From Fox Miami:

The gunman, who remains at large, ambushed several employees as they stepped out of the Taco Bell at 630 NE 79th St. at closing time, at about 3:30 a.m., Tuesday.

One of the employees took a bullet in the leg. It's still in there and she has to use crutches to get around.

"I couldn't believe it because I'm never rude to any of my customers, I never get any complaints," she told FOX. "The most I get is compliments and something like that, but when it happened I'm like, oh, my God, I couldn't believe it."

Police say the gunfire was prompted because the restaurant was closed and the man wanted food:

[The employee] took the bullet, according to Miami Police, because some guy was upset the store had closed and he could not buy any food.

She feels lucky to be alive and hopes to see luck run out for her assailant. "For you to do what you did, it was very unnecessary," Bouie said, addressing the shooter, "and I have a child. I didn't do anything or say anything wrong to you, and even if I did, that doesn't give you reason to shoot or to fire your gun at anybody, and I hope you get caught for what you did."

They're still looking for the guy, so if you know anything: call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

Taco Bell cashier speaks out after disgruntled customer shoots her [FOX7]

The board that oversees Florida's state universities has launched a program that will offer free online textbooks to students; the program makes printed books available as well, for about half the price that students now pay every semester.

The program, called Orange Grove Texts Plus, surveyed students and found that about a third said they were comfortable reading ebook versions of textbooks, while about a quarter said they wouldn't like it at all. By going digital, they can offer a free alternative to low-income students or those who don't mind reading off a computer screen, and offer discount pricing on print versions for everyone else.

"Florida college students get free online books" [ecampusnews via BlackBox Innovations]
(Photo: Plutor)

The suit goes on to quote a former employee as confirming that:

...control of rebate processing ws so poor, that many UPC bar codes ended up on the floor to be later discarded "in the garbage" and the consumer's rebate "denied." This resulted in the Defendants' computer systems frequently indicating that "no supporting documentation" had been received with the rebate application.

The AG complaint also says that "at times, batches of checks numbering in the thousands were never printed and/or mailed."

TigerDirect and its sister companies under the Systemax umbrella (you know, the reanimated CircuitCity.com and what's left of CompUSA) are no strangers to problems sending out rebates. In its earlier incarnation, the FTC handed CompUSA the dubious honor of becoming the first retailer to be required by law to actually fulfill manufacturer-promised rebates.

TigerDirect clearly learned from that experience, though the lesson it took away isn't the one we'd recommend. McCollum's complaint charges that the company's "rebate program was convoluted and designed to wear down the customer to the point that the consumer would finally give up their right to the rebate, thereby resulting in an improper windfall to the Defendant."

If TigerDirect loses the case, it could be forced to hand over some of that windfall to the customers it burned, but don't count on it. Most rebate suits end with settlements that give customers a pittance, require some of the same documentation that was needed to apply for the rebate in the first place, and, yeah, take a lot more than 8-10 weeks to process.

Attorney General Sues Company for Cheating Consumers Out of Rebates [Office of the Florida Attorney General]
Complaint for Injunctive Relief, Damages, Civil Penalties and Other Equitable Relief [Office of the Florida Attorney General]

Yesterday my kid brother told me that a commercial had started in the middle of a cartoon (not a normal commercial break) and when the commercial finished, the cartoon ending credits were playing. I figured it was just a glitch in their system, then I witnessed it for myself. Right after a standard commercial break, the show I was watching resumed and not even 2 minutes into it, a commercial for a local pizzeria had started playing, followed by local car dealership commercials, and by the time they were done i had missed a good chunk of the show.

Chris said that it happens with network TV commercials as well.

If you're a Comcast customer and have this problem, we'd encourage you to call Comcast directly and complain. You can even reach them on Twitter (@comcastcares). You may also want to contact the advertisers, who probably aren't aware of what's happening and should be concerned about angering the people they are paying to reach.

Anyone else in South Florida have this problem?

(Photo: someToast)

"Volusia city: Our water is fine; beware of impostors" [Orlando Sentinel] (Thanks to Ed!)
(Photo: darkpatator)

Thanks to reader fantomesq, we now know more of what happened.

According to the Associated Press,

Anna Ramirez thought she had dodged foreclosure after a judge stepped in at the last-minute to block her home's sale. So it was a devastating shock when a buyer showed up with police to evict her family.

A clerical error at the court had let the buyer complete the purchase, and she and her family were told to gather their things and leave. She even tried showing the officers a judge's order, but her family was still kicked out.

Ramirez's parents had just completed a purchase of the house to reduce her mortgage payments, but apparently the Clerk's Office hadn't correctly noted the change. Chase told the AP that they did "everything we could to help the homeowner." The Clerk's Office now has the correct information on file.

