Readers and loyal Target shoppers Alexander and Gwendolyn were promised this coupon, and patiently waited for its arrival. And when we say "they waited," we mean they've already celebrated their first anniversary.

They finally resorted to contacting Target CEO Gregg "If you squint, I look like Alec Baldwin Tom Bergeron" Steinhafel.

Dear Mr. Steinhafel,

I am very sorry to bother you with what I feel should be a minor issue, however, I want you to know about the complete lack of customer service I have received from your company. I was engaged to be married in August of 2008, and when my now-wife asked where we should register, my first response was Target. I am a loyal Target customer, and have used your stores to buy for many friends who are now married, I have always enjoyed the experience. We registered several months before our wedding, and enjoyed scanning our items in the store, and adding items online. She was also happy about the fact that we would receive coupons to use in the store, and online, to purchase items we did not receive.

On July 25th we were married, and went off on our honeymoon. On August 5th she received an email indicating our 10% off coupon would soon arrive in her email. She anxiously awaited this email, but it never arrived. As soon as we returned from our honeymoon we searched through our mail, and had not received the expected in-store coupon either. She called our family members, since their addresses were also listed on our registry, and they had not seen anything. Finally in late August she called the Club Wedd help line and explained the situation. Unfortunately they were not helpful at all, and simply said we should wait longer for the coupons to arrive. In the meantime she continued to receive other emails from Club Wedd.

We waited and waited, and finally this weekend she called back to ask again. While waiting for help she was browsing our registry on your website, looking through the items we had hoped to buy from you. Once she spoke with someone they explained that the coupon had shipped in July, and if we had no received it they would do nothing to reissue it, unsatisfied with this answer she requested a supervisor, who repeated this information, then also stated that our registry was now expired. Immediately after saying this my wife switched pages in the browser and found our registry was now deleted. Not only would they not help us, now they were going to punish us!

Having worked in the telephone support industry, I explained to her that she should try again on Monday, since the weekend staff may not be actual Target employees, and maybe they cannot do anything to help us. I explained to her that we had to give Customer Service every chance we could to help us out. She tried again on Monday (10-26-09) at 11am and spoke with Darwin, who again stated he could do nothing about the discount we never received, but did manage to pull up a list of our registered items which he emailed to us. She then spoke with his supervisor Bruce, who also stated he would not reissue the discount, and then as she started to cry he simply hung up on her.

Today (10-27-09) I placed a call to your general support line and spoke with Victor, I explained the situation, and described why I did not want to speak to Club Wedd support, but simply general customer service. Victor was helpful but since he was not in that department he could not do much, so he transferred me to Stephanie in Refunds. I repeated the above to her, and she flatly stated that they would not do anything for me. I explained that I understood she probably could not help since she is in Refunds, and was not the department I requested. I repeated my request for a general customer service department. At the point Stephanie would simply repeat that they could not reissue the registry coupons since they were no longer in the system. I explained to Stephanie that I already had a copy of the registry, and this point all we needed was the discounts we had been promised. She simply repeated herself every time in response to me. At this point I explained to her that I have no interest in shopping in your stores until this issue is resolved, and I do not want you to lose me as a loyal customer over this, so please get me to someone who can help. She again repeated herself, so I told her at this point I would be escalating my story to any executive who will listen.

I am sorry about the length of this email but I wanted to provide you with all of the information I have. I have avoided your competition for almost 10 years now, and do all non-electronics shopping that I can in your stores. I would like to continue my relationship with your company, however, my wife and I are very upset with the way we have been treated. We have tried to follow all of the proper channels laid out by your company, and simply want to get what we were promised.

Thank you very much for your time,
Alexander and Gwendolyn

One day later, Alexander wrote back to Consumerist to tell us that the company had followed up:

I was pleasantly surprised just now to receive a phone call from Greg at Target, who not only arranged for my wife and I to visit a local store and get our 10% off, but thanked me for attempting to use proper channels first. They are also sending me a $25 gift card for our determination in getting this issue resolved.

Beautifully done! Enjoy your hard-earned 10%.

Have any other readers experienced issues getting or using their 10% off remaining registry items coupons?

RELATED:
This Target Coupon Is Made Of Lies
How Can We Determine Who Gave Us This $250 Wedding Present?
Target "Lied To Me, Yelled At Me," And "Treated Me Like Crap"

(Photo: stephen.butler)

So he fought back by filing in small claims court—and won $900, just over 75% of the computer's original purchase price back in 2007.

I bought a DV6000 laptop from HP in February of 2007. A little after a year of owning it, it died - no boot up at all, just a black screen and a series of beeps.

I called HP to see what they could do. You've probably received lots of emails from people with horror stories about this particular model. If you Google "DV6000," you'll see hundreds of people with complaints about the shoddy make of this model.

Because of all the problems (and to avoid a recall, I'm sure), HP extended the warranty on several models, including mine, to cover this specific problem. I think it was a motherboard failure - all I know is what the symptoms were. Long story short: HP fixed the laptop for free and were very, very good about it. Quick and easy - I loved HP a lot then.

Flash forward: July of 2009. The computer is a little under two and a half years old. Still a good laptop, what with Vista, a dual core processor, and 2 gigs of RAM, so when it died for a second time, I was dismayed. I spent $1,150 on this laptop expecting to get at least four full years of use out of it. I tend to overspend on computers because I want them to last. In fact, I still have a working laptop I bought in 2000 for $2,000, though it's so obsolete it's never used, and a desktop from 2005 still in everyday use. I called HP hoping they'd be as good as the last time the laptop died, especially since the symptoms were exactly the same. No dice.

Moving up the chain of customer service reps, I started at the lower rung. I was told the computer was out of warranty and it would cost around $300 to get it fixed. I questioned this, considering it had already been fixed for the exact same problem once before and back then it was free. Nope, I was told, the warranty is expired.

I asked to speak to a manager, who told me the same thing. I asked for the corporate number and, the next day, called in and spoke to someone at, quote, the "highest level" of customer service in HP. I could go no higher, I was told, after first being told there was nothing they could do: the fix was $300, despite it being the second round of repairs needed.

Well, this torqued me. I don't like getting ripped off, so the next day, I printed out and mailed in a small claims filing. I considered an EECB, but I was really steamed at the abruptness of the people at HP I talked to. North Dakota small claims are very simple and only cost $10 to file. The crux of my complaint: HP fixed the problem with the computer before, which from my research showed to be something endemic in the hardware of the system itself, a ticking time-bomb the computer shipped with straight off the factory line. By refusing to fix the problem they caused, after having admitted guilt before by repairing it, I was going to be damned if I paid them $300 to fix their own mistake.

The filing took a long time to process and mail because of a mistake I made. Looking up HP's registered agent in North Dakota (CT Corporation System), I served the papers through registered mail to them. Unfortunately, I put the name of their client, Hewlett Packard, on the envelope. CT Corporation Systems refused to sign, so I had to send the declined envelope back to the Clerk of Court in Burleigh County, where HP's registered agent has their address. The clerk of court sent me a letter saying I had to serve the papers to CT Corporation Systems instead of Hewlett Packard, meaning all I had to do was change the name on the envelope.

(I didn't really understand this, since CT is HP's registered agent and I'm suing HP. Wouldn't CT sign for something addressed to HP? But whatever... I readdressed the envelope and sent it off.)

Flash forward to this week: I received a call from Francesca from HP, who wanted to talk about the filing. She asked me about the computer and a few general questions. I mentioned my sister was using the laptop when it broke - she's a teacher and also used the laptop to talk with her husband, who was serving in Iraq when it quit working, leaving her without a computer for a week. We rush-ordered a nice Gateway computer later in the week after HP refused to help us out.

The most memorable part of the conversation involved Francesca mentioning (and I'm paraphrasing here) that, well, the computer is over two years old, you know? The subtext: laptops aren't going to last forever - why are you going to so much trouble over an old laptop?

My instant reply, which I'm very proud of: "Are you telling me HP's laptops are so crappy they won't last more than two years and I should just throw it away?"

That got her attention, and minutes later she offered to settle for 75 percent of the purchase price. I accepted, since that seemed fair - I had gotten use out of it, after all. Francesca even offered to round up to $900 even to cover mailing and filing costs I'd incurred.

She was very professional and polite and a credit to the company. I'm not sure how likely I am to buy another HP computer anytime soon, but the way she handled herself on the phone makes it much more likely. I know people with other HP laptop models that work fine, so I think the trouble associated with the DV6000 line and its brethren is a fluke. Still, HP screwed up by not fixing their own mistakes.

Right now, I'm waiting for the return shipping box Francesca graciously offered to send, as well as the settlement agreement. After I sign the papers, I'll send in a dismissal notice to the Clerk of Court, ending the matter for good.

Thanks, HP, for finally doing the right thing.

Barely a month ago, Consumerist suggested that an owner of the same exact model laptop file in small claims court, so it's great to see another reader who used this method with some success.

RELATED:
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So You Want To Sue The Company That's Screwing You Over

(Photo: wlodi)

A BoA executive contacted Minch to talk about her situation, her video, and her debts, and negotiated a 12.99% interest rate. The executive explained to her that her interest rate was hiked up to over 30% because of one missed payment. In 2008.

Interestingly, the bank has not asked her to stop her Internet activities or to take the video down. She plans further "debtors' revolt" activities in the future, and hopes to help other Americans in similar situations. As banks tighten their lending standards and are generally more cautious, this is a good thing for all credit card customers to keep in mind.

Minch's success came once she was able to make her case, rationally and calmly, to a person in a position of actual power. Minus the quarter million YouTube views, this is exactly what we encourage consumers who have been wronged to do. Don't sit and refuse to pay back your debts - fight back.

PREVIOUSLY: Customer Tells Bank of America To Stick Her Debt "In Your Bailout Pipe And Smoke It"

DEBTORS UPDATE: BANK OF AMERICA RESPONDS!!! [YouTube]
Red Bluff woman prevails in bank protest [Record Searchlight] (Thanks, Joe!)

Customer service was powerless to help him, and so he turned to Consumerist's site. He found the e-mail address of Chairman and CEO Kenneth Chenault, and sent off this message, CCing Consumerist:

Dear Mr. Chenault,

I am writing this letter from my hotel room in Mumbai this morning. I am here for business on a last minute trip, my company policy requires that we cover our costs for room and board and that is then reimbursed upon my arrival back home in Florida. I know there has been a growing trend of decreasing credit limits to the current balances on accounts, I don't have a problem with that per se, in fact if I could do without I would. Before leaving on my trip I made sure that I would have sufficient funds on my card to pay for my trip, I recently made a payment of cutting my balance nearly in half in hopes of getting on better footing.

