It may take only a few seconds to process a transaction, but getting a refund is an entirely different matter. Read why it takes merchants so long to give refunds and how you can speed up the process.
Customer service isn’t what it used to be. You’ve probably heard your parents or grandparents say it — heck, maybe you’ve said it — but other than vague memories of the way things were, you had no proof. Well, now...
For several years, I’ve operated a customer service wiki, an underground website which contains the names, emails and addresses of company executives who can help consumers like you. In the early days, I researched and published these names alone and...
If you have a gripe with a company — and let’s face it, at some point, everyone has a gripe with a company — here’s a cautionary tale about complaining. It comes to us by way of Tracey Phillips. She...
It’s almost impossible to turn on the TV news or click on your favorite news site without seeing another company apologizing to its customers. There’s Target, saying it’s sorry for the latest data breach. There’s OfficeMax, regretting a flier it...
Can being a smart traveler make you a better consumer? As the author of How To Be The World’s Smartest Traveler, which is being published next month, I can confirm that it does. I know that because I also wrote...
Beware of the boxes. That’s what James Pham learned when he signed up for a credit card recently. Specifically, boxes that are pre-checked for your “convenience” — ah, there’s that word again — and may nudge you into making a...
For years, consumer advocates like me have been warning consumers like you that some loyalty programs aren’t always the “win-win” propositions companies claim they are. To which loyalty program apologists countered: Prove it! Well, now we have that proof. A...
How dumb do they think you are? As the dust settled on the now-finished holiday shopping season, I couldn’t help but wonder. One study concluded this holiday shopping season was one of the strongest seasons in recent memory, adding that...
No one wants to overpay for a product or service. But how do you know you’re getting the best rate? And if you’re not being offered the lowest price, how do you negotiate it? Answer: You can’t know — but...
