Top Five Complaint Methods Which Will Do You No Good

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto) 09/03/2014 at 13:00 • Filed to: None

27

100

I encounter disgruntled and angry consumers all the time who have been ripped off by businesses big and small and are at their wit's end. Often, they have wasted time unsuccessfully complaining - using methods they read about on the internet. Here are the top five complaint methods which will most likely do nothing but waste your time.

1. Threatening to go to the media. "If BigCorp doesn't take care of me soon, I am going to call the local TV station!" Or newspaper, or radio station. People make this threat and wait for things to happen - which never do. I have news for you – media outlets get calls like this all day long and they wish they didn't. What is happening to you is not news. Can you imagine if the local news led with the headline, "Local Man Buys Defective Car. Dealer Refuses to Make Good!" And this is not just supposition on my part. I know people in the media and I have successfully pitched them stories before. I have also been consulted on air on newsworthy consumer stories and trust me, they were all more compelling than the problem you are having with your car. And this explains why almost no one in business cares when they hear this threat.

2. Writing/Emailing the CEO. I've heard from clients who wrote to the CEO (or other executive), thinking if ONLY he/she (thanks GM, now I have to do that) knew about the problem they were having, things would get straightened out forthwith. Do you really think the CEO opens and reads his/her own mail? And email – I don't know about you but I get bombarded by it all day long since my email ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) is all over the internet. If I gave in to every email demand I saw, my desk would be elbow deep in Viagra and I'd be working at home with Google for $8,000 a week instead of doing this. I suspect the CEO of BigCorp has a "DELETE" key on his/her keyboard just like the rest of us. And no, it will not help if you threaten to "go to the media" in the letter/email to the CEO.

3. Complaining to the Manufacturer (not the CEO, but the "helpline" in the back of the Owner's Manual). People tell me they have called the manufacturer and that a "File" has been opened for them or a "Case Number" has been assigned to them. This is pointless and will actually hurt you. 99% of the time, they will open a file and talk to you when you call. And that is it. I have heard from people who said they had several files "open" because a new one was opened for each call. They will waste your time and hope that you will eventually get bored or go away. Or, that you will waste enough time to run out the statute of limitations on whatever claim you might have had. On top of that, they may record everything you tell them. Later, when you file suit, transcripts or notes of these calls will appear and be used against you. Remember when you called and told the operator that the dealership was "helpful"? You might not have even said it quite like that but that's what the notes say.

4. Calling the Better Business Bureau. In most instances the BBB does nothing. It takes your complaint, assigns it a file or case number (see above) and passes it to the business. The business may or may not respond to it. If they do, the BBB may pass the answer back to you. The BBB is a private organization. It is not run by the government and does not have any legal authority to force any business to do anything. If you find this odd, ask yourself how they fund their operations? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! That's not you. That's the other guy.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

5. Complaining to State/Federal Agencies – like the Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission. Most of these agencies have authority to oversee violations of the law but they are usually overwhelmed with larger scale problems. While an agency is trying to calculate the number of people being killed by faulty ignition switches, they do not have time to investigate your claim that your car won't hold an alignment. I know people who work in these offices and they wish they could do more. It is not a matter of intent or laziness on their part. It is just that there are usually a handful of people overseeing enough work to keep an army of workers occupied. Complaining here might not hurt you; just don't wait for them to take action on your behalf. They won't. (Unless you were killed in one of those ignition-switch failures. In that case, your heirs should file a complaint so your name can be added to the tally. And then NHTSA will advise your heirs to contact an attorney if they want to pursue a claim on behalf of your estate.)

It is tempting to complain in these ways but really, it's more fun if it works. That is, if it gets you where you need to be. If you have been truly wronged – that is, someone broke the law at your expense – then you need to skip this nonsense and speak with an attorney. If you have a legitimate case, pursue it. But don't waste your time writing to TV stations, CEOs, and the government agencies with more important things to do. I know a few readers will want to dispute all of the above. "A friend of a friend called and spoke with the CEO of GM and was awarded a brand new Corvette to replace a defective Cruze to 'make him go away.'" It didn't happen. Even factoring out the exaggeration and nonsense, it would still be a better play to pursue your legal remedies with the advice of an attorney.