"My Bad! Woman's House Mistakenly Auctioned by Bank" [NBC Miami] (Thanks to Shawn!)
"Court mix-up leaves Fla. family evicted for a day" [Associated Press] (Thanks to fantomesq!)
(Photo: Dano)

The Oasis I luxury condominium, offspring of the mortgage bubble and discarded in its burst, never got to full occupancy. Those that did swapped their condos for the more full Oasis II next door. However, for no apparent reason, Victor's bank wouldn't let him swap his mortgage. What was supposed to be a vacation home and eventually a permanent residence has now become a strange parallel life. The vacant building attracts unauthorized visitors at night. Other times, reports news-press.com, standing still in the building, the silence is overpowering.

We all knew the mortgage meltdown was devastating, but now it's also creepy.

Downtown Fort Myers condo has 32 stories, and one lonely tale [news-press.com] (Thanks to Anita!)

His wife told WFTV, "He made a face. I was sitting there and he said it tasted awful and something wasn't right." According to the couple, there was what appeared to be a mouse inside the can.

Here's how they described it.

"We're not sure what it is. It was pink. It looks like spaghetti. It's really sick," the wife said.

Pepsi said that something might have crawled in the can and died after it was open, but the couple doesn't really seem convinced. The FDA has opened an investigation into the incident, you can read their report here (PDF).

Couple Claims They Found Mouse In Can Of Pepsi [WFTV] (Thanks, Justin!)

Chris writes,

Hi Consumerist,

I thought you might be interested in this story. I haven't seen a story like this on the site and I am curious about what others think/know about the law surrounding this issue.

I stopped at the local Citgo (used to be Hess) gas station in my town to fill up for a trip north. As I was filling up I could smell some cigarette smoke in the air. I thought it might have just been a few particles drifting around in the air, but instead, to my amazement, I saw not one, not two, but THREE Citgo employees smoking while chit-chatting at the station. I was in shock, I couldn't believe employees of all people would be the ones smoking at a gas station. Knowing I couldn't let this go, I pulled out my camera and snapped some photos. I didn't want to make a scene or confrontation, so I took them from a distance using my optical zoom. I think they even saw me taking photos and just smiled and kept on going as if they were perfectly OKAY with what they were doing. Wow!

In one of the pictures you can see the "NO SMOKING SHUT OFF ENGINE BY ORDER OF STATE FIRE MARSHAL" sign clearly posted. I am pretty sure what they were doing was illegal but I'm really curious what law was broken and if anyone knows how it's enforced. I looked around in the Florida Statutes and Florida's Administrative Code (FL Rules) for State Fire Marshall regulations for gas stations. How do I report this, notify the fire marshal, contact Citgo corporate?

We looked it up. Florida has adopted the National Fire Protection Association's standards, including National Fire Protection Association Rule 30A, Code for Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages, Chapter 9.2.5.1, which states, in part: "Smoking materials, including matches and lighters, shall not be used within 6 m (20 ft) of areas used for fueling, servicing fuel systems of internal combustion engines, or receiving or dispensing of Class I or Class II liquids . . . ."

Here is the contact info page for Florida's State Fire Marshal. We tried their email link, so we could send them these pictures, but it didn't work. Perhaps you would have better luck giving them a call. As for contacting Citgo corporate, we're a little unclear whether Citgo has a different corporate administrative structure than typical gas stations, or if their "independently owned and operated" mantra is because of the whole Hugo Chavez thing. It's probably worth getting in touch with them, and you should be able to find contact info here. Your fellow customers appreciate your vigilance, and we hope someone addresses this before there's an accident.

(Photo: donbuciak)

Here's what's happened in the past month or so:

• July 16, Typhoon Lagoon: 29-year-old David Thomas arrested, accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy and as many as five other boys in the park.
• July 11, Typhoon Lagoon: 51-year-old Bradford Pellet Biggers arrested for exposing himself to a 14-year-old girl. He says it was an accident due to his "European-style" bathing suit. Park officials responded that "guests are expected to wear appropriate swimsuits at Typhoon Lagoon."
• July 3, Typhoon Lagoon: 52-year-old Robert Double Jr. arrested after a 15-year-old accuses him of pulling off her bikini and groping her in the wave pool. Security says they have footage of him repeatedly positioning himself in front of young girls so that he can crash into them.
• June 27, Aquatica: 23-year-old Joshua Fuentes arrested, accused of molesting three girls ages 12 through 14.
• June 21, Wet 'n Wild: a 14-year-old girl claims to have been sexually assaulted by "a man with long, dark hair" during a midnight celebration. Police haven't located a suspect yet.

