Metering is ON

zimmermann

Let’s hear it for the good guys — & gals

Dear Readers: All year, Team Fixer is working on your stickiest consumer situations — everything from disappearing mortgage payments to ruined vacations. We’ve heard from …

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Insurance company won’t pay up for damage to car

Dear Fixer: On Sept. 6, I was involved in a car accident. I had dropped off my two sons at St. Pascal School on Irving Park Road in the Portage Park neighborhood. I pulled up in front of school in a legal parking spot. I …

Checked-bag policy unclear, but customers need to check the fine print

Dear Fixer: Two weeks ago my wife and I traveled to Israel. We purchased round-trip tickets from Chicago to Tel Aviv, changing planes in Paris. The flight from Chicago to Paris was on American Airlines and the flight to Tel Aviv was on El Al, …

Anthem ‘superfriends’ save the day on insurance issue

Dear Fixer: I lost my overseas job in July while my wife was pregnant. Without a home in the United States, we decided to have the child in Colombia, where my wife’s support network of relatives resides. We signed up for COBRA benefits through Anthem …

Takes special effort to get special cable/Web offer

Dear Fixer: I need your help in correcting my AT&T U-verse Internet bill. Back in July, I decided to upgrade my DSL speed from 1.5 Mbps to something higher. First, I was told I could do it without a problem. Then they said I couldn’t …

3-year Black Tie plan only good for one fix — but Best Buy comes through

Dear Fixer: I purchased a Compaq Notebook computer from Best Buy on Jan. 5, 2009, for $450. I also purchased a three-year “Black Tie” protection plan at a cost of $180. I took the Notebook to the Geek Squad in April because there was a …

Warranty on HP printer works after several tries

Dear Fixer: On Dec. 24, 2010, I bought an HP Compaq Presario computer from Staples, with a keyboard and mouse. I purchased the monitor separately. I began having problems with the system in mid-November of this year, so I called the store. They told me …

ID theft services not necessary, but be careful on the CTA

D ear Readers: When it happened to a member of The Fixer’s family, it was so fast, so seamless, they were awed by how skillful the operator was. The poor kid never felt her school ID and CTA pass being lifted by a pickpocket operating …

  • Nicor is right — gas company doesn’t owe customer any money

    D ear Fixer: I turned off my gas valve at my warehouse in New Lenox and did not use gas for a year. Later, I decided to discontinue my gas service since I was not using it. Nicor had been estimating my gas usage. On …Read More

  • An insurance nightmare with no ending in sight

    Dear Fixer: My problem started last spring. My husband was planning on retiring on July 1, which would leave me with no health insurance (he would be on Medicare). We were contacted by an authorized agent for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Through them, …Read More

  • Repaired computer comes with badly damaged case

    Dear Fixer: I brought my Dell computer, which was under warranty, to the Best Buy Geek Squad for repair. When I returned to pick up the repaired computer, the case was badly scratched and gouged. I had presented the computer to them in the original …Read More

    • How about these resolutions for a consumer headaches-free year?

    What’s your New Year’s resolution? If it involves getting in shape, earning more money, going back to school, buying new wheels, fixing up your house or pretty much anything else a consumer might do, read on. While The Fixer loves going to bat for people …

  • The check apparently was in the mail, but . . .

    The Fixer hears from a reader who was waiting for a payment of $103.51 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.

  • Computer glitch gives family cold shoulder for fridge refund

    Dear Fixer: On Aug. 14, we purchased a refrigerator at our local Sears. When the appliance was delivered, we found it had an unfilled hole where insulation should be. Sears would not repair it, but they said they would send us a new refrigerator. We …Read More

  • Apartment finder doesn’t help, but she can’t get refund

    Dear Fixer: I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a two-bedroom apartment with hardwood floors. When I called the number, I got a company called Kelly Enterprises. The woman explained that I would pay an agency fee of $99.95 and her reps would find …Read More

    • Company turns deaf ear to poor sound from radio

    Dear Fixer: A month ago, for my 80th birthday, my daughter bought me a clock radio at Brookstone. The sound was poor. I took it back to Brookstone four days after the purchase. The clerk, who was also the store manager, said he knew the …

    Improper hotel fees rack up on consumer’s card

    D ear Fixer: On Nov. 17, I called my bank-by-phone number to budget what I had for groceries. To my surprise, my account was in the negative by $96.24. This was caused by a debit of $122.48 from Comfort Suites in Columbia, Mo. My family …

    Car paid off, but he never gets title

    Dear Fixer: I’m hoping you can help me. In 2007, I bought my daughter a new Chevy Cobalt. The car was financed through US Bank. I paid the loan off on April 19 this year. The bank told me I would get my lien release …

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