Photo: Vera Kratochvil

Steve Lehto has been practicing consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for 23 years in Michigan. He taught Consumer Protection at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law for ten years and wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . He also wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Follow him on Twitter so as to not miss any future posts. Twitter : !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:03

13

I don't know Steve, the EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) has worked for many people across a wide range of products. I've personally used it successfully with a couple companies (as a last resort after escalating it through other means).

For Sweden > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:04

2

What about resorting to spyder threads?

SteveLehto > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 09/03/2014 at 13:04

3

Why would the last resort not be taking legal action?

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:05

6

Because I'm cheap and you guys are expensive!

Actually, I meant as a last resort PRIOR to legal action. I consider that the LAST last resort.

SteveLehto > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 09/03/2014 at 13:10

3

In my experience, about 99% (or thereabouts) of the time, a letter/email from the consumer does nothing, particularly with the larger companies. While some people may have gotten results this way, they (you) would be the exception.

Be that as it may, my point is that one should not send the email and then kick back thinking, "My work is done; they'll cave soon." Most lawyers who do consumer law charge nothing (zero) for an initial consultation. Phone calls are free also. I get calls all day long from people who just ask me questions. I suspect that the time would be better invested calling an attorney (no cost) versus sending an angry email (no cost) since the attorney MIGHT give you some good information (like, Did you know that your statute of limitations runs out tomorrow?")

nermal > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:14

17

I've had amazingly good luck in getting things resolved simply by being nice to people.

It may be a bit of a Canadian tactic, but usually saying something like "I'm really sorry to be such a pain, but this issue we've tried to get fixed a few times is still persisting. I need your help to get it resolved" will go wayyyyyyyy further than threatening.

At the end of the day, it's a person you're dealing with at the other side of the phone line / counter / email, and as a general rule most people respond better when you're nice to them as opposed to being an asshole.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:17

0

I agree that kicking back after sending an e-mail because "That website said this will always work! Even though I write like a three year old who's hopped up on Mountain Dew and Fun Dip.", isn't a smart idea.

I didn't know that most consumer lawyers give a free consultation (I should talk to my cousin more often). Thanks for the info.

Whitson Gordon > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:22

3

I know the Better Business Bureau is far from the cure-all it claims to be, but I do know people that have had success there. I think it depends on the business—some actually care about their BBB records and will try to resolve issues that pop up on there, while others won't. It's probably a crapshoot, but it's at least worth a shot.

SteveLehto > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 09/03/2014 at 13:23

2

This post was inspired by all the clients of mine who told me what they had done before they called me (as in, all of the above). It's maddening. I have had clients LOSE out entirely because they wasted so much time writing nasty letters and dealing with customer help lines that the statutes of limitation had expired on their cases (I kid you not).

SteveLehto > Whitson Gordon 09/03/2014 at 13:26

2

Let me put it this way: If you want to do BBB while you are pursuing your legal remedies knock yourself out. But don't wait while you do that. The clock is ticking on your cause of action. (Besides, if they care about their rep, better to just trash them on Yelp. Nowadays, that gets a response faster.)

SteveLehto > nermal 09/03/2014 at 13:27

1

The problem is that the person at the helpline has no authority to help. And try to call a car company and ask for help nicely. It will get you no further than if you acted meanly.

Whitson Gordon > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:32

0

Good point! The best thing to do is probably check the Yelp, BBB, and other pages for that business—and see where they've been most responsive in the past.

SteveLehto > Whitson Gordon 09/03/2014 at 13:33

1

While consulting an attorney . . . .

Patrick George > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:36

20

1. Threatening to go to the media. "If BigCorp doesn't take care of me soon, I am going to call the local TV station!" Or newspaper, or radio station.

Threatening won't, but actually doing it will. Both when I was a newspaper reporter and at Jalopnik, there have been a bunch of times when I looked into a problem on a reader's behalf and it got fixed without a story even coming out. Sometimes that call just scares them into doing the right thing.

(Of course, we don't take every case, and we can't guarantee success. That's my obligatory disclaimer.)

