BJ G.

This Canadian company sells expensive products known as Rife Machines, so this review is extensive and covers all the RED FLAGS that I should have paid attention to long before I realized I had to return the machine.

1) If you request information via their website, you will receive a telephone call. And they will keep calling you, and calling you, and calling you, and calling you, until you learn that this is a sales ploy, and learn as I did to tell them to stop calling. As a consumer, it should be clear that you are a) receiving emailed information OR b) going to be contacted by telephone. 1st RED FLAG.

2) When I took this step of telling the saleswoman to stop calling me, I called back and asked to speak with a different salesperson. I still had questions, and wanted to take my time to think about this "very big purchase" without pressure. I told the new salesman that the previous saleswoman was very pushy. And, she tried to up sell me, even though she heard me say, over the telephone and in emails, that I was not interested in the higher end model. UP SELL should always be a RED FLAG.

3) I will now ask myself when I haven't asked to be called, and wanted information by email which is how I thought this information would be sent to me what boundary setting does this company NOT understand OR what do they have to hide? If it appears that information will be emailed but you receive a telephone call BEWARE. 2nd RED FLAG.

4) What I should have done early on was go to a Facebook Group for Rife Machines. In my experience, I saw a lot of adverts and the person running the Group is probably selling a machine. But, you will also be able to post questions, and read people's experiences with various companies. When I mentioned Resonant Light, another member of the FB Group related the same experience of being "harassed" (his words) by sales calls that wouldn't stop.

5) The new salesperson I was connected to at RL kept repeating, ad nauseum on every telephone call, that they offer "Lifetime Support"; in my experience, this was not true. I will elaborate.

6) Once I did purchase a lower end model, staff was helpful as I learned the machine. Responses were usually within 48 hours but I noticed 2 things:
A) It wasn't always the same person who answered my email or responded to my telephone call.
B) My questions weren't always answered so I had to email again this is inefficient. If emails were piling up at RL's end, as I will relate further on, perhaps a staffer needs to look at how many emails are not fully answered the first time. This company embodies the maxim: "There's always enough time to do it twice, but never enough time to do it right."

Here is what happens: The next CSR in the queue gets the email or telephone call! So there's no consistency. In many of my emails, parts or an entire question were missed because CSR didn't take the time to READ the email in its entirety. So it took yet more of my time to write back that they hadn't read the email and answered my questions.

If LIFETIME SUPPORT is offered, isn't this part of LIFETIME SUPPORT?

And, sometimes, I would get different answers to the same question!?

7) In the Manual sent with the machine, and in the materials sent by email, I found a handful of errors. This is a frequency machine, which means it generates electricity. Some of the errors were glaring and, in my estimation, posed a danger. For a company in business 23 years, I would expect a qualified editor to have gone over the Manual and email materials with a fine tooth comb. 3rd RED FLAG.

8) The unit I purchased came with accessories. Nov 24 I received a severe burn from an elbow accessory my skin turned black. I emailed RL, and cc'd the salesman. It was suggested that I try a "few things", which I did; I continued to get burned. I reminded RL again on Nov 28 about the burn. Dec 5 I asked what frequency sets I could use for the burn I received. I received no answer until Jan 15. Instead, CSR suggested I use sticky pads!

It took over one month for the salesman to respond. 4th RED FLAG. His response? A $50 refund.

(9) Having worked for ER MD's in research for 22 years, I was grounded in excellent research, organizational, and tracking skills. I learned to ask a lot of questions to make sure I was getting the correct data, and, that I could verify the data. Apparently I crossed some invisible LIFETIME SUPPORT LINE that prompted an email from the owner of the company. (SEE 11)

(10) "We love to hear feedback, and hope you will share your experiences with us as you go along on your healing journey."

The above was a sample of what I would receive periodically from CSR staff. I assumed that they encouraged feedback so that they could incorporate it into their website or literature. But my questions they did not like these, especially when it shed light on errors in their manual OR instructions OR called attention to the fact that they were not completely reading my emails so that I had to repeat myself

(11) In February, the staff apparently had become so overwhelmed by general CSR requests from the public that the owner of the company started to answer some of the emails herself; as luck would have it, she answered one of mine. When I realized that she hadn't read my email, that she answered what she wanted to answer, the questions that seemed to interest her, I asked that she not answer any more of my emails.

"What I find interesting is that there is always enough time to do it twice, but never enough time to do it right. Otherwise, we'd not be having this distasteful conversation.
I asked not to communicate with you again and that's not negotiable. I also find it interesting that before I purchased the PG3, staff was helpful, encouraged my questions. Once I purchased the unit, that level of commitment fell off, and now you consider me demanding. A lifetime of support. Right."

While the owner apologized, she said that when I requested that she, the owner, not answer any more of my emails [I'd expect flubs and misses from staff but when the owner flubs and misses then that's a 5th RED FLAG] that that minimized her and placed undue stress on her staff.

My response: "You have placed undue stress on me. I made that request about not sending my emails to you because, in my experience, whenever a person doesn't read an email, and especially when it involves a machine that can cause injury [as the PG3 did with a defective elbow accessory] then NO, I don't want to talk with that person again. Asking NOT to talk with you was about taking care of myself; cc'ing was to cover my bases."

The owner's response: "Your requests have been, in my humble opinion, very demanding. Questions that are not support related which take much time away from customers who are using the PERL for terminal cases."

The irony is that my questions were support-related, as I am showing in this review but the owner had not read my email to "know" that they were support-related.

And that was the final straw that and the word "terminal." So there was a priority queue at RL if you were dying.

I replied:
"I find your response unprofessional, off-putting, defensive, and distasteful. You hit with one hand, and soothe with the other. I have questions; if you see my questions and concerns as demanding, then you've lost sight of providing good customer service. I've been burned by a defective accessory from RL; I am even more cautious now about using this machine, given that I still have the marks of that burn on my arm. So yes, when it comes to the operation of the machine, or using it in a new way, then I am going to ask questions, and, it was why I requested a telephone call to ask about the sweeps. My request again was ignored. Your reply has been disturbing and disrespectful; this is the last communiqué you and I will have. Your email will be blocked anon."

So readers, if a RED FLAG goes up, pay attention to it. If another RED FLAG goes up, get ready to circle the wagons. Even though I did months of research before purchasing this machine, and asked questions of the salesman and the CSR staff, I was still blindsided by this company. What I would have done differently was to find a FB group or any other group sooner and try to get a feel for others' experiences with a company. A company is only going to publish good things on their website it's up to you, as a potential purchaser of their product, to find all the reasons NOT to purchase their product before you consider doing so.

I placed an order & received a confirmation which showed what I had paid AND a picture of the product. Not many companies do this, but this company did. Brilliant. Perhaps consumers can start to ask businesses to post a photo of what was purchased; it would be a time & grief saver.

