• KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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    3 months ago

    DOT’s rule also puts an end to airline runarounds by requiring refunds to be automatic, prompt, in the original form of payment, and for the full amount paid.

    This is perfect. I just had to chase a few travel companies for refunds they owed me. The cancellations were the fault of the companies, not mine.

    Every single one of them requires you to call some hidden phone number who tells you to download an app, and part of your refund is always disputed. It literally takes hours just to figure out how to complain.

    They take your money in 5 seconds, but give it back in “5 to 7 business days”.

    • robojeb@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      They take your money in 5 seconds, but give it back in “5 to 7 business days”.

      This is the thing that pisses me off most. After spending hours arguing when they finally relent it will be “up to 30 business days before you see your refund”. I had one company take 120 days to refund my money when my venue had to be cancelled during COVID, money that I had to pay the moment I booked.

      • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        At that point you have to complain about it to your credit card provider. They are literally taking your money. 30 days is not acceptable, let alone 120 days.

        I complain once to the merchant and if the money isn’t going to be refunded soon, I call the credit card company. Try not to threaten or call again. Literally just escalate at the sign of problems.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        During COViD, I had flights cancelled on me. It was a discount carrier that first claimed “no refunds”. When I called and pointed out COViD regulations requiring it, they relented and gave me a credit for their shitty airline, expiring in a year. However after two years, I did get an actual refund … never again flying JetBlue

  • Landless2029@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago
    • Ensuring accountability for companies that provide bad service. People shopping for products or services should be able to rely on customer reviews to assess which companies will provide streamlined service and not waste their time. The FTC has proposed a rule that, if finalized as proposed, would stop marketers from using illicit review and endorsement practices such as using fake reviews, suppressing honest negative reviews, and paying for positive reviews, which deceive consumers looking for real feedback on a product or service and undercut honest businesses.

    Wait. No more fake reviews? No more supressing honest negative reviews?

    I’ll believe it when I see it. Let’s see how Amazon/Google/Yelp handle this.

    Let the lobbying commence!

  • Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.win
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    3 months ago

    One thing I’d like to improve the clarity on or outright declare/enforce: put a limit on the wait time allowed. Fixing chat bots, and website directions is one thing, but still being put on hold for 2 hours because the company doesn’t pay for sufficient phone staff is BS.

    • Verdant Banana@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      and it does not make companies pay the phone staff a living wage either furthering the problem

      this all just show for the election with no plan to carry through

      • Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.win
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        3 months ago

        In '21 a bill to more than double the minimum wage to $15/hr failed due to Republicans in Congress, and Biden used an Executive Order to increase Federal Worker minimum wage to $15/hr. The issue isn’t Democrats here. Vote Blue if you want to empower Harris and Co. to enact these changes they clearly also want to implement.

        • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          In '21 a bill to more than double the minimum wage to $15/hr failed due to Republicans in Congress Democrats pretending that an unelected clerk with only a strictly advisory role had veto power

          Fixed it for you. They had the votes.

          The issue (mostly) isn’t Democrats here

          Fixed that too.

          While there’s no doubt that the American Fascist Party is much worse in probably every way, the Democrats HAVE been known to make a ton of vague promises around election time that they don’t follow up on as well as breaking concrete ones that their owner donors don’t like.

            • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              They want the Democrats to ignore the parliamentarian and include these changes in a reconciliation bill, which only requires a simple majority. It’s not a real solution, just a way to blame Democrats more. The main problem is the people voting down good legislation, not that the ones in favor “aren’t trying hard enough”.

              • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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                3 months ago

                yeah this attitude of you should be able to circumvent the other party and you even get ones who are like well republicans do illegal shit so democrats should to to get their way. Its like um, if they did I would not want to vote for them (really did not bs, hot air, claiming they did type stuff (of implying they are going to))

                • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  I wouldn’t actually have a problem with them sidestepping the parliamentarian, but acting like it’s the lynch pin to regularly getting good legislation passed is silly.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          In '21 a bill to more than double the minimum wage to $15/hr failed due to Republicans in Congress

          With the help of 8 members of the Democratic caucus.

          There will never be another national minimum wage increase. And every centrist loves it that way.

          Note that I said national. Not “well, it covers government employees and blue states, so you worthless flyover morlocks be happy with 2.13 plus tips because we’ve got ours, fuck you.”

            • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              If you want to pretend that Republicans didn’t have help from Democrats, don’t expect zero pushback.

