314-512-2206
ataylor@erac.com
andrew.c.taylor@erac.com

“Time Warner’s improper tying and bundling harms competition,” Meeds’ lawsuit states. “Since the class can only rent the cable box directly from Time Warner, manufacturers of cable boxes are foreclosed from renting and/or selling cable boxes directly to members of the class at a lower cost.”

Meeds told the Kansas City Star,

“I think that for most people, if they could buy the box, they would. That definitely makes more sense.”

Meeds' attorney says that the situation is similar to the days when AT&T forced customers to rent telephones, before lawsuits helped break open the market:

“I think it’s very similar to the cases brought back in those days, where slowly but surely, the courts whittled away at that kind of protectionist activity by AT&T,” he said.

“I think the same thing is present here. You have a lot of companies out there manufacturing these boxes, and there’s nothing necessarily proprietary about them. … They only cost about $30 or $40 at most, and they’re charging around $15 a month for them.”

"Fairway man sues Time Warner over cable box rental requirement" [Kansas City Star]

Men's Wearhouse was so torn up over the situation that they gave Brad a $10 Shell gas card that didn't work.

Brad writes:

On Saturday, I got married to the love of my life. The ceremony and everything was great, but my tuxedo rental was a complete disaster.

A couple of months prior, I had set up our account in Nashua, NH. The account had my tuxedo, my best man, two groomsmen, my father, my now brother-in-law, and our ring bearer, bringing us to seven tuxedos total. We decided to use Men's Wearhouse. It is a national chain, and that would make it easier for everyone to get fitted and coordinated, since I had people coming to Vermont from Ohio, Rhode Island, and the DC Metro area.

We all met on Thursday at the Williston, VT location to pick up our tuxes, and hit a problem. My entire tux did not fit. The jacket and vest were both too tight, and the pant legs and shirt sleeves were too short. Added to that, my father's tux jacket was also too tight. The only thing they could do for us was to re-order the parts we needed, lengthen the pants, and get everything ready for Saturday morning. This was a bit of a problem, since the wedding was at 2pm Saturday, but about a 90 minute drive from Williston (in Fairlee, for reference). However, the employee we spoke to (Stacey Brower) was unwilling to make any other arrangements, so my father drove up that morning to pick up the rest of the tuxedos.

Forward to Saturday, my father arrives back at the resort with our tuxes a little after 12. I start putting mine on, when I find another problem - there are no pants in the garment bag! I called the store in Williston back, asked to speak to a manager (I believe his name was Tony), and while he did apologize, the best he could offer was to meet us halfway. So the tuxedo is now incomplete -twice-, and both times the management at Men's Wearhouse is unwilling to bring the items to us. My father had to meet them halfway (speeding down the back roads of Vermont is rather dangerous), and the pants finally arrived, though the ceremony had to be delayed. I only noticed later that the new vest's bottom button had fallen off, and was floating around inside the garment bag, and the jacket's sleeves were not hemmed - they only tucked the sleeves in and ironed them, so the sleeves started falling apart shortly after the reception began.

As some sort of compensation, the manager of the store gave my father a $10 Shell gas card. In a hilariously obvious twist, when my father attempted to use the card, he found out it wasn't even activated.

So here's why I'm writing you. Men's Wearhouse really screwed up big, and made an already stressful planning time that much more stressful. I'm hoping that I can get some publicity out there, and recommend people never use Men's Wearhouse (or MW Tux), since they apparently can't handle a tuxedo rental when given a second chance. My tuxedo was free, as part of their promotion - if your account has five tuxedos, the groom's becomes free. Ours had six, plus mine. I can't really get my rental any more free than it was. However, my father's tux was incorrect in the first place, and should have been at the very least, heavily discounted. I would also like for Men's Wearhouse to do something for my guys. Yes, their tuxedos may have been correct, but they were part of this account that included a free tux rental that was messed up. Therefore, they should be receiving at the very least a partial discount, as well.

You could fire off the almighty Executive Email Carpet Bomb to george.zimmer@menswarehouse.com, but if time isn't a factor, we would send a letter with all the style and class Men's Wearhouse failed to deliver. Doll up your complaint in the form of a thank-you note. Put it on nice stationery, exactly as if you were writing to your Aunt, and send one to each of Men's Wearhouse's executive officers at:

Men's Wearhouse
6380 Rogerdale Road
Houston, TX 77072

(Photo: Getty)

"It can cost up to $2,000 each time it happens, minimum," said Merow.

U-Haul dealers must now find a way to counter this new water scam while also continuing to battle traditional gas scams. They are on full alert.

"We have increased security, increased cameras at all our locations, increased patrols," said Merow.

Merow says the thefts have become brazen. Just this past weekend someone stood on the other side of the U-Haul parking lot fence in broad daylight and fed through a siphon hose, trying to get at the gas inside the U-Haul trucks.

Um, don't siphon gas from U-Haul trucks, either. This little non-recession thingy is turning ugly.

U-Haul: Crooked renters refill gas tank with water [KOMO]

(Photo: Mikey G Ottawa)

Today I read yet another despicable story about the ineptitude of U-Haul and its local representatives. I had a similar experience during my last move.

Like many others, I chose to use a rented truck and perform the move myself. I made an online reservation about 3 weeks in advance, and surprisingly was scheduled for a truck pickup at a store more than 20 miles away (even though there are at least 3 U-Haul reservation centers within 5 miles of my old home). This was annoying right off the bat since I was obviously going to be paying for this imposed mileage. I accepted the possibility that these other centers had no trucks available and decided to move forward.

On the day of the pickup, I arrived at the store with a printout of my reservation and stood in line at the counter. Upon being called forward and presenting my reservation, I was bluntly told that no trucks were available, reservation or no. I made it clear that this was unacceptable, but the "manager" to whom I was speaking simply waved me away and began helping the next customer.

I stepped out into the parking lot and called U-Haul corporate to get this resolved. I spoke to a very helpful woman (whose name I unfortunately can't recall) and explained the situation. She said that she would call the store and get me a truck.

About five minutes later, I received a call back and told that there was a truck available for me now. I walked back in and immediately received a stare of disdain from the manager with whom I dealt previously. It was obvious that he wasn't too happy with the situation, but at this point I really couldn't care less!

He slid the paperwork across the counter for me to complete, and began telling me how much of an inconvenience I was causing. "Corporate called me and is making me give you a one-way truck," he said. My reservation was local; that is, picking up and returning to the same location. Apparently, he had a separate inventory of trucks intended for renters who pickup up in one location and return to another, and the corporate response to my complaint was to require him to rent me one of those trucks for my local use. What's the big deal?

