If you owned an expensive TV that stopped working, and you were years out of warranty, you’d assume the manufacturer would have nothing to do with you, correct? LG doesn’t play that game—Tim’s experience with them when his LG set went kaput is a mind-blowing example of a company practically coddling its past—and almost certainly future—customers.
repairs
Walmart Responds, Fixes Ruined Transmission
By 9.2.09
We’re not entirely sure Consumerist is responsible for Walmart finally getting back to Jeff on his ruined transmission—and frankly, because of the length of time between the incident and his complaint, as well as Walmart’s reputation for silence on consumer complaints like this, we didn’t expect much to happen at all. We were wrong, and we tip our hats to Walmart for making good on a very expensive mistake. Read Jeff’s update below.
Mysterious Oil Change Ruins Transmission, But Walmart Won't Respond
By 9.2.09
Update: Walmart has responded!
Kenmore Fridge Doubles As Easy-Bake Oven, Saves Valuable Space In Kitchen
By 8.13.09
It’s good to have an Easy-Bake Oven around for those times when you want to serve a tiny, partially baked cake-like product to your parents or little sister. The last thing you want, though, is another appliance cluttering the counter. Kenmore has solved that problem with a built-in fridge model with light bulbs that stay on even when the door is shut—and explode when you try to unscrew them! Okay, the exploding glass part is maybe not so convenient.
AppleCare Is An Extended Warranty Worth Buying
By 8.11.09
I asked Apple this morning to replace my broken laptop now that they’ve reintroduced the anti-glare option on their 15″ MacBook Pros. Apple agreed, and soon a new laptop will leave China destined for my apartment. This isn’t the first laptop Apple sent me this month. It’s the second. Here’s why…
E.E.C.B. Forces Best Buy To Finally Replace Defective TV
By 8.10.09
It took an Executive Email Carpet Bomb to convince Best Buy to replace Bryan’s Panasonic LiFi LCD Projection TV after it ate through four lamps. Bryan had purchased Best Buy’s extended warranty, which contains a no lemon clause that promises a replacement after three failed repairs. Best Buy conveniently insisted that replacing the broken lamp did not count as a “qualified repair.” Bryan first escalated his complaint through normal channels; when he had no other choice, he launched the mighty EECB.
Slingbox Offers Fantastic Post-Warranty Service, Wins Customer's Love
By 8.7.09
After reading dozens of stories about companies doing whatever they can to get out of honoring a customer’s warranty, it’s a relief to find a situation which is the exact opposite of that.
Man vs. Eternally Broken Xbox 360: A Novel
By 8.6.09
Being a jaded Xbox 360 owner who’s watched his console give up the ghost five times, it takes a lot for a tale of Microsoft customer service woe to move me. And yet a reader named Gower accomplished just that by sending a novel-length soliloquy about his maddening run through Xbox 360 hell. What follows is the Cliffs Notes version (grab your hankies):
Airbag Defect Prompts Honda To Recall 440,000 Cars
By 8.1.09
If you own a Honda and don’t like getting shot in the face with jagged metal fragments, you may want to keep an eye out for a recall notice. The automaker announced yesterday that it would recall 440,000 Civics, Accords, and Acura TL sedans sold between 2001 and 2003.
Computer Techs Are Still Pervs
By 7.31.09
Best Buy will face stiff competition if it ever tries to penetrate the UK market, as this hidden camera investigation into peeping tom computer repair shops reveals.
Sunbeam Shows How To Do Customer Service Right
By 7.31.09
Too often, it seems that long-running companies shave away at customer service in an attempt to remain profitable. Sunbeam, however, proves that there are still companies out there who take pride in their products, and who make considerable effort to keep the customers they have.
Dodge Dealership Refunds Money On Truck It Couldn't Fix
By 7.21.09
Last Friday, we posted about how a Dodge dealership in New York spent nearly a week working on a truck, and charged over $700 for the labor, only to say they couldn’t fix it in the end. It looks like the story has a happy ending: after the truck’s owner sent in a formal complaint and pointed the dealership to our post, the dealership’s owner refunded both the repair fees and the towing fees.
Dodge Dealership Can't Repair Truck After 6 Days, Local Mechanic Does It In 10 Minutes
By 7.17.09
A Dodge dealership in Alexandria Bay, NY, wasted over $700 of Joe’s dad’s money and a week of their time not repairing a 20-year-old truck. Joe says he heard that the dealership recently replaced all of its mechanics—maybe they took a page from Circuit City’s playbook?
Southwest Jet Makes Emergency Landing After Gremlin Rips Hole In Fuselage
By 7.14.09
Southwest Airlines flight 2298 made an emergency landing in West Virginia yesterday after a hole appeared on the top of the plane while in flight. “Passengers reported that they could see the sky through the rupture,” writes the Washington Post. It left Nashville around 4:05pm, but landed only 50 minutes later. According to this WPRI video clip, Southwest spent the night inspecting 181 of its Boeing 737-300 jets, and they say there should be no delays today.
Sears Customer Service Runaround Results In New Sander
By 7.13.09
Can we tag a story “above and beyond” if the customer service cycle is so screwed up that it eventually works out in the customer’s favor? When jpodbuild tried to get his Craftsman sander repaired or replaced, he couldn’t get anyone on the phone who could actually help him—eventually he would end up back at the first number he’d called. He decided to show up in person and let the store manager handle the phone calls. New sander!
Shop Owner Caught Driving Customer's Jaguar Home
By 7.10.09
Darryl Taylor received a traffic ticket in the mail for running a toll booth in his 2000 Jaguar S-series. The only problem was, the Jaguar was at a repair shop on the day of the violation.
Geek Squad: Sorry We Accidentally Hosed Your Motherboard. Here's A Vastly Inferior Replacement
By 7.4.09
Geek Squad tried to repair a broken fan in Brian’s Sony laptop, but somehow managed to instead break the laptop’s motherboard, processor, and much of the internal cabling. Though Geek Squad replaced all the damaged parts, Brian soon realized that the laptop’s new processor was slower and cheaper than the original model…
Repair Your Tattered Rags With Office Supplies!
By 6.29.09
Wise Bread tells us that office supplies can quickly and easily help patch-up ailing garments. In a hurry, staples can save skirts and cardigans by holding together fragile hems and clasps. Markers can even be tasked to help clear scuff marks from leather shoes. Still, it never hurts to stash an extra set of shoes and accessories in the office, just in case your repair calls for more than just office supplies. How do you fix your clothes in a pinch? Share your secrets in the comments.
