Archive for complaint
Rating the consumer complaint websites
Posted by: | CommentsOver the last decade, consumer-gripe websites have become an Internet mainstay, a place for customers to share opinions on what works and, mostly, what doesn’t.
But how well do the leading complaint websites themselves work? On Monday, an old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar organization, the Consumer Federation of America, delivered a mixed verdict: The best sites are great for helping consumers voice irritation, but not so great for helping them address it.
Stephen Brobeck, the federation’s executive director, said the group decided to examine more than a dozen complaint websites, in part because they show up so frequently in Web searches.
Not very long ago, aggrieved consumers had few options beyond griping to friends or relatives, filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or state attorney general, or suing, Brobeck said. Now, sites such as My3cents, Complaints Board, and Ripoff Report, offer an alternative.
Though some sites, such as My3cents, offer consumers the chance to post positive comments, the sites have special appeal to the disgruntled.
“They’re unhappy, and they want to vent,” Brobeck said. “And this is a very low-cost way to vent, with potentially high impact.”
Susan Grant, the federation’s director of consumer protection, said the best sites could help potential customers of the large, national companies most likely to appear in the sites’ databases.
She said a lack of complaints should not be seen as any sort of guarantee. “But if there are lots of complaints, and lots of complaints about particular kinds of problems, that’s a good indicator to consumers that they may want to look elsewhere for their purchases,” Grant said.
Grant said the sites could also prove useful because consumers sometimes shared stories about how they ultimately solved a problem.
The Chinese Drywall Complaint Center
Posted by: | CommentsThe Chinese Drywall Complaint Center is saying, “if you live in a home in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Southeast Texas, South Georgia built, or remodeled since 2001-you have had numerous AC coil failures, or electrical issues, and some or all of the family are sick with upper respiratory issues, nose bleeds, or unexplainable rashes-we want to hear from you now.” The Chinese Drywall Complaint Center is expanding its hours to seven days a week, 9 AM to 10 PM, in the hopes they can help identify as many Knauf Chinese drywall homes as possible. The group is saying, “for the record, we are convinced there are at least 100,000+ US homes with Knauf Chinese drywall-tragically the Federal Court in New Orleans has only identified less than 4000 homeowners.
But isn’t the Obama Administration doing everything possible to help US homeowners now living in a toxic home because of toxic Chinese drywall? The Chinese Drywall Complaint Center says, “the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill-now officially the worst oil spill in US history is not the Obama Administrations first astonishing failure to respond to a national disaster. The Obama Administration’s response to toxic Chinese drywall has been negligent, and they act like they either do not want to talk about it-or their are afraid of offending the Chinese-either way 100,000’s of US Homeowners in the US Southeast have been abandoned by Washington, DC.” The group says,”even worse than Obama’s lack of interest in toxic Chinese drywall-the US Consumer Products Safety Commission has miserably failed 100,000’s of US homeowners with their lack of information.
Symptoms of toxic Chinese drywall in homes in Louisiana, North Florida, Central Florida, South Florida, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, or Southeast Texas include: repeated air conditioning coil failures, within two years of the home being built. In addition to air conditioning coil failures, toxic Chinese drywall in the US Southeast may cause appliance failures, light bulbs burning out prematurely, copper turning black, combined with all, or some of the family are experiencing seemingly never ending upper respiratory issues, nose bleeds, severe headaches, unexplained very unusual rashes, especially in the late spring, or summer. The time frame for toxic Chinese drywall in the US Southeast is 2001-to early 2009. The Chinese Drywall Complaint Center is saying, “We think the worst effects of toxic Chinese drywall in the US Southeast occur in from mid April—mid October because of high heat combined with high thresholds of humidity.”
Florida Oil spill disaster
Posted by: | CommentsAs the devastating BP oil spill increasingly threatens Florida’s fishing, maritime and tourism industries, a team of nationally known attorneys led by Tallahassee lawyer and Northeastern University Professor P. Tim Howard last night filed an amended complaint in one of the first Florida class action lawsuits over the sinking of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.
