REELzHOT is a REALzRIP-OFF!

Signing up for a "FREE TRIAL" to watch streaming movies while abroad, I had to provide a credit card to start the trial. REELzHOT, https://reelzhot.com/users/loginpage, has their site set-up so that the next time you log-in to use your "FREE" trial, you have to click on some buttons to accept their "terms and conditions". Buried in those terms and conditions is a stipulation that you must "CANCEL" your membership within 5 days AND, being abroad, I could only cancel online and be charged to do so. Can you say scam? Rip-off?

Well, I missed the terms and conditions buried somewhere in the numerous pages of legal mumbo jumbo stating that I had to cancel MY FREE TRIAL within five days and, lo and behold, a charge for $49.95 appeared on my credit card five days later! $49.95 a month for a bunch of crappy, old, B-movies is ridiculous in its own right, so I went to the FAQs page. At the very top of their "Support" page, http://reelzhot.com/pages/support, in bold, blue lettering, is the FAQ: "Why was I charged $49.95 when I signed up for a free membership?" This is obviously a very common problem for their customers, to be so prominently displayed at the very top of their support page, so why do they continue to deceive their customers? How do they expect to stay in business ripping people off? In any event, I sent to following email to their support team:

$49.95 for a FREE membership?  It's obvious that I'm not the only one with this problem since it is AT THE TOP OF YOUR FAQs! Can you say CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT?...SURE YOU CAN!Please reverse this charge, in its entirety immediately, cancel my membership, and send me a confirmation. I agreed to a trial membership and not an auto upgrade to the standard monthly membership plan.  I should have known better than to give my credit card number for a :free trial".If you DO NOT reverse the charge COMPLETELY in the next 48 hours, I will contact my bank to have the charge reversed, then the BBB, the FCC, and the Attorney General of the United States to report your fraudulent practices. I will also contact dailytechpost.com, About.com, TrickTacToe.com, and Butterblog http://blog.buttermouth.com/2007/06/top-25-places-to-watch-free-movies-and.html to inform them of your fraudulent practices. Check out my blog, www.InstitutionalTerrorism.com, where your website will be prominently featured unless you comply within the next 48 hours. You have until 6:02 AM (CST) on 7/14/2012 to send my confirmation.

Well, true to my word, here is my post because the completely ignored me! I just filed a dispute with my bank and as soon as I return home in two days, I will file my complaint with the FCC, BBB, and U.S. Attorney General. We will see how much it will cost REELzHOT to answer those complaints...much more than the $49.95 the ripped me of for.

DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT, USE REELzHOT OR SIGN UP FOR THEIR BS "FREE TRIAL"! Their movies suck and they obviously could care less about their customers!

CombatActivist out!

$250 an Hour for This?

Really? I called Kansas City's Ryan Lawn and Tree in early May asking for an estimate to trim my trees back away from my house, which was originally supposed to have been done by another contractor last year when I had a tree removed. The original contractor had done MINIMAL work and so the squirrels (who are the source of my problem, having taken up residence in my attic, eating wires and causing other damages) continue to have access to our roof and, subsequently, our attic. Mark came to our house on May 10th, 2012 to give me an estimate on tree trimming and lawn fertilization/seeding.  I told Mark about the other contractor and asked him, as an expert, to estimate what it would cost to trim all trees, allowing access to our roof by the squirrels, enough so the squirrels would not have access for several years to come. Mark’s estimate was not cheap, coming in at $375, but it was worth it to me to stop the squirrels from damaging our home any further.  He gave me the estimate and a very rudimentary drawing showing what work would be performed.  I called the following week to set up an appointment and was told it would be 3-4 weeks.

I received a call on May 24th stating that they could come on Tuesday, May 28th and so I agreed.  The woman on the phone could not narrow down the hours they would be there, stating it would be “that afternoon”.  I had things to do that afternoon, but my wife was home. She said that two guys arrived at 2 PM and never bothered ringing the bell or letting us know they were to start working.  She left a while later on an errand and when she returned at 3:30PM, they were long gone. $375 for an hour and a half’s worth of work seemed a bit extreme, coming to $250 per hour…quite pricey for unskilled labor and considering that I am a licensed psychotherapist with a masters degree and 30 years experience and make only HALF THAT MUCH!

