The Consumer Complaints Blog

I want to share an example of effective complaining which brought impressive results. First of all, I am an industrial designer and have a range of knowledge when it comes to manufactured products we buy, use and tdiscard. Industrial designers are product designers (like James Dyson who invented the Dyson vacuums) who work with engineers, marketing and sales folks to develop products. We have a good comprehension of manufacturing, hopefully economics, materials, trends, styling, etc. We are involved in creating and achieving levels of product quality while meeting “corporate objectives” which usually translates into generating a profit for all our efforts and salaries.

Unfortunately, not all products these days are designed to last 20 years or longer anymore. It’s called planned obsolesce, we can determine and control exactly how long produced goods will last, how it will wear, break etc. Fair enough I think, our planet revolves on consumerism and we all take part in the various products and services which give us an occupation and allow us to keep feeding this system. I will talk more about his another time and share a really neat presentation about “stuff”.

My story is this. Upon graduating from industrial design studies and landing my first job as a designer within a toy company I experienced a little problem with my 6 year old 1992 Acura Integra LE. A fine little car it was. Purchased it used, drove it hard and cared for it the best I could. One day the driver’s seatbelt failed to work, it wouldn’t recoil back into the housing?! Sure enough, I took it apart to discover the steel coil inside broke and wasn’t providing the tension needed for the normal strap operation. I called up the Honda dealership to order a new part. Of course, the part is not available as a separate part. I could purchase the “assembly” and simply replace it. The cost for this was ~ $380. (part only) L…yaa, not the answer I was looking for. I gave it some thought and realized the above “planned obsolescence” The car had about 180 000kms, still looked great and everything else was fine. I thought…damn designers/engineers and “people” who decided on the specific coil quality, material design, etc for this!! I decided to call up Honda Canada and talk to customer service relations. I was polite, calm and simply voiced my situation along with 2 golden questions. I explained this as my first car purchased and happy with it thus far. I then explained that of all the parts, assemblies and systems on this car, the driver’s seat belt should be the LAST thing to fail ——-this was the small component which could essentially save my life (assuming the seat could still be bolted to the car’s frame)! This is where I asked: “ what does this tell me about the rest of the car?” The second question was, “ how will this help me to buy another Honda in the future?” I was heard and was told to expect a call in the coming days. Sure enough they called to report that I should take my vehicle to a certain dealership to have the assembly replaced free of charge and they thanked me for my consumer input———–J

Now that folks, is justice, good business and a company (or employee) that stands behind its product. I have purchased 2 other Hondas since then I will continue to do so.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

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 they 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!

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

Is IRIS more concerned about profit margin than customer satisfaction? It certainly appears so to me. I am a single mom and have very little to spend on myself.

I finally spend the time and money to purchase much needed glasses from IRIS store at Tillicum Mall inVictoria, BC.

My budget was $400 but by time they finished razzle dazzling me with promises I spent over $1000. I was told there was a no risk guarantee and that my satisfaction was first priority.

Instead, I now have a pair of glasses I cannot see out of and the store has no intention of fixing them or refunding my money. Why? Because they have a policy that says they don’t have to if they don’t want to. I have been called names, ridiculed for complaining, and made to cry.

I highly recommend and urge consumers to think carefully before giving any money to IRIS in their community. We need to stop unfair business practices!!!

================================
When you and I spoke last week I confirmed for the final time that I am completely unsatisfied with the glasses I have purchased from your store.
I have requested several times that the glasses be sent back and the lenses corrected. You have not permitted this to be done therefore I am now asking that you provide me with a full refund. Please let me know, in writing, the dates and times you are available to meet so I can make arrangements to have the glasses returned to you. I have attempted to bring them in but staff informed me that they are not permitted to assist me, only you can. I am now on a project that has me traveling the province and providing training sessions. My time and availability is limited.

