Consumerist
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acceptable risk
Stroller Company Maclaren Knew About Amputation Risk 5 Years Ago
The British company Maclaren knew that its recently recalled strollers could potentially lop off a tot's fingertips over five years ago, reports the New York Post, but it didn't bother to alert the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). More » -
obvious post is obvious
Shop At A Dollar Store, Gamble On Quality
Marlene Alexander will buy pretty much anything, at least once, from her local dollar store. Then depending on how well it holds up, she might write about it to warn others. She's put together a list of some of the biggest dollar store failures she's encountered over the past year. More » -
frustration
Hey Verizon, My 5th FiOS DVR Sucks As Much As The Last 4
Reader David's FiOS DVR really sucks. Since it's his 5th one — he's starting to suspect that they all suck. More » -
success stories
E.E.C.B. Forces Best Buy To Finally Replace Defective TV
It took an Executive Email Carpet Bomb to convince Best Buy to replace Bryan's Panasonic LiFi LCD Projection TV after it ate through four lamps. Bryan had purchased Best Buy's extended warranty, which contains a no lemon clause that promises a replacement after three failed repairs. Best Buy conveniently insisted that replacing the broken lamp did not count as a "qualified repair." Bryan first escalated his complaint through normal channels; when he had no other choice, he launched the mighty EECB. More » -
above and beyond
Trek Bikes Demonstrates How To Handle The Occasional Bad Product
Tony had a lot of problems with the build quality of his new bicycle, so he finally wrote to Trek Bikes and told them all the things going wrong with it. Unlike Comfort Select, which denies manufacturing problems even as it replaces broken units with a less defective version (that you pay for), Trek contacted Tony and treated him like they actually wanted his repeat business. More » -
complaints
Honda Owners Say Brakes Are Made Of Worthlessness — Honda Hasn't Responded
While it's OK for messages from top-secret government agencies to self destruct, that's not the case for car brakes. But more than 200 owners of 2008 and 2009 Accords have complained that keeping their brakes in working condition has proven to be a mission impossible. More » -
appliances
LG Refrigerator Causes Flash Floods, Mini-Glaciers
Jason's refrigerator wouldn't work correctly, no matter how many times it was repaired. Eventually, Best Buy had to intervene. Yes, that Best Buy. More » -
warranties
Home Depot Steps In When GE Gives You The Warranty Runaround
Reader Chris bought a GE hot water tank from Home Depot, only to find out that it was broken. He noticed a sticker on the back telling him to call a 1-800 number for warranty repair rather than returning the tank to the store. So he did. And he got the runaround. More » -
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baseball
New Baseball Season, Same Bad Service From MLB.TV
For fans who don't live in the same area as their favorite team, the glorious beginning of a new baseball season is tarnished by the flawed methods for keeping up with games. And once again MLB.TV, the official package from Major League Baseball, is making its case for the worst option. More » -
eecbs
EECB Over Xbox 360 Keeps Getting Bounced Back As Spam
Those wily Xbox 360 gremlins are at it again, and this time they're cracking Michael's game discs in little spokes along the inner ring of each disc. His customer service call went nowhere, naturally, so someone on the Penny Arcade forum where he posted his story suggested an Executive Email Carpet Bomb. The only problem is, it keeps getting sent back as spam. More » -
happy endings
Newegg Shocks The Hell Out Of You By Replacing Your Defective Keyboard
Reader Patty is shocked that Newegg would send her another keyboard because the one she bought was defective. She's stunned. She can't believe it. More » -
samsung
Samsung Stalls And Lies For A Year Over Broken Photo Frame
Dave bought his mother a Samsung digital photo frame for Christmas—Christmas a year ago, and it stopped working after just a few weeks. Since then, Dave has tried regular customer service and executive customer service, he's waited on hold for up to 2 hours at a time, and he's waited patiently for RMAs that are promised but never sent. Now it looks like he's throwing in the towel: "I no longer have the time or energy to waste with them." You win this battle, Samsung! But you do realize that Dave—a small business owner who has made large Samsung purchases in the past—will never buy another one of your products, right? More » -
jawbone
Aliph Quickly Replaces Melted Jawbone
Marc is happy to report that Aliph really came through for him after he complained about Jawbone smoking and melting after he plugged it into his computer: More » -
returns and exchanges
What Hell Must You Go Through To Return A Defective Running Shoe?
Neal Templin at the Wall Street Journal had a defective running shoe. Within 4 months of buying the shoes, an eyelet failed, so he took the defective shoes back to the store. This is where his tragic tale of rejection begins. More » -
good
Happy Endings: Adidas Upgrades Your Tragically Leaky Backpack
Here's a nice story from reader Aaron. His Adidas backpack soaked up a ton of water and ruined his books and papers, so he complained to Adidas. They referred him to their backpack manufacturer, and they replaced the backpack with a better one for free. More » -
recalls
Retailers Recall Death Bassinets Because The Manufacturer Won't
The CPSC says that several retailers have agreed to recall some bassinets with a deadly flaw that has resulted in the strangulation deaths of two infants. The parent company that now owns the manufacturer of the bassinets is refusing to recall the product, claiming that they are not responsible for items that the old company, Simplicity, made before they bought its assets. More »
defects
4 resources for researching if your car has a defect. [
New York, 3:09 PM
Sun Nov 15
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