So, fast-forward to the day after my move is completed. I drove the truck to the rental center, pulled into the parking lot, and stepped out. I walked into the office, but no employees were inside. Walking back out, I saw — sadly — the same manager from before, standing outside. I call over to him that I am returning a truck, and his response is, "Just leave the keys in the drop box and leave the truck where it is." Sounds good to me; I drop off the keys wrapped in a copy of my contract, and I head home.

Three days later, I'm at work. During my lunch break, I decide to check my home voicemail and am surprised to hear an angry message from U-Haul: "This is Alexandria U-Haul Rentals. Your rental truck was due three days ago and you haven't returned it. If you don't return our truck today I will call the police." *click*

Imagine my surprise.

I immediately start by calling the rental center and explaining exactly what happened. The gentleman on the other end explains that the manager (humph) personally walked the entire lot and my truck was not there. I explain that the manager personally saw me there on the day of my return and instructed me to place the keys in the dropbox. I am told that there is nothing he can do, and he hangs up.

I then placed a call to U-Haul corporate again, and get escalated to corporate security. I explain the situation again, and the agent I'm working with agrees to call and speak to the store, and get back to me. Remarkably, I receive a call from him about 20 minutes later... but nothing has been resolved. I tell the agent that although I didn't know the name of the manager I saw that day, I could describe him. "6 feet tall, brownish-blond hair, shoulder-length. Very slight build, and a smoker." The response: "Huh. Sounds like Tom, the assistant manager. Let me call the store again, and I'll get back to you."

Less than 10 minutes later, the agent calls back again. "I spoke with Tom. He walked the lot again and found your truck. Sorry for the inconvenience."

What a surprise. Suffice it to say that U-Haul won't be getting any of my business in the future.

It's a good day when reader complaints can be resolved without police involvement. U-Haul recently settled a class action suit over their broken reservation system, so honoring his original reservation saved them $50. Unfortunately, the manager's malice or incompetence cost them more in the long run. If you get stuck with a U-Haul problem and the normal channels aren't working, don't forget CEO Joe Shoen gave out his number on Inside Edition, and says he wants to help.

(photo:elisharene)

In February I rented a car from Advantage Rent-a-Car in Denver to take on a ski vacation in Aspen. I was a bit skeptical of Advantage, but they were so much less expensive than Hertz or Avis, etc... I figured I would give them a try.

Things started off pretty well. When I arrived there was a long line but they had free hot dogs while we waited, which was a nice touch! The car was clean, the type we ordered, had an engine, etc. Long story short: I was pleased with Advantage and remember thinking "I will definitely rent from them again." UNTIL...

On one of the last nights of our trip our rental car was hit by a stolen vehicle that had been taken on a joy ride and abandoned in the front yard across the street from where we were staying. The damage was relatively minor (we would still be able to drive back to Denver), and I called Visa and my insurance company. I also got a copy of the police report.

When we returned the car in Dever I filled out the accident report gave them the claim number from Visa. I was pleasantly surprised by the great service I received from Visa in all of this. Thought they would push back, but they didn't! Visa told me all was well, as did Advantage Rent-a-car. (My insurance doesn't cover me because I only have a liability policy).

In early May I received a letter from Subrogation Management Team. I've learned that this is a third party administrator that handles claims for rental car companies (except Hertz and Avis which handle it internally). The letter said that Visa would be paying for the full damages (~$4500) as well as ~$350 for the "loss-of-use." In the same letter they said that I would owe an additional $3000! They wanted another ~$500 for loss-of-use and ~$2500 for "deminition of value." I called Visa to discuss and they explained that they don't pay deminition of value. I checked and they state that very clearly in their terms and conditions, so fair enough. When I asked why they weren't paying the full loss-of-use they said that what Advantage was asking for was unreasonable.

Here's why: The car was in the shop for 49 hours. Visa calculates a 7 hour work day, so 7 days, times ~$50 a day for my rental equaling $350. Advantage says it's 22 days!!! I asked how they got that number and they said they use a 4 hour work day, which is laughable! Even with that it would only be 12 days. Even if you are generous and give them 2 weekends it only gets to 16!

I called the executive offices and eventually was able to speak with someone named Skip Thompson. He's not the CEO, but a Director of operations or something. Pretty senior guy. He had seen my file (I had his assistant pull it for him a few days earlier) and said that while I might not like it, the charges were reasonable. I was SHOCKED! I asked him: "if you were billed for 49 hours of labor, how many days would you estimate the car was in the shop." He tried to dodge the question, but eventually answered "well, 2 or 4 depending on how you calculate the work day." I told him I was being asked to pay for 22 days and he was speechless. He concluded by saying he would look into it and follow up with me. Unfortunately I was told a few days later that he had instructed SMT to continue to pursue it!

It's not a surprise that the math they use to calculate deminition of value is pretty sketchy too! $2600 in lost value on a $4600 repair is almost unheard of in the industry (I called and asked my insurance company).

It's pretty clear that Advantage is trying to profit off of my accident. Funny 'cause I thought a car rental company was supposed to make money renting cars! I'm disgusted with them.

I'm not trying to get out of paying what I owe, and have told them I'm willing to pay a reasonable amount, but they refuse to bring the numbers down! Needless to say, I won't be renting from them again! Just thought your readers might want to know: Stay away from Advantage Rent-a-Car!

When even your Director of Operations is taken aback by a 22-day claim for 49 hours of shop time, you know you're running a pretty ballsy scam. Advantage, are you really going to try to screw this customer over for $3,000? Is it worth the bad publicity?

(Photo: Getty)

You should rent:

5. Pickup trucks
Unless you frequently need to haul stuff, you might be better off renting a pickup for the occasional load and driving a car with good gas mileage on a daily basis.

4. Vacation homes
Owning 2 homes is often more than twice the cost of owning one. People often underestimate the cost of insuring and maintaining a mostly unused home.

3. Anything you use once a year or less
Floor buffers, power washers and expensive power tools can be cost effective if renting. Another idea is to go in 50/50 with a neighbor on infrequently used equipment.

2. DVDs
Unless you repeatedly watch the same movies over and over, it makes more sense to rent. If you haven't heard about Netflix by now, it's time to check them out.

1. The next car you plan to buy
If the rental agency offers the particular car, it is a good way to get a feel for a potential new car without the pressure of the salesman.