Eggshen2012 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:37

0

"it would still be a better play to pursue your legal remedies with the advice of an attorney."

Exactly, hire a blood sucking fiend to make a deal with the opposing blood sucking fiend.

Whitson Gordon > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:37

0

Yes, definitely! I just meant "the best thing to do...for your plan B" :-)

CPT Speedbump > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:39

0

They'll all do you good, because they'll make you feel better knowing you got to yell at someone about it, lol

SteveLehto > Patrick George 09/03/2014 at 13:39

3

What percentage of those calls did you actually act upon? I know a lot of people in local TV and they tell me they get them all day long. They haven't got time to vet the stories (who knows if the caller is telling the truth?) and most of them aren't "news." Once in a while, I know, someone in the media will get involved. It could be as you describe or it could be that the thing really could be a story. But the point here is that it is a very LOW probability shot - one which you should not wait around for, expecting it to come to fruition when you could be doing more useful things.

jimz > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:39

0

I suspect the CEO of BigCorp has a "DELETE" key on his/her keyboard just like the rest of us. And no, it will not help if you threaten to "go to the media" in the letter/email to the CEO.

even more likely has an admin asst. to "triage" incoming email. This person is hitting the DELETE key ;)

davedave1111 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:40

8

Attorney writes article about how only attorneys can help you... ;)

SteveLehto > Eggshen2012 09/03/2014 at 13:40

0

Or, simply get some free legal advice. No blood would be sucked.

SteveLehto > CPT Speedbump 09/03/2014 at 13:40

0

For therapeutic purposes, by all means. Just don't expect them to pan out otherwise!

Enthisuast > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:41

0

At least with my employer, going to the CEO actually does work. We're a big company and I get projects several times a year from the office of the CEO responding to a customer complaint. When you make your first purchase with us, you get an email 'from' the CEO telling you to email him if you have any problems. He may not read every email, but his staff does.

SteveLehto > jimz 09/03/2014 at 13:42

0

Like the old days. The MAIL never even made it anywhere near the CEO's FLOOR. It was all screened for things like this so a nice form letter could be sent in a couple of weeks. "Thanks for contacting us about the problems with your product . . . "

Patrick George > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:42

1

It depends. We certainly didn't do all of them. Some of them just weren't news, and they do require a lot of vetting. Other times we were just busy with bigger things.

SteveLehto > davedave1111 09/03/2014 at 13:43

1

It would be horribly ironic if I didn't point out that attorneys in this field routinely offer free help. Doubt me? Send an email to the address in post if you ever have a question. Unlike the BigCorp CEO, I will read it and respond. For free!

SteveLehto > Enthisuast 09/03/2014 at 13:44

0

What percentage of complaints to the CEO actually result in the consumer having their problem resolved the way the consumer asked? (I phrase it that way because I know that many consumers send demands to corps that are unreasonable - again, something an attorney might be able to help with).

overclockwork > Whitson Gordon 09/03/2014 at 13:46

2

I've had success there. A few years ago, I tried a new place to get new glasses. They incorrectly measured my prescription, several times, installed the wrong lenses, and generally made every visit unfriendly and unhelpful. When I went to BBB and they received the complaint, not only did I finally get my glasses comfortable and correct, but they gave them to me for free as long as I withdrew the complaint.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:48

0

The key to getting a response is knowing who to actually direct your complaint to. Since these are all shrouded in mystery and no one will break the Trappist vow of silence, consumers get the runaround.

Just because you have a consultation with an attorney doesn't instantly mean "Lawsuit Filed", but you *will* get information as to who needs to be informed, and how long you have to inform them.

Also, just even having a letter sent to the appropriate person on a firm's letterhead tends to work wonders.

MFEJAL grey because who knows... > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:48

0

Steve, can you tell us how to properly make a claim? thank you!

Noodles > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:49

0

Filing a claim with a manufacturers consumer advocacy groups works.

2 out of 2 people I know who have contacted their manufacturers customer advocacy group (Audi, and Honda) regarding dealer issues have had their issues resolved in a satisfactory manner.

