Apple has come out against a recent report that had claimed the company was testing a mobile virtual network operator, a cellular service that would replace traditional phone carriers for iPhone users in the U.S. and Europe. [More]
denials
Allstate Denied Man's Insurance Claim Because He Went To The Hospital 5 Hours Too Early
By 11.10.11
Usually you’re rewarded for showing up early. How could showing up 5 hours early cost you $10,000? [More]
TSA: We Didn't Force 95-Year-Old Woman To Remove Diaper
By 6.28.11
Transportation Security Administration agents were accused of making a 95-year-old woman take off her diaper before a flight from Florida to Michigan, but the TSA now says it has investigated the incident and found that its agents did no such thing. [More]
Ford Denies My Warranty Coverage Due To Vague 'Design Limits' Reason
By 11.19.10
Jason’s Ford Mustang broke down, requiring a repair he expected to be covered under the warranty, given that the car was well under the 5-year, 60,000-mile limit. The Ford dealership to which he towed his car denied the warranty service, basically accusing him of abusing the car by driving it “beyond its design limits.” [More]
Kmart Rejected My Coupon, Saying Deal Was 'Like Cash for Clunkers'
By 5.4.10
Andrey tried to use a coupon at a Chicago Kmart but was denied by the manager, who said the funding for the coupon was all used up, like “cash for clunkers.” [More]
If An Airline Loses Your Luggage, Get Compensation
By 4.5.10
The U.S. Department of Transportation says that despite what the airline tells you, there are certain regulations it must follow when it loses a passenger’s luggage. Here are the things to remember if you’re in this unfortunate situation. [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]
FCC Commissioner Says She's Not Happy With Verizon's ETF And Billing Explanations
By 12.24.09
At least one official with the FCC is not impressed by Verizon’s latest explanations of its Early Termination Fees (ETFs) and Mobile Web billing practices. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn released a statement (pdf) last night where she called Verizon’s explanation “unsatisfying” and “troubling,” and she closed with the fighting words, “I look forward to exploring this issue in greater depth with my colleagues in the New Year.” [More]
Verizon Denies It Charges You $2 Each Time You Mistakenly Press A Certain Button On Your Phone
By 12.22.09
Last month, David Pogue at the New York Times published a tip from a self-described Verizon employee. The employee accused Verizon of deliberately rigging its system to trap customers whenever they accidentally press the “Get It Now” or “Mobile Web” buttons on their phones–even if they cancel the operation immediately, they’re charged a fee of $1.99 each time. Both Pogue and the FCC asked Verizon to explain why this happens. Verizon’s response: it doesn’t, and Pogue and the hundreds of people who wrote in to confirm this practice are all crazy. [More]
Why Is Sears Being So Sneaky On This Dishwasher Rebate?
By 12.4.09
On Black Friday, Sears offered free installation on select Kenmore dishwashers in the form of a rebate coupon. The coupon is pretty simple to understand as far as these things go–buy one of the listed models, and Sears will pay for the installation. According to William, however, the listed model that he wanted remained out of stock only for the duration of the coupon. When he asked Sears to honor it the next day, they agreed to–but then after he bought the dishwasher they told him he had broken a nonexistent rule and therefore had voided the coupon. [More]
HP Refuses To Make Good On $100 Cash Back Promise, Won't Explain Why
By 11.2.09
David is trying to reach HP executive customer service. He wants to find out why they reversed the $100 cash back offer they’d originally extended through a promotion with Microsoft’s new search engine Bing, and why the only reasons they’re giving him are either inapplicable or demonstrably false.
Capital One To Credit Card Applicant: It's Not So Much You, It's Your Area
By 10.16.09
Capital One denied Ryan a credit card limit increase, explaining the turn-down was due partially to the area in which he lives.
Blue Shield: Bleeding From Your Breasts Is Not An Emergency
By 9.27.09
One day, a California woman woke up to discover her t-shirt soaked in blood. The source? Her breast. She immediately went to the emergency room, and the cause of the bleeding was eventually found to be a benign tumor. However, her health insurance denied the claim, stating that she “reasonably should have known that an emergency did not exist.” Yes, copious amounts of blood flowing from your nipples is really something you want to wait out.
MLB Won't Give Me Permission To Describe Game To Friend
By 9.3.09
Shoeless Joe Jackson. Pete Rose. Barry Bonds. Now I add my name to the end of this list, for we all have been shunned by Major League Baseball.
Settlers Life Insurance Denies Claim For Widow Of Gunshot Victim Due To Pre-Existing Medical Condition
By 4.22.09
At Settlers Life Insurance, being shot in the back by unknown assailants is trumped by Hepatitis C, and they won’t pay your benefits. According to the lawsuit filed last week (pdf), Curtis McCraw held a life insurance policy with Settlers Life Insurance at the time of his murder in April 2008. When his wife Stephanie McCraw attempted to claim the Accidental Death Benefit, Settlers denied her claim because her husband had “a pre-existing liver condition.” We knew Hepatitis was bad, but we didn’t know it could pull out a gun and shoot you. We wonder if Hepatitis C is what really killed Kennedy.
Best Buy Accused Of Paying Bonuses To Managers Who Don't Price Match
By 3.23.09
- Best Buy provided financial bonuses based, in part, on denying proper price match requests.
- Best Buy denied more than 100 proper price match requests per store per week.
Verizon: Cancel Vonage And Cablevision Phone Lines Or You Can't Have FiOS
By 4.16.08
Here’s an odd little letter. For once a customer was actually pleased with the salesperson that came to their door and convinced them to try FiOS. Yay! The trouble came when the nice salesperson called in and Verizon refused to activate the account unless the customer canceled their phone lines with Vonage and Cablevision and switched all three to Verizon.
Insurance Company Denies Coverage For 3-Year-Old's Only Source Of Nutrition
By 12.29.07
Hannah Devane is 3 years old and is allergic to food. Not certain specific foods. Hannah has a rare disorder that makes her allergic to every kind of food except a certain formula that her insurance company says is a “nutritional supplement.” Feeding Hannah costs $300 a week, but without the formula Hannah can’t eat enough to survive without doing permanent damage to her esophagus.
