Brett’s Bank of America debit card stopped working. A merchant he had patronized recently (they wouldn’t say who, of course) had been compromised, and they sent him a new card a month before. The problem: Brett is in Afghanistan right now. The bank sent a replacement card out to him right away by FedEx, but only after it didn’t show up did they remember: oh, yeah, they don’t send new debit cards to APO addresses! Helpful. [More]
afghanistan
Sorry, No Converse Sneakers For Contractor In Afghanistan
By 9.17.12
More than one Consumerist reader has heard the siren song of the John Varvatos Converse sneakers. Not long ago we shared the story of Tim, who bought two separate pair that each fell apart in less than a year. Meanwhile, Riley isn’t able to tell us anything about the durability of the shoes because Converse won’t take his money. Converse.com ships using the U.S. Postal Service, useful since he uses an APO address. They shut down his transaction because his billing and shipping addresses don’t match. That’s because he’s a contractor working in Afghanistan, and his bank accounts and credit cards are all registered to his actual home, back in the U.S., where his wife and kids are. [More]
Citibank Doesn’t Understand The Word ‘Minimum,’ Cancels Deployed Soldier’s Student Loan Forbearance
By 7.30.12
Benjamin is in the military, and currently serving in Afghanistan. We’d thank him for his service, but Citibank says not to. They think that he’s not there anymore, and have ended the active-duty forbearance on his student loans. Calling up Citi and sending them documentation is tricky when you’re you know, in Afghanistan, but he’s doing his best. Nothing he sends is good enough for Citibank to actually believe him. [More]
Defense Department Employee Accused Of Taking Bribe
By 8.26.11
Bidding wars for defense contracts make particularly fertile ground for corruption, and a federal employee may have gotten caught with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. Federal authorities have accused an Afghanistan-based U.S. Department of Defense employee of taking a bribe from a company there in exchange for helping to secure a government contract. The suspect was caught with a backpack stuffed with $95,000 in alleged bribe money. [More]
Bank Of America Loses 8-Year Customer Over 20 Bucks
By 6.23.11
Nick became a customer of Bank of America since 2003, and hasn’t had any major issues, so he has stuck with them. Until now. He works in Afghanistan, and needed to wire some money to his mother. No problem! He just needed to sign up for a free program that lets customers prove their identities before transferring huge sums of money. Free if you’re in the United States and own a smartphone, that is – otherwise he would have to pay $20 for a physical card and wait for it to slowly meander through the military mail system. [More]
AT&T Doesn't Need To Actually Read Your Pathetic E-mails
By 6.16.11
T. is in the military, and has recently deployed to Afghanistan. He has an AT&T phone, and wanted to see about switching to a different plan so he could leave his phone active for occasional calls, but pay less. What with being in Afghanistan and all. He e-mailed their customer service department to inquire about this, and received a response that indicates that while someone at AT&T Wireless is answering customer e-mails, they’re not necessarily reading them. [More]
Delta Charging Returning U.S. Troops $2800 In Extra Baggage Fees Not Really A Big Deal
By 6.8.11
A video is burning up the interwebs where a couple of Army soldiers tell how Delta charged 14 guys in their unit $200 a pop for checking a fourth bag, running up $2800 in fees. The soldiers are upset because even though standard Delta policy is to allow the military up to three bags for free, their orders said they were allowed four bags. Now they have to submit receipts to get their fees waived. At first it sounds like a slap in the face but other soldiers have chimed to say it’s really not the drama it’s been made out to be and it happens all the time. [More]
Verizon Retreats From Charging Marine Widow $350 Early Termination Fee
By 6.30.10
After achieving “clarity,” Verizon has decided to not charge the widow of a Marine who died in Afghanistan a $350 early termination fee. The woman had moved back home following her husband’s death so as to be closer to family, and in the new area she had no cellphone reception. In announcing the situation’s resolution, Verizon Wireless also took the opportunity to take a jab at the media for sensationalizing their incompetence. [More]
Gen. Petraeus Not Ruling Out Bringing Burger King Back To Afghanistan
By 6.27.10
A few months back, our men and women stationed overseas in Afghanistan lost a little piece of home when the U.S. military announced they were closing most fast food operations on the bases in Bagram and Kandahar. But now that the reins have been handed over from Gen. McChrystal to Gen. Petraeus, Stars & Stripes is reporting that our soldiers may get their Whoppers back! [More]
Pentagon Spent Over $773,000 To Open A KFC/Taco Bell In Guantanamo Bay
By 6.8.10
While the U.S. government is getting rid of fast food options for soldiers in Afghanistan, meanwhile they spent quite a bit of cash to make sure troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could pick up a Double Down or a Chalupa without having to have a care package sent from home. [More]
No More Burger King Or Dairy Queen For Soldiers In Afghanistan
By 4.5.10
Because the last thing a soldier stationed thousands of miles away fighting the Taliban should want is a taste of home, the U.S. military is axing several fast food vendors from their bases in Afghanistan. [More]
AIG Keeps Fighting Man Over Wheelchair, Glasses, And False Leg
By 4.18.09
AIG needs its money for its own problems, people, and doesn’t want to have to share with insurance claimants! That’s why they’ve fought every request from John Woodson, a man who lost a leg, an eye, and 70% of the vision in the remaining eye while working as a contractor in Iraq. He told ABC News, “You constantly are worried about who is going to pay these bills, who is going to take care of me? Because you can’t rely on AIG to come through for you. I don’t understand how a company of their size and their magnitude, with government bailouts and money and support, I don’t understand their not taking care of the individuals that were injured.”