              And I clearly limited my criticism to the anti-labor centrist wing of the party.

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            3 months ago

            “And every centrist loves it that way.” bull. fucking. shit. im a centerist and agree to raising the minimum wage even though I would prefer a maximum wage. don’t make generalizations.

              • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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                3 months ago

                I guess it depends on what you think of as center. By republican standards im super commie liberal whatever just like any opponent they face no matter how conservative, but by like 1970’s standards im just left of center.

          • AA5B@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            worthless flyover morlocks be happy with 2.13 plus tips because

            That’s what they chose with their votes, and they object to us Trying to give more. Just like they vote against healthcare coverage and object when we try to cover them anyway

              • AA5B@lemmy.world
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                3 months ago

                We’re not (supposed to be) a tyranny. If they keep rejecting additional aid, keep turning away quality of life improvements, don’t accept our money to raise them out of their mess, at the end of the day, that’s their choice.

                If they want to vote against their own best interests, blaming gerrymandering and manipulation hasn’t gotten anywhere and they need to take responsibility for their own votes. I’m running out of fucks to give

                • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  If they keep rejecting additional aid, keep turning away quality of life improvements, don’t accept our money to raise them out of their mess, at the end of the day, that’s their choice.

                  And the people in those states that don’t that to happen? Guess they deserve lifelong poverty for being outnumbered. You got yours. Fuck me. And you wonder why the party that happily gloats that they have nothing they’re willing to offer red states keeps losing red states.

        • Verdant Banana@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          justice delayed is justice denied

          Biden has not even been a strong supporter of raising the minimum wage and just giving some lip service to it is a slap in the face to US people

          last time workers demanded better he squashed it by threatening workers with their livelihoods

          • AA5B@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            BS.

            • He used executive action on federal employees because that’s all he’s allowed to do. Speak to your congressional Members.
            • He ended the strike and then worked to get it anyway.
            • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              They know, they spew their propaganda wherever they can. They’ve had their “errors” pointed out dozens of times. It’s willful misinformation at this point.

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            3 months ago

            whats the point of this. you would prefer he did not raise it then because its just lip service. I mean the term lip service means talk without action but clearly the minimum wage was raised.

    • NinjaTeensy@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      New direct file from the IRS is a good step forward. It is very simple but not everyone is eligible yet iirc.

      • Landless2029@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Its so simple I’m disqualified from using it because I have a HSA.

        Now pass federal universal healthcare and that’ll go away so we have no issues.

        • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Is that because they don’t have the info from the HSA?

          I thought the point of systems like this is that they prepopulate everything they know, and then you fill in the rest?

          That way it’s quicker, and you dont accidentally miss something they know about and get in trouble with the IRS wasting everyone’s time?

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            3 months ago

            Is that because they don’t have the info from the HSA?

            Lol wat

            If you are part of us financial system, they got it.

          • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            Nope, direct file got neutered. It’ll only work if you ONLY have to file a 1040 - it doesn’t work if you have ancillary reporting like an HSA, stocks, retirement plan, etc.

  • MagicShel@programming.dev
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    3 months ago

    A new Internet provider came to town and we jumped from Comcast. Waited up to two hours multiple times trying to get through to someone to cancel the account, and couldn’t. So we just let them turn our service off. We don’t have any of their hardware so there are no continuing charges. It’ll be easier and less costly, considering the value of our time, to pay the collection agency.

    That is fucked up. That’s some bullshit I’d love to see fixed.

    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      I have good news for you. You can just tell your credit card provider that you tried to cancel, but couldn’t. They will just cancel it for you. It’s a bit of a strong-arm tactic, but it works.

      Whenever you need to cancel a gym, try this. They tell you that you need to come in? Nope, not acceptable or legal.

        • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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          3 months ago

          That’s the real reason every gym has a naked old guy hanging out in the locker room with his nuts out. At some point, every man will spend decades of his life trying to cancel his gym membership - and having failed all his life, will find himself having become a desperate old man, left with no choice but to flaunt his wrinkly nutsack in the locker room in hopes of them finally kicking him out, thus freeing him from his eternal struggle.

        • Empricorn@feddit.nl
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          3 months ago

          “What do you mean I can’t do squats with my penis out!? I thought this was America!!!”

      • MagicShel@programming.dev
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        Yeah I think we did ETF or something. I’ve been out of work for 5 months. Now let me tell you about trying to close an empty bank account so they will stop paying people and charging you fees…

        • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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          3 months ago

          Closing a bank account is as easy as legally possible. They are already highly regulated, and there’s a lot of paperwork to protect you from having your account closed without your permission. You can literally go into a bank if you want help. That’s not the same thing as a gym at all.