According to police quoted in a story by Nick VinZant for Central Florida News 13, this sort of stuff isn't really that uncommon—it's just frequently underreported.

"All too often and often enough, these things occur and we don't get notified," said Jim Solomons from the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "The parents hear about these kinds of things, and by that time the bad guy is off in a crowd."

"Man Arrested After Touching Boys At Disney Water Park" [WFTV.com]
"Man accused of exposing himself at Typhoon Lagoon is free on bail" [Orlando Sentinel]
"WNY man arrested at Typhoon Lagoon" [WIVB.com]
"Man arrested after 3 girls say he molested them at Aquatica water park" [Orlando Sentinel]
"Girl, 14, Claims Sexual Battery At Wet 'N Wild" [Central Florida News 13]
"Lewd Behavior At Water Parks Doesn't Surprise Police" [Central Florida News 13]
(Photo: shareski)

Usually budget vacationers wouldn't dream of staying at a Disney World hotel, but Potter says Disney, presumably hurting from the down economy, has lowered nightly rates at some of its more ghetto nearby hotels to $68. Potter also advises against renting a car if you're only there to peruse Disney World, since Disney offers free bus, water taxi and shuttles to and from its hotels.

He left one important tip out: ask for lower prices when you're booking the trip.

Save dollars at Disney World [USA Weekend]

For the real video clip of the lifeguards, click here.

"Adults vs. Teens for Summer Jobs" [ABC News]

Robert Wirth, Jr., now owes around $100,000 in legal fees following the seven-year epic battle with his HOA, which foreclosed on his home (actually owned by his wife) to collect the debt incurred after he was caught walking his black lab, Cole, without a leash in the deed-restricted subdivision.

Wirth refuses to pay the fine because he believes the restrictions are too, well, restrictive, and shouldn't even apply to his wonderful, well-behaved dog.

But even if Cole is "gentle and loving", his owner certainly isn't: If Wirth loses the case, he intends to shoot and kill a board member, citing Florida's "Stand Your Ground Law", which allows you to "meet force with force, including deadly force... if necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm."

"I am not going to let them ruin me and my wife like this without standing up to them," Wirth told the St. Petersburg Times. The paper says his threat was reported to the police, and they are "monitoring the situation" while the case is being appealed.

An expert interviewed in the article says that deed restriction violations rarely result in the resident losing the home, but that the HOA has an obligation to enforce the restrictions.

"If they don't take steps to enforce deed restrictions," Lyons [a local real estate attorney] said. "They lose the ability to enforce them."

Man, you gotta know when to hold them.. and when to fold them. That's our advice.

Foreclosure looms over Tarpon Springs man who walked dog off leash [St. Petersburg Times]
(Photo: BL1961)

My Fox Tampa Bay says that the boy told his mother, who then called Walmart.

"I showed it to my mom, and I ran back to my room…she said I'm not in trouble," the boy told Fox.

Walmart, however, was in trouble.

"I explained the situation [to the Walmart manager] and his response was, well bring the machine down and we'll let your son pick out a new game. And I was like, no I don't think you heard what I said," Mom said in an interview.

Walmart says they're looking into the situation and are "concerned." The accidental porn viewers say they would just like an apology and to exchange the used (ew) PSP for a new one.

Child finds porn on PSP [My Fox Tampa Bay] (Thanks, Andrew !)

'Chia Obama' booted from local stores [FOX 13] (Thanks to Chester!)

Shlomi says the prostitute bit his tongue while kissing him, so he had to punch her to get her to let go. We guess that's one of those things you learn in the real world, like how to survive a bear attack or how to fend off a shark. The police, however, say both of them were drunk, which sounds even more believable. The website reports that prosecutors decided not to file formal charges against either party this month.

"ShamWow Guy In Slap, Chop Bust" [The Smoking Gun] (Thanks to Maya!)

Bees move into foreclosed home in Port St. Lucie [TCPalm]

Florida Conservation writes that the pygmy rattlesnake is common throughout all of Florida, and that its rattle "is small and slender and produces a sound like the buzzing of an insect." The rattle is fairly quiet, too, and can only be heard from a few feet away. Also of note, although Florida Conservation overlooks this, is that the pygmy rattler loves bargains. What this all means is that if you ever hear an insect sound in a Walmart, you should overturn your cart (for a distraction) and run screaming.

Oh, and yes it's venomous and feisty, but "its bite produces pain and swelling which usually subsides in a few days," and no deaths have been recorded—which is actually more than we can say for attacks by humans at a Walmart.

