A double dose of aggravation (Jan.
30, 2012)
A woman tries to set things straight after she is charged twice for medication. Click here.
A lesson in fair credit reporting (Jan. 23, 2012)
A man
looks for answers after his credit card application is denied. Click here.
Unknown error on PC repair (Jan. 16, 2012)
A woman gets more than she
bargained for when she takes her PC to Best Buy in order to get data recovered. Click here.
Case of outrage over outages (Jan. 9, 2012)
A community
experiences problems with Comcast services. Click here.
Value of background checks (Jan.
2, 2012)
2011 overview highlights the importance of knowing who you're doing business with. Click here.
Afraid to put liability on the line (Dec. 26, 2011)
A woman
is asked to fill out loan modification papers in her deceased brother's name. Click here.
After flood, a deluge of money woes (Dec.
19, 2011)
A couple struggles to recover the flood insurance owed to them. Click here.
Escrow got held up in home (Dec. 12, 2011)
A man tries to recover funds
caught in escrow due to a mistakenly-listed mortgage. Click here.
A seal of disapproval on work (Dec. 5, 2011)
A family works to get a company
to fix damage done to their property.
Click here.
Show me the car facts (Nov. 28, 2011)
A woman tries to fix an incorrect
CARFAX report. Click here.
Man gets runaround after he takes a seat (Nov. 21, 2011)
A man
runs into problems when paying for his new couch, justice comes for a mattress company.
Click here.
It shouldn't have been so hard (Nov. 14, 2011)
Customers
deal with a complicated bank policy. Click here.
It's been quite a trip (Nov. 7, 2011)
Customers try to recover
credit card charges after travel fraud, a man fights to regain his credit score, a GPS is finally installed. Click here.
A really scary 'zombie' story (Oct. 31, 2011)
Hard line hits too close to home (Oct. 24, 2011)
One year and counting for wedding photos (Oct. 17, 2011)
A couple
is still waiting to receive their wedding memories. Click here.
Deal stalled and so did refund (Oct. 10, 2011)
Car dealer breaks contract
and stalls on refund. Click here.
Car dealer took him for a ride (Oct. 3, 2011)
Dealership promised a GPS
but didn't deliver. Click here.
Case of lost luggage unzipped (Sept. 26, 2011)
A bus company stalls after claim is filed.
Click here.
Left high
and dry after flood (Sept. 19, 2011)
Homeowner says bank didn't renew her flood insurance policy. Click here.
Disconnect
phone slammers (Sept. 11, 2011)
Illegal practice grows on promises of saving money. Click here.
Beware of
those looking to clean up (Sept. 4, 2011)
Before hiring workers, check their credentials. Click here.
A letter
perfect ending to take (Aug. 29, 2011)
Happy ending for Cranford Corner customer, and more on the flood insurance battle
and the Einstein Moomjy service questions. Click here.
The default that
never was (Aug. 22, 2011)
PSE&G gave them a
shock (Aug. 15, 2011)
After utility skipped meter reading for months, customer received huge bills. Click here.
Client says
de-icer did damage and he was left out in the cold (Aug. 8, 2011)
Company says its product couldn't have been the culprit.
Click here.
Getting closer,
but still off track (Aug.1, 2011)
This time, Google
Maps isn't getting people to the church on time, and more about Einstein Moomjy.
Click here.
A county's missing
payment, a landlord's tough call (July 25, 2011)
Bamboozled
EXTRA: Alleged travel scammer Daryl Turner arrested (July 19, 2011)
Charged with fraud in long-running travel scheme. Click here.
Shop called
onto carpet after rug deal gone wrong (July 18, 2011)
Einstein
Moomjy accused of not filling orders or granting refunds.
Click here.
Map glitch brings unwanted
guests (July 11, 2011)
Google Maps directs drivers to woman's home instead of state park. Click here.
Awash in
consternation (July 4, 2011)
After appliance causes flood, a family finding strange drought with insurance. Click here.