My friend was sold a "certified" RS4 by an Audi dealer in Florida, only to discover the car had been in an offset front end collision with a retaining wall (disqualification from Audi Certification) and non OEM body panels and broken brake ducts had been used in the repair . After attempts to get the Dealer to take the car back went unresolved, and the dealer went silent, and my friend had Audi consumer advocacy step in. Audi motivated the dealer to buy the car back. My friend was fully refunded his costs outside of the 3rd party shipping charge.

My Mother had issues with a local Acura Dealer who had not been able to repair a transmission issue on her TL after 4 (very expensive) attempts. She was frustrated, and being the good son I am and having recently seen what Audi did for my friend, I opened a case for her with Honda's advocacy group. They reached out to her, and to the dealer and her issue was resolved along with a small refund of the difference between the failed trouble shoot, and the actual fix.

tb523 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:50

0

This is bad advice. I had a freight company damage my property and refuse to pay for repairs even though I had photos of the damage (they claimed it was already there). I was quoted around $750 for repairs so I logged a complaint with the BBB & Attorney General against them and they came back and offered me $500 to withdraw my complaint which I accepted (I did the repairs myself for less). Complaining can help and it only takes a few minutes to fill out the online forms.

zipfuel > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:50

0

I've recently had success calling the manufacturer after they denied my warranty claim for a bogus reason but I may have used the phrase "please don't make me resort to small claims court"...

ThrillHou > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:51

0

I'd still recommend going to the BBB, it might not help you, but it can help others in the future. Think of it more like Yelp, or Angie's List.

SteveLehto > MFEJAL grey because who knows... 09/03/2014 at 13:51

0

Depends on what type of claim? Warranty? Auto, boat, sewing machine? It depends on the type of claim and what state you are in.

leveedog > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:51

0

Slightly different, but similar. I once had occupational therapy which my insurance did not cover. At the start, however, they did tell me the therapy was covered, over the phone. I thought it was strange because I didn't think it would be, but since they said it was ok I went ahead and had it. The insurance was through BCBS (BeCauseBullShit). Racked up a $5,000 bill ultimately. Claim was denied for lack of coverage. I talked to everyone trying to get it resolved. Eventually I sent a certified letter to the BCBS CEO, the hospital CEO, and the Insurance Commissioner. I honestly don't know what happened, or even if it was just luck, but a week later I got a letter saying the error was on their part and the bill was paid. YMMV.

Meatcoma > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:51

0

Get yourself a sign addressing your issue and sit outside the dealership(don't be on their property). Be prepared to sit for a day or two or longer unless they are on a high traffic road. I've seen it work before. Don't threaten to go to the media, threaten to scare off potential buyers.

megaman > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:51

0

What can we do, then? It sounds like nothing will help, but we can't just let them get away with it, can we?

GTAwheelman > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:52

1

Then who do we get to help? Is the answer always consult lawyer?

SteveLehto > tb523 09/03/2014 at 13:53

0

Which of those two venues do you think helped you? It sounds like the AG did nothing (which is what I said). I'd be careful about offering to drop a complaint for money - in some places that would sound a lot like blackmail.

SteveLehto > leveedog 09/03/2014 at 13:55

0

And notice that in the piece I said that these things are most likely a waste of time. I have heard of people getting places with letter writing but the vast majority of the time the letters go unanswered. I am basing this on speaking with thousands of people over 23 years of practicing law in this arena.

Maxaxle > Patrick George 09/03/2014 at 13:55

0

What about complaining to you? And OFC I don't mean "Patrick, this stealership changed my oil on my '60s rustbucket! AND THEY CHARGED ME FOR THE OIL!", I mean more serious stuff (like many of the stores I've seen on Jalopnik, not necessarily written by you).

SteveLehto > megaman 09/03/2014 at 13:56

1

I ended the piece by saying you should consult an attorney. Many will give you a free consultation. If they work in this area, they can tell you which way to proceed. It might be a lawsuit it might not be. Depends on the situation. Or if there is nothing they can do, they might say "Go ahead and write the letter." It's just that you know you have tried the best tactic first.

