Fight Back!

Time Warner Cable

2011-01-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

This gem was written by my brother.

To whom it may concern,

My wife and I have been Time Warner Cable customers since we moved to Kansas City in 2004, and I would be remiss not to let you know how much I have enjoyed Time Warner’s products, service, value, and well-disclosed company policies throughout our many years as your faithful customers.

Your full line of telecommunications products fulfills our every need. We are a big fan of our internet service. It isn’t the most reliable connection in the world, but it’s usually better than dialup! Outside of your internet service, the product we are most pleased with is our digital cable. As an avid college football fan, I must let you know how pleased I was to turn on the BCS National Championship game last night to find out that I wouldn’t be able to watch it in HD because channel 1033 was showing nothing but a blank screen. I tried Time Warner’s brilliant and technical repair method of “unplug it and wait,” but it didn’t work. Not being able to get the only HD channel I would ever want to watch in my entire life was SO MUCH FUN. Getting to watch the blocky, pixelated football players on regular cable on our brand new 46” LCD flat screen was an absolute treat. I just wish it would’ve been a weekend so it would’ve happened when I had all of my friends over! But thank God we were still able to get The Real Housewives of Atlanta in high definition.

I also appreciate how the cable boxes that you’ve loaned us routinely delete everything saved on the hard drive (even the protected files!). It was SO nice of you to take care of all of that tedious clicking and deleting for me. I hadn’t really set my heart on watching anything I had recorded anyway. Once you suggested that I exchange my cable box for a new one. Rather than delivering it to me to replace the other one that didn’t work, you had me take time off of work so I could drive in to exchange it myself. I absolutely LOVE driving a 50 minute round trip in Johnson County, Kansas! It had been a while since I was able to see a strip mall and a Chipotle on the same trip! Thanks for providing me that opportunity! And to make matters even better, when I exchanged my old box, you didn’t give me a new one that I was sure would work. Instead, you wisely gave me someone else’s recycled one that was actually manufactured 6 months earlier than the one I originally brought in! I had no idea that Time Warner was so eco-friendly! And never mind that the new box has the exact same problem as the old one. It’s the thought that counts! Why should I care that the “new” box occasionally disregards shows I have set to record. Oh, I also appreciate that the remote that came with the “new” box works only when it wants to….it really keeps me on my toes!

I also could not be more impressed with Time Warner’s customer service, value, and well-disclosed company policies. You customer service representatives are all super friendly and sound like they really enjoy helping me. I’ve talked with many of your customer service representatives over the years, and I can barely even detect their air of superiority or their condescension! They also know how to keep a person’s business. When my contract with Time Warner ended I looked around and found 3 different companies that provided the same service for a substantially smaller price. However, your customer service representative informed me that my contract had already been renewed and it would cost a large sum of money for me to break the contract. I didn’t remember signing another contract, and she let me know that Time Warner took the liberty of renewing my contract for me without my knowing consent. Luckily, Time Warner was nice enough to bury that little tidbit in the fine print of the first contract I signed. That’s a super-awesome business strategy and definitely isn’t the most shady or borderline criminal thing I’ve ever heard of! Why would I ever want to leave Time Warner for another company that has higher customer reviews and lower prices? Shame on me for even thinking about it! I don’t think I’d ever be able to find another company that would treat me like an indentured servant the way that Time Warner does. Time Warner Cable, you complete me.

In conclusion, I wanted to thank Time Warner profusely for everything you have done for us over the years. There’s no way that any other company could possibly provide the same inconsistent cable and internet access the way that you do. I’m definitely not using a red magic marker to cross of the days on our calendar until our new Time Warner contract is up. I’m also absolutely not going to give unfavorable reviews to every friend, colleague, message board, blog, and review site that will listen, and I don’t plan on vehemently imploring everyone I know to investigate all other possible options prior to calling Time Warner. Oh, and thanks for putting ESPN’s “The Rick” in your commercials. That guy is a total breath of fresh air.

The Worst Hotel I have EVER stayed in.

2009-05-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Starwood,

As the owner of an event and meeting planning company, I stay in many hotels and book many more for my clients. I have booked many Starwood properties in the past several years, most recently the Westin O’Hare, Sheraton Atlanta, and the Sheraton Delfina. A recent personal vacation – a rarity – took me to Munich, Germany.

The first night I stayed in the Le Meridien, an absolute delight. We were placed on the SPG level and found the rooms renovated since our previous stay 5 years ago. When we unexpectedly overslept due to jetlag, they kindly extended our check out. They kindly stowed our luggage and we felt the customer service went above and beyond from every staff person we encountered. As a self-proclaimed hotel snob, a room can make or break my vacation. This was a definite win and I wish all properties I stayed in could live up to the example set by the Le Meridien.

Two nights later we were back in Munich to pick up our new BMW. We again revisited a hotel we had stayed at 5 years prior – the Olympia Park Four Points Sheraton. Again we found the hotel had been renovated and we thought the rooms were just lovely. Though we were not on a SPG floor or upgraded in any way, we found the room to be quite comfortable and the service to be lovely. My only complaint would be in a 4 point property I would hope to find complimentary wireless internet. This property at least had a complimentary computer in the lobby. I would also really like at least one channel in English (CNN, Bloomberg, anything!)..

An unexpected change in travel plans found us spending one extra night in Munich. Due to my fantastic luck with Starwood properties on this and previous trips, I decided to try one more property, passing up a fantastic deal at the Hilton. This time we booked a room at the Four Points Sheraton Munich Central.

That’s the first and last time I book a room without first reading the reviews on Trip Advisor.

This was, without a doubt, the absolute worst hotel stay I have had in the past 15 years. I cannot believe this hotel could be a part of the Starwood line up. In fact I would be surprised if Holiday Inn would lay claim to this hotel.