Receiving
a refund, one way or the other (June 27, 2011)
Victims
of fraud battle to get their money back.
Click here.
Printer schooled in delays
(June 20, 2011)
District took a year to pay for graduation booklets. Click here.
A home sale
comes up short (June 13, 2011)
What happened when a questionable mortgage modification helper stepped in. Click here.
Failure to communicate
(June 6, 2011)
Car dealer had wrong refund information and didn't follow up. Click here.
Feeling slightly
soaked (May 30, 2011)
Waterproofer won't return
deposits to customers.
Click here.
Sparring with
the gym (May 23, 2011)
Spring Lake man struggles to receive refund check. Click here.
Bamboozled
EXTRA: State officials say alleged travel scammer hid assets (May 19, 2011)
Daryl Turner can't afford to pay back wronged consumers,
but he can buy luxury cars, the state said. Click here.
Satisfaction not
in the cards (May 16, 2011)
Problems still abound over EPPICard, false charges. Click here.
Did travel scammer book a return trip? (May 9, 2011)
There's evidence that Daryl Turner, barred from the travel biz in
New Jersey, is involved in a new company. Click here.
A new twist in an
old case (May 2, 2011)
A warrant for the arrest of Cranford Corner's owner. Plus, and update on the charitable cemetery
story and Habitat for Humanity finally gets paid. Click here.
Fireplace
frustration (April 25, 2011)
Company's work led to need for more repairs. Click here.
A fix to
counter damage (April 18, 2011)
Homeowners say a contractor damaged their kitchen countertop during a dishwasher installation.
Click here.
Corner didn't
give a square deal (April 11, 2011)
Customers say the Cranford Corner didn't deliver merchandise. Click here.
Endless calls are no prize
(April 4, 2011)
Sweepstakes company kept
trying to collect, despite wrong number.
Click here.
Families battle over waste
(March 28, 2011)
Homeowners still seeking
money for damages from sewers.
Click here.
Refund snarled
in red tape (March 21, 2011)
Victims of travel
scam still waiting for their refund.
Click here.To read the original travel stories, click here and here.
Business
practice makeover (March 14, 2011)
State settlement comes to defense of wrongly billed customers. Click here.
High price
for mice (March 7, 2011)
Couple fought back after pest control didn't work. Click here.
Ticket refund
after a death (Feb. 28, 2011)
A fight to
be reimbursed after sad circumstances force a flight cancellation.
Click here.
A family's fight
for mail (Feb. 21, 2011)
Unable to get regular bill delivery, a family asks for help. Click here.
Assisted
living takes care (Feb. 14, 2011)
Banking on
a solution, at last ( Feb. 7, 2011)
When loans got bungled, client got the runaround. Click here.
Bamboozled EXTRA:
Bogus travel businesses settle with the state (Feb. 3, 2011)
Companies covered by Bamboozled agree to pay $3 million.
Click here.
On the trail
of a ticket (Jan. 31, 2011)
Fine issued from traffic light ticket refused to go away - even after it was paid. Click here. On the trail of a ticket (Jan. 31, 2011)
Fine issued from traffic
light ticket refused to go away - even after it was paid. Click here.
Paying attention (Jan 24, 2011)
A pushy salesman and a hasty decision remind us to read
the fine print. Click here.
More waterproofing
woes (Jan. 17, 2011)
Despite promise, Aqua-Dri
fails to return money to couple that canceled contract.
Click here.
Conflict
clogs up the works (Jan. 10, 2011)
Jersey City contractor and Habitat for Humanity hit impasse on sewer work. Click here.
A couple's
costly call (Jan. 3, 2011)
South Plainfield pair
found themselves paying for program to reduce debt.
Click here.
Seniors, not suckers
(Dec. 27, 2010)
Waterproofing company would
not return deposit to couple.
Click here.
Debit card drama (Dec.
20, 2010)
Bamboozled helps child, mom, get money
back.
