Archive for Services
What is your biggest complaint when travelling
Posted by: | CommentsOk here’s quick question for you, what’s the number 1 complaint you have when travelling when it comes to airlines, hotels and car rentals?
Well according to a Consumer Reports survey that asked 2,000 Americans to rank their complaints about rental cars companies, airlines and hotels and found that luggage fees caused the most resentment.
Granted this is an American survey and we in Canada are somewhat spared the burden of baggage fees when flying Westjet or Air Canada but we still have to doll out the cash for our luggage when flying on a US based carrier. But the survey also found that rude behavior by staff was not far behind.
According to Mark Kotkin, of Consumer Reports “Two themes emerged. One of them was added fees. That really irritated people regardless of the industry. For airlines, in particular, it was the new luggage charges.”
The other main irritant was rude or unhelpful staff. (I’d like to see a survey from people who work on the other side of the counter to see if rude customers are their top complaint).
One reason passengers find charges for luggage so irritating may be because they are new and they are expensive. ($15 – $25 per bag/per person each way depending on the airline)
Surprisingly consumers questioned in the poll said lack of information about airline delays was more aggravating than the delays themselves. Passengers were also annoyed by fellow airline passengers who hog seats and carry-on space.
Personally I find it extremely aggravating when someone’s carry-on stowed in the compartment above is the size of a small car and takes up all the, barely leaving room to shut the door.
On a more positive note, airline passengers seem to have accepted waiting in long lines to go through security and check-ins at airports and the lack of snacks on flights.
So what’s the message in all this? Get used to extra fees, there here to stay and if you’re in the hospitality or travel industry, no matter how rude or demanding the customer gets, smile.
Assault charges follow elder abuse complaint
Posted by: | CommentsThe owner and operator of a south-side care home has been charged with assault after a brain-injured resident filed a complaint.
Jeanne Marie Hackema, 68, was arrested Thursday and charged Friday. She has since been released.
The victim of the alleged assault is a 55-year-old woman who no longer lives at the facility, which is housed in a bungalow at 115th Street and 9th Avenue.
The woman filed the complaint in May 2009 and left the facility two months later, said Acting Staff Sgt. Roxanne McKean.
“We are very gratified to know she has been charged and held accountable. The main issue is when you’re vulnerable, you can’t complain, your families can’t complain, because they need 24-hour care,” she said.
In 2004, the Elder Advocates of Alberta filed a complaint about the Open Arms care home alleging overcrowding, insufficient food, delays in helping with bathroom needs and a lack of trained staff.
According to Alberta Seniors and Community Supports, a separate complaint was filed against the care home in February, but has since been resolved. The department would not release further information, citing privacy concerns.
McKean said the alleged victim was in the care home because of a brain injury. Brain injuries can affect memory, mental focus and a variety of emotional, intellectual and physical attributes.
Police laid a “global” assault charge in the case, which means they believe more than one assault may have occurred during a set period.
McKean said officers are looking for other potential victims, but do not have any other suspects.
ITC complaints against Apple
Posted by: | CommentsThe U.S. International Trade Commission on Monday said it will investigate a patent infringement complaint filed by Elan Microelectronics in Taiwan regarding Apple’s multitouch devices including the iPhone and iPad.
Elan on March 29 filed a complaint with the ITC asserting that Apple had violated a patent relating to the ability to detect the simultaneous presence of multiple fingers on touch devices. The technology involved is used in the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, MacBook and Magic Mouse products.
Elan asked the ITC to issue an order barring importation of those products into the U.S. Elan also asked the ITC to bar Apple from selling any of these products it had already imported into the U.S.
Elan is alleging that Apple infringed patent number 5,825,352, which is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Elan is a semiconductor design company, which also develops products focused on touch technology.
An Apple spokeswoman declined comment on ITC’s initiation of an investigation into its products.
Toyota Canada facing harsh questions in Ottawa
Posted by: | CommentsToyota Canada Inc. officials were under attack on Tuesday from federal MPs for their failure to notify regulators about safety issues regarding its accelerator pedal when the car maker first became aware of the flaw.
The company received its first complaint of unintended acceleration in late October, but MPs wanted to know why the world’s No. 1 car maker didn’t notify Transport Canada and Toyota owners until January, after it issued a recall for Canadian cars.
