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Posts Tagged “
Disasters
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bad install
Car Stereo Company Tries To Install GPS, Causes $12,398.54 Damage To Your Car
Reader Brandon took his recently purchased 1996 BMW M3 to a car stereo installation company to have a stereo, speaker set, and GPS system installed. When he got his car back, he noticed that the climate control system was no longer functioning the way it used to. Hot air was leaking from his air ducts when he selected cold air. After a few unsuccessful attempts to get the car stereo installation shop to repair the damage they caused, Brandon took the car to some BMW experts and found out that the botched installation had caused over $10,000 in damage to his car. Brandon then tried to get the car stereo shop's insurance company to pay for the repairs, but they denied his claim on the basis that procedures used for the installation were typical. Brandon says he then took the car stereo shop to small claims court. but the judge ruled against him because the car stereo shop employees claimed that he entered into a oral contract to release them from liability in exchange for a partial refund. Brandon claims he never entered into such a contract. Read his story inside. More »
disasters
Circuit City Loses Even More Money: $164.8 Million
Circuit City reported yesterday that they've managed to lose $164.8 million in the first quarter, which is even more money than they managed to lose in the previous disastrous quarter. In fact, this will be their 5th straight losing quarter. Same-store sales, considered the most important indicator of the health of a retailer, dropped 11.3 percent. Ow! More »
moving disaster
What Do You Do When Your Moving Company Destroys Everything You Own?
What should you do when you carefully pack all of your belongings into a truck for a cross country move and the driver promptly drives under a bridge that's a couple feet shorter than said truck? That's the question that one couple is asking after their move from Boston to Oakland, CA went horribly awry. They shared their story with a Boston alumni email list and one user posted it to LiveJournal. Their letter, plus a gallery of photos generously donated by eyewitness (and Flickr user) K a t m, inside. More »
salvage
Mazda To Destroy $100 Million Worth Of Brand New Cars
Two years ago the freighter Cougar Ace nearly sank, spending weeks bobbing at an impossible-looking angle in the North Atlantic. The cargo was eventually saved (you can read about the salvage effort here), but what does one do with cars that have spent weeks at sea? Can you be sure that they weren't damaged? More »
nightmares
There are few things in life more decadent and luxurious than a cruise vacation. Unless of course, you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise and your child gets a cold, and then a paranoid crew kicks you and your family off the ship at night in your pajamas at a foreign port where you then have to spend thousands dollars for passports and tickets to get home. It sounds like a nightmare but that's exactly what happened to this Florida family according to WFTV. Read the details of their misadventure, inside...
More »
Royal Caribbean Tells Family To Abandon Ship
There are few things in life more decadent and luxurious than a cruise vacation. Unless of course, you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise and your child gets a cold, and then a paranoid crew kicks you and your family off the ship at night in your pajamas at a foreign port where you then have to spend thousands dollars for passports and tickets to get home. It sounds like a nightmare but that's exactly what happened to this Florida family according to WFTV. Read the details of their misadventure, inside...
More »
repairs
Circuit City Tries To Install Navigation System, Causes $12,119 Of Damage To Your Car
Alex from Time Warner Cable writes in to confirm that it's TWC's policy to waive charges in the event of a disaster. (For example: If a tornado hits your house and destroys your cable boxes, they will waive the $2,000 charge.)
disasters
4 Biggest Corporate Branding Disasters
2006 was not a banner year for many companies. In fact, quite a few of them really, really screwed up. Who embarrassed themselves the most? From CNN Money:"Again we've had no shortage of big branding mistakes last year and even early this year," said Kelly O'Keefe, an independent branding consultant and CEO of O'Keefe Brands.More »
embassy suties
If You're Supervising A Class Of 4th Graders and Need Shelter From A Tornado, Don't Bother The Embassy Suites Hotel
When tornadoes strike, just leave the Embassy Suites hotel out of it. There is no room at the inn for shelter seeking 4th graders. From NBC 15:A group of Spanish Fort Elementary students were on a field trip in Montgomery the day the tornadoes hit.More »
The 4th graders and their teachers, reportedly, went to the Embassy Suites Hotel to escape. Instead of being rescued, an employee, allegedly, told them the hotel was full and turned them away. "It's still unacceptable to be turned away in a moment that harm is potentially present," says Baldwin County School Spokesperson Terry Wilhite.
ads
Top 10 Worst Marketing Gaffes, Flops, and Disasters
The Consumerist's guide to the top 10 worst gaffes, flops, and disasters in the history of American marketing and advertising. More »
hurricane
Stock Up on Cheap Hurricane Supplies
Channel 10 in Tampa. FL has an interesting consumer tip. Stock up on Hurricane Supplies. They're on sale. Sort of like buying Christmas decorations the day after Christmas, but more morbid. More »
airlines
