it just pissed people off. More »
Lady Enters Security With $24,000 Rolex, Leaves Without, Suit Alleges
By Ben Popken on May 25, 2010 2:30 PM
152 Comments
A woman is suing the TSA after she says she was forced to take off her $24,000 Rolex to pass through security, and when she went to retrieve it, it had mysteriously vanished. More »
Towing Co. Loses Half Its Accounts After Suing Over Facebook Page
By Chris Morran on May 25, 2010 12:14 PM
76 Comments
Surely some of you remember the item we posted last month about a towing company in Michigan that had filed a $750,000 slander and libel lawsuit against a college student because he'd created a Facebook page for people to voice their complaints about the company. Well, that move appears to have backfired for the towing company, which has since lost a good chunk of business. More »
Custom TeleConnect Charges Man $20 For 20-Second Collect Call
By Chris Walters on May 18, 2010 12:28 PM
39 Comments
Mike's mom is one of the fifteen people in the U.S. who doesn't have a cell phone, so she called him collect from a pay phone in California. Mike and his mom didn't know it at the time, but they fell into the sarlacc pit that is Custom TeleConnect, a creature that hides in payphones and charges $20 fees for less than half a minute of talking. More »
Walgreens Computers Won't Let Me Buy Allergy Meds
By Phil Villarreal on May 18, 2010 10:00 AM
221 Comments
Jason wanted to stock up on allergy meds by buying two packages rather than one in order to take advantage of a low price. Walgreens denied him then proceeded to accuse him of shady activity. More »
HP Laughed Off My Friend's Laptop Warranty Repair Request
By Phil Villarreal on May 17, 2010 8:30 AM
51 Comments
Andrew's friend has an HP laptop that suddenly couldn't detect wireless networks. Although the original warranty period had passed, the internet-less customer discovered HP had discovered problems like this were rampant enough that the company decided to extend the warranty. But when the friend called and tried to set up a repair ticket, the rep laughed at him and told him it would cost $249. More »
Entire Dog Lost, Delta Offers $200 Credit
By Ben Popken on May 7, 2010 11:00 AM
214 Comments
Where's Paco? Josiah doesn't know, his girlfriend doesn't know, someone at Delta might know. After all, Delta was supposed to load Josiah's new dog on the same plane that Josiah got on. Paco didn't land with them. Frantic, Josiah called around desperately before being told that Paco was safe and sound, being taken care of by Delta employees, who would put him on the next flight out. Paco wasn't on that one either. More harried calls and Delta told Josiah Paco had "escaped" and the best they could do is refund his $200.00 pet transportation fee, but only as a "credit" for future Delta travel. That doesn't do Josiah any good, as he's vowed to never fly Delta again. Here's his story, and more adorable/sad puppy pictures: More »
(KFreon)
The Pizza Delivery Guy Cussed Me Out
By Phil Villarreal on May 3, 2010 10:30 AM
125 Comments
James says a Papa John's delivery dude called him a "f*gg*t m*th*rf*ck*r" as part of a blowup in a dispute about whether or not the driver rang the doorbell during an unsuccessful delivery attempt. More »
Bank America Loves You Too Much To Ever Let You (And Your Checking Account) Go
By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2010 11:00 AM
74 Comments
Cassie writes that she is trapped in an extra special circle of banking hell. No matter what she does, Bank of America is unable to close her checking account. Just when she thinks it may finally be dead, the bank charges inactivity fees to her account, which in turn re-activate the account, starting the process all over again. It's like the worst zombie movie ever. More »
Acer Netbook Fails After 3 Weeks; Repair Facility Helpfully Breaks It More
By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2010 10:00 AM
30 Comments
The Acer netbook that Danielle bought for law school is light and portable, but not so great in the "actually working as a netbook" sense. She tells Consumerist that problems with the wireless card began in the first few weeks she owned the machine. When she was finally able to send the netbook in for service, Acer somehow managed to send it back to her in worse condition than it was originally. On the first repair attempt, they sent the computer back with the display non-functional. On the second, they somehow broke the M key. More »
Red Cross Is Out For My Blood
By Phil Villarreal on April 26, 2010 8:30 AM
127 Comments
Nam said the Red Cross is as obsessive as Edward Cullen when it comes to making sure he keeps up his donation schedule. He says the organization is bordering on harassment as it urges him to come in and open up his veins. More »