While the company sent me the wrong product, I was able to reply to their email & refer them to the picture.

Not only did this company give me a refund, they went one step further, which surprised and delighted me.

While many businesses write standard, rote, and boring emails, this company stood out because it was obvious that there was a kind & thoughtful hand behind the words.

Kindness. It is missing in so many business communiqués.

But not DiamotaceousEarth.com.

While I am new to their products, and don't have much to say on that score, on humanity and kindness, they knocked it out of the ballpark.

Maybe this is where World Peace starts after all.

At the 1st interview, BEFORE I had even done a mock lesson, (and, before they hire you) DaDa wanted a copy of my passport!

This felt suspicious.

When I asked the reason, I was told that they wanted to be sure of my nationality, and they wanted to make sure I was a native English speaker. I pointed out to the youngster interviewing me that a passport doesn't tell you whether a person is a native speaker. This went over her head.

I also tried to explain that she was putting the cart before the horse; that you don't ask for a person's passport unless you are hiring them.

Trying to explain this to an interviewer who had, at best, a grade school level of English comprehension gave me a headache.

Exercise extreme caution if you're thinking about teaching English online with a company that asks for a copy of your passport before you do a mock lesson, and, before you're officially hired.

POSTSCRIPT
I encountered a similar request from a British-based company that wanted my date of birth. I pointed out that in the United States, asking someone their date of birth is discrimination; alas, I didn't hear back from that company. I did, however, assure them that I was over 18.

Ive vended for eight years at fairs/markets in Portland Oregon, southern Oregon, and northern California.

Three important lessons Ive learned:
- if you inquire about a fair/market that youve heard is good, and its filled,
Asked to be placed on the wait list
- it doesnt hurt, the week prior to the fair/market, to call and ask if there have
Been any cancellations [I did this twice and there were, and I got in]
- if youre on the wait list, dont be surprised if youre called the night before or
The day of [this happened to me three times] so be prepared, and be flexible,
If youre on a wait list

Vendors had told me about a show at the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Grants Pass Oregon. I checked it out; there were still spaces left, so I applied. I did not know there was a 30 day cancellation policy; I had applied less than 30 days before the mid-December date.

At the last minute, I had to cancel. My car was in the shop, and the mechanic thought that a part he needed would be delivered in time for me to drive to the show. Alas, the delivery was delayed, and I had to cancel. I gave 24 hours notice. I asked that the promoter wait until the dust from the show had settled to send a reimbursement check.

The week before the show, the promoter had sent an email to say that he still had booth spaces open for rent. In all the years Id been doing fairs/markets, no promoter ever made this known in an email. When you think about it, it telegraphs that there has not been enough interest, there has not been enough promotion, the fair/market is still new, but worst it communicates that its not a good venue. You dont give away your hand while youre still playing it.

When I wrote to the promoter, to let him know of my cancellation, this was his response:
My usual policy for refunds is when people give me 30 days notice. That way, I have time to fill their vacancy. At this point, there is a booth here with your name on it, and I have spent your money on renting the building, paying for insurance, advertising in the newspaper, radio, posters, handbills, banners, etc. It hurts the show to have empty booths. However... I am willing to offer you a 1/2 price booth at my next show (which is the "Winter Art & Chocolate Festival" in Brookings on Feb. 10-11,2018). It's my flagship show, and is not easy to get into. There is always a waiting list and I think you will be a good addition to the show.

I thought his response heavy-handed, pushy, and patently unnecessary; I also felt that he was yelling at me at the beginning of the email.

My response to the promoter was:
While I understand policy, life does happen.

What I didnt say was that I felt cheated. That he was giving with one hand and taking with the other. What I wanted to say was Do you think this can possibly be called a good business practice?

But I didnt. I limited my response to: While I understand policy, life does happen.

Life does happen. And as a promoter, you need to be aware of this, and prepared for this. You have to be flexible, because vendors have a network and they talk. Between customers at shows, the talk usually turns to What shows have you done lately? What were the good shows? Which shows should I stay away from? The dirt does get dished, but then vendors have the responsibility to research further, talk with more vendors, search FB, read reviews, and then make the best informed decision that they can.

As a promoter, you also need to hear that if you keep my money and offer me half price on your next show in my book, thats mercenary. At the least, you could deduct an administrative fee, and return a per cent of my check. Thats reasonable. That makes good business sense. That buys you good future karma.

As I said, this is the first time Ive come across not having a check refunded. How many times have I cancelled in the last eight years? Twice. Each time, because the fair/market was a well-attended one, the promoters understood good business practices, and, wanted good things said about them to encourage vendors to continue to frequent their venue.

Perhaps you feel differently about refunds, but I dont like being manipulated like this.

This is a woman who claims to be a medical medium; she apparently also is an acupuncturist [it says this on her website] and chiropractor, yet when I asked her if she was an acupuncturist, she said no, she was a chiropractor. Red Flag #1.

When you call this office to book, you will be asked for a credit card number; dont give it. Find another practitioner. Because heres what happens: a) the first appointment is $300/hour; b) all subsequent appointments are $300; and c) if you follow up with questions by email, the office staff wont tell you HOW these are priced. Red Flag #2.

This practitioner, at the end of the telephone consult, will give you an email address, and encourage you to write her with any questions. But heres the quicksand (see c above) when I asked her office staff at what point are you charged for questions, I did not receive an answer. These delimiters should be clearly defined, not left loosey, goosey, and lets face it, if this office has your credit card number and youve crossed over the number of questions you can ask, but HEY GUESS WHAT no one told you where that line was get out of there. Red Flag #3.

There was another telling red flag which I should have paid attention to early on. On her FB page, this practitioner had posted something to the effect of how poor she was or that she never had enough money words to that effect. When I put that piece together with the dicey, not explained way that follow-up questions are charged this is an office that has lost its moral compass. Red Flag #4.

Oh. And did I mention that she was 20 minutes late for the telephone consult? And, offered no apology. And, rather than tuning in as a good medium will, she asked me what was going on. Red Flag #5.

NOTE: in order to book an appointment, you have to have read Anthony Williams book Medical Medium. Which I had done. This is a worthy book, and I organized the foods I needed based on how he outlined certain conditions. So I had a good handle on my conditions, and an excellent handle on the foods I needed. So if you consult this practitioner youre going to be doing all the work. This is a lazy practitioner. When her voice suddenly became animated at the end of the consult, I knew something was off. That animation was giving me the email to which to send questions. [SEE RED FLAG #3] And she spent more time talking about other questions her patients had had than she had answering my questions. Red Flag #6.

And questions? I started off with a list of questions. Thirty minutes into the consult, she suddenly said: Is there anything else?

To which I said But you didnt answer my initial questions so I had to repeat myself.