First of all, I reserved a queen bed, high floor, superior room for 2 people. I checked in and was given keys to a room on the 3rd floor. The keys did not work.

Keep in mind the hotel has ONE elevator holding 3 people maximum. It’s not exactly easy to get up and down.

I returned to the desk where I was given keys that worked. I returned to the room, where I found two single beds. These were not beds that could be pushed together, and I wished to sleep in the same bed as my husband as we were on a rare vacation (and an even rarer vacation with our 2 year old left behind with Grandpa!).

I returned to the desk.

Attempt 3, I was again given a room on the 3rd floor (not exactly a high floor). The room did have a queen bed. That was about all it had. The furnishings appeared to be from the mid 1970s, also the last time the room appeared to have been cleaned.

There was one chair in the entire room which was apparently to be moved between the desk, reading area and balcony (and shared by 2 people). There was also one towel in the entire room. I did however have four hairs in the bathroom belonging to at least 3 different people. I also had a bug that instantly jumped out to great me.

Upon reviewing the Four Points website as well as multiple other websites, I can confirm I absolutely was not given the superior room I had booked. I am fairly suspicious the only rooms pictured online are figments of someone’s imagination.

My remote was so dirty and worn you could not read the buttons. My bedside lamp only worked if you jiggled the cord and held it at just the right angle. The bathroom is coated in mildew.

I was completely disgusted by this property and strongly urge you to review your endorsement of this property. I wouldn’t stay here again if it were free. IN fact, you couldn’t even pay me to stay here.

Tomorrow,May 5, I am staying at the Four Points in X. I sincerely hope I am once again impressed by the Starwood brand and never again have a repeat of my experience at the Four Points Munich Central.

I respectfully request every cent of my stay at the Four Points Munich Central be refunded. I would also request a complimentary upgrade in X so that I do not end my vacation with such a sour taste in my mouth. Finally please, please visit this property and consider removing it from your portfolio.

Sincerely,

MB
Starwood Gold Member

Unfortunately for you the camera doesn't show the truly disgusting hair, just the stains.

Normally I get in the shower to get cleaner, not dirtier.

Wonder if this is the same thing that's on my mattress.

I wonder which of those buttons is for the TV and which is for the pay per view porn? Everytime I press one it's a gamble!

Gaylord Hotels

2009-02-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

I could go on for days about why Gaylord Hotels suck. From the mandatory resort fees (at a place clearly not a resort) to the $80 pies. When I heard the new Harbor hotel in DC was going to be the Gaylord National Conference Center, I cringed. After the Opryland experiences I've had, I was not jazzed about the giant coming to our town.

The more online reviews I read, the more I realize I don't want to go there anytime soon. It's the only hotel I've ever seen on trip advisor that has more 1 reviews than any other number (followed by 2 stars out of 5). See for yourself.

Today I learned that working for Gaylord sucks even more than visiting. I realize in today's economy people might be tempted to take any job. Consider yourself warned.

Jet Blue - Not YOU Too?

2009-02-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

I always expected decent service from Jet Blue. Aren't they supposed to be one of the best?

Too bad no one responded to our online inquiry about something stolen from our luggage.

A Jet Blue employee told me exactly where to go on the website to fill out a form reporting the stolen item.

(Flight landed at 11:30 pm, discovered missing item as soon as luggage was opened. By then was at hotel and it was the middle of the night. No way we were going back to the airport in the middle of the night.)

I filled out the form right away, listing a gazillion ways they could contact me to tell me what to do next.

NOTHING. NO RESPONSE.

My husband called their baggage office. They claimed they don't go through bags at the airport, that TSA does. Well you may not be supposed to go through the bags, but somebody DID. Isn't that how theft works? Does anyone ever say "Why yes, we did go through bags and help ourselves."

Buyer beware - You can still check your first bag for free on JetBlue, but it might come back a little lighter. About $300 worth of stuff in our situation.

The sad thing is when my husband was flying there was only one other flight leaving Dulles. It would have been pretty easy to figure out who was working those shifts.

Jet Blue, I'm sorry to say it, but you now officially suck. And I'm gonna keep filling out your stupid online form until someone bothers to get back to me.

Detail Authority Update

2009-02-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

Talked to Randy (the owner of Detail Authority in Herndon) on the phone this morning. I have to bring the car back by for him to look at. I really enjoy all these extra trips.

He said he did call me in November. I never got the call, but I do believe him. We were having voicemail issues last fall so it's entirely possible. However, he just called the once and never called back. It's my fault for not bugging them more until now.

BUT

When I talked to him this morning it was clear his employees were still lying to him. Not that I expect most people to admit to their boss that they screwed up and damaged my car. He places way too much trust in them though. I had witnesses with me who can attest to the fact that they have completely rewritten their account of events.

No matter what the employees say, I would expect the boss in this situation to trust the long time customer and do whatever he can to keep our business. Instead I feel I'm getting the complete opposite of customer service and have no desire to ever go back. Detail Authority sucks and is really pissing me off!

One of Randy's big arguments was since they did some of the damage in 2007, it's not their problem. As I explained to him before, the damage they did in 2007 was purely cosmetic and I didn't want to bother putting up a fight. However when they FURTHER damaged it in 2008, they broke parts making it difficult to close the passenger door. They did the damage both times.

Don't places have insurance for situations like this? It looks like I'll probably just end up filing with State Farm which will go after them anyway. Now it's just more work for me. Not a great way to keep a customer. Especially one with a bit mouth.

IT'S CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE. Try it sometime.

If anyone knows of a decent auto detailing place in the DC metro area, please leave me a comment.

Detail Authority Herndon Virginia

2009-02-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

Just sent in this letter after hearing nothing from them for 2 months. Will keep you posted if there's a resoultion.

