Archive for Company
Toyota chief was unaware of complaint
Posted by: | CommentsAkio Toyoda, the president of Toyota, did not know of the problems of sudden acceleration in his company’s cars that have been linked to more than 30 deaths in the US until the end of 2009, even though thousands of complaints had been pouring into the company and regulators for years.
Giving evidence to the Congressional Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Mr Toyoda issued a profound apology to the American people for Toyota’s safety failings and admitted that they had occurred because the company had expanded too quickly.
New quality control standards would be put in place, as well as mechanisms to enable the company to pay closer attention to customer feedback, he said.
Reading from a prepared statement, which had been issued to the media the day before, Mr Toyoda said: “My name is on every car. You have my personal commitment that Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to restore the trust of our customers.”
Mr Toyoda said: “I am deeply sorry for any accident Toyota drivers have experienced.”
Texas AG Takes Legal Action Against Blue Hippo Over Consumer Fraud Complaints
Posted by: | CommentsTexas Attorney General Greg Abbott today charged a finance company with violating the Texas Deceptive Practices Act by failing to deliver computers and related equipment to purchasers.
The customers, who were primarily people with poor credit ratings, had agreed to purchase computers through “Blue Hippo,” a company that advertises heavily on television, offering computers on payment terms.
According to the legal action taken by the state, Blue Hippo Funding, LLC and its sole shareholder Joseph K. Rensin of Maryland never registered to conduct business in Texas. Despite that, the company’s advertising, targeted Texans with poor credit who wanted computers, but whose limited financial resources led them to use the defendants’ “law-away plan.”
“According to customer complaints received by the Office of the Attorney General, the company failed to ship computers as they were contractually obligated to do, even though customers made the required number of consecutive layaway payments,” the AG’s Office said in announcing the legal action. “Complaints also indicate the defendants failed to ship, as promised, certain ‘free’ products, such as printers, software and televisions.”
Some customers repeatedly contacted the defendants by phone about Blue Hippo’s failure to deliver the partially purchased products. As a result, customers became frustrated, canceled their orders and requested that the defendants fully refund them. Instead of refunding customers’ installment payments, however, Blue Hippo referred customers to a clause in the layaway plan stating that cancellations would merely receive a “store credit.”
“After tiring of the defendants’ duplicity, customers grew so frustrated that they notified their banks to stop Blue Hippo’s automatic debit withdrawals from their checking accounts. However, Blue Hippo claimed that customers who stopped automatic withdrawals were subject to ‘default’ provisions in the ‘retail installment contract,’ which the defendants claimed allowed Blue Hippo to increase interest rates to 24 percent, or the highest interest rate allowable by law,” the AG’s Office noted. “Worse, the company maintained that the contract permitted it to continue withdrawing payments from customers’ accounts. As a result, the defendants essentially used the customers’ stop payment instructions as an excuse to increase interest rates and therefore simply ignored customers’ clear instructions to the contrary.”
The attorney general is seeking penalties against Blue Hippo of up to $20,000 per violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, as well as restitution to customers were financially harmed.
Northern Leasing Systems Do not do business with this company
Posted by: | CommentsIn 2001 I leased a credit card terminal from Northern Leasing Systems. They never sent anyone out to program it even after I contacted them. Frustrated with waiting, I just gave up and told them I wanted to cancel the contract and give back the equipment. I was told I couldn’t – I was obligated to a four-year contract. They continued billing me every month (even though I was not using their services). After they threatened to sue me, I ended up paying a total of $1,200 for a credit card terminal that never got taken out of the box.! To add insult to injury, I recently discovered they put a blemish on my credit report claiming I still owe them over $200.
I recently started another business and decided to use my terminal (with another credit card processing company) and was told by this other company that I couldn’t use the terminal because it was still under lease with Northern Leasing Systems.
It’s been almost SEVEN years since I signed that contract and this company still continues to give me grief. They are even holding my terminal hostage so I can’t use it anywhere else. I don’t understand why they are still in business? They should be shut down and prosecuted for fraud. I am urging other consumers – DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!!