This practitioner apparently was never taught The Golden Rule to apologize for being late; this practitioner posts inappropriately, and unprofessionally on FB; this practitioner lowers the name of what she does.

My advice: make sure all the rules, regs and delimiters are clearly defined, and outlined. If you can, find a practitioner whose face you can see. BTW this practitioner doesnt do Skype. I wondered if this was because she was doing other things during the consult. So face to face, so you can ready body language, and, if anything inappropriate and unprofessional occurs, you communicate a world by getting up and walking out.

Then notify your social network, write a letter to the person who recommended the practitioner [if you were referred], and report the practitioner to the Better Business Bureau.

FINAL PIECE OF ADVICE: trust those red flags. At the first sign of the second red flag, cross the practitioner off your list and proceed to the next name on your list.

This company posted on FlexJobs for mystery shoppers to hotels. I responded early August, had an interview, downloaded the checklist (a prerequisite for the next stage of the process), then was told to wait until September because they were behind in processing applicants.

The company rep didnt follow up with me so I contacted her early September (she had forgotten), and she put me in touch with the orientation trainer.

This next piece of information is important: on the checklist from the interviewer, it said you could download free MP3 recording software; however, when I finally heard from the trainer, she referred me to a link to PURCHASE the software. This should have been the first sign that one hand didnt know what the other hand was doing. Both personnel were in different places geographically.

The trainer also sent a link for software so that she could share my computer screen during the orientation. She said to download the package that said FREE. However, all three packages said FREE. When I asked her to clarify which one, she said, again, the FREE one. On the website referred to, there were 3 products and all were FREE. I wrote her back to ask for clarification, and, because she was answering her calls from her cell phone, could not see the website in its entirety.

This is a case of quick quick and more quick. And, dont pay attention to what a prospective employee may be calling your attention to in your hiring process which may be a point you need to clarify so that its not confusing, and, time-consuming. This latter point is also important. This quick quick and more quick energy Im referring to, which I believe has its roots in the speed with which our technology sometimes forces us to move, is what I refer to as people being in a hurry to die. As Paul Simon sings: Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last.

I then contacted the company [cooolsoft] whose website she referred me to for the MP3 software. This companys business calls were taken by SWREG. (I have previously reviewed this company for SiteJabber.)

You could call a toll free number to purchase the software if you didnt want to order online and give credit card info; this I did. However, SWREG failed to email the vendor (cooolsoft) to let them know to send me the link to download the MP3 program.

So when I followed up to find out where the link was, I was told the email had never been sent, and we were back to Square 1. I notified the trainer, because I had an orientation session that same day, and asked to reschedule because it would be another two days before I received the link.

This is the email I received from her:
I would like to thank you for your interest in HSN however it does not seem like HSN is a good fit for you. I wish you the best. Again thanks for your interest.

Steer clear from The Hotel Shopping Network. This is a company that does not take responsibility for the businesses they refer you to, and dont like to be questioned if you call their attention to their lack of research or inconsistency. Upon reflection, it also seems to me that they dont respect diversity. By this I mean that the cooolsoft website, via SWREG, gave people the option to call on the telephone to give a credit card number rather than QUICKLY download software.

More and more people are having their personal data stolen or compromised; if The Hotel Shopping Network doesnt take the time to read the details of the companies theyre referring to, and, dont honor a persons right, and desire, to protect their personal data by NOT directly downloading because again, its quick, then theyll have to take responsibility for their actions.

I applied for and was accepted for a job that required that I download MP3 recorder software. I followed the link I was sent by my prospective employer to a company called cooolsoft.

There was an option to call a number and place your order by telephone if you were uneasy about entering your credit card online. I opted for that, and was connected with a company called SWREG.

The number I reached was in the Philippines. The CSR I spoke with talked very fast, her English was not good, and I had to continually ask her to repeat herself. I also felt as if I were being shouted at. When all of this happens, I ask to speak with a supervisor because their English, in my experience, is usually better.

I was told by the supervisor, after he took my credit card info, that it would be 2 days before I would receive a link to download the software. NOTE: he did not say 2 business days, he said 2 days.

Four days passed and still no link. I called SWREG and was on hold 59 minutes before I reached a supervisor. His research into my purchase showed that the request for the link to download the software had never been sent?!

So now I was back to Square 1 because that email had to be generated again, and it would be 2 business days before I would receive the link. My total time on the telephone with SWREG this second time was 72 minutes.

The irony of our global world is that I call halfway around the world to order a product from people who HAVE jobs, dont speak good English, except, in my experience, the two supervisors I spoke with. They drop the ball, cost me time, and potential earnings.

In the global world, this kind of wait time is not acceptable; if youre going to keep me waiting, as this company did on both my calls, then I should receive Frequent Flyer Miles that should provide enough motivation to provide better service, and that includes CSR staff who consistently speak good English.

Heres the bottom line regarding TIME: When I have to struggle to understand a CSR because theyre talking too fast or not understanding English well enough to understand my questions, then my time is increased on the telephone because a company has chosen to outsource, which wastes my time so that company can save and make money.

If there is another company that you can order MP3 recording software from, take that route.

In April 2016, I signed up with Spectrum; it was the only game in the town I live in.

When I signed up, I paid extra for a box that, in the event of a power outage, would provide backup power for 24 hours.

In July 2017, I received a letter from Spectrum informing me that during a recent audit, it was discovered that Spectrum installed a standard modem instead of a battery compatible device.

Translation? They sold me a piece of equipment that did not do what I paid extra for it to do, which was to provide back up power for 24 hours in the event of a power outage.

A technician came and checked it out. I thought it was possible that Spectrum had made a mistake. But Spectrum hadnt. They sold me a worthless piece of equipment AND it took them 15 months to discover this.

When the technician left, I called Spectrum to speak with a supervisor.

Spectrum has a policy that you can only receive one credit per year, which is a poor business policy, and I told the supervisor this. AND, since I had paid for a device that didnt work as it was advertised AND it took the company 15 months to figure it out, I felt that I was entitled to some compensation. My proposal was a month of free service for cable, internet, and telephone. The supervisor hemmed and hawed, and finally relented with an offer of $21.99. I pushed back, again citing the fact that Spectrum had sold me a worthless piece of equipment and it took them 15 months to figure it out.

The supervisor said he had to consult someone else, and came back with an offer of $50, to which I said no and hung up the phone.

Then I wrote this review.

The world has already gone to you know where in a you know what. And I am getting tired of doing other peoples jobs and not getting paid for it.

As a consumer I can only say that when something is installed by a company, ask them to check their work to make sure theyve installed what you paid for. Tell them that this happened to you once before and now you always double check that youre getting what you paid for.