My problem is this, day one in India, I awake to find an email saying my credit limit has been cut to my current balance. I requested a temporary increase, so that I would have money available for a hotel and food during my stay. Unfortunately, despite the woman who was very helpful and apologetic, she said that the department that makes such decisions would not be able to complete such a request as the decrease was based on a reason. That reason like so many is that my available credit limit in relation to my balances is too low. A lovely catch-22 when you are trying to get things under control, paying cards off only to have the limits again lowered and the ratio again decreased.

For the time being, until I can beg and borrow from family and get money deposited...I thank you personally and your company for leaving me stranded in India, with the added jab or a thank you and have a nice day at the end of my
customer service call.

A little sarcastic? Maybe, but who wouldn't be? We checked in with Kris to see how things turned out. His letter had the intended effect, though: a temporary restoration of his previous limit.

I did hear back from Executive customer service today (I think as my internal clock is all messed up). They have temporarily re-instated my limit for 30 days to cover the time I am on my trip...thanks I'm sure to having copied you all on the email. Luckily I had family I could beg from to cover me so I could check into the hotel, etc this trip—and their interest rate won't be nearly that of AMEX!

Thanks! and thanks to the consumerist that posted the email address! I managed to work around it but it could have been a godsend.

Very nice! At least the company let Kris know via e-mail before his card was declined somewhere and he was horribly embarrassed, but at least this e-mail got his balance restored.

Much like Shannon's Siberian odyssey, this story underlines the importance of traveling with a backup funding source of some kind—a different credit card, traveler's checks, or anything else usable in case your primary funding source goes awry.

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With no other options, he researched the e-mail addresses of the company's executive board and fired off a carefully crafted executive e-mail carpet bomb.

Dear Toys R Us Executive Committee,

My name is Seth M. and I am taking the unusual step of writing
you personally after having exhausting your normal customer service
options.

Back on July 6th I purchased a "Fast Lane Mutator" Radio Controlled
vehicle for my son. I paid $65.98 for it including sales tax. The
day after the purchase the main drive gear in the transmission
stripped out leaving us with an inoperable car. Inside the packaging
was a card telling us that in case of problems, not to return the toy
to the store but to e-mail, service_toysrus@yahoo.com. I did so and
quickly received an automated reply telling me that the address was no
longer good, thereby stripping me of that service option. I went to
the ToysRUs Website and after a little searching came up with a phone
number, 1-800-869-7787.

The guest relations staff at this number were very helpful, taking my
information and telling me that they would forward it onto the proper
people. They also gave me a case number [redacted]. About 15
minutes later, I received a call from another associate who was looking
to check my information and to gather some details that were missed in
my prior call. She told me that my problem would be forwarded to the
"Private Label Team", because the "Fast Lane" line of merchandise was
built as a Toys R Us house brand. She also said I should hear back
within 5 business days.

During the next two weeks I did not get a call.

Then, while my family and I were on vacation, I received a message from
someone, Daphne I believe, in "Corporate Guest Relations" requesting
that I return her call. We returned home August 8th and I was able to
call the number, 1-800-961-5984, on Monday the 10th. The associate
who answered said that they just wanted to let me know that my issue
had been forwarded onto the Private Label Team and that I should hear
back within three days. On Friday the 14th after hearing nothing I
called again to check up on the progress. I was told that they would
re-send it to the Private Label team and to expect to hear something
within 5 days.

It is now August 21st and another call was made. Again I was told
that they would re-send my case to the Private Label team. I asked
the associate if there were any other options for me as the sending of
my case to the Private Label team seems to have no effect. I was
given the name of Mr. Storch and the Corporate mailing address, with
the suggestion that I send him a letter.

This e-mail is the resultant letter.

Before moving on, I would like to tell you that at every step of the
way along your customer service chain, the men and women I spoke to
were polite and very willing to do whatever was in their power to help
me, this is commendable. However it seems that nobody I have spoken
to as of yet has the ability to actually resolve my issue.

My family and I often shop at ToysRUs, and would prefer to continue.
With our children it is definitely easier to have a toy in hand versus
a printout of a delivery confirmation. When I first started contacting
your company I was hoping to either receive a replacement part, or
vehicle. Unfortunately at this point I think that a full refund would
be the best way to resolve my problem.

I understand that it being late on a Friday, an immediate response may
be difficult. I look forward to hearing from you next week.

Thank you for your time,

Seth M.
[Phone number]
[E-mail address]

cc: http://www.consumerist.com

After reading his initial e-mail, we asked Seth how things turned out. The response to his EECB was immediate and quite impressive.

I wrote my initial e-mail on Friday evening. I received my first e-mail
reply from a member of the Toys R Us Executive Committee (the focus of my
e-mail) early Saturday morning. Shortly there after I was called by
Rachelle from Executive Relations who let me know that it being Saturday
there wasn't much that could be done until Monday. She did say that Toys R
Us would do whatever was needed to make things right. She said that a gift
card was the easiest for them but they could also mail me a check. She said
that she would call me on Monday to make all the arrangements. I told her
that a gift card would be fine.

I also received an e-mail from the Vice President of Operations Ms. Claire
Babrowski, letting me know that she would make sure everything was taken
care of.

Later Saturday Ms. Babrowski e-mailed me again after finding out that
Rachelle had already called me to arrange a resolution. Ms. Babrowski
wanted to make sure I was satisfied and asked that I keep her updated on the
status of everything. She also offered to, in addition to the gift card,
send my son a "zero gravity" RC toy to apologize for Toys R Us's failure.

I replied that my son would appreciate the toy and sent my address.

On Monday Rachelle called me to confirm my address for the gift card.

Tuesday morning the "apology" card arrived with a hand written apology from
Ms. Babrowski, much to my son's surprise and joy.

I as of yet have not received the gift card but have every expectation that
it is on its way.

I cannot thank the consumerist enough. It was via the various posts
regarding an EECB that I learned how to search for e-mail address formats
and how to write an appropriate concise letter. I did not expect such a
quick and complete response from Toys R Us.

What a great resolution! We're a bit concerned about the runaround Seth received when trying to replace the toy through regular channels, and hope that Toys R Us has taken this opportunity to fix the problems with their private label product support.

Do you have a customer service problem that can't be solved through the regular channels? Empower yourself with the information available here on Consumerist, starting with the Ultimate Guide To Fighting Back.

UPDATE: Seth just reported that he received a gift card for the total amount he paid for the car, plus $15.

The company wanted to repair their television, but Tavie and Gina wouldn't accept anything other than a refund, considering their experience with this particular television and Funai in general. They are, however, satisfied, and have ended the Boycott Funai campaign on Twitter. Tavie wrote to Consumerist:

The refund check was sent by Fedex and received on Tuesday. Gina has deposited the money. Oddly, Mr Guerrero [Louis Guerrero, Assistant Customer Service Manager at Funai USA -Ed.] still hasn't sent a box for us to return the tv, so we still have its corpse (which will soon be replaced with a Sony.) I've posted one last update on the Twitter page about the satisfactory resolution to our dealings with Funai.

If you have a problem with Funai that regular customer service can't resolve, here's who you can contact:

Level 2 Customer Service Hotline
Level2@funaiservice.com / (888) 290-0871

We're very glad to hear of their success! Thanks to Brandon, who provided the escalated contact information for the person at Funai who was able to help.

Here's what the rest of us can take away from this story. Tavie and Gina always interacted with Funai in a mature and professional manner. They always kept in mind the very reasonable things that they wanted from the company - either a new replacement television, or a refund of the original purchase price - and stood firm. Well done!

PREVIOUSLY:
Funai Knows TV Broke Under Warranty, Hopes You Go Away

Here's the letter Joe sent to Generac Power Systems concerning his backup generator's failure to work during a recent outage:

Dear Mr. Jagdfeld,

I am writing this to you to share my recent experience with one of your products.

I am the past owner of one of your standby generators (at a previous residence). While that unit was not trouble free, I recommended your products to family and friends, and installed one for my brother in 1999. When we built our new house in 2006, I decided to purchase your 13kw NG standby generator because of your reputation for quality and customer service. I liked the fact that it was made right here in Wisconsin.

Yesterday, however, when this like-new and meticulously maintained unit was called upon during a power outage, it failed to start. Upon investigation (in the rain) it became apparent that the starter had gone bad. I pulled the starter to examine it, and confirmed that this was in fact the problem. The 'nose' (countershaft support) casting had broken completely off, and the starter bearings were thoroughly worn so as to make even turning by hand difficult. In operation, the starter would chatter and get very warm.

In talking to one of your authorized dealers, I was told that this was a rare case, and that this did not normally happen. When I called your customer service department, both Andy and later Angie admitted that this should not have happened. On a unit that has been run only 10 hours on 2 occasions (besides its weekly exercise time), this was admittedly premature failure.

I have offered, both to Andy and Angie, to send pictures of the casting failure in order to let them judge whether or not this was something that merits their attention. Both declined, and said Generac would not help me in this situation.

So there you have it. The starter failed. Only two conclusions can be reached: either the customer is at fault, or the starter manufacturer is at fault. Since the expected life cycle of the starter is significantly greater than the 150 or so times it has been used (admitted by your two agents and your authorized dealer), that leaves only the manufacturer at fault.

The question, then, is: why won't Generac stand behind their product? I realize that I am beyond the warranty period (by less than a year), and that Generac needs to have a set warranty period in order to limit liability in cases of customer abuse, and even normal wear-and-tear. This, however, is neither of those.

Mr. Jagdfeld, I own older cars, and have a good understanding of mechanical failure. Your own agents and dealer admitted that this was premature, and should not have happened. What I would ask, then, is for Generac to provide me with a new starter (Generac Part # 0E9323) in order to make up for the defective one. I am happy to provide the old one for your examination, if you want to examine it. I will take care of the installation.

Even though we went without power for 10 hours overnight because of the failure of the unit, I would like to look at this as an unusual event, and confirm my faith in Generac products. I am hoping you will do the right thing here, so that I can continue to recommend Generac to friends and family, and rate them highly on the internet sites I visit.

Sincerely,
Joe

This is a great case study of how to write a level-headed, smart EECB that makes a sound argument in favor of the customer:

• He describes his past relationship with the company and illustrates the value he's brought to that relationship, both by being a repeat customer and by bringing in other customers.
• He also clearly explains the problem in a logical way that never resorts to emotional appeals. The unit shouldn't have failed, especially since he was a model owner who did everything by the book.
• He acknowledges that they have a sound business reason to enforce their warranty restrictions—but that this is an exceptional case and therefore an exception should be made.

We're not sure such a reasonable letter will work in every case, since you sort of need a level-headed person on the other end who can recognize your value as a customer, but here's at least one example where it worked.

