Author: Phil Villarreal

If you connect to the internet via Verizon DSL, don’t expect to be able to catch your triple axels in real time. Robin complains she and her husband have been ring-blocked since NBC didn’t put the ISP on its approved list.

She writes:

The hubby and I were trying to watch streaming coverage of the Olympic games (especially since demographics have told them to show Ice Dancing instead of the USA/Canada hockey game…) Last summer games, this was no problem on the NBC website, there were so many to watch. Now, in order to see any live games, you must use one of the providers on the list for internet and log in. AND, although Verizon FIOS is on the list, Verizon DSL is not, so we are screwed anyway. Figured your readers would love to hear about the crap NBC is pulling with its coverage of the Olympic games.

This seems to be a cold and unfair practice. I can only speak for myself here, but if I had to be blocked from watching something, it may as well be the not-quite mesmerizing Winter Olympics.

OLYMPICS ONLINE CONNECT [NBC]

David says he lent his girlfriend an old smart phone, then AT&T forced her into a data plan for which she had no desire. A story on Endgadget proves he is not alone.

David writes:

I lent my previous smartphone to my girlfriend when her old-school RAZR finally bit the dust last week. She doesn’t have any sort of data or texting plan and only has a contract for her voice service. However, she got a message a few days ago stating that a $30 data plan will be added to her bill even though I disabled the data connection on the phone. How is it not illegal for a company to decide for you that a data plan is necessary? What’s to prevent them from deciding you need an unlimited texting plan or their $10 per month navigation option because the phone has a keyboard and internal GPS? I understand that most phone companies have started doing this when you sign a contract to offset the cost of a subsidized phone, but that’s not the case here. What would be a good course of action to put a stop to this nonsense?

If you’ve dealt with this issue, how did you handle it?

Christopher says there are advantages to pressing “2.” According to him, United States-based call centers give Spanish speakers fewer hoops to jump through before they get answers. He writes:

I don’t know about you, but as an I/T person, I dread the calls I have to make to customer support centers. Especially to the big companies like Dell. I hate having to be told to reboot my computer, or unplug and re-plug the modem (don’t you think I’ve already tried that?) I hate having to listen to the pre-prepared scripts and this disaffection towards my plight. I want someone who cares about my problem, not a robot.

Because I can speak Spanish, I have an edge. I can use my Spanish powers to summon US English customer support representatives! It works like this:

When you get “Para Espanol, marque dos” press 2. Don’t be afraid. Spanish is your friend even if you don’t speak it.

Some companies like Dell will still send you to the Indian customer support center if you press the option for Spanish. Don’t worry, they’re just testing you. Be prepared.

If you can tell that you got the offshore customer support center when pressing two, then say “Hola! Necessito ayudar en Espanol, por favor!” (Hello, I need help in Spanish, please.) The CSR will usually apologize and put you on hold.

When the Spanish speaking operator picks up, switch back to English. This is almost always a US-based employee answering the phone.

WHY THIS WORKS:

Most large companies are unable to offshore their bilingual call centers or use their US call centers for overflow while the India centers take all the incoming calls. Companies that don’t have any Spanish speakers will usually outsource that to West Telemarketing of San Antonio, TX, who specializes in bilingual customer support given the higher density of Spanish speakers living in that area and other similar telemarking companies who do business in the Southwest and California.

Can anyone vouch for the system? It seems to be more worthwhile than spamming “0” until you get a live person on the phone. I tried that with Comcast today and got a message saying they were unable to process my call at this time, followed by a hang-up.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith was thrown off a Southwest flight for taking up too much space, according to the airline, which has admitted communication errors led to the incident. Smith says he fit in his seat easily and was unfairly singled out. After telling his side of the story via Twitter in piecemeal fashion over the past couple days, Smith finally channeled his story into a cohesive blog post.

The gist: Smith feels he was chucked without cause, even though nobody complained he was taking up too much space. He never got a straight answer as to who called for his ejection. He writes:

You guys screwed up, SWA; why’s it so hard to own up to it? Now I’m gonna carry this Too Fat To Fly sh*t around like herpes for the rest of my life, and it was never even true.

So, (Southwest rep) Linda: I appreciate the effort you made, the time you spent with me on the phone, and the work you put into this. You, too, were a reasonable cat during our conversation.

But wrapping up with a repeating of that 2 seat policy (the one THAT HAS NO BEARING ON MY CASE) is a reminder that you guys haven’t learned anything: you’re still blaming it on the Fatty. Still, you tried. Thank you for that, Linda — and for being human.