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            I can’t actually walk in. There’s no local branches for this particular place. But even if I could, they can’t close it while transactions are pending. And if new transactions hit, the account goes negative and then you can’t close it until you bring it back positive.

            I understand there are fraud concerns on both sides of that coin. But it isn’t easy.

            • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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              Of course you can’t close it with pending transactions. Pending transactions can be reversed or changed. It’s another legal issue. That’s not really a bad thing.

              Also, why did you get an account at a bank with no branches? If you want that, you can just get a credit union account.

      • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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        3 months ago

        don’t rely on that. I had a medical vendor charge the wrong amount (pre claim) and refuse to reverse the charge and my credit card company (well ex credit card company) refused to as well. because some sort of charge was legit they did not see the wrong amount as any issue.

        • barsquid@lemmy.world
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          Yeah turns out wrong amount is somehow not fraud so the credit card doesn’t need to help with it. You have to battle it out in civil court instead. Enraging.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      Doesn’t work with Comcast …… when I moved into my current house, I got a fantastic fiber provider that hooked me up on move-in day! However apparently the previous owners had Comcast and Comcast kept trying to collect despite me saying I have never had an account with them. 2-3 months later, they came and cut my fiber from my actual provider. Bastards wouldn’t even let me complain because now they realized I’m not a customer

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        They cut someone else’s fiber? That seems like a trespass or destruction of property, but probably not your property.

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
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          Yep, and I did spend days trying to get them to take responsibility without any progress. Mostly they hung up when I couldn’t prove I was a customer

          My fiber provider basically shrugged and said “yeah, they do that”, and were pretty quick about replacing it for me

  • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Can we do something about the math test/Star Chamber hybrid we all have to fill out every April?

    The IRS knows what we owe already. Send a bill or a check. If there’s a dispute, then there should be paperwork.

      • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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        I think @Ensign_Crab is talking about how other countries like the UK and France do things, where you don’t have to file. The government sends you a letter that says “you owe X” or “your refund is Y”, and if there’s anything that’s not reported in there or things that are wrong, then you file that with the government and they go “oh, OK, here’s your adjusted amount”. Simple forms are often not “simple”, especially with our arcane, convoluted tax code.

        • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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          funny thing is we even have the perfect form for it. if the irs whould send us a 1040x with the left hand side filled out we could just sign it and move on or make changes to the right side and sign it.

  • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Called up my health insurance the other day and they transferred me 3 times. It should not be this difficult.

  • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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    this is exactly the way. So much fighting over big issues but hey there is a lot of small stuff making life miserable and stifling progress.

    • Hazzia@infosec.pub
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      3 months ago

      Yes I want all child-birth-capable people to have proper access to healthcare but also yes I don’t want AT&T yo bounce me endlessly between their app, website, and phoneline because the tranfer pin for my number isn’t being generated

  • makyo@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Thank god, we need so much of this.

    I’ve been chasing my bank around for almost two months now to get a problem fixed. They have obviously invested the least amount of money possible in customer service to the point where they can barely answer the most basic questions. The only progress I have seen on this problem is due to the fact that I finally figured out the right question to ask.

    It is infuriating that they provide this level of support when it’s obvious it isn’t saving me any money - it’s all just going to the C-suite and investors.

    • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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      that right question to ask thing really speaks to me. I have found across the board that places do not have employees that know the business and expect you to. What they really expect is that the software they bought will allow them to hire people that don’t know what they are doing for less and the software will do the work. they want the mcdonalds registers that use icons for a big mac or such. its so not working.

  • bitwolf@lemmy.one
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    3 months ago

    Go after ISPs. We really need transparency on where they directed government grant money.

  • BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Go after introductory pricing. It’s a bait and switch in my opinion and it’s probably also a regressive policy too. Switching providers does get you better deals but if you can’t pay early termination or installation fees you’re stuck.

  • Media Bias Fact Checker@lemmy.worldB
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    3 months ago
    Whitehouse.gov - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report)

    Information for Whitehouse.gov:

    MBFC: Left-Center - Credibility: High - Factual Reporting: Mostly Factual - United States of America
    Wikipedia about this source

    Search topics on Ground.News

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/12/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-launches-new-effort-to-crack-down-on-everyday-headaches-and-hassles-that-waste-americans-time-and-money/

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