Bryan writes:

About 18 months ago I purchased a new HDTV from Best Buy and also purchased the extended service plan (stupid I know, but this was before I started reading Consumerist). I purchased this specific TV because the light source was supposed to last for 5 years and even came with a 5yr warranty. Well, as it turns out the light didn't last nearly 5 years. It conked out after 6 months. I thought maybe it was just a bad part so I spent about a month in the Geek Squad repair cycle and had it replaced. The TV worked great for about another 6 months, when the light source died again. I again went through the Geek Squad repair maze and about a month later the TV was fixed. This time the light source broke within 1 week of the repair. Ok, I was irritated before but now I am getting mad. Luckily this time I was on vacation and the TV was repaired before I got back home. Another 6 months later and the light source broke for the 4th time.

I decided to contact Best Buy and request a replacement under their "no lemon" clause of the extended warranty. After all I have had 4 failures of the TV and that is what it takes under the policy to get replaced. To my dismay, but not unexpected, a Best Buy CSR left a message on my cell phone denying my claim. He said the light source was not a qualified part under the policy. The next day I called Best Buy to investigate the denial. The CSR I spoke to repeated that the light source was not a qualified repair. Knowing I would not get anywhere I immediately asked to speak with a supervisor. I very much thought my call would get disconnected right then but to my surprise a supervisor was on the line in less than a minute. I went back and forth with him for about 10 minutes about the policy and why it should qualify. Needless to say he would not budge from the "not qualified" line so I ended our conversation.

This is when I decided to take The Consumerist's advise and write an EECB to Best Buy. Less than 24 hours later I was contacted by the Executive Relations Specialist. She said that she would be looking into my issue and would contact me soon. To my complete shock and amazement the Executive Relations Specialist contacted me less than a week later and said that my replacement had been approved. She supplied me with an exchange number to take to any Best Buy to get a new TV. I can even use the original purchase price as credit towards a different TV.

Below are the email that I sent to the Best Buy Executives and their responses. Thanks Consumerist!

Bryan sent one of the better EECBs we've ever read. It's clear, direct, and earns the reader's sympathy. He wrote:

I would like to begin by thanking you for taking the time to read my letter and for taking the necessary steps necessary to resolve my situation. Please know that I am not taking writing to you directly lightly. I have tried to resolve my issue through both Geek Squad and Best Buy customer service on many occasions. Being unable to resolve my issue through normal channels I feel that I have no other option but appeal to you directly.

I have been a loyal Best Buy customer for many years and am a Preferred Silver member of your Reward Zone program. I have been very pleased with the level of customer service that I have received from your stores, until now. My story begins when I bought a 56" Panasonic LiFi LCD Projection TV on January 3, 2008 along with the Performance Service Plan #XXXXXXXXX (a copy of the receipt is attached). I selected this specific television because both Best Buy and Panasonic claimed that the LiFi light source in the television had an expected life of 20,000 hours and "lasts so long you may never need to change it."

Sadly, over the year and a half that I have owned the TV is has fallen vastly short of living up to its claims. Only six months after purchasing the TV the LiFi light source on went out and needed to be replaced. Approximately six months after that the LiFi light source failed again requiring another replacement. This time the LiFi light source only lasted a single week before it went out again and needed another replacement. Just recently, the LiFi blight source failed again and requires another replacement. This is the fourth time in a year and a half that the LiFi light source has failed and needed replacement (receipts for all repairs are attached). During the last service call the Geek Squad technician conducted a performance test on the TV to verify that no other components were causing the problems. He established, and verified with Panasonic, that there were no other problems with the TV causing the LiFi light source to fail.

At this point I contacted Best Buy customer service to fail a claim under the "No Lemon" policy of the PSP for a replacement TV. The representative who took my claim was very helpful and told me a confirmation number would be sent in 3-5 business days that can be used to obtain a replacement. However, instead of a confirmation number a representative named "Brian" called me on 7/3/09 to inform me that my claim had been denied.

On 7/7/09 I contacted Best Buy customer service again to inquire as to why my claim had been denied. I first spoke with "Chava" who informed me that a technician had determined that the TV was repairable and therefore not eligible for replacement. Upon hearing this I asked to be transferred to a manager for further clarification. I then spoke with "Matt" who I spoke with for 20 minutes regarding my situation. During our conversation Matt gave several contradictory excuses for why my TV was not eligible for a "No Lemon" replacement. Below I will discuss each of Matt's arguments separately.

1) Matt: If the technician determines the TV to be repairable then it does not have to be replaced.

a. Under the PSP is specifically states "After three qualified (3) service repairs have been completed on an individual product and that individual product requires a fourth qualified (4th) repair, as determined by us, we will replace it with a product of comparable performance of like kind and quality not to exceed the original purchase amount." The PSP does not give the option to continue repairing the TV after the 4th repair. It only gives the option for replacement.

2) Matt in response to above: The LiFi light source is not a qualified repair as it is a "consumable part" because it is a "bulb."

a. The LiFi light source is not a consumable part as defined by the PSP. It does not have electrodes that deteriorate with time like a traditional projection bulb. It is designed to not be consumable and last the life of the TV.

b. The LiFi light source is not considered a "bulb" in other parts of the PSP, and therefore should not qualify as such under the "No Lemon" policy.

i. The PSP states that it will only "One (1) bulb replacement for DLP, Projection LCD TVs and Home Theater Projectors of your original bulb during the term of this plan" will be approved."

ii. However, the LiFi light source has already been approved for replacement under the PSP three times. This shows that the LiFi light source is not considered a "bulb" under the PSP.

Needless to say, Matt was not able to resolve my issue with the perpetually broken TV which is why I am writing to you. Over the past year and a half that I have owned the TV it has been broken and inoperable approximately 20% of the time. In order to get the TV repaired I have taken 4 full days off of work to be available for the Geek Squad service technician. These constant repairs have cost me a great deal of lost income and entertainment time; time and money that should never have been lost if the TV was not a "Lemon."

The bottom line is that the TV is not living up to the claims made by Best Buy and Panasonic when I purchased it. The LiFi light source in the TV has failed four times in the past year and each time needed to be replaced. I purchased the additional Performance Service Plan to protect me from this exact situation but am now being denied my rights under the agreement.

I ask that you please look into my situation and rectify the egregious error. I am not asking for anything more then what is rightfully owed to me under the PSP; a replacement of the faulty TV through the "No Lemon" policy of the PSP. I would even be willing to accept a refund of the original purchase price of the TV in the form of a Best Buy gift card so I can purchase a replacement myself.

Again, I thank you for taking the time to read my letter and address the issues that are raised within it. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at xxx-xxx-xxxx or email address.

An executive resolution specialist responded with a promise to look into his case:

Good morning Bryan,

I wanted to reach out to you surrounding the email you had sent to a few of our executives and leadership yesterday afternoon. Please allow me to address your concerns on their behalf.

I am truly sorry to hear about the number of times the LiFi light has had to be replaced within your Panasonic LiFi Projection TV in the last

18 months or so. I can understand your disappointment and I regret the inconvenience these issues must have caused. Normally, projection lights are considered bulbs/lamps which although may be covered under your Plan, does not count toward No Lemon.

However I would like to take the opportunity to partner with the local leadership to see what resolution we may be able to offer. I will reach back in touch with you again soon.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns in the mean time.

Respectfully,

Nichol Mathis
Executive Resolution Specialist

She quickly followed up with an offer to replace the defective television:

Hello Bryan,

I wanted to reach back out to you. I received an email late yesterday advising me that we were able to approve your TV for exchange. Your confirmation number is xxxxxxx.

You may go to the store immediately to have the exchange performed.

Please be sure to bring your confirmation number and receipt if possible. If you no longer have a copy of the receipt then you can refer to your Customer Service Pin which will allow the store to locate the transaction. The pin is xxxxxxxxxx.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Kind regards,

Nichol Mathis
Executive Resolution Specialist

Learn how to launch your own EECB by reading this post.

(Photo: The Joy Of The Mundane)

NAF provided arbitration services for Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Discover Card, and American Express.

Minnesota's Attorney General, Lori Swanson, is using the win to put pressure on another arbitration company that's currently trying to build up its credit card arbitration business:

Swanson says she is also sending a letter to the American Arbitration Association, an NAF competitor that has been trying to build its credit-card arbitration business. The letter, which makes no allegations of bias, asks the AAA to exit the business because most consumers don't realize they must use arbitration, rather than going through the courts, as part of credit-card contracts, the AG says. "I am asking the AAA to show some leadership," Swanson says. AAA General Counsel Eric Tuchmann says he wasn't prepared to comment on the AG's proposal until he saw a copy of the letter.

"Big Arbitration Firm Pulls Out of Credit Card Business"

RELATED
"Minnesota Attorney General Punches National Arbitration Forum In The Face"

On January 15th, I weighed 344.2 pounds. As of July 8th, I weigh 243.8 pounds. I've lost 100.4 pounds in the last 6 months by eating moderately (portion control) and exercising. I've gone from a 4XLT shirt and size 48 pants to wearing XL and size 38 pants. I no longer have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, or back problems. Here's how I did it.

Counting Calories

You need to use more calories than you bring in to lose weight – this creates a calorie deficit. Once you have created a deficit of 3,500 calories, you'll lose 1 pound. Most "experts" advise that you should only lose a pound or so a week, which would require you to have a daily calorie deficit of 500 pounds.

I obviously didn't heed this advice; I thought it was more dangerous to weigh 344 pounds than to lose an extra few pounds a month, but however much weight and how quickly you'd like to lose it is up to you.

To calculate a calorie deficit, you can find out how many calories you're consuming by reading the nutritional labels found on all food packaging. Most restaurants also post nutritional information, but please know that these figures are believed to be drastically underestimated.

It's a little bit harder to estimate the calories you're using in your various daily activities. To get an idea on how many calories you're burning, take a look at one of the many "calorie calculators" available on the web. It is said that the numbers presented by these calorie calculators are skewed a little, but you should still be able to use them as a rough guide as you start your weight loss program.

Physical Activity

I go to the gym at least 5 days a week. Not only do I go to the gym, but I also incorporate a lot of other physical activity into my life like basketball. It's hard some days forcing myself to go to the gym, but it's absolutely mandatory if you're otherwise sedentary all day at an office job.

With that being said, the gym isn't the only or even ideal option for physical activity. If you can burn calories on a daily basis by doing something that's fun and social, like basketball, swimming, walking with the family, etc., you'll be more likely to stick to it.

Any physical activity is good; just make sure you do it every single day. You can take days off of the gym, just don't take days off from being active. Do something to elevate your heart rate daily.