Southwest, I appreciate you refunding my airfare. But if you’re not gonna admit I wasn’t Too Fat To Fly, then I’ll cover it.

Smith closes by asking people to change the subject — a request that has no chance of being honored, especially after the filmmaker let loose such a stinging retort. But the publicity he’s receiving certainly won’t hurt his next film, postered above, which is due in theaters next week.

Running out of gas on this subject [Silent Bob Speaks]

Walmart is teaming with inner-city Detroit schools to offer classes on how to land entry-level jobs, the raw story reports, citing the Detroit Free Press.

According to the post, Detroit is making this deal with the corporate devil in order to make up for budget shorftalls. The raw story writes:

The fact may be that Detroit’s schools are now desperate enough to accept help wherever they can find it.

The school district has been running badly in the red, and though emergency financial manager Robert Bobb has already closed 29 schools as a cost-cutting measure, it was reported this week that “the 84,000-student Detroit Public Schools could face additional layoffs and about 40 more school closings.”

Do you see this more as an exploitation of the poor or a necessary evil to keep schools running during hard times?

Detroit schools offer class in how to work at Walmart [the raw story]
(Thanks, NORMLgirl!)

In an attempt to save money while rendering its high school graduates even less prepared for adulthood than the likes of Arizona and Mississippi, Utah state senator Chris Buttars is proposing the state making senior year optional and let 11th graders roam free, the L.A. Times reports:

(Buttars) estimated the move could save up to $60 million, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The proposal comes as the state faces a $700-million shortfall and reflects the creativity — or desperation — of lawmakers.

“You’re looking at these budget gaps where lawmakers have to use everything and anything to try to resolve them,” said Todd Haggerty, a policy associate with the National Conference of State Legislatures. “It’s left lawmakers with very unpopular decisions.”

The idea may sound crazy, but be honest — how much did you really learn your senior year of high school?

In Utah, a plan to cut 12th grade [Los Angeles Times]
(Thanks, NORMLgirl!)

Alan said he ordered a bouquet, pictured, from FTD.com, that did not come as advertised. He expected at least 20 stems, but the order only included half that many, plus the flowers were less perky than those pictured on the site.

He writes:

I’ve always been wary of buying things online before I can see them with my own eyes. Especially flowers. This proved true when I ordered an arrangement for my anniversary from FTD.com. What you see is what you get must not apply to the arrangements available on FTD’s website. They’re more like “suggestions” to the local contracted florist making the order.

My girlfriend received her flowers a week before the delivery date(really?) The flowers were described by FTD as a bouquet

“ bursting with spectacular color, ushering in warmth and beauty with each sun-filled bloom! Orange spray roses, yellow miniature carnations and white traditional daisies create a dazzling arrangement set in a clear glass vase accented with a decorative ribbon to make a sweet and stunning gift for your special recipient. “

What she got was a bunch of green leafs and some half dead flowers in a different vase with no ribbon. This is a WARNING to consumers. The pictures on FTD.com is NOT what is sent. I ordered a basic arrangement, and expected to look like the basic arrangement picture. Unfortunately I found out the basic arrangement only has 10 stems(this information is only available as a quick popup while ordering, urging you to upgrade your selection to one of the larger arrangements). The basic arrangement picture clearly has at least 20 stems in it. There is a different picture for each upgraded arrangement. All of them have double the amount of stems than what is actually sent.

Just a warning to consumers planning an online flower purchase any time soon. The pictures are fantasy.

If you suffered any Valentine’s Day failures, feel free to commiserate in the comments.

Tom Anderson, cofounder of MySpace who has served as the networking site’s mascot throughout the ages, apparently is on the outs, TechCrunch reports. MySpace no longer assigns you Tom as your first friend when you sign up, and the man hasn’t logged into the site in weeks.

From the TechCrunch story:

He lost his President title (now shared by Mike Jones and Jason Hirschhorn). And he is rarely seen in the office. Still, MySpace insiders said he was important to have around as a tie to the old days.

No more, it seems. Tom hasn’t actually signed in to MySpace since January 24, and his last status update was on Christmas day.

What role, if any, does MySpace play in your social life these days?

Tom Has Finally Reached His MySpace Friend Limit [TechCrunch]

If Hells Angels couldn’t intimidate Hunter S. Thompson from sticking to his guns, a home theater company CSR didn’t stand a chance. Check out the legendary late author/journalist’s expletive-laced rant in this YouTube video, spotted on Geekologie.