You should never rent:

5. Wheel Rims
Being a player can be expensive especially since the least expensive rims cost $1000 and up. Rent-A-Center will rent you VCT Grissini wheels for $62 dollars a week for 12 months. However, at this rate you end up paying twice as much as they are actually worth.

4. Furniture
Renting furniture can quickly put you in the red. You can easily spend 100% more than the furniture is actually worth if you rent-to-own. You are much better off by checking out Craig's List or a thrift store.

3. Computers
Unless you are running a small business, renting computers is usually a bad idea. For example Rent-A-Center offers a Dell system for $39.99 a week for 62 weeks totaling $2,479 while the cash price is about $1,100.

2. Televisions
At Rent-A-Center, a 50 inch Toshiba rents for $34.99 a week for 116 weeks totaling $4,000 while the cash price is only $1,200

1. Your Paycheck
Payday lenders loan you cash for a fee. For example, you may be charged $45 to cash a $300 dollar check. This works out to an effective APR of over 400%. If you fail to pay back the loan, even more fees are added leaving you buried.

As a rule of thumb, rent-to-own stores rarely ever make financial sense. These stores profit on people who don't have enough money at the moment but feel they cannot live without certain luxury items. Even carrying a credit card balance for a few months on purchased items is ideal compared to rent-to-own. However, as we see in the list, sometimes renting does make sense, but you can rest assured you will never see such items in a rent-to-own store.

5 things you should never rent [MSN Money]
(Photo: Getty)

Recently, someone busted up my car, and I took USAA's recommendation as to which repair shop and car-rental place to go to (mostly because they can electronically bill those places, so I never have to pay up front and be reimbursed later — but USAA also guarantees all the repairs if I go to the place they recommend, which is nice). Well, the repair shop (Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury dealer, funny place to send an old Saturn!) did a great job, no problems, and I got my rental car from Enterprise and returned it with no incident. (I had it about 4 days, and other than smelling like somebody smoked strawberries in a bong in the back seat, it was fine.) I got one call from Enterprise the following week, saying that they were having trouble billing USAA for the rental car. I let them know that this was probably because my name is on the insurance policy, but the policy is in my mom's name. I'd had to correct the repair shop on that as well, but they got it right the second time, so I figured everything would be fine, and they didn't contact me again.

Only USAA did, to let me know that the claim was still open two weeks later, due to Enterprise not billing them. I called Enterprise, they said they couldn't get the bill to go through, so I called USAA again, and basically played middleman between the two for a week. Enterprise kept saying the claim was declined, and USAA kept telling me that it would certainly be approved if Enterprise could just enter it in the system correctly. USAA also gave me a number to have Enterprise call them directly to resolve the problem, which I passed along, but it didn't seem to help. I began calling Enterprise daily in week three, and they kept saying they were "leaving messages" for USAA, with no results.

Finally, I got my credit card bill, and lo, Enterprise had billed me for the rental, without ever asking or informing me that they would. I called them back (I'd just spoken to them the day before) and got their manager. She told me that they'd spoken with USAA many times and been told that the bill was "denied", so I was obligated to pay it. I told her that was hogwash, because USAA explicitly told me they'd cover it, and that I wanted the charge removed from my card immediately. Arguing ensues. Manager gets rude, and starts telling me that they called me numerous times to inform me of the charge and I never picked up, so I'd better just pay the bill and "get USAA to reimburse" me if I think they really will. She also says that because she "left a message" at USAA, she's not going to call them again until they call her back. (Huh?) When I threaten a chargeback, she tells me that I can't do that because it's illegal. At this point, I got fed up, hung up and called USAA.

Here's where it gets amazing: I got a rep at the claims office (in about t-minus 30 seconds) whom I've never spoken to before. I explained the situation, and that the manager was now being rude and possibly lying to me over this bill. She listened carefully, apologized immediately for my trouble (!), and asked if she could call me back. Then she did call me back, less than half an hour later. (I regret that I can't remember her name, but then again, every USAA rep I've ever dealt with was this good.) She'd spoken to USAA's internal Enterprise representative, who'd looked up my file and discovered that Enterprise never did call USAA even once to resolve the issue. She passed along their apologies, and said that two complaints to Enterprise corporate were being filed — one on behalf of USAA for failing to properly handle the billing, and one on behalf of myself for managment lying to me and being rude on the phone. She said that Enterprise had promised to look into that manager (of the Garden City, MI branch on Ford Rd., if you'd like to know) and see if she needed to be reprimanded or replaced. I asked if I had to do anything to file my complaint, and she said no, it was all handled. (If it wasn't USAA, I might not have believed her, but their record is literally perfect with me, so I do.) Furthermore, reimbursement for the entire rental expense was being mailed to me immediately. (They even apologized because they wanted to issue the reimbursement electronically so I'd have it faster, and they couldn't because the system would only do that for the policyholder, and my mom doesn't have a bank account there. But heck, I'll take the apology in exchange for having to wait a few days!)

In short, USAA: Got me straight to a human; listened to my complaint and acted on it immediately; called back when they said they would; apologized repeatedly even though they didn't really have to; and took swift, appropriate action to resolve my issue. They also DIDN'T call me a liar, treat me like a criminal, or lie to me about my case or the law, which the Enterprise manager did. Also, the Enterprise rep at USAA appears to have handled this issue quickly and decisively, though whether Enterprise or USAA should get the credit for that, I don't know.

Oh, one more thing — someone banged into my car *again* (while it was parked) and knocked the rear-view mirror off last week. The person I was speaking to at USAA noticed that I had another open claim, and (rather than acting like I did something wrong or was a bothersome customer for having two claims in two months) offered me information on how to use a rental car service other than Enterprise, since she would "understand if [I] didn't want to go back there after this". No judgment, no fuss, just "here's how to use any rental agency you like".

Once again, USAA has some of the most impressive customer service I've ever seen. Whenever I see an ad for insurance advertising low rates, I think, "As strapped for cash as I am right now, I wouldn't dream of using another company, even if their rates were half what I pay right now." USAA's investment in customer service has paid off by netting them at least one die-hard customer. (I say "at least", because I also brag about them to everyone, so it'd be surprising if they didn't get another customer from giving me good service, as well.)

Now, if we can just get that lesson put in some MBA textbooks, we'll have it made!

Sincerely,
Mary Marsala w/ Fries
Transcendental Logic

• Book online, it's often cheaper.
• When you walk in, ask about rates without mentioning your reservation. You may get a better deal right there.
• Many credit cards will cover you in the event of a rental car crash. If so, pay with it , decline the rental car insurance, and save.
• Renting for 4-5 days? Ask about the weekly rate. It may be less expensive.