Dear Mr. Coffey,

My husband and I have both been coming to Detail Authority for years. We are BMW aficionados and love the service you provide. We have recommended the shop many occasions to our friends in the BMW car club.

Unfortunately back in November I had a very unpleasant experience. It is not just the damage to my car which was disturbing, as cars can be repaired. I was even more disappointed in the response to our problems. I am writing you this letter since my repeated calls and visits to Detail Authority have gone without a response.

In late November I dropped off my 325iT for a complete detail. I picked it up the following morning, at Saturday. I instantly noticed the damage to the driver’s side door. I immediately went in and discussed it with the cashier. I wanted to show it to someone immediately so later they couldn’t turn around and say “You did that after you left.”

The cashier was very nice and came right out to my car. She said, “Oh yeah, I see it! It looks like they hit it with a buffer.” That is exactly what I thought happened as well. She indicated she was unable to help me but would have the manager call me first thing Monday morning. (Peter? Paul? Phil? Definitely a P name.)

Nobody called.

Later that day my family and I went for a ride in the car. At this point we noticed the passenger door was not closing properly. I then noticed that the trim on the passenger side had also been damaged. At this point we did a complete inspection of the car and found even more damage. Our auxiliary input for our IPOD was no longer working. It appears it was pulled out for cleaning and then forced back in, severing the cables. In the back right seat we were missing the piece of plastic that covers the latch system.

I called the office on Monday when I still had not heard from anyone. I immediately took the car in to show them the damage.

Their only response was “It was like that when we got it.” (Luckily they at least later found the missing plastic piece and repaired that.)

As I explained to Peter (?), I know my car well. It may not be in mint condition but I know when and where I got every single teeny tiny scratch or door ding on the vehicle. I think I would have noticed earlier if the door and trim was damaged on the driver’s side, right next to the handle. I also do not have time to be driving around town making up fake claims, while Ipaying a babysitter to care for my daughter.

They continued to deny any responsibility, claiming, “a buffer couldn’t have done that.” If you could see this damage you would know a buffer would be the only thing that could have done it. Peter told me they had never had a problem with this employee before and therefore he must not have done it. (Implying again that I’m inventing this.)

Peter did indicate that “the owner” would be in town over the Thanksgiving holiday and he would tell him to call me. I never got a call.

I’m not claiming anyone intentionally damaged my car or even that they knew they did. I’m just complaining about the lack of customer service and follow up. Surely you have liability insurance that would cover this claim. I contacted State Farm but they indicated I should first try to work it out with you.

If I do not hear from you by Friday, February 6, I will be filing a claim with State Farm and filing complaints with the local BBB. I would hate to have to do that as I really have had a great experience in the past with your shop. The biggest disappointment in all of this is that now I have to find another detailer.

Sincerely,

MB

Passenger door:

Driver's side door: Trim bent, paint chipped

I Could Do a Week's Worth of Posts on Just this Subject

2007-06-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Comcast,

Again, I'm extremely disappointed in your customer service.

I sent an email on Thursday, June 21, which was never answered, despite your promise on the website of a 24 hour time response.

On June 22 I called to speak to a customer service agent. The person identified herself by name. I explained problems in all aspects of my outage, ongoing on since June 9. She sympathized, gave a speech about how she was not "one of those people who comes to work for a paycheck" and promised to get to the bottom of the issue where a technician came to my house on Thursday, promised he would be back in one hour with a lineman to replace the cable line and never returned.

She again told me her name and said she needed to wait until the dispatch office opened, but she would call me back by 9:00 am with developments... "I promise," she said. I never received that call despite forwarding my home phone to my mobile number so I would not miss it.

When I called back to speak to this person today at the number and extension she gave me, I was informed that there was no such extension, no such person and she had probably lied to me.

Just what kind of GAMES are Comcast employees playing?

First, a technician promised me he'll be back, but never returns and never logs his service call into the system. Then a customer "service" person, LIES to me and promises a call back but tells me I can call her when she has absolutely no intention of either instance happening. I am extremely disappointed with this lack of service.

I WOULD LIKE AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO WHY THIS ISSUE CANNOT BE RESOLVED.

Dear Comcast Customer,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your Comcast High Speed Internet service.

I sincerely apologize for any unpleasant experience you had recently with your Comcast service and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

We need to hear about any unsatisfactory situations in order to correct them and to enhance our level of customer service. I have reviewed your account and see that you are currently scheduled for an appointment on 6/28/07 for 8am to 11am. I believe having a technician come out to troubleshoot your services is the best step for your connection problems.

We appreciate that you took the time to help us keep our commitment to quality customer care.

To assure the proper tracking of this issue, we have created the following customer service ticket: xxxxxxx

Please refer to this number should you contact us regarding this same issue.

Thank you for choosing Comcast.

Sincerely,

Comcast Customer Care Specialist

Dear Comcast:

>I believe having a technician come out to
>troubleshoot your services is the best step for your connection
>problems.

That is difficult for me to believe since this will be the second time a technician will come out. The first time the technician came out, he was an hour late and failed to document any of what he did. Because of this, Comcast is unable to fix the problem until a SECOND technician comes out and now I must be available to wait for a technician on a subsequent day to have done what should have been completed at my first appointment on June 21.