Not safe for work unless you’ve got headphones.

Awesome: Hunter S. Thompson’s Complaint Call To Home Theater Installation Company [Geekologie]
(Thanks, Chris!)

Ray wanted his happy hour discount at a Sonic in Colorado, and wasn’t about to settle for paying more than double the $3.40 he thought he owed. Although his receipt read 4:11, meaning happy hour was over, Ray correctly insisted Sonic’s clock was fast. But the restaurant wouldn’t budge on the price and Ray ended up leaving in handcuffs, touching off a yearlong legal battle.

From CBS 4 Denver:

“Our clock is 15 minutes fast,” Crawford told Garcia, “and we have an automated system. I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”

Unhappy with that explanation, Garcia insisted on speaking to a manager. Sonic manager Bobby Aragon wrote that “there is a time difference of 13 minutes between national time and our sonic time.” But Aragon was not willing to give Garcia the half price deal.

Unsatisfied with that explanation, Garcia pressed the issue and was told to leave. When he didn’t, Sonic workers called Golden police. Officers arrested Garcia and charged him with trespass and harassment.

The Sonic still hasn’t changed its clock to the right time, the story says.

Happy Hour Ends In Arrest Of Sonic Customer [CBS 4 Denver]
(Thanks, NORMLgirl!)

Sean is accusing Wachovia of using tricky online transaction posting that makes it difficult to tell when you’re in danger of slipping into the red. He says that although his account never appeared to be overdrawn, but he was still hit with overdraft charges thanks to funny accounting. He writes:

Wachovia’s found a new way to get overdraft fees. You purchase something today (say, Feb 12). They deduct the money today. But the item won’t show up on your purchase history for 2 to 3 days. So you can think you have money. Problem is, Wachovia will show you only the dates the payments “cleared”, not the dates the money was withdrawn from your account. But they overdraft/fee you based on the date of withdrawal, but you’re not privy to that information. So everything will look good on your end, you appear to have money, but you can in fact go negative and overdraft but Wachovia’s system will never show you actually going negative (see link above).

I got overdraft fees but my account never *EVER* showed going negative. Ever. Yet, according to them… I did (and by their system, I was in fact overdrawn) but the information they presented to the consumer? It never showed me once go over.

Wachovia stated that if you do a same day cash transfer it would automatically override any overdraft fees (so long as you stayed positive), but it didn’t. And Wachovia would only refund 50% of the overdraft fee that they claim I shouldn’t have gotten.

Wachovia customers, as well as those with other banks, has this happened to you?

As complaints about mortgage companies go, Chris’s gripe about ING Direct isn’t something that will bring tears to your eye, but it does work as a fair word of warning for those considering refinancing with the e-bank. He says the bank slashed its interest rates but more than tripled the closing costs. He writes:

I am a avid consumerist reader and wasn’t sure who to send a interesting consumer story to so I hope you may be interested.

I transferred my mortgage from GMAC to ING Direct in September 2008 because they had a great rate of 5.5% for a 5/1 ARM (which at the time was 0.5% below many lenders). Also the fees were very low. In the terms there was an option to change the mortgage at any time in the future to any current offering that ING Direct had for mortgages for only $750- no other fees, valuation etc. This sounded great- and I noticed today that the rate now is 4%, so I called up to see if I could get it, which I could, BUT the fee was now $2500. Still a good deal but seriously- the fee is increased 3x?

I find this ludicrous as:

1. Even though the mortgage agreement states that fees are subject to change- 3x the original fee?

2. No notice was given to existing mortgage holders- I have no doubt why. I wouldn’t have minded if it had gone to, say $1000, but surely such a huge increase deserves some notification?

The guy was quite nice on the phone and I asked to put in a formal complaint about this, which he did. But no wonder banks get a bad rap!

The deal makes more sense for you the longer you intend to take paying off your mortgage. Current and prospective homeowners, what’s the hottest refinancing option you’ve noticed?

Jared thought he had enough money in his Wachovia checking account to cover a mini-spending spree, but he found out soon after that he’d racked up big-time overdraft fees. Now he’s not sure whether or not he should pay Wachovia the money he owes or just cut and run and start over with a new account somewhere else.

