You might think you’re saving a buck by going with their advertised cheap services, but they’re bidding without insurance, worker’s compensation, or training. MSNBC’s new investigative series “Home Wreckers” tapes a police sting operation aimed at snatching up sketchy contractors. One of the guys is accused by several homeowners of low-balling bids, which then end shoot up in price over the course of the project. He also takes customer’s money and then never finishes the repairs. The police search his car and find ecstasy hidden in it. The police show off pictures of other contractors who were found to be convicted child molesters, on probation for attempted murder, registered sex offenders, on a state’s 10 most wanted list, and on Megan’s List. They advise to only hire licensed and bonded contractors, as they have to go through background checks and drug tests. You wouldn’t want to let some ex-con in your house, or around your kids.
videos
Spy On Your Kids With Hi-Tech Snoopware
They’re all less cost-effective than talking to your kids and listening to what’s going on, but we guess that’s too hard to package and sell that.
Veringular: We're Dropping Your Calls On Purpose And There Isn't **** You Can Do About It
Southwest Gate Agent Entertains Passengers With Ukelele
Plug in your work headphones and get ready to rock out classic-easy-listening-style.
Man Documents Efforts To Get Off Spam Lists
Our favorite moment: when Halleran asks, “If I cancel my account with you guys, will that stop the mailing?”, and the man on the other end just sighs in angry exasperation.
Defective iPhone Screen? Here's A New One. Oops, Its Screen Is Defective Too (Repeat 5 Times…)
Sting Op Of 10 Different Computer Repair Companies Finds 70% Don't Know What They're Doing
CBC Marketplace did a kickass hidden camera investigation into computer repair companies and found only 30% were able to correctly diagnose their problem.
Beware The Tow Truck Pirates
This ’05 KNBC investigation uncovered a rogue industry of pirate tow truck drivers in Southern California. A system of spotters kept watch for any driver who left the premises attached to a parking lot, and got paid $25-50 for calling in targets. In some cases, drivers were gone from their cars for less than 15 minutes.
Woman Googles Way Out Of Illegal $600 Tow
After this woman’s car got towed (from what looks like what might be her driveway), she did some Googling and found the towing company didn’t have a moving license at the time she was towed. She also found the company hadn’t notified the city of the tow, as required by law. After complaining to the Texas Department of Transportation, the consumer got her car back, and the $600 the company had charged her. Now that’s using your noodle!
Fake Credit Card App Booths: An Extremely Unlikely Identity Theft Scenario
Jumping on the identity theft scare bandwagon, The Today Show demonstrated how thieves could successfully steal your personal information by making a fake credit card application booth.
When Travelling Internationally, Pop Out The iPhone SIM Card To Check Email Without Huge Roaming Charges
A handy tip that could’ve saved a couple people a few thousand dollars *cough* And This Is Your $4190.76 iPhone Bill *cough* iPhone/AT&T $3,000 International Roaming Bill Serves As Cruel Warning…or you can always just get a prepaid local SIM card, providing you’ve already unlocked your iPhone, of course.
Clip Of Meghann On ABC's i-Caught
We think the online video can be effective escalation tool, as it were, as long as you’ve made reasonable efforts to contact the company and exhausted normal channels. The guidelines for making a good complaint still apply. That said, everytime you make a consumer complaint video, a new kitten is born.
Customer Videotapes What She Says Is Escape From "Spot Delivery" Car Dealership Scam
This is a video a customer’s daughter made after she says Brad Benson Mistubishi of NJ tried to scam her mother with a classic “spot delivery” scam.
Buy A Japanese Robo Kitty
When reached for comment, our girlfriend said, “I saw some toys like that at Nextfest last year and read about them. The Japanese are so damn weird. They’ve made those pets for people who cannot own pets for various reasons — so that they don’t get lonely and also because having a pet can be healing. But a robot pet? Not so sure…”
American Airlines Blames Being The Crappiest On The Weather
But a ray of hope is peaking over the edge of the wing, Arpey says the airline is exploring making it possible for passengers to deboard if they’ve been waiting on the tarmac for over four hours. How generous!