Click here.
Travel scam
travails (Dec. 13, 2012)
Complaints are growing against man's 12 bogus travel companies. Click here. To read about the settlement with the state,
click here. The
state says travel scammer is hiding assets. Click here.
Tossing and
turning over missing mattress tags (Dec. 6, 2010)
Dad feared bedding for two young children not as advertised. Click here.
When buying
gift cards, it pays to read the fine print (Nov. 28, 2010)
Prepaid debit cards are actually accounts and come with fees
attached. Click here.
Promise
to keep, trials to go before final rest (Nov. 22, 2010)
One woman's struggle with bureaucracy as she tries to get
a family friend buried. Click here.
Beware the
loan danger (Nov. 15, 2010)
Business owner wanted to borrow money, but all he got was a runaround. Click here.
Sure, the
check is in the mail (Nov. 8, 2010)
Winners
of a raffle prize should have been paid cash.
Click here.
A getaway that never was (Nov. 1, 2010)
To read about the settlement with the state,
click here. Evidence the travel scammer is still in business.
Click here.The
state says travel scammer is hiding assets. Click here.
Fighting
state's plate frame find. (Oct. 25, 2010)
Bamboozled
discovered obstructed plates are a common problem. Plus, mortgage relief for some New Jersey homeowners, and a ditty about
"Acts of God" and insurance claims.
Click here.For the original story on obstructed plates,
click here.
Basement nightmares (Oct.
18, 2010)
Families fail to get answers, or money, for sewer backups. Click here.
To read the original story on sewer
backups,
click here.For a little ditty on "Acts of God" and insurance claims, click here.
Trumpeter's
sad tune (Oct. 11, 2010)
Veteran says it was hard to give Social Security benefit of the doubt. Click here.
A wet, stinky
mess (Oct. 4, 2010)
City of Clifton's refusal
to pay for sewer line damage irks residents.
Click here.
'Framed'
for obstruction (Sept. 27, 2010)
N.J. driver learns a partially obscured license plate results in a $55 traffic ticket. Click here.
Stuck in
a messy situation (Sept. 20, 2010)
Couple
fight town after sewer line back up into their home.
Click here.
Next of kin gets runaround
on death certificates (Sept. 13, 2010)
Woman pays for her late mom's death certificates. The check was cashed by Newark,
but her hands are empty. Click here.
Between
a brick and a hard place (Sept. 6, 2010)
Pair want inspector to file claim for chimney damage they say he missed. Click here.
With recalls
or defects, companies hold the cards (Aug. 30, 2010)
Registering about products doesn't mean consumers will hear about
problems. Click here.
Wedding happiness
turns sour (Aug. 23, 2010)
Two year dispute over photography services is clouded shaded in gray. Click here.
Making the
exchange (Aug. 16, 2010)
Also,
a follow-up on Community Surgical Supply, which drops small claims cases after Bamboozled asks questions. Click here. Plus, a few corrections. To read the original story, click here. In the end, consumers win when Community Surgical Supply settles with the state.
Click here.
Contracting job left undone
(Aug. 9, 2010)
Bamboozled steps in when pay for
new windows is not returned.
Click here. Plus, an update on an insurance dispute with NJM
and a car repair company.
Click here for the original story.
Toys "R" Us return policy (Aug. 2, 2010)
Savoring some success
(July 23, 2010)
Couple win $90,000 from their broker.
Also, a Caller ID mystery is cracked.
Click here.
Puzzling
policy (July 19, 2010)
Allstate drops a 29-year client over a missing form (he says he returned it) Click here.
Turning off
a pesky bill (July 12, 2010)
Couple refuses to pay a DirecTV bill they didn't owe, and collections comes calling. We make
it right. Click here.
Phone company
finally IDs caller's problem (July 5, 2010)
Verizon steps up with Caller ID fix. Plus, a taxpayer finally gets her
refund, and yes, that is a real check. Click here.