They acknowledged Canadian regulators had recently received 17 complaints regarding Toyota vehicles — but only one of those was related to unintended acceleration. Further, a review of its Canadian models, with all-weather floor mats built specifically for this market, did not share some of the same potential flaws as Toyota’s U.S. models.
Still, “we have 100% on the remedies for the floor mat and pedal assemblies,” Mr. Beatty said, adding nearly two-thirds of recalled Canadian cars have been repaired.
Over a quarter of million Toyota-made vehicles, or 270,000, were recalled across Canada – a.nd eight million worldwide — in an effort to address issues leading to unintended acceleration.
The Japanese car maker, No. 1 worldwide, has blamed sticky accelerators and floor mats for the cases of unintended acceleration. When he appeared before U.S. legislators, Mr. Toyoda apologized, and acknowledged the company’s rapid expansion in recent years might have affected the quality of its vehicles.
As a precautionary measure, Toyota temporarily halted production of eight models in Canada and the United States as it searched for a solution to the accelerator glitch. Production has since resumed.
“There was a serious safety problem, and you are talking to [the supplier] about a redesign but no one told Transport Canada until after the recall [in January]?,” a frustrated Mr. Watson told Toyota officials.
Mr. Beatty later explained the potential pedal problem in Canada was due to wear and condensation, and the company could not “trigger” a response before it had “a solution it could deploy.”
The acceleration cases have caused a public relations nightmare for Toyota. Last week, just as the car maker had appeared to put the worst behind it, a California driver claimed his Toyota Prius raced out of control on a California highway. But both Toyota and U.S. regulators said they found no evidence to support the driver’s claims.
Car analysts have focused on the prospect that drivers could be making mistakes — hitting the accelerator instead of the brake — or that Toyota vehicles could be subject to a software glitch or other problem that is hard to replicate.
ATandT Offers $18 Million to Settle Early Termination Fee Complaints
Posted by: | CommentsAT&T has filed a class action settlement in a New Jersey U.S. District Court regarding customer complaints about the company’s flat-rate early termination fees (ETFs). Although the document is dated Sept. 15. 2009, those involved in the lawsuit were notified Jan. 26.
The carrier has offered $16 million in cash, plus $2 million in “non-cash benefits” as a settlement to those who submit a claim by June 14.
“The Settlement Class includes all current or former customers of AT&T Mobility or its predecessor in the U.S. who paid or were charged a flat-rate ETF at some time during the period January 1, 1998 through November 4, 2009; and/or who have or had a contract for service with AT&T Mobility that included a flat-rate ETF…” a document posted to a site not run by AT&T states
The move follows government criticism of Verizon Wireless’ ETF, which the carrier announced on Nov. 5 would double, to $350, for certain subscribers who cancel their contracts early.
“Changing your wireless provider shouldn’t break the bank,” said Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar in a Dec. 3 statement. “Forcing consumers to pay outrageous fees bearing little to no relation to the cost of their handset devices is anti-consumer and anti-competitive.”
That day, Klobuchar, with three other senators, introduced a new piece of legislation, the Cell Phone Early Termination Fee, Transparency and Fairness Act, which would prevent carriers from charging ETFs higher than the discount that the carriers offer to consumers for entering into multiyear contracts.
The FCC legislation would additionally prorate ETFs, enabling customers who remained in their contracts longer to pay less. In this vein, the AT&T settlement offers repayment reflective of the amount of time left on a contract when an ETF was applied.
“The Court has not decided whether the claims in the lawsuit have any merit. However, if you are a member of the Settlement Class, you have a choice to make now,” states the settlement document.
Google phone brings in more complaints than sales
Posted by: | CommentsThe gadget that was hailed before it debuted as Google’s long-awaited answer to Apple’s uber-popular iPhone has seen disappointing sales. Google sold just 20,000 Nexus Ones worldwide in the first week after it launched.
In addition, the new smart phone is drawing numerous complaints from users _ and so is Google, for not doing a better job of providing them with customer support.
Google’s not commenting on initial sales of the Nexus One, which costs $179 if you sign up for a two-year contract with T-Mobile or $529 without a contract. But company officials, including Andy Rubin, who heads up Google’s smart phone efforts as its vice president of engineering, have acknowledged that the company needs to improve its customer service.
