Category: product complaints

Pro American sport DEAD to me

On By Rick McIn dead to me, ethics, product complaints, sport - proLeave a comment

I don’t watch much Pro American sport in any case. But news in recent weeks motivates quitting NFL, NBA and MLB completely. There’s too much monopoly, money and “tradition” for Pro sport to evolve for the better. Pro sport is DEAD to ME. 😦

Devaluing of women by big-time sports must stop

boycott-nfl-model-with-black-eye-ray-rice-controversy-the-jasmine-brandNFL BOYCOTT

Sadly, revoking the NFL Tax Exemption wouldn’t bring in much revenue. The NFL has  plenty of lobbyists buying off Congress.

I’m going to end up supporting only athletes who are underpaid, none who are overpaid. 😦

Even as the league is under fire for its handling of domestic abuse, one of its biggest problems remains on the field. New NFL estimates project that up to a third of all retired players could develop some form of long-term cognitive problem — such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia — due to head injuries suffered in games.

Frontline –The NFL’s Concussion Problem Still Has Not Gone Away

NHL is Pro Canadian sport, of course. 🙂

 

 

Calgary’s new $245m library

On By Rick McIn books, product complaints, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Calgary must have the crappiest library in Canada for a city this size.

By crappy, I mean there are hardly any functioning toilets left in the old building. 😦

But the new library, hopefully opening 2018, does look sweet. It will include a public train line for access.

centrallibrary

related – Free library cards a ‘key tactic’ of Calgary Public Library rebranding set for 2015

Eliminating card fees will have a relatively minor impact on the library’s roughly $54-million annual operating budget. Membership brought in $1.4 million — slightly less than Calgary branches raised in fines.

plastic could be killing you

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, health & fitness, product complaintsLeave a comment

I curse the stuff, even when it isn’t killing you. It’s so breakable.

AVOID as many things plastic, as you can.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

(via Hiking in Finland)

Comcast Worst Company In America 2014

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, ethics, internet, product complaints, things getting worseLeave a comment

Congratulations To Comcast, Your 2014 Worst Company In America

Worst-Companies-in-America-2014

A new example of how Comcast sucks.

Ryan Block, formerly of Engadget and now at AOL, called Comcast to cancel his service, but instead of politely obliging and going ahead with his request, the representative on the line insisted on taking him through a circular argument to find out the reason why he was canceling …

Block was able to capture about eight minutes of the call and has posted the audio to his Soundcloud account …

Comcast’s customer service nightmare is painful to hear

Yeesh. That is painful.

What’s the response from Comcast?

Comcast Memo: Rep From “Painful” Retention Call Was Doing “What We Trained Him To Do”

dailymail.co.uk is DEAD to me

On By Rick McIn dead to me, product complaintsLeave a comment

I’m boycotting.

The Mail Online is by some measures the world’s most popular online newspaper. It is also shameless—a grotesque compendium of sensational tabloid stories, unverified viral memes, anonymously sourced gossip, thinly veiled sexism, prurient clickbait, and hypocritical moralizing.

Clooney explains why I’m boycotting:

I’m, of course, used to the Daily Mail making up stories—they do it several times a week—and I don’t care. If they fabricate stories of Amal being pregnant, or that the marriage will take place on the set of Downton Abbey, or that I’m running for office, or any number of idiotic stories that they sit at their computers and invent, I don’t care.

But this lie involves larger issues. The irresponsibility, in this day and age, to exploit religious differences where none exist, is at the very least negligent and more appropriately dangerous. We have family members all over the world, and the idea that someone would inflame any part of that world for the sole reason of selling papers should be criminal.

George Clooney Is Right About the Daily Mail

VisaCenter.ca FAIL

On By Rick McIn bad news, product complaints, travel3 Comments

Bottom line: I recommend you NOT use Visa Center Canada.
___

If you ever want to go to Brazil, know that the process for getting a travel visa is difficult. Brazil “reciprocates”, asking of YOU whatever your nation asks of a Brazilian traveling to your country.

I recommend you use a 3rd party company to HELP you with the application.

Visa Center Canada seemed to be the biggest and best in Canada. AND they had a drop-off Office in Calgary. I went in person to be sure my application was done correctly.

(Online instructions are confusing. For example, the size of the required mugshot PHOTO is listed differently on different pages. I assume the size requirement has changed over the years.)

It takes 3 business weeks to get a Brazil visa. Canadian and Brazilian holidays MIGHT mean that it could actually take 4 weeks. I saw no option to speed up that process. By comparison, I can get a visa to China in 2-3 business days, if I pay.