Food & Diet

The thing I hated about past diets is that they're all or nothing thing. Diets give you one cheat meal a week and the rest of the time it's "no sugar" or "no carbs" or some other nonsense. I don't want to pass up going out for pizza with the family on Friday nights for the rest of my life because of a diet. Diets are designed to restrict your life, which is why I didn't lose 100 pounds on a diet. In fact, it was lost by eating cheeseburgers, fries, and bacon on a weekly basis – albeit in moderation. I do certainly try to eat more fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods, but I know that it's fine to eat what I want when I feel like it as long as I limit the portions and make sure I'm not gluttonous. If I do really want to loosen the belt so to speak one day, I'll make sure I play a little longer on the basketball court or stay at the gym that night a few extra minutes to burn more calories than usual.

This plan worked for me and hopefully it'll work to some extent for you!

- Tyler, 344pounds.com

PREVIOUSLY: Blogger Loses 54.6 Pounds In 10 Weeks
Losing 32lbs In 6 Weeks. Just 68 To Go

I wanted to share a phenomenal success story I just recently had with Bank of America and those pesky overdraft fees.

To start with I want to acknowledge that I was 100% in the wrong in this case, but the variables were blown to mammoth proportions. I just recently moved into a new apartment and had written the check to my landlord on the 30th of May or so. I thought that he had cashed the check and I still had quite a bit of money left over which was great because I had a great many essentials I had to buy for my new/first apartment. Cleaning supplies, shower curtain, rental van etc. Unbeknown to me at the time my new landlord cashed the check on Friday and I was shopping for said essentials at various stores.

The weekend went off without a hitch moving wise and I was happy in my new place. I go to check my account on Monday to find that I was about 300 dollars overdrawn, mostly smaller transactions and that there were more on the way. Needless to say I was a bit distraught and the small purchases I had made started to rack up all incurring 35 dollars a pop.

So I decided to call Bank of America to see what my options were and possibly contest a few. Long story short, they were unwilling to do anything.

The next day I decided that I was going to go in to a branch and close my account to prevent my direct deposit from going in so I could avoid having to pay the total amount outright and be better able to pay my mid monthly bills. It was a no go, I couldn't close an account that was in the red and once again they were unwilling/unable to help me in any way.

More transactions went from pending to over drafted. All told I ended up with 15 overdraft fees amounting to $525 in fees alone. A hefty sum to be sure.

Being an avid reader of the Consumerist for a couple years or so, I remembered the notion of an executive email carpet bomb (recent article as well). So I set about crafting the email explaining the situation, stating that I have no problems with overdraft fees on large purchases but 37 dollars for a coffee from Dunkin Donuts was a bit much to swallow.

A bit nervous I hit send and began the waiting game, to no avail. Today while at work I received a call from an unknown number, figuring that it was a credit collector hearkening my financial downward spiral I ignored it. They left a message though and curiousity got the best of me. A pleasant man named George from the office of the CEO had left a message notifying me the fees were to be removed and he left a number for me to call. I immediately called after that and spoke to him for about 5 minutes telling me about the notification systems they have available to me and a little bit of light lecturing.

I just checked my account and the fees were indeed returned. Needless to say a large weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

See what a polite, well-crafted letter can do?

Go here to learn how to craft and launch your very own Executive E-mail Carpet Bomb.

(Photo: jamisonjudd)

Alison writes:

I know Jiffy Lube gets a bad rap but I've never had any problems with them and have been taking my car in for regular oil changes there for years. That is until a few weeks ago when my husband took our '94 Corolla in for an oil change at a local Madison, WI Jiffy Lube before a big trip. They suggested flushing the transmission fluid. I don't think we'd ever looked at the transmission fluid and we figured it could use some attention, so my husband agreed. The next day we drove to Chicago to visit my parents before driving on a few days later to Louisville, KY for a wedding. My mom immediately noticed something leaking under car. We were able to get our car in to see a mechanic who told us that the transmission drain pan plug was completely stripped and we were just a bump or two away from losing it, losing our transmission fluid, and having catastrophic car damage. He repaired the damage and we were on our way, although miffed about all the money we just spent. When we finally returned home I drafted a complaint email and submitted it via Jiffy Lube's website. I actually submitted several emails over a period of about a week because we never heard back from them, or so I thought. We did find out later that they were trying to contact us via our landline phone fairly regularly (we don't use it and it's not hooked up to an answering machine). Their phone calls were showing up as Heartland Automotive and after reading about car warranty robo-callers on your site we didn't answer, thinking it was one of them. Doh!

Another couple weeks go by and I start getting ready to craft an EECB. I do some research and find that Jiffy Lube's CEO, Rick Altizer, has done a YouTube video on Jiffy Lube's commitment to service which lists his email address. I also find out that my Jiffy Lube is actually owned by Heartland Automotive Group "America's Largest Jiffy Lube Franchisee." The email addresses for CEO's at Heartland Automotive Services were relative easy to find with a Google search. I sent my email out and that night we get a call (coincidentally or not) from the manager of the Jiffy Lube store (this time we realize who's calling from Heartland Automotive and pick up the phone). He was polite and spoke with my husband about the situation with our car. Not surprisingly they denied all damage and gave an excuse that is too lame to repeat here. After confirming with our mechanic that his excuse made no sense, I re-sent the EECB with a follow-up regarding the phone conversation and expressing my continued disappointment with how the situation was being handled. That was this morning and by this afternoon I had a reply email from the CEO of Heartland Automotive Services assuring me that they were taking this matter seriously and apologizing for what happened. They also will be reimbursing me for the original transmission fluid flush, the repair for our car (that's about $250 total) and throwing in a coupon for a free oil change. I've already had someone contact me about getting the reimbursement rolling. I couldn't be happier with their response to this matter.

Thanks Consumerist for helping empower me as a consumer—EECB's totally work!

Learn how to craft your own Executive Email Carpet Bomb by reading this post.

(Photo: Gregg Sperling)

He tried sending a certified letter. He contacted the credit reporting agency to dispute the delinquency claim, and he ended up being sent back to BoA's credit dispute department, where they refused his request. Finally, all other channels exhausted, he resorted to the following Executive Email Carpet Bomb (EECB).

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing today to express my frustration in the lack of help I've been receiving from the associates at Bank of America. I've been in constant contact with your Credit Card Customer Service department about an on-going issue for the past few months along with sending certified letters (see below for tracking info) for someone to help me. Because of the lack of notes each associate has taken on my record, each call to Customer Service is always new adventure. Another result of the lack of notes is that no associate believes anything I say and are quick to note, "well we don't have a record of that" which allows them to offer minimal help. It came to a point where I called on 6/18/09 asking for help and was told "there is no help and there's nothing I can do." I can't express how embarrassing it is to call your customer service, explain my situation, and then be treated as if I were irresponsible and, basically, shown the door.

I have multiple products with Bank of America including a checking account and 2 credit cards and have contemplated moving more accounts over to take advantage of some of your other products. I have been a member since my accounts were MBNA back in 1999. That's ten years of loyalty. But I am writing to talk about credit card account [redacted] which I used as my secondary credit account in the event my primary Bank of America card had any issues.

Since I used my primary card so much, it got to a point where no card readers would accept it. So I put in a call to Bank of America for a new card and used my secondary card (which carried a $0 balance) until my primary card was replaced. Since I'm also a heavy user of the BankofAmerica.com website, I enjoyed checking my statements and paying my bills online. I noticed the account-in-question was not attached to my online profile and a point came where I was not receiving a statement to pay off the account. I called Customer Service and after a couple hours of back and forth with your tech department and other managers, they were able to return with "an issue linking old MBNA accounts/profiles that were transferred during the buyout". The customer service agent said that they were going to work on the online problem, but until then, a statement was definitely on the way.

Time passed, and I still didn't get a statement. So I called Customer Service again and was told that the statement was already sent and to wait a couple days and call back again if it doesn't show up. So I waited, no statement, and I call customer service again. The new agent I spoke to was confused as I tried to explain my situation, again, that my account was not attached online, your tech department was working on it, I'm not receiving statements, and I have no way to pay my bill. The customer service agent said I can pay over the phone but there was a fee. I asked if she can waive the fee considering all the issues and she told me she could not do that. So I said I'll wait another week for the statement since the agent ASSURED me one was on the way.

Time passes, again, no statement. I jumped on my BankofAmerica.com account and the account in question had Finally attached to my profile. I was relieved because I really didn't want to call customer service again over this issue. BUT, I had to… The account was past due and late fees were tacked on… I called and had to explain the story again, and of course I get "there's no record of any of that" and that I needed to be more responsible. Obviously I'm trying to be responsible, which is why I have been calling. But the agent politely apologized for the inconvenience and waived all the fees to the account and stayed on the phone with me as I completed an online payment to the account. I was VERY happy with how the situation ended (or so I thought) and we proceeded to close the account since I still was not receiving statements.

I recently ordered a pre-approval for a mortgage refinance and received my credit report. I noticed a flag on my credit report for the account in question. After the constant communication with customer service, the issues with the web site, not receiving statements, an admitted "issue with previous MBNA profiles/accounts" and not to mention the 10 years of loyalty with absolutely no blemishes, I cannot understand how this account was reported as a "delinquent account."

I wrote letters to the 3 main credit bureaus (certified mail), a letter to Bank of America (see tracking info below), and, again, called Bank of America customer where I was greeted with "I don't have a record of any of that" but will put in a "request" to the Credit department to review the account (April 22, 2009). A few weeks later I received responses from the 3 credit bureaus all stating, "We have verified that Bank of America did in fact report this account. All disputes should be resolved through Bank of America." That's fine, but I had yet to hear anything from Bank of America from the letter and dispute I requested.

June 17, 2009.

I decided to call again to see what steps were being taken on my account where, again, I was greeted with "I don't have a record of any of that except that we closed the account and a dispute was generated by our customer service department." So I again repeated the entire story in which the agent told me "we already made a decision and we will not be removing the delinquent notice from your credit report." I asked who else I can speak to but was told "there is no one else." I don't buy it, there's ALWAYS someone to talk to. I didn't ask to speak to a CEO, just to someone who can help me and who would listen to my side of the story.

I was then told "Sir, there is no one else to talk to, we've made our decision. From what i'm reading, you were late and you disputed this."

Even after explaining the story and all the issues again, and being told that there is absolutely no one else I can discuss this with, I asked, "So where is the letter I sent you explaining the situation? Did anyone review it?"

"I don't have a record of that," your associate responded.

I respond, "Well, I have a record that I sent you a letter, and I have a record stating you received it, so why isn't THAT recorded in your notes, and why hasn't anyone responded? If you guys record every contact you receive from us, why hasn't anyone contacted me" (see tracking info below)

"I'm sorry sir, that may be on another recording system."

SERIOUSLY?? Another recording system?? So are all my other online issues and phone calls also on another recording system?

We again went back and forth about how many other people there are at Bank of America and I, in no way, can speak to any of them.

