Subscribe   •   EasyPay   •   e-paper
Reader Rewards   •   Customer Service

Become a member of our community!

The Fixer Fixes
Consumer Tips
Resources
Fixer's favorite sites
The Fixer
Blogs
Media Partners
News
Columnists
 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button
 

The Fixer ::

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Case of the late developer

Dear Fixer: Like the readers who wrote to you in February, I too used Jim Karr Photography in Hammond for my wedding. He was actually a friend and business contact of my mother, so we knew each other. He took photos of my wedding on Feb. 17, 2006.

Friday, May 9, 2008

At checkout lanes, we're not all 'people' persons

Dear Readers: In a recent column, The Fixer described watching her neighbor wrestling with the automated checkout machine at a local grocery store. That got us wondering: are these cashierless machines better than waiting in line?

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Bracing himself for a billing glitch

Dear Fixer: On April 6, 2007, I was fitted for a custom knee brace due to great pain in my knee. Acme Orthotic & Prosthetic Labs Inc. fitted me with the brace that day, at which time I paid them $319.67 for my portion of the cost.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Split bill brings 1 set of services for price of 2

Dear Fixer: We wanted our Comcast bill split between Internet and cable TV. After much frustration, we were told it was done.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Trapped after a crash

Dear Fixer: On Feb. 1, I was driving to work during a bad snow storm. I was changing lanes at the I-294/80 toll plaza when my car spun out, and I was hit by a semi truck. My car was destroyed, and I was injured.

Costly lesson

Today's tale is a reminder that a sales contract is not to be taken lightly. That's what D. of Shorewood found out when his 19-year-old son decided to buy a motorcycle.

Friday, May 2, 2008

T-Mobile user gets stung by tricky sticker Catch-22

Dear Fixer: On Jan. 12, I upgraded my cell phone with T-Mobile. I was supposed to get a $50 rebate for doing so.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Caught in $7,000 gap after crash totals SUV

Dear Fixer: I'm in a real fix. Last August, I bought a brand-new 2007 Sportage SUV at the Midway Kia dealership in Des Plaines. A little more than four months later, I was in a major traffic accident that badly wrecked the new car.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Bearing costs of a tragedy

Dear Fixer: My fiance, Tyrone Henry, was the victim of a homicide last Sept. 1. He was sleeping on my living room couch when a bullet came through a window and killed him.

Costly lesson: A consumer's tale of woe

Many years ago, The Fixer had an acquaintance who moved to Los Angeles to make it big in the art world.

Friday, April 25, 2008

She lives in Illinois but gets charged N.Y. taxes

Dear Readers: The Fixer has recently gotten letters from people with some awful consumer problems -- but missing contact phone numbers, addresses, even a name. Looks like it's time for a little review on how this column works (our apologizes to longtime readers):

Friday, April 18, 2008

Holiday Inn is charging for room she canceled

Dear Fixer: On Oct. 20, my daughter reserved two rooms at the Holiday Inn in Elmhurst for Saturday, Nov. 24. The hotel has a water park, and the reservation was for my grandson's 6-year-old birthday party. I called the hotel to secure the two-room reservation with my credit card.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Site helps find safe, low-cost medicine

Dear Readers: Here's a great place to get free guidance on the most safe and effective prescription medicines that will also be healthier for your wallet.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Paying for high-speed Internet, but where is it?

Dear Fixer: For six months, I've been trying to resolve a problem. AT&T, for the last five years, had been billing me for high-speed Internet service, even though I am not receiving the service.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Buck-passing at I-Pass, Avis

Dear Fixer: I received a letter on March 10 from Avis car rental regarding a charge of $45.30 for an Illinois Tollway violation that allegedly occurred on Sept. 9, 2006. The toll was 30 cents, but there was a $20 fine from the Tollway and an administrative fee from Avis of $25. Basically, $45 in fees for a 30-cent toll.

Costly lesson A consumer's tale of woe

Here's a story The Fixer has heard all too often. It's one of the saddest cons around because it targets people who can't qualify for a conventional loan.