The consumer whiner-baby whines, complains, suggests and advises U. S. corporations about problems with their products and services

by James K. Sayre

The beginnings:

Although undoubtedly I have always been something of a complainer since the early days of protesting against the Vietnam war in the middle 1960s, I never bothered to complain about defects with consumer products. A very sweet girlfriend from the early 1970s inspired me: she wrote fanciful letters full of invented outrage to food product manufacturers about how she "was terribly embarrassed at her recent dinner party by the poor quality of their product XYZ." The manufacturer of product XYZ would typically respond to her with an apologetic letter and a coupon or two for a free box, can or bottle of product XYZ. As a very part-time job, her complaining paid pretty well on an hourly basis. I was duly impressed.

A series of consumer letters from 1995 to 2004: (I have tried to keep my complaints "reality-based" although some may be considered trivial by some (note: unfortunately,"reality" seems to be getting a very bad name in the 21st century)).

Drugstore ads deceptive because they omit the cost of postage for mail-in rebates from the alleged product cost savings Drugstore ads deceptive 2004
One-handed Waste Management garbage collectors in Oakland, California balance "doing their job" with simultaneous cell-phone yakking with the other hand. One-handed garbage collectors15 April 2004
Replacing old battery in Carol Wright Gifts "Made in China." electronic door chimes very difficult. Electronic door chimes 30 March 2004
Smelly vitamins Smelly vitamins 21 March 2004

Bagged Braeburn apples with brown-rot interiors Brown-rot Braeburn Apples 18 March 2004
Circuit City electronics store "bait and switch" sales tactics? Circuit City 20 April 1998

Reduced "grace period" of Optima credit card. reduced grace period 31 March 1998

So-called "free checking account" at California Federal Bank, Foster City, California So-called "free checking" 26 January 1998
Winc bottle corks way too tight! Wine corks too tight 4 May 1995

End.

 

This web page was recently created by James Sayre.

Contact author James K. Sayre at sayresayre@yahoo.com. Author's Email: sayresayre@yahoo.com

Copyright 2007 by Bottlebrush Press. All Rights Reserved.

Web page last updated on 27 October 2007