Reader Joel isn’t too happy with the service he got from Sears. He was looking to get an older TV fixed and, rather than make sure that they could fix it, Sears sent a guy to drive on Joel’s lawn.
damage
Apple: Cosmetic Damage Keeps Us From Replacing Your Battery!
By 3.1.09
Apple claims that they can’t replace reader MTW’s MacBook battery because the laptop’s case is chipped. The minor cosmetic damage doesn’t affect the computer’s functions and isn’t even on the same side as the laptop’s battery, which stopped holding a charge months after the case cracked.
Target "Not Responsible" For Flying Carts of Doom
By 12.30.08
Jason likes his car a lot. Apparently, so do the shopping carts at the local Target, because they just can’t stop themselves from colliding with his vehicle. Luckily, it isn’t Target’s fault, according to Target.
You'd Think Comcast, A Cable Company, Would Be Better At Installing Cable
By 10.14.08
Amy, a student at UC Davis, has just learned one of the lessons that one inevitably learns at college. Cable companies are simply not very good at what they do. Take, for example, the “finished” installation of some cable outlets in her apartment.
USPS Delivers Just The Cover Of Your Rolling Stone, But Is Very Sorry
By 9.19.08
Reader Dave says that he received just the cover of his copy of Rolling Stone, wrapped in a cute, apologetic plastic bag from the USPS.
Help! IKEA's Delivery Guys Smashed My iPod!
By 9.4.08
Reader Belinda’s iPod and a few accessories were smashed by some delivery guys contracted by IKEA. When she tried to file a claim for the $500 worth of damage they did, she got the runaround until she eventually gave up and wrote to us.
Malicious Oil Change? Jiffy Lube Ruined My Oil Plug "On Purpose"
By 8.12.08
Reader Andrew says he’s certain that Jiffy Lube purposefully filed down his oil plug so that he couldn’t change his oil himself. Conspiracy? Or incompetance? You decide.
Best Buy Tries To Install Remote Starter, Wrecks New Nissan Altima
By 7.19.08
While cramming a remote starter into Andrew’s new Nissan Altima, Best Buy managed to break the car’s locking system, window controls, and a brake light. Andrew hauled the crippled car back to the dealership, which immediately blamed Best Buy for burning out the car’s wiring, and told Andrew that the parasitic system had to go. Best Buy defended their quality workmanship, and refused to issue a refund unless Andrew signed a waiver absolving them of any responsibility for damaging the car.
Home Depot's Extraordinary Service Leads To Free $800 Appliance Upgrade
By 5.25.08
Michael launched an Executive Email Carpet Bomb after Home Depot twice failed to deliver an undamaged washer and dryer. Home Depot’s CEO Frank Blake quickly thanked Michael for his even-handed letter, and promised that the local store manager would make him a happy customer…
Best Buy: Only $1700 For This Awesome Broken Computer
By 4.14.08
I was wandering around Best Buy yesterday here in Missouri when we came across this. Essentially, the back of this “open box” tagged computer was completely broken off. I realize that this may indeed be the nature of “open box” product, but seriously… 1700 dollars for a computer with this kind of blatant damage?
Budget Demands $2,080.93 To Repair Preexisting Damage
By 3.9.08
Kevin noted on his Budget rental forms that his truck was covered with graffiti and other nicks and scratches before driving off the lot. As soon as he returned the truck, the lot agent pointed out a slew of damage and invited him inside. He said that Kevin had two options: pay $670 in cash immediately, or pay several thousand dollars to corporate later. Kevin paid the extortion fee, but now Budget’s corporate office wants $2,080 to repair, among other things, graffiti damage.
Orkin "Lifetime Guarantee" Costs $214 A Year?
By 2.11.08
Chris writes, Last year we had Orkin come and get rid of a termite problem in our 60 year old house. It is a small three bedroom house and we were putting concrete siding on and discovered some termite trails.
Time Warner: A Tornado Destroyed Your House Our Cable Boxes? That'll Be $2,000
By 1.31.08
Ann Beam’s Wheatland, WI home was destroyed by a tornado earlier this month. Then a snow storm hit and made clean up difficult. To top it off, she opened her Time Warner Cable bill and saw a $2,000 charge for the 5 (9-year-old) cable boxes and remotes that were destroyed in the tornado.
DirecTV Installer Needs Electrical Tape, Prefers Coke To Water, Is Concerned About Your Parenting
By 6.25.07
Christy is having the best time getting DirecTV installed in her home. Highlights of her hilariously tragic email include:
Squirrels 1, Comcast 0: Comcast Would Rather Let You Cancel Than Investigate Damage
By 3.28.07
I’ve told them either they are throttling the bandwidth for my neighborhood or it’s a problem on the pole going to my house. They had found a problem there previously; apparently it looked like squirrels chewed through the box and severed components. Squirrels are apparently bad-asses when it comes to taking down infrastructures.
We suppose Comcast could have kept Rex as a customer if they’d bothered to just take a look at his potential squirrel damage. Comcast even promised that they would. They didn’t. Now Rex has Speakeasy. Sadly, when we told him that they’d just been purchased by Best Buy he said a word that nice ladies don’t type on the internet.
iTunes 7 Breaks Your iPod
By 11.2.06
It seems that iTunes 7 breaks older iPods, and no one at Apple believes it. We believe it. Here’s the deal. You have a slightly older iPod, a Nano, or a Shuffle. You update iTunes. Your hardware stops working. Apple doesn’t give a shit, and they tell you it’s time to buy a new iPod. The general feeling seems to be that if your iPod is sort of old, it broke on its own. Very suspicious.
Buy.com’s Packaging Sucks!
By 11.1.06
Jerry writes in with a photo of the totally fucked up book he received from Buy.com. He realizes that it’s the USPS’s fault for messing up the book… but is wondering if Buy.com’s packaging needs to be quite as flimsy as it is.