The girl at Calgary Visa Application Center (DROP-OFF ONLY) 400 5th Avenue SW was very helpful.

We filled out everything carefully, so far as she was concerned. Sent all documents to Vancouver.

NEXT day I got an automated email stating:

Your documents for VISA BRAZIL TOURIST MLT have been received. Unfortunately we are unable to process your order at this time.

The reason for this is: need online application form.

The girl at the Calgary Office had printed out a copy of the application form. I’d filled it out correctly. Attached the needed documents:

• passport photo
• letter detailing my trip
• hotel
• copy of bank statement
• copy of my 2013 income tax declaration

It’s not cheap. I paid about CDN$240.

As I had only 3 weeks to get this visa before flying out of Calgary, I was worried.

I went back to the Calgary office next morning. The girl was surprised to see me back.

We telephoned and I was told we had done the application incorrectly. We had printed a blank form. And filled it out in pen. Then signed it. The way the girl in Calgary had always done it.

By phone I was told I must (instead) fill out the online form. Print it so it includes digital bar codes. Sign it. Email it to the Vancouver office.

Having lost time, I immediately did as requested. Sending the NEW application form to the Vancouver office.

vancouver@visacenter.ca

I also copying this general address:

info@visacenter.ca

In my email I emphasized:

Time is critical on this application as I fly to Saudi Arabia soon. I’ll need my passport back.

It was your Calgary office that resulted in this miscommunication. Please explain to Calgary the correct procedure.

Sincerely,

Richard Blake McCharles

___

I feared that these few lost days would result in me having to fly out of Calgary without my passport in hand.

I hoped that when a company like VisaCenter.ca screws up like this, that they would have some sort of fast tracking process to put my application into the queue where it should have been, had they not screwed up.

Unfortunately the Vancouver office of VisaCenter.ca is not very efficient. My main contact there was a woman named Susan. She was slow in responding. She was wrong or incomplete in her answers to my questions. (I would urge VisaCenter.ca do a performance review on Susan.)

There were a couple more days delay.

In the end, Susan finally admitted that we had run out of time to get this visa before I flew out of Calgary. That honest statement was the only moment I had any confidence that she’d follow up on anything she told me.

I asked that she rush my passport back to me. At any price. She said she’d courier it immediately, at a cost of about $30.

I was relieved.

I cancelled my Brazil trip. But was happy that this incompetent company had not completely lost my one and only passport.

… Unhappily, the Vancouver Office of VisaCenter.ca did not put my complete address on the package. Here’s what they did:

IMG_2020

It took several more days to finally get delivery of my passport, 6 days before I flew.

Here’s the address correction adding the essential condo unit number:

IMG_2013

Avoid VisaCenter.ca, if you can. Try a different company. Or go directly to the embassy or consulate.

I’m copying VisaCenter.ca the sad story of one disgruntled customer. If they have any response, I’ll add it here.

Bottom line: I recommend you NOT use Visa Center Canada.

visacenter FAIL

email openinternet@fcc.gov

On By Rick McIn economics, government, internet, product complaintsLeave a comment

… the FCC voted to move forward with their new proposed net neutrality rules. While somewhat tempered from the original rumored proposal, the proposed rule is still far-sweeping and controversial. …

If you have strong feelings about the proposed rule, now’s your time to be heard. …

The e-mail inbox the FCC set up for accepting comments …

openinternet@fcc.gov

Consumerist – How To Tell The FCC Exactly What You Think About The Proposed Net Neutrality Rule

open internet

Here’s the message I sent them:

faster internet, wider delivery and more competition

Tell me honestly that Wheeler’s current proposal will result in faster internet, wider delivery and more competition.

You can’t.

It won’t.

We want what they have in Korea, Japan and Europe. Or better.

DISAPPOINTED in the FCC and the Obama government. This is the kind of anti-competitive legislation I’d expect from Republicans.

Mike Elgan has 3,291,744 followers on Google+.

https://plus.google.com/+MikeElgan/posts/DQQmXzwrpAi

I trust his opinion as do hundreds of thousands of others. His opinion is my opinion:

Wheeler has managed to forward his proposal to kill net neutrality in a country where almost everybody wants net neutrality. He’s doing it by exploiting the ignorance, gullibility and passivity of the public, the anti-regulation platform of the political right and truckloads of money from the industry he serves at the expense of the public. …

read on … How Tom Wheeler’s FCC plan will wreck your Internet.

email openinternet@fcc.gov

Or don’t complain if your Internet service is slow, expensive and crappy in future.