One Of The "Blippy Four" Speaks Out On Credit Card Leak
By Chris Morran on April 23, 2010 4:30 PM
34 Comments
It's been a bad day for Blippy.com, the site lots of people hadn't heard of until it managed to leak the whole credit card numbers of four users to the entire internet. Now, one of the four people whose digits are in the public domain has come forward to talk. More »
Lawsuit: Hotel Obliged Guest's Requests For Whites-Only Service
By Chris Morran on April 23, 2010 2:00 PM
199 Comments
Are you a racist looking for a luxury hotel in Florida? Then the Ritz Carlton in Naples might just be the place for you. A lawsuit filed this week claims that when guests of the hotel asked to not be served by "people of color" or with "foreign accents," the management agreed to their demands. More »
Jason Cochran
W Hotel In Hollywood Rescinds Too Uncool For Pool Policy
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 17, 2010 2:42 PM
19 Comments
It seems the too-cool-for-school policy at The W in Hollywood of barring its own guests from its swanky rooftop parties has gone the way of other bad ideas in hotel management. After Jason Cochran, blogger for The Gadling, called them out for their super douchey policy, management has done some quality backpedaling. More »
Beware If You're So Bold As To Take A Camera To Downtown Disney
By Phil Villarreal on April 13, 2010 9:40 AM
250 Comments
William thought he could cruise Orlando's Downtown Disney with a camera and not end up hassled and intimidated by security guards. He was wrong. More »
VIDEO: Hey Streets, What's The Worst Company In America?
By Ben Popken on April 12, 2010 3:30 PM
67 Comments
I hit the streets of New York with a video camera, asking taxi drivers, youths, store owners and chicks eating donuts, "What's the worst company in America?" Most people laughed and said, "Worst company?" — and then thought real hard and gave us some answers, answers which may shock you! This video has subtitles so you can watch it at work without anyone knowing. More »
(bigpresh)
Ryanair's Pay To Potty Policy Could Violate Laws
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 11, 2010 12:53 PM
96 Comments
If you’re still angry over airline Ryanair's announcement last week that they’ll begin charging to use the bathroom on flights, as well as reducing the number of lavatories, you’re not alone — and the law might be on your side. One critic of the policy says he thinks the airline could be violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by limiting access to restrooms. More »
Judge Forces Comcast To Pay Customer $5,087
By Ben Popken on April 9, 2010 1:00 PM
32 Comments
"I have researched his issues and based on our records the case is without merit," wrote a Comcast spokesperson to local news investigator Amy Davis. She was looking into the case of Wayne, whose credit was damaged by Comcast just before he was going to refinance his house. This meant that on top of what he had already paid to lock in a lower interest rate, he had to pay several thousand dollars more. More »
Florida Urologist Won't Touch You If You Support Obamacare
By Phil Villarreal on April 5, 2010 10:25 AM
228 Comments
A Florida urologist hoisted a sign outside his practice that reads "If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years," the Miami Herald reports. More »
((¯`•Doug)
Why Won't USPS Let Me File This Complaint?
By Chris Morran on March 30, 2010 1:42 PM
92 Comments
Usually when we reprint a customer complaint, it's because the complaint itself deserves public attention. But the reason we're posting Consumerist reader Sarah's letter to the USPS isn't because the world needs to know about her smashed up shipment, but because the USPS' website won't let her file the complaint. More »
(u2acro)
T-Mobile CSR Politely Asks For My Sprint Password
By Phil Villarreal on March 30, 2010 9:30 AM
42 Comments
Wilson is switching from Sprint to T-Mobile and fielded an unusual, off-putting request from a T-Mobile CSR: "Please provide your password." Wilson refused and wonders aloud whether or not it's kosher to make such an indecent proposal. More »
Keep Your Hands On Your Urine If You Go To LabCorp
By Chris Walters on March 29, 2010 1:10 PM
81 Comments
Mike was sent to LabCorp for some routine medical tests last week, and what he found was an understaffed, overcrowded dump where patients were arguing that their urine samples were missing, or in one instance stolen while the patient watched. This could just be one badly managed lab, but the Internet is swimming in LabCorp complaints around the country that all repeat the same problems. More »
(cag2012)
HP To Customer: We Can't Fix Your Problem, But Why Not Buy Some Discs From Us?