First filed last Friday in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee on April 30, the amended complaint in Ward, et. al. v. BP, et.al. (N.D. Fla., Case No. 4:10-cv-00157-SPM-WCS), alleges gross negligence, willful misconduct and other claims in the design, construction and operation of the rig, as well as in the response to the disaster. The case has been assigned to Chief Judge Stephan P. Mickle.
The defendants include various divisions of oil giant BP (formerly British Petroleum), Transocean, Ltd. (the owners/operators of the Deepwater Horizon), Halliburton Energy (which was involved in “cementing” operations to cap the oil rig when the explosion occurred) and Cameron International Corporation (manufacturers of the rig’s blow-out-preventers, which failed to operate properly and prevent the oil spill).
Similar lawsuits are planned for Texas, Alabama and Mississippi, as the devastation from the oil rig disaster continues to grow.
“Oil continues to flow into the gulf, and with it an environmental nightmare,” said Dr. Howard, who most recently played a leading role in coordinating a national team of more than 40 law firms in the Toyota sudden acceleration lawsuits.
“This unmitigated horror threatens to destroy one of the most beautiful marine, coastal and estuarine environments in the world.”
clean up the oil spill along the Gulf of Mexico. The company said they are recovering over 2000 barrels of oil everyday and are in the process of cleaning up the oil spill.
“It is expected that it will take some time to increase the flow through the system and maximise the proportion of oil and gas flowing through the broken riser that will be captured and transported to the drillship” BP said.
The company said this past week that they have been recovering the oil which spread into coastal regions which is an estimated 5000 barrels and over 1000 have been recovered already. BP has been working on covering the leaks in the leaks and has been taking measure to ensure the incident does to worsen and repeat itself.
BP is offering compensation for those affected by the spill in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi and has spend $650 million on total expenses out of which $450 million was spent on the clean up. BP said 15,600 complaints were received in total out of which 2,700 have been compensated.
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.
letter complaining about a coworker
Posted by: | Commentsaddress
phone
dated
manager name
company name
Dear XXXXX:
This letter has two purposes: to formally submit a complaint, and to put the facts of the situation on record. The subject of my complaint is the treatment I received [put the date here] by my co-worker [name].
Please note that I have been an employee at [your company] since [date]. I have every reason to believe that I am a dedicated and outstanding employee. I am confident that I exhibit the highest work ethics and treat my supervisors and co-workers with respect.
My complaint, in brief, is that [name] has [summarize here]been harassing me on several occasions. The latest event has been extremely shocking. As a result, I have made the decision, despite great difficulty, to make a formal complaint.
The events were these: [now give a chronological detail]
On the 9th of February of last year (2001)….
Again, in June of last year…
I spoke to my supervisor, who spoke to my [co-worker]…
However, again on…
I am sure that company policy must prohibit or discourage this kind of behavior. In fairness, I should point out that [co-worker] might not have intended his/her first occasion of this behavior toward me. However, despite my clearly negative reaction, and the reprimand from my supervisor, he/she continues to harass me.
I want to reiterate that I am a loyal employee, and work hard to get the job done in a professional manner. I do not need the added pressure of discourteous treatment. I trust you will agree, and I look forward to your assurance that it will not occur again. I would also appreciate an apology or other recognition of the error, directly from [co-worker's name]. I feel this is an entirely fair request.
Baltimore files new complaint against Wells Fargo
Posted by: | CommentsLawyers for the city of Baltimore have prepared a new complaint in their lawsuit against Wells Fargo, which contends that the bank steered black borrowers into subprime loans, then foreclosed on hundreds of city houses, leading to blight and higher public safety costs.
The city suffered a setback in January when U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz dismissed the suit. Motz said the connection between the Wells Fargo foreclosures and urban problems was “implausible when considered against the background of other factors leading to the deterioration of the inner city,” and called the suit overly broad.
