Here are five special photos that readers added to the 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.
readers
Reach Pitney Bowes Executive Customer Service
By 3.14.08
800-622-2296 is the number for the Office of the President at Pitney Bowes, makers of fine mail processing equipment. One reader had a persistent problem with his meter and that was the number to which they eventually escalated him.
Go-Cart Track Takes Scalped Customer's Safety Very Seriously
By 3.13.08
THE QUOTE: “The owner of the go-cart track says… this was an extremely unfortunate accident that he feels horrible about…He also said the company takes safety of its customers very seriously.”
Man Escapes Verizon ETF Via EECB
By 3.13.08
Talyor was able to leave his Verizon contract without paying an early termination fee by launching an executive email carpet bomb loaded with a polite email. In it, he says that customer service reps have refused to transfer him to a supervisor and now he needs some help. In the ensuing email exchange with the executive customer service rep who helps him, he tells her how he wants to leave because of the raise in text message rates. Frequent readers of The Consumerist will remember that when a cellphone company raises its text message rates, it’s a material change to the contract, meaning that the original contract is void and the other party can walk away from the contract without penalty. Taylor wins because he’s polite, professional, persistent, and acts like he’s conducting a business transactions, which is exactly what he’s doing. Read his blow by blow exchange, inside…
All The Dashboard Lights Flash Whenever I Drive My Dodge Charger In The Rain
By 3.13.08
Whenever Brian drives his Dodge Charger in the rain, all of the dash lights flash and has trouble restarting his car. He’s taken the car to the dealership multiple times, but they say they’re never able to recreate the problem. Above are two screencaps of the video he took last time this occurred. He’s now taken to writing a letter to Chrysler CEO Big Bob Nardelli, which is most likely a futile effort. You might instead email Cerberus, the company that now owns Chrysler’s ass. Maybe the dealership will find it’s able to recreate the flashing signals if Brian rides along the next time they test the car. Maybe call the Car Talk radio show. Inside, a video of this bizzare phenom in action, and his letter to the CEO.
Break The PayDay Loan Death Cycle
By 3.12.08
Are you trapped in a payday loan death cycle, or have a friend or family member who is? See, the problem with a payday loan is that some people aren’t able to pay the first one off (if you don’t have money in the first place, you’re not going to be any better off two weeks later!), and then have to take out more and more loans to cover each loan they couldn’t pay off. Not only is there high interest, there’s fees. A former PayDay loan lender on personalbudgettraining.com shares his advice for breaking out of the debt trap.
If you can’t get out of this right now, start by advancing $50 less per pay period. Take the difference of what you were paying us in fees and start paying it into an emergency fund. Grab a job delivering pizzas, babysitting, whatever, and pay it into an emergency fund. Borrow less and less from us. Use the EF for actual emergencies. Once you are out of this, don’t get back into it.
Earn more, borrow less, and pay off more.
Sample Script To Get Your Credit Card Rate Lowered
By 3.12.08
Want a lower interest rate on your credit card? Call up your credit card company and say, “I think I’ve been a good customer. I’d like to stay with you, but I really want you to lower the rate on my card. Can you help me?” If they say no, ask to speak to a supervisor and say the same thing. CBCnews approached 10 shoppers at random in a mall and had them call up their credit card company and tell them exactly what we told you. Six of them got their interest rate reduced. Those sound like odds worth playing to me.
Man On Trial For Knocking Down Walmart Receipt Checker
By 3.12.08
Details are sketchy but a Chehalis Washington man is on trial after being accused of knocking down a Wal-Mart greeter. According to the AP report, Don Lynch says the greeter demanded to see his receipt and then the greeter and another Wal-Mart employee grabbed him. Lynch says he acted in self-defense.Now, we’ve done a bunch of posts about how, unless you’ve signed a membership agreement assenting to them, stores have no right to detain you if you refuse a receipt check. However, you cannot react violently. Then you will get in trouble and look like a jerk. Go for non-violent resistance. You must be like Gandhi. If someone touches you, ask them to stop. If they don’t, call the cops and complain that this guy won’t stop touching you. They’re not allowed to touch you, or for that matter, grab you.
If You Are Planning To Die Soon, Avoid Bank Of America
By 3.12.08
Because Marc B. hadn’t used his account for a few years, Bank of America decided he must have died, and froze his account. Then they started charging a maintenance fee, which eventually overdrew his account. Full email inside.
WaMu Rewrites Executive Bonus Plan To Avoid Subprime Meltdown Responsibility
By 3.12.08
The Seattle Times reports that Washington Mutual has revised its executive bonus plan so continuing fallout from the subprime meltdown won’t affect their annual bonus checks. In a regulatory filing on Monday, the bank moved to exclude the cost of bad loans and expenses arising from foreclosures when calculating net operating profit. By way of explanation, “Spokeswoman Libby Hutchinson said the bonus plan covers almost 3,000 WaMu executives, many of whom are not directly involved in lending,” writes the Seattle Times. When those subprime raping dollars were rolling in, did any of these same executives object that their bonuses was being unfairly pumped by profits not coming from their department? (Pictured: CEO Kerry Killinger, looking clever)
Man Haggles With Dell Over Laptop Since 2005
By 3.11.08
There have been several business article written about how Dell is changing its bad customer service ways, but after you read Anthony’s horrible tale, you will know that Dell hell is very alive and very real:
In April of 2005, I purchased a Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop computer. Approximately a year later, I was given a replacement for ongoing issues with the computer, and that replacement served me fine for approximately another year before it too had ongoing issues and was replaced under warranty. However, this is where the problems began…
Uhaul Dealer's Tips For Happier Renting
By 3.10.08
What about all those tales about broken and poorly maintained trucks? His thoughts, inside…
AT&T Won't Sell You iPhone Because "You're Going To Unlock It"
By 3.10.08
Colin writes:
I went into my nearest ATT store and there were two CSR’s behind the counter- I asked for an 8gig Refurb iPhone thats being sold for $249 and the kid said sure and walked me over to the desk. The next words out of his mouth “What is your social security number?” No “How are you today?” “Thanks for coming in” No, apparently they just want my credit report to see if I am “worthy”
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.
Best Buy Won't Match J&R's "Wholesale" Prices
By 3.8.08
The Best Buy in Secaucus, NJ refused to match J&R’s price for a Bluetooth headset, claiming that J&R was not covered by Best Buy’s price match guarantee. Best Buy employees first called J&R—a large New York electronics retailer—a wholesaler. A manager later insisted that J&R was a Mom & Pop store and refused to match the lower price. When reader Steven attempted to cut through the absurdity by calling corporate, he was told that the price match is provided at each store’s discretion. Read his full story, inside.
San Diego Union Tribune Tries To Trick Customers Into Renewing By Demanding Payment For "Unpaid Bill"
By 3.8.08
Dean writes:
I received a call yesterday from my newspaper (the San Diego Union Tribune). The nice young man on the phone told me that I had an unpaid bill, and if I liked, he could take care of that over the phone with me right then. I take a certain amount of pride in paying all my bills promptly, so my first impulse was to go ahead and get it taken care of asap. But after the first few seconds of surprise and confusion, I got suspicious.
Reach 5 High-Up Verizon Wireless People
By 3.7.08
Some cellphone problems are like a nagging itch in the middle of your back you can’t reach, if and Tier-1 customer service can’t either, some of the five Verizon Wireless muckety-mucks after the jump might be able to help you scratch it if you call or email them.
