Sleepy’s just won’t help Ashley pick up her new mattress. The store promised to have rope on hand to strap the mattress to her car, but when Ashley arrived she was told that Sleepy’s had “run out of rope.” To apologize, a sales rep instead promised her free delivery, but called later to explain that he wasn’t authorized to offer any freebies. He did, though, promise that Sleepy’s would have rope the next time Ashley came by. Of course, they didn’t have rope when she returned, and when she complained to a manager, the manager explained that Sleepy’s had no obligation to provide Ashley with rope or free delivery, and that she better find a way to take her mattress because they weren’t going to refund her money either.
liars
Martha Stewart Dodges Questions On-Camera About Exploding Glass Tables
By 11.4.08
When Fox5 confronted Martha Stewart on the street about tempered glass patio tables branded under her name that have been exploding all over customers since 2000, in some cases causing cuts, bleeding, and scares, she offered only denials and deflections. She said the glass cracked like a windshield, as opposed to the imploding documented in case after case, and said she had never heard of any injuries, despite that Fox5 had a copy of an email sent by her asking her company internally what they were doing about the “shattering” tables. The problem seems to be that the tempered glass table has jagged, rather than smooth, edges, and these grind against the metal frame and weaken the tabletop. A class action suit is in the works. [More]
Uhaul CEO Gave Out Cellphone Number On National TV, But Never Picks Up Or Returns Calls
By 7.28.08
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.
Direct Marketing Association Lies About Telemarketers' Contribution To Economy
By 2.8.08
In order to make itself look a respectable and unfairly maligned industry, The Direct Marketing Association (the same people behind OptOutprescreen.com) likes to tout how greatly telemarketing contributes to the American economy. The Denialism blog scoured the DMA press releases and website found the profit they say telemarketing generates varies wildly from year to year, and sometimes within the same year.
Damning Proof Comcast Contracted To Sandvine
By 10.27.07
Comcast told its employees to not comment when customers ask about recent reports in an AP article that it contracted BitTorrent sabotaging to a company called Sandvine, or to even discuss that a relationship exists between the two companies. Too bad that Barron’s financial magazine reported back in April that the two are in bed together:
Delta Blames Seven-Hour Flight Delay On "Decades-Old Radar And Analog Air Traffic Control System"
By 7.10.07
Delta customer and Consumerist reader Rebekah emailed Delta over concerns about recent and extreme airline delays, threatening to cancel her Delta American Express and taking her miles with her. We’ll let it and the Delta Customer Care reply speak for themselves…
"Transition In Coverage" Was Transition To Insurance Hell For Seizure Patient Running Out Of Pills
By 6.27.07
I recently had a change in health benefits and Pacificare was the provider. I am using the corporate names because it is unconscionable what they have done and I do not wish to protect the guilty. To be brief my wife suffered a stroke 3 years ago and takes seizure medication 5 times daily.
Upseller's Hall of Fame: Dollar Rent-a-Car Lies, Promising Cars That Don't Exist
By 3.26.07
A couple weeks ago, I reserved a compact with Dollar Rent-a-Car in San Antonio. At the counter, the agent flat-out lied to me about what kind of car I was scheduled to get, in an attempt to upsell me to a higher class of vehicle.
Cingular's FAQ Contradicts Cingular's Anti-Cancellation Rhetoric
By 2.1.07
Cingular has been denying customers’ right to cancel over the rise in pay-per-use text-messaging rates, contending they,
“only promised to let customers out of their contracts if we raised the price of a service they “subscribe” to. Pay per use SMS is not a service customers subscribe to.”
However, this contradicts language in Cingular’s MEdia Net Mulitmedia Messaging FAQ…
Best Buy Calls 911 On Customer Asking For Refund
By 12.30.06
Best Buy calls 911 after Consumerist reader RJH asks for a refund on a nonworking Tony Bennet CD.
Wendy’s Lies About Trans Fats
By 11.6.06
CR tests find trans fats in Wendy’s fries [ConsumerReports.org]
Sprint Reps Continue Lying To Avoid Letting You Cancel
By 10.27.06
Sprint’s retention process has gotten almost as bad as AOL’s.
Walmart, Edelman, And The Future Of Flogs
By 10.20.06
Reader something_amazing pinged us on our thoughts of the fallout over Edelman, Walmart, PR and blogs. It serves as a nice excuse to vent on this subject so we thought we would share them with you.
Edelman Reveals 2 More Walmart Flogs
By 10.20.06
Walmart’s PR firm today publicly disclosed two more fake blogs shilling for Walmart and took steps to increase their transparency.
Sprint Encourages Its Retail Stores To Lie
By 10.18.06
If you’re a current Sprint customer, watch out when you buy a new phone in a retail store. The store may try to trick you into signing up for a new contract, and Sprint, Inc, says it’s totally cool.
US Bank Is A Liar
By 10.13.06
Sick of paying annual fees, Steve wanted to get out his NWA WorldPerks Visa Signature Card he had going on with US Bank.
Starforce Tells Customer: Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire
By 3.27.06
Caveat: the second people start sissily flapping their hands at their sides in a huff and crying “libel” is the second we roll our eyes and start rooting for the other side. People don’t understand the term, thinking it somehow gives them legal power to sue people who criticize or insult them. But when the other side to root for is Starforce, and when rooting is shothand for “root kit,” we’re ready to grasp the peaked tips of our skulls and pull ourselves in bloody half by the scalp, to accurately externalize our division.
