Chicago Sun-Times

$12.50 tires from Walmart? Web mistake is customer’s good luck

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:16:06 -0600

D ear Fixer: With winter finally here, I was reminded of my need for new tires. I searched the web and was delighted to see a deal that was too good to be true: tires for $12.50 each! It was on Walmart.com, a huge company known for its deep discounts. Maybe, I thought, this is some special deal and I am the lucky one. I must admit, the thought that this could be a mistake did cross my mind — but I figured either way, they would have to honor the price. So, I made a purchase that day, Jan. 14, …

$25 put on Chicago Card at CTA kiosk never posts to account

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:47:19 -0600

Dear Fixer: Late last year, I signed up through my employer for a Visa debit card to be used, pre-tax, for payment on my CTA Chicago Card. My monthly pre-tax transportation allowance is $65. Since the kiosks at the train station can only put a max of $25 per day on the card, I have to make three transactions per month for $25, $25 and $15. The money goes on the debit card on the 21st of each month. On Dec. 22, I put $25 on the Chicago Card. The next day, I stopped at the same kiosk at the …

$25 Barnes & Noble membership not booked

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:02:00 -0600

D ear Fixer: I purchased a Nook and a movie from the Old Orchard Barnes & Noble for my son for Christmas on Dec. 20. While I was there, they talked me into buying a membership, which costs $25 but saves you 10 percent on purchases. I agreed and was charged the $25. The problem is Barnes & Noble can find no record of the payment or membership. I can’t find the original receipt, but I went back to the store and showed them the bank statement showing the payment, the credit card used for the purchase and even the …

Customer sends back clothes to bankrupt Chadwicks, but can’t get refund

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:33:36 -0600

Dear Fixer: I have been a longtime customer of Chadwicks of Boston. I shop through their catalogs because it is easier for me due to my disability. I have cerebral palsy. I placed an order in September. When I received my order, one of the items was too big and the other did not fit right, so I decided to get a smaller size on one item and a refund on the other. To this day, I have not received the exchanged item or the refund. I have called Chadwicks several times and have gotten as far as talking to …

Insurance company won’t pay up for damage to car

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:11:39 -0600

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 put the car in park and not five seconds later, I felt a huge bang. The car that hit me then crashed into the minivan in front of me. My car sustained more than $1,600 in damage. It is not drivable. Her insurance company, Unique Insurance, is giving me nothing but the runaround. They won’t …

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

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:26:52 -0600

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, although both tickets were purchased from El Al, which shared flight codes with American Airlines. My ticket from the travel agent said we would get two pieces of luggage apiece for the trip. I checked on American Airlines’ website, which said that travelers to Asia get two pieces of checked luggage — confirming what my …

Anthem ‘superfriends’ save the day on insurance issue

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:44:45 -0600

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 Blue Cross and Blue Shield, so we would be covered for our daughter’s birth. She was born in early October in a Bogota hospital. Because we were COBRA-covered, Blue Cross’ international services said they would not authorize pre-payment. Therefore, trying to do the ethical thing with a promise of reimbursement, I paid the hospital and …

Takes special effort to get special cable/Web offer

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:10:41 -0600

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 get that speed unless I upgraded to U-verse. I was OK with that because of the special price. It was $29.95 a month plus a $4 rental fee for the modem. Since I was a DirectTV subscriber, I would also get another $5 off a month — so I thought “bonus.” I had to wait …

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

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:01:26 -0600

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 blank area on the screen. They sent it out for repair. Later, I received a call saying it was “junked” and I should come in to get a replacement. I replaced it with a more expensive HP laptop, but I paid the difference. I was told that the remainder of the protection plan would be …

Warranty on HP printer works after several tries

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:00:16 -0600

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 to contact Hewlett-Packard, as it was still within the one-year warranty. I contacted HP and it took two weeks for me to get assistance, only to find out that I needed to purchase a recovery disk. They said the warranty had expired in July 2010 and I would have to pay a $16 fee for …

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

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:31:35 -0600

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 on public transit. Anyone who’s ever been a victim of a pickpocket knows that the only thing worse than losing your money is dealing with all the hassles necessary to protect your identity. Luckily, when you’re a kid, there isn’t much to protect. But an adult who loses a purse or wallet needs to file …

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

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:23:25 -0600

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 March 4, Nicor sent me a statement reflecting a $168.99 credit. But on March 28, they sent me a check for only $33.58. I called Nicor, and their representative informed me that they had estimated my last bill. I was told that it was a mistake, but Nicor could not explain why it happened. I …

An insurance nightmare with no ending in sight

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:39:03 -0600

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, we purchased both his Medicare supplement policy and a temporary policy for me. I was told that I could take this policy for up to six months. This was perfect, since I only needed five months’ coverage until I could go on Medicare on Dec. 1. I also was told that I didn’t have to …

Repaired computer comes with badly damaged case

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:39:00 -0600

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 box, wrapped in towels, with no damage to the case. After much back-and-forth about sending it out to be rebuilt — it was only nine months old — they agreed to replace it. However, the original model was discontinued, so they gave me a different one with equal capacity. Here’s the problem: My original computer’s …

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

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:05:44 -0600

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 who’ve been ripped off and given the runaround, we really hate hearing about sad, unfixable situations that could have been prevented. Steve Bernas, president of the local Better Business Bureau, feels the same way. So we put our heads together and came up with this year’s Fixer’s New Year’s resolutions. Follow them and you may …

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

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:08:05 -0600

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

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:16:10 -0600

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 decided to replace it with a different refrigerator that was priced $430 less. The replacement refrigerator was delivered Sept. 9. The problem is that Sears has not refunded us the $430 price difference. We have called and visited the store, but no one will authorize the refund we are due. We have a receipt that …

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

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:07:03 -0600

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 me a place in 14 days. This was on Oct. 14. I gave her the money in cash and signed a contract. The contract stated that if the company could not find a place for me in 14 days, I would get my refund. It stated that when requesting a refund, it must be submitted …