What tactics do you use to keep car rental places from driving off with your wallet?Car Rentals: Don't Get Taken for a Ride [ABC]
(Photo: Mr Marmot)

Hi, I just read your article about Hollywood Video's policies and most of it is flat out not true.  It sounds like whoever wrote in initially has a particularly evil district manager who is instituting his own policies.

1. Store level employees covering at other stores: This is pretty much retail chain standard, especially in chains with a small number of employees per store.  Hollywood video will reimburse mileage, you just need to fill out a form.  As far as write ups for refusing, must just be that district, it's not policy.  

2. As far as the quotas go, yes and no.  At hire all employees are told that offering these things are "must see behaviors".  They can, and will, fire you for not offering.  There are quotas for Playguard percentage (somewhere in the range of 1.5% for employees, and 5% total for the store, off the top of my head), though employees can't be fired simply for failing to meet the number.  (You can't /make/ people buy stuff)  Store Managers /can/ be fired if their store fails to meet the target two periods in a row.  

3. There is no policy that prevents employees from telling people the money from Playguard does not go to charity.  I will admit it is pretty shady to just stop donating the money however.  

4. Employees can't remove late fees?  Weird, I did it this morning. This may be a policy local to a district if it was getting out of hand.  My best guess anyway.  

5. After 12 days the late fee does go to a separate screen, this has been true for a long time.  It's not to frustrate and confuse people however, and employees see both screens when an account gets pulled up, so if a customer is confused it's solely the fault of an incompetent employee.  The reason for the two screens is that after twelve days, only the store manager (or assistant) can remove or alter the late fee (IE you better have a good reason for being so late).  

6. Receipts don't print for cash transactions that only have rentals or concessions on them.  This is just to save paper.  An employee can print one if it's asked for.  

7. The EW thing never went away, they just stopped requiring employees to push it.  They're actively promoting it again. There's no "silence is acceptance" however, and we need to scan your credit card (an additional time) to activate the offer.

The conditions described by the previous tipster must be local, because I don't deal with anything like it.  I'd advise he go over his DM and talk to someone at corporate.

RELATED
"Is Hollywood Video Bringing Back "Silence Is Acceptance" Magazine Subscriptions?"
(Photo: Sister72)

The Entertainment Weekly scam is coming back.  Next week, the company is planning to roll out the EW "Free 8 issue, silence is acceptance" trial and force us to ask every guest if they'd like Entertainment Weekly.  This is a practice which requires 100 percent compliance, so they're firing and writing those people up who aren't asking, and cutting the hours of those who don't get people to sign up for it.

Here are more of the tipster's complaints, which may not upset those of you who haven't worked in retail—but those who have will feel his pain:

• Store-level employees are sometimes sent to cover shifts at other stores at the district manager's request. They're threatened with write-ups, reduced hours, or termination if they don't agree. The employees aren't reimbursed for mileage or gas, however.
• Quotas are being stringently enforced on upsells including the $10.99 bundle, movie sales, late fees, and Playguards (rental insurance).
• The Starlight Foundation no longer gets a cut of the Playguard fee ("The Playguards are pure profit to the company," he writes), but employees aren't allowed to mention that when pushing Playguard.
• Late fees are no longer "tracked," but dollars per ticket are, "so for people low in those numbers, forcing people to pay late fees is very helpful." Employees can no longer remove late fees.
• "If a guest returns a movie more than 12 days late, it goes to a separate screen, which serves to frustrate guests who believed that they'd paid all of their fees.  We're basically allowed to keep them confused to a certain point, as long as they're not outright lied to."
• "They've also stopped printing receipts in certain stores for certain purchases, so it's beneficial for those who choose to shop there to make sure the transaction happens on their account rather than on the Cash Sale account (MR. CASH)."
• And, finally, the magazine "offer" is supposedly coming back.

 
We don't know if these complaints pertain to every store or just the one where our tipster works. For the most part, they sound like the sorts of things a company does when it's desperately trying to generate revenue, so we're not really that surprised. But the magazine offer? Really? Has that ever been well-received by a customer who didn't expect to be signed up for it?

If you're in Hollywood Video next week, let us know if you get the magazine offer.

(Photo: Sister72)

5. Timing is everything. The largest expense incurred by a car rental company is depreciation. Basically, these companies are leasing all the cars in their fleet. They're charged different rates for different types of cars. "It is very important for car rental companies to have as many cars on the road as possible, as any cars that are sitting are not making money, and are actually costing the company money in depreciation fees." A customer who shows up after a busy holiday weekend can more or less name the price for a rental car. "They should be begging for you to take cars off their lot," he adds.

6 secrets car rental companies don't want you to know [Elliot]
(Photo: oliliqui)

I've been a regular personage at a Blockbuster in Mishawaka, IN for some time. Just recently I moved into a new house, so I was rather excited to know that your store was within walking distance to rent movies. Not having a car, this meant plenty of rentals of video game software for my 360 and Wii.
 
However, just recently I rented Halo 3, and when I brought it home, it was cracked. They graciously replaced it with a "free rental", so I went to another one of your stores and rented Halo 3 there. I returned it on time, and proceeded to rent Rainbow Six Vegas 2, and Oblivion, both for the 360 again. When I got it home, neither worked. When I opened my 360 Oblivion had a scratch on it, which 360's are known to do. Rainbow Six's disc looked just fine. It however wouldn't load. When I called your store that night because it was already too late to head back over, they told me they'd grant me a "free rental" and return the games for replacements. Now here's where the problem begins.
 
I went over just a few minutes ago, and brought the games in, and told them what was going on. When I couldn't find anything else to rent and asked for my money back, even though I'd rented the games on my debit card, the manager (Adrian I believe) told me "It's not store policy." I asked if I could put the money toward purchasing a product (a used copy of Halo 3, for 39.99), and she told me she couldn't allow that either because it wasn't store policy. I had my receipt from the rentals, that clearly said debit card, and she still wouldn't put the $17.10 toward the purchase.
 
She finally refunded the money, however, she terminated my ability to rent games from the store.
 
They also tried selling me on their "Game plan" which means you get unlimited replacements for ONE game for 20 some odd dollars and said "Five bucks additional wouldn't have killed you, with what you spent on the games previously."

Dear Consumerist,
 
I just got off a red faced phone conversation with Budget Truck Rental's head of corporate customer service "Wayne" and I thought I would share the conversation. I rented a truck from Budget to pickup 3/9 so I could move some furniture. I live in Kentucky and rented the truck 150 miles away in Indianapolis.
 
