John can’t understand how Wachovia charged his startup $12 in fees for failing to maintain a minimum balance when his company never opened an account with Wachovia in the first place. Apparently, his former bank manager decamped to Wachovia and, without his permission, opened a new account “to ensure certain money rates,” whatever that means. John isn’t mad, and the bank manager agreed to close the account, but John is a little worried because a collections agency has started calling and the account now lists $24.05 in fees.
readers
Dell Still Ships Tiny Items In Massive Boxes
By 4.20.08
From the looks of David’s package, Dell isn’t close to honoring its promise to switch to alternative packaging within the next two months. This obscenely large box contained nothing more than a 2GB flash drive. David’s son snapped a few pictures, which appear as an eerie slideshow after the jump.
Let Best Buy 'Professionally Install' Your XBox Games
By 4.20.08
Tipster Michael writes:
Apparently the local Best Buy has an unbeatable service option for you. Looks like they will come to your house and insert your game to your 360 for you. Wonder how much they would charge to turn it on and put the controller in my hand?
Fie on anyone who says these signs are misplaced. This is a revolutionary new service that will do for game installation what Game Genie did for gameplay. Just you wait and see…
Microsoft Keeps Your Repaired XBox For 4 Months, Calls You A Thief For Wanting It Back
By 4.19.08 — Updated: 3.10.13
[protected-iframe id="b8f18f624db3162ddc3edeca28b1ece8-40783744-40309798" info="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.php?u=http://digg.com/xbox/Help_Microsoft_Thinks_I_m_A_Thief_For_Wanting_My_XBox_Back" width="55" height="82" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"]Microsoft hasn’t returned Tiffany’s XBox 360 for four months because they think she is a thief, even though she has her original receipt and a credit card statement proving that she is the console’s rightful owner. Microsoft repaired the XBox back in January and tried to return it via FedEx, but a shipping snafu landed the box back at Microsoft’s service center. Tiffany has called repeatedly. She even sent a letter to Microsoft’s legal department, after sending her receipt and statement, asking how else she could prove ownership. That was 22 days ago. She has yet to receive a response.
AT&T Fails To Provide Service, Holds $750 Deposit Hostage For Two Months
By 4.19.08
AT&T demanded a $750 deposit from Richard before selling him an iPhone, but couldn’t provide service because they improperly entered his address. Richard spent hours at the AT&T store trying to fix the mistake before deciding to cut his losses and recover the deposit. AT&T promised to refund his money in 7-10 days. That was two months ago. Why the hold-up? AT&T can’t issue the refund because they don’t have Richard’s proper address.
FedEx Kinkos Is Confused By Your Request To Overnight A Letter
By 4.19.08
The workers at the FedEx Kinkos in Astor Place didn’t know how to react when reader Eric asked to overnight a letter. They were apparently trained to handle only the Kinkos side of the store, and weren’t sure how to ship Eric’s parcel—a school board election ballot—to Hackensack, New Jersey. Their solution was both innovative and idiotic: they told Eric to write his credit card info on a slip of paper, and promised to take care of everything the next morning.
Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds
By 4.18.08
Here are five special photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, chosen because they’re both neat and could possibly be used in a Consumerist post. Our Flickr Pool is the place where Consumerist readers go and upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right, and start hitting “send to group” on your individual photos you want to add to the pool.
Amazon Screws Up Refund, Charges $2,288.44 for $750 Of Gym Equipment
By 4.18.08
Reader Craig ordered some gym equipment from Amazon, but he accidentally used his debit card instead of his credit card. Realizing his mistake, he immediately tried to correct the problem. He went through the change payment process right away and figured all was well. Of course it wasn’t, and he ended up getting charged $2,288.44 for $750 worth of equipment when Amazon got the refund process backwards. Twice. See how it happened after the jump.