In this case, Spectrum is a ghost [or spectre] of a company that does not understand how to spell good customer service. Shame on them for bullying this consumer or thinking that she would excuse such an egregious mistake, and an unwillingness to compensate fairly.

Stay away from this company, unless you have time on your hands to waste, and wish to be at the whim of disorganized minds.

1. The assessment is over 1 hour long.
2. I had to repeatedly follow up to find out the results of my assessment; this took over 1 month.
3. Once I was given access to the job portal, this is how it works: A job is posted along with the responsibilities and SHIFTS very important to pay attention to. You can say no to a job and the system will most likely tempt you with another post.
4. I was told to check the site every day.
5. Pay is minimum, which is about $9.75/hour; the hours youre expected to work per week are not posted.
6. Here was the latest and it was a debacle: I found a job that I liked because of the SHIFTS so I chose an interview time, prepared the screenshots, logged into the job portal, sent the screen shots, and then logged in for the time of the conference call.

Heres how the Conference Call goes: There were 22 people on the line plus the presenter. The presenter talked like she was addressing kindergartners. The presenter went through a series of screens. E.g., These are the days of the training. Can you commit to these days and times? When everyone has answered yes or no, then the next screen comes into view.

BTW the days of training were given, for this post, in the job portal, and I knew I could commit to the days given. NOTE: these training days had NOT changed from the date the job was posted, which was only the day before.

We were about three screens in and it asks about SHIFTS. I look at the days and times. Theyre different from the ones on the original post!

If I make a decision to apply for a job and commit my time, energy, and resources to prepare for an interview, I expect the SHIFT that I applied for, based on my schedule, to be the same during the interview.

But it was not.

From my experience, it would appear that Sykes doesnt care if they waste applicants time.

Stay very far away from this company. Good luck trying to get a live person on the phone. Be prepared for whoever you speak with in customer service to cut you off before youve completed a sentence. We wont even go into how the question I asked on the support page was answered with gibberish, because she a) didnt read it, b) read it so fast that she didnt read it, or c) couldnt read.

Charter Spectrum is the only game in the town where I live. But if you live in a place where you have a choice, dont choose Charter Spectrum.

Here are the four most salient reasons:
1. In the list of movies in the ON DEMAND Section, the movies are not all in alphabetical order! Can you imagine a company doing business this way? Bottom line? It doesnt hire people who know the alphabet.

2. I have clicked on a movie on the various cable channels and discovered, to my dismay, that the movie playing was not the one listed at the bottom of the screen! In other words, the movie was mislabeled. I find this a double insult that this company hires people who misfile movies. Every time a customer discovers something like this and reports it, they should be given free cable services for life.

3. The majority of movies are B-rated or less, and should not be in the repertoire. And, the violent movies outrank the non-violent 8 to 3.

4. When a movie is rolling credits and I want to see who was in the cast, Charter Spectrum usually interrupts with a commercial for another program! REALLY!? What ever happened to letting the viewer have the complete pleasure of a movie? And whats so important about 30 seconds that this company wont let a good movie roll its credits? Shame on you Charter Spectrum.

For what you pay for cable, demand better service. If you cant get it from Charter Spectrum, then find a better company. At least a company that understands the price of doing good business.

Stay very very far away from this company. It is not a company you want to entrust your childrens tutoring needs to.

I answered an ad on craigslist for this company.

For a tutoring company, they are in desperate need of tutoring in how to a) communicate, b) write less dense instructions, c) hire staff who understand the English language, and d) hire staff who understand what constitutes good customer service.

AN EDUCATIONALLY CHALLENGED TUTORING COMPANY
So you have an understanding of how challenged this company is:
I applied April 27, and was accepted as a tutor; at the time, I told them I would not upload personal data over the internet because my personal data had been compromised and hacked twice. I asked them to please send me a mailing address. This concept of mailing address never registered, as I was never sent the mailing address. Over the course of my correspondence with this challenged company, I asked three times for the mailing address.

When I finally reached someone at the office and this company does not place clear messages on their answering machine I was told to try back in late August/early September (because they are closed for the summer) to send my application. Another note on their answering machine: the message says theyll be there between 3pm and 6pm; every time I tried during that time, no one answered the telephone. This company didnt have the smarts to say they have summer hours!

WHAT THEY FAILED TO COMMUNICATE
I finally found out that there is a Director of the South Gate Center named Zelda, who is the only one on staff during the summer. This is not on their voice mail!

This company has their communication wires severely crossed.

WHAT I DID TO PREPARE MY PACKET
I had a TB test done, which I had to pay for, and a Livescan (fingerprints) which I had to pay $69 cash.

NOTE: Neither the TB test nor the Livescan is refunded. AND, A+ will deduct $70 from your first check to cover tutor binder and any kind of supplies that we send to you to conduct the tutoring sessions. If and when you choose to leave the company and return all supplies, the money will be refunded to you.

July 12 I emailed again (no one was answering the telephone or returning my messages), and told them that I was getting my Livescan that day. It was a 50 mile round trip to get the Livescan. I told them I have left repeated messages with your office.

That day, I finally received a communication from A+ tutors which said NOT TO GET MY LIVESCAN!? Really? What a coincidence.

OK. So what was going on with this office that NOW they respond when I tell them Im going to get one of the essential documents required for hiring?

A+s email to me on July 12, after I got my Livescan said Todays email is the first one that I have received. And I replied. As my office hours were never 3-6, I know who failed to respond to you. Looking for ward to working with you next year.

This email message was from Zelda.

And not even a well constructed message. But this story gets better.

SEPTEMBER FOLLOW-UP
I emailed again early September, as I was told to try back late August, early September, which is when the school year starts. Another data point this severely challenged company failed to communicate. I assume tutoring happens year round. Again, not clear communicators.

AGAIN, I asked for the address.

I received no reply. So I made a decision to contact the owner, Jennifer Valdman, M. Ed.
I told her the following:
-- I was at an impasse because my packet was filled out and ready to go on 7/12 but I was not given an address to mail my packet to; and, that I had asked for that address three times.
-- I had asked for that address because my personal data had been compromised twice in the course of two years, so I would not submit my personal data over the internet to A+.
-- I had repeatedly called and emailed A+ after I completed the packet and continued to receive no response from A+.
-- On the day I got my Livescan, I was told when I returned from getting the Livescan, not to get the Livescan!?
-- Later that night of getting the Livescan, I received a telephone call from a staffer (not Zelda) from A+ tutors who had been privy to my unanswered emails REALLY?! And wanted to help. I told her I was disappointed, and angry, at the lack of communication on A+ Tutors part.
-- Zelda asked me to contact her late August/early September, which I did, but had received no reply.
-- I told the owner that I was requesting a refund of my Livescan fee of $69 and withdrawing my application.

