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Please note that we do not censor your article but do reserve the right to edit it for errors and general writing style. We also ask that you be completely honest in your account of what happened and not to exaggerate. We know that most companies do a very good job of making themselves look bad without any help from the customer.
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Thank you for your submissions and for allowing us to make a collective difference to the lack of consumer protection afforded to each and every one of us.
November 15th, 2005 at 2:08 am
The latest batch of semi-finalists for the Food Network search for their Next Food Star – season 2, have been placed on the Food Network website. However, most of them contravene the rules of the contest. The rules stated that each contestant should submit one three minute video and not wear clothing with any words or names on it. Out of the five seim-finalists on site, one had two 3 minute videos tracking over. One wore a jacket with her comapny name on it. Two had tapes that ran for over five and a half minutes…nearly double the specified time! This is clearly unfair to all the other rule-abiding contestants!
November 18th, 2005 at 1:59 pm
Happened onto this site by chance – wrote you an answer re Highland Farms – used the link you gave to write to the City about it too.
Yes, I think this site is a good idea – customer service is really awful – I don’t know if it’s a Toronto thing, a Canada thing, or a general thing…
But:
1) do you know of other sites of this kind for Toronto? maybe you can consolidate or ring
2) how about making your site known out there? I understand the cathartic result for you, but makes not much impact unless really known and read…
Anyway, good luck!
Maria
November 18th, 2005 at 2:12 pm
Hi Maria,
Your post is listed on the site. I’m really happy to hear that you have complained as well. If everyone can just take it upon themselves to make a couple of phone calls or send an e-mail, things might change.
I haven’t looked into any other sites like this for Toronto. I’m using this web site to release some frustration so I can stay sane. Hopefully, in time, people will start to share more of their stories so we can at least offer an alternate voice to the corporate propaganda.
I make every effort to get my site listed but it takes time and effort. The best thing is when people like you come along and find the site then tell others. With enough people spreading the word and pointing links to the site, the stronger the site becomes. I’ll keep posting in the mean time and hope for the best.
How did you find the site if you don’t mind me asking?
Thanks.
December 20th, 2005 at 1:21 am
This is a fabulous idea for a site to combat the extremely poor customer “service” and lack of respect in the business/corporate zoo. In time, hopefully, this site will be more widely recognized.
I do have a few of my own beefs that I’m churning through in my mind. I’ll report on that at a later date…..(*I’ll give you a heads up, though–Rogers, Motorola, TD Canada Trust and their new definition–or non-definition–of a certified cheque, Micro-so-soft, Petro Canada, Pizza Pizza, The Real Jerk….and more….)
January 6th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
SO, exactly how do we get our complaint on here? I have a great one about Canadian Tire auto service (or lack thereof)Please advise where I can send it to, if I missed the link posted, sorry, but it’s not very obvious.
January 6th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Hi Cheri,
Just e-mail your complaint to [email protected] and we will post it up with a disclaimer that it is not our own experience. I’ve also had bad experiences with Canadian Tire Auto Service so we would be happy to post it.
January 26th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
my husband and i are seniors. we feel the need for a cell phone for emergencies only. went to Radio Shack and told this to the salesman . he tried to sell us alot of what we didnt want.now i find out that he put in internet service for 15$ a mo. neither of us need, want or know how to use this. even though he was deceitful Sprint said my husband sign for it. we are now stuck for 2 yrs. i had the contract with what we wanted, i got sick and had to go to the car , told the salesman my husband would sign he added insurance and the internet.we are on a fixed income and feel defrauded by both radio shack and because salesman represented Sprint , by them also.
January 3rd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
I purchased a gift card from Old Navy in mid-December for $20. Imagine my surprise when the person I gave it to called to say there was nothing on it when they went to use it.
I then had to spend 45min. on the phone with Old Navy, the gift card company, and the Old Navy credit card trying to get the money that I paid for. I’m then told, that I have to wait an additional 3-5 business days after I fax in a copy of my receipt to another place, and wait for someone to contact me.
How frakkin ridiculous!!! I will never shop Old Navy again!