Time Warner Wants $9,060 To Let You Have Cable
By 4.18.08
Reader “phillipe23” wants cable service, but because of his rural location it will cost him $9,060. He already has satellite, but his reception is very spotty. It seems that when the bad weather rolls in his service goes out. Clinging to the the hope that cable could be the answer to his problems, he contacted Time Warner for some relief. So what did the ever-sympathetic cable giant have to say? phillipe23’s letter, and our advice, inside…
Comcast Apologizes For Tech's Van Blocking Driveway
By 4.17.08
Frank Eliason from Comcast Executive Customer Service provided the following statement regarding the San Fransican whose Comcast cable service mysteriously shut off 10 minutes after asking a tech to move his van from in front of his driveway:
Only Sirius's CEO Knows Where The Extra Tape Is
By 4.17.08
Reader Hayden had to email the CEO of Sirius radio just to get them to ship him some replacement adhesive backing for his car radio. Every homebrewed solution he tried couldn’t get his Sirius radio to stick to his dashboard. When he called Sirius, he got bounced around between disconnections, robots, people who couldn’t speak English, a guy who insisted Sirius didn’t have stock any replacement tape. So Hayden kicked it straight to the man at the top with a nice cogent complaint letter, cc’d to us, various Sirius execs, the BBB, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs, and some popular gadget blogs. Apparently that’s what it takes to get some replacement tape. His complaint letter, inside…
Reach Sirius Executive Customer Service
By 4.17.08
If you have a serious Sirius radio issue and ground level customer service isn’t helping you out, escalate your call to the executive customer service line at 888-635-5142. Also, here are some email addresses and a mailing address for the CEO to send your missives off to:
This Earthbound Farm Organic Salad Comes With A Free Dirty Glove
By 4.16.08
Reader Justin claims he discovered this gray glove in a package of Earthbound Farm organic salad. Salads, organic or otherwise, do not typically contain prizes, and Justin’s reaction (“I was mortified”) is understandable. The experience has scarred Justin’s psyche and he is left wondering, “How many times was I one package away from eating glove?” Additional picture inside.
Ask Comcast Tech To Move His Van, Mysteriously Lose Signal
By 4.15.08
Reader Daniel lives in San Francisco, where parking is notoriously impossible. He came home one morning to find a Comcast van blocking his drive way, and politely asked the driver to move. Ten minutes later he lost his internet and TV signal. Mysterious coincidence, or malevolent tech? Check out the details, inside.
Dateline Investigates Shady Annuity Salesmen Targeting Seniors
By 4.15.08
Dateline did a hidden camera investigation into the world of shady annuity salesmen targeting seniors and playing on their emotions to lock their life savings away in funds they may never live to receive the benefit from, or pay stiff penalties, not disclosed in the sales pitch, for early withdrawal. In this clip, Dateline producers attended “Annuity University,” a two-day session run by Tyrone Clark to teach them how to sell to elders. He settled with the state of Massachusetts after he published a sales pamphlet that told salespeople to treat seniors “like they were selling to a twelve year old” and to hit their “fear, anger, and greed buttons” to make the sale. He also sells questionable self-promotional tools and services. In one of them, a fake radio guy will call up the salesperson and interview them like they’re a financial expert on the radio. The session is recorded and the salesman gets CDs to pass out, so they can pass themselves off as legitimate financial advisers. Video, inside…
Contact Sears Public Relations
By 4.15.08
Unlike other companies, Sears seems a fortress of indifference; our readers, even after arming themselves with our standard escalation kit, dash themselves against their facade like a spray across the face of a giant stone statue of Stalin that for some reason had found itself in the ocean. One reader says he’s been able to get traction out of calling the Sears Public Relations department: 847-286-8371. ” I have used this number before and things have worked out pretty well,” he writes. It’s worth a shot, especially if we’re talking about $1070 they’re refusing to refund for a TV they never delivered.
New Number To Reach US-Based Verizon DSL Customer Service
By 4.15.08
Here’s a new number to replace the old number we posted that directly connects you to US-Based, native English-speaking Verizon DSL reps in Columbus, OH (strangely, the old number is now a busy signal, I wonder why). The tipster who passed the number off says the Columbus “Get Conected DSL Gate, “has no handle time (east gate is notorious for passing people off or making up RTVs (return to vendors) because “floor walkers” pester people after times get past 13 minutes) and can help with as many supported issues as you want.” The number is 614-219-5927 (the old, non-working number was 614-219-5900).
It's Been 4 Months, GEICO, Where's My Money?
By 4.15.08
Jonathan writes:On January 1st, a friend of mine went to visit another friend in CT (I am from NJ), and unfortunately hit black ice, and proceeded into a guardrail.