"Florida Man Sues Wal-Mart Over In-Store Snake Attack" [Fox News]
(Photos: Clean Wal-Mart, zieak, crd!, kawanet)

Tonight (2/4/09) at Wal-Mart on Creighton road in Pensacola, FL the greeter asked to see my receipt. I refused and she got in front of my cart and was holding on to it so I could not leave! I asked for a manager, and she took my cart and went over to her stand thing. I said you can't take my stuff and she said you could leave with it!! I said you stole my food and I want to leave! She is across the entrance now with my car and says show me your receipt or you can't leave with it!

So I am standing there forever, and finally I walk to the CS desk, I see the CSM that (I have known for about 6 years since the store opened!) and ask for the manager. We walk over the her stand thing. We like wait forever and then her and I start to leave there is like no sign of him. Then we see him and she points him out to me. When he comes to talk to me I tell him the greeter took my cart and he asked me did I she ask for a receipt? I said yes he said you have to show it to her. I said well I don't want to and I want to leave. He said well then show her your receipt! I said the store should have a copy of the receipt if you need it right now I was at that cash register. He then rolls his eyes. He said you have to show your receipt. I said not showing it so you are saying I can't leave without showing it? He said yes that is our policy and he start to walk away.

(About 4 months ago, another greeter detained me, she stopped me from leaving for about 5 minutes when she walked away I left. I called the manager when I got home, he apologized and said she should not have kept me from leaving, and he would review the tape and talk to her. The difference was she didn't steal my food and when I talked to the manager he was very apologetic. It aggravated me but the manager did apologize so I just thought it was poor training or a greeter having an awful day! I actually do customer service escalation call center work, I know sometimes people are not trained and then escalations has to deal with it.) So I said another manager said I did not have to show it a few months ago. He said this is our policy you can't leave without showing your receipt! I said ok I will just return my things but I can't even get my cart to return them. So he tells the CSM to get my cart for me. So he leaves and I go with her.
Now I know her she is very nice!!!! So she gets my cart and I go with her and we go to the customer service desk and we are waiting she tells the lady I am going to return my things and I am in line and I said I paid for this with a gift card, can I get cash I am not shopping here again, what am I going to do with a gift card here. I said can I get the gift card and then get a refund for cash, I know I did that a few years ago with a gift card they cashed it out for me. She then asked for my receipt and I gave it to her and then she said do u want your stuff I will walk you out. I said yes but I want a different gallon of milk this has been out for too long. Then I get a different gallon of milk we walk out and we are just talking like people talk, being pleasant, she apologizes to me. Again she is very nice I have known her since 2002 when the store opened! I live very close by literally on the same block, we go there at least 1x per week!

I am a single mom and I work full time and hardly have time to shop this is so ridiculous I am detained with my 10 year old at walmart!! I couldn't beleive the greeter, her name was Sandra actually stole my cart of food! The managers name was Wayne that was said it was the policy that people can't leave without showing their receipt.

(Photo: Brave New Films)

UPDATE: The first letter was written right after Lisa got back from the Walmart, dashed off with heat and haste. Now that she's had some time to cool down and edit her letter, here is her second pass at the story:

I was exiting Wal-Mart with my son. A greeter named Sandra asked to see my receipt. I smiled and politely refused. Then she stood in front of my cart and held on to it so we could not leave!
I asked for a manager. She took my cart and went over to her station thing.
I said You can't take my stuff. She said you could leave with it!
I said You stole my food and I want to leave.
She is across the entrance now with my cart and says If you want to leave show me your receipt.
So I am standing there forever, waiting for a manager. I finally walk to the customer service desk. I see a CSM and ask for the manager. We walk over the her station in the middle of the registers. He is in a meeting. We like wait for a long time. Then we started to leave. She sees him and points him out to me. His name is Wayne. I told him the greeter took my cart and would not let me leave. He said Did she ask for a receipt? I said yes.
He said You have to show it to her. I said I don't want to and I want to leave. He said Well show her your receipt. I said The store should have a copy of the receipt if you need it right now I was at that cash register and I point to it. He then rolls his eyes. He then said You have to show your receipt if you want to leave!
I said So you are saying I can't leave without showing it? He said Yes that is our policy and he started to walk away while speaking.

(About 4 months ago, another greeter detained me, she stopped me from leaving for about 5 minutes. She walked away. I left. I called the manager when I arrive home to complain. He apologized and said she should not have kept me from leaving, and he would review the tape and talk to her. The difference was she didn't steal my food and when I talked to the manager he was very apologetic. It aggravated me but the manager did apologize so I just thought it was poor training or a greeter having an awful day! I have not shopped there as much since then. That evening I picked up my mail and recieved a gift card to Wal-Mart.)

