Consumerist
coffee
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bad decisions
What To Consider Before Buying An Extended Warranty
The New York Times has an article about why consumers buy extended warranties for electronic products and other appliances, especially since we rarely have enough information at the moment of sale to make an informed decision. Here are three things to watch out for the next time you're buying some fun electronic device. More » -
what the dell
I Sent Dell My Laptop And All I Got Back Was This Stupid Hard Drive
Maybe Adam is being a bit unreasonable here, but when he sends in a laptop to be repaired he expects to receive not only the laptop's hard drive, but the entire computer. More » -
waiting
Dell Lies About Repairs, Ruins Vacation
Michael emailed us, and Dell, from a loaner computer while he's on a trip. His own laptop isn't working, and thanks to a steady stream of broken promises and incorrect information, now he's stuck without access to the software and development files he needs for his work. More » -
fleet maintenance
FAA Continues To Investigate American Airlines, May Charge Individual Mechanics
The FAA has been investigating American Airlines for a while now over allegations that it wasn't repairing its planes properly, and yesterday the Wall Street Journal reported that the agency may widen its investigation, and even bring charges against individual employees who signed off on substandard repairs. More » -
what the dell
Dell Slowly Sends Out Crappier Replacement Laptop
Yuriy's Dell laptop conked out last month, and so far the company has said "Dude, you're NOT getting a Dell" via its convoluted replacement process. All Yuriy has to show for the effort of trying to get the computer replaced is an inferior model. More » -
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sorta happy endings
Ryder Charges Guy $200 For Damages He Didn't Cause, Gives Money Back
It doesn't take much to please some customers. Patrick tells us Ryder charged him $200 for moving truck damages that already existed before he rented the vehicle. More » -
wii have a problem
UPDATED: Gamer Says Nintendo Will Now Fix Her Wii That It Broke
Last week we praised Nintendo and disparaged Sony for the way they handled reports from gamers that system updates broke their consoles. More » -
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above and beyond
Walmart Manager Is Super Helpful, Saves Dead TV
A few weeks ago, Kaleb wrote to us with a tale of television woe. The Polaroid TV he purchased at Walmart on Black Friday 2008 simply died, and Polaroid wouldn't perform warranty service without his receipt. All was lost, until a Walmart manager went above and beyond to save Kaleb from his defective television.
...Walmart? Above and beyond? That can't be right. Let's take a look at that email again. More »
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how to
So You Want To Sue The Company That's Screwing You Over
Jon wants us to recommend a good lawyer to sue HP for screwing him over on laptop repairs. We do not offer legal advice like that. We do, however, believe strongly in the power of small claims court. More » -
above and beyond
LG Electronics Offers Customer Amazing Service On Broken Plasma TV
If you owned an expensive TV that stopped working, and you were years out of warranty, you'd assume the manufacturer would have nothing to do with you, correct? LG doesn't play that game—Tim's experience with them when his LG set went kaput is a mind-blowing example of a company practically coddling its past—and almost certainly future—customers. More » -
happy endings
Walmart Responds, Fixes Ruined Transmission
We're not entirely sure Consumerist is responsible for Walmart finally getting back to Jeff on his ruined transmission—and frankly, because of the length of time between the incident and his complaint, as well as Walmart's reputation for silence on consumer complaints like this, we didn't expect much to happen at all. We were wrong, and we tip our hats to Walmart for making good on a very expensive mistake. Read Jeff's update below. More » -
vehicles
Mysterious Oil Change Ruins Transmission, But Walmart Won't Respond
Update: Walmart has responded!
Jeff's 2006 Toyota Tacoma is now sitting in his driveway sans transmission, because back in February someone massively screwed up an oil change:
More »Apparently, a mechanic mistakenly drained all of the transmission fluid out of the housing. After realizing their mistake, they filled up the transmission with a mysterious chocolate-milk-colored, burnt, foul smelling liquid. Like gear oil.
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melted butter
Kenmore Fridge Doubles As Easy-Bake Oven, Saves Valuable Space In Kitchen
It's good to have an Easy-Bake Oven around for those times when you want to serve a tiny, partially baked cake-like product to your parents or little sister. The last thing you want, though, is another appliance cluttering the counter. Kenmore has solved that problem with a built-in fridge model with light bulbs that stay on even when the door is shut—and explode when you try to unscrew them! Okay, the exploding glass part is maybe not so convenient. More » -
above and beyond
AppleCare Is An Extended Warranty Worth Buying
I asked Apple this morning to replace my broken laptop now that they've reintroduced the anti-glare option on their 15" MacBook Pros. Apple agreed, and soon a new laptop will leave China destined for my apartment. This isn't the first laptop Apple sent me this month. It's the second. Here's why... More » -
success stories
E.E.C.B. Forces Best Buy To Finally Replace Defective TV
It took an Executive Email Carpet Bomb to convince Best Buy to replace Bryan's Panasonic LiFi LCD Projection TV after it ate through four lamps. Bryan had purchased Best Buy's extended warranty, which contains a no lemon clause that promises a replacement after three failed repairs. Best Buy conveniently insisted that replacing the broken lamp did not count as a "qualified repair." Bryan first escalated his complaint through normal channels; when he had no other choice, he launched the mighty EECB. More » -
above and beyond
Slingbox Offers Fantastic Post-Warranty Service, Wins Customer's Love
After reading dozens of stories about companies doing whatever they can to get out of honoring a customer's warranty, it's a relief to find a situation which is the exact opposite of that. More » -
red ring around the xbox
Man vs. Eternally Broken Xbox 360: A Novel
Being a jaded Xbox 360 owner who's watched his console give up the ghost five times, it takes a lot for a tale of Microsoft customer service woe to move me. And yet a reader named Gower accomplished just that by sending a novel-length soliloquy about his maddening run through Xbox 360 hell. What follows is the Cliffs Notes version (grab your hankies): More »
