The Consumer Complaints Blog

On June 16th I had to cancel a flight from Winnipeg to Toronto for my husband due to a death in the family. I called Expedia and they said no problem – they would issue a credit for the flight. They sent me an email confirming credit $262.63 and credit booking procedures.

I called the following day to rebook my husband’s flight as per their procedures which required that I book through their customer service department. I was connected to an agent named Chaza. I gave her the flight info but for some reason she could not find it on her screen even though it was on Expedia’s website screen. She tried to offer alternative flights. Suggestion 1. Fly to Toronto from Winnipeg via Calgary. Told her not acceptable when there are 3 direct flights on line. Suggestion 2. Direct flight leaving Winnipeg 9 am arriving 5 pm. Not acceptable again as flight is 2H15m. She told me the flight required 7 hours for refueling. After I explained that her website showed at least 3 direct flights leaving the following morning she finally located the info. She said she could book the flight however the cost would be $235.26+my credit+cancellation fee = $544.89. I told her this was unacceptable as I could book it on line with her company for $298.23. Could she explain why my price was double from what is offered to everyone else. She said she would look into it. I was put on hold for 3 HOURS! After 3 hours I told her I had to go to work and she promised me she would call me back and have everything resolved. I waited until 8 that evening. I called customer service and was told that she had left for the day. I asked to speak with a supervisor. I was put on hold – after 25 minutes I hung up and booked a flight directly with the carrier.

I called back the following morning and asked to speak with a supervisor. After being on hold for ½ an hour I was connected to a Ms. Nesson who told me that she would look into the matter and call me back. I never heard back for her either. I have also sent two emails to Expedia. No reply or acknowledgement.

Your assistance most greatly appreciated.

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

Big Problem with Pest Management Company in Toronto

After receiving bites on my leg in a telltale pattern, I discovered that my home had a light (thankfully) infestation of bed bugs. It may be hard to believe but this has been, bar none, the most upsetting domestic pest problem I’ve ever had. Even mice did not distress me this much. After some exhaustive research, I was able to determine a few things about bed bugs.

They are rampant in Toronto and Montreal. Since discovering them at home, nearly everyone I’ve spoken to has had the problem or knows someone who has. There may be a stigma attached to having bed bugs but the sheer ubiquity of the problem would suggest that it’s not a matter of slovenliness at all (they’re blood suckers, not at all attracted to garbage),simply a question of the pervasive nature of these tiny beasts.

I probably acted too fast in choosing a pest control company but my 2-year old son had been bitted as had I. I contacted the first company I could find on-line who dealt exclusively with bed bugs.

Their name is Royal Forest Pest Control. Don’t forget that name since – if you do happen to be infested with bed bugs – you never, ever want to call them to solve your problem.

At first, the woman who answered the phone was lovely – helpful, sympathetic and full of advice about preparing the home for fumigation. She sent a technician out the very next day (they have a 2-hour window of service), as promised. But the technician obviously wanted to be in and out. He was dismissive, rude and careless. I had requested mattress encasements from the company twice; he never recorded the order. I asked him to do my son’s room as well; he said he didn’t have time. He didn’t even check the mattresses for the little critters. You’re not allowed to stay in the home when they spray since there’s a certain amount of toxicity. I asked him to tell me where he was going to spray; he said ‘around’.

When I called the next day and spoke to the same woman, she was barely responsive. I’ve since realized that once they had my money – you have to pay in full at the first appointment even though they come back for a second spray – there was no need to court me anymore. She had also strongly suggested that I purchase a bottle of ‘organic’ pesticide to spray things like shoes, luggage, purses, etc.

I’ve since spoken to an officer at Toronto Public Health. He’s been the only person without a vested (read: economic motive) interested in misinforming me. He said anything you can buy in a store or on-line that claims to get rid of bed bugs is pure bunk. The lady also said not to vacuum. Apparently, that’s the best thing you can do.

I left a message earlier this week inquiring about the bed casements I had asked the technician, Justin Wong, for. No call back. The next day I called again, made the same inquiry. That afternoon, I got a call back from someone who may well own the company, Daniel Morgan. He told me I hadn’t ordered the encasements since I would have had to pay for them on the spot. I had asked Justin twice for these encasements and even been told by Justin that I should expect them by Monday, latest. I told Daniel that it was very upsetting that his technician had f—-d up – admittedly a poor and offensive choice of words which I regret – since he had told me to expect them immediately and told me to put them on the bed and box springs immediately. Now, it was four days later. There was no apology, only a flat-out refusal that his technician hadn’t done the most thorough or reliable job. He told me I’d have to wait until the next spray appointment – one week later – and order them then. In and of itself, this was no big deal but his attitude was so hostile and anything but oriented to a satisfactory outcome for his customer, that it took my breath away. He actually hung up on me. I called back, calmer and said ‘ok let’s try this again’. I explained that I had indeed asked Jason – twice! – to order those encasements. He assured me I didn’t which was why they weren’t ordered and didn’t I know that since I hadn’t paid for them, they couldn’t have been ordered. I said I assumed I’d pay on receipt of goods. He told me that was stupid. He took absolutely no responsibility for his employee’s utter failure to do his job right which was frustrating in the extreme.