Only one
thing was staying cold: customer service (June 29, 2010)
A woman goes 54 days without a working refrigerator. Then she called Bamboozled. Click here.
At last,
a refund (June 22, 2010)
Consumer Affairs steps in to help a couple get their money back. Also, Bamboozled helps recover
credit card payments misplaced by two credit card companies. Click here.
A bill that
shouldn't be (June 15, 2010)
Medicare seeks repayment by firm that overbilled for wheelchair rental. Click here. In the end, consumers win when Community Surgical Supply settles with the state. Click here.
Easier said than
done (June 8, 2010)
For two couples, runaround from contractors is dizzying. Click here.
Auto-body odyssey
(June 2, 2010)
Couple's attempt to get Toyota repaired turns into an epic. Click here.
A $59,000
mistake (May 25, 2010)
Social Security reverses its decision about a big Social Security overpayment, and EPPICard fraud
strikes two more consumers. Click here.
Fighting
for refunds (May 18, 2010)
Woman fights for
a refinance deposit from Chase, and another consumer has a deposit dispute with a photographer.
Click here.
Social Security
horror story (May 11, 2010)
Government demands woman pay back nearly $59,000 it says she was overpaid. Click here.
He overpaid
on property taxes. Now he can't get reimbursed. (May 4, 2010)
After 19 years of paying for a piece of his neighbor's
property, he's told he's missed the appeal deadlines. Click here.
A big headache
returns (April 27, 2010)
Another woman gets runaround with EPPICard charges. Click here.
Couple out
$100,000, but who's to blame? (April 20, 2010)
In
long-term investment at Fidelity, money ended up in the wrong fund.
Click here.
Broken promises
(April 13, 2010)
Woman's name left off Verizon settlement agreement. Plus, resolution for our flood insurance couple, the missing
mortgage payment finally arrives for another homeowner and a few choice words for email hucksters. Click here.
Flood of
headaches over insurance (April 6, 2010)
Couple ends up paying twice for flood insurance and no one will help. Click here.
Getting what's
due (March 30, 2010)
Verizon not only makes customer whole, but also admits a mistake. Click here.
Hounded homeowner's
mortgage payment found (March 23, 2010)
Bank
of America finally comes through, but not with a check, yet. Plus, how much the EPPICard provider receives from New Jersey
and tips on buying at auction.
Click here. To read the original Bank of America story,
click here.To see how the Bank of America case was resolved,
click here.
Fight back with $5,000
at stake (March 16, 2010)
Man can't get T-Mobile to recognize fraudulent calls to Guatemala on daughter's cell phone.
Click here.
Still stuck
with debt (March 9, 2010)
After hiring a firm to renegotiate debt, a mom finds her debt piling higher. Click here.
Art buyer
concerned false picture was painted (March 2, 2010)
A man pays $16,000 for a painting at a school's charity art auction
and later learns the piece can't be authenticated. Click here.
This time, a cranky elevator
cooperates (Feb 24, 2010)
We revisit Platform 222 at Port Authority Bus Terminal, plus a cemetery idea and a false ad made
right. Click here.
Account
closed? Maybe (Feb. 17, 2010)
Homeowners canceled their home alarm service contract, but the bills kept coming.
For 18 months. Click here.
Taking on
the IRS when you're in the right (Feb. 9, 2010)
A new homeowner, due the First-Time Homebuyer Credit, is denied by the
IRS. To learn about her fight, click here.
Bank and
Switch (Feb. 2, 2010)
A homebuyer is hounded for already-paid bills after his lender sells his mortgage. Click here. Bank of America finds the payment, but doesn't pay up, yet. Click here.
Same old
problem, same inept response (Jan. 26, 2010)
Two more EPPICard users are defrauded and ACS, the company that manages
the cards, does absolutely nothing to help. Click here. EPPICard has a history with Bamboozled.
Click here to read the second EPPICard fraud case we covered.