What I want to know is what is being done to correct the completely unacceptable customer service I have received over the past two weeks, including, but not limited to:

rude customer service agents
technician that came over an hour late
appointment time given to me between 8-11 am where I was expected to be home and waiting but then was told later that all the technicians had a 9:00 meeting and there was no way he could have been at my home before then
5 minutes before 11, I called and was told that the technician was still expected before 11, it was not until 30 minutes AFTER 12 that someone called to inform me that he would be late due to a meeting they all had at 9:00
dispatch operator who told me "Well he left the office in plenty of time to arrive" when I inquired why I was expected to be home and available at 9:00 am when the technician was in a meeting at that same time and physically unable to be at my house any time before that meeting ended
technician did not bring any equipment into my home when he came to check my problem
same technician looked into the sky and announced that I had a "bad line" - without using any of the non-existent equipment to check anything before assuming that was the problem
same technician announced "I'll be back in about an hour with a lineman" and never returned
same technician left without leaving any sort of paperwork whatsoever for me to sign or even look at, saying he'd have it when he came back (he never did)
same technician apparently did not log my problem and it's supposed solution into the system even 5 days after the service call. Therefore no one at Comcast customer service can determine even what the problem was if he was, in fact, correct about the line being bad. Now it is required that I schedule ANOTHER appointment for a technician to come out and do what he should have done on Thursday, June 21
customer service agent who promised a call back by 9 am the same day (she used the words "I promise") and then did not call back or do anything to update my case
customer service agents who transferred me to the wrong extension multiple times
a recorded message that says "We are experiencing a high call volume, today Saturday, June 23" when I called on Tuesday, June 26
I do have YET ANOTHER appointment on June 28 (now 19 days after I first reported the problem), which Michelle at extension 7691 promised me would be the "absolute first appointment of the day" so I would not be required to wait another 6 hours for a technician and yet, according to your information below, my appointment is still 8-11 am.

I suggest that you change your advertising to the more accurate tag line: "Craptastic".

Please respond with how this situation will be rectified as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Comcast Customer

It's ComCRAPtic

2007-06-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

6/20/07

12:00 pm

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with my technical service call of 6/20/07. I was given a date a time slot of 8:00 - 11:00 for the technician to arrive when I scheduled the appointment. At 8:24 this morning, I received a call from Comcast to ensure that I was in fact home. I'm told that if I hadn't answered the phone at that time to prove that I was, in fact, home and waiting that the appointment would have been canceled. The agent who called said the technician was “on his way”.

10:45 rolled around, two full hours after I was contacted at 8:24. I called Comcast customer service to find out why no one was yet here and was given a lecture: I was not “keeping the line open” in case someone was trying to contact me (I HAVE call waiting and was ready and able to receive any call if it did come in – none did.) I was also told that the technician was not yet late and was still expected on time. I was told that the call at 8:24 was simply to ensure that I was home and didn’t mean that the technician would be there shortly.

However, when 11:00 rolled around, the technician still had not arrived. I called the Customer Service number for Comcast again and was told after a lengthy wait on hold that there was a meeting at 9:00 this morning and the technician wasn't even able to leave until after that, which is why he was late. I was told he had finished the previous job and was immediately on his way to my home.

Why is it that I was given an appointment time of 8:00 - 11:00 and someone called me at 8:30 to confirm, yet the technician was in a meeting at 9:00 and wasn't expected to reasonably even begin to make his way toward my home until after that? If I need to be home and waiting for the technician to arrive at 8:00, then it should be possible for him to be there at 8:00 an appointment should not be scheduled for a time slot including 8:00 when there is a 9:00 meeting. I asked this question of the Customer Service representative who had no explanation.

At 11:30, 30 minutes AFTER my appointment time window had ended, I received a my first call initiated from a dispatcher to tell me that the technician was late. Gee, you think? He wasn’t expected for another 45 minutes. I again asked about the 9:00 meeting and why I was expected to be home when there was no way on earth the technician would have been there at 9:00. The dispatcher became terse with me and said, “He was out on the road at the time he should have been, there was plenty of time for him to get there by 11:00.” I find this hard to believe, since he did not, in fact, make it there BY 11:00.

I feel that a measly $20 credit for this inconvenience is paltry and am extremely disappointed with Comcast's customer service throughout this process. $20 does not even come close to compensating me for my time in the half a day off work I have had to take for nothing. I would like an explanation for why appointments are scheduled when technicians are not even available to arrive. If Comcast’s time is that valuable, then why isn’t mine as well? By the way, it is now 12:00, 60 minutes after my 8:00-11:00 window has ended, and my “45 minutes late” technician STILL has not arrived.

Signed,

Extremely disbelieving of the “comcastic customer service” advertisements I continue to see on television and researching new providers.

Edited to add:

The technician finally came out 70 minutes late... fuddled with the computer settings some, took one look at the cable leading to our house from the pole outside and claimed, "That's an old cable - that's most likely your problem, a different guy is going to have to come out and replace that."

Me: "And you have some kind of evidence that this is causing the problem because...??"

Him: "It just looks old."

Target, the new Walmart

2007-04-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

I have a newborn and do not have a lot of time on my hands. I barely have time to shower much less take the time to write letters like this.

I had the most disasteful shopping experience in quite some time at your X store today. The cashier checking me out, Frederick, was completely incompetent. He did not know how to ring up coupons or void items. In the 10 minutes I spent looking over his shoulder, I figured out how to work the cash register better than him. He billed me for two of one item but would only accept one coupon. I asked him to void the second item, but he did not. He said he did, but I showed him my receipt where I was charged for two. Finally I gave up and told him I would take both, just give me back the other item. He refused to give it back to me and told me to go to customer service. I refused and again asked Melanie, the manager, to come over to assist.

Melanie had to be summoned by Frederick four times. Each time she came over, she did not teach him how to do what he was trying to do, she just did it for him and then ran off before making sure the problem was taken care of. The only thing more ridculous than Frederick's incompetence was the fact that Melanie was completely oblivious to his incompetence although clearly she was supposed to be his supervisor.

I shouldn't have to spend 20 minutes in line. The people behind me packed their items back in their baskets and went to other lines. This situation was completely unacceptable and if it happens again, I will have to reconsider shopping at Target in the future.

Not included in my letter, but I did luck out when Frederick inexplicably credited me for $5 worth of food stamps??? Thanks, dumbass.

Maybe He Should Have Called the Maytag Repairman?