JayBe_III > Patrick George 09/03/2014 at 13:56

20

I feel like there's almost a business case for that. People come to you with a serious issue, they throw you a small fee, you call up said business saying you're with the esteemed publication - Jalopnik, guy noticeably quivers with fear, problem solved.

You could even make it fun; don't take money for it. Only goods or services as acceptable currency. I even know who your first customer would be too:

Patrick,

CarMax has stopped filing my claims from my warranty even though my Land Rover should still be covered. I think they started reading my articles... Please help.

I can offer the shag carpet dash insert from a Nissan Cube as payment.

-Douglas DeMuro

McMike > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:56

4

Another one is "I'm going to call my Lawyer!!!!"

A lawyer is like a knife. You never tell people you have a knife...

SteveLehto > GTAwheelman 09/03/2014 at 13:57

2

When you have a hammer in your hand, everything around you will look like a nail.

Profound, right? If an attorney will talk to you for FREE why not call one? Are people really that scared of lawyers?

SteveLehto > McMike 09/03/2014 at 13:58

1

Yes! Actually calling a lawyer may do something. Threatening to call one will often backfire and cause someone to dig in their heels (or they will tell you they are going to call THEIR lawyer).

MFEJAL grey because who knows... > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:58

0

How to make a claim when our vehicle is under warranty. We need your help to have our butts covered.

SteveLehto > MFEJAL grey because who knows... 09/03/2014 at 13:59

0

What state are you in?

jonimotu > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 13:59

0

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go to tech tab for work detail

 www.jobs7000.com

SpikeFiend > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:03

0

I think he means hassling the dealer/business that you've already dealt with (and not a 3rd party call center) in the nicest way possible. You need to be insistent with out being too soft or too hostile.

TheRevanchist > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:04

0

A friend of mine, who's house had a major plumbing problem due to faulty piping used throughout the house, decided to contact the manufacturer directly. They were going to pay for everything, or else. They called her bluff. She filed suit against said manufacturer and they quickly settled by having the whole house re-plumbed on their dime with copper piping. Naming the CEO specifically on the lawsuit was the part that really got the action going.

romans6_23 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:06

0

I complained to the FCC (or FTC?) about T-Mobile wanting to charging me a full month when I ported my number out before the end of my billing cycle. A few days later T-Mobile dropped the charge after receiving the complaint from the FCC/FTC. Before I did this, T-Mobile refused to waive the charge when I called them, emailed them, tweeted them and took to the forum to complain.

davedave1111 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:08

0

I know you do, and I enjoy your posts. But still, there is a bit of 'well, you would say that, wouldn't you?' going on here - at least enough for some light humour :)

SteveLehto > SpikeFiend 09/03/2014 at 14:08

1

My advice in the post is general. There may be exceptions to the rule and some things may work in some situations and not others. My general point is that MOST of the time, these things will not help the average person. They are usually a waste of time and time wasting is not a good thing if you are an aggrieved consumer. Might a company CEO come to your house and apologize for the defective dish washer you just bought? Anything is possible.

SteveLehto > romans6_23 09/03/2014 at 14:09

0

Which was it, do you know? Both agencies oversee cell phones to some extent (one for their use of our airwaves and the other for their business practices).

somberlaine > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:09

0

2. Writing/Emailing the CEO.

I heard/read somewhere that Jeff Bezos does address Amazon customer complaints. He may be an exception but still.

MFEJAL grey because who knows... > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:10

0

Texas.

SteveLehto > TheRevanchist 09/03/2014 at 14:10

0

I'd be curious about naming the CEO. In Many states, that would be considered frivolous, unless the CEO had done something extraordinary.

SteveLehto > davedave1111 09/03/2014 at 14:11

1

I understood completely (and got your intent). Thanks for posting! (AND FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @stevelehto

SteveLehto > somberlaine 09/03/2014 at 14:12

0

Can you imagine how many people he would have to answer to if he did that? Just for an exercise, go to Amazon.com right now and try to find a phone number to speak voice-to-voice to an actual human. I'll wait . . . .