THE OWNERS RESPONSE:
Thank you for your email. However, this is the first time I hear from you. We are very prompt at replying to all of our applicants and our email and phone are listed and like I said this is the first time I hear from you. We do not reimburse for Livescan as is clearly stated on our application page. You applied on-line in April and we asked for you to submit all of your paperwork right away so that you can tutor the students we had until June. You did not submit the paperwork and so we deactivated your application as the school year ended. If you wish to possibly work with us this school year (if there will be work available in your area) we can keep your application on file and contact you then to have you send us your documents. If you still want your application deleted from our system, we can do that as well. Let me know.

MY RESPONSE
I WAS TOLD NOT TO SUBMIT ALL OF MY PAPERWORK!
It sounds as if one hand does not know what the other hand is doing.

You are not prompt to responding to your applicants. Do you know how many emails I sent before the staffer I referred to below picked up that no one had responded to my many emails?

NO ON TOLD ME MY APPLICATION WAS DEACTIVATED! Yet another example of derelict communications. If I hadn't written to you, when were you going to tell me this?

You did NOT ask me in April to submit all my documents.
You need to get your facts straight.

What kind of a business are you running?

Zelda asked me to contact her again Aug/Sept, which I did.

And now you're telling me my app has been deleted?!

A+ Tutors is a disorganized communication-challenged organization, and I intend to tell as many people about you as I can.

OWNERS 2nd RESPONSE
I am sorry you feel that way, but we always strive for our communication to be prompt and clear. We also have all of our communication documented in our system and this is the first email I received from you. According to our records, Zelda has told you to submit your HR paperwork (which she documented in our system) and you did not submit your paperwork to tutor the students we had in your area last school year.

Per your request, we will delete your on-line application from our system. If you choose to reapply in the future, you are more than welcome to do so. Again, I am sorry for any misunderstanding, but all of our procedures were followed and documented in our system per company procedures.

MY FINAL RESPONSE
Don't sugar coat your shortcomings.

Zelda is wrong.

I clearly told her that I could not submit on line because my identity has been compromised twice already by submitting online. She said she would give me the mailing address.

Jennifer, the more you try to excuse the ineptitude of your staff, the deeper you dig yourself in a hole.

Your company has cost me not only $69 which I cannot recoup, but xerox costs, time, and resources.

You are a poor excuse for a business, and especially one that tutors.

Maybe you think you documented what went down, but again, YOUR STAFF DID NOT COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE.

I initially applied to Bushido, and was directed to a website that wanted money for me to upload personal data. I wrote to one of their team members. They didn't know there was this link. Then they wanted me to send them the link. I told them to review their own website; that was their responsibility, not mine. [1st RED FLAG]

From the get go, this company, in their initial application, wants you to offer world changing suggestions for their company. Really? I dont know you, and you want me, from the get go, to give you my ideas for how to improve your company? [2nd REALLY REALLY BIG RED FLAG]

I have now had about 4 exchanges of email with Wendy Bingaman, Talent Management Team; she takes over a week to respond. [3rd RED FLAG].

I still cannot ascertain what the pay is, and if I am paid for training. [4th RED FLAG].

Now Wendy has offered that I speak directly with the President. [5th RED FLAG].

I searched for reviews about this company. I kept reading the words political, and head games. I decided not to apply. So be wary.

This company is murky. Not upfront about what is what. If it has taken me this many emails to understand how this company works and still I cannot find if they pay for training and how much it is, AND how long do I have to be a member of a Triangle Team? This is another dark area. And, you have to join a Triangle Team. Your time on this team can vary. When I read between the lines, it sounds as if I invest my knowledge and expertise with an existing Bushido client for free so that Bushido gets to charge that client. Again, murky murky murky.

Why should I invest my hard-earned talent and expertise into helping someone grow their company and contacts without fair compensation? And oh yes, read the fine print: there is a section of the application where you have to email 3 friends for their input or ideas. [6th and FINAL RED RED RED FLAG].

If you want a reference, that's one thing. If you want my friends' input or ideas, that's thievery.

Postscript: Its estimated that for every one job listing, 60-70 are scams. This may not technically be a scam, but there are too many hoops, too many freebies that this company wants before you get hired, if you get hired after you email 3 friends for their input or ideas, and after youre on one these infamous Triangle Teams.

I answered a craigslist ad for online teachers of English to students in China.

After my application was accepted, I received a clear message from the administrator, who was located in Italy. The interview time had been set, I had prepared my lesson, and I was ready to teach the lesson Id prepared. FYI, the time difference was 15 hours.

I was told by the administrator to prepare a 15 minute lesson, which I did. I rehearsed it, I practiced; a lot of thought went into it.

First, technology proved to be a problem for the interviewer. But as it turns out, that was not only challenge. She had trouble managing her household, where the interview was held.

Her baby was in the room with her. It was distracting. An older man wandered in a few times during the group interview. You could see him on the screen. He had a lost look on his face and he stood there for about 20 seconds. The baby was taken out of the room, but wandered in three more times. All of this occurred during the course of the Skype call during which individuals were being interviewed.

As it turned out, my answering questions, as did most of the others in the group, lasted about 30 seconds. I kept wondering when my chance to give the lesson plan I had worked so hard on would happen.

Then the interview was over!

While I understand that we now all live in a global village, the rules of courtesy and respect still apply. Would you bring your child and one of the older occupants in your household to an interview you were to conduct at a brick and mortar company?

You certainly would not.

Stay far far away from this company. There are others on the web more professional than Le Waijiao.

Apparently, in China, where respect is such a large factor in their culture, it has not transferred itself to the hiring process of this online company.

The bottom line? When I wrote to the administrator in Italy and told her what had happened, she was going to speak to the interviewer. Fine. But the professional gesture and the right thing to do would have been to reschedule me with another interviewer.

Its my feeling that many of these online companies, Le Waijiao among them, have an assembly line mentality. No one took the time to THINK about the ramifications of this kind of unprofessionalism.

I let the Italian administrator know that in addition to SiteJabber, I would notify my social network, who in turn would notify their social network, who will in turn

You get the picture.

Im writing the review of this company so that others who read may learn to take a breath first, then read the computer screen, then decide what action to pursue.

And, I dont know if what this company did was legal; I certainly didnt think so. But why did they decide to advertise this way [by breaking into my computer] rather than taking out an ad?

COMPUTER CRASH
July 26,2016 I was working a freelance citation assignment, searching online newspaper sites mostly in the Middle East. After only a few hours into the assignment, I received a message on my computer screen.

What I later learned is that when youre on sites in Europe/Asia, the sites are not as secure as ones in the U.S.

WHAT DID THE MESSAGE SAY?
This is key: It had the name of my internet provider on it, and the Microsoft number to call because my IP address had been blocked. It told me not to touch my computer or log out.