So I said to the manager that was walking away, a few months ago another manager said I did not have to show it. He said You can't leave without showing your receipt! I said Ok I will just return my things but I can't even get my cart to return them. He then adds that I still have to show my receipt. (Why can't people see the difference between meeting a requirement of store policy to show a receipt for a refund for a return vs being detained and stealing personal property?) So he tells the CSM to get my cart for me. So he leaves and I go with her.

So we go to get my cart and then proceed to the customer service desk. She tells the rep I am going to return my things. We are in line and I told her that I paid for this with a gift card, and asked her if I could get cash for the new gift card after the return since I am not shopping here again. (Several years ago I cashed out a gift card, I think in FL you can do that.) She then asked for my receipt and I gave it to her. Then she said Do you want your stuff I will walk you out. I said yes but I wanted to exchange the milk since it has been out for too long. I exchange the milk, we walk out and she apologized to me and instructs me to call the store manager but she was not sure if he would be there the next day since he was that earlier that day. She is very nice I have known her for several year since the store opened.

I spoke with Gary the general store manager the next day. He said they have every right to detain me for not showing my receipt when asked. He said if customers have nothing to hide they will show their receipt. I asked for clarification, he said they have every retain to detain customers if they do not show their receipt.

Beneath Cash4Gold's shiny veneer, a dull reality [LAT] (Thanks to Anthony!)
PREVIOUSLY: 10 Confessions Of A Cash4Gold Employee

When Consumerist reader Eric Zissen's brother died in his Florida apartment, he made a big mistake. He failed to give the landlord 60 days advance notice he was going to die.

Or so it would seem judging from the fact that the Sun Harbour apartment complex jacked his security deposit and charged his estate rent for the remaining three months of the lease contract.

Sun Harbour says they are "just following the letter of the lease."

Since the video was shot, the family took the case to court and won. But then the landlord appealed and now they're waiting for a decision from the judge in the appellate court. "A $2000 bill is now costing in court costs and lawyers fees 17k," says Eric. Luckily, the family was awarded attorney fees in the first case and if they win the appeal, they will go for attorney fees as well. The entire estate is on hold until the case is resolved.

RELATED: Fort Lauderdale Landlord Emulates Scrooge In Demanding Rent From Dead Man [All Headline News]

It's a scam you probably have seen depicted in movies and on TV — but it apparently works. The Broward, Florida Sheriff's Office says that an 83-year-old man was loading some plants into his truck when a woman approached and complimented him on on them.

Moments later, another man arrived and said he had found a bag containing $68,000 and two checks. The man said he worked for Home Depot, and would share the money with them if no one came forward to claim it, Detective Michele Fernandez said. He promised to deposit $18,000 of the money into the elderly man's account, on the condition that the victim give a $9,000 "good faith" cash payment.

The victim went to a nearby bank and withdrew the money. Once he drove the pair back to Home Depot, they disappeared.

Parking lots are hotbeds of crime! Keep your wits about you, and if someone says they "found some money" — call the police.

If you recognize this woman, contact the Broward County Sheriff's Office at 954-493-8477.

West Park: Suspect sought in elderly fraud [Morning Call]
Surveillance photo of West Park fraud suspect (BSO / January 13, 2009)

From 10Connects:

Wheelchair-bound Elfride Kuemmel was on her way back home to Tampa Monday when a US Airways employee wheeled her on to the wrong connecting flight.

The 83-year-old wound up in Puerto Rico, where she was initially told she'd have to spend the night at the airport.

Vera, of course, objected to this idea.

"I was upset, and I told them there was no way they were going to leave her in the airport all night waiting to leave on a flight at 3:30 in the afternoon," she told the local news.

US Airways ended up buying Elfride dinner, a hotel room, and a flight back to Florida. First class.

Elderly Tampa woman ''lost'' by US Airways [10Connects]

My grandfather, Steve, is being scammed out of his money by a group of women including his gardener. Steve is in his mid 80's and lives in Florida. He is retired and recently hired a new gardener. She introduced him to her supposedly wealthy friend who soon thereafter was "injured" in Maine. The gardener has convinced him to "loan" the women money, in cash, to pay for upkeep on her home, groceries, cable, bodyguards to protect her from her ex-husband and son who want to kill her, and many other things.

It is at the point where he is giving these women over $10k a month out of the only account that my parents have access to (so it could be a lot more from his other accounts).

When my parents tried to talk to Steve he says they are trying to put him in a nursing home and steal his money.

He insists that he knows what he is doing and he does not need anyone's help. We tried calling the Florida Abuse Hotline. Their response was that he can give his money away if he wants to. We recently spoke to his doctor who said that one of Steve's neighbors was also worried about him, the gardener had been coming around quite a bit.