By Phil Villarreal on March 29, 2010 9:30 AM
30 Comments
Josh tried to get some advice on how to fix his broken HP laptop via chat and got little help. What he did get was a pitch to buy recovery discs that were irrelevant to his problem. More »
Cruel UPS Store Employee Drives Me Back To Post Office
By Phil Villarreal on March 29, 2010 9:00 AM
91 Comments
Evan says a UPS store employee was so annoyed he wanted to ship packages at her store that she muttered about him under her breath to coworkers and even suggested he use USPS instead. More »
Chase Hassles Woman For $45K In Payments For Home She No Longer Owns
By Chris Morran on March 26, 2010 1:00 PM
40 Comments
In Oct. 2008, a mother of four in Illinois needed to unload her house or face foreclosure. So she worked with Chase Home Financial and got them to agree to a short sale. Unfortunately, more than a year later not everyone at Chase knows the house was sold, because they're telling the former homeowner she owes almost $45,000 in late payments. More »
Insurance Covers Meds If Your Kid Is Clumsy, But If He's Autistic, He Owes $24,000
By Ben Popken on March 24, 2010 2:22 PM
101 Comments
Nine-year old Nico owes $24,000. If he was just clumsy, he wouldn't, but because he's autistic, he's got to cough it up, according to the insurance company—and the collections agency that keeps calling him every day. More »
The Hilton Parking Deck Guy Trapped Our Car
By Phil Villarreal on March 22, 2010 10:30 AM
100 Comments
Buddy says a Hilton parking structure security guard wouldn't allow him to drive his car away because he didn't have a ticket. Buddy didn't have one because the ticket machine was broken and couldn't provide it to him. It took a 911 call to get to freedom. More »
(Lastchild53)
Benihana Won't Let Us Save This Starving Cat
By Phil Villarreal on March 16, 2010 10:00 AM
160 Comments
An anonymous would-be cat rescuer who is part of an effort to save the stray cat pictured here said a Benihana manager at an Arizona mall threw her off the premises when she tried to rescue the kitty. More »
Quizno's Was Mean To My Grandma
By Phil Villarreal on March 15, 2010 10:30 AM
98 Comments
Felicia says slacker Quizno's employees were rude to her grandma when she was so difficult as to ask for a menu to look at since her vision is poor. When her father complained to the manager, he wasn't any more helpful. Her story is a head-shaker: More »
Subway Charged Me $2273 For $5 Footlong
By Chris Morran on March 11, 2010 1:05 PM
71 Comments
For quite some time, Subway has been advertising their array of $5 footlong sandwiches. But Consumerist reader Josh stumbled across that rarest of fast food treats — Subway's $2273.40 sub. Unfortunately for Josh, now he can't seem to get his money back. More »
(sfxeric)
A Restaurant Owner Stalked Me Because He Messed Up My Payment
By Phil Villarreal on March 8, 2010 10:00 AM
200 Comments
Danny had a run-in with one determined restaurateur. After the waitress bungled his credit card payment, the owner tracked him down on Facebook, asked him to become a fan of the restaurant, then came to his door to demand the money in person. More »
Why Was I Banned From Walmart For Not Showing My Receipt?