I called the Microsoft number, which was legitimate, and found out that I did not have a Network Access Protection Plan. I had one when I first purchased my computer, but I wasnt told about it, or I had forgotten, and, it has since expired.

NAP will run about $125 for 3 years, $175 for 5 years, and $250 for a lifetime.

FYI: Microsoft has to buy certain network securities because Microsoft does not itself provide these securities. So Microsoft referred me to a 3rd party NAP [Company A] from whom I purchased a contract, which I cancelled by the end of the day because the technician had made a serious installation mistake. I called Microsoft back and asked for another 3rd party NAP recommendation.

HERES WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING
After installing a NAP, the second 3rd party [Company B] that I ended up going with told me not, under any circumstances, to respond to another message that showed up on my computer screen. Company B placed their telephone number on the bottom tool bar because when these messages appear on your screen, they can block the entire screen, and, you dont think you can access any of the files on your desktop, as I thought I couldnt.

So what happens? The next day, another message pops up on my screen. AND I PANICKED. When in this state, I dialed the number on the screen.

The number belonged to supportbuddy.

HERES WHAT I ENCOUNTERED AT SUPPORTBUDDY
Staff with very thick accents. Staff that tried to convince me that I needed their service. The costs they cited were a one-time fix of my computer + additional costs for network access protection. The one-time fix was well over $100; the NAP protection would be additional.

I was in tears; I was exhausted. Already with the earlier computer crash, I had lost a day of work trying to problem solve, research NAP companies, and then working with the technician I was glued to my computer for the many hours it took to problem solve and install the NAP. I learned a lot that day, not the least of which was patience.

Two days later, I was screaming on the telephone to supportbuddy until I realized this was a scam. What supportbuddy was showing me had already been fixed by Company B. But most importantly, and this is the slimy thing:

Supportbuddy asked for permission to access my computer. I gave it to them; what a fool, and never again will I do that. Then they showed me a screen which I know Company B had already fixed!

So supportbuddy had uploaded a screen onto my computer that showed errors and danger symbols for a number of files on my computer. The screen was bogus. It had paid off to stay glued to my computer screen while Company Bs technician was problem solving and installing the NAP because I recognized the screen that supportbuddy was now telling me was the problem.

When I realized what was happening, and remembering that this screen had been shown to me by Company B, I said to supportbuddy that they were a scam, and asked them to disconnect from my computer. Scam is my way to say to a company: Im on to what youre doing. It may be legal what youre doing, and it may not be, but youre not going to do it to me.

Now supportbuddy may not be a scam company, but the way they did this, coming in through the back door, creating unnecessary panic that, to me, is unscrupulous, and the equivalent of internet terrorism.

WHEN THE DUST HAD SETTLED and heres where it gets really interesting
I entered supportbuddys number onto the block list on my telephone. Guess what? I already had entered them in 2015.

That number BTW is *******221. I remembered the first time supportbuddy called. It was to tell me they were Microsoft, that something was wrong with my computer, and that I had to call them back immediately. Again, the voice that left the message was heavily accented. When I called the number and asked where they were located, I was told Beverly Hills CA. [I lived in Los Angeles for 30 years, and I knew Microsoft didnt have an office there.]

Now I have enough experience with Microsoft to know that I would never receive a call from Microsoft; it was then that I added them to the block list on my telephone.

NOTE: First they were located in Beverly Hills CA, and as of July 2016, theyre located in Bakersfield CA.

IS THIS LEGAL?
Why cant this company advertise like other companies do?
And where can I file a complaint about this online terrorism?

MOST IMPORTANTLY
Think of the number of people this company and, I will assume, other companies prey upon people who arent technically savvy, or dont understand whats going on.

As it turns out, it would have been alright for me to close the screen when I saw it telling me not to close the screen but instead to call *******221, which is not a Microsoft number. How do I know? I keep a Word document of all the Microsoft numbers [technical, Windows technical support, accounting et al], which I did look at, but again, I was exhausted, I was falling terribly behind on a deadline, and my judgment was not clear all fertile ground for panic to set in.

DEBRIEF
If this happens to you, and youre not sure what to do:
- take a deep breath, and maybe two
- call your internet provider first and tell them what the message says
- ask your internet provider if you do indeed have a problem on your computer
- OR call the company that you have NAP with and ask the same question

The NAP company will run a scan to see if your computer has been infected or if there are any problems. Once this program is installed, you can run it yourself.

Its a dangerous world out there in the ether. Stay safe, and protect yourself and your computer.

In our day and age where we all seem to be in a hurried state of agitation and urgency from the time we spend with our technologies, seeing these messages on your screen while youre working at the speed of light this is exactly what these companies are preying upon, knowing that you most likely will call.

FOOTNOTE
I also reported the number to the Do Not Call Registry. While technically the DNC may not apply, I told the DNC what had happened. There should be a place to file complaints about companies who come in through the back door, via your computer. If anyone knows of such an organization, please share this.

I have Windows 7. It works fine for my purposes and I want to keep it.

WINDOWS AUTOMATIC UPGRADE
In May, I started to receive nasty messages to upgrade to Windows 10. Constant. Every time Im on the MSN homepage, its there. Then Microsoft went as far as starting to upgrade my computer without my permission! Thats when I called technical support on May 19.

I was on the telephone for an hour, much of that time repeating my questions, or asking the technician to listen to the question I was asking, not the one he thought he heard, or what he understood.

WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN
There was a program that needed to be removed from the registry to prevent the notifications for the Windows 10 upgrade from happening. I thought the technician had taken care of it.

But the notifications started again this morning, May 27, as Microsoft began to install Windows 10 on my computer! I called technical support. Again.

DEALING WITH OUTSOURCED HELP
I made a decision when it comes to speaking with outsourced technical support: If I have to struggle with the language comprehension skills of the person on the other end of the line, I ask to speak with a supervisor. If theyre talking down to me, if theyre cutting me off, I ask to speak with a supervisor. In my experience, their English has usually been better, as well as their social interaction skills. This was the case with the supervisor I spoke with.

I have also started to ask how many years experience the technician has. But the Microsoft supervisor would not divulge that information; I wonder why?

WHAT STILL NEEDED TO HAPPEN
What I uncovered was that there are 2 programs that need to be removed from your computers registry in order to stop Microsoft from automatically upgrading you to Windows 10:

Gwx. Exe
KB 303 5583

My total time for this call to get an issue resolved that should have been resolved the first time was 52 minutes almost 2 hours of my time TOTAL. If Microsoft is paying its outsourced technicians to do a job, then Microsoft must provide exactly what has to be done for the technician to do their job.

ASK FOR A CASE NUMBER
When I gave the supervisor my last case number, he looked it up, reviewed what had been done, and lo and behold discovered that the gwx. Exe program had not been removed.

QUALITY CONTROL
Why doesnt Microsoft have someone review these case numbers to make sure that both offending programs are removed?