“We want people to have a positive experience,” said Carolyn Penner, a company spokeswoman. “We will continue to address any of the issues as quickly as possible.” The biggest complaint among users is access to the 3G high-speed data network offered by T-Mobile, Google’s only domestic carrier partner so far for the Nexus One. Customers started posting complaints about spotty 3G coverage on Google’s support forum Jan. 6, the day after the Nexus One went on sale. Several said they were unable to get 3G service in areas where either T-Mobile’s maps indicated they should or where they could get such service with previous phones.
“I’m at the point where I’m about to send this thing back,” read one post on the forum. “It ruins the whole experience if I can’t ever stay on 3G for more than a few seconds.” Penner said the 3G connection problem was affecting a “small” number of Nexus One users, but she declined to say how many or what proportion of them. Google doesn’t have a solution for the problem yet, she said.
But other complaints focused on the lack of service Google was providing for it. Google is attempting to pioneer a new way of selling smart phones; unlike the iPhone or other devices, which can be purchased in stores and directly from wireless service providers, the Nexus One is only available through Google’s Web site.
Business Bureaus top 10 Complaints 2009
Posted by: | CommentsThe Better Business Bureau has released a list of the top ten scams to be aware of. This year, the list focuses in on dubious practices of online commerce, such as asking consumers to read the fine print before you click “yes.” Complaints in 2009 run the gamut from teeth whiteners to premium text messages to government grants, but all tie back to consumers unwittingly consenting to sign up for the service or product.
1. Health Claim Scams
Bogus products that make “breakthrough” health claims on the Internet or promise cures for illnesses, such as cancer, target the most vulnerable consumers. Be wary of on-line swine flu remedies not authorized by Health Canada that are making unsubstantiated health claims that they kill or ward off the virus. Consult your health care practitioner before trying any new treatment. Don’t be influenced by “miraculous” testimonials discussed on websites and blogs. Think twice before buying a product that claims it can “do it all.”
QUICK TIP: If you have questions or complaints about counterfeit drugs and/or drugs purchased over the Internet, please call Health Canada’s toll-free line at 1 800 267 9675. If you suspect that a website is promoting a treatment or cure that is too good to be true.
2. Not So “Free” Trials
You may want to try out a new diet product, an acne cream or teeth whitener, but be careful about signing up for ‘free’ trial offers. Many websites offering a free trial for products do not disclose the billing terms and conditions or do not have such details prominently displayed on their website. Before providing any credit or debit card information, review the website fully to avoid in repeated billing. Remember that money transfers and direct debit are two of the main methods by which scam artists seek to obtain your money.
QUICK TIP: When considering trial offers, be sure to first determine whether you are enrolling in a membership, subscription or service contract that allows the company.
3. ID Theft
Often people find out that they are victims of identity theft after they are contacted by a collections’ agency for an account they never set up or because their credit has taken a hit. ID theft is when someone uses your information to obtain loans, goods, or services and does not pay the bills. Increasingly, people are being lured online into revealing personal information.
QUICK TIP: Do not fall for requests for information, or other scare tactics. Online scammers send emails that look legitimate, requesting that your “account information needs to be updated.” Another new tactic called “scareware” has a pop-up message showing that your computer is infected with a virus and that you need to visit a website to purchase and download anti-virus software that would fix the problem. These are all phishing tactics, ways to get you to reveal personal or financial information. If you receive these messages just delete them and do not click on any links. Doing so may compromise your computer’s security. If you are a victim of ID Theft call your financial institutions to request that your current cards be cancelled and that new cards be issued. You should also contact your local police and Canada’s main credit reporting agencies: TransUnion Canada at tuc.ca (1 866 525 0262) and Equifax Canada at equifax.ca (1 866 779 6440).
4. Home Repair Rip-Offs
Imagine hearing that your furnace is leaking dangerous carbon monoxide into your home. Many times homeowners are told that they need to do an immediate replacement due to a crack in their heat exchanger or because the contractor has a gas-sniffer device which shows high carbon monoxide levels. This high pressure safety situation often ends up in unnecessary and costly repairs.