A recap of my experience to date:
v In June I had my eyes examined and paid for a prescription. I have asked several times for an official copy of the prescription and have been denied without adequate reasons provided.
v I explained that my primary purpose for glasses is to reduce the eye strain experienced during working on the computer and while reading/writing. I explained the nature of my work and the need to have full peripheral vision and the ability to toggle back and forth between computer and written documents for the purpose of research and data analysis. I came prepared to purchase reading glasses but was hopeful that a prescription could be made to permit both reading and computer work to be done. My last set of glasses, (purchased from IRIS), were worn all the time, whether I was reading, driving or working on the computer. They were one lens with one view that met all three needs.
v It was explained to me in June and again recently by you that my prescription had changed so significantly that I could no longer function with one view and required 3 separate views or 3 separate pairs of glasses – I could not understand this and asked for technical clarification – instead I received a pep talk and told that my eyes had aged and ‘we all get older eventually’ and that the sooner I embrace the need for progressive lenses the better – I questioned this again because I function well in most activities other than reading fine print like you see on pill bottles. You told me that ‘the sooner I embrace the need for progressive lenses the better because my eyes are able to adjust quicker now than later on with a stronger lens’. This rationale made a bit of sense to me.
v I was recommended to purchase progressive lenses and told they were a huge convenience and that all your clients are amazed at how well they work because IRIS produces only the highest quality. I was told that it could take a couple weeks (a short time) to adjust to and that IRIS staff would work with me to ensure satisfaction. It was sold to me as a No Risk Guarantee – prior to making my purchase, my daughter and I were told on 3 separate occasions by 3 separate people at IRIS that if I was not successful in adjusting to progressives or did not like them for any reason, I could have the lenses changed to something that worked. I trusted what I was told and made the purchase, even though it was $600 more than I originally intended to spend.
v July 16th I picked up my new glasses with excitement and after a few quick adjustments and some general usage information I was off to enjoy my amazing purchase that was promised to meet all and every need. Within a few days I was back at the store asking for assistance to understand how they work as I was experiencing major dizziness when walking or moving about and having difficulty judging distances for stepping up or down curbs or walking down any stairs. The staff member was encouraging and helpful and off I went in good faith that things would continue to improve on a daily basis and that very soon my brain and eyes would suddenly ‘click’ and my entire vision would ‘open up’.
v As you know, I have come to the store for adjustments and have called in with questions weekly because I cannot see with these glasses. I cannot read with them and I cannot see my computer with them. My naked eye can perform both tasks better. Wearing the glasses to perform either task creates a lot of eye strain, I get headaches, I still experience vision waves, I cannot use my peripheral vision, I still cannot judge distances and cannot park my car without risking an accident.
v I requested to see the Optometrist to review the prescription and discuss alternative solutions and confirm the prescription is accurate – this was denied and instead I was encouraged to bring in my old set of glasses so you could get the prescription information from them and give us both a fuller understanding. I complied with this request and returned to your store for another meeting with you. After examining both sets of glasses you declared that the prescription provided me by the optometrist accurate and then did some more adjustments to the frame of my new glasses. I left the store puzzled and unsatisfied as I had not received answers to my technical questions. I wanted to know what was different between the two prescriptions.
v I telephoned and left a message for you to call and provide me with the technical details of each prescription. I received no call back. I telephoned again and left a message for you and specifically asked for the prescription information. I received a voice message from you saying you called, butno information was provided on the message. I came to the store to seek you out but you were not in and the sales person told me that no one was permitted to assist me other than you. I asked for a copy of the prescription document from my file and was told the file could not be located.
v You and I have talked on phone and in person about the transitions not functioning well. I have been squinting all the time as the lenses do not get dark enough to provide adequate protection from bright sun. It was my understanding that I spent the extra dollars to get the best quality of transition possible. It was my expectation that they would do all the things the sales person told me and my daughter – that the transition lens I was purchasing was superior quality and would replace the need to ever wear sun glasses. This of course has proven to be a very inaccurate claim. Each time you and I talk about them you give me another reason that the glasses didn’t work that day. Some of the examples I can recall are ‘the weather changes can affect them so some days they will not work at all’ – ‘in some places like Arizona, transitions work poorly’ – ‘some of my friends must have stronger lenses than me which could account for them being much darker’. If I had been told at the time of purchase that transitions do not work all the time and sometimes not at all well or that it was dependant on stronger prescriptions ………. I would never have chosen to purchase them, and I certainly would not have spent the additional dollars involved to ensure I had the highest quality of the transition choices! On my last visit to you to discuss this, you showed me my next option to consider which is to have a set of clip on sun glass lenses designed specially to fit my frame and the cost would only be $200 more. Oh my goodness!! Why should I pay more? I was sold something that does not work correctly. I have made several comparisons with several people with transition lenses. In every single case, their lenses are working better than mine. When I tell you this your response is that I need to stop talking to negative people. You have to know that such a response isoffensive and unkind.
v You made me cry on the phone at work one day in front of several coworkers when you suggested that I was being uncooperative and resistant to conforming to progressives. This cannot be further from the truth. I have had my glasses on constantly. I go on my dog walks to the park with them on, I drive with them on, I try as often as possible to work with them on. I have gone online trying to find positive, encouraging, how to use information. I have complied with every thing you have instructed me to do and have kept a positive outlook, expecting them to work.
v Recently you suggested it might take me several more weeks if not months before my vision ‘suddenly opens up’ and I can see correctly. This new information has made me very sad to hear. I came to your store in good faith, expecting to have glasses for business purposes well before my business travel started in September. Tomorrow it will be the start of September and my glasses do not function for the purposes they were purchased.
v Last week, in a final attempt to seek out a solution, I called you to ask another technical question, this time I wanted to explore whether I needed to upgrade to a lens that offered a larger corridor and the maximum mm drop. I asked you to confirm the specifications on my particular set of glasses. Your immediate response was to curtly say ‘I don’t know who you have been talking to ……we use only the best quality of lenses……’. I assured you my call was not intended to put you on the defense. You did not provide me the answers to my questions, you never do. It always ends up the same, I’m left feeling bullied.