Action Line: How the Better Business Bureau complaint process works
Posted by: | CommentsI recently filed my first complaint with the Better Business Bureau regarding a problem with dry cleaning. I carefully submitted every detail of the problem and sent copies of all my receipts and pictures of the ruined items with the complaint. I did receive a less-than-satisfactory response from the company and responded back to them, but never heard anything else. When I followed up today, I found the company had been given an “F” rating for ‘failure to respond to complaints,’ but they wouldn’t tell me who had made the complaints so I don’t know if mine was included. Why wasn’t this company forced to replace my comforter and pillow shams? What good does it do to file a complaint if the company doesn’t have to fix the problem?
The Better Business Bureau complaint process is based on fairness, to both the consumer and the business. We accept comments, both complaints and compliments, about any business regardless of size or industry. We appreciate consumers like you who supply us with comprehensive information in your complaint, including pictures of the damaged items in question. At the same time, we also want to give the company an opportunity to respond to your complaint thereby starting a dialogue that will, hopefully, result in resolution of the problem. In your particular case, the company chose to end the dialogue after receiving your follow-up response and to ignore further efforts at communication. When that happens, the complaint is closed as unresolved and most likely will result in a negative impact on the company’s grade. The complaint will remain on the business’ Reliability Report for 36 months, our standard reporting period.
If the company had belonged to the BBB as an accredited business, their membership would have been terminated. BBB accredited businesses are held to a higher standard and sign a contract committing to excellent customer service and resolution of consumer complaints at the time they join the BBB.
The BBB is not a government agency and cannot compel a business to either respond to a consumer complaint or to provide adequate customer service to resolve the issue at hand. What we do is offer a free process that provides consumers and other businesses with the opportunity to talk with each other and share their views and concerns. The results are recorded in the company’s Reliability Report and provide neutral information for future inquiring consumers or businesses. While your complaint did not result in a satisfactory ending for you, that company’s report now reflects that they have failed to resolve a customer service issue. That information is shared with people calling or going online to check on that company before making a decision to do business with them. (Your name, contact information and complaint specifics are not shared with anyone for privacy reasons.)
I wish I had a solution to change the results of your complaint process. However, as a result of your actions, you have helped protect future consumers who might face the same problems with that company.
Complaints against DirecTV soar after A.G. charges “deceptive” practices
Posted by: | CommentsThe state attorney general’s office received more than 50 overnight complaints against DirectTV after Rob McKenna filed a lawsuit against the company for “deceptive and unfair practices.”
That follows hundreds of complaints filed against the satellite television business, which McKenna said Tuesday was a huge number for a company operating in the state.
“These guys are off the charts,” McKenna said in a meeting with reporters. “We’ve had more complaints about them than any other (company) in America this year. So they really do stand out.”
The California-based company is accused of attracting customers with ads for low prices that hide fees and rate changes. The attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit Monday in King County Superior Court alleging that DirecTV had repeatedly violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
California-based DirecTV is accused of wooing new viewers with ads for low prices while hiding a multitude of fees, planned rate changes and terms that call for automatic renewals. Following a year-long investigation by its Consumer Protection Division, the Attorney General’s Office filed documents today in King County Superior Court that allege the company has repeatedly violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act. McKenna wants the company to put its terms in writing.
The state attorney general’s office received more than 50 overnight complaints against DirectTV after Rob McKenna filed a lawsuit against the company for “deceptive and unfair practices.”
That follows hundreds of complaints filed against the satellite television business, which McKenna said Tuesday was a huge number for a company operating in the state.
“These guys are off the charts,” McKenna said in a meeting with reporters. “We’ve had more complaints about them than any other (company) in America this year. So they really do stand out.”
The California-based company is accused of attracting customers with ads for low prices that hide fees and rate changes. The attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit Monday in King County Superior Court alleging that DirecTV had repeatedly violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
California-based DirecTV is accused of wooing new viewers with ads for low prices while hiding a multitude of fees, planned rate changes and terms that call for automatic renewals. Following a year-long investigation by its Consumer Protection Division, the Attorney General’s Office filed documents today in King County Superior Court that allege the company has repeatedly violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act. McKenna wants the company to put its terms in writing.
“They’re telling people they can sign up for a low introductory rate of $29.99 a month for 12 months, but literally in the fine print at the bottom of the ad there’s this rebate process you have to go through in order to obtain the introductory offer,” McKenna said. “Here’s the trick. Once they install they equipment you’re on the hook for the minimum period of the contract of two years. If you decide it’s not satisfactory…(there’s) up to $480 cancellation fee…We’ve been telling DirectTV they need to clean up their act for a long time and they’ve refused to make the changes that we require.”