Apparently another investigation has begun since we spoke to the doctor but nothing has come of it yet. Is there anything else we can do? Any help would be greatly appreciated

Sounds like a con to me. I wonder if a call to the police or FBI would help. Do any Consumerists have any advice on how the family can intervene? Or is it the old guy's right to do whatever he wants with his money? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Local 6 says:

"When we see that a nearby competitor might temporarily lower a price on an item, our stores have the authority to adjust their price lower. This can happen in a very small vicinity of stores," the company said in a statement to Local 6.

However, the Problem Solvers found that the prices concerned were not temporary as Wal-Mart described, but consistent over a period of at least two months.

Barnaby [a consumer who reported the price differences] said she thinks that Wal-Mart is charging more for the same products in poorer neighborhoods than in neighborhoods with higher incomes.

"It disgusts me that the people who can least afford to buy the food have to pay more money than everyone else does," Barnaby said.

That’s a serious accusation and the Problem Solvers probed further, Cooper reported.

First, Cooper looked at the most recent census data, which showed the median household income is highest in Apopka — where the prices were the lowest, compared to incomes in Mt. Dora and Clarcona/Pine Hills where the prices were higher.

Cooper brought that data to Wal-Mart's attention and a spokeswoman for the company said she was offended by the suggestion that the company was charging more in poorer neighborhoods.

She insisted that Wal-Mart does not price by demographic, that it remains the low price leader in every market — and that the three stores we visited represent entirely different markets with different sets of competition, Cooper reported.
But when the Problem Solvers checked the competition, they did not find a similar pattern of pricing, Cooper said.

They visited Publix stores in the Windermere/Ocoee area, the Rosemont neighborhood of Orlando, and Altamonte.
The prices of the sugar, condensed milk and asparagus were consistent at all three stores. Visits to different Winn-Dixie stores generated the same results, according to Cooper.

Here are the prices they checked:

Sugar
$2.38 Mt. Dora
$2.36 Clarcona/Pine Hills
$1.76 Apopka

Condensed Milk
$1.54 Mt. Dora
$1.56 Clarcona/Pine Hills
$1.04 Apopka

Asparagus
$2.42 Mt. Dora
$2.54 Clarcona/Pine Hills
$1.86 Apopka

Congratulations, Central Florida. You've realized that Walmart's pricing is shady and inconsistent.

Wal-Mart Price Discrepancies Investigated [Local 6] (Thanks, pattie-anne!)
(Photo: RowJimmy )

Dear Disney,

My name is Jane [redacted]. On September 28th, 2007, my husband, Daniel, and I went to California Adventure on the 2nd day of our two-day Disney pass. Around 11 a.m. we rode the Maliboomer. After our ride was over, I got off the attraction, but Daniel stayed to ride again. While I waited on a bench, Daniel went to get back on and in the process fell and hit his head on the ground, knocking him unconscious and cutting his forehead open. Almost instantly, numerous park officials were at the ride helping him. The care he was given at the park was comprehensive and prompt, and for that we are appreciative. While waiting for the ambulance, he and I had a conversation with a very kind Disney nurse. We discussed the process of how Disney would handle this incident, and she said not to worry, that we should give the hospital Daniel’s health insurance information and Disney would reimburse the insurance company (United Health Care). In addition, she said Disney would send us two passes to the parks to make up for the day we missed due to the incident. I don’t remember her name, and I apologize for that, but I’m sure you can understand I was distraught. We went to Western Medical Center where Daniel was treated and released several hours later.

Several months later, we started receiving bills from the hospital and ambulance service for the co-pays and deductibles that Daniel’s insurance did not satisfy. Thinking what we were told about the billing to be the truth, we called the companies and advised them that they would receive payment from Disney. We kept receiving bills, so finally in February we were able to get in touch with Disney Guest Claims, and they advised us that the claim had been assigned to Mr. Garth Steever.

From February to August, we tried over and over to get in touch with Mr. Steever to have a complete conversation about Disney’s position on the incident. Mr. Steever would occasionally return a call or email and ask when a good time was to call us back to discuss. We would give him a date and time, but he would not call back. This finally came to a head last Friday (August 15th) when we were contacted by a collection agency. Daniel and I are both hard workers and have spent our entire lives building good credit, so to have our credit harmed by something that should have been settled almost a year ago is absolutely unacceptable. I left an urgent voicemail for Mr. Steever, and when I still had not heard back from him after several hours, I got in touch with his manager, Mr. Bob Weise. Mr. Weise apologized for Mr. Steever’s continuous lack of response and scheduled a teleconference for Mr. Steever, my husband, and myself for 1:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, August 19th.