I hope this doesn’t seem petty. Please understand that bed bug infestations are enormously difficult to get rid of and can wreak havoc on your mental state since it’s almost impossible to sleep. All you’re thinking about is getting bitten!

If the news stories are accurate, bed bug infestations in Toronto are only going to get worse. Which is why I’m writing. I’d like to warn away anyone from this company who not only are unpleasant to deal with, but are one of the most expensive pest management companies out there. And they’re peddling mis (or dis?!) information to boot.

Please call or email me if you require any further information. Thanks in advance for your time and attention.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Consumer Watchdog Alert!

JPMorgan Chase Bank Targets Customers with Deceptive Advertising Campaign

“Chase Quick Deposit” Ads Tout “Free” Product While Hiding Fees in Excess of $1000

A $500 Early Termination Fee Awaits Unsuspecting Customers

New York, June 17, 2010 – Customers of JPMorgan Chase Bank are being alerted to a deceptive new advertising campaign for Chase Quick Deposit which could cost unsuspecting customers in excess of $1000. On June 10, 2010, JPMorgan Chase mass marketed emails to customers in a number of states, including California, which advertised Chase Quick Deposit, a new service that allows checking account holders to scan and deposit checks into their accounts from home or office. The advertisement promises a “free” scanner provided by Chase and a $50 bonus after customers make their first deposit. Customers are given the option to “Redeem Bonus” or “Enroll Now.” The ad makes no mention of any fees in the body of the copy. When customers click “Redeem Bonus” or “Enroll Now,” they are taken to another page where they are asked to click a button to enroll. There is no mention of any fees on this submission page either.

JPMorgan Chase Bank fails to transparently inform its customers that anyone enrolling in Chase Quick Deposit agrees to a fee of $50 per month and a mandatory two-year contract, for a total required commitment of $1200. Any customer who discontinues the service prior to the termination of the two-year contract is charged a mandatory cancellation fee of $500.

Two Chase Bank representatives, online supervisor Gloria Lawson and online unit manager Carrie Ayers, stated that customers are given 30 days to opt out of the contract after enrolling, yet neither of the representatives would provide any documentation of the purported 30-day policy, nor is it mentioned in Chase advertisements. Furthermore, by the time most customers are charged their first monthly fee – not prior to July 31, 2010 according to Chase – the purported 30-day trial will have expired anyway and customers will be locked into the 2-year contract.

JPMorgan Chase Bank has added a carefully placed note mentioning the fees and contractual requirements in fine print outside the viewing area, well below the Quick Deposit advertisement, the page footer and the two footnotes.

An example of the Chase Quick Deposit advertisement can be found at the following link on Chase’s website:

https://www.chase.com/ccp/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/shared/marketing/page/QD_Q210_P4&ID=0000010842

Anyone targeted by JPMorgan Chase’s Quick Deposit advertisement is urged to report JPMorgan Chase to the following:

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
1-877-FTC-HELP

Comptroller of the Currency
Customer Assistance Group
1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450
Houston, TX 77010
1-800-613-6743

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

I wouldn’t be reaching out to you in the event that Fairmont hotel hadn’t charged us $56 for Kraft Dinner and a personal pizza. Now I fully expect to be charged something crazy at these chains, but to serve Kraft Dinner and then delete my customer complains off their Facebook page is uncalled for. You would expect to be paying for something that would resemble homemade or at least not highly processed. I tend to order off the children’s menu when looking for portion control, but if anything our children should be able to get the same quality of meals as adults and it is disappointing that corners are cut when it deals so closely with their health. As a parent I would be very concerned that their health is second to profit margins.

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

To
President and CEO David Cheesewright
Wal-Mart Canada Corp. 1940 Argentia Rd. Mississauga,
Ontario L5N 1P9. Fax: 905-821-6393
AND
Michael T. Duke, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
And
H. Lee Scott, Jr., Chairman of the Executive Committee of
the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
And
S. Robson Walton, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Corporate Mailing Address, Walmart Home Office
702 Southwest 8th Street. Bentonville, AR 72716. USA
+1-479-2734053 (Fax)

[delivered via fax and postal-mail and email to the ONLY emails provided through your websites and web presences]

Dear Sir,

1) We are writing to express our shock and disappointment at the demonstrated attitude of your staff at Wal-Mart #3037, located at 665 Upper James Street, Hamilton, Ontario L9C 2Z5, near Fennell and Upper James in the Hamilton Mountain Plaza.

2) What is the Wal-Mart PRACTICAL AND TANGIBLE refund policy?

What is the PRACTICAL AND TANGIBLE customer service standard, and attitude and professional accountability of staff who wear a logo on their uniform: “Our people make a difference”?

3) We were shopping on 04June2010 for an audio recording device in the “Electronics” section, and requested the female employee for assistance.

