Problem Solved is a weekly consumer column that fixes reader problems. From broken laptop computers to faulty kitchen appliances, nothing is off limits for this feature. Each story brings a fresh problem and solution in an engaging and succinct Q&A format.
Macy’s upgraded Harriet Stenzel’s store-branded credit card to the new American Express card without her knowledge and against her will. Now she wants the Elliott Advocacy team to get her old card back. Can we do it?
If you clicked on this story for your free gift card, you’ll definitely want to keep reading. I’ve issued plenty of warnings about “free” products and some of you, dear readers, think I’ve gone too far.
Like many,many other consumers who contact us, Delta Auto Protect owes Lashawn Lyles a refund. So why won’t the company just send the $1,083?
Don’t look now, but chances are your mattress is covered by a ridiculously long warranty. Or so you might think. But Vijay Khasat recently found out what Sealy meant by “20 years” when he tried to get the company to replace what he claims is a defective mattress.
It turns out 20 years is not 20 years, at least in the traditional, dictionary-definition sense. His odyssey to replace a bad mattress is a reminder for all of us to read the fine print on your warranty. (The mattress police won’t save you, but maybe my advocacy team can help.)
When Thomas Bifano booked a Zipcar to run a few errands in Boston, he thought he would only share a car. But Zipcar added one more thing: a parking ticket earned by a previous driver. Now Bifano wants my advocacy team to help us fix his car sharing problem.
Howard Rokofsky just discovered an unauthorized transaction on his PayPal account — specifically, a $303 charge he never made. But when he disputes the charge, the online payment service denies it within hours. Did the company act too fast?
Christine Beach hates football and has never watched it in her life. So why did CenturyLink charge her repeatedly for the NFL Sunday Ticket?
All William Wilson wanted to do was keep his phone number. He’d had the same number for 36 years, and everyone — friends, family, colleagues — knew it. And, most importantly, he knew his phone number by heart.
But his new phone company didn’t seem to care. So when he switched service, it issued a new number, despite repeated requests. Since then, he’s been trying to get it switched back to his old, familiar number — and to get a refund for the costs he incurred. Why did the company make porting his old number so hard?
The quilts Jerry Dowdy ordered online from Emma Cottons never show up. He tries to uncover answers — and a refund. Find out what he discovers.
Al Tulone’s Razer laptop problem is common. He returned the new computer, and then the company lost it. Instead of trying to find Tulone’s device, Razer apparently decided that was his problem — and kept his $3,252.
Caught in the middle of this debacle: PayPal, with its sometimes customer-unfriendly policies. This made this Razer laptop problem practically unsolvable. But then our advocacy team got involved.