When I showed up to pickup my truck, at 1:30, the store was closed even though the posted hours stated they were to be open for another half hour. So I was stranded without a truck 150 miles away from home. Still hoping to salvage the day I called the Budget 1800 number to try to find another truck.
 
Budget's customer service said they were terribly sorry for my inconvenience and said they would find me another truck right away and give me a discount. Two hours later they were unable to locate a single Budget truck in a 50 mile radius and said that they would still send me compensation for my trouble. They discussed giving me a $75 MasterCard gift card since I was already going to be out one of these anyway since I rented the truck during a MasterCard promotion.
 
Two weeks go by and still no "compensation" but I do get a $50 fee show up on my credit card statement from Budget. I called Budget to see what this was about and they said it was a no show fee since I never picked up my truck... lets rewind here I didn't pick up my truck? After a half hour of debating I get up to corporate and finally get my $50 refunded but they said they never promised any compensation and that my online truck rental in no way guarantees a truck but only a rate.
 
So not only did I not get any compensation but they also erroneously charged me $50 dollars and I got to be out 300 miles worth of driving. So moral of the story if you are rent from Budget you may get royally screwed.

One reader, Meiran, put it this way: "I'm rather impressed by their reaction, it seems like most modern companies would attempt to push this under the rug and pretend it didn't happen, leaving customers to wonder what those strange charges on their statements are."

According to Wikipedia, the company is mostly owned by McDonald's and Coinstar, so it's not like this is an example of a start-up that's never encountered the heavy hand of corporate influence. This means Redbox's board of directors intentionally chose to be proactive on the matter. They seem to have figured out something that lots of other companies still struggle with, which is that if you empower your customers to help protect themselves, they'll help protect you, too. We wouldn't be surprised if the next time a skimmer is detected, the alert comes from a customer who remembers Redbox's email.

"Redbox Security Alert - Credit Card Skimmer Attempt" [redbox](Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)

RELATED
"Redbox Warns Customers about Credit Card Skimming" [Hacking Netflix]

Here's what he wrote:

Well, after I had blown through my 5 free in-store exchanges by mid-March (on the bottom of your Blockbuster receipt it tracks how many in-store exchanges you've done this month), I decided to see what happens if I go in and try a get 6th in-store exchange. Well, as to be presumed, I didn't get a free exchange, but the online movie did serve as a $3.00 coupon off the price of the rental ($4.99 movie), which just further confused me. Apparently, buried in their FAQs it says "If the pre-determined number of free in-store exchanges is met during the calendar month, you have the ability to exchange your Online DVDs for discounted movie rentals for the remainder of the month." The bummer is it doesn't mention how much of a discount it is. For a .99 rental, is there even a discount?

In the process of trying to figure out the limits of the system, I realized that different Blockbuster stores are keeping track of the in-store exchanges separately. Yes, that's right. After getting my free 5 in-store exchanges at one store, I simply took my next 5 online movies to another nearby Blockbuster and was able to get another 5 in-store exchanges during the same month.

Blockbuster tracks whether individuals are abusing their online subscription plan and "gaming" the system to exceed the number of in-store exchanges they are allowed per month.

If an online subscriber tries to circumvent the terms of their plan, and in this instance gain more free rentals than allowed, we'll know and ask them to stop if they want to remain an online subscriber, just as we're doing with Kevin.

Blockbuster Total Access Extra Movie Hack? [Hacking Netflix]
Blockbuster Warns Against "Gaming the System" [Hacking Netflix]
(Photo: Knowzy) (Thanks to Jeff!)

firstname.middleinitial.lastname@erac.com
firstinitial.lastname@erac.com
firstinitiallastname@erac.com

(Photo: h-angele)

• Book well in advance( at least a week) with a MAJOR credit card
• If you reserve through the 1800 number, get your reservation number and call back a day or 2 before to find where to pick up your equipment. Do not wait for someone to call you.
• When you pick up, bring your drivers license and credit or debit card. It makes things easier for everyone.
• If you know a location that you prefer to pickup or drop off, let uHaul or the dealer know.
• Take the insurance, but only if you are not covered by your auto policy. No credit card will cover damage.

"I have read many of the horror stories on the web and consumerist, and have this to say... Every situation is different, when you get a good or bad experience it can be isolated to a single person or location. We think we have a partnership with Uhaul, we let them repair the equipment, we take care of the customers. Speaking for our location, I honestly never want to send someone out on a rental if I feel the equipment is unsafe, and with our primary business, there is NEVER a need to lie or treat people poorly.

"Overall, their equipment is in much better shape than when we were a dealer a few years ago, we are contributing to our bottom line with their product on our lot, and I would not say they are a bad company. Their software could use some streamlining and their intractable attitude as well."

On Sept 30, 2007, I rented a 24ft Budget Truck for the purpose of moving myself and my roommates from one apartment to another. Upon rental, I opted for the optional damage waver/insurance and was informed that that waver specifically did not cover overhead damage. I proceeded with the normal inspection, noting minor wear and tear that I could see as well as graffiti damage to the truck.

While driving, I was extremely careful to observe all overhead clearances, and did not drive the truck under any bridge where it could be "clipped". Upon return of the truck, the rental agent immediately asks me what I hit, because he notices damage to the top of the truck. Incredulous, I answer that the only thing I could have hit were low-slung city trees. What looked like a minor scrape from ground level was pointed out to me, and I doubted that a tree could make that kind of damage, but there it was.

Upon returning to the inside of the office, I am informed by the Budget Agent, Dennis Neuhauser, that I had 2 options: 1) That I could pay $670 for the damage immediately up front and resolve the claim or 2) I could go through Budget Corporate, which could potentially cost me "thousands of dollars". Although I was wary of the origins/cause of the damage, I was put under extreme duress by the draconian options presented to me by the rental agent. Fearing the prospect of having to pay "thousands of dollars", I opted to pay the $670 and wash my hands of the damages. My roommate was there to witness the offer and the terms that were presented to me, and it was made clear that, by choosing to pay immediately, I could resolve myself of this issue (that was the only reason why I chose to).

November 28, 2007, I receive a Vehicle Damage Claim from Budget Corporate seeking an additional $1,910.93 for damages to the truck, for a total of $2,080.93 once the $670 I already paid was factored in. I am also sent the estimate/invoice for the repair of the truck, as well as low-res black and white images of the damage areas. This invoice has 20 line items, 12 which are marked as "judgment items". Even things that I had marked on the original inspection form as pre-existing, such as the graffiti, were included on the claim I am on the hook for. The estimate itself is dated more than 2 weeks after I returned the truck, 10/17/2007, meaning I have no way of knowing if any of that additional damage was incurred by other drivers and/or was pre-existing, since I was never given any opportunity to inspect the roof, which is where all the damage was.