City Solicitor George Nilson said Wednesday that the new complaint, which was filed Wednesday, outlines specific property damages – including millions in costs to city fire and police services – to more than 200 vacant, foreclosed properties spread out over 36 city blocks.
The new complaint also separates damages incurred by the city in the form of lost property taxes, Nilson said. When the foreclosed homes became vacant, the city alleges, many of them lost much of their value and drove down the value of nearby homes, leading to lost property tax revenue for the city.
Why the Google antitrust complaint is not about Microsoft
Posted by: | CommentsGoogle should spend an afternoon with Shivaun and Adam Raff, the two very real people behind a recent EU antitrust complaint against its web search monopoly. To meet the pair – co-founders of the British price comparison site Foundem – is to know you would never describe them as Microsoft mouthpieces. They’re computer scientists by training and search engineers by trade, and with their European complaint – echoed stateside with an FCC filing – they’ve made a case that deserves a level of attention denied by Google’s remarkably successful efforts to paint them as Redmondian sockpuppets.
In their complaint, the Raffs make a pair of arguments. One concerns penalties and whitelists on the world’s largest search engine, issues we examined at length in a feature story late last year. But the other details an issue the media has largely ignored. The Raffs also argue that with its so-called Universal Search setup, Google is using its search engine monopoly – which controls an estimated 85 per cent of the global market – to unfairly favor its own services over those of its competitors.
“[It] allows Google to leverage its search engine monopoly into virtually any field it chooses. Wherever it does so, competitors will be harmed, new entrants will be discouraged, and innovation will inevitably be suppressed.”
With help from data compiled by market-research outfits HitWise and comScore, the filing makes the case that in the three years since the debut of Universal Search Google has used it to harm competitors in two separate markets: online mapping and price comparisons. In providing Google Maps and Google Product Search (formerly Froogle) with prime placement on its own search engine, the Raffs argue, Mountain View has exerted discriminatory market power to squeeze out the likes of MapQuest and Pricegrabber.
Put limits on custody complaints, group urges
Posted by: | CommentsCanadian law must be changed to make it far more difficult for disgruntled parents to file disciplinary charges against psychologists, psychiatrists and other health professionals who do assessments in child-custody cases, says a group of leading lawyers and therapists.
The complaints submitted to professional bodies by the losing side in custody battles are turning experts off the important work, the group says in a discussion paper. The result is a “major social and legal problem,” it says.
The group urges changing the rules so disciplinary bodies can only consider complaints from such parents if they have been first approved by the judge in the case or by the other, winning parent, or have been screened to weed out frivolous grievances
“The family law justice system is seriously undermined every time a vexatious complaint is made by a parent to the college,” said the paper signed by 11 psychologists, psychiatrists, lawyers and social workers. “It feels like a professional sucker punch and has no correlation to the skill, experience and savvy of the assessor.”
Earlier this year, the Ontario Medical Association’s board directed its staff to work with other professionals to push for changes to protect members against such complaints.
A parents-rights organization, however, says people embroiled in emotional disputes often feel the assessor is biased against one side, and need some recourse to question their professionalism.
Kris Titus of the Canadian Equal Parenting Council said she has heard from parents about psychologists or others who will spend a whole day with one parent in their home, and an hour in a “sterile” office environment with the other.
“When you’re dealing with children, where every decision made is essentially going to affect someone’s entire future, there has to be strict regulation of assessors,” Ms. Titus said. “There are some assessors we have heard multiple complaints about.”
The report suggests three options, based partly on legislation in a handful of U.S. states.
- -Require that a judge approve any disciplinary complaint, ensuring that it is more than merely an attack on the assessor’s conclusions.
- -Require that the complaint be approved by both parents, again making it less likely the grievance will be just another appeal by the losing party.
- -Set up a vetting process within regulatory bodies that would throw out vexatious complaints before they are formally investigated.