Yesterday, we received a letter from Primo’s Vice President of Marketing and PR. He wanted to chime in on Primo’s unique bottle qualities and dispel any assumptions that a heated Primo bottle could somehow release toxic chemicals. His letter, inside…
complaints
The Incredible Shrinking Water Bottle
By 7.24.08
Reader David wrote in to show us the transformation of his incredible shrinking water bottle. The bottles used by Primo bottled water are made from plant by-products which degrade easily compared to normal plastic, making them more eco-friendly. However, as David found out, they shrink to nearly half their size when exposed to sunlight and the heat from inside a car which could easily result in a watery mess. David’s letter and photo, inside…
Modell's Beats Any Price, As Long As It's Not On Sale
By 7.22.08
Modell’s own peculiar definition of “low price guarantee, we will beat any ad” surprised reader Randy when he tried to get them to honor it on a baseball glove he bought, as it would even the most casual student of Logic or Semantics. He writes:
Beware of Awesome Auger's Awesome Shipping And Processing Fees
By 7.22.08
Reader Patrick wrote to us about a scam involving the “Awesome Auger.” After finishing his transaction on their website, Patrick thought that his total price came to $28.98, but he soon came to realization that the only thing awesome about the “Awesome Auger” was the amount that they charge for “shipping and processing” on the auger’s “free” items. All said and done, Patrick was billed $56.80 on his credit card. Patrick’s letter inside…
Do Not Use OFF! FamilyCare Smooth And Dry Insect Repellent If You Are Allergic To Cornstarch
By 7.22.08
Yes, OFF! FamilyCare Smooth and Dry insect repellent contains cornstarch. Reader Michelle found out about this fact the worst way possible–not through an ingredient label of which there is none that mentions cornstarch, but by inadvertently inhaling the stuff one evening and suffering an allergic reaction which lasted a few days. Michelle’s letter, inside…
Andrew's Epic Comcast Debacle
By 7.21.08
UPDATE: After he sent an EECB, all of Andrew’s billing errors have been resolved.
Uno Chicago Grill Charges You $200 When You're Not Even There
By 7.21.08
Lauren was shocked to find five charges for a total of $200 on her account from a pizza place she hadn’t been to in months. They were all levied from one Uno Chicago Grill during a day she wasn’t even in town. What she found out about why they happened in the first place was even more disturbing, and annoying.
Furniture Store Deducts 20% From Refund For Furniture They Never Delivered
By 7.21.08
If a store sells you something, and then fails to deliver the product, you should be entitled to a full refund, right? Not so at Furniture Bargains of Calumet City, IL. There, even when they don’t give you the furniture you ordered at all, they’ll take 20% off your refund, at “the manager’s discretion.” Which I guess is just a fancy way of saying, “we feel like robbing you today and the manager said it’s ok.” AJ’s story, inside…
Do Warning Labels On Flashlights Really Mean Anything?
By 7.21.08
Reader Bill wrote to us wondering about some cheap flashlights he bought from Amazon. Their warning label says to “Always wear ANSI approved safety goggles when using this product…Normal everyday use of this product is likely to expose the user to dust and microscopic particles containing lead and other chemicals known in the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.” Should Bill be worried about the cancer risk and reproductive harm of his flashlights?
The Post Office Wants Their Penny Dammit!
By 7.17.08
Reader Joe wrote to us with a heads-up about not short-changing the U.S. Post Office. His postman left him a serious-ass invoice charging Joe with 1¢ postage due. According to Joe’s rough numbers, the PO spent at least $.25 to pay the postman for the estimated minute it took to write the invoice. Joe’s letter and photos, inside…
KFC Hands You Biscuits And Says "Here. This Is Just So You'll Get The Fuck Outta' Here!"
By 7.16.08
Reader Diana has always had small problems at her local KFC store in Los Lunas, NM. but never of this magnitude. After Diana returned home with her food, she realized that KFC had forgotten the biscuits. Because Diana lives nearby and is a fan of their biscuits, she returned to KFC to retrieve her missing food. Instead of a helpful and apologetic employee, she spoke to a rude and sarcastic employee who was convinced that she had included the biscuits and believed that Diana was liar. Diana recounts her conversation, inside…
Travel Agency Charges For Airline Tickets, Cancel Tickets, Can't Be Reached For Refund
By 7.14.08
Dhanushka is having some trouble getting money back from his travel agent. He writes,
Updated: Whoa, That Airplane Is Really Close To Ours
By 7.14.08
Jon was freaked out when flying on Jetblue and his flight came in close proximity to another aircraft. He wonders if he should, and how he might, report such an incident. His story, and advice we got from an Air Force pilot, inside…
Man Threatens To Sue Extortionist HVAC Company In Small Claims, Wins
By 7.14.08
Last winter, David’s old furnace broke down. But things got really heated up when the incompetent HVAC repairmen he hired threatened to report him to collection agencies and put a lien on his condo when they wanted him to pay up for a repair they never finished. Just to give a little atmosphere, this takes place in Chicago, famed for its merciless winters. David’s story, and how fought back, inside…
Police Chief Orders Crying Autistic Child And Mother To Leave Restaurant
By 7.14.08
Gail Martin was having a meal at a restaurant in Jackson, SC. when her 4-year-old autistic daughter Alyssa began crying, WIS10 reports. Gail then heard a man yell at her from across the room who told her leave the restaurant. This man was neither a callous restaurant employee nor a drunk bar patron, it was the Jackson Police Chief, Dennis Rushton. “He said, ‘You need to pick her up and you need to get out of here now,'” Gail said. Details, inside…
UPDATE: Walmart Refuses To Pay For Engine Damage Caused By Their Faulty Oil Change
By 7.14.08
Last Friday, we told you about Ashlee from Paonia, Colorado who took her Saturn to a Walmart Auto Service Center in the city of Delta for an oil change. Because they botched the job, the oil leaked out which resulted in extensive engine damage to the tune of $5,875. Since then, she spoke to a representative from Walmart’s insurance company who said that they won’t pay for the repairs, because when Ashlee discovered the damage, she took her car to a non-Walmart mechanic, and in doing so has “tampered with evidence.” Not to be trifled with, Ashlee is gathering evidence and witnesses and hiring a lawyer. Ashlee’s, letter inside…
Dell's "Keyboard Condoms" Are No Problem For Stupid Shipping Gang
By 7.12.08
Consumerist Forums reader Sixtwo sent us some photos from his recent scrape with Dell and the stupid shipping gang. He ordered a pair of “keyboard condoms” which tip the scales at a few grams, but received a giant box and paid $16 for shipping. His letter and photos, inside…
Some New iPhone 3Gs Sport Yellow Tinge
By 7.11.08
Reports on the MacRumors forums and Gizmodo comments assert that some of the new Apple iPhone 3Gs look distinctly iJaundiced. Needless to say, the owners are pissed. Did you get one of these banana phones? Send an email with a pic to tips@consumerist.com or let us know in the comments.