3) She had her name-tag turned “reverse side up” [and later refused to provide her name too] She was NOT wearing any blue-colored Wal-mart apron/ uniform.

Description-wise, she was young, Caucasian-white, wearing a pink-top, approximately shoulder-long blond-haired, female, whose possible name [we are told by another employee] was “Amy”.

4) She heard us and chose to continue ignoring us standing there for over 10 minutes, while she was busy chatting with friends about her PERSONAL weekend-party plans, a matter that most certainly has NOTHING to do with “work”.

Thereafter, while we were still explaining what we were looking for, she began interrupting and NOT even answering the question that was
being asked of her.

5) We politely requested her to stop interrupting and listen to the question before answering.

She walked away angrily YELLING at us: “FUCK OFF” and “Get the hell out of MY store NOW!”.

This AMY was consistent in her obnoxious manner, rude tone and tenor of voice.

In response to our polite requests for it, she refused to provide her name, and also refused to get a supervisor or store-manager for us.

6) We asked another store employee for the store-manager.

After waiting for over 15 minutes, along came a young, Caucasian-white, clean-shaven, male, wearing an ear-ring, and a name-tag that stated, “Tony, assistant manager”.

7) While we were voicing our complaint to him, he began interrupting us, acting as a defence-attorney for this “Amy”, and refused to hear our complaint.

Thereafter, he started arguing needlessly, yelling at us in front of all customers.

He also refused to provide us the contact information for the head-office.

He stated that he is the person “in-charge”. Later another employee told us that he was NOT the person in-charge at that time.

8)Furthermore, he FALSELY and INCORRECTLY informed us that once purchased, we CANNOT return any electronics item, for ANY reason whatsoever.

9) We went to the “Customer Service” desk, and found a female [once again, displaying NO name-tag whatsoever, who told us that her name was Kristen]. Description-wise, she was a young, Caucasian-white female.

We asked her the “return policy” for an electronics item, such as an audio-recorder device. She pointed to the posted notice [which we also later saw on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt, that clearly stated: "14 days with receipt on computers ....", "30 days with receipt on .. Dvd players/ recorders, home audio systems ....".

9) Why did this "assistant manager Tony" FALSELY AND INCORRECTLY inform us otherwise?

Evidently, either he does NOT know it or he CHOSE to purposely misinform us. In either case, how did he even get the job of an assistant manager? Is he fit to be an assistant manager for Wal-Mart?

10) On 04June2010, we called the store manager Donna Cardinal at her publicly-posted phone number [in the store] of (905)389-6333, extension 312.

She has NO voice-mail. We spoke to a Ms. Brenda at extension 311, and left a complaint message for Ms. Cardinal, requesting her to call back.

We got NO return-call-back from Ms. Cardinal.

11) On 04June2010, we left a detailed complaint voice-mail message for the district manger Mr. Ted Wynhofen at his publicly-posted phone number [in the store] of (519) 759-5218 requesting him to call back.

We got NO return-call-back from Mr, Wynhofen either.

12) On 10June2010, we called (800)328-0402 and spoke to a Ms. Faiza, after waiting for over 15 minutes in queue [for the "next available operator/ representative"].

It was extremely difficult to understand Ms. Faiza’s thick accent. Furthermore, she was repeatedly interrupting while we attempted to give her the complaint. When we politely requested her to stop interrupting, she became verbally abusive. We asked to be connected to a supervisor.

She disconnected the call and hung up on us.

She certainly demonstrated a very difficult manner with us.

13) It is very likely that we are a small sampling of the entire customer population that shops at your store. Chances are that if this transpired with us, it may very well have occurred with other customers too. And several customers may well CHOOSE to shop elsewhere [including at better customer-service competitors, and NOT provide you this opportunity to address the problem and thus improve your operations.

As you may also be aware, the best advertisement any business carries is by word of mouth [irrespective of the amount of dollars you may spend on costly advertising].

Guess what we have to tell people that we know about Wal-Mart?

14) We are indeed shocked and disappointed at the poor quality and bad attitude of your staff.

You staff were Verbally-abusive and refused to listen and misinformed public.

15) Now refer to http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/Your_Consumer_Rights.aspx for “basic rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002”. As stated therein: “

You are entitled to a cooling off period.
Let’s say you make a purchase or sign a contract in your home and then change your mind. If the deal is worth more than $50, you have the right to cancel within 10 days. It’s best to cancel by registered mail or fax to get your money back.

Remedies must be timely.
When you take advantage of your 10-day cooling off period and notify the company (preferably in writing) that you have changed your mind, the company has 15 days to return your money. The business has the right to take back the goods provided under the agreement by either picking them up or paying for the cost of sending them back.

Anyone who violates the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 will have to pay.
Individuals violating certain sections of the act are liable to a fine of up to $50,000 or imprisonment of up to two years less one day. A corporation can be fined up to $250,000.”

16) Now, refer to the following websites. It evidences the MULTIPLE complaints against your store. Do you think you should do something about this matter?

(list of sites and other complaints follow)

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