By the time Mr. Steever did call on the 19th it was almost 2 p.m. EST. He advised us that Disney investigated and decided that it was not liable for the incident, so they would not pay the lien the insurance company served them (which occurred on Feburary 20th, but coincidentally we heard nothing about until this phone conversation), and therefore could not make a good faith payment to us. He also explained that if the insurance company had not served a lien against Disney, then Disney would have more “flexibility” to pay the claim. We asked him if that meant that if Daniel didn’t have insurance that Disney would pay the claim, and he said “yes.”

Does this make sense to you? It doesn’t to us. Essentially, Disney is punishing us for being hard-working, conscientious people who have the foresight to protect ourselves by purchasing health insurance.

We asked how Disney determined that it was not liable, and Mr. Steever advised that he researched a state inspection of the ride (that was conducted a few days after the incident occurred) and also interviews with Disney employees. This was the first we heard about any of this, and when I told him that we would need copies of the state inspection and the employee interviews, he told me that we are not allowed to receive copies of the interviews because they are confidential Disney property. Once again, this does not make sense. We are not allowed access to documents concerning my husband and his injury?

When I asked Mr. Steever when they determined that Disney was not liable and therefore not willing to pay the claim, he advised it was “sometime in April.” Again, this conversation took place on August 19th, so that is a full four months that we were left in the dark about this. When I asked him why it took him so long to let us know, he said he was sorry, but he “dropped the ball.” I’m sure you will agree that any “dropped ball” that damages someone else’s credit is a pretty serious ball to drop. Is it standard Disney practice to wait four months to let an injured party know that their claim has been denied? Clearly we are infuriated. If we had not been told in the first place that Disney would pay the costs arising out of the incident, this never would have happened. But more importantly, if Mr. Steever had done his job and notified us promptly about Disney’s decision, our credit would not have been harmed.

Daniel and I are not out to gain financially from this. We want the bills paid and this situation to be rectified immediately as we were told it would be from the beginning. So we expect Disney to reimburse Daniel’s insurance company for what they have paid and to pay the deductible amounts that have been billed to us. A summary of the totals is below.

Billing Company | Amount Paid by Insurance | Amount Billed to Us

Pacific Shores Radiology Medical Group | $120.00 | $80.00
CARE Ambulance Service, Inc. | $379.20 | $344.80
JJ&R Emergency Medical Group of California, Inc. | $214.81 | $53.70
Western Medical Center Anaheim | $897.26 | $299.31
TOTAL | $1,611.27 | $777.81

In addition, we expect Disney to cooperate and provide any documentation we may need in order to repair our credit. Coincidentally, we never received those park passes we were promised, either.

I am copying this email to several companies that make customer service a priority. I can be reached any weekday after 4:30 p.m. EST and any time during the weekend at [redacted]. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to a quick and satisfactory resolution to this issue.

Sincerely,

Jane [redacted]

This email did just the trick and we got a call the next day. Disney advised they will pay all the bills AND give us the passes to Disney.

We got the idea from your website. Thanks so much!

It's easy to send an EECB like Jane and so many other Consumerist readers have to done, solving the seemingly irresolvable. Here's how to get started.

(Photo: sanctumsolitude)

"It is really frustrating for us," Garcia said. "The bank is not doing anything about it. (It's) just not giving us any solutions at all."

A Wachovia representative said it will not refund any money because it can't verify the $1,000 in counterfeit notes were the same bills Garcia was handed by their teller.

But weeks later, Wachovia did refund $40 to another customer with a similar story, Local 6 has learned.

Garcia said Wachovia is ripping him off and has alerted the sheriff's office, the Secret Service and the media.

"Ten (bills) in one transaction to come from one bank, that is definitely unusual," U.S. Secret Service representative Jim Glendinning said.

"But is it possible?" Pipitone asked.

"Remotely, yes it is," Glendinning said.

Bank of America caught the fakes when the couple tried to deposit the money into their account with that bank. The Secret Service agent speculated that if the fakes did come from Wachovia — it was likely that an employee was in on the scam.

Bank Gave Counterfeit Bills, Couple Says [Local 6](Thanks, Becky!)

Thankfully, Caitlin's story ends well. After Florida Governor Charlie Christ's office read about Caitlin and had a nice quiet chat with Aetna, the insurer quickly to agree to pay the full cost of Caitlin's $113,000 operation.

The moral of the story: if your heartless insurance company changes its mind about a life-saving operation, call the media and the governor.

Why was a brain surgery patient turned away? [News 10]
Governor Crist hears Tampa Bay's 10 story, and takes action! [News 10]

From the Orlando Sentinel:

The problem is, O'Neal does not yet have a concrete plan. He wasn't planning an announcement, and word leaked out when he made an impromptu visit to Orlando City Hall last week.