I think it is pretty clear from the confluence of these circumstances that Budget is trying to frame me for charges that could have no way been incurred while I was driving the truck for a few hours. I did not hit any structures, and the damages are shown at multiple, un-related points. They clearly just wanted to fix the entire truck and pin it on my rental. This is already in addition to the fraudulent verbal contract I was offered by the agent and the coercing of an immediate payment which was obviously made no difference in the handling of the claim.

In response to the claim letter I had been sent, I wrote a letter in response outlining my objections and demanding a refund of the $670 to pursue my legal options. I have been sent 3 more letters demanding that I respond to the claim, and I have sent 3 letters in response, all of which are documented as confirmed delivered. Given my experiences with Budget thus far, I wanted all communications about this claim to be delivered in a form that could be documented, such as postal mail. All letters have been ignored, and I have just received a final notice claiming that I have made no attempt to contact the company in regard to this claim, which I obviously have. They are threatening to report the charges to a collection agency and destroy my credit. I have even emailed the truck claims examiner, Janice Messinger, directly at her janice.messinger@avisbudget.com email address, and that too has gone unanswered. All I'm faced with is a destroyed credit report if I do not pay by February 25, 2008 at 5:00pm. I am writing this because I feel it is necessary for this story to be publicized to let other know how Budget treats its customers. I don't know how else I can go about resolving this problem. I have been clear in all letters and emails that I am not running away from the claim, but I am challanging it. That said my responses are being stonewalled at every turn. Thanks in advance for any attention you might be able to give my story.

These pictures show damage to multiple points on the roof, and the damages look like they were incurred by multiple collisions, since hitting or scraping one structure, like a bridge, for example (which I didn't even do), wouldn't result in points of impact this varied. In addition, the cracking peeling of the top paneling appears as just wear and tear, and the graffiti is something I noted on the inspection form. They are charging me for ALL of it.

Kevin's story is a sad reminder to take a mess of pictures of any rental before driving away to establish a baseline to dispute any fraudulent claims. From the look of it, Budget is trying to bully Kevin into underwriting a batch of unrelated and overdue repairs. Sending disputes via certified mail is the right move, as is keeping a meticulous record of any documents. If they push the matter further, it may be necessary to consult a lawyer.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEE Effective the week of March 4, 2008, Web BEST will begin charging an "Environmental Fee". This will be charged on all truck rentals. It is $1 per day on an In-Town with max of $5 and it is $5 per rental on a One-Way. This money will be set aside and spent on waste disposal and related activities.

Most auto part, tire stores and auto repair facilities have charged a similar fee for several years. Both Penske and Budget charge similar fees. The customer expects U-Haul as the industry leader to deal responsibly with these matters and we are.

Q: What is the environmental fee for?
A: To help defray a portion of the costs associated with the disposal and treatment of waste fluids, batteries, tires and many other environmentally hazardous wastes. In addition the fee will also be used to offset costs associated with the research, development and new technology U-Haul continues to add to it`s equipment and facilities.

Q: What if a customer complains about the fee?
A: You are in charge of your customer service, if you feel it is necessary to refund the customer, by all means, please refund them. As with any charge, you can reverse this fee. Before you do, ask yourself and your customer. "Do you want clean air and water thirty or fifty years from now? If so, pitch in."

FTP SURCHARGE

For rentals in the United States, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix and Canada when the renter chooses to receive frequent flyer miles from the following U.S.
Airline programs Budget will assess a frequent flyer surcharge equivalent to USD $.50 per day up to a maximum of USD $2.00 per rental. The amount assessed is
collected by budget to offset a portion of Budget's annual cost of participation in frequent flyer programs.

What we'd really love to know is whether or not the various airlines have hiked their own "participation fees" for third-party companies like Budget—and now Budget is passing the cost on to renters.

About 3 weeks ago I had a job interview in California- I currently live in Philadelphia. The employer reserved a rental car for me with enterprise so I could get around town, with his credit card. I had a long flight with a lay over, and didn't arrive at Enterprise until about 2 o clock Philadelphia time. There was a long line, and after about a half hour I was taken back and shown a Chevy Aveo. She handed me papers to sign saying there was no damage to the car, and that I would pay an additional 10$ a day for being 23 years old. I walked around the car, and didn't see anything. I was eager to get to my hotel and go to bed, so I signed the papers and left.

I used the car to get to my job interview, to my hotel, and back to the airport. Everything was in about a 5 mile radius of each other. I returned the car on Sunday with a full tank of gas. When I returned the car, I pulled up and started to take out my bags. The gentleman asked me how the car was and checking the car over for damage. After a few minutes, they told me I had to sign some papers for the damage to the car. I read the Consumerist a lot and a siren went off in my head...

I knew I was screwed pretty much right there. I dropped my bags and went to the car and asked him to show me the damage. Below the driver's side door handle there was a dent/ripple in the door panel. The paint of the door wasn't scratched at all, and it was covered in dust. If it had happened when I had the car, it had to have been on the first day or two. He told me it was no big deal, that someone probably opened their car door in a parking lot and dinged my car door. I thought it was a big deal. I started flipping out. I couldn't even see if it was damage or the design of the car, because it was so difficult to spot. I told him that if the damage was there before I had the car, which it more than likely was, I would have never noticed it when I inspected the car.

He said he would have their loss department check to see if the damage was noted previously. I knew this was a load of crap and I was just going to get a huge bill in the mail in a few weeks. He asked me to sign papers accepting the damage. I told him there was no way I was signing it. We argued for about 10 minutes, and he added to the paper that I didn't think the damage was there when I received the car. I needed to get my flight so I signed it and left.

Sure enough, I received a bill for $495.20 today, including $50 for administrative charges. The car brand new is only $10,000. They also included a summary of the charges, and 10 pictures of the car showing the damage. The funny thing is, there is no damage visible in any of the pictures. They are incredibly low res, and probably the most ridiculous part of this story. I have included the letter they sent me and the pictures. These charges are outrageous on so many levels. Do I have any recourse besides paying? Will they attack my credit, or go after the employer's credit card first?