I asked how the last customer service associate put in the dispute I requested by phone. "There is a form we fill out," he said.

I asked if its just "Check off your issue" and then fill out an explanation, or just copy/paste my account number and then push send.

"No, I fill out your account and then select ‘would like to dispute' and send it in."

Any employee can look at an account and see the person was late and say "we won't fix it." But that wasn't the case with mine. I wanted to speak to someone. I wanted someone to read my letter. I wanted someone to HELP me. SPEAK to me. GIVE me the respect of explaining what was going on over there... I even went out of my way to write a full letter requesting help as well as attached a copy of my FULL credit report with the issue highlighted to make the issue for your associates as simple as possible upon receipt.

Now, I understand mergers can be stressful, I also understand mistakes happen, I am also VERY forgiving when it comes to mistakes, but, constantly being told that it's my fault, "we don't have a record of that," "we can't do any more for you" and "there's no one else that can help you" is UNACCEPTABLE. I've been extremely patient with your staff, I have never yelled at them, never cursed at them, and have tried to uphold as much professionalism as I can muster. But this has gone TOO far. 10 years of loyalty, 10 years of being in "good standing" and an issue I had NO control over arises and I get screwed over with absolutely no help from anyone.

I've hit a dead end and would like some help from somebody. A manager, a district manager, someone who will actually take the time to listen to me and review my situation without looking at the lack of notes and saying "we don't have a record of that."

I included my contact information below and am available, at any time, to discuss this matter.

Your kindness in this matter would be GREATLY appreciated.

Sincerely ,
Andrew

Whew, that was long! But it was a long story, and a frustrating one. We were especially annoyed by how, as time went on, Bank of America used its own institutional amnesia to justify blaming Andrew for a series of mistakes made on their end. What's the point of having a "notes" section on an account, and of repeatedly referring to it, if your CSRs aren't actually using it correctly?

The good news is that the EECB had the desired effect. Andrew wrote back to us this morning,

The day I sent the email (Friday), an executive named Nereida called me from the office of Ken Lewis. She was extremely polite and seemed to really care about how I felt with getting a dead end in the customer service I should have received. She was prepared with a list of names of managers ready to work with me. But she did NOT send me on a calling spree. She had already put in calls to these people, but since it was Friday night at 730pm, everyone here on the east coast was gone for the day. So she said she would call me first thing Monday morning and keep me informed on any updates she received, and again apologized for not receiving more attention.

I received a call from Nereida this morning at about 10:30am and she conference-called me with Myron who worked out of the Consumer Credit Affairs division. Myron told me that they would be removing the alerts from my credit report. He also told me that he did see a couple reasons as to why I may not have recieved a statement and because of that, and along with all the details I had given, he saw no reason not to remove the alerts on my credit report.

The lesson here is that the EECB still can work, if you have a good reason to send it. As Andy points out in his summary below, it really pays to exhaust your other options first. When you launch and EECB you should be able to explain how you were blocked from a solution at every other customer service path in the company first.

Originally, I thought that my EECB would be a lost cause. Even fall on deaf ears... But thanks to Nereida's kindness and swift action, she helped to make my issue go away in less than 2 days.

To the readers of The Consumerist, the EECB works, but PLEASE do not abuse it. I exhausted every resource including numerous phone calls to customer serivce, secure emails from my bankofamerica.com account, and even resorted to Certified Mail with the USPS, which I feel was the biggest help in my case.

(Photo: Indigo Goat)

Happily, my story ends with no drama. I went to the Springfield, IL BestBuy and went straight to the customer service counter when we wanted to check out. Gail had indeed never seen such an anachronism, but she handled it without a complaint. She had to bring in another representative, but they immediately gave me the credit on my purchase and planned to sort out the accounting later.

A good story to tell is certainly worth $40, but I'm nonetheless pleased Best Buy honored the gift certificate without grousing.

"No drama" isn't what usually makes for a good post here on Consumerist, but we're happy that this worked out all around. Now we're going to go dig through old Christmas and birthday cards for overlooked scraps of paper.

"Will Best Buy Accept A Gift Certificate That's 12 Years Old?"

He wrote:

I have been a Time Warner cable and internet customer since 2006. I recently began shopping around for service from your competitors in the area to compare pricing. I went to your site and viewed your current prices and realized that your standard bundle of digital cable and Roadrunner Standard was $10.00 cheaper than what I have been paying for the last two years and this is not a promotional price. This lower price has been in effect since 2007.

I called your customer service number, waited for a CSR for 40 minutes, and explained the issue. My request was simple: Correct the billing to reflect the regular bundled rate, upgrade my internet service to Roadrunner Turbo ($10.00 more) and credit me the overcharges for 1/2 the time it occurred. I am willing to split the difference. In addition, I will remain a customer and add a premium service. I think this is a more than reasonable request. The CSR placedme on hold to ask her supervisor who declined and offered to correct the billing as of today and credit me the previous 3 months in overcharges. The CSR offered to let me speak to the supervisor and Suzanne came on the line. Suzanne's reply to my offer was "This is not Let's Make a Deal".

I found this to be extremely rude. Throughout the course of the phone call, she repeated this statement on two more occasions even after I mentioned to her that it was rude. I am an avid reader of The Consumerist and used the email address your company provided to them for problem resolutions. I have had a nice relationship with your company for the last three years and I want to give you one more chance before I cancel, and do business elsewhere.

Here is my current pricing:

Digital Cable with HDTV Tier: $50.95
Road Runner Standard: $46.95
Additional Tiers: Variety: $5.00
Equipment: HD DVR: $6.50
DVR Service Charge: $10.00
Multi-Product Discount: -$5.00
Total: $114.40

Here is your pricing for this bundle since 2007:

SURF N' VIEW: $82.95
Digital Cable with HDTV Tier (included)
Road Runner Standard (included)
Additional Tiers: Variety: $5.00
Equipment: HD DVR: $6.50
DVR Service Charge: $10.00
Total: $104.45

I request that you credit me for 1/2 of the overcharges since your new pricing took effect. In return, I will remain a loyal customer, upgrade to Roadrunner Turbo and add a premium service. Thank you for your time.

He fired his EECB on a Saturday evening. By Monday morning, the price of his service had been corrected, and he had a $240 credit on his account.

To learn how to launch your own Executive Email Carpet Bomb, read this post.

(Photo: dan taylor)

Ryan sent the following to the members of Bank of America's board:

Good Morning,

My name is [redacted], and I have been a loyal Bank of America customer for many years now. In fact, I opened my first checking account with Fleet Bank, which as you know, now has become part of the Bank of America family and has been for some time.

I have always been a great proponent of Bank of America. It seems no matter where I am, both in-country and abroad at times, there is always a Bank of America somewhere nearby for all my banking needs. The customer service at the branches has been exemplary most times, with a knowledgeable and helpful staff on hand.

Recently, upon logging into the Bank of America website, I have discovered I have a total of nine over draft penalties incurred on my checking account. While I generally accept one or two overdraft fees can be the fault of the customer, I fail to see how nine overdraft fees resulting in $315 being deducted from my account can be seen as acceptable.

I am switching jobs in June, and need to setup a new direct deposit for a checking account. I would hate to have to close my account with Bank of America and move it to a competitor. I really enjoy your online banking system and the responsiveness and amiability of your staff and do not wish to discontinue my service with you.

I hope you understand I simply cannot afford to lose this $315, and I hope you feel like you cannot afford to lose a loyal customer.

Thank you for your time.

He later added:

This was sent Wednesday, May20, 2009. Today, May 22, 2009, I received a phone call from Nancy Condos with Ken Lewis' office. She said she was going to refund all nine over draft fees, as well as let me know why these fees occurred. She was professional , courteous, and very respectful. All in all, the conversation lasted maybe four minutes, and upon logging into my BoA account I see a credit for $315.

Learn how to write your own Executive Email Carpet Bomb by reading this post.

(Photo: old defeatism)

I wanted to share a small but meaningful customer service success story I owe in part to you. As has become increasingly common in recent weeks and months, I received notice from American Express notifying me that my credit limit was being slashed from $3,200 (I'm a college student with little income) to $1,000. Not a huge deal, but still an unnecessary blow to my credit score. I received the e-mail notice on 4/26 and called immediately to find out why and to learn what my options were in terms of challenging the decision. I was transferred to an "account specialist" but between the accent and less-than-stellar support provided I suspect it was just typical outsourced off-hours junk support.

The woman ran through a list of reasons why I had my limit reduced, none of which, it seemed, applied to me at all. My credit situation has not changed much in the past year, if anything, it has improved. I never make payments late, and I never carry a balance. Sensing my growing frustration and knowing she had no power to get what I wanted done, the woman says, and this is close to a direct quote "Well sir, I'm looking at your account and it does appear you have a good credit score. Why don't you call back during our normal business hours and they can help you appeal this decision." I hung up.

Two days later, I called during "normal business hours" and spoke with a CSR and eventually got to her manager. They both said my account was "ineligible" to protest the decision. I pressed for a reason why I was ineligible and never got a straight answer, just repeated BS about why the limit was reduced. "Tough times sir, we all need to make sacrifices." I wasn't interested in a lecture so I hung up again and headed over to Consumerist to do a little digging on past experiences with American Express.

Sure enough, a post from 2007 with a phone number to the executive customer service office. Now four days after my receipt of the e-mail, I contacted the number provided by Consumerist. I spoke with a gentleman who sounded like he could get things done. He reviewed my account and said that I was definitely "worthy" to have my decision reviewed. The next business day I received a message from him notifying me the credit limit had been restored! VICTORY!

I sense that the credit card companies are just initiating blind, blanket limit reductions and in many cases the reduction is not fair. Thank you Consumerist for providng an invaluable resource and great entertainment. Keep it up!

We also have another post of email addresses to Amexecutives. Be sure to try them both if you've got a problem you think they should be able to resolve if only they heard all the details.

"13 American Express Executives' Email Addresses"
"Reach American Express Executive Customer Service"

(Photo: apesara)

First, here's the backstory from Chris:

I wanted to cancel my [T-Mobile] account and return to ATT and I also wanted to get a sim unlock code for my previous T-Mobile Phone. I found a plan on ATT that would satisfy my cellular needs and I wanted to continue to use the little flip phone that I purchased with my T-Mobile account.

I called T-Mobile's customer support about 4 months ago and spoke with a very nice gentleman and he assisted me in SIM unlocking my phone and apparently canceling my account. Since I was on a Flex Pay account I was told that I was not under a "contract" like most phones but if I didn't pay my bill I would not receive a bill for the next month, kinda like a Go phone right? Wrong...

So I checked my checking account a few months back and sure enough T-Mobile continued to debit my account with a total of $51.14 each month for a total of two months. I immediately called the T-Mobile Customer Service number and expressed concern with my findings. I was told by another Customer Service Representative that under no circumstances would they ever cancel any account and not charge a early termination fee.