2007-02-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

This story is quite long to read but if you have the time to go through it I'm sure you will find it interesting.

In May of 2006 I purchased a new Whirlpool washer since my Kenmore washer that I acquired when I purchased the condo about 10 years ago finally gave up on me.

I purchased the new Whirlpool at Spencer's appliance in downtown Mesa because it was close by and they seemed to have decent prices.

I needed a small unit since the location of the washer was very limited by space. I found the perfect size I wanted on floor display but when I asked for one already packaged in the box they told me that was the last one they had on display, it would take several days to locate a packaged unit. It was late on a Saturday and I didn't want to wait so I asked how much they would discount the price.The factory list price was $799.00 and it was on sale at Spencer's for $699.00 and they told me they would drop that to $599.00. I went back to the display unit and asked where the user's manual was and they couldn't find it. There was also a scratch on the top of the unit since they had a dryer on top of it. They said they would drop the price another $25.00 so I agreed. I had my truck with me and I took it home in the truck. The washer was a high efficiency fairly new model from Whirlpool.

When I went to hook it up to the hot and cold water at home the hoses that they gave me would not screw down tight to the plastic connectors no matter how tight I made them, was afraid to tighten them any further fearing I would break the connectors. Thought this was strange since these hoses are standard for all washers but the store was already closed and I could not go back and question that they gave me the wrong hoses. So I added a second washer in each hose and that seemed to fix the problem - until about a week later when I noticed one of hoses was dripping. I went down to the hardware store and bought a plastic valve/connector hoping that plastic on plastic would solve the problem, which it did.

I went on the Internet to Whirlpool's Web site and found a .PDF file of the washer and after downloading it I read through it before I used the washer for the first time. To my surprise it had a large caution note to make sure the steel shipping bars were removed before the first use - which I promptly removed. Sure was "nice" that Spencer's never made any attempts to tell me that.............

Everything worked well until mid December when I pressed the start button to begin a wash cycle and nothing happened. The start light flashed as usual so I opened the door and tried it again and it progressed through a wash cycle normally. Several days later the same thing happened but I had to open and close the door twice to go through a wash cycle.

I read through the .PDF file I had to see what kind of warranty I had, if any. It said one year and gave me a telephone number to call which I did and made an appointment for a service call after verifying that I would NOT incur any charges for the call.

A local company called A&E showed up a few days later and after I explained my problems with the wash cycle not starting the 1st/2nd try he proceeded to run the internal diagnostics that took about 30 minutes.Of course he could not find any problems and he proceed to shut off the water and disconnect the water hoses for what reason I have no idea. After he had reconnected and turned the water back on the cold water valve stem now slowly dripped water. I told him I try never to shut off ANY water valves since most of the time they start leaking when they are used. He kind of shrugged his shoulders and seemed to be embarrassed that my water valve now was leaking. I also mentioned the problem I had with the water hoses when I first hooked them up six months earlier and he said he thought they were all standard also.

Since we could not duplicate the problem he told me to let Whirlpool know if I had any further problems in the future.

The next morning I tried the washer and it failed again on at least4 attempts this time so the problem seemed to be getting worse,on the fifth attempt it worked fine and went completely through a wash cycle twice without any further problems. The next morning it did the same thing. I then began to think that the problem maybe temperature related - it seems to be failing early in the morning when it is about 65 degrees, once the washer is used and becomes warm everything seems to be OK. I called the next day for another service call and explained my temperature theory since the problems began when the outside temperature got very cold for the first time this year here in Arizona.

A few days later the service man was on his way and I noticed that it was 70 degrees in the washer area and 50 degrees outside so I opened the garage door and set up a fan to blow outside air on the washer area for about 1 hour. When the service man arrived I explained my temperature theory and when he tried the washer it failed the first 6 attempts - He initially questioned the way I was selecting the cycle and when I was powering the unit on,kind of saying I was using the controls in the wrong manner. I informed him I used them the same way for 6 months without any problems so he suggested that the main circuit boards be replaced after he checked it's connectors for corrosion, and none existed.

After about 1 week two circuit boards arrived by UPS at my address which I thought was strange, I would think that the parts would be brought by the serviceman but apparently that's the way they operate. A week later the service man arrived (I made sure it was about 65 degrees in the washer area) and he replaced both circuit boards (the serviceman informed me that the cost of both boards are about $485.00). After about 5 failed attempts at a wash cycle he ran diagnostics again and could not find any problems, he then decided to order a complete wiring harness for the washer which will take another two weeks. After he left I tried at least 6 more times at a wash cycle and each one failed, this time I carefully documented what I was hearing and seeing and timed each event.I finally got a cycle to start and let the washer fill with HOT water. After that I tried at least a dozen more times and each cycle proceeded normally - I also documented each event throughout the complete 1 hour wash cycle. I tried the same thing the next morning and I had the same response, the first 12 times failed and after I was able to get a cycle to start and let the washer fill with hot water it went through a cycle OK at least 12 more times. I was convinced that the problem was temperature.

While timing the events I noticed that after 3 seconds on a GOOD cycle the door WOULD lock and after 3 seconds on a BAD cycle the door would NOT lock. The click I heard after the 3 seconds on a good cycle was much louder than on a bad cycle. I finally determined through a lot of trial and error attempts that if I pressed on the door I could get it to go through a cycle normally and if I pulled on the door I could get it to fail every time. I was convinced that something was wrong with the door lock mechanism. After about a week the parts arrived and the wiring harness included the door lock/switch mechanism. After I looked at the door lock assembly I was convinced that a plastic slider was not moving far enough and the lock pin was not entering its intended opening, probably because of the colder temperatures.If the slider bar could be adjusted about 1/32 of an inch it seems that the problem could be fixed, but no such adjustments are available the way the lock/switch assembly is designed.