February 6th, 2007 at 12:04 am
Company
Realty Executives, Ross Austin, Mike Peters, Team Austins
Address:
1359 N. Mt. Auburn Rd.
Cape Girardeau Missouri 63701
U.S.A.
Phone Number:
573-979-3333
Fax:
ROSS AUSTIN specilizes in RESIDENTIAL & SUB-DIVISION DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES. Ross’ clients, buyers and sellers alike, often say that he does more for them through the process than they ever imagined a Realtor would do. Ross is involved in the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and often chairs its committees. Ross also helped begin the local welfare-to-work program. By having his finger on the pulse of the community, Ross is ready, willing and able to keep our company and YOU-our client “in the know!” – So they say…
This realtor left us in the middle of a contract issue with the builder and stopped returning calls and emails.
We built a home with California homes in Cape Girardeau Missouri. Both Ross Austin and Mike Peters from California Homes promised that if the house construction was delayed, they would allow us to move into one of their existing houses since we are relocating from abroad.
At time of relocation, the house was not ready, we called Ross Austin, left Voice Mails and sent Emails and he did not respond. At the time when these predators met us, my wife was pregnant, now we were relocating with a newborn and had no place to stay. Ultimately we ended up and are now in a crammed hotel room, five of us with a newborn getting sick from the carpet dust and smoking fumes of the next door rooms. Our 2 year old is constantly crying for missing his toys and our pre-teen daughter is going crazy by all the crying of the two. As a couple our privacy has gone to h*ll.
Ross Austin abandoned us at the most crucial part of our move and one month later is forcing a closing of a house that according to the bank is not ready.
Still their offer to provide temp living was not fulfilled and Ross Austin for his absence I had to retain an attorney to force these the builder and Realtor to respond.
We are now living a living h*ll…
Letter Sent to Realty Executive Owner Bill Cole:
From: Carlos ***
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:38 PM
To: ‘Bill Cole’
Subject: New Comers to Cape and Living the American Hell in Cape Girardeau – Under the first Amendment Right to Express
Bill:
Honestly when Norma and I first visited the community we fell in love. After speaking to Mitch Robinson, and your state congress representative during our ground breaking ceremony Norma and I were mesmerized by the positive things these community leaders had to say. We thought we were moving to paradise and were looking forward to be active members of this community.
I resent how Ross Austin libeled against Rodney Arnold Homes and forewarned us of the law suits of Pam Arnold against his client and why I should consider CalHomes instead. Basically we were never given the packages, I wonder if Ross tossed them away, we’ll never know. Wether divorced or whatever, this doesn’t make it less of a professional. I resent having walked away from Rodney Arnold Homes as now I know that this is one of the most reputable builders in the area. I don’t believe that there is a community suing Rodney Arnold for code violations or that Pam ever sued a customer of Ross.
I appreciate your communication though your written words are just that. I still need to see some action from at least one of my many pleas.
When I asked you for the meeting with Mike Peters your actions would have appreciated. My request and expressed intentions were to request that Cal Homes via Realty Executives complied with their offer to provide temp living as communicated by Ross Austin and offered by Mike Peters during a meeting held with my wife present.
Unfortunately you did not call or advised of the Peters position as to my request to meet. Further my attorney Tom O’Loughlin sent you my request and you chose not to reply. Be advised that I retained an attorney after my buyer’s agent yours Ross Austin neglected to return calls, emails and voicemails to find out from you that he chose to seek legal counsel and simply decided to retire his obligation with no due process or representation. How can you still state that I am being represented if both Ross Austin, yourself and your company ignores my pleas?
Let me state that this whole situation is affecting us and so far the builder Ross is representing is bullying his position to close at an unreasonable date. I need to remind that the last communication from you this house was not ready and the brick issue repair date was unknown. I understood from you that Peters could not get a hold of the brick person and accordingly my attorney sent all of you notice to this effect. When I received notification of substantial completion with a closing date of February 5th USAA (financing bank) stated that they will only activate the process upon confirmation of 100% completion. To this fact, I communicated and request a later date. To this end, I gather the builder expects me to secure financing, appraiser and inspector in eight business days, very unrealistic.