I was flabbergasted to say the least. I work for a very large consumer electronics company that will stay unnamed, and we pride our selves on customer service. I basically was told "you cannot speak to my supervisor because she is going to tell you the same thing I just told you." After about 45 minutes of getting a run around I politely ended the conversation and told the gentleman that I would contact an Executive for T-Mobile and I would get things straightened out myself.

Well here comes the good stuff! I immediately went to your website and searched for T-Mobile executives' emails or phone numbers. I found a great email listing for Executive Response.

Chris sent a detailed email that basically repeated what he just described above, although in greater detail including the dates and times of each discussion he had with a T-Mobile rep. He also explained just why he was frustrated by the experience so far:

I know what customer service is and I pride myself on making a situation right for the customer no matter what. So when I was told that I was going to have to pay a 200 disconnect fee to cancel my plan that I thought had already been canceled or continue to receive debits from my account, I was less than thrilled to say the least. Now I understand that business is business but I will not be responsible for an error made on the CSR's part. The other thing that I realize is that the Customer Service Team is the voice for your company to the public. So if an agent over the phone told me that everything was taken care of, but there is not a single note regarding canceling my plan but sure enough there are notes about me wanting to unlock my phone for another carrier, why do I become responsible for it? I wish I had noticed my account was being debited last month as well because this email would have been sent sooner. So far I have been charged for a phone that I no longer use nor do I have access to and to a phone number which has not been used in over two months, and the charges add up to $102.90. So it seems I have payed for 2 months of usage and I haven't even used it.

[...]
In closing I would like for you to understand what I, the customer, would like to see happen. First I would like to no longer receive debits from my account, thus canceling the account completely without paying a disconnect fee. And I would like at least one month of a credit back into my checking account. I do feel that I have been unfairly treated and unfairly charged fees that should not be there.

Here's what happened after he sent the email:

I just received a phone call by a very polite and professional woman who claimed to be from the Executive Response Team and she said she would be more that pleased to cancel my account, not charge me a termination fee and get this, refund the 2 months worth or account balance back to me in the form of a check.

All in all I just wanted to pass along the word to you guys because even though I just check the website a lot just to see how screwed up big business is in America I just so happened to be a victim and without this website I would not have known where to turn. Maybe this will be posted online and let other individuals know that there is a way to get the outcome that is right and that all we need is the resources to find out how those outcomes come to light.

If you don't know what an Executive Email Carpet Bomb (EECB) is, or how to write one, read How To Launch An Executive Email Carpet Bomb.

RELATED
"How To Launch An Executive Email Carpet Bomb"
(Photo: hirnrinde)

Chris writes:

I would like to thank you for your posting of Hewlett-Packard's Executive Customer Service number. They were able to help me obtain a new laptop battery free of charge after my warranty had expired. My laptop battery would no longer hold a charge after just 13 months of use. The warranty was for 12 months. I contacted HP customer service and was told there was nothing they could do.

Having been an avid reader of Consumerist the last year, I searched your site for help. I was originally going to send an EECB but stumbled across this number. They picked up the phone on 1 ring and proceeded to put me in touch with a case manager. The case manager had no problem replacing my battery and even expedited the shipping. Thanks again for your help and keep up the great work!

Glad to hear it, Chris! That number once again folks can be found here. When in doubt, take it to the top.

(Photo: Scott Ableman)

Here's Nix's story:

Last Saturday I got a postcard in the mail from Verizon. It said that if I call a certain number to move my service and order Fios, they'll have my service turned on in time for our moving day, and also will give us a gift card for $100! The problem? We moved LAST YEAR, and Fios still isn't available in our new neighborhood. We were also never offered a gift card when I called that same number to have my service moved. I called the number and explained to the nice girl who answered that I understood that the postcard being sent to me was a mistake, but it was a rather annoying one that was borderline on being insulting. I explained that we had already moved, we are not able to get Fios, and we were never offered a gift card.

She apologized profusely, which was really what I was looking for, but she kept going. She made sure I was on all of the available "do not disturb" lists internally (I wasn't, she corrected it), made sure I was getting the lowest possible rate monthly for our DSL service (I wasn't, she corrected it to the tune of $5 savings a month), then also gave me credit for one month of free DSL.

I was more than happy with all of that, thanked her profusely and ended the call.

Today in the mail, I got a gift card. It was only for $50, but it was still a gift card I was in no way expecting. That CSR went so completely above and beyond what she had to do, certainly more than most of them ever do. As soon as I was done bragging to my friends, I knew writing y'all was the next step.

We imagine some readers will say Nix didn't "deserve" the $50 gift card, but Nix acknowledges she didn't expect it or ask for it. What's more important is that a CSR took the time to figure out why Nix received the wrong offer, corrected the problem, and then adjusted her monthly bill in the customer's favor. To add a partial-promotion gift card on top of that, as a way of acknowledging that you recently moved and would have been eligible for the FiOS promotion had it been available in your area, is completely above and beyond. We don't know if the economics of this sort of customer appreciation is truly sustainable, but surely Verizon has just given Nix lots of good reasons to choose Verizon over a competitor in the future.

(Photo: Gustty)

Steve writes:

I was having a great deal of trouble getting Ashley Furniture to stop their robo-calls to a pay-as-you-go cell phone. I've never given them this number, don't know where they got it, and couldn't make them stop using it. After repeated calls to the local Ashley Home Store and repeated assurances that the number would be removed from their list, I finally sent an EECB to the corporate manufacturers in Wisconsin and they have since tried to make things right (FYI: I used "Dear Sirs" because they were in fact all men):

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-
Dear Sirs,

Please remove my name and phone number from whatever automated lists, mailing lists, or any other lists upon which I've gotten sucked into.

I do not appreciate the automated phone calls to my cell phone. I do not appreciate receiving them when I am at work, in staff meetings, playing with my children or having dinner with friends. I don't even appreciate them when I'm not doing anything in particular. Your company does not have permission to interrupt me at any time. Ever. Make. It. Stop.

I have tried repeatedly to call your company and have my name and number removed. I have been told repeatedly that this would be done. So far it has not. The calls show up as coming from this inoperative number: 256-xxx-xxxx

These obnoxious calls cost me both time and money. Perhaps you have plenty of both, but I do not. If these calls do not stop, I will have little choice but to contact Troy King and the Alabama AG office, and to file a suit in small claims court in order to recoup the costs - thus far totaling around $4.35 in cell phone charges.

The number I want you to remove is: 256-xxx-xxxx

Do not ever call this number again.

As you can imagine, I am relating my unpleasant Ashley Furniture experience to everyone that I am able to. The sooner these robo-calls stop, the sooner I'll stop warning people to avoid your stores.

Thank you for your attention to this matter

Steve Tanner
Huntsville, AL

Within minutes two things happened:

1) I received a call to that number from someone at corporate apologizing for the inconvenience. That's right, the number I told them to never call again. But to be fair, they were trying to fix the problem.

2) I received the following email from Terri:

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--

Mr. Tanner

Your name has been electronically removed from our list. I removed it personally and confirmed the action via email through the provider. We apologize for an inconvenience this may have caused you.

We have this number assigned to another customer that purchased with us last year. Perhaps this number has been recently reassigned or was keyed incorrectly into our system. Either way, please note that 256-xxx-xxxx will no longer receive automated calls.

Feel free to send me your mailing address, and we will gladly reimburse your $4.35 in cell phone charges.

Kindest Regards,

Terri Moore
Marketing Director
Huntsville Wholesale Furniture, Inc. dba
Ashley Furniture HomeStore

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--

So after sending an EECB, they made every attempt to make it right. The cost of the minutes wasn't actually much of an issue for me, but I am glad they made the offer. Perhaps I'll shop there in the future after all.

Steve

(Photo: faeryboots)

love reading the posts and used some of the skills I have learned from them to clear up a recent issue I had with EZ Lube. I will preface this with an acknowledgment that I made a major error of judgment. I know better, however, I fell victim to the dreaded "Air Filter" scam at EZ Lube. I learned long ago not to ever buy an air filter or have one installed by an oil change business, as they are always overpriced and ripoffs.

Unfortunately, I let my guard down when I went on March 26th to EZ Lube #093 in San Diego, CA for a simple oil change. First, I was pushed to get a synthetic mix oil change for $52.99, which I immediately balked at, but was then told that I was a "VIP" and that they would take $8 off. I was doing this on my lunch break, so I said sure, just get it done. I signed the estimate form and went and ran an errand. I came back and waited a few minutes before I was asked to join the service technician for a 14-point inspection. Here, they had my air filter and cabin filter atop the engine, accenting the dust and particles that the filter had acquired over the past 5,000 miles or so. The technician quizzed me on my air filter, which I told him I do myself. He then pressed me on the cabin filter, which I had never installed before. My ignorance in this area proved to be my downfall, as the technician informed me that they can change this in no time and that they charge the same price auto stores do. With that, I agreed and again walked away informing them that I needed to get going soon.

My car was completed and I went to pay for the bill. I was told my total was over $140 and I refused to pay. I told them that this was ridiculous and that I was never told the Cabin filter would cost $70.

The cashier muttered something about a HEPA filter and that these things are expensive. A manager approached and immediately took off $20, and I begrudgingly agreed. I paid with my credit card, since I felt this was shady and wanted to protect my options. I then hopped on my phone and Google'd the cabin filter's SKU. Guess what? Amazon and others sell this thing for $15-$20 tops. So, I got home and emailed my story to EZ Lube corporate. Within 24 hours, I received a phone call from Todd Mann with Corporate. We discussed what had happened, what documents I signed and what estimates I was provided. He informed my that the $70 cabin filter was likely due to labor and service fees associated with the part. I informed him that I have no issue paying for services which I am not an expert in and cannot do on my own, however I felt that I was taken advantage of and that this was simply a ripoff. He informed me that they would issue a refund on the air filter if there were inconsistencies with the paperwork they provided me, as EZ Lube apparently has requirements for proper documentation of services.

I scanned and emailed my receipt and invoice to Todd, and today was informed that I would receive $50 from EZ Lube due to the inconsistencies in the store's documents.

Though I feel that I won my little battle here, I think it is fair to say that this scam will continue. Hopefully more people will learn from my mistake and many of the other stories out there on oil change businesses and their practice of scamming with air filters. Thanks for continuing to fight the good fight!

(Illustration: carrotcreative)

So I was a little ticked. So I casually mention it to the cashier guy Kevin and he told me that they would work with me if i brought the receipt in. So i hightailed it home and found my receipt. I went right back and a nice supervisor named Fernanda and she said that if you buy something and within 30 days it goes down they will refund you the price difference plus tax. So that's what did. And like most people i used that money on the groceries that the shrink rays don't touch.