Freakusaurus > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:13

0

When the Chrysler 300 came out with its new body style in 05, I was the first person around here with one. it was delivered to me in 04. A little clip broke under the passanger seat which made the airbag light stay on at all times. It had all those weight sensors to turn on and off the passanger airbag and blah blah blah ... I brought the car in to the dealer and dropped it off one morning when they first opened.. told them what the problem was.. at the end of the day, I picked my car up. They had to order the part and would let me know when they got it in. The next weekend, I dropped my car off for the whole weekend and when I got it back, it still wasn't working. They tried to blame my radio, my rims, my lights, etc... I even went out to the car and pointed out the problem to the service manager and he was just rude as can be.

They had to keep my car longer so they put me in a car for a bit. Anyone with certain high dollar Chryslers got a loaner car if the car was in the shop for whatever reason. They put me in a VW... That pissed me off. I barely fit in the VW since I am so tall. Besides that, I dropped off a full sized American car at a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealer and they put me in compact German car. . . . I wrote an Email to Chrysler.. Don't know who read it, but the dealership called me back and put me in a Dodge Durango and had my car fixed the very next day and gave me a hundred dollar bill for no reason at all other than my troubles. I don't know who read the Email, but it worked and the service manager was all apologetic and everything.

tb523 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:14

0

They asked me to drop the complaint with the BBB & AG and their company (signed a letter releasing them from responsibility) and in the exchange they would settle with me for $500, so this wasn't something I had presented to them. The AG sent me a letter, so I would assume they also sent a letter to the freight company. For a repair that was quoted for under $1000 it was not worth lawyering up but it was worth the 10 minutes of my time submitting complaints. I'm not sure which helped more since I settled both complaints at the same time. I will be honest, I logged all of my complaints not expecting compensation but to do whatever I could to let the public know it was an unprofessional company that had damaged my property and was refusing to make it right.

SteveLehto > MFEJAL grey because who knows... 09/03/2014 at 14:14

0

You'll have to find an attorney in Texas. I'm sure there are many who handle lemon law cases there. If you can't find any, email me directly and I will see if I can point you in the right direction. Lehto@kennon.com

Vestan_Pance > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:15

0

Disagree with 2, I've complained 4 times directly to CEOs and in each instance I've got a response and compensation. In my experience if you've got a case and you present it correctly you'll get a response from on if his/her 'senior' minions. Email is the best channel, then Twitter in my experience.

davedave1111 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:15

0

Sorry, not a twitterer. I'm far too prolix for that.

CJ > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:16

0

So I guess, after crossing off everything on this list, I'm left with "Whine to whoever will listen?"

SteveLehto > Freakusaurus 09/03/2014 at 14:18

0

Yes, and things like this happen. But notice that you were not in a position to file suit yet. You were still just a slightly disgruntled consumer. My main theme above is that you can't put all your eggs in those baskets. I've had clients who had cars that clearly qualified as lemons - then they started writing letters and emails. At that point, a hundred dollar bill would not be the answer.

SteveLehto > Vestan_Pance 09/03/2014 at 14:19

0

I would need to know more of the facts of those cases. I have also known people who got "results" from companies which were far less than what they were entitled to. To this day, they think they pulled one over on a big company.

SteveLehto > CJ 09/03/2014 at 14:20

0

Speak to an attorney for a free consultation and see if you have any legal options. If not, then go down this list one by one. Just don't do the list first, waste all your time, and then wonder why the attorney is trying to explain to you what the STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS means . . .

TheRevanchist > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:20

0

Possibly, unless the company sold a defective product with corporate knowledge? Not sure why, but it worked. Of course, this was 15 to 20 years ago now (she still holds a grudge), so who knows what within the legal culture has changed since then. I'm not privy to the legal lifestyle.

SteveLehto > TheRevanchist 09/03/2014 at 14:22

0

Most CEOs have little to no knowledge of their product quality, pro or con. Didn't you watch Mary Barra in front of Congress?

Hotscot > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:22

0

Ok...now that we have "what not to do...."

SteveLehto > davedave1111 09/03/2014 at 14:22

0

I'm still learning how to keep my diatribes with their character limit.