As for Ross Austin attempting to assist as my representative, I don’t know what part of the message addresses my plea. The message was heavily scripted, direct and forth of the builders message to bully a closing for the 5th, eight days after notification. Your actions continue to demonstrate your company’s resolve to ignore my plea, not address them in any manner and continue prolonging this nerve wrecking experience.
It is so hard to believe that I opened my family to Ross and Mike they are so arrogant and insensitive of our needs. Both Peters and Austin retracted to their offer to provide for temporary living knowing that we moved while having a newborn on the house. This newborn developed a respiratory sickness because of hotel room carpet dust. Further Giancarlo’s is well known to Ross and Mike that he is a very active 2 year old child who needs outdoors. Having a family of five in a crammed hotel room with a sick child should be reason to compel. Neither one of you have a heart, needless to state an apex of interest in anyone’s well being other than selling and getting one to fill a contract.
I must remind you as the Builders sellers’ agent that I am continuing with the closing process from the time that substantial completion notice was made. Currently the bank is executing the home appraisal order (by USAA FSB) for at or after the week of February 5th. Today I received the correspondence package from the bank to provide them with the legal documents necessary for closing. In addition to the documentation requirements, I have also set up both a structural engineer and a home inspector to inspect both the systems and structural integrity of this property. As a sellers/builder agent to Cal Homes I also need to advise that based on the banks proceedings a closing date of January 5th will not be possible. According to the bank, they will appraise only once the property 100% completion notice is given. Substantial completion will not be honored by USAA. I should also advise that the contract execution is subject to bank financing approval.
As stated before, my intentions to close on this deal and resume with our ordinary life remain. It would have been our hope that this whole ordeal would have been dealt with and resolved in a more amicable and customer friendly manner however based on your closing comments I gather you forfeited your responsibility to me as a buyer from the time Mr. Austin decided on not returning voice messages, emails, and further from my attorney. Both your represented, Realty Executives and California Homes are attempting to bully this transaction and have not represented their actions to the least of my family’s interest.
Be advised that as for closing date, this house should have been ready in December. As such, I had to lock in a high interest rate, have incurred into extra expenses to relocate and store our household goods, added extra expenses for living at higher cost of living hotel rooms because of your represented failure to complete in the time agreed on. To that, I must add the hassles of having to deal with a very stern and unrealistic closing date that imposes both my family and my current employer undeserved complications.
I am very sorry that these bullish tactics are affecting our perception of the business community of Cape Girardeau and as newcomers to this community we are being treated as rubbish in a closed nip community.
I understand that as Latinos, part of an emerging community most residents don’t understand the particulars of however, absence of knowledge does not justify the indifference and treatment we endured from Ross Austin, Mike Peters and the company you represent.
As a former US Naval Officer, Signature Packaging Plant Manager and respected Latino community leader in Tennessee I censure the bullish practices you have exposed my family during this AMERICAN DREAM buying process. Both my wife and I wanted to escape the big city rush hoping to find in Cape Girardeau our heaven however it seems to us know that Cape Girardeau is a community that is closed nip, insensitive to diversity whose business leaders are indifferent to newcomer’s education and predatory business practices.
By this experience I will take it as my personal mission to educate newcomers to the Cape Community on how to protect themselves from predatory business practices including yours.
This will be a very expensive and heartbreaking experience for us as a newcomer Latino family however I will make sure by the First Amendment Rights that others to follow won’t endure the same.
As always, I can be reached at (((redacted))) but please do not use callerid block as this phone automatically delete these calls.
Carlos ****
Carlos
Collierville, Tennessee
U.S.A.
March 27th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I hear that a 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty is always a must when purchasing a new home. There is a 3rd party warranty company involved when disputes arise. The warranty company will deal with the builder for you if you can get no where with the builder. Also, there is an arbitration clause for dispute resolution, which is very cost effective. It cost something like $250 to get an arbitrator hired to pan out the issues and resolve the situation, all handled by the warranty company. ALOT less than court cost and attorney fees, by far. There is a lot more to the program and it is great to have a 3rd party involved in situation such as yours. You should check into this when shopping around in the future OR if you know of someone who is looking to buy a new home in that area.
