• call joe shoen

    Uhaul CEO Gave Out Cellphone Number On National TV, But Never Picks Up Or Returns Calls

    In what looked like a daring move, the CEO of Uhaul, Joe Shoen, gave out his "cellphone number" on national TV and invited customers to call him with their complaints. The problem is, when you call, he doesn't pick up. If you leave a message, it's not returned. You get to hear Joe's gruffly charming voicemail message, but can't leave one of your own. His mailbox is full.

    UPDATE: It seems this post may have had an effect. Commenters are reporting that Joe is now picking up. He even reportedly said to one of them, "Yes, this is Joe Shoen, are you calling about the internet?" Good on ya, Joe, now make sure that voicemail box is cleaned up. More »

    2:27 PM on Mon Jul 28 2008
    By Ben Popken
    8,033 views, 48 comments

    Latest by trujunglist: Let me get this straight. You are all pissed off at Joe for having a full mailbox, so you're all more »

  • marketing

    This Colgate Toothpaste Packaging Is Awfully Deceptive

    Logan thought this bonus pack of Colgate contained two equally-sized tubes of toothpaste. After all, the boxes are exactly the same size. Yet when he opened the bonus box, he found a smaller box containing a mini tube of toothpaste. More »

    5:15 PM on Sat Jul 12 2008
    By Carey
    91,020 views, 75 comments

  • travel

    Delta Steals Cremated Remains From Passenger's Luggage

    A North Carolina man says that his son's cremated remains are missing from his suitcase. When he got his luggage at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport after a trip to Orlando, he found his bag was unzipped. Inside, some gadgets items and a box with some of his son's ashen remains was gone. The family says it has filed complaints with Delta Airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and Orlando International Airport. They should also file a police report, but more importantly, if they have the electronic item's serial numbers, they should check to see if the gadgets have shown up on eBay. One guy did that, found a guy listing his camera stolen from his luggage, and the thief ended up getting caught and prosecuted.

    Chatham County Man Says Son's Cremated Remains Were Stolen [WRAL] (Thanks to Christine!)
    (Photo: Getty)

    12:50 PM on Mon Jan 21 2008
    By Ben Popken
    2,873 views, 16 comments

    Latest by littlealbatross: @GitEmSteveDave: I dunno. I ordered a computer a couple of weeks ago and FedEx dropped it off a block away more »

  • complaints

    Best Buy Charges Wrong Price, Lies When Confronted

    Chris writes: "I had been last minute Christmas shopping on Saturday morning with my younger brother and sister and we happened upon Best Buy where we were looking for a digital picture frame for my Dad as a Christmas present. We got to the section near the digital cameras and noticed a decent deal. "7" Digital Picture Frame Touch" 79.99 was the label. A whole slew of product (NuTouch 7" Touch button Frames) were neatly stocked on the shelf. Note: STOCKED not STACKED. I quickly picked one up and proceeded to the register. At the register- the product rung up for the incorrect price (179.99)- here in CT, when that happens, so long as the item is labeled as such in the store (mistake or not) the retailer is legally supposed to give you the product for free (if food items) or at the marked price if it is any other type of consumer product..." More »

    2:16 PM on Mon Jan 7 2008
    By Ben Popken
    19,228 views, 103 comments

    Latest by wellfleet: @girly: No doubt this management team was lame. I see many BB issues that involve poor managerial decisions rather than more »

  • ripoffs

    Sprint Charges Developmentally Disabled Girl $10,000 For Text Messages

    Red Tape Chronicles has followed up on the Developmentally disabled 18-year old Amanda Clark who ran up $10,000 in premium text messages whom we told you about last week. The text messages were part of teenage text chat services advertised in the back of her teen mags. "Hook a hottie," they said. Sprint agreed to cut the bill in half but won't budge further. The UK-based text message company says that since she texted "Y" in response to the message, 'Y' to: '74447' to start. 14+ textconnectusa.com Help?1-866-662-7132. Send STOP to end.100c per msg rcvd + std msg fees," the girl should have been completely informed as to the service's cost and the family is plumb out of luck. In all, 642 messages were received. More »

    8:54 AM on Tue Oct 30 2007
    By Ben Popken
    8,746 views, 74 comments

    Latest by Paul: @hapless: The coffee was not above the industry standard, and McDs was not required to make the coffee any cooler. more »

  • videos

    AT&T Asks CA Wildfire Victims If They Remembered To Pick Up Satellite Receiver As They Fled Their Burning House

    UPDATE: AT&T Won't Charge Couple For Leaving Satellite Receiver Behind In Flaming House

    When this Azola couple got back from their honeymoon, they had about an hour of matrimonial bliss before being forced to flee as their house was engulfed in flames. So you can understand they had some things on their mind other than the status of their AT&T | Dish receiver as they ran for their lives. When they called to cancel service, the customer service rep asked if they had "remembered to pick up the receiver" as they left the house...