SteveLehto > Hotscot 09/03/2014 at 14:23

0

Everyone skips over the last paragraph? I said to call an attorney (most of whom will do a free consultation) and run the facts by him/her. If there is something worth pursuing, great. If not, then go down this list and do them (if it will make you feel better).

evilfacelessturtle (Hooning a Ford is Domestic Abuse) > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:25

0

So basically we have no power and are stupid to think we do? Sounds about right. Freedumb!

ndebt > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:25

0

What about small claims court? Personally I'd be too lazy for this, but what are your thoughts on that route?

Clay_T > Patrick George 09/03/2014 at 14:29

0

Big difference between a call from Joe public and a call from a world renowned, well respected journalist who writes for a major newspaper or international automotive blog.

boobytrapsandtreasure > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:30

0

To get the results you want I'd say you need a well thought out plan. You're looking at a Boesky, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros and a Leon Spinks, not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever. :)

barrister07101 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:31

0

Thank you. Really, thank you for telling us what doesn't work. Now put a link up to what does work. You've written these before, just throw the link up if you do want to update or re-write it. That's what helpful journalism is about.

SteveLehto > ndebt 09/03/2014 at 14:31

0

If you have a case, by all means. I routinely tell people to do that when they have a case and the amount in dispute is too low to justify hiring an attorney.

timgray > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:32

0

Complaining on twitter when you have 10,000+ followers works well, get about 10 of your friends to re-tweet it and suddenly you have the company trying to get you to shut up by fixing the problem.

Had that issue with polycom, I couldn't get anywhere with their tech support line, only answer was "we cant help you". All it took was one "Polycom sucks! their tech support refuses to help it's customers #polycom #polycomsucks" tweet and 24 hours later I have 10 people from the company bending over to solve the problem.

SteveLehto > barrister07101 09/03/2014 at 14:34

0

Actually, I had a paragraph at the end where I suggested you call an attorney when you have a legal problem and consult to see what the best course of action is. The action will heavily depend on what kind of problem you have, where you are located, how much is at stake, the timing, and so on. I can't possibly write an entire post describing every last possibility or theory of recovery.

Howie > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:34

0

To bad this isn't the top six

#6 Bitch and complain to the drone behind the register. I always love to see some poor schmuck making just above minimum wage getting reamed by an irate customer over a store policy.

Strange Noises Alou > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:35

0

can you give us the top five complaint methods which *will* do me some good?

and yes, I'll allow you to list "contact an attorney" as #1. I've done it before - for $180 I cancelled a $450 "debt" with the Worst Company in the World. (ah, fuck it, it's T-Mobile. may T-Mobile burn in the fires of the buttholest hell ever shat out.)

TheRevanchist > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:35

0

No, sir, I didn't even pay attention to that, but it sounds rather embarrassing for a CEO to not know those kinds of details, or at least have reports of the details, if going into a Congressional hearing.

SteveLehto > timgray 09/03/2014 at 14:36

0

Part of that is also based on how much is at stake. If you had called me and asked me about that course of action in that situation (which really didn't look like it merited a lawsuit) I would have said go ahead (just make sure you don't libel them in your tweet).

The Gray Adder > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:36

0

Giving all 1s on the post-purchase eval, just because the salesman tried to browbeat you into giving him all 10s even though they ran me through the gauntlet of "you absolutely must have the TrueCoat/extended warranty/undercoating/service contract/etc." while they were "waiting" for my loan paperwork even though I got my loan pre-approved at the credit union right next door and shouldn't have even seen this guy. He even followed up with "are you sure ?" like I was some kind of retard, " all our customers get it." I wondered what sort of goons would have shown up at my door had I actually done this. I threw the eval into the trash instead.

I mean, I was paying full sticker for the crapcan. How much more of my money did they want?

BlurpleToyotaDishwasher > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:36

0

Like you say, emailing the CEO is just going to end up with their secretary forwarding the complaint being forwarded to the helpdesk minion. However, the helpdesk guys are likely to have a procedure for what to do if something is beyond what they can do, it's just a game to get them to pass it on to the right people (never rely on a job title, always ask whether they can offer the type of resolution you need, if not ask to be escalated).

