AT&T Punishes Me for Switching to VOIP
Comments (1) AT&T has disabled my phone for a week, as punishment for my attempt to change to a different carrier. I will never again do business with AT&T.
Category: Consumer Protection
Comments (1) 
Product Lifetimes and Support for Software and Computers
I’ve been annoyed many times over the past 20 years when software and hardware makers renounce their own products, claiming that they are “no longer supported.”
Sometimes it’s designed to force customers to spend more money to buy upgrades, even if customers don’t need any new features. However, there’s also a reasonable limit to how long a company can be expected to train its staff to work with customers using older software versions (often on antiquated computers and operating systems).
Increased Pressure to Cheat Customers?
Several recent events are making me wonder: how many businesses are adopting unethical, illegal practices to survive during the recession? Read more »
Just Say No to “Gurus”
Do not pay money to a “guru.” Ever.
The word “guru” implies a blind faith which many embrace in their religions, but it iisn’t appropriate for business.
Don’t buy a “course” or “system” or even an ebook about “How to Make Money from AdSense” or “Internet Success Secrets” or “Money Machines” or any other gimicky name.
And don’t pay money to buy “secrets.” There really are no “secrets” about how to make money. There are strategies, of course, which can often work when properly applied — but they aren’t secrets. Read more »
Honesty in Marketing and Blogging
Online marketeers should pay attention to two recent legal developments: Read more »
Dell On Call Scam: No Service at Any Price
(December 11, 2008) — I’ve spent the past two weeks trying to obtain support from Dell for my Dimension 5150 (e510) computer. I’ve finally concluded that Dell will not provide support, for any price. Read more »
LensCrafters’ Bait-and-Switch Scam: AVP
October 6, 2008 — I’m angry today, because I’ve just wasted two trips to LensCrafters, and now must start over from scratch looking for new eyeglasses.
I wanted to buy new glasses. I knew what I wanted, and I had my prescription (written by the nice lady at the EyeExam office inside LensCrafters, for the bargain price of just $59.95). However, the salespeople I spoke with (and the general manager) kept trying to pitch me on “upgrades” — featherweight lenses, anti-reflective coating, and the “new thing” called AVP (for “Advanced View Progressive,” not “Alien Vs. Predator”). Read more »
T-Mobile Fraud (proprietary WiFi)
September 7, 2007 – Last week, my wife and I changed our cell-phone service and bought Nokia 6086 phone from T-Mobile, because of their offering of WiFi calling capabilities.
What they told us (and today, telephone sales AND in-store staff repeated this) was that these phones would work with any WiFi router using the 802.11 standards. Our experience was quite different: most of our calls were “dropped,” and we could not reliably connect to our WiFi network. Read more »
Is This Contact Lens Defective?
(September 5, 2002) I’ve worn glasses for nearly 35 of my 42 years. Read more »
Trying to Buy a PVR (DVR)
April 21, 2002 – After many months hearing friends and colleagues boast about their “Personal Video Recorders” (TiVo or ReplayTV), I finally decided today that it was time to plunk down some cash on a new toy. My plan was to buy a ReplayTV device, or if for some reason that didn’t work out, I’d buy a TiVo.
This is not a story about my great experience with a personal video recorder. Indeed, it is not really a story about personal video recorders at all, because it turns out that nobody sells them any more. Read more »