A week later ANOTHER service man arrived about 4 hours late and of course he was not the same one that was familiar with my problem.I spent about 15 minutes explaining everything that had happened up to this point in time including my theory of what the problem seemed to be, the door lock/switch assembly. Instead of trying to determine if the existing lock/switch assembly lock pin was close to being restricted by the plastic slider (using a light and inspection mirror) he just replaced the lock/switch assembly and tried a wash cycle which worked normally. He seemed to be anxious to leave, it was about 4:30 in the afternoon, and if here placed the whole wiring harness it would have taken another hour. I was tired of waiting for him all day anyhow so I told him I would try pulling on the door while starting a wash cycle, which I could get to fail every time up to this point. This time it did not cause the wash cycle to fail so I was convinced that my problem was corrected. The cost of the parts that I had received for this service call was $268.00 and each visit of the service man cost $80.00 (four visits = $320.00).So the total cost for parts and labor for Whirlpool was $1073.00for the $575.00 washer ! ! ! !

To my surprise the service men never wanted to take all the parts that were left after each repair attempt so I now have$753.00 worth of parts sitting here, all GOOD. Not sure if Whirlpool will request me to return them or not, will need to wait and see on that. If they do maybe I can charge them for my time to determine where the problem was and pass it on to their service men.

While the service man was leaving he did mention that they seemed to have several problems with this model of washer that is used in UNHEATED garages the past month - INTERESTING ! !

I don't even know where to begin

2006-11-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for the longest post yet about my local Staples store. I need to eat a big meal and take a nap to store up enough strength to write this one.

Best Value Under the Sun in Another Solar System Perhaps

2006-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Days Inn Corporate Offices -

I had the unfortunate experience of staying in one of your hotels this weekend when I had literally exhausted Every Other Hotel Possibility in Jefferson County and the Tri-State Area. So perhaps I was already expecting too much, but after paying more than $70 for a cardboard bed and a pillow of hardcover book softness, I would like to offer some helpful hints to help you actually realize your Service Commitment in the future.

When three people check into a hotel room, it is customary to provide at least three pillows. I would accept more, but NOT less. "My manager has not come in and I don't know where the other pillows are so I guess you'll just have to make due" is not an appropriate excuse for front desk employees to use when guests (and I use that term loosely) call down and ask for more pillows.

"Non-smoking room" does not mean 'no one smoked in it in the recent past that I know of'. Cigarette burns on the sink make it very hard for your ahem, guests, to believe that the room is, in fact, a non-smoking room. Especially, when after less than 12 hours, all the, ahem, guests' clothes smell like smoke and need to be laundered.

When checking in four teenagers with no adults present, it should be obvious what they plan to be doing with their evening, therefore employees should either place them far away from patrons who are trying to sleep. If this is not possible, be prepared to deal with the consequences at 2:00 am when the other, ahem, guests begin calling down to complain.

There is no point to having the front desk manned at night if that man does not answer the phone. After calling the front desk six times between 12:00 am and 1:00 am through several hours of listening to people in the room directly above us apparently practice their Olympic Hop Skip & Jump moves, the phone was answered only twice. Save some money on employee salaries and lock the front door. The same result will be achieved.

After telling other, ahem, guests that they will "go up there and take care of it", employees should wait more than 2 minutes before calling back to say, "I've been up there 4 or 5 times and there's nothing more I can do." Since it took more than two minutes to even get the elevator, I'm pretty sure that he did NOT in fact, "go up there" between 12:21 when we called and 12:23 when he called us back.

Well there's something WE can do. Jerry went up there at 1:30 am and knocked on the door. As patiently and reasonably as he could, he explained that we were below them and were trying to sleep and we'd sure appreciate it if they could keep it down. But if they didn't cut it out, we'd be forced to call 911 and report the strange sounds we had been hearing and explain to the police that we thought possibly there might be a rape happening or at least some domestic violence situation in that room. At very least, they'd all go to jail for underage possession.

From then on... Quiet.

Perhaps you should just ask your guests to take care of the noise in the first place next time... then your nighttime employees won't have their important Cigarette Smoking Outside the Front Door interrupted so frequently.

Thanks Days Inn for all your support.

Sincerely,

A, ahem, Guest

It's not that I'm not mad

2006-10-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

...I'm just busy. Case in point, rather than take the time to cut and paste, I shall refer you to my rants about BMW of Sterling on my other blog.

MThe car they wouldn't sell us.

Windows update

2006-10-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

They came September 30. Only 9 days late. Well, technically 3 months late, but you know what I mean.

Now if our contractors could just find where they put the screens...

Score one for me!

2006-09-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we finally got the fax detailing our window order. AND IT WAS WRONG! But we got our guy on the phone pretty quickly (suddenly so surprisingly helpful!) and got it all fixed. And guess what - instead of owing more money, we are actually due a refund of at least $700.

Now the wait begins to see when they will actually be done and on my doorstep. Last week I was told worse case scenario: September 21. My guess: October 6. Stay tuned for updates.

84 excuses - update

2006-09-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

*This is not my house. Mine has no windows:*

Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006
To: CustomerService@84lumber.com
Subject: Internet Information Request
Referencing Store:Front Royal, VA

Comments:
The comment field is restricting how much I can type. I was going to CC you on a letter sent to the Front Royal, VA, store so you could see what customers go through with them. Since it is too long to paste here, you can read it online at:
http://reasonsyousuck.blogspot.com/2006/09/thanks-for-nothing.html

-----Original Message-----
From: 84 lumber customer service
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 8:23 AM
Subject: FW: Internet Information Request

I have spoken to Rich the manager of the 84 Lumber in Front Royal, VA.

He informs me that he is aware of your window situation. He also informs me that the builder has added some windows changing things.

Your salesman Darren has promised him that he will be back to you with a faxed updated order for the windows.