I guess it pays to ask.

-Lyn

It certainly does, Lyn, it certainly does. (Photo: ubrayj02)

This morning I received my brand new replacement Tablet-pc from HP. The night the article was posted a consumerist reader who works with HP somewhere in the middle-management -area looked up my case-number, called me, and took it upon himself to use his connections to get me a replacement. He told me that even though it is not normally his job, he could not let his company treat a customer like that and that he would do all he could to try to personally get it resolved.

During this past week I noticed how disorganized HP customer service is though.
Monday: the consumerist reader's connection called me to get me a replacement. (i took this offer)
Wednesday: Daniel from Executive customer service (probably from my EECB) called and offered me a replacement. (I informed them I had one coming)
Thursday: A customer relations manager called me offering me a replacement(probably also from my EECB.) (I informed them I had one coming)

If I were a dishonest man I could probably have three laptops right now.

PREVIOUSLY: After Massive Runaround, HP Sends Your Laptop Back Filled With Viruses
(Photo: LeonelCunha (changing isp :: no dsl connection )

* Formal letter of apology (you never see these! this is amazing)
* Refunded the stop-payment charge for the check
* General Manager let Michael's son pick out any camera in the store he wanted
* Manager threw in a bag and memory cards
* And a $35 gift-certificate

I'd call that an unqualified success! Leveraging your true story to the internet wins again.

Above And Beyond [101 Dead Armadillos]
PREVIOUSLY: Best Buy Sells Busted Cam As New, Blames You. Oops! Employee Pix!

PREVIOUSLY: Chevy Takes Time Away From Failing To Try To Rip Off Customer

Here's his story in his own words:

When I got my Macbook Pro, I also wanted to buy CS4. They didn't have enough copies for people seeking student discounts, so they said that they'd send me CS3 so that I could go to class, and that they would automatically send me CS4 as soon as possible. That was the deal they made with me. I was told that it was an automatic program, and that I'd be sent the CS4 discs in the mail as soon as possible.

Apple never sent me CS4 like they explicitly said they would on the phone, and Adobe wouldn't provide it either when I called them. Adobe even said that it had been a limited time deal that required me to call during a certain time, and that it would have been a download anyway. When I tried to explain what I had been told to the guy at Adobe and asked for a manager, he transferred me to a recorded voice message saying I could enter the number for the mailbox I wanted to connect to, and then it hung up on me. After looking into it, I found that Adobe was treating everybody else that way.

Apple made the deal though, and I had paid, so I wasn't going to give up.

After talking to Apple again today and telling them what they said, and that they could listen to the recording and that there were notes on file and everything...

They flat out agreed that I had been provided misinformation and that I had been mislead. Their words, even.

Their solution? Offer me a discount if I buy CS4 now! Obviously not good enough.

I talked to a manager for like an hour, and it went something like this.

Her: Yes, I can see that our salesperson made a mistake about how the free upgrade deal worked. But we can't just give you CS4 for free.

Me: I'm not asking for you to "just give it" to me for free. I already paid for it. I made a deal, I paid, and I want you to send it to me now, please.

Her: But we gave you CS3.

Me: Yes, but I did not pay for just CS3. I wanted CS4, and the deal was that you would get me CS4 as soon as possible, but I get CS3 for now so that I could go to my classes. Buying CS3 with a guarantee of being sent CS4 is not the same as just buying CS4.

Her: Yes, I realize that. You were given misinformation, and I'm sorry about that, but I can't just give you CS4. But since you were mislead, I'm going to give you a big discount on buying CS4. How about you just pay $150? That's $200 off on top of all the other discounts you would have gotten.

Me: I don't see why I should have to pay anything more.

Her: We made a mistake. That deal shouldn't have been made. So I'll make the discount $250, but I can't go further than that.

Me: But the deal was made, and I paid, so I expect you to honor it.

Her: Yes, and we sent you CS3. You bought CS3, and we sent it to you.

After going in circles with her acknolwedging that I had been given misinformation and mislead and then just trying to offer me a discount on a new purchase, eventually I asked to speak to her manager too, and she said that Apple Corporate would call me within an hour.

Well, Apple Corporate just called.

They said they had reviewed the situation, and that they were very sorry, and that they would promptly ship me CS4 with expedited shipping at no charge to me. All I had to say was my name when I picked up the phone. No more arguing or anything.

And I almost took the deal, too. Glad I didn't give up!

It started off with me shopping in a store in NJ. I really liked the sneaker there but the store was closing and I had to head back to Brooklyn. The sales associate told me to just go online and id be able to get the shoes for same price via website. They were 50% off in store, plus I had 15 % student discount. I call J.Crew online, and the sales person is super nice. She places me on hold to confirm with store the price.

She tells me that she spoke to the manager and that the shoes were never 50% off. I asked who she spoke to. Hang up and call store myself. Turns out there's no manager in there by the name I was given

I call back J.Crew. I am told salesperson who i was working with left for the day, only to then find out she's actually still in. Basically lied to non-stop.

I call CEO. His assistant takes care of me. I have 30 new pairs of sneakers now.

Awesomness defined.

Hi Ben!

I had missed a payment last fall in October, due to a tough month personally, which had caused my small Capitol One card ($300) to go overlimit due to finance charges. Since then, the fees have been mounting and my small monthly payments ($30-$40) were barely covering the fees. As you can imagine, my balance continued to balloon out of control over the next three months.

In order to get myself out of this month, I started doing my research, including becoming an avid Consumerist reader, and decided that in order to start making snowball payments (using the awesome snowball debt reduction spreadsheet!) on all credit card debt, I had to get these fees under control. I tried calling customer service several times, to no avail, other than to offer waiving the check by phone fee - nice but not the issue. I finally emailed Capitol One's CEO directly (rich.fairbank@capitolone.com) and received a call the next day (within 12 hours of my email!) from an executive customer service representative.

Unlike other customer service reps, she was very friendly and eager to help and was very understanding of how this situation had happened. She was able to credit back all fees on my account since October (almost $300), which puts me back under my credit limit! She also lowered my interest rate (down from 18% back to 7.56%) to help make sure my monthly payments go further!

I was absolutely blown away with how easy it was to resolve this issue once I sent the email. The best part was talking to someone who didn't make me feel like a criminal for getting behind and someone who was genuinely interested in helping. Capitol One's exemplary dedication has made them the one credit card that I will keep - frozen in the freezer, of course!

Sidenote - I used the letter that Louisa (name?) had written to the BOA CEO as my template. Clearly there's something about that style that works!

Thanks for writing a LIFE-CHANGING blog and for all the great work you do!

Congrats! Way to rock your debt!

(Photo: Menage a Moi)

Jason cc'd us on the letter he sent to the Black Bear's den:

I am writing to let you know about my experience recently at the Black Bear Diner in Colorado Springs.

My family and I are regular customers at the restaurant. In fact, when my extended family comes to town, our first stop is usually ‘The Bear'. The food is always excellent, with generous portions, and the servers are attentive and friendly. Plus the sugar free peach cobbler is a rare treat for a diabetic like me. I can not recall a negative or unpleasant experience in your restaurant, until last night.

My wife and I stopped in for dinner on Wednesday night, 2/25/09 at about 7pm. I decided to order the $15.99 cowboy cut steak. When it was served, the first thing I noticed that one corner of the steak was burnt, and the inside was a purple mush. Being an experienced griller, I recognized that the steak, being as thick as it was, would have been difficult to cook to medium rare, as I had requested. I brought this to the attention of the server, and the (I assume) manager on duty. They agreed that it looked raw still, and sent it back to be put on the grill.

About 2-3 minutes later, my server returned with the steak (smaller, minus the part where I cut into to inspect it previously) I cut into another side, and notice that it is still purple, and the outside is almost black. I asked the manager if instead of recooking the steak for a third time, to please just cook a new one, and I would take it to go. (at this point, my wife is nearly finished with her meal) The manager looked clearly uncomfortable with the request, offering several excuses as to why that would be inconvenient, finally saying that it would take too long. When I asked how long we were talking, she said 10 minutes. I told her that I found that acceptable for a new steak, and had no problem waiting. She furrowed her brow, said okay and went back to the kitchen, loudly exclaiming "Hey wants a new steak!".

About 7 minutes later she returns with the steak, and asks if it is cooked. I checked, and it was all brown inside. She leaves to get a to-go box. Inspecting, the steak, I realized that it was infact the same steak we started out with, complete with the missing sides cut off. I mention that to the server, and ask her to just be honest with me, and she told me some story about her eating the old steak, and (unprompted) said that she couldn't bring out the other steak because she had ate it, and got in trouble with her boss about it. Deciding against calling her and the manager liars to their face, we opt to pay our bill (including the 15.99 for the mystery steak) and leave. Had that server actually eaten that steak, she would have gotten sick from it being so undercooked.

Once I got home, I took the steak out and tried it. It was incredibly over cooked (as a steak that's been re-cooked 3 times would be), and had a funny chemical taste to it. After two bites, I had to discard it, over concern for my own health.

Now, I understand that mishaps can happen in a food service environment. Sometimes, things just don't cook right. I can accept that without issue, as long as it is resolved appropriately when brought to your attention. What disturbs me the most, is that I was so blatantly lied to about the food. When I frequent a restaurant, I place a certain amount of trust in them to not sicken me with unsafe food. With the actions of the server and manager last night, my trust in Black Bear Diner is severely damaged.

While you can't put a dollar figure to what trust is worth, I am also bothered that I paid $15.99 for this horrible experience. I respectfully request a refund of the amount I paid for this dinner. I can be contacted at the information at the end of this email to arrange for a refund, and to discuss this further if needed. I hope we can work to a satisfactory resolution of this issue.

Jason wrote a great letter and earned exactly the response he wanted from Black Bear:

I just got off the phone with Fay, the General Manager at the restaurant.

She acknowledged the mess up on their part, apologized repeatedly, and made assurances that the issue would be resolved by retraining the staff. She offered to not only refund for my meal, but our total ticket, as well as free dinner for my wife and I at our convenience. I am very pleased with the resolution, and her response.

He writes:

Hey, I had to email this in since I used exactly the kind of knowledge I've picked up reading The Consumerist to get through the Duke Energy red tape.

Basically, I'm building a new home and need temporary power service hooked up for construction. The temporary pole is installed, inspected and ready to go. The only problem was getting Duke Energy to come out and hook up the power to it.

Duke Energy has a 1-800 number you can call, but that only leads you into a phone tree of transferring and people that can really only help you pay a bill and things like that. I called the number several times and finally learned the system enough to get transferred to the residential construction department where a computerized voice would cheerfully tell me that my call was important and I should be on hold for no longer than 1 minute. Normally I'd stay on hold about 30 minutes before I would just hang up or get disconnected. One time I was on hold for nearly an hour, but at no point did I ever actually talk to anyone.