For the people reaching out for help, the need is immediate. And because the news circulated across the country, calls and e-mails are coming from far and wide.

Even so, O'Neal will pursue the as-yet undefined plan, Cooper said. The two met to discuss how to proceed on Saturday and again Monday.

"He said, 'Let's just go out and help as many people as we can,' " Cooper said. "He's sincere about it."

For more information, contact Cooper by e-mail at uc3n1@cfl.rr.com

Thousands in Orlando want Shaq to help with mortgages [Orlando Sentinel]
(Photo: City of Orlando)

The report’s findings track with similar studies by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which has found that roughly seven million Americans are abusing prescription drugs. If accurate, that would be an increase of 80 percent in six years and more than the total abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy and inhalants.

The Florida report analyzed 168,900 deaths statewide. Cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines caused 989 deaths, it found, while legal opioids — strong painkillers in brand-name drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin — caused 2,328.

Drugs with benzodiazepine, mainly depressants like Valium and Xanax, led to 743 deaths. Alcohol was the most commonly occurring drug, appearing in the bodies of 4,179 of the dead and judged the cause of death of 466 — fewer than cocaine (843) but more than methamphetamine (25) and marijuana (0).

The study also found that while the number of people who died with heroin in their bodies increased 14 percent in 2007, to 110, deaths related to the opioid oxycodone increased 36 percent, to 1,253.

Florida doesn't track prescription drug purchases like other states, making life mindlessly easy for prescription drug addicts.

The lesson here is throw-out unused prescriptions, and be suspicious if your Xanax-munching friend keeps talking up impromptu trips to Disney World.

Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal, Florida Says [NYT]

I would really like for someone higher up in Geico to know about this case. My husband and I acquired a new car and traded in the old one. We were recommended to switch to Geico to have full coverage and a great rate as we were signing the papers to buy the car. So we call. We get a great quote over the phone after explaining all the necessary information, including the claim we had which happened middle 2005 (minor parking lot accident). We are quoted $182/month or around $1,089 per six months, and we need a downpayment of $366, so we pay $366 it on the spot to get the policy, such a great deal! We wanted it. All of a sudden the sales rep seemed nervous and put us on hold for about 20-30 min. (off and on stopping to say "are you still holding"... of course, we need the papers to be done). Finally he comes back and said "Because of the 2005 claim, the system was changing to a higher rate, so I fixed it, so we can keep you guys at the same rate I just quoted you". What a nice guy!... ...Next day or so I get an e-mail to go to Geico.com and sign some form electronically. I try but I am directed to call customer service. I call and they say that my policy is still going through underwriting, but nothing will be changed, though he sounded uncertain and put me on hold for a while... then he confirms that I most likely have coverage since the day after I bought the policy after it goes through reviewing (I am confused but I trusted him, I mean Geico should be pretty good). "Wait 24-72 hours and try going online again". I felt like he really wanted to finish the conversation as soon as possible after he saw my file. A few days later I come back and try to sign papers at Geico.com. Same story, the website can't find my info. I called customer service again and they told me that my effective day was in fact not until next month (which means, I did NOT have insurance until one MONTH after buying the policy!!!!) Even though I had receive apparently "fake" insurance cards saying I was covered already. She said it was a mistake and they would fix it because I was supposed to be covered since the time I bought the policy (and this is what I was told by the person who charged the $366). She said "Wait 24-48 hours and try signing up online again". So... Three days later, I finally got through the website... to find out that my rate has increased by a decent chunk, next payment shows as $315, then like 270, etc. and the overall 6 months has increased about almost $400. I called customer service a third time, to be explained why. After going in circles for 30 minutes he finally figured out and said "It's because of the accident that happened in 2005" (we talked about that before the "nice" guy gave us the initial quote!!!!). I said that it was definitely not what I was quoted, that great rate that made me sign up. He said he understood ...but that there was nothing to do "this does not usually happens, sorry". He transfered me to a local Florida agent, who pretty much apologized to hear that I had been lied to, that I had signed up and paid for a quote that's not true anymore and it was their mistake but it was not going to change, there was nothing to do about it. I felt that I was continuously told "I apologize we screwed you up, but that's how it is now (we changed behind you back since you already paid)". So in my desperation to get a lower rate (closer to what I was initially quoted) this Florida agent proposed to increase my deductibles here and there. So collision deductible went from $500 to $1000, and injury went from $0 to $500 (which only helped $76 down the six months), new final quote: $191/month. I don't have time to keep shopping insurance, switching (as I was recommended by one of the cust, service reps), might as well keep rolling. Wow. Thank you, Ana L.