He writes:

At the beginning of this month I made the mistake of going to the mall with a friend and shopping. I had checked my Wachovia Checking balance online and it read 70 something dollars. Made a few purchases which totaled six transactions that day. Fast forward to Friday when I get my paycheck at work. I am told my account is past due and I ask the balance. The lady gave me a sheet that read -$230-something dollars! I was absolutely shocked. I had not made enough payments that day at the mall (or after) that totaled $70, so I went to talk to the bank manager. We went over my records, which indicated 6 overdraft fees of $35 and a $22 fee the day before. Apparently the day before I had been charged $22 overdraft on a transaction that was less than my balance (20 balance, $15 charge, $22 overdraft). Also, this showed the Wachovia online balance had been wildly inaccurate when I had checked online earlier that week. The $22 charge put my account in the red and all my purchases the next day added more overdraft charges.

Sure, I apparently have bad money management, but how could this happen? At all the places I shopped that day I selected Debit (except the pretzel place). I had been under the impression Debit payments are deducted directly from my account. If I had no money, then why was my card not declined?

That day I spoke with the bank manager, he personally eliminated the $22 charge and one of the $35 charges and said that was the best he could do. He was a great guy and did more than most people would. I used $80 of my paycheck to help boost the account. (I’m a student and work part time – so that was a lot of money).

My plan was simply to pay this off little by little (since I had not managed my money properly), but a few minutes ago I got a call from Wachovia. The call began “Hello we have an important message for this account” and I was put on hold for about a minute. Why I answered the phone to be put on hold is beyond me. I assumed this was a salesperson and I almost hung up when Trina came on. I know Trina was simply doing her job, but she was ridiculously rude to me. She told me I needed to get the account resolved today or else I would not be able to get a checking account for five years. She said the overdraft fees are a convenience for customers. I asked how being charged $35 for a $3 pretzel is convenient but she gave the same canned answer. She even suggested that I borrow the money to pay off the account (now $130) from friends or family or use my student loans.I made the mistake of mentioning I also had a Navy Federal Account and she tried to get me to use that to pay off Wachovia. (Not going to happen).

I am at the point where I have wasted $80 on this account and I don’t know if I should bother paying them the $130. How bad for my credit score will this be if I do not?

The moral of this story is 1) Keep track of your balance, 2) Overdraft fees are ridiculous and 3) Don’t bank with Wachovia.

If you have suggestions or answers for Jared, don’t be shy.

Wired reports that the U.S. Army was interested in purchasing a bunch of Xbox 360s to aid in training, but it was turned down flat by Microsoft.

Wired’s Michael Peck writes:

Roger Smith, chief technology officer for PEO STRI, the Army command responsible for purchasing training equipment, claims that Microsoft refused to sell him the consoles. Smith told me that he discussed acquiring the Xbox with Microsoft representatives at a trade show back in 2006. According to Smith, the Microsoft executives said they would neither sell the Xbox 360 nor license XNA game development tools to the Army for three reasons:

* Microsoft was afraid that the military would buy up lots of Xbox 360s, but would buy only one game for each of them, so MS wouldn’t make much money off of the games.

* A big military purchase could create a shortage of Xbox 360s.

* If the Xbox became an Army training device, it could taint its reputation. Microsoft was concerned that “do we want the Xbox 360 to be seen as having the flavor of a weapon? Do we want Mom and Dad knowing that their kid is buying the same game console as the military trains the SEALs and Rangers on?” Smith told me during an interview for Training & Simulation Journal.

Since the 360’s sales have been sluggish, maybe Microsoft would like a mulligan on turning down the military.

Why the Army Doesn’t Train on Xboxes [Wired, via Eurogamer through Joystiq]

Generation X Finance tells you how to avoid paying to file your taxes, starting with the method that’s been passed down since the days of caveman accountants — do your taxes yourself with pen and paper.

The post explains how to procure simplified software and filing programs from the likes of H&R Block and TurboTax.

Here’s what the post has to say about H&R Block at Home:

H&R Block at Home software has been one of my favorites for the past few years. I’ve used the online version and it’s easy to use and has found a few good deductions that I may have otherwise overlooked. This year, H&R Block has a free online option that not only allows you to complete your taxes for free with their online software, but it includes free federal e-file! File for FREE with H&R Block Online Free Edition.

The free online filing edition is perfect for those with simple tax situations. It’s great for students, individuals and couples that aren’t self-employed, and those who don’t need to itemize deductions. The simple interview process will walk you through your taxes with some basic questions, and you typically just enter the numbers found on the tax forms you receive in the mail. You can then instantly submit your federal taxes for free via e-file. Keep in mind that if you need to complete a state tax return, you’ll have to purchase that or go through with completing that return by hand.