Saying politely to a helpdesk minion something like:

"As I'm sure you can see [key fault terminology], so [client impact]. As a result, it's vital that [resolution] really quickly because [negative impact on the company], so I'd really appreciate it if this could be escalated. It's not personal, but I understand that your hands are quite tied so I'd appreciate being able to discuss this with someone in a position to discuss [resolution]."

And repeating it a few times until you get up the food chain to someone with authority tends to work better than trying to cut straight to the top or throwing toys out the pram. Maybe it's a little different in the car industry, as I've only worked in industries that don't really have dealerships.

The main thing is to be polite, know their key fault terminology (in the car industry, I guess that GM slide of "don't say these" words is a great place to start) and to make sure to say the word escalate a whole lot while being polite but firm.

StevenG > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:37

2

Yes, you have to remember that you guys are expensive and often people only interact with lawyers at bad times in their lives. The initial call might be free, but the total cost will not be $0. If I have a grievance and to solve it I would end up paying everything I get to the lawyer, many will say "why bother?" . Court means days off, for many without pay, and stress.

Plebiscite > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:37

0

Complaining to state/federal agencies alone will not do you any good. But you can consistently get results by writing whatever state/federal agency regulates the business and cc'ing the company's legal department. The agency may be overwhelmed and unable to act promptly, but the legal department exists largely to keep that regulatory agency from poking its nose in the company's business. They would never sit on a complaint to a regulatory agency, which could result in a government investigation or class action lawsuit, when they can quickly address the customer's concerns and tell the agency, "oh that? We took care of it."

SteveLehto > The Gray Adder 09/03/2014 at 14:40

1

That reminds me to write a piece on my cellphone carrier. The store didn't "wipe" my old phone like they promised and the jerkoff who took it in tried to hack into my bank account that night (oooops. Needs two passwords!) When I went back, the manager told me to get lost without investigating. Gave them straight ones across the board and the owner of the chain (he owns ten of the stores near me) called me and was almost crying asking me why I had done that. He practically offered to do things to me which are still illegal in many states (but never offered to monetize them). Anyway, it got his attention and made me feel a little better (knowing I had gotten his attention). The sad part is I love the new phone and this was the first problem I've had with this carrier since they invented cell phones.

SteveLehto > Plebiscite 09/03/2014 at 14:42

0

Depends on the company, the complaint and what the field is. I have seen so many of these types of complaints come to nothing. Send it it it makes you feel better. Don't hold your breath though.

Howie > nermal 09/03/2014 at 14:42

2

+1 When I was in the tire business I had no problem helping people that were pretty decent about the problem at hand provided it was as a legitimate problem. When the occasional flaming prick would roll through the door I made it as difficult as possible. They would ultimately get what they wanted but it wasn't an easy battle.

SteveLehto > StevenG 09/03/2014 at 14:43

0

99% of my clients never pay me anything. Total bill = $0. Hard to beat that.

That's kind of like saying people don't like doctors (for the same reason). So, can you tell me some quick home remedies for my cancer? I'd prefer not to do all that mediciny stuff.

Straight6PackRacing > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:43

0

Some of these methods are marginally effective. The AC compressor went bad on my subie after 80k miles. i boxed it up and sent it to corporate and they gave me $200 at the dealership parts desk. Paid for a new battery and floor mats. Not an AC compressor, but not the worst outcome.

SteveLehto > Straight6PackRacing 09/03/2014 at 14:44

0

Yes, and they COULD work. The key is that you can't count on it. In your case, an attorney would have told you that you probably had no LEGAL angle to work. So, work the goodwill angle (which might mean sending a letter etc).

francisdollarhide > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:45

0

This is original—an attorney with the advice to consult an attorney. Because every other method gets you nowhere. Your marketing skills are impeccable, Mr. Attorney-man.

McMike > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:45

6

Q: Who should tell them about your lawyer?

A: Your lawyer.

Scott4765 > SteveLehto 09/03/2014 at 14:45

0

Wow, I am actually going through this exact thing right now with a 2013 Ford Focus with the dual clutch transmission. 24k miles, 3 new clutches. It still make the noise but my local dealer will now not replace the clutch saying "a new one will be out in a few months". I will start looking for lawyers here in FL now.