A copy of my receipt and free car wash offer.  Notice there

 is not an expiration date.

LRG T-shirt [work in progress]

This post is long overdue. I originally purchased the LRG "a revolutionary clothing company" t-shirt from a retail urban clothing store (ie, hip hop shop) on the infamous Washington Avenue strip of South Miami Beach.

I have an extensive collection of t-shirts and know how to take care of them.  After only the first wash, this is what began to happen

Miami-Dade Expressway Authority

I just got hosed by the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, better known as MDX.  I was sent a separate invoice for the multiple times I drove through their electronic toll booth(s) during the month of August 2010.  These toll road
ways do not provide advanced warning of one's inability to
pay at a booth, therefore one can not take another route before
they're already captured on film and billed for a PREMIUM 
toll fee.  This fee is charged as a result of not having a "Sun Pass" and requiring their 'system' to bill by mail.

 They did respond recently to my inquiry:
 "Unfortunately we are not able to credit your account. We did received a payment for $5.50, for invoice # 100171540 issue on 9/2/10, Them we send invoice # A100303749 on 10/14/10 for $3.40 due on 11/4/10 it escalate to S100432963 on 11/22/10 due on 12/13/10, and it escalate
to V110740122 on 1/25/11. Our system electronically
escalate invoices adding additional late fees if we do not
received payment by the due date. We do apologize for the inconvenience this has brought unto you."

Is this practice of entrapment acceptable?  You decide.

Wells Fargo and their nonsense! [work in progress]

Well today I will share with you my most recent experience with my bank. The following is the transcript of a message that I sent them via an email on their website:
     Why is Wells Fargo charging me $1.00 to print out a penny's
     worth of ink and paper, in order to receive my last 10 trans-
     actions?  I would expect to pay extra if I were using another
     bank's ATM for such a transaction, but my own bank?  The
     ATM machine did say there "MAY" be a service charge.
     What's with the LANGUAGE?  Again, I am at my bank
     ATM and it can't tell me that I "WILL" (or will not) pay a fee
     for such a transaction with absolute certainty?  Is this
     unacceptable? YES!
You decide.

Greetings,
     I expect this to be an ongoing exchange between the customer (myself) and the company (Wells Fargo).  I feel as though I have invested in an institution that offers me obsolete banking services and engages in outdated practices.  So, I would like to investigate my 'feelings' objectively and have you all start explaining these practices to me.
     I am requesting, and would appreciate it greatly, that Wells Fargo give me a logistical explanation of why it takes 3-5 days for checks and electronic transfers to be credited to an account.

Regards,
     rogerallenBROWN

Hoover SteamVac

I purchased this "steam" vacuum cleaner after hearing an older woman, at my job, praise it so. She was bragging to her girlfriend about how her son