    After the couple said no, AT&T told them they would have to pay $300 for the receiver and would not put any forbearance on the bill as the couple tried to get their life back together. Escalating to a supervisor yielded the same result. You would think AT&T would allow for some extenuating circumstances CONSIDERING THE WHOLE PLACE IS ON FIRE OF FEDERAL EMERGENCY PROPORTIONS! Still, AT&T has a right to recoup it's property... which makes us wonder if the couple's homeowner's insurance will cover it, as the receiver isn't actually theirs. Just an unfortunate situation all around.

    In contrast, Washington Mutual is refunding overdrafts and ATM surcharge fees to wildfire victims.

    (Thanks to Desiree!)

    9:41 AM on Fri Oct 26 2007
    By Ben Popken
    44,828 views, 88 comments

  • customer service

    Progressive Roadside Assistance Strands Lady On Roadside

    According to a reader, Progressive—the insurance company that sends private detectives to secretly tape-record church support group meetings—took 45 minutes this past weekend to put a live person in contact with a woman who was stranded on a busy Interstate in Nashville after a tire blew out on her car. Eventually, a Tennessee Department of Transportation officer stopped and helped her. More »

    10:28 AM on Tue Oct 9 2007
    By Chris Walters
    6,302 views, 23 comments

    Latest by JayP71: I've had these problems with AAA, which is why I no longer use them. I have USAA's roadside assistance and more »

  • unlawful detention

    Walmart Tries To Steal Shopper's Baby

    A Walmart security guard demanded a woman hand over her baby at checkout, thinking it might have been a baby that was reported missing in the store, according to a Myspace post by the mother, Stacy Arrington of Parkville, MD (pictured):

    "They are trying to tell me that Ava is not my child. She started fussing so I began taking her out of the seat. The whole time this security guard is asking me to "give him the baby". FUCK YOU! There was no way I was handing her over! I tried to walk away, leaving her car seat, the diaper bag, even my wallet...they blocked me! I am screaming for them to get the fuck away from me. I start crying, sobbing, just holding Ava near me. Everytime the security guard put his hands near her I shifted away. Ava is screaming at the top of her lungs by this time. I am screaming to get a manager. I started telling them everything I could think of to prove she is mine. Her birthmark, hospital card in the diaper bag, my ID in my wallet...pictures of her in my wallet. I am screaming that I am going to sue the FUCK out of them and God help them when my husband and father hear about this!

    Finally the manager realizes they have the wrong person..... he gives me everything for free... he puts the bags in my card and I basically run out of the store, still holding Ava. I couldnt get out of that parking lot fast enough."

    We're getting really sick of these stories of unlawful detention by stores. Your rentacop badge doesn't make you God.

    September 10, 2007 - Monday [Stacy Arrington] (Thanks to Amanda!)

    1:56 PM on Tue Sep 11 2007
    By Ben Popken
    93,710 views, 344 comments

    Latest by IRSistherootofallevil: I'm sure a lot of parents will agree with me on this, but try to take my child out of more »

  • douchebags

    Progressive Insurance Lies Its Way Into Church Support Group To Dig Up Lawsuit Dirt

    Just when you thought insurance companies couldn't get any sleazier, Progressive Insurance got caught sending private eyes to infiltrate and secretly record an Atlanta area church support group in hopes of digging up dirt to discredit a church couple involved in a car accident lawsuit, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. More »

    11:14 AM on Fri Aug 24 2007
    By Ben Popken
    10,485 views, 68 comments

    Latest by YesThatsTrue: Progressive Insurance is a company based in Ohio. The AJ article is about a Wisconson-based company called Progressive Northern Insurance more »

  • comcast

    Free Calls From Telemarketers With Digital Voice Service Activation!

    Subscribers to Comcast Digital Voice service get more than just digital phone service installed when they sign up. They also get the pleasure of Comcast selling their phone number to telemarketers, fresh out of the box!

    Numerous consumers have begun to complain online (read the comments, too) about receiving telemarketing pitches on their phone number within days of installation, referring to them by name, before they even had time to give the number to anyone. In some cases, the telemarketers asked for the person by a misspelled variant of the their name, the same wrong name that appears on their Comcast bill.

    Consumerist reader Kevin writes, "I was receiving calls from telemarketers within 3 days of installing my digital voice line in my house. It got so bad that I just unplugged the phone."

    Undoubtedly, new subscribers will open their first bills to find a "marketing fee" surcharge for the pleasure.

    Comcast sells your new phone number [Messaging..... Technology...... Life.....]
    (Photo: Getty)

    5:19 PM on Mon Aug 13 2007
    By Ben Popken
    3,909 views, 50 comments