If you’ve used a free service to file your taxes, let us know how that worked out for you.

How to File Taxes for Free – FreeFile and Free Tax Software [Generation X Finance]

Angry about “excessive stories” ABC has aired about Toyota’s recall shenanigans, the company is pulling ad dollars from network affiliates in Southern states and shifting it toward competitors.

The report comes from — where else — ABC News:

The ad agency representing the 173 dealers told ABC affiliates last week that the shift was due to “excessive stories on the Toyota issues.” The dealers shifted their commercial time buys to non-ABC stations in the same markets, “as punishment for the reporting,” according to an ABC station manager.

ABC News and (chief investigative correspondent Brian) Ross began reporting on the problem of “runaway Toyotas” last November in a series of stories that preceded the large recalls ordered by the company, and apologies for quality shortcomings as well as misstatements about the extent of the defects. Toyota is now expected to add the 2010 Prius to its list of recalled vehicles.

Smooth, Toyota. Real smooth.

Toyota Dealers Pull ABC TV Ads; Anger Over ‘Excessive Stories’ [ABC News]
(Thanks, Jack!)

A friend who works for Wells Fargo passed this scam check along, from a company calling itself “McDonalds French Fry Trust.” The check is accompanied by a letter that asks victims to pay $945 to the sender as a commission after the check is cashed.

What would likely happen if you went through with the plan, one imagines, is that you’d deposit the check, get stung with a bad check fee and lose the $945 on top of it.

Also, folks, remember the Hamburgler is not the wallet inspector. That would be Grimace.

On her blog, Jamie describes in painful and hilarious detail that if Comcast gets your name wrong when it sets up a user account for you, you’re better off just accepting it rather than pushing for them to correct the error.

Things went sour when the Comcast CSR demanded Jamie go into an online chat to set up a secondary user account, then remove her original, misspelled username.

Joking that she felt she was hit on, Jamie writes:

“I have to do WHAT?!”

“You need to go into a chat room.” I mean, bro, I know I’m hot and people have told me I do have a bit of a good phone sex voice, but I’m not about to CYBER IT UP WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. Or, wait, EVER.

“Um, ok? Why isn’t there an easy way right here to make this the primary username?”

“I’m not sure, ma’am, but you’ll need to open up a new browser window and login to a chat room now.”

Jamie hung up instead. Comcast victims, er, customers, has a CSR ever tried this gambit on you?

I Don’t Know, But I’m Starting to Think Comcast DOESN’T Care [A Life in Translation]

Kotaku dropped a couple bombshells yesterday, reporting that Activision will release only two “Hero” games this year — a new Guitar Hero and DJ Hero 2, after unleashing about a billion of them in 2009. Just about any band that wanted the Guitar Hero treatment in ’09 got it, including, uh, Van Halen.

Also, the economic slowdown has obliterated the sport of college basketball, video game adaptation-wise. A year after 2K Sports ceased its college hoops series, EA revealed it’s benching its own series as well.

The loss of a college basketball adaptation hurts me, because that’s the most thrilling sports league not named the NFL. Is anyone bent about a lack of more Guitar Hero, though?

This is the Last Dance for NCAA Basketball [Kotaku]
Activision Narrows Music Focus To Guitar And DJ Hero [Kotaku]

Drawing on Assholeology, the new book he co-authored, Chris Illuminati explains in this Asylum post ways to get better customer service by, to put it kindly, being the squeaky wheel.

Lesson 1: Don’t take no for an answer, he writes:

One of the 10 Demandments of Being an A**hole is never taking the word no for answer. Never let a customer service rep tell you that you can’t do something, you can’t return an item, or that it isn’t possible to accomplish what you’re requesting. Tell them matter-of-factly you’re not leaving or hanging up until you get results.

If they do tell you no, try another person. Most companies don’t spend the time to perfectly train every single person that walks through the revolving door of customer service. Keep calling until you find someone unfamiliar with protocol and willing to do whatever you ask to get you off the phone. Tell them that you spoke with someone else and they said it was possible. Lie. It’s fine, we’re all going to hell.

Consumerists, which flavor of behavior have you found gets you farther with customer service — sweet or sour?

How to Get Better Customer Service by Being an A**hole [Asylum]