Once I started looking at their work, I noticed that they had trimmed the wrong tree and did not trim two that were on the estimate.  I also noticed that there are two trees next to the house that still allow the squirrels’ access to the roof; trees I had assumed were included in the pricey estimate.  I called Mark on Wednesday, May 29th and left a message explaining the problems in detail.  He called me back and said that someone would be in touch with me that afternoon.  I finally got a voicemail from a guy named Spencer on May 31st stating “I understand you have some questions, if you still have questions, call me back…” I didn’t have questions, I had a job that was incomplete and I wanted it done correctly, so I called Spencer back and left another detailed message.  He never called me back.

Instead, “Matt and Augie” showed-up unannounced and while we were gone on June 4th, trimming one of the trees that should have been done the first time, but leaving the other tree untouched and having done nothing with the other two (which Mark apparently missed in his original estimate).  I had asked Mark and Spencer if I could have those trees done instead of the maple (which is distant from the house), but nobody bothered taking the time to contact me to find out what exactly my concerns were.

For $375, I expected a thorough and professional estimate and work, neither of which occurred. I have spent the better part of this week and too much of my life dealing with incompetent businesses, businesses that do not have a clue what customer service and satisfaction are, treating us with disdain instead of courtesy and dignity.  This was the last straw!

Bottom Line: For $375, I expected a much more thorough job and a result which will protect my roof and attic for years to come.  Instead, I got a half-ass job and additional pruning to do.  After I pay the inflated bill, I think I’ll go to Home Depot to get the equipment and do it myself because I SEEM TO BE THE ONLY PERSON I CAN TRUST TO DO THE JOB THE RIGHT WAY!  I am cancelling my lawn fertilization and seeding program with Ryan Lawn and Tree, who will receive a D (at best) from me on Angie’s List for wasting my time, doing a poor, overpriced job, and being unable to communicate clearly with a customer when they (me) had a valid complaint.

PS - I sent the information above to Ryan Lawn and Tree on June 5th, allowing them an opportunity to reach out and try to sooth an unhappy customer. They obviously could care less, which tells us quite a bit about how they operate. Take that into consideration when hiring a lawn and tree contractor in Kansas City.

Corporate Terrorism: Outsourced Customer Service

Are you sick and tired of spending unproductive hours on the phone with a customer service rep in India, Srilanka, Philippines, or other (outsourced, low-wage) country every time your computer, software, or cell phone go haywire?  These folks are usually trying their best and it isn't their fault their English is not easily understood by an American looking for quick answers to a technical problem...It's the fault of the multi-billion dollar conglomerates who are reducing overhead and increasing profit by getting around minimum wage and child labor laws.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Any time you call an 800 number (for a credit card, banking, charter communications, health and other insurance, computer help desk, etc), and you find that you're talking to a foreign customer service representative, (perhaps in India, Philippines, etc), please consider doing the following:

After you connect and you realize that the customer service representative is not from the USA (you can always ask if you are not sure about the accent), please, very politely (this is not about trashing other cultures) say, "I'd like to speak to a customer service representative in the United States of America ."

The rep might suggests talking to his/her manager, but, again, politely say, "Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a customer service representative in the USA ."

YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO A REP IN THE USA.
That's the rule and the LAW. It takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to the USA.

Imagine what would happen if every US citizen insisted on talking to only US phone reps from this day on.  Imagine how that would ultimately impact the amount of US jobs that would need to be created ASAP.  If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing this - see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.

Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to be abrupt or rude to a foreign phone rep. You may even get correct answers, good advice, and solutions to your problem - in English.

If you agree, pass this link on to everyone in your address book.

Contributed by Dusten S. - Colorado Springs, CO

YOUR Verizon Data is Vulnerable!

My personal data was compromised and YOURS IS JUST AS VULNERABLE!

Verizon allowed one of their affiliates to access my data and set-up an account in another city in my name (under my social secrity number) without my permission or knowledge (read more detail below). I filed complaints with the FCC and FTC, but both Verizon and the company (Century Link - a Verizon affilaite) refuse to accept any responsibility.

Help me to get Verizon's full attention by signing my petition to increase internal security measures and protect customer data as promised in our contracts and Verizon's privacy disclosure.

Failure to protect customer data is a breach of contract and Verizon should waive any early termination fees for customers who lose faith in Verizon's ability to protect their identity and want to take their business elsewhere.