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Hi I would like to enter a complaint regarding Royal Bank of Canada or Robber Bank of Canada. On December 14/2007 I looked into my client card which I rarely used and found that the Robber Bank has been theiving service charge from my account for 2 years without my knowlege. They said that they have sent me letters regarding the change Nothing from them at all!!! To top it off I discovered that they have been charging me 2.95 since 2001 for online/telephone banking with no notice at all. I am very dissatisfied with the managers at RBC and will remove my account from them To all who read this a suggestion remove your account from this cold bank or be ready for decrease to your hard earn cash.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Consumers Arise
Are you totally pissed off by the way you have been treated, or are being treated by small and large corporations who have no problem taking your money and providing incompetent totally unacceptable [service] ha!
It’s about time we stand up for our rights and take back our position as paying consumers instead of having corporations dictating to us their terms and conditions, let our requirement terms and conditions be paramount.
We demand first of all as consumers, the ones making the choices here, to be treated with respect and dignity, trust and total transparency.
We do not want to be kept hanging on the phone while waiting for incompetent representatives whose IQ is measured in single digits, aggravated by language skills which defy description.
We will not be committed to contracts that are one-sided and leave no redress for the consumer.
As the consumer, approaching you to buy your product or services, it is our individual right to walk away should we be dissatisfied with no recourse on your part.
It is also not your right to sell our personal information or to share it with anyone, that is our information in trusted to you!
In the final analysis the consumer has the ultimate power, Let’s Take it Back!
September 12th, 2009 at 1:46 am
In November my husband and I decided to lease to own a 98 Ford F-150 priced at 94,000.00 not including the 29 percent interest, not just did they lie to us and tell us that this truck had been well maintained but it didn’t come with a jack let alone a tire iron which a vehicle is suppose to have to certify it and didn’t receive a car fax or a used vehicle package.. The truck ran great for two weeks then our problems started happening we had to replace the transmission line’s, hood latch, battery, manifold, power steering box, four wheel drive on the passenger side, rotors and breaks in the front and back (after finding out that the back one’s were ceased), u-joints and the latest the ball joints on both side’s cause the whole truck collapsed. Needless to say we had to borrow the money from AJM leasing to fix this truck that use to be a lemon and that was a cost of 1400.00 not to mention recently when they ball joints went out in our truck we talked to the financing company who instead of offering us another loan to repair that said don’t worry about making this months payment so we went and put a stop payment on both ends from their end and at my bank after taking what would have been my truck payment out of the bank which was in full 550.00 we left 289.00 in our account which would have covered our insurance had they not have proceeded to take out a additional 50.00 on top of the 550.00…Which needless to say caused our insurance to lapse and because this is not the first time they have caused this our insurance told us because it’s a cancellation they want 1500.00 for 6 months of insurance and at the end of the 6 months would require another 1500.00 to cover us right through.
Because of this we cannot even get insurance on another vehicle if we found one without paying a yearly amount and there is no way with a business, rent and kids we can afford this.. I need help!!
In turn my regular payment would be coming out of my account for the truck payment on the 20th of this month how ever with them recently screwing my insurance up I asked AJM Leasing to help me out seeing how the caused this. and their solution was to come take my truck! In my eye’s with the work and money I have put into this truck it’s almost brand new condition the truck is MINE…but yet they proceeded to repo my truck which in turn make’s my business go belly up as I am a window cleaner and I do own my own business and now I have no vehicle and even if I did cannot get insurance now unless I am willing to pay for a full year which in this day and age is very expensive.
And this is not the first complaint I have had with this company in the beginning when we first got the truck (which we love this truck) the guy they had working with them that sold me the truck did nothing but flirt with my wife and ask my wife to pick him up a girlfriend for him…nice business! I would not recommend AJM leasing to anyone today.. unless they are willing to give my truck back and help me out with the insurance issue they caused!
Linda Terry and Mike Penney