Did you pay for Enterprise's, or did you waive it and put it on the credit card? If the latter, you need to get in touch with the employer and let him know the situation and see if his credit card company will pay for it (this is at no cost to him). If you took the Enterprise insurance, you need to see if it covers the damage they say is done to the car. Your situation is more complicated, though, because of it being paid for by your potential employer... hardly the foot you want to set out on. You still need to tell them because if the insurance was on their credit card, there could be a liability issue down the round.

These are just our best ideas based one what we've heard, are there any readers in the audience here with more experience with these issues who can share their insights?

1. Try to work it out with the company first

Make a good faith effort to work with the company to resolve your issue. If they do resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you win. If they don't, your story will be stronger and more attractive to a news reporter.

2. Document everything

Keep a diary of exactly what happened, who you talked with, and what they said (including dates and times). Whenever possible, take pictures and audio recordings. In my case, the pictures turned a story that could have sounded like paranoid parental wining into something with teeth. Looking at the pictures, it's practically impossible not to be disgusted. The details in my diary also helped me review my story with the reporter.

3. Do some research

Were any laws broken? Did the company's action go against commonly accepted best practice? Have they done the same thing to other people?

4. Make a written report

Now that you've gathered all your information, write it up in a well organized written report. Start with a high level summary stating why the issue is important and the high level details of the story. Attach details, pictures, and research. Most importantly, be completely honest. Don't overstate what happened, don't be tempted to add details that aren't true. If the news reporters cannot substantiate your story, they won't run it. If they catch you in an untruth, the whole story is compromised.

5. Share your story

Find out whether the problem has happened to anyone else or whether the internet community has any other information to add. You can post your story on news groups and send it to related blogs or websites asking them to share it with their readers. Comment on relevant stories with information about your issue. In my case, the detail that substantiated the story was learning that one of the car seats pictured had been discontinued 12 years ago (and could have been as old as 22 years). That detail came to me by way of a reader who commented that her teenage son had the same model car when he was a baby (which drove me to research the exact make and model).

6. Contact the News

Most TV news stations have a tip line and an email address (or web form) where viewers can submit their issues. While it might seem easiest to call on the phone, your full written story is likely to be more effective than a short phone call. For each news station that you submit your story to, pitch the story with an angle you think makes it interesting for them. Consider the News station's home city. The local news where your issue happened, the home city for the company, and your local news stations each have an interesting angle to report. In my case, I reported the story to the San Diego news (where the story happened). The story ended up being a joint collaboration between my local station (Seattle) and San Diego. Most of all, though, keep trying. You may need to try several stations before you find the one that is excited about the story.

7. Be easy to work with

Be responsive, easy to work with and professional. Even though you are upset about your issue, you'll want to sound clear and articulate each time you talk with the reporter (and especially on camera). Expect to get lots of phone calls and emails asking about different (and sometimes minute) details of the story. Details that may not seem important to you may be important to a reporter trying to figure out where to place a hidden camera, how to masquerade as a customer, etc. Offer to do anything you can to help, and expect to make yourself and your home available for an interview on short notice.

8. Be secretive.

The news station is investing considerable time, effort and money on researching your story. They don't want to get scooped just before the story airs. It might be tempting to get some short term mileage from telling people that you're working with the news, but it's better to let the story play out. Having that news story on the air is what will drive the most far-reaching changes and improvements. In my case, I know that other rental car agencies have similar problems to the ones I experienced. . . I'm hopeful that they'll start to clean up their act after seeing ABC's expose.

9. Keep your eye on the end game.

My goal was to get Advantage to clean up their act throughout their branches, not just in the San Diego location. Beyond that, I believe that all rental car agencies should be held accountable for the safety and cleanliness of the seats they rent. It took nerves of steel to stop myself from blogging about it when I started to see visitors from the company viewing my website, but any sort of immaturity on my part would have really compromised the effectiveness of the story.

10. Expect to wait.

My original story was posted on Dec 22. 10News started working on the story on Jan 7. Lots of pieces had to fall into place before the final story was complete and went to air on Feb 3. Among other things, the reporter needed to conduct her own investigation, arrange to have the California Highway Patrol inspect the seats, have the seats swabbed for bacteria (and wait for the results), and then contact the company and give them a chance to respond. A month seems like a long time to wait, but experiencing the unfolding story step-by-step was its own reward.

Debbie Dubrow is a mother of two (ages 2 1/2 and 1) living in Seattle, WA. Her blog, deliciousbaby.com, is about traveling with babies, toddlers and kids, and is filled with personal travel stories, family-friendly city guides, and lots of tips and advice for traveling with kids.

RELATED:
Advantage Rent-A-Car's Frightening Car Seats [deliciousbaby]
10 News Car Seat Investigation [10 News]

San Francisco lawyer Thomas A. Cohen, an attorney for the class, called the settlement "a terrific resolution" and said plaintiffs had a right to return to court to bring a contempt motion if U-Haul was "somehow using words in a way . . . confusing to a customer."

The case involved U-Haul's practice of accepting all advance reservations booked online or with telephone reservation agents. Under the company policy, customers were to be told their reservation was "confirmed" and that they would be called the day before their move with instructions on where and when to pick up their equipment. According to the suit, many customers were forced to wait hours or days and travel long distances for the pickup.

In his ruling, Stevens said U-Haul had used "the words 'confirmed reservation' in order to lock up customers as soon as possible and minimize the chances that customers are going to shop around."

U-Haul settles California class action [L.A. Times]
(Photo: PetroleumJelliffe)

• The commission hungry mindset of a car-rental agent
• How they're always trying to get you to do unnecessary upgrades
• How the cost of these upgrades are discretionary, and therefore, negotiable
• What a "deeker" is

But most of all, you will learn just how much, for at least this Alamo agent, you are his absolute adversary in his battle to get you spring for costly upgrades and beef up his bonuses.

6. IT'S A SALES JOB
First I'd like to let the cat out of the bag. Yes, we car rental agents do work for commissions! If we can get you to pay more for an upgrade, insurance, gasoline, a GPS, even an additional driver, we get a cut of the extra charges.

5. I HATE "DEEKERS"
At Alamo Rent A Car in [redacted], we are handsomely rewarded for good sales and punished if our sales are poor. The pressure this environment produces leads many of us to fine tune our skills to not only offer extras effectively and to have comebacks to all customer rejections, but to also be able to identify the customers in line as to whether they are buyers or decliners, which we call "deekers". When a customer declines everything you've offered, you've been "deeked". Get deeked enough times by a certain type of customer and you begin to feel resentment towards that group. Sometimes a customer can't be identified as a buyer or deeker until you see the state or country of the driver license. Evidently some states and countries produce more deekers than others. Deekers may at times be legitimate but often they are just cheap people.