DirecTV, in a statement, refutes those charges.
“We always strive to provide 100 percent customer satisfaction,” the statement said. The company also said that the number of complaints in Washington state represent less than 1 percent of their customers here.
Former workers file complaint against clam plant
Posted by: | Comments A group of workers at a Millville clam-processing facility has filed an unfair-labor complaint against the company, alleging that 32 people were improperly fired.
In the complaint, the group, which calls itself the Workers’ Committee of LaMonica Foods, reported that 14 female employees held a work stoppage at 9 a.m. Nov. 12 to request raises. The complaint alleges that all 14 women were fired within the hour, as were 18 male employees who also stopped work in solidarity.
The complaint states that most of the women “were earning less than the legal minimum wage on a piece rate basis.”
At a press conference Wednesday at the Bridgeton office of the Farmworkers Support Committee, or CATA, workers said female employees were paid $2.20 for each bucket of shucked clams they produced and that they averaged three buckets per hour. That adds up to $6.60 per hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
The employees filed the complaint with the assistance of the Farmworkers Support Committee. Jessica Culley, an organizer for that organization, said the company has since asked some of the fired workers to return, and a few accepted the offer because they needed the money.
Daniel Haledy, regional attorney for the National Labor Relations Board, said the agency will investigate the complaint and “if we decide the case has merit, we’re going to seek to settle it.”
If a settlement can’t be reached, the complaint would go before an Administrative Law judge, who would make a determination. Either side could appeal the judge’s decision.
Dummy perched on billboard draws complaints
Posted by: | CommentsThe tight rope act is over for a mannequin balancing on an Interstate 93 billboard after 9-1-1 operators started fielding calls from people who thought they were looking at a suicidal jumper.
The MBTA yesterday asked Clear Channel to remove the mannequin from a billboard located on the Somerville-Boston line for heating oil company Clickfil, said T spokesman Joe Pesaturo. Clear Channel manages the T’s billboard program.
“We received complaints about it, and we agreed it should be removed to avoid unnecessary confusion,” Pesaturo said. The billboard is located on T property.
At least three calls were placed to fire departments in Boston and Somerville about the mannequin yesterday.
Clickfil is a part of the Fort Reliance Company, which is the parent company to Irving Oil, according to its Web site. A message left for a company spokesperson was not immediately returned
How to Handle Customer Complaints, Issues, etc.
Posted by: | CommentsFollow me here for a moment…
I want to talk about the three very obvious paths complaints lodged by your clients/patients/customers can take.
First, let’s assume a client has called you with a billing error.
What happens next determines what kind of organization you have now and will have in 2 or 3 years (or, in this economy, maybe less).
Read through these three choices. Then, realistically assess how you or your team responds.
Ready?
Path #1: You do nothing. This is probably 5% to 10% of the businesses out there. What ends up happening is the client calls back a second, third, or fourth time and finally, something is done. The client’s P.O.’d and will avoid your company like it’s
Path #2: You or someone that works for you fixes it. This is about 80% to 90% of the businesses operating. It might take a few hours, or even a few days. That’s it. Over with, it’s now a non-event from the perspective of your business. Everyone seems happy. Right?
Path #3: Fix it as fast as humanly possible, call the client back, apologize, ask for forgiveness. Deliver something of value. Add the client to your VIP list, etc. Make sure the next time you deal with them, you do it without error, with speed, efficiency and with the utmost haWhen I look at problems clients of mine have with my company, I see it as an opportunity to re-earn their business, ask for referrals, and THANK them for working with me.
Let me give you an example: I recently switched my merchant account over to another company. One of the big reasons was pricing. They were far more competitive on price and, one of their hallmarks, says the sales guy, is their customer service.
So, I switched. What happens next, is actually kinda funny.
You see, one of the cos. we switched over is the dental practice management co., SofTouch Family Dental.
It’s often screwed up when someone re-types it or hears it without seeing how it’s spelled. But this is the funniest one yet.
Today’s mail brought me a manilla 6×9 envelope from Discover Card Merchant Services. The delivery address: “Self Touch Family Dental.”