Microsoft increases its profit margin by outsourcing. And Microsoft trades off that with my increased time on the telephone. Thats not good business, and its not respect for the customers that built Bill Gates Empire.

And where did Mr. Gates learn that you can automatically upgrade a customer without their permission? And why does Mr. Gates insist that people have the latest and greatest? Isnt this part of the get the latest and greatest technology mindset which is eroding the fabric of our life, and our wallets?

TIT FOR TAT
If youre going to require me to spend 2 hours on the telephone to resolve a technical issue, then issue me credit as a customer, issue me frequent flyer miles give me something in exchange for my time. And curb your arrogance that believes that everyone should have and will benefit from the latest and greatest.

I keep track of how much time I expend after Ive paid for a product that develops a problem:
A) to find the right person to speak with in customer service about the problem
B) to explain to the CSR what the problem is without being interrupted or told this has never happened before when this happens, I have to start all over again

Oftentimes, I have to explain the problem again because the CSR thinks they know what the problem is before Ive finished explaining it, or they answer a question I did not ask! [This is a recent phenomenon in our culture.] In which case, I have to start all over again. The fascination with speed that many CSRs have, that Ive encountered, negatively impacts overall customer service satisfaction. Problem-solving without listening is asking for trouble.

So I keep track of my time and what I have to go through to [hopefully] have a problem resolved. I also note when it reaches a point of diminishing returns, as it did with Promolife.

WHAT A GOOD BUSINESS THAT PUTS THE CUSTOMER FIRST LOOKS LIKE
They also take into account what youve purchased in total from their company, and how long youve been buying from them.

MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH PRODUCT MALFUNCTION [May 9-10 2016]
In December 2015, I purchased a TDP Lamp [$129] from Promolife, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Not only did I purchase a TDP lamp but three heating pads of various sizes. The total was over $329.00 for all items.

On May 8, the lamp stopped working. The company was not open when the lamp malfunctioned, so I called the next day.

After my three calls to Promolife, and then their call to the manufacturer, it was suggested that the lamp stopped working because a fuse had blown. I was directed to open up the plastic housing under the lamp and replace the two fuses. Two fuses were included when the lamp was shipped. Do you assume blown fuses are a problem with this lamp? I do now.

When I opened the plastic housing under the lamp, I saw to my horror that the components of the lamp were a jumble of wires. Nothing had a place where it fit comfortably so as not to be compromised or have its function impeded once the heavy plastic housing was shut and screwed closed.

What had happened was this: one of the fuse holders was misshapen and I could not extract the fuse to replace it. It looked as if when assembly was completed that the jumble of wires was pushed into the housing and this one fuse holder was compromised.

The compromise happened because behind this fuse and on the plastic housing was a liquid which looked like something had melted.

I asked the CSR if she had seen one of the plastic housings of the lamp I was referring to; she had not. So not having seen the housing, she had no visual of the manufacturers shoddiness when assembling the housing with the jumble of wires. And what potentially could happen when wires are shoved haphazardly under a heavy plastic housing.

Yes, I took pictures and sent them to the CSR.

HOW DO YOU TABULATE YOUR TIME?
AND WHAT VALUE DO YOU PLACE ON YOUR TIME?
It took time for all my telephone calls, the cost of those calls, my emails to, and answering emails from, Promolife, taking pictures, emailing the pictures, and yes, lets not forget, going without the product.

When I calculated the costs of all of the above, I realized I had reached a point of diminishing returns with this purchase. This is an important concept to consider as a consumer. Is the company asking you to spend more of your money on something that is covered, in this case, by a 6 month warranty, which has the word limited in it, by the way, which is biased in favor of the company? And further, is the fault of the manufacturer.

I believe the answer in this case is YES.

ASKING FOR A REPLACEMENT LAMP
I asked for a replacement lamp as it was still under warranty. I was told NO. I was told that I had to ship it back at my expense! The lamp weighs 12 pounds.

I responded that given how the manufacturer assembled the housing of this lamp, I didnt trust that the same thing would not happen again, and asked again that a new lamp be shipped to me.

Promolife said NO. I had to pay shipping there [about $15], and they would pay shipping back; this was their idea of a compromise.

ADDITIONAL COSTS
So now in addition to all of my time, my costs, the time of the CSR, the CSRs supervisor, the manufacturer Promolife was asking me to spend more money with a product under warranty. I would have to package the lamp, drive to the Post Office, drive back home. Then you have the cost of the package being received, the paperwork found, the repair person understanding what has to be done, the repair, and repackaging to reship. It would have been more efficient and cost effective to have a new lamp shipped to me.

What kind of a company insists that you throw more money after bad? Especially on the heels of how the housing under the lamp was a jumble of wires asking for a malfunction. When they had photographic evidence of the misshapen fuse, it should have stopped there and a new lamp should have been shipped as my lamp was still under warranty. However, Promolife said my warranty didnt include parts.

But the part was damaged by the manufacturer. And, the shoddiness of the housing is the issue here along with the warranty, as well as my concern that the same thing will happen again. Lets face facts: the manufacturer is suddenly not going to reconfigure the housing and place wires out of harms way.

NO ONE MENTIONED THE MANUFACTURERS SHODDINESS
It would have been different if Promolife had been concerned about the shoddiness of the manufacturer from whom they purchase these lamps, and wanted it back for evidence, or maybe to evaluate if they should purchase from another manufacturer. Or had taken a lamp apart to see to what I was referring. No. They were focused on fixing it, incurring more of my time and theirs, let alone mailing expenses, the time of the person to fix this etc etc.

From a customers point of view, this is penny wise and pound foolish.

From a customers point of view, this is also not good customer service, especially since they had pictures of the bent fuse I sent and the jumble of wires in the housing.

Common sense as well as economic sense seems to have flown out a window. Do the math, and put a dollar amount for all the time costs outlined in this review. And do it for anything like this that you encounter in the future.

It was particularly galling when the CSR wrote back: The estimated shipping cost will be around $15 USD which is all it will cost to get your lamp repaired and delivered back to you.

THIS IS NOT ALL IT WILL COST ME
And this is not all it HAS cost me.

Then it occurred to me: If Promolife believes this is all it will cost to get your lamp repaired then theyve left the customer out of the equation, havent they?

Businesses with these kinds of blinders on shouldnt be in business.

And, businesses should be familiar with their products and how theyre assembled, as well as potential hazards that might prompt customer complaints and returns.

A warranty is a warranty. Mine expires June 15. The date of this interaction with Promolife was May 9-10. Its not only the issue of the warranty, but also the shoddiness of the manufacturer which is the pink elephant in the room that Promolife doesnt want to talk about.

Because that means Promolife might have to place the reins on their profit margin and think.

