You’d think that being the senior U.S. Senator from Missouri would help Claire McCaskill get better service from her cable company, but you’d be wrong. As this recording demonstrates, the legislator has just as much trouble as the rest of us trying to get anything resembling decent service from her pay-TV provider. [More]
protection plans
Best Buy Cancels My Black Tie Plan, Forgets To Tell Me
By 7.29.13
Reader L. had heard nightmare tales about Best Buy’s Black Tie Protection Plans, but they couldn’t possibly be true. Could they? Two years into a four-year protection plan on his TV, he found out the hard way. No, they didn’t refuse to cover his problem, or stall on sending a repair person over: they had canceled his plan back in 2011, but forgotten to tell him. [More]
I Want Toys ‘R’ Us Protection Plan Help, Manager Threatens To Call Cops
By 2.19.13
It wasn’t very long ago at all that Esdras went to Toys ‘R’ Us and bought a tablet for his son. Barely four months ago, he picked up the KD Interactive Android tablet, along with a protection plan. A protection plan is generally a good idea when you combine a toddler and an electronic device, even if it is one designed especially for kids. Where Esdras got confused, though, was when the cashier gave him incorrect instructions regarding the protection plan. Just bring the item back if he had any problems, he was told. No plan brochure, no details, nothing. [More]
5 Bad Deals In Extended Warranties For Holiday Shoppers
By 11.1.11
Extended warranty plans are generally known as being bad deals for consumers. But how specifically are they bad? An insider who works, begrudgingly, for an extended service plan company lays out some of the worst extended warranty deals to watch out for when shopping this holiday season. [More]
Sony Moves Into The Protection Racket
By 5.4.10
No longer content to let retailers like Best Buy have all the fun — and ludicrous profit margin — Sony is selling extended warranties on its PlayStation products straight from the company. [More]
Best Buy Charges More For 3 Years Of Protection Than 5 Years
By 4.29.10
Tom spotted an anomaly on Best Buy’s site when he was dishwasher shopping. The company is selling its 3-year premium protection plan for $20 more than its 5-year premium protection plan. [More]
Does This Potty Seat Need An Extended Warranty?
By 11.20.09
Kelly just bought a plastic Baby Bjorn potty seat at Babies R Us. When the cashier rang it up, the system told her to ask Kelly if she’d like to pay another 30% of the purchase price for a service plan.
Capital One Activates Payment Protection Plan Thanks To EECB
By 11.7.09
Earlier this week, I posted about a college student who couldn’t get Capital One’s Emergency Payment Protection Plan activated on his account because of missed deadlines. Andon wrote back today to say that after he sent an EECB to the credit card company’s executives, they apologized and activated the service.
Sears Calls Several Days After Purchase To Upsell Unnecessary Protection Plan With Lies
By 1.25.09
Sears tried to scare Anthony into buying an unnecessary protection plan several days after he purchased a new plasma tv. The sales rep who called explained that Anthony’s new plasma would need to be recharged every five years, which isn’t true. According to Consumer Reports: “There is no such thing as recharging a plasma TV with new gas. It is sealed at the factory.”
DirecTV Thinks You Need Protection Plan, Won't Take "No" For Answer
By 2.28.08
Brooks is a DirecTV customer, and he wrote in to warn other DirecTV customers to watch out for a shady “Protection Plan” the company signed him up for against his permission:
- I was not told anything about a “standard policy” to sign me up for the protection plan upon having warranty work done.
- I specifically declined to sign up when pitched on the idea.
- I was signed up anyways.
- I received the letter stating that there would be no charge.
- They attempted to charge a cancellation fee for canceling a plan I never agreed to.
- I had to waste time and energy to haggle to get the charges off, when it really should have been a simple fix.
Read Brooks’ full DirecTV encounter after the jump.
