Dear Readers: Here’s a recap of how The Fixer column works.
We get about 8,000 letters a year on everything from missing iPods to melting freezers. And believe us, we [ital.] love [ital.] fixing this stuff. Our only regret is not having the time or staff to fix every single problem we receive. So if your letter isn’t chosen for the column, please don’t take it personally.
If Team Fixer doesn’t take on your problem, please check out the "Fixer" area of www.suntimes.com, where you will find links and numbers to a variety of consumer agencies that may be able to help you. You’ll also find consumer tips on things like dealing with cell phone contracts, what to do about identity theft and The Fixer’s favorite topic, the pitfalls of rebates. We’re adding more stuff, so keep coming back.
Here are some other things to keep in mind:
If you've got a computer, the preferred (by far!) method is to file your complaint to The Fixer online at www.suntimes.com. Click on "columns" and "The Fixer." The electronic form is easy to fill out. If your letter is chosen, we'll call you to get more information.
If you must use regular mail, please do not send original documents. We don't want to lose anything valuable.
Please, no problems over the phone.
The Fixer loves to fix consumer problems. Sadly, we can't tackle drunken drivers, abandoned buildings, parking tickets, nasty neighbors, bad grades, deadbeat dads or missing birth moms within the scope of this column. And, if you're writing from jail, there's a good chance your problem is too big for The Fixer.
The Fixer specializes in people who've gotten the runaround. If your problem happened this morning, you might be having a really crummy day, but you haven't gotten the runaround yet.
If, unfortunately, you’ve caused your own problem through carelessness or naivete, we probably won’t be able to fix it. But if you’d like to be nice and warn your fellow readers so they don’t fall into the same trap, e-mail your story to szimmermann@suntimes.com with “Costly lessons” in the subject line. We’ll only run your first name and town with these, so as not to cause further embarrassment (i.e., “Stephanie of Chicago learned the hard way not to wire a thousand dollars to Canada for a phony eBay product …”).
For regular Fixer letters, we must have names. We can't run unsigned letters.
The contributor names often at the bottom of this column are the talented reporters who help research some of the column items. Don't be surprised if you get a call from a member of Team Fixer: Mike Nolan, Liza Roche or Piet Levy.