By Chris Morran on March 5, 2010 2:33 PM
467 Comments
Consumerist reader Jeremy says he's recently been barred from entering any Walmart store in the country. Why? Because he politely declined to show his receipt to a greeter. More »
VIDEO: Stores Caught Restocking Used Underwear & Lingerie
By Chris Morran on March 4, 2010 3:17 PM
88 Comments
We try not to be too paranoid about the cleanliness of things we purchase. We'll purchase used books, buy vintage clothing, drive pre-owned cars. But the "Ick Factor," as it's known in the world of science, jumps off the charts when it comes to used undies. But that's exactly what NBC claims to have discovered at several retail stores. More »
(dbldbl)
I Am Liberal And Employed, But Republicans And Job Sites Won't Stop Spamming Me
By Phil Villarreal on March 4, 2010 8:00 AM
60 Comments
In a funny blog post, Nicole goes into a rant about how she can't stop certain organizations from spamming her no matter what she tries, name dropping Monster.com and the Republican Party in particular. More »
United Breaks Guitars Song 3: The Grand Finale
By Ben Popken on March 3, 2010 1:10 PM
25 Comments
The final leg of Dave Carrol's anti-United Airlines musical trifecta is here. He's not mad anymore. He's got his big break and two new Taylor guitars. What about all the customers who write David every day with their own United horror stories? More »
Toshiba Is Holding My Computer Hostage For $140
By Chris Morran on February 25, 2010 2:14 PM
41 Comments
Getting something fixed under warranty is rarely a pleasant task. It often takes longer than expected and occasionally lapses into bouts of back-and-forth finger-pointing between the manufacturer and the owner of the faulty product. Just ask Consumerist reader Art, who says that Toshiba has not only had his busted laptop for three months, but they've reneged on their promise to replace it and now want $140 for his troubles. More »
Getting Refund For Defective Treadmill Is Like Running On... Well, You Know
By Laura Northrup on February 25, 2010 11:09 AM
25 Comments
After purchasing a large piece of fitness equipment from Amazon, do not move. Ever. This apparently confuses the customer service representatives and sends you on a two-month odyssey of buck-passing, missed connections, confusion, and consumer mayhem. Vu writes that he has learned this lesson the hard way. He would like Amazon to come pick the damn thing up so he can get his refund. More »
DMV Staffers Made $1 Million Selling Fake IDs To Criminals, Sex Offenders, Undercover Cop
By Chris Morran on February 24, 2010 8:27 AM
44 Comments
It's bad enough that so many of the people at the Department of Motor Vehicles treat you like so much gum stuck to the bottom of their shoe, now comes a report that a handful of DMV employees in New York have been getting rich selling fake ID — not to minors trying to score beer or get into R-rated movies — to convicted felons, sex offenders and just about anyone who could come up with the cash. More »
Theater VP: Go F*** Yourself, Here are Directions To Another Theater
By Laura Northrup on February 23, 2010 4:00 PM
365 Comments
Sarah had an unpleasant experience at her local movie theater, and sent a complaint e-mail to the company that runs it. We don't know what response she expected, but it probably wasn't a letter from a company vice president that began, "Drive to [a competing theater] and also go f*** yourself. If you dont have money for entertainment, get a better job, and don't pay for everything on your credit or check card." More »
Dish Network Overbilled Me By $600
By Phil Villarreal on February 23, 2010 9:00 AM
15 Comments
Jason says Dish Network stuck him with an unwarranted $300 bill, then after it credited him back the $300, billed him another $300 for no good reason. He says Dish has corrected the errors now, but he wants to disconnect. More »
I Canceled My Chase Account Twice, But They Keep Contacting Me
By Phil Villarreal on February 22, 2010 8:00 AM
17 Comments
Charles says he first canceled his Chase credit card in 2008, but was surprised to find it was still open a year later. He canceled it again, but Chase kept hassling him with mailings, and when he called to see what was up he was told the company was keeping in contact with old customers to comply with the CARD act. More »
(Photo: Elvert Barnes)
Staples Never Thought You'd Actually Try To Buy A Camera From Them
By Chris Walters on February 15, 2010 6:42 PM
80 Comments