Sincerely,

CombatActivist

The Whole Story...

Complaint: Verizon Wireless Failed to Protect My Personal Data and Allowed an Affiliate, Century Link (Colorado Springs, CO), to Steal My Information and Open an Account in My Name Without My Knowledge or Permission

Complainant: CombatActivist

                         

Offender(s):   Ken Dixon, Midwest Region President - Verizon Wireless
     777 Big Timber Road
     Elgin, IL 60123

                             Century Link – Corporate Address and Phone Unknown

                             Colorado Springs, CO

Tell Your Story

Many, far too many, are forced to suffer through terror at the hands of large institutions (corporations, government agencies, other large organizations). Have you been the victim of bullying, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or other forms of abuse perpetrated by an organization or individuals within an organization? If so, we want to hear your story.

This blog is dedicated to exposing those who victimize others and holding them accountable for  their actions. Because institutions routinely fail to monitor, scrutinize, and sanction themselves, and the law fails to adequately protect the individual citizen, negative media attention is the only way to get them to do the right thing (that's called INTEGRITY).

Send us your story and we will help you expose these ruthless terrorists.

EndDiscrimination Nation - WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Did you know that discrimination is a "civil" crime, not a "criminal" one. The worse that can happen, if anything, is a slap on the wrist and possible financial responsibility...ZERO JAIL TIME!



Help us End Discrimination and "institutional terrorism" in America. The goal of the eDiscrimination movement is to put an end to the terror many of us face through institutional terrorism, where the bullies, control, freaks, and micromanagers we are forced to work for can harass, discriminate, and retaliate against us with no fear of criminal prosecution.

Follow US on Twitter @eDiscrimination



or on YouTube

eDiscrimination Manifesto...Join Our Cause...end Discrimination in our lifetime!

I don't know about you, but I'm fed-up with self-centered, narcissistic, judgmental, ignorant, bullies in positions of power exerting their influence and ruining the lives of innocent people.  Discrimination laws and organizational policies are a joke and do nothing to really protect anybody.  If you have been the victim of discrimination, no matter what the cause or your protected status, we want to hear your story.

Prejudice and discrimination are the result of an ignorant person in a position of power.  One person has little power or influence. particularly in large organizations.  If we unite, as a mass and using the media and social networking sites, we can influence decision makers (in companies, the government, and politicians) by creating a public relations nightmare for the offenders.  A nightmare they will not want to face again which can influence them into "doing the right thing", stopping the discrimination or retaliation not only because it is just, but because it will be too painful not to.

We will do our due diligence and pick our battles wisely, focusing on areas where we can get the most bang for the buck.  If employers and the perpetrators of discrimination actually have something to fear, a large group of people devoted to a single cause, they will be less likely to discriminate or retaliate in the first place.  The reason they do it and get away with it now is because the laws, policies, and regulations are nearly impossible to enforce, so the decision makers, the people with the ability to stop the problem, turn their heads and ignore it.  They know that if they admit there is a problem, they are setting themselves and the organization up for a lawsuit, so it is easier to let the discrimination and retaliation continue than do the right thing, stand up, and end it.

How do these people look themselves in the mirror every morning.  I don't know about you, but I could not live with myself if I ruined a person's life, tormenting them until they quit, just to ensure I keep that paycheck coming in.

The common protected categories are race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran, and, more recently, homosexual.  However, you do not have to be in a protected category to be discriminated against.  If you are singled out from others, for any reason (fat, skinny, redhead, ugly, beautiful, short, tall......), and harassed or treated differently, that is still discrimination and should not be tolerated.  The courts may not agree, but that does not make it any less discriminatory or retaliatory.

I do not know about you, but "I AM MAD AS HELL AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!"  You may remember that line form the movie Network, but is appropriate here and I think many of you feel the same way.

There are literally millions of us worldwide who have been treated unfairly, oppressed, bullied, discriminated, and/or retaliated at work, in school, or in other areas of our lives.  STAND UP NOW...JOIN OUR FIGHT...UNITE...TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG AND CAN DEFEAT THESE IGNORANT MORONS!!!

Tell us your story, let's start a dialogue, and let's build an organization, a movement, to end discrimination and retaliation in our lifetimes.  The current system sucks.  It does not work.  Therefore it is up to us to figure out how to end it.

END DISCRIMINATION = eDiscrimination