For the better part of a week, residents in areas expected to be affected by Hurricane Irma were making plans to evacuate. But at least one Pizza Hut restaurant in Florida tried to restrict employee’s evacuation plans ahead of the storm. [More]
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Pizza Hut Is Sorry-ish That Store Stopped Workers From Fleeing Florida Ahead Of Hurricane
By 9.11.17
Federal Disaster Loans Could Be Difficult To Obtain After Harvey
By 8.31.17
Around 80% of homeowners in areas devastated by flooding from Hurricane Harvey don’t have insurance policies that will cover much of the damage done to their properties. Federal disaster loans offer victims one pathway toward recovery, but obtaining that financing could be a difficult, drawn-out endeavor. [More]
Owners Of Matte Black iPhones Complaining About Chipping
By 2.10.17 — Updated: 2.13.17
When Apple debuted the iPhone 7 last fall, the company also introduced two new finishes: the glossy Jet Black and the subdued Matte Black. However, some folks who chose those new colors say their iPhones are starting to chip — in some instances after only a few weeks. [More]
Target Refusing To Pay For Damage After Its Two-Ton Red Ball Rolls Into Driver’s Car
By 2.3.17
It’s not often that a shopping center turns into something out of an Indiana Jones movie, but that’s the first thing we thought of when we heard that a two-ton cement ball had been knocked loose from its berth in front of a Target store in New Jersey and rolled into traffic. And now, Target doesn’t want to pay for the damage it caused. [More]
Apple Investigating Report Of iPhone 7 Catching Fire
By 10.21.16
While we’ve heard numerous reports of Samsung smartphones and tablets overheating and catching fire — sometimes destroying property and injuring customers — now Apple is on the receiving end of at least one similar report. [More]
Report: Apple To Accept Newer iPhone Trade-Ins With Cracked Screens, Other Dings
By 2.5.16
For years the owners of iPhones with broken screens or damaged buttons looking to trade in their older device for a new one through Apple’s Reuse and Recycle trade-in program have been out of luck, unless they shelled out the cash to repair the smartphone first. That’s reportedly set to change with an upcoming revamp of the program. [More]
Forever 21’s Vicious Rivets Attacked My Car’s Seats
By 10.4.12
Sam thought he would try shopping at discount clothing emporium Forever 21. He found this nice pair of pants. Well, he thought they were nice, but they turned out to be vicious. He tells Consumerist that the back rivets were so sharp, they scratched up the leather in his car interior. Imagine the horror if he owned a leather couch or recliner, too. [More]
Leaky Dishwasher Wrecks Hardwood Floor And Ceiling Below, Sears Shrugs
By 7.2.12
Sometimes, you buy a defective appliance and your only problem is that that the appliance doesn’t work. It’s sad, but you replace the item, either using a warranty or by purchasing a new one. Sometimes the company will stand in your way, and you have to fight them for a replacement. And then sometimes your defective appliance warps your hardwood floor, leaks through to your basement ceiling, and causes more than $4,000 worth of damage. That’s what happened to Nachos Grande and his wife (not his real name) when they bought a defective Whirlpool dishwasher from Sears. [More]
Is My Gutter Contractor Ever Going To Repair The Damage To My House?
By 11.3.11
The workers who came to Matt’s house and installed new gutters did a great job, but they damaged the siding. He doesn’t want to pay their bill until the (very minor) damage to his house has been fixed. But he also doesn’t want the company to sic a collection agency on him. What would the consumerists do? [More]
Enterprise Wants $300 For Phantom Windshield Crack
By 12.2.10 — Updated: 9.8.16
Kyle writes that he rented a car from Enterprise earlier this year, paid for by his then-employer. When he returned the car to Enterprise, and the rental agent didn’t walk around the car with him to check for damage. He didn’t think much of this at the time, but maybe he should have: the company is now after him for his share of the replacement cost of a cracked windshield. What cracked windshield? [More]
Guy Refuses To Return Insurer's Calls, So Insurer Says It Doesn't Have To Pay For The Car He Hit
By 2.3.10
A woman in Philadelphia says her neighbor just laughs every time he sees her now, because his insurance company refused to pay a claim on her car that he hit. The company told her that the man won’t answer his phone, so there’s nothing they can do. Update: Right after I posted this, the OP emailed with an update. See the bottom of the post. [More]
US Airways Takes Parts Out Of Xbox To Make Flying Safer
By 1.19.10
Adam writes, “I was flying out of Logan Airport and I checked my XBOX 360 in my baggage. The agent assured me that there would be no problem with it. When I got home my I found that they had put a little ziploc bag on top of my things, and the bag was filled with tiny metal components that used to be in the XBOX. It’s broken now and they’re telling me tough luck. Any advice?” [More]
Apple Replaces Shattered iPhone After Customer Drops It
By 12.18.09
Someone in Apple’s iPhone Support department just got the crap haunted out of him by three ghosts, I’m guessing, based on what happened when David called to explain that his wife had dropped and ruined her brand new iPhone. [More]
HSN Breaks TV, Showing Need To Firmly Attach Your Wii Accessories
By 10.19.09
This HSN presenter remembered to use his wrist strap when playing with a Wiimote, so good for him! Unfortunately, it turns out you also have to make sure any attachments are firmly attached.
UPS Damages $1,700 Worth Of Shipped Items, Admits They Messed Up, Still Won't Pay
By 6.22.09
Awesomely-named reader DrSpaceMonkey tells us he shipped some stuff to himself during a move, discovered it was damaged, and now can’t collect on his insurance.
Package Mauled By Puppies After Fedex Delivery Error
By 5.14.09
Jill is annoyed at Fedex. First, they delivered her package to the wrong house. Normally, this is a minor error and an opportunity to visit with your neighbors, but Fedex didn’t deliver it to just any house. They opened the gate and put her package inside the fenced-in yard where two evidently bored puppies were hanging out.
GameFly Accuses US Postal Service Of Breaking, Losing, And Stealing Its Game Discs
By 5.6.09
Late last year we pointed out that GameFly, a Netflix-style program for video games, was beginning to develop a reputation for rotten service and slow turnaround. It looks like the United States Postal Service may be partly to blame, at least as far as GameFly is concerned. They’ve filed a complaint against the USPS over lost, stolen, and damaged discs, as well as discriminatory treatment when compared to Netflix and Blockbuster.
FiOS Installer Drills Through Wife's Wedding Dress
By 4.17.09
A Verizon FiOS installer showed up yesterday to install the service in Sam’s house, but misjudged the location of the laundry room by 4 feet and drilled directly into the closet where his wife kept her wedding dress.
