Toll charges for state in which he’s never driven

Dear Fixer: Let me start with this: I’ve never been to Massachusetts. In February, I received a turnpike violation notice from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for $57.50. It included a picture of the offending vehicle’s license plate, which has the same numerals as mine …Read More

AT&T tries to wring out more cash in cycle game

D ear Fixer: My wife and I switched to T-Mobile on March 9 from AT&T for our cellphones. We called AT&T to find out how to cancel. My wife was told she had to pay the bill, wait a day and then cancel the service. …Read More

Getting the runaround over a consumer problem? Tell it to The Fixer at suntimes.com/fixer , where you’ll find a simple form to fill out. You’ll also find a list of consumer contacts and tips. Because of the large volume of submissions, The Fixer can’t personally …Read More

ADT refund finds its way to customer after detour

Dear Fixer: In early February, I contacted ADT to find out about installing a home security system in addition to having my renter’s insurance policy. A gentleman came to my home and showed me some products. I gave him $200 in cash and agreed to …Read More

Overdraft fees still hitting consumers when they least expect it

Dear Readers: The Fixer recently had a nice chat with Edward E., a longtime reader of this column who was in a real fix. A company he had never done business with somehow got hold of his debit card number and took $100 out of …Read More

Complicated gift card mess straightened out by Sears

Dear Fixer: I ordered an item from Sears.com last fall. I canceled the order the next day after finding the item elsewhere for less money. Interestingly, Sears contacted me by email within days stating that the item was unavailable. I have been trying for months …Read More

Happy ending for reader with glitchy computer

Dear Readers: Last month, we brought you the story of Nick Ricci of Oak Lawn, whose family bought a laptop computer from Best Buy two years earlier. He had paid $149.99 extra for a two-year protection plan, which turned out to be a good thing …Read More

Southwest Airlines backs off, gives extra year to redeem free flight

Dear Fixer: Last year, I was looking forward to earning enough Rapid Rewards points on Southwest Airlines to get a free flight. I had apparently qualified for a free flight, but right around that time Southwest underwent a website overhaul that left me confused and …Read More

Readers sound off on Ken’s unhappy cell phone relationship

Ken Loebel, a Fixer reader from Geneva, was enticed by a $59.99 unlimited 4G data offer from Sprint if he’d sign a two-year contract. That was in December 2010. Ken signed up and happily paid $59.99 a month for the first year. But this past December, Sprint changed the terms of his contract. Suddenly, Ken’s data charges were more than three times what they used to be, resulting in eye-popping monthly phone bills around $400. We asked readers what he should do.

T-Mobile phone saga continues — will new phone work this time?

A Fixer column update: Last month, we told you about Diane Hettwer of Tinley Park, who’d bought a T-Mobile phone at Wal-Mart and signed a two-year contract. Diane wasn’t happy. The phone, she said, was a “dog.” But since she was outside the 14-day return …Read More

Sprint changes terms, prices — in the middle of the contract

Dear Fixer: Sprint heavily marketed a program for unlimited 4G Internet service for $59.99 per month if you signed a two-year contract. It was by far the best deal at the time, so I signed up. That was in December 2010. Things went well until …Read More

The long, drawn-out case of the runaway car deal

D ear Fixer: Two years ago, I purchased a used 2009 Chevy Malibu from Sherman Dodge in Skokie. I traded in my 2004 Dodge Stratus. After months of problems during which the dealership could not get financing, I returned their car only to find that …Read More