I tried a different approach and emailed Duke via the contactus@duke-energy.com email address about 5 or 6 times over 2 weeks. Each time I would get an automated response telling me I would be contact within 48 hours since my email was important to them. I ended up only getting two follow-up emails beyond that though, one directed me to call the 1-800 number and the other gave me a different 1-800 number that was really only a fax machine.

The end result of 3 weeks of calling and emailing about getting this service hook-up was nothing. Being fed-up at having to use generators to work on my house I used the Executive Bomb website (that I found via Consumerist reading) and Googled several Duke Energy executives names to get email addresses so I could fire off a EECB. I was careful to write a rational, short email detailing my problems and literally within 5 minutes of sending the email I received a call from someone at Duke that "handled executive email requests." Not only was she very apologetic, she already had someone from residential construction on the line ready to get my service request activated. I also ended up receiving the direct line to the residential construction department (1(800)454-3853) where only "people that knew what they were doing" would be answering the phones.

So thanks Consumerist for teaching me what to do!

Learn how to launch your own Executive Email Carpet.
(Photo: Steve Punter)

I just made a late payment on my Citibank credit card because the grace period was only 20 days. I got hit with a $3.00 interest charge and a $39.00 late fee.

As a result, I was considering cancelling my card and switching to a card that has a longer grace period. When I called Citibank to explain why I was leaving them, the representative explained that every representative has the power to change your grace period from 20 to 25 days. She changed my grace period and credited the late fee and interest. Apparently, all you have to do is ask! I'm wondering how many other credit card companies have such policies...

Probably doesn't even take the threat of cancellation to get it extended. Know of any others that do the same? Leave 'em in the comments.

(Photo: eliazar)

Hotard, a student at Messiah Montessori School in Houma, said she was surprised. "I didn't think I'd get a response."

Claudet forwarded the request to Sterling Washington, the parish's parks and recreation director, who oversaw the improvements. He said they cost about $50 in supplies and work hours.

"Coming from a kid, who is our primary focus, it wasn't much of a surprise to me," he said. "It had to be addressed."

The slide was worn from graffiti and general use, he said. A maintenance worker used sandpaper to smooth its surface and make it slick again.

Workers also installed a new sign listing park rules and replaced a damaged electrical panel, he said.

Washington, who's served as director for eight years, said this is the first complaint from a child.

"It was nice to have a kid's perspective," he said, adding Sydney's concerns were taken "very seriously."

We can all learn from Hotard's experience. It's always worth asking for something you want, however simple or far-fetched your request might seem. And don't ever doubt the power of a polite, well-crafted missive. Though you may not have the cute factor on your side, there are still a few pointers you can follow to write an effective complaint letter. Or just find a seven-year-old to help you out. Said the Parish President: "It was the cutest letter in the world. It's going to be a memento."

7-Year-Old's Letter to Official Gets Playground Fixed [Fox News]
(Photo: Sarah606)

They put the new shirt in the mail without mentioning it to me, and I hadn't received it at the time I posted. Thanks, Woot!, for fixing everything! Let's all hope that the U.S. Postal employee who stole the original shipment falls into a letter sorter.

PREVIOUSLY: The Post Office Stole My Woot! Shirt!
(Photo: I still have a weet smile) [shirt.woot!]

Brian writes: "I thought I would share with you the success I had using a couple of your tips with Chase.

First off, I’m trying to pay off my debt. You suggested some time ago that transferring balances to a lower rate credit card and paying it off was a smart decision. Cue Chase sending me an offer to transfer a balance for 3.99% until paid off. I later used another offer from them for 4.99% until paid off. I thought this was great. I promptly transferred the balances and set up my online banking to send a payment biweekly.

Well shame on me, since I had the automatic payments, I neglected my statements for a couple months. Come to find out, my billing cycle consistently ended 2-3 days before my 2nd payment hit the account which resulted in not covering the minimum payment, which in turn lead to late fees and removal of the promotional rate. I didn’t launch an EECB but I did implore to their business sense through their online customer service…and it worked! I got the promotional rate reinstated and I was able to change my billing cycle date through their website.

Thanks for all of your tips!"

Message to Chase:

A couple months ago, I transferred a couple balances to my Chase account with promotional rates. I just reviewed my
account and realized that due to late payments the promotional rates have been removed.

If you review my account, you may notice that I have set up payments to the account on a biweekly basis. The payments are sufficient to cover the minimum payment, but it appears that the way they were set up, the 2nd payment keeps arriving a couple days late.

I will admit this was my negligence and I have changed the billing due date in order to avoid this going forward. In light of this, I am asking that the promotional rates be reinstated on my account. Considering the balance on my account and my payment schedule, Chase will still see significant profit if the promotional rates are reinstated. If the promotional rates cannot be reinstated, I’m afraid will have to consider some of the other balance transfer options I have received from your competitors.

I think based on my history with your company and my credit record this is a fair request. I have never had a complaint about Chase and as I mentioned earlier, I do not blame Chase for the action taken on my account. I should have been paying closer attention. I hope you will consider reinstating the promotional rate based on our business relationship and the fact that it makes business sense.

If you need additional information from me, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.

Their reply:

Dear Brian,

As your credit card company, we value your business. It is important to us that we promptly address your concerns regarding your account.

We are pleased to confirm that your previous Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) have been reinstated. The APR adjustment will be reflected on your next billing statement.

Note: Your APRs may increase in the future if another default occurs. Account defaults include late payments, exceeding the credit line, and having checks submitted to us for payment returned by your bank unpaid.

Brian's message was clear, to the point, admits his culpability, couches argument in terms of how helping him out would make them more money. That's a good style to emulate.

(Photo: lickyoats)

He wrote:

First, I'd like to start by saying that emailing UPS executives is not my first choice in customer service. However, at this point I'm at a loss for what to do and I'm hoping one of you can help. Here's my story.

On December 16, a package was shipped to me via UPS Ground from Los Angeles. The package contained a Christmas gift for my daughter. The target delivery date was originally 12/24. As you may have seen on the news, there was a considerable amount of snow in Seattle at that time and when the local government decided they were unwilling/able to plow the streets most commerce stopped. I understand that this is not UPS's fault and was not upset at the time that my package did not arrive. My daughter wasn't so forgiving but it was a good lesson in the unfairness of life. I refocused her on making a snowman.

But we're closing in on two weeks past Christmas at this point, the roads have been pretty good for most of that time and still, my package hasn't arrived. And all I get when I ask customer service why I haven't received my package is an apology and an explanation that the weather is causing the delay.

This rings hollow to me and here's why:

1Z 7E0 03 4481 146 (Shipped 12/23 from Texas)
1Z 8WX 604 03 8747 (Shipped 12/22 from Pittsburgh)

Both shipped after the missing package, from further away, and both are here at my house.

I've called 1-800-PICK-UPS each of the last few days as your website directs. Their ability to help seems to be limited to reading me the same information I can find at UPS.com and sending requests to the UPS facility in Redmond. My wife was assured twice that someone at the facility would call her by 4 p.m. today and then when nothing came at 4 p.m she was promised 6 p.m. It's 8 p.m. as I write this and still no call. (Her number is XXX XXX XXXX, you can check the request in your message system).

We were assured on Monday that it would arrive Tuesday. However, here's the tracking note from today:

REDMOND, WA, US
11:42 A.M. THE PACKAGE WAS LEFT IN A UPS FACILITY / FORWARDED TO THE FACILITY IN THE DESTINATION CITY
1:19 A.M. OUT FOR DELIVERY

Do you know what Joe Collier (Tampa) at 1-800-PICK-UPS told me tonight this meant? The driver forgot to put it on the truck. How does one scan it out for delivery and then it doesn't make it on the truck? We're well past weather delays here. This is incompetence.

So, how can you help? I'd like my daughter's Christmas present and I would like it on Wednesday. But at this point it doesn't really even matter anymore. She's forgotten about it and the whole thing will be anticlimactic. And tomorrow the driver is probably going to figure it out and bring it here without your intervention. But I paid a merchant for shipping and still I haven't received anything except non-answers, apologies and unkept promises that it'll be here tomorrow. This sucks.

I would also like an written apology from the director of the Redmond distribution center. I realize it's been a bad month but those two other packages making it here before my daughter's present have ended my patience.

Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate any assistance you may be able to offer.

Sincerely,

Michael

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Following-up: Someone from UPS corporate customer service did call me today to apologize. She told me that my package is not on a truck for today and they really don't know when it will be. Then she offered me a check for $50 for my trouble. She also promised she'd keep track of this and update me when she could but wasn't able to help expedite things.

We'll see if any of that happens. At this point, I'd be surprised if I saw the package before next week.

$50 isn't bad, but you know what would be better than $50? Yes, $100, but think even better than that. How about finally delivering the gift Michael ordered nearly a month ago?!

RELATED: How To Launch An Executive Email Carpet Bomb
(Photo: belleutti)

Jesse says:

Random note: I was in a pretty infuriating situation with DirecTV last night, where, after they failed on four different occasions since August to fix my house’s faulty cable, I decided I wanted to cancel my account. I was informed that despite their repeated inability to get things working, which had to that point entailed endless hours of hassle dealing with DirecTV’s labyrinthine phone system (at one point last night, I was transferred six times during the same call–the sixth time to a dead line), I’d still have to pay a $180 early termination fee since my contract wasn’t up. Of course, if I wanted to contest this there happened to be no phone number I could call or email address I could write to. Nope. Of course, if I wanted to contest this there happened to be no phone number I could call or email address I could write to. Nope. I’d have to deliver to DirecTV via chariot a complaint note written on a papyrus scroll in squid ink. (Well, I’d have to send a snail-mail letter to some Colorado address–same difference).

No thanks. Instead, I turned to The Consumerist, which recommends Executive Email Carpet Bombs in instances like this. In an EECB, you email a company’s top-level executives to inform them of ongoing issues that the folks below them haven’t been able to address. I refreshed my memory about how to best write an EECP, snagged the email address of DirecTV’s CEO, Chase Carey, which The Consumerist had helpfully posted, and went to work.

I sent the email at midnight last night and a half hour ago got a call from Ronnie in the DirecTV president’s office. He immediately offered to waive the cancellation fee, and that was that.

The morals of the story: DirecTV sucks, other than some dude named Ronnie, who’s pretty cool, and The Consumerist is amazing since, at least in this instance, one of its tactics worked exactly as advertised.

Yes, the EECB doesn't always work — but sometimes, gloriously, it does. For more information about launching your own EECB, click here. If you need some TLC from DirecTV, here's their contact information.

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