Consumer Karma

Category: Consumer

  • Debt Collectors Now Offering Gifts?

    That appears to be the case. I cannot say exactly how I came to possess this particular piece of mail, but all I will say is that it was not addressed to me. Yeah, the economy has been lousy for a while, and we’ve certainly not been living the high life, but we have not…

  • Credit Counselors Who Can’t Pay Their Own Credit Card Bills?

    With the sad state if the economy these days, I’m seeing my share of ads on TV and online that tout the benefits of credit counseling services. I don’t know a whole lot about that industry, but I presume their stated intent is to assist consumers who want to reduce their debt and learn how…

  • Woman Pays Court Fine With Stolen Credit Card

    It’s not uncommon to hear stories about stupid criminals. There are even television programs devoted to the subject. I suppose it’s bad enough being exposed as a crook, and even worse for earning a reputation as a stupid crook. This description seems to fit Maria Elena Booker, a 40-year-old woman from Arizona who actually used…

  • Closing Credit Card Account May Damage Your FICO Score

    Now here’s something I had never heard of before. Who would have imagined that closing a credit card account could have a negative impact on your credit score? One would think it would be a positive move, since you certainly would not be using that card to rack up more debt. But, like the Wall…

  • Integrity Financial Partners Barking Up The Wrong Tree (866-951-8055)

    Ever since I decided to get my own cell phone and give the one that we shared to my wife for her exclusive use, I’ve been getting strange calls. Actually, they all end up being strange voicemail messages, since I very rarely use my cell phone. and it spends the vast majority of its time…

  • Auto Insurance: Mark Your Calendars

    I’ve used this space to talk about the advantages of shopping around in the past. Some people shop around diligently and always make sure they are getting the best deal possible. Me? I was never like that. It always seemed like too much of a hassle to be calling different retail outlets or businesses to…

  • Overseas Call Centers

    I know I’ve talked a bit about overseas call centers in the past, and voiced my displeasure about dealing with them, but I wanted to cover the issue more in-depth this time. I’d also like to lay to rest any notion that I am a racist or bigot and don’t like people from other countries.…

  • Amica Is The Real Deal

    In my quest to escape the unreasonable policies of MetLife insurance (see previous post) I decided to give Amica a call. I had seen their advertisements on television which featured their customer service awards and happy, satisfied customers. I’m not the type to be taken in by a lot of promises and am usually doubtful…

  • It Definitely Pays To Shop Around, Part 3

    Well, it’s been about three years since I dropped OneBeacon auto insurance and signed on with MetLife for a substantial savings. It was a great deal at the time and saved us a nice chunk of change. A year or so ago, when my youngest son got his license and his own car, I finally…

  • Pipeline Data Releases Quarterly Statement

    Here’s a bit of news that’s bound to bring a tear to the eye of any current or former customers of Pipeline Data, Inc. whose experience may have been similar to mine. In it’s latest quarterly ’10-Q’ report, which the company must publicly release by law, they reveal that things didn’t go so well during…