To read the first EPPICard fraud case covered by Bamboozled,
click here. For more on how much New Jersey pays the EPPICard provider for services, click here.
Worker fired
for letting his sleeping dog lie (Jan. 19, 2010)
PetSmart fires an employee for "theft of service" after he
keeps his dog in the empty doggie day care facility while he does a favor for the store. Click here.
Facing
bureaucracy in a time of grief (Jan. 12, 2010)
Woman waits on state tax rebate before closing out an estate. Also, man waits for
a refrigerator rebate and more on a postal scam. Click here.
Paying dearly for
financial advice (Jan. 5, 2010)
A couple seeking conservative investments loses nearly $227,000 after a broker's questionable
asset allocation. Click here.
Costly definition
(Dec. 29, 2009)
Family pays twice the estimate for a plumbing job because "confined space" requires a second plumber. Click here.
Her rough ride
(Dec. 22, 2009)
A woman claims a car company's ad is misleading, Bamboozled helps a reader get an overdue referral fee from Brad
Benson Hyundai, and trouble at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. Click here. For an update on the Port Authority escalator, click here.
Fixing
the repairs (Dec. 15. 2009)
Bamboozled helps two customers solve pricey problems with two chimney companies. Click here.
Sorry, wrong number (Dec.
8. 2009)
A Verizon customer is socked with $6.76 per minute charges on calls to India. Plus, a holiday package scam and legislation
that could help Elizabethtown Gas customers. Click here.
Grave problem (Dec. 1,
2009)
Attempts to find relatives' burial sites hits a big-ticket hurdle, until Bamboozled gets involved. Click here.
Relief
at last (Nov. 22, 2009)
Thanks to Bamboozled, AIG agrees to reinstate a grieving family's $100,000 insurance policy.
Click here.
A phantom line,
but real bills (Nov. 17, 2009)
When a recent widower examined phone bills, he found charges for a second line he
never had. Plus, help for frustrated Jersey City residents. Click here.
Bungled bills
(Nov. 10, 2009)
Three customers complain about bill errors by Elizabethtown Gas. Click here. To read about legislation that could stop billing problems, click here.
An old problem
nails a new victim (Nov. 3, 2009)
Another victim of EPPICard fraud, shutting the windows case and a job scam warning. Click here.
Losing a
lifetime of belongings (Oct. 27, 2009)
Storage facility sells items when bill isn't paid. Click here.
Beware credit fakery
(Oct. 20, 2009)
Take on debt problems with solid counseling. Click here.
Being Judgmental
(Oct. 13, 2009)
Winning in court doesn't mean problem is solved, Bamboozled tackles gas card, revisits Caller ID mishap. Click here.
A window
into home dispute (Oct. 6, 2009)
When a window company didn't keep a family updated on delays, satisfaction kept
sinking. Click here.
When saving costs
(Sept. 29, 2009)
Modifying a mortgage to cut monthly payments could impair your credit rating. Click here.
The paper
chase (Sept. 22, 2009)
A medical billing error creates
a recurring nightmare for a 74-year-old widow.
Click here.
Landing
a new deal (Sept. 15, 2009)
Getting a mortgage
modification isn't easy, but it can be done.
Click here.
Checks
and low balances (Sept. 9, 2009)
$10,000
of fraudulent charges are restored to a woman's benefits card - the EPPICard - but the card, thanks to hefty fees, may
not be worth the plastic it's imprinted on.
Click here.To read about a second EPPICard fraud case,
click here.
Caller ID
fixes, lawyer trouble and Sears does right (Sept. 1, 2009)
Verizon steps up and corrects more Caller ID mix-ups, a lawyer scares an ex-client into staying silent and
Sears makes good on customer service troubles.
Click here.
Just
shocking (Aug. 23, 2009)
A JCP&L
power surge causes extensive damage to a couple's home, but the utility says it's not responsible.
Click here.
Dresser
drama (Aug. 18, 2009)
Furniture shop
Raymour & Flanigan finally comes through with its promise to replace a damaged dresser.