Raleigh Hills Oregon New Seasons
1. When you bring in your own bag, you get a nickel credit.
2. Recently New Seasons started a BAG IT FORWARD Program.
3. The checker is supposed to ask you if you want to donate your nickel.

I went there to shop & saw my nickel credit on the cash register screen and assumed I was given the credit. The checker did not ask me if I wanted to bag it forward.

I called the store up when I got home because I noticed on my receipt that I had not been credited.

The staffer at the store suggested that it was a miscommunication.
I told him there was NO COMMUNICATION -- the checker did not ask me if I wanted to donate my nickel but assumed it.

This is disconcerting that this New Seasons store is making an assumption about where I want to donate.

When you presume/assume the little things, what follows?

The Frank Estate in Portland OR looks nice on the outside, but don't let the looks deceive you.

When you're considering a move, check out a company's BBB rating. Holland Residential has an F rating. That's "F" as in Frank Estate.

I will elaborate on each point in turn:

1st -- Portland has no rent control laws so landlords are free to charge whatever they want.
2nd -- Holland Residential manages the Frank Estate & is concerned about internal appearances only & has no loyalty for long-term renters.
3rd -- Getting repairs done on the outside of buildings is like pulling teeth; one should not have to fight to have safety issues addressed.

1st -- When Holland Residential took over management, rent increases began to double & then treble. Last summer, a neighbor told me his monthly rent increased $650/month. Yes, you read that correctly. Mine increased $200/month.

Holland gives out "dog" baskets each month to owners with well-behaved dogs. It's the law to pick up after your dog. Why doesn't Holland take that money & put it into repairs?

2nd -- Two years ago, Holland Residential sent out letters to 41 tenants [I was one of them]. The letter said that they had to renovate these apartments. Note that Holland had been renovating as tenants left; now all of a sudden, 41 families had to either a) leave the property, or b) find another apartment on the property. One tenant had been in her apartment for 15 years; there was a couple in their 80's that received a letter; it was going to take them months to move out, so they'd be paying rent on two units.

When a company sends a letter to evacuate for renovation purposes, they have to give you 2 months notice, which Holland did.

Holland would not pay any moving costs if you moved to another apt on the property.

UPDATE: Holland is planning another round of renovations, which "could take years" I was told. If Holland sent notices to 41 families in the past to leave, do you think they'll hesitate to do it again?

Another neighbor told me that the pipes that run under the property are very old. There was a burst pipe last year that created a small sinkhole. Rather than ask tenants to leave to renovate the interior, the better business investment would be to repair the pipes and the foundation of this property. What good does it do to have an up-to-date kitchen if the foundation falls out from under the building? They're apparently replacing all the appliances. Mine work fine; why replace?

3rd -- As one of the 41 tenants asked to move, I found another unit [of course it was more expensive than what I was paying because it was renovated]. I was not yet ready to leave permanently.

There was a step of the concrete stairs that lead to my unit that was very uneven. I asked Holland Residential to repair it. I had already fallen on it twice because of the unevenness, and that was in May/June when there was no rain.

It rains about 10 months out of the year here, and stairs become slippery; add leaves that fall on the stairs, you have an accident waiting to happen.

Holland refused to repair the step. In fact, the manager at the time came to look at the step [I made sure to cc: the Corporate Office on my communiques]. The manager looked at the step & said -- oh yes, we have these all over the property!

Still, he would not repair it.

So I did the research & called Building Departments in Portland. I found out how much a step could slope [in inches] before it had to be fixed. I was shuttled from department to department though because the buildings on this property are so old that apparently it's difficult to enforce the building code. Either that, or no one wanted to tangle with Holland Residential.

I reported my findings to Holland. They still refused to repair the steps.

There was also a huge crack in the step from the driveway that led to the apt below mine. It was easy to catch a heel in that crack. Holland would not repair that either.

My total research time exceeded 20 hours, this included emails & telephone calls to various Building Depts in Portland.

When Holland told me again that they would not repair the step, this was my response:
I will let the neighbors know that Holland cares more about greed than they do the safety of their residents.

The step & the crack were repaired within a month after this last communique to Corporate.

One should not have to pull teeth to have safety issues addressed.

ALSO, there are deep cracks in the driveway through the property; and even though for 3 years in a row now the driveway has been re-tarred, the cracks -- some very large -- continue to appear.

Have been a Wells Fargo customer for 11 years. I always, as in always, pay my Visa bill in full. There have been a few times when the US Mail [for whatever reason] delayed in delivering the paid bill.

Recently, this happened again. I called to have the late fee & interest charge credited on the next statement. I was told they could not do it because a late fee & interest charge had already been credited in the last 12 months.

What's especially irksome is that my bills are always paid in full; yet if the US Mail delays in delivering, I'm charged a late fee & interest.

They can see from my record that I've paid no late fee & interest over these 11 years, or that if it has been charged, it's been reversed.

Wells Fargo does not value loyalty. That, and no one has the the time to read a record, listen to what a customer is saying, and make an executive decision. Whatever happened to loyalty? Don't companies think that customers will write reviews, notify their social networks, who in turn, notify their social networks?

I have also had interactions with Wells Fargo staff who've made the following remarks [unthinkable in terms of quality customer service]: "I have brain tumor and I don't remember faces"; and "I thought you had more money in your account than this!"

I applied to Amazon Handmade -- you have to be reviewed & approved in order to sell -- as they want to make sure products are really hand-made.

SO I was accepted, then started to build my online shop.

Learning curve is very very very steep. You have to make sure you hit the right button so your call or email doesn't get routed overseas; in my experience, if it's other than a U.S. agent, the call takes 4 times as long; I know this because I log my calls from start to finish & keep track of the minutes.

As I was ready to launch my online shop, I found that their categories were limited -- only 5! I make handmade crayons. On one of my calls with a Seattle staffer, it was suggested that I categorize it under Kitchen & Home.

If you're looking for a craft item, would you look under Kitchen & Home?

So Amazon created Amazon Handmade to compete with Etsy et al BUT they put the cart before the horse, launched the thing, but didn't have the wide vision to create the categories FIRST. Other crafters have complained about this but nothing has been done to expand the categories.

Here's what Amazon is doing: they've been offering artisans a chance to sell for FREE, from about Oct 1,2015. But come August 1st, you'll be charge $39.99/month.

It feels like they're trying to seduce artisans into a free deal.

I wonder how close to that August 1st deadline they're going to have the appropriate categories?

It does me no good to create a shop, put in the hard work to make the site appealing but then realize that the categories don't exist so that customers can find my product.

I asked Amazon who was at the helm there in Seattle.

And what person/business in their right mind would create everything else -- I receive tutorials & suggestions about 2x/week -- but what good are these, I asked, if my product isn't classified in the correct category so customers can reach me?