If you have any questions you may reach Rich at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

I must apologize for any aggravation or inconvenience you have incurred.

-----Original Message-----
From: MB
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 10:14 AM
Subject: RE: Internet Information Request

Thanks for getting back to us. The changes happened months ago, so that's not really a reasonable excuse. When our area Jeld-Wen rep talked to us last week, he implied that the factory had been told to stop the order (due to changes) and were never told to start again.
I understand our contractor is meeting with Darren today as some of the order still seems wrong, but since I have never seen a copy of our order I can only go with third hand information. If I do not receive it by the end of today I will let Rich know.

** Editor's update: We got a call from Darren bright and early this morning. Seems nothing spurs someone into gear like a little early morning wake up call from their boss. He spoke to Barry this time, as somehow I always fall for his BS and let him get away with too much. Apparently getting stuck in traffic Friday prevented him from faxing us our order. I wonder if he has been stuck for days, as I also requested this from him earlier in the week.

To top it all off, he was describing some aspects of our order to Barry, and IT WAS STILL WRONG. He is meeting with our contractor today (does that make me feel better? not much!). Hopefully after that he will fight his way through traffic (HE WORKS IN FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA - a traffic jam is probably 5 minutes!!!!) and fax us the order so we can then correct everything that is still wrong.

When you are in grade school learning to draw, one of the first simple shapes you can master is a house with some squares for windows. Apparently not all of us have that down yet.

Thanks for nothing

2006-09-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

Dear 84 Lumber,

I was billed over $8000 for windows ordered from your store on 6/22. It is now 9/10 and I still have no windows. We were told 3-4 weeks for delivery. The Jeld-Wen area rep confirmed it should take no longer than this. Long story short, we found out that until our repeated calls last week, OUR WINDOWS WERE NEVER ORDERED. Despite our contractors following up and being promised "oh, they'll be in tomorrow" (on more than one occasion) THEY WERE NEVER ORDERED.

When I did finally talk to Darren, he informed me that actually we might owe even more money than the 8,000+ we paid 3 months ago. I asked him to fax me the quote for everything. I then called back when he still did not fax me the quote. He promised he would do so. I STILL have not seen a single receipt or quote breaking down why I was charged $8,000 and what exactly (if anything) will be showing up on my doorstep, if ever. If I do not have a copy of this quote by Tuesday, September, 12, I will be contacting my credit card to cancel the charges, and contacting the better business bureau with my complaint.

I am VERY pregnant and VERY cranky that this has taken so long and been handled in this matter. We have been given numerous empty promises. You are holding up the entire construction of our house. This lying to the customer, not to mention the incompetence we have encoutered, is completely unacceptable.

MB

What my house will look like with no windows.

Flowers aren't supposed to be neon

2006-08-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Homeowners' Association Management Company:

I am writing regarding our neighborhood X. I am not exactly sure what my dues of almost $500/year are going toward. I am positive it is not landscaping. Planting fake, plastic flowers at the entrance to our neighborhood is unacceptable. It looks cheap and disgusts me. The other entrance to the neighborhood has been overgrown with weeds, which surprisingly I prefer to plastic neon colored flowers.

I know luminaries on New Years Eve are cute – for the four hours they last – but I would much rather spend that money on plants that are not made of plastic. Every time I turn into the neighborhood, I am disgusted. We can only hope our neighbors take more pride in their lawns and gardens. It’s an embarrassment.

The most recent budget I can find online for our HOA is 3 years old, when we spent over $4500 on grounds maintenance. If you are still paying a lawn company for this type of service we are receiving now, I suggest you get your money back and find a new company to care for our community.

Sincerely,

Long time homeowner

Killer spoons

2006-08-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Seems the Fairfax County Health Department is quite quick to respond as Anita's has already been visited by a county inspector. The county website shows this one restaurant has actually had 3 inspectors visit in the last 6 weeks due to customer complaints. I'm not exactly sure what it takes to shut down a restaurant in this county, as I have seen some atrocious reports but no action taken other than follow up visits. If roaches, dripping raw meat and hazardous food storage temperatures won't do it, what will? Obviously not giant choking hazards.

MB,

I received your complaint regarding Anita's New Mexico Style Mexican Food restaurant on 10880 Lee Highway and performed my investigation on Friday the 25th. Management was aware of the complaint, but was not aware that it was a piece of a spoon.* All equipment and utensils observed on Friday were in good repair. I reminded management that when utensils become damaged, to make sure that they are discarded. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

JT
Environmental Health Specialist II
Fairfax County Health Department
Food Safety Section

* editor's note: Funny, as they were the ones that told us that's what it was!!

Chicken update!

2006-08-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Dear MB,

Thank you for taking the time to notify the Fairfax County Health Department about this issue. A complaint has been created for this facility and an inspection will be conducted. The assigned Inspector will contact you to advise you of the results of this complaint investigation. Thanks again for bringing this matter to the attention of the Health Department.

KC
Environmental Health Supervisor
Fairfax County Health Department

Tastes like chicken?

2006-08-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Fairfax County Food Inspector,

Last night we dined at Anita's Mexican restaurant located at 10880 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA. My husband's entree had a large, marble sized piece of hard plastic with sharp edges in it. He bit down on it, as it was mixed in with his food. The manager told us it was a piece of spoon that had fallen off during cooking.

I looked online for a place to file a complaint but could not find one. I hope you are able to schedule an inspection of this restaurant as I am definitely concerned about their cooking procedures!

Sincerely,
Monica

For those of you wondering, they comped Barry's meal. Gee, thanks! You comped something he's not going to eat. Would have been a nice gesture to comp my $10 as well, seeing as how I lost my appetite too and we left soon after. Perhaps then I wouldn't have taken the time and effort to report you to the health department.