I must’ve laughed for 5 minutes straight. I know I came close to passing out from not breathing. After I settled down, I emailed Daniel, the Customer Service/Sales guy at BankCard USA. I explained what the problem was. Ten minutes later, I walk next door to the dental office, where Angie, the front office manager, is on the phone with…You guessed it, TECH SUPPORT from BankCard USA.
They were already on the problem, fixing it. And, they even had Angie run a test card charge through to make sure it worked.
I was mildly impressed. Five minutes later, I return to my desk and check my email. The first one that pops up is from Daniel letting me know he has Tech Support on it and they should have it resolved in fifteen minutes.
Wow.
I’ve dealt with a few merchant cos., and none have been that efficient. But wait, there’s more.
Five more minutes go by and I get another email from Daniel asking me if all was handled to my satisfaction and if there was anything else he could do, to please call him or email him.
Awesome service. FAST response. Apologized. Yes, I’m waiting for chocolates, but if I don’t get them, I’ll still be very pleased with how they handled the error.
Trump Network Complaints Reviewed
Posted by: | CommentsDonald Trump is no stranger to publicity. Now he’s in the spotlight again with his purchase of multi-level marketing company Ideal Health. In the fall of 2009 he is going to re-launch the company as the Trump Network. Complaints about this new venture exist, but they mainly have to do with Donald Trump himself, and not with the company’s products.
First among the Trump Network complaints are those who remember what Donald Trump has said about multi-level marketing in the past. Way back when Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show, Donald Trump was a guest. He openly mocked the MLM Company Amway, and the people involved in that business.
A couple of years ago, apparently Oprah Winfrey asked Donald Trump what his plans would be if he hit the bankruptcy jackpot again. He said he’d start up an MLM. The audience went crazy booing him. In typical humanitarian form, he said “That’s why I’m up here and you’re down there.” Since he actually bought Ideal Health, I suppose his real estate holdings are still worth a little money. I expect more Trump Network complaints about “The Donald” in the future.
The company is trying hard to make sure there are no Trump Network complaints about distribution. They are crunching numbers like crazy to make sure they have enough products ready when they launch in November.
Trump Network complaints will be aimed from two different directions, since the company is also a network marketing company. They will either come from unhappy customers who buy the products, or from the members of the marketing aspect of the company. If there are strong policies in place in the company before hand, they should not have much trouble.
Speaking of the Trump Network complaint department, here’s my big issue. It’s not with this company in particular; it is with all of internet marketing in general. I don’t think MLM companies give their members the education they need to truly be successful.
To have big time success you need to have a strong marketing knowledge base. MLM companies are not really all that up to date with the latest marketing techniques, and they focus only on the techniques that make the most people make the most money. But there are people everywhere making amazing money using one or two obscure techniques they didn’t learn from their MLMs.
Thanks to the internet, new marketing strategies can literally be created over night. These large companies just can’t adjust their educational materials quickly enough. An independent marketing school can.
Missouri Insurance Department Returns Nearly $11M to Consumers
Posted by: | CommentsThe Missouri Department of Insurance reports that it has recovered almost $10.7 million from insurance companies during the first nine months of 2009. The money was returned to consumers who filed complaints with the department.
The most common reasons for complaints to the department included denial of claims, claims delays, and unsatisfactory offers. The department recorded the most complaints in the following types of insurance: auto, group health, individual health and homeowners.
Some of the highest amount claims recovered were:
•Earlier this year a family of nine from southwest Missouri filed a complaint against their homeowners insurance company regarding a tornado loss that left them in a hotel room for over a month. After the department’s involvement, the family received a final recovery from the insurer of nearly $278,000.
•After being denied coverage for treatment of lymphoma, a consumer filed a complaint with the department. After mediation by the department, the insurance company overturned the denial and approved the procedure, which cost more than $250,000.
•After purchasing life insurance with the proceeds of her late husband’s life policy, a consumer complained that her new policy did not include the benefits she had been promised. After the department’s involvement, the consumer’s policy was re-written and her insurance company returned $109,846 to her.
In the first nine months of 2009, the department fielded almost 4,200 formal complaints and assisted nearly 3,000 consumers in writing and another 21,000 over the telephone.
The top categories of complaints were as follows:
By reason
•Denial of claim
•Delay of claim processing
•Unsatisfactory settlement offer
•Claim handling
By line of insurance
•Private passenger auto
•Group health
•Individual accident and health
•Homeowners