4. CHEAP PEOPLE CAN'T FULLY ENJOY A VACATION
A typical example of a deeker is the young couple with two kids, a 3-year old and a 10-month old, on-line with strollers and packing their own child safety seats. He produces his license and credit card but she does all the talking. Offer them a more comfortable or fun vehicle than the sub-compact they have reserved and she will cut you off with a "no". She will also cut you off when you offer her the peace of mind that the insurance will give her or the convenience of prepaying for the gasoline at a discounted rate. Of course there's also a "no" to the GPS because she'll raise the stack of MapQuest printouts in her folder. Listening in silence is the helpless husband as he looks on while imagining driving a sporty SUV instead of the tiny economy car reserved. Enough of these deekers and you may find yourself working in the exit booth of the garage the following month. This punishment can cost you thousands of dollars!

3. TO ALL YOU DEEKERS
First of all, you wonder how this family can fully enjoy its vacation. They are staying in a cheap motel far from the theme parks. The couple's freedom to roam the theme parks with the kids and the strollers is limited. The kids are too young to have future memories of this trip anyway. You even wonder how this cheap couple is going to eat while on vacation. Are they going to smuggle peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into the theme parks to avoid paying the high priced foods there or are they just going to go hungry? Here's a suggestion to those of you that fit this customer profile, leave the kids at home! Leave them with grandma or Aunt Betty and enjoy your vacation! Let your husband drive the SUV he'd like or treat yourselves to a convertible! Wander the theme parks freely and enjoy greater intimacy in a nicer hotel located closer to the parks. You'll enjoy your vacation more and you will help me feed my family!

2. I AM ROLLING IN THE SCRIZZLE
I was a manager with Alamo and I quit to become a rental agent. Why? For the money. When I realized that the average rental agent was making far more than I was and agents didn't have to put up with the stress and responsibilities of management, I resigned. As a part-time agent, I am now making more than 3 times what I was making as a full-time manager! Aside from my modest $8 hourly rate, I'm receiving about $4000 a month during the low season in sales commissions alone! I can't wait for the high season to begin to see how much I'll be raking in. I'm not among the best sales agents but believe it or not, the better ones make six figures. Even some part-timers are earning six figures or close to it. So now you can understand how one too many deekers can have us assigned to the exit booth in the garage and cost us thousands.

1. I WILL CHARGE YOU FOR THE UPGRADE FOR WHATEVER PRICE I CAN GET AWAY WITH
AKA I LOVE BRITS
If we make so much money, obviously many customers are paying more for our extras. Thank you very much! In particular, we love our UK customers which we affectionately call "the Brits". When the Virgin and British Airways flights are in, the Alamo counter is full of agents. The Brits are fun folks and love upgrades. We Alamo rental agents have autonomy when it comes to the price of upgrades. There is a minimum which we must adhere to, usually $11 per day, but we can raise it to whatever we believe the customer is willing to pay. If the Brit wants an SUV instead of the midsize sedan reserved, we may charge him $11 more per day or maybe even $99 more per day. Even better, many Brits have long term rentals, 2, 3, 4 weeks or longer. The longer the rental, the better for us if the customer buys something. For instance, an upgrade of $49 per day for a 3-week rental equals a total of $1029. If the agent can average just one or two sales like this per day, he/she will get a 15% cut of the upgrade sales alone. For this one sale, that means $154.35 commission. Add 15% for all the upgrades for the month, plus say 12% of all the insurance sold, plus 4% for all the gasoline sold, plus 10% for all the GPS sold, and more for all the additional driver charges, and you've got yourself a pretty commission payout check for the month. Monthly commission payouts of over 10 and 15 thousand dollars are not uncommon to the top agents. Again, thank you very much to the buying customers, you are good sports.

(Photo: oliliqui)

Granted, Netflix only has about 6,000 movies available for download—but even if their library is missing some obscure or specialty titles, that's still not a bad price-per-movie if you watch a lot of flicks on your PC.

We hate to sound like a commercial for Netflix, a company this writer has hated and avoided since 2002 when I caught them throttling my rentals—and that craptastic 2006 "settlement" was even more offensive than TJX's offer to hold a "special sale" for its victims of identity theft. But hey, a deal's a deal, and $9 a month for unlimited movie and TV downloads is pretty sweet.

"Netflix Expands Internet Viewing Option" [Wired]

"I couldn't believe it," said Steven Dentali, who was charged the fee in October after renting a car from Dollar Rent A Car in Manchester, N.H. "I said to them, 'You're telling me I'm penalized no matter what? There's no way around me having to pay something?'"

That's precisely what the rental car agreement said. Here's the exact wording he received in his e-mail confirmation:

"Gasoline Policy: Vehicle must be returned with full tank or local refueling charge applies. If car is returned full a $2.00 top off fee will be applied."

When Dentali started asking questions, he said he was told that the fee was being test-marketed by Dollar at select locations in New England.

Dentali demanded a refund and was told he had to talk with a manager, who in turn told him to call Dollar's corporate offices. He did, and said he was promised a refund. But the $2 never arrived.

"I am unable to advise you as to whether or not this is a permanent policy or what the purpose is for it, but in an effort to regain your confidence in Dollar Rent A Car, I have requested a refund check in the amount of $2.16 to be forwarded to you from our accounting office. Please allow up to three weeks for processing and mailing."

At least it's cheaper than United's $50 fuel surcharge. Has anyone else seen and fought the top off fee? Send your experiences to tips at consumerist dot com.

Sneaky fee alert: rental car 'top off' [The Red Tape Chronicles]
(Photo: fabbio)

The boiler's been replaced and I've had consistent heat and hot water since xmas. Now i just have this unholy clanking coming from the steam pipe every morning b/t 3 and 5 am which jolts me from my bed in fear that its about to explode and take me with it. The super says hopefully it will get resolved this week.

And despite the fact that I'm fairly certain that, for my troublemaking, Dermot will either price me out of my apartment or fail to renew my lease come august, I can take some solace in the fact that the elderly people in my building now treat me like a local hero for getting Dermot to cave in a way they had never been able to.

(Photo: Marike79)

Dec 13th
On Monday, I returned home from work to discover an unexpected message from the city building inspector tucked under my door, stating that he had come to check on my heat and hot water, but that, since I wasn't home, he'd check things out in a neighboring apartment.

I had no idea what would come of this notice, but then two days later (this evening to be precise), another notice appeared under my door announcing that Dermot will be replacing our now infamously busted boiler next Monday...

Mind