Nessy recently tried to buy a new camera from a Staples store in Burlington, Vermont. She discovered some pretty interesting things about this particular store. For instance, no they can't put fresh batteries in a floor model! Okay fine, they'll do it, but it takes a manager and two employees—yes, three people!—to insert fresh batteries. Also, did you know that if a floor model isn't working, you can just check out a different model from the same company, because everything is the same? No, you say? That's stupid? Well, maybe that's why Nessy ended up buying the camera from... oh no... you'll have to read it for yourself. More »
Audio: Hunter S. Thompson's Gonzo Complaint Rant At Home Theater Installers
By Phil Villarreal on February 15, 2010 9:38 AM
28 Comments
If Hells Angels couldn't intimidate Hunter S. Thompson from sticking to his guns, a home theater company CSR didn't stand a chance. Check out the legendary late author/journalist's expletive-laced rant in this YouTube video, spotted on Geekologie. More »
(respres)
Thanks To Bank Of America's Crappy Online Payment System, Your House Is Getting Foreclosed
By Ben Popken on February 11, 2010 1:44 PM
116 Comments
Sally is 20 years ahead on her 30-year mortgage. So why is Bank of America about to foreclose on her? More »
(u2acro)
Comcast Spells My Name Wrong, Can't Help Me Fix It Over The Phone
By Phil Villarreal on February 11, 2010 9:30 AM
64 Comments
On her blog, Jamie describes in painful and hilarious detail that if Comcast gets your name wrong when it sets up a user account for you, you're better off just accepting it rather than pushing for them to correct the error. More »
Bank of America Screws Even Ex-Employees Of 21 Years On Mortgages
By Ben Popken on February 8, 2010 1:18 PM
41 Comments
How many different ways can you screw a man? Vince couldn't make his Bank of America mortgage, because they fired him after 21 years of service in the due diligence department. Even after he did a short sale 5 months ago, Bank of America still hasn't cleared it off their books. Now the illegal debt collection calls start. Is new CEO Brian Moynihan powerless to stop his own company from shaking down its own employees? Let's find out! More »
ING Cancels Debit Card, Repeats 'There's Nothing We Can Do' Refrain
By Phil Villarreal on February 4, 2010 10:15 AM
63 Comments
UPDATE: ING Got Noah a new debit card. More »
IKEA Wouldn't Sell Me One Of The Many Desks I Saw In Plain View
By Phil Villarreal on February 4, 2010 9:26 AM
98 Comments
Brian says IKEA wouldn't sell him one of the desks he wanted because it was "sold out," despite the fact that he could look around and see a bunch of his desired desks stacked near the customer service area. The reason: A customer service dude told him they only restock at night and Brian would have to come back tomorrow. More »
(njt4148)
Greyhound Kicks Passenger Out Of Bus Station For Complaining To Reporter
By Chris Walters on February 3, 2010 5:24 PM
46 Comments
A Greyhound security guard threatened a stranded passenger in Memphis that if she spoke with a reporter from the local news, he'd kick her out of the bus station. The reporter was there to look at why a group of passengers had been left stranded for 2 to 4 days without any communication from Greyhound, and without any sort of meal or lodging help. More »
Woman Fights To Get 14 Cents Back
By Phil Villarreal on February 2, 2010 9:00 AM
96 Comments
When Janet purchased $5 worth of long-distance calls nearly 10 years ago from TTI (which is now a subsidiary of Verizon), she wanted to squeeze every last bit of value out of her purchase. When the last 14 cents vanished from her account, she began a crusade to get her money back. She was laughed off, dismissed and put down, but she's finally claimed victory, ABC 7 of San Francisco reports: More »
Every Time VW Fixes My Car, They Break Something Else
By Ben Popken on January 27, 2010 1:17 PM
85 Comments
Amy's '06 VW Passat has been in the shop 106 of the past 141 days. After the engine broke down on a road trip and needed replacing, VW replaced it, but broke the transmission. When they replaced the transmission, they broke an axle. When they fixed the axle, the car started leaking oil worse than the Valdez. All Amy and her family want to be able to do is drive their car around like normal. So far, that's not happening, and VW's only offer of contrition has been to waive one car payment and $250 in services. So Amy launched her EECB, complete with a graph of how long VW has held her car hostage: More »
(Photo: Alan Rappa)
AmEx Sent Me Replacement Credit Card With $0 Limit
By Phil Villarreal on January 25, 2010 10:00 AM
38 Comments
Justin was thankful for helpful, on-the-spot service from American Express when his card was declined while traveling. The replacement card AmEx sent him was less than helpful, however, given its less than adequate limit. More »