Bottom Line is this – I want my money back so I can go to a small local optometrist who will take a positive approach to ensuring I get what I pay for – which is improved vision for working on my computer and reading volumes of data. He won’t sell me on features that cost extra and don’t do what is claimed.

Please email me back with your available dates to receive the glasses back. Please do not call me. I feel it is in both our interests that we communicate in writing from now on.

I look forward to a speedy reply.

Name and address withheld by editor

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

We purchased a household item and had to buy it on the Store Credit card to get the deal. We made 33 of 36 monthly payments on time the 34 payment was mailed as usual but did not reach the credit company or they did not post it. We had just received the next months bill and realized the payment did not come off. Less than 24 hrs later the credit company was already phoning They phoned twice the next day and they were harassing me about the payment for the next month which isn’t even due.

It’s offensive when the credit companies don’t even check to see if you’re a good standing customer before they pick up the phone. Wells Fargo didn’t even give us time to correct the error. We even tried to contact them but we couldn’t contact by phone. They can call us several times a day but we couldn’t even find out if they had received the payment after the next bill was sent out.

I will not purchase anything on a credit card again if Wells Fargo is the financial company. I will from now on make sure none of my other financial dealings are through their company or affiliates. This really ticked me off.

Saturday Aug 1 after a 12 midnight shift. I receive a phone call again. You have to bare in mind the next payment is still not even due. That’s 5 phone calls in 6 days on a $107. payment, that went missing in the mail and we have told them we sent out another payment for both months on Friday July 24. I’ve been working every day and have not had a chance to find out if the original payment has been cashed at the bank. The error could still be on their end.

Note: This is Wells Fargo Financial Retail Services Company Canada and is associated with Wells Fargo & Company of the U.S. People, check your credit cards, Investments and Banking Affiliates and move your credit and investments out to another company. This is an absolutely ridiculous policy on the part of this Credit Card company. I intend to make sure everybody knows about this Company.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

So on August 3rd, I bought some Leonard Cohen tickets. For that reason, this may start a Leonard Cohen flamewar. Cohen’s awesome. But that’s not the point.

I bought the tickets on StubHub for almost five hundred bucks. Four tickets, Leonard Cohen, and my parents kind of met through his music–it’s a gift for them–so I’m cool with that. Now, on August 10th, StubHub charged me a second time for the $500.

“La dee da!,” I thought, a naive smile crossing my fresh, handsome face. “I’ll call them and sort this out.”

I call StubHub, and sit on hold for five minutes.

“One moment,” a voice said. I sat on hold for half an hour, then a dude picks up.

“Yeah, I was charged twice for a transaction.” I gave the number.

“Sir, it shows here that we tried to charge you 50 times.”

“Well, then, you messed up.”

“No, none of them have gone through except the most recent one.”

“OK, something’s wrong with the system, but I can prove it, I’ve got two emails from Paypal and I can send you screenshots of my Paypal and bank account.”

“I don’t have email, sir.” This is an Internet company. Head asplode.

I asked for someone with an email address, and was given the general support email. I emailed them all of the proof I had of the double-charge, then called PayPal, got an email from them confirming the double charge, and sent that to them. I then called back. Nobody would read the emails I’d sent, and kept saying they’d only charged once. The next day, I spoke to a manager, and he told me the situation had been “resolved” but would not say how. No refund to this point. Eventually, I told them I planned on posting on the Internet about this, and they said, quote, “you’re not the first person to say that sir.” I explained that when people say that, it’s not because you’re doing a good job, and the reason they’d heard it before was because they’re horse’s asses. I may not have used this exact language.

Finally, I went to my bank and filed fraud papers (my teller laughed and said that “they(StubHub) were really screwing with me,” which isn’t a great sign), which as a result stopped my PayPal account from working with my bank account. I work through Paypal, so this is a problem for me. Luckily, my bank’s pretty good, and they gave me provisional credit and waved overdraft fees that had resulted.

Last night, I emailed them with a request to cancel the tickets–friggin’ Craigslist would be safer–and links to a few places I’d posted this story online. Today, without any explanation, apology, or anything else, they refunded the second charge.

So my situation was resolved (sort of) after a bunch of threats and waiting on hold for over four hours, running around to banks and talking to Paypal customer service multiple times (btw, Paypal CS is awesome, though you do have to wait on hold for a little while). The purpose of this incessant griping is to try to let your readers know not to use StubHub, and to see if you guys had any similar stories about ’em.

I’m hoping this could on the site, because I was really screwed by this and want to cost a bad company some money. Fun, eh? I’ve got emails from Paypal and Stubhub if you’d like to see them.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.