Jason ordered something very simple from Comcast. He wanted cable service, internet, and a router. He wanted the internet hooked up to several computers. He wanted two regular cable boxes and one DVR. He wanted wall jacks installed in his home. Comcast, last we checked, offered all of these services. So why did Comcast’s installer show up without a router asking for $115.80 in cash? Why did he drill holes in Jason’s walls and baseboards, and unplug his HP Media Center PC Box (thereby breaking it)? Why was he rude to Jason, requiring him to “show the cash” to “make sure he had it?”
complaints
Cingular: Whoops, Here's Your $8,677.29 Cell Phone Bill
By 3.7.07
Poor Eddie. Eddie canceled his unlimited internet plan, then decided that not having the internet was completely lame, so he called up and added it again. Unfortunately for Eddie, Cingular didn’t put him on the same plan he used to be on. Eddie writes:
My current cell phone bill is $8,677.29. I had Cingular since 2003. In November of 2006 I purchased the Cingular 8125 Pocket PC. I loved it. I had a cell phone that could access the internet and my bills were about $100 a month. After 2 months I cancelled the internet option because I wanted a smaller cell phone bill. After about 3 weeks of not having my internet I requested that they turned it back on. They did.
"Presumably The Flight Crew Was In Montreal"
By 3.6.07
Noreastern is miffed because his connecting US Air flight was canceled due to weather. Thing is, he was flying from Philly to Ohio, and it was snowing in neither of these two places.
Toyota Dealer Won't Sell You A Car Because You're "In A Bad Mood"
By 3.6.07
Toyota enjoys their reputation for great customer service, but does that mean they should stop selling cars to cranky customers who might complain? We don’t think so, but at least one Toyota dealer in Berkeley, California did just that. Berkeley Toyota refused to sell a car to one of our readers because he and his wife were “in a bad mood,” and made the salesman “feel like dirt.”
Kevin Is Displeased With His TiVO
By 3.3.07
These are the sort of video complaints that we love to get. Full of senseless violence. Kevin went away and left his TiVO in charge of taping all of this shows. Mistake. “And now it probably works about as well as it did yesterday.”Hooray! —MEGHANN MARCO (Thanks, Jeff!)
Apple Won't Sell You A Computer Because You've Got Too Many Gift Cards
By 3.2.07
So I called 1-800-My-Apple to speak with someone who could maybe help me. The first person I spoke to, after putting me on hold two or three times to speak to supervisors, tried to sell me a printer and speakers, saying that I could use four gift cards, plus a credit card to buy the computer, and use up the remaining cards for my accessories. I was confused and upset, and before I became rude thanked him for his time, and ended the phone call.
SOLVED: Olshan Foundation Repair's Warranty Not So Lifetime
By 3.1.07
After his complaint appeared on The Consumerist, Charles got a call from Olshan Foundation Repair Company. Now he appears to be on the sweet path to resolution.
XM Radio Keeps Billing After Customer Pays In Full, Shuts Him Off For Non-Payment
By 3.1.07
I hope you will print my letter on your site. I had some billing trouble with XM Radio. I paid a year’s subscription in full. XM acknowledged that I paid my bill in full, but they kept turning off my service for non-payment. They also raised my subscription rate 2 months after I signed up and paid. They then indicated that they would refund my year’s subscription when I complained loudly enough. They reneged on the refund. They also did not follow through on getting the billing issue clarified. As I received no help at all, I sent the following letter to the management team and the head of the Customer Service Division. I have not received so much as a form letter in response. I guess they have been too busy discussing merger strategies and keeping Bob Dylan happy…
Sure, Pete. We’ll print your letter. Read the letter Pete send to XM Radio, inside.
Signing Card Slip At Home Depot Consents To Mysterious, Hidden Agreement
By 2.26.07
When Mark signed his receipt at Home Depot, doing so declared he, “HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ AND ACCEPTS THE TERMS…” of customer agreement #156326.
Crunch Gym Tries To Charge Extra For "Improvements"
By 2.22.07
Personally, we are allergic to high-pressure sales people. This is the reason that we do not work out at Crunch Gym. It may look like a gym, but it’s actually a festering pool of high-pressure sales douchebags.
TigerDirect: 2GB Flash Drive For $1.99 After Rebates, $171.98 After Thirty Days
By 2.22.07
TigerDirect.com sold Chudacek a 2GB flash drive for $1.99, without warning that after thirty days, the price would skyrocket to an astounding $171.38. Included with the drive “[for] a limited-time only [the] opportunity to try [CA] Internet Security Suite 2007.” We have warned against rebates, but even we were caught off-guard by the note on TigerDirect’s packing slip. Limited-time, indeed.
At $2 (after rebates) for 2 GB, I thought it was a deal I couldn’t refuse. I would just format the flash drive to get rid of the pre-loaded software and I’d be in good shape.
IKEA's Inventory System Has Problems
By 2.20.07
i have had about five orders “mysteriously” disappear from their system….i originally ordered the vika amon/vika artur desk on september 8 and have yet to see it. it seems the trestles are always out of stock, even when i call first to see if they have any then immediately place the order. i still get the “out of stock” email. i even had one phone rep give me a delivery date, which came and went.
We’ve been getting complaints too, like this one from Reader Christopher. He keeps driving back and forth from IKEA based on bad information from both their website and their employees, and is a little irritated. We don’t blame him.
United Customers Abandoned in Wyoming As Plane Leaves Without Them
By 2.20.07
Tears filling his eyes, Roger Barbour watched in disbelief as two United Express jets took off without him just before Christmas at the Cheyenne airport in Wyoming. He wasn’t the only one left behind.
Verizon Lies To Customer To Get Him Off The Phone, Charges ETF
By 2.20.07
I recently tried to cancel my Verizon Wireless service because of the text messaging increase. Spoke to 6 CSRs who all gave me really bad excuses but I pressed my case and finally found a CSR who I thought was going to do the right thing and let me go. I spoke to a CSR name Donnesha (#2569) who after speaking to her supervisor briefly said she will cancel my contract with an ETF but as soon as I receive written notice in my bills for the text messaging charge increase I can call back and have a CSR waive my ETF. I then asked her again “So you will make a written note on my account so that as soon as I receive my next bill with a notice of the text messaging charge increase, I can call Verizon Wireless, speak with a CSR and based on the note you just made, I will get my $175 refund with no problems whatsoever?” She replies with “yes, absolutely”. I thanked her and promptly hung up. The next day, I called Verizon again and spoke with a CSR name Troy (#9840) to check on the little note Donnesha made, lo and behold, the note does not exist! Troy then proceeds to email Donnesha to inquire about where the note went. Donnesha emails back within 5 minutes to say that I had agreed to eat the ETF and that no refund will be given.
Hang contacted the BBB and escalated the issue to a supervisor, but Verizon is standing firm. They believe Donnesha. Do you?
Delta Airlines Treats Dogs Better Than People And Other Valentine's Day Airplane Horror Stories
By 2.16.07
While it seems that no one had a very nice trip this Valentine’s Day, things were especially bad for Lesley. She spent her entire day trying to get on a flight to LA for a job interview, only to have the flight canceled. She was loaded on and off planes, there was a large dog roaming around, the jetway broke, the flight crew had to be changed, it goes on and on and on.
United Airlines Says Don't Bring Wine On The Plane If Your Name Sounds Terroristy
By 2.15.07
hasan: flight is code-shared with United Airlines, CSR at United Airlines hung up on me