If you would like to look up restaurant inspections in Virginia, they are all online and easily searchable. You may never eat out again after reading some of them. It's amazing what it must take to get shut down in Virginia, as I have seen a lot of horrific stuff, but no closed restaurants. Eeep.

Run Over by Reston Limo

2006-08-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Reston Limo Managers,

I wanted to let you know about an incident that happened today with one of your buses in Washington, D.C. Myself and a friend were crossing the street at a crosswalk, and according to the light, had 17 seconds left to walk across the street before the light turned red. One of your drivers was attempting to make a right through the intersection that we were rightfully walking in.

Your driver honked the horn at us, along with the many other people who were walking through the intersection, and then proceeded to roll down the window, and scream at us to "get out of her way" so she didn't miss her turn. She actually got into a screaming match with another pedestrian behind us who was crossing the intersection at the same time.

I have NEVER experienced anything like this and am completely shocked and disgusted. Please remind your drivers that pedestrians walking legally with the light have the right of way. It is completely inappropriate to honk for 20 seconds straight, let alone roll down the window and scream at people who are just trying to cross the street at the appointed location. Not to mention that behaving in this manner from the inside of a vehicle with "RESTON LIMOUSINE" emblazoned on the side is not the best way to market your business.

Sincerely,

MD

United - 3 strikes and...I'm flyin Delta

2006-08-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dear United,

I love the handy feature on your website where you can reprice your electronic ticket. If the price has gone down, United mails you a voucher for the difference in fare, which you can use on a future flight. OH WAIT! Except you NEVER DO. I have done this THREE times and have not once gotten a voucher without putting up a huge fight. Note that I have been fighting this battle since mid April.

The last time I also complained to the FAA consumer affairs division. Next time will be the Better Business Bureau. My latest communication was sent August 7, and I have heard nothing since. Give me my money.

I'll wave to you from my nice, comfy seat on Delta!

MB

8/7/06

Dear MB,

Thank you for contacting us. I apologize for all the inconvenience you were caused.

MB, because your concern involves an issue that can best be responded to by our Passenger Refund Department, I have forwarded your inquiry to them. A representative will be in touch with you as soon as possible. You do not need to send your inquiry again, but if you prefer to contact them directly, you may call 1-888-551-6881 or email them from our Home Page by clicking on "Customer Service", then under "Existing Reservations", click on "Refunds". Please include all relevant ticket numbers. Meanwhile, thank you for your patience.

We look forward to serving you again.

Regards, EA
United Airlines Customer Relations

7/29/06

Dear United,

I exchanged my ticket online for a cheaper fare and received a confirmation that a united travel voucher would be mailed to me. (Copy attached.) It has now been 5 weeks and I still have not received the voucher.

This is the third time I have done this procedure on the United website, the third time I was told a voucher would be mailed, and the third time I have had to contact customer service in order to actually get the voucher. Obviously something is wrong with your system. If this has happened to me three out of three times, how many other customers is it happening to? You are promising refunds that you are not delivering, at least not without major intervention on the customer's part.

Please look into fixing the problem as well as mailing me my voucher.

Thank you. MB
CC: FAA Consumer Complaints
FWD: One of my previous experiences is detailed below.

6/13/06

From: UACustomerCare2 Reply
Subject: Ref#: 5066142C

Dear MB,

Thank you for contacting us again. We appreciate this opportunity to respond. MB, I can understand your concern and I will forward your valuable feedback to our appropriate department and will make sure that the situation you described will not occur again.
Your business matters to us. Please give us another opportunity to serve you better.

Regards,
EA
United Airlines Customer Relations

6/13/06

Ref#: 5066142B

FYI, my original ticket was purchased for $497.20 on 3/22. Below you will see confirmation that I successfully exchanged my ticket online for the lower fare of $317.70. The last time I did this I encountered a similar problem where the voucher promised on the web did not arrive. I would suggest you talk to your IT people as it seems there is a major glitch in your system.

Thank you for today's response.
MB

6/13/06

From: UACustomerCare2
Subject: RE: RE: Customer Relations email from Monica -Ref#: 5066142B

Dear MB,

Thank you for contacting us again. We appreciate the opportunity to respond. MB, still we don't have any records of your documents. (Note I sent them copies of my ticket confirmation and my rebooked ticket. And my mileage plus number. You would think they could find my itinerary.) However, as a gesture of goodwill, I am sending you a $200 discount travel certificate, which you can use towards a future flight with United. (Not because they screwed up, but as a "gesture of goodwill.") Please allow 7 to 10 business days for the discount travel certificate to be delivered to you via U.S mail.

Your business matters to us. Please give us another opportunity to serve you.

Regards, EA
United Airlines Customer Relations

6/12/06

Subject: RE: Customer Relations email from Monica -Ref#: 5066142A

I still have not received my voucher. I have had to purchase multiple tickets since, and I am getting very frustrated that I have not been able to use my voucher for these purchases. Instead, I purchased them on Delta and have begun my quest for premier status with that airline. When can I expect this voucher?? MB

5/19/06

From: UACustomerCare2 Reply
Subject: RE: Customer Relations email from Monica -Ref#: 5066142A

Dear MB,

Thank you for contacting us again, although I'm sorry you did not receive the discount travel certificate till now

MB, there are times, however, when we may not receive an documents for some reason, or it takes us longer to respond to a customer simply because of the content. In any event, I request you to wait for 7 - 10 more business days and if you still don't receive the certificates then please do let us know. We will be happy to assist you further.

As a Premier member of our Mileage Plus Program, you are especially important to United.

Regards,
EA
United Airlines Customer Relations

5/16/06

Subject: Customer Relations email from Monica

I repriced my fare online for this itinerary and it went down almost $200. I completed all the necessary steps to receive a travel voucher in the mail for the difference. I still have not received this voucher. How long should this take? It has been four weeks.
MB