(Photo: Chymer)
Apple, Best Buy Driven By Arrogance
By Phil Villarreal on January 25, 2010 8:00 AM
116 Comments
A stinging analysis on WalletPop makes the obvious but poignant argument that too-big-for-their-britches corporations such as Apple and Best Buy have let hubris cloud their customer service vision. More »
(Photo: Don Fulano)
Check Your Phone Bill For Bogus Charges From OAN
By Ben Popken on January 20, 2010 12:00 PM
18 Comments
Check your phone bills for the past few months for a bogus $14.95 charge (+$.46 tax) from "OAN Ideal Savings Now." A message on our voicemail hotline tipped us off, and online complaints, like these 188, echo our reader's grievance. It's called cramming, and it's illegal. More »
(Photo: ob1left)
Best Buy Employee Told Me To Shut Up When I Said I Didn't Have To Show Receipt
By Phil Villarreal on January 20, 2010 8:45 AM
309 Comments
Beth didn't feel like showing her receipt to a New Jersey Best Buy employee who approached her as she left the store on Black Friday. More »
(Photo: Christine Salek)
UPS Insists On Chucking My Packages Over The Fence
By Ben Popken on January 15, 2010 11:04 AM
94 Comments
UPDATE: UPS Promises To Stop Catapulting Your Packages More »
(Photo: J Dailey)
Sprint Crawls To Let Guy Cancel Account
By Phil Villarreal on January 14, 2010 8:03 AM
25 Comments
Chase had a problem with Sprint — the company wouldn't acknowledge the fact that he canceled his account. More »
(Photo: Mica_R)
I Can't Find A Way To Fix My Borked iPod
By Phil Villarreal on January 13, 2010 9:30 AM
100 Comments
Liz has an iPod Touch that freezes up a few songs into a listening session. She's patiently slashed through mountains of red tape to try to find a solution but has just about given up on finding a fix. She writes: More »
(Photo: Ninja M.)
Sprint Doesn't Believe I Canceled My Account
By Phil Villarreal on January 11, 2010 10:30 AM
66 Comments
UPDATE: Sprint got with Chase and allowed him to cancel his account. More »
(Photo: Omar Omar)
Greyhound Leaves 88-Year-Old Outside Of Locked Station In 38°F Weather
By Chris Walters on January 7, 2010 9:39 AM
93 Comments
Greyhound left an 88-year-old woman, along with around 30 other passengers, standing outside a locked bus station on Thanksgiving Day on a trip from Chicago to Detroit. Roxanne, who was one of the abandoned passengers on the sidewalk that morning, says that was just the final insult after an entire day of failure on Greyhound's part. She sent a complaint to Greyhound's executives on December 5th, but it was returned. Here is her summary of what happened. More »
(Photo: EA)
EA Pulls The Plug On Not-So-Old 'Older' Sports Game Servers
By Phil Villarreal on January 5, 2010 9:29 AM
54 Comments
Electronic Arts announced that by Feb. 2 it will take away online play from several sports games released in 2008 or earlier, thus negating any real reason to keep playing them and pushing customers to buying newer releases. More »
(Photo: epicharmus)
AT&T Wouldn't Let Me Pay Final Bill, Then Sent Collections After Me
By Phil Villarreal on January 1, 2010 8:00 AM
30 Comments
Ryan's life is an Alanis Morissette song: "It's like being told your AT&T account is paid off, and then meeting his beautiful collections agent coming after you for the money you were told you didn't owe." More »
(Photo: Ron Dauphin)
Best Buy's Buy Online, Pick-Up In Store Delays Made Me Regret Purchase
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2009 10:15 AM
99 Comments
Rick thought he'd streamline his computer part purchase by snagging it at bestbuy.com and opting for in-store pick-up, skipping the hassle of digging around store shelves and cruising out of the store in a flash. More »
(Photo: Paxton Holley)
Maytag Has Given Me 3 Weeks Of Dirty Clothing
By Phil Villarreal on December 21, 2009 10:29 AM
50 Comments
Nick bought a Maytag washer, but it's the ever-broken, un-repaired appliance that's come to own him. He says he's gone back and forth with the company and has been promised replacement parts and cash back to defray the cost of doing laundry, but has instead been put through the spin cycle. More »
(Photo: So Cal Metro)
UPDATED: Greyhound Stood Me Up And Won't Refund My Ticket
By Phil Villarreal on December 21, 2009 9:30 AM
86 Comments
Miriam says she bought a Greyhound ticket in November, but the bus skipped her stop without notifying her. She couldn't get the company to cough up anything more than a voucher for a future trip. She writes: More »
(Photo: Señor Codo)
Why Can't Macy's Reverse This Charge On Their Customer's Debit Card?
By Chris Walters on December 16, 2009 5:01 PM
59 Comments
Amanda has been having a hard time getting Macy's to reverse an incorrect charge on her credit card—a charge that was canceled less than five minutes after it was made last week. Her story includes almost all of the things that can go wrong with customer support, including random transfers, rude employees, and broken promises. If she'd just been made to hold for 45 minutes before one of the disconnections, she'd have collected the set! More »
American Airlines Responds To Psychotic OJ Incident
By Ben Popken on December 16, 2009 8:44 AM
71 Comments
American Airlines made this statement to Fox & Friends regarding the story we posted last week of a first-class passenger who was given a warning that he might face federal charges for asking a flight attendant for a glass of orange juice: More »
Videodrome #3: Paper Puppet Reenactments Of Removed YouTubes
By Ben Popken on December 14, 2009 11:32 AM
22 Comments
Faster! Leaner! Meaner! Ben Popken rounds up Consumerist.com's top stories of the week, from psychotic stewardesses to deadly foreclosures. This week we introduce a new feature: printing out the internet and turning it into a puppet show.
(Photo: Mzelle Biscotte)
Delta Offers Gold Status To Victims Of Pyschotic American Airlines Stewardess
By Ben Popken on December 14, 2009 10:35 AM
81 Comments
Delta has offered Gold status to anyone who was on the ill-fated American Airlines flight where a stewardess screamed at a first class passenger who had the gall to ask for orange juice, and had him given a written warning by the captain. More »
(Photo: Maulleigh)
HealthNet: Your Data May Have Been Stolen Several Months Ago
By Phil Villarreal on December 14, 2009 10:00 AM
24 Comments
HealthNet has been sending letters out to current and former clients notifying them that it lost medical and financial data on 1.5 million customers in May. The News-Times of Danbury, Conn. reports HealthNet sat on the news until recently. More »
(Image: Looking For Group)
DragonCon Kicks "Looking For Group" Booth Because DragonCon Was Rude To Them
By Ben Popken on December 11, 2009 10:48 AM
155 Comments
The staff of the annual DragonCon fantasy gaming convention seem to have decided to roleplay as Level 55 Lesser Jerks. Popular RPG parody webcomic "Looking For Group" says they're not invited back this year because last year DragonCon staff moved their booth to a crappy part of the hall without notice, and then the staff were rude about it. Here's the story of The Quest For The Steaming Brown Pile Of Subhuman Customer Service Goo Epic Fail: More »
Asking For Orange Juice On American Airlines May Violate Federal Law
By Ben Popken on December 10, 2009 2:00 PM
238 Comments
Something went very wrong on American Airlines flight 614 from Sacramento to Dallas this Sunday, December 6th. An American Airlines stewardess having an extremely bad day flipped the frak out on a first class passenger for asking for a glass of OJ and gave him a written warning from the captain for, "threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a crewmember." Here's an eyewitness account:
(Photo: Meg Marco)
I Found It Impossible To Buy A PS3 At Sears
By Phil Villarreal on December 10, 2009 10:35 AM
100 Comments
If Sears isn't happy with its sales figures, it can blame itself by looking at the example of the way it treated Teresa — a frustrated would-be customer who tried and failed several times to buy a PlayStation 3 from the store. More »
(Photo:zonaphoto)
UPDATED: Southwest Demanded Proof My Infant Wasn't 2
By Phil Villarreal on December 9, 2009 10:30 AM
206 Comments
Kris says the Southwest Airlines check-in desk gave her all sorts of hell when she tried to check herself and her 7-month-old baby boy onto a flight. The clerk at first refused to give up her ticket because she didn't have proof of the baby's age, then relented only after 10 minutes of arguing. More »
(Photo:Tom Simpson)
Comcast Sicced Collections On Me Before My Bill Was Due
By Phil Villarreal on December 8, 2009 8:30 AM
53 Comments
Dan says he's feeling a bit untrusted by Comcast, which has released the collection agency hounds on him, despite his bill's due date still being a ways off. More »
41% Of Sudden Acceleration Complaints Are Toyotas. That's A Lot.
By Ben Popken on December 7, 2009 1:31 PM
95 Comments
Here's a beauty contest you don't want to win: 41% of the 2008 model safety complaints about "sudden acceleration" problems were for Toyota and Lexus models. That would be the same complaint lodged by that California family this summer when they crashed into a highway barrier at 120 mph when their loaner car wouldn't stop speeding up, if they were still alive to make it.
(Photo:FastFords)
TiVo Sends Me Bill I Don't Owe, Cuts Off My 'Lifetime' Service
By Phil Villarreal on December 2, 2009 11:10 AM
88 Comments
Lee's TiVo saga is enough to scare you off from gift cards and lifetime service subscriptions from the company. It's a long, not easily summarized tale, but as things stand now, Lee is without service, stuck with an unwarranted $97.64 charge and has a gift card that won't work. More »
(Photo: catastrophe girl)
I Joked With Radio Shack Clerk About Livestronging, Still Got Livestronged
By Phil Villarreal on November 30, 2009 10:40 AM
66 Comments
James went into Radio Shack determined to make a purchase without getting stung by the forced $1 Livestrong donation some customers say they're finding on their receipts. He even joked with the clerk about the phenomenon. Then when he looked at his receipt, sure enough he found out he was an unwilling donor. More »
(Photo: epicharmus)
Chase Gave Me A Credit Card I Didn't Want
By Phil Villarreal on November 30, 2009 10:20 AM
40 Comments
Steven writes about how he feels he was tricked into opening a credit card he didn't want, then still received the card even after he was vehement about canceling his unauthorized application. More »
(Photo: amanjo)
Use The Internet To Subvert Bogus Best Buy Optimization Fees
By Phil Villarreal on November 30, 2009 10:00 AM
109 Comments
Patrick discovered a clever way of avoiding Best Buy's silly optimization fees as he shopped for a laptop: Shop online and opt for in-store pickup. More »
I, Too, Was Livestronged At Radio Shack
By Phil Villarreal on November 25, 2009 12:15 PM
109 Comments
Although Radio Shack employees insist they can't make a customer donate a dollar to Livestrong at checkout, Cheryl's tale is disturbingly similar to that of Ryan, who says Radio Shack swiped a buck for him in the name of cancer research. More »
UPDATE: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Corporate Office Apologizes For Franchise Owner's Refusal To Let Girl With Diarrhea Use Their Bathroom
By Alex Chasick on June 24, 2008 10:30 PM
135 Comments
—>Yesterday, we wrote about a mother whose five-year-old child had diarrhea and was refused bathroom access by a local Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. She emailed us today to say she received a call from the Chief Operating Officer of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. More »
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Refuses Bathroom Access to 5-Year-Old, Who Then Has Diarrhea In Front Of Them
By Alex Chasick on June 23, 2008 4:00 PM
417 Comments
—>A reader writes: "Last night we were out with friends and went to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at Bella Terra/Huntington Beach. We were eating outside as my 5 year old daughter got an uncontrollable urge to use the bathroom and began crying and screaming 'diarrhea, diarrhea.' I ran into the store with her in my arms, begging to use the bathroom and they refused multiple times." More »
Jo-Ann Fabrics' CEO Apologizes For Refusing To Let Woman Use Bathroom As Diarrhea Ran Down Her Pants
By consumerist.com on July 18, 2007 10:38 PM
69 Comments
—>Jo-Ann Fabrics is sending out apology emails to people who write them in about a customer who was refused access to the bathroom even as she suffered diarrhea right in front of the employees.
We made a mistake. We re very sorry for any frustration and embarrassment that we caused our customer at the Logansport, Indiana, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store on Friday, June 29.More »
Jo-Ann Fabrics Refuses To Let Customer Use Bathroom, Even As She Suffers Diarrhea Right In Front Of Them
By Ben Popken on July 16, 2007 7:01 PM
249 Comments
[redacted] More »