Click here.
Chilly
service (Aug. 11, 2009)
Ongoing malfunctions
with a Sears refrigerator, coupled with frustrating customer service responses, leaves a woman in the cold.
Click here.
Read
the fine print (Aug. 4, 2009)
Health insurance
coverage confusion and a giant bill for out-of-network services almost cost a couple big money.
Click here.
One
victory, one warning, one loose end (July 28, 2009)
Story pressures Hess Visa to honor a promise and cardholders win, car negotiations that can land you over the rainbow
and JCP&L refuses to reconsider pension benefits -- but she finds new ammunition for her fight.
Click here.
Sorry,
wrong caller (July 21, 2009)
Several years
of phone calls and still, a man can't get phone providers to correct his Caller ID.
Click here. To read a Letter to the Editor about this story,
click
here.
Paved with promises (July 14, 2009)
A contractor promises he'll correct shoddy work on a family's driveway, but he never shows.
Click here. A driveway finally is installed, and this one is
free.
Click here.
Let's
make a deal - but let's make it in person (July 7, 2009)
Even consumer columnists can fall for scams -- almost.
Click here.
The
waiting game (June 30, 2009)
A man asks,
begs, Elizabethtown Gas to send him a bill.
Click here.
Speaking
up means happier customers, here's the proof (June 23, 2009)
Hess Visa customer gets the rewards he was promised, a phone charge mystery is solved and more possible trouble
for two-named New Jersey drivers.
Click here.
No
gain but lots of pain (June 16, 2009)
One
man fights against unfair New Jersey tax law.
Click here.
Taking
credit (June 9, 2009)
Hess Visa changes
its rewards program, then switches the rules again.
Click here.
Driver
confronts E-ZPass bumps - (June 2, 2009)
A
case of mistaken identity leads to fines and headaches, and no one will look at sure proof of innocence.
Click here.
Smart
shopping pays off with less-expensive health coverage (May 26, 2009)
Confirmation that employer-sponsored health plans are not always the best deal, the feds pull the plug on
robo-callers and I-bonds are not so profitable these days.
Click here.
Sleuth unravels mysterious phone charges (May 19, 2009)
Woman can't find the source of charges to her Verizon
bill
Click here.
You
can learn from vacation nightmare - May 12, 2009
Continental doesn't respond to couple's request for something, anything, to make up for mishaps.
Click here.
AT&T
retiree finds health care savings outside the company (May 5, 2009)
Conventional wisdom says employer-sponsored health insurance plans are the cheapest for workers and retirees.
Not necessarily.
Click here.
Hardly
a case of fraud, just of $850 oversight (April 28, 2009)
A car repair company claims a customer owes more money for completed work because of an insurance payout.
Click here.
A lesson in economics (April 21, 2009)
TD
Bank gives a boy a financial bonus for a summer reading program, then his account is swallowed by bank fees.
Click here.
Small
victory: credit score, MVC updates (April 14, 2009)
Credit scores can be affected if you cancel a credit card, a reader finally gets referral fee and not all New Jersey
two-named drivers have an incorrect license.
Click here.Cruel timing
(April 7, 2009)
A JCP&L employee dies 17 hours
before his official retirement date, effectively slashing his widow's pension benefit in half.
Click here.
Good
credit won't save you from rate hikes (March 31, 2009)
Even borrowers with great credit histories are watching their interest rates skyrocket, and lenders aren't
budging to help.
Click here.
Social Security slip-up (March 24, 2009)
Confusion over a "Jr." and a "Sr." stops Social Security benefits for someone
who relies on those checks. Click here.
Double names spell trouble at the New Jersey MVC (March 17, 2009)
Some New Jersey drivers can't have their legal names on their licenses because
of an antiquated computer system.
Click here. To read a Star-Ledger Editorial written about
the column, click here.
Wary consumers, I'm here to help (March 10, 2009)