QUICK TIP: Do not make a decision to repair right away. Start with the Better Business Bureau and search for a company reliability report at bbb.org. Ask the person to provide a gas permit and a license with the BC Safety Authority and call to verify it at: 1 866 566 7233.
6. Free Government Money Schemes
Do you think you are entitled to free money from the Canadian government? Be suspicious of companies offering “free” advice on obtaining government grants. Often social networking sites and online ads will point to blogs that appear to be written by everyday people who are sharing the secret of how they received thousands of dollars in grants from the government to pay off their debt. In reality, this is a mass marketing scheme that does not provide an easy way for you to get a government grant. Rather, it costs you money to participate.
7. Business Opportunities
Your friend or a family member may have invited you to attend a presentation involving an investment opportunity. You don’t know anything about the company, and are desperate to hear that it is legit. These investments appear lucrative, but often involve more hype than substance. The promoter convinces investors that they can be part owners of an exciting investment portfolio, provided that they enlist new recruits. The promoter may even offer promising commissions in cash and bullion.
QUICK TIP: In reality, this could be an illegal pyramid scheme. The new capital brought on by new investors is keeping this imaginary investment afloat. Get the facts. If you attend an information session, be sure to collect business cards and promotional materials
8. Cashback Fraud
Cashback fraud usually begins when you advertise something for sale, such as a car. A buyer agrees to pay your asking price, but sends you a cheque or banker’s draft for a larger sum. The person asks you to bank his cheque and send him a money transfer for the difference. Sure enough, his or her cheque bounces a few days after your money transfer has left your account. You’re now out of pocket and looking for a bogus buyer who’s out-of-reach.
QUICK TIP: Criminal cashback works because cheques take longer to clear than electronic bank transfers. Do not ever wire money to a stranger. Do not allow greed to be your guide – be careful of offers higher than the asking price.
9. Hidden Cell Phone Charges
If you own a cell phone and see new and unexplained charges on your bill each month, it may be due to premium text message services. People complain that they did not realize they were signing up for this service when they agreed to play an online game or to take an IQ test. In the end they receive monthly billings which do not come from their cell phone service providers, but through other third-party companies.
10. Mystery Jobs Scams
The scenario sounds too good to be true, and it is. You have been led to believe that you will be paid to mystery shop via a wire-transfer service. You receive a cheque, which you are told to deposit, keeping a small percentage of the money as your wage. You are then asked to send the back difference via a wire transfer and to complete a survey on the service you encounter. In the end, the cheque bounces and you lose all your money.
QUICK TIP: Be skeptical of mystery shopper ads in newspapers or online. In most cases these are bogus services requiring you to pay money upfront. Avoid companies that promise guaranteed jobs, and that sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers
Consumer complaints ring loudly in 2009
Posted by: | CommentsFrom passengers protesting maltreatment by foreign airlines to telephone users who criticise excessive call charges, consumers’ complaints rose by over 90% between 2008 and 2009, the Consumer Protection Council has said.
As of mid December 2009, the Council said it had received 2,300 complaints from consumers who felt their rights were abused by service operators in different sectors – a wide leap from the less than 1,200 it received in 2008.
Yet, the total amount of such reports of violations for the whole year becomes insignificant when compared with the “millions of abused Nigerians” which the council acknowledges exist; “many of whom are in the grassroots.”
The Director General, Ify Umenyi, said the council opened new offices in all the zones during the year and that this helped improve consumers’ closeness with the council. It also plans several response centres in all the 774 local governments.
“Can one make complaints on every of such case in a place where you are almost sure nothing will come out from?” But the council believes the almost double record of complaints in 2009 reflected the impact of the new regional offices built in Bauchi, Awka, Katsina, Port Harcourt and Oshogbo and hopes the installed lines will improve on thatfor 2010.
“Besides physical presence, aggrieved customers can exploit the services of our new call contact center by dialing the vanity number -0700-call-cpc,” Ms. Umenyi said.
Many of the 2300 complaints during the year dwelt on adulterated consumer products, disparity between advertised and selling prices, alleged maltreatment by airline companies, excessive phone charges and calls dropping.
“About 85% of the complaints were resolved during thirty mediation meetings,” Ms. Umenyi said.