Recently, I launched a best and worst consumer experience feature on Unlocking the Power of Your Money.
I think looking weekly at our best and worse experiences as consumers will help us learn from our successes and mistakes.
Each week, we have dozens of consumer happenings, some good and some bad.
Here’s one each of mine for this week:
My best consumer experience – Eating vegetables from my garden
Although I ran into some problems trying to figure out how to build a raised bed garden, I finally was able to get it constructed with help from a friend.
That was six weeks ago. Now I’m eating vegetables from my garden – Swiss chard, kale, and crookneck squash.
It’s terrific. I’m making a big effort this year to grow more of my own food to cut my grocery bill and reduce the amount of energy it takes to ship food.
My worst consumer experience – Failure to resolve a billing dispute with Comcast
When I signed up for Comcast, I received a bundled “deal” of $33 for high speed Internet, $33 for phone service including long distance, and $33 for cable television.
When the deal ran out, I was able to get it extended. However, the amount the Comcast supervisor told me to pay on my bill was wrong.
When I received my next bill, it had extra charges on it for $34 that hadn’t been properly credited.
I talked to a customer service representative who said impolitely that the bill was correct. No credit could be given. I asked to talk to his supervisor. The supervisor wasn’t available, but was to call me back. It never happened.
Several days later, I called again. Another representative, again impolitely, insisted nothing could be done about the bill. I asked to talk with the supervisor.
The supervisor listened politely, but wouldn’t adjust the bill. I told her how impolite the customer service representatives were. She said she would speak to the one I had just talked with.
Then I gave up. It wasn’t worth spending any more time on it. A disappointment.
