Consumerist
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bad business
Vision Therapy Center 'Pencils In' Appointment Without Full Consent, Then Charges $50 No Show Fee
Elysse was told by an optometrist to consider "vision therapy" as a treatment for her child's strabismus (crossed eyes), but the business she was sent to—Children's Vision and Learning in Versailles, Kentucky—turned out to be one of those places where selling is their top priority, and medical care simply the product being sold. After being lied to about the cost, given a hard sell during the first appointment, and even being asked, "Don't you care about your child's vision?", Elysse decided to look elsewhere. Now, four months after the experience, the business is billing her $50 for a "penciled in" appointment she never agreed to keep in the first place. More » -
bad business
United Adds $800 In Fees To $560 Trip, Loses Customer For Life
We have a feeling this is going to happen with increasing frequency as airlines continue to bleed once-loyal customers for extra revenue: Greg Dean, the cartoonist behind Real Life Comics, has had enough of United gouging him. First it was the second checked bag fee, then the first checked bag fee. Then they doubled the pet-in-cabin fee to $175 each way, which works out to more than the cost of a human round-trip ticket.
And let's not forget the exorbitant booking fee for using miles for one of our tickets. The actual FLIGHT was only $280 round trip per ticket, but with the booking fee TO USE THE MILES TO PURCHASE A TICKET, we wound up paying over $500.
When Dean tried to convert the two tickets into travel vouchers, the airline charged him another $300. And that, readers, is when the airline killed off one of their better customer relationships. More »
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reservations
Raleigh Restaurant Requires Credit Card For Reservation, Then Charges $20 Per Person Who Doesn't Show
It's common for restaurants to not seat a party until everyone has arrived, but here's something we've never seen before: requiring a credit card to make the reservation, then charging $20 per person who doesn't show up—but still refusing to seat an incomplete party. When Matthew tried to get his party of ten seated without two of the people—basically saying he'd pay the $40 to get out of the bar and at a table—management refused. We think this restaurant doesn't like its patrons very much. More » -
readers
OverstockDealz.com Thinks A $8 Cable Is A 30gb Zune
Reader Eric wants a Zune. He found a great deal on a refurbished one at overstockdealz.com, placed his order, and a few days later received his package. It contained an $8 Zune cable. Here's his letter: More » -
bad business
Pizza Hut Forces You To Opt-In To Spam Marketing When Ordering Online
When you place an order on Pizza Hut's website, you have to create an account, and to create an account, you have to check the box that says you agree to their privacy policy and terms of use. It also says, "I agree to receive information about Pizza Hut®/WingStreet® couons, promotions, announcements, events and specials." This e-commerce blogger is amazed that Pizza Hut would resort to such a sneaky tactic, which ultimately ruins the customer experience and probably costs them online orders. More » -
discrimination
Store Owner Demands Spanish-Speaking Customers Show Social Security Cards
David C. Richardson, the owner of Rhode Island Refrigeration in Providence, Rhode Island, overheard two customers speaking Spanish to each other, so he asked them to produce proof of citizenship. According to them, he then threatened to call Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and make a citizen's arrest, although Richardson denies he picked up the phone, but not that he made the threats. In fact, he says he's done this "fifteen or twenty times" in the past and refuses to do business with those who won't show their Social Security cards. More » -
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cutbacks
Lillian Vernon Fires Employees Four Days Before Christmas
Longtime catalog business Lillian Vernon, famous for its dinky personalized items—and under corporate ownership of one sort or another since 2003—decided to personalize the sensation of being terminated last Thursday, reports the Virginian-Pilot. Although seasonal workers have always been a big part of LV's holiday workforce, this time around the axe fell on longterm employees who showed up to their normal, year-round jobs that morning. "Lillian Vernon officials declined to comment on the layoffs. Philip Read, a company spokesman, answered his wireless phone Friday and said he was no longer employed by Lillian Vernon as of Thursday." More » -
corporations
Chiquita Restructures, Cuts 160 Management Positions
Militia-funding banana company Chiquita has announced a big restructuring plan that will eliminate 160 management jobs, including 21% of the top three tiers of management, for a savings of $60-80 million dollars in 2008. The company says it will use the savings to pay down debt. It doesn't mention, however, that last month it was fined $25 million for financially supporting both left- and right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia from 1997 to 2004. More » -
bad business
Company Cancels Order Because It's Confused About Anti-Spam Techniques
A reader writes in to warn that if you purchase from Cascade Toboggan, be prepared to be treated with suspicion and hostility, and to have your order canceled if you attempt to straighten things out. Michal used a fairly common spam-tracking technique when he placed an order with them earlier this month—he put their company name as part of his email and shipping addresses, so that if his information was sold, he'd be able to source the perpetrator. We've done this ourselves in the past, and it works. However, the owner of Cascade, Dana, says this is trademark infringement, and even after getting Michal to agree to remove the name from his personal info, canceled the order and effectively banned Michal from future business.
UPDATE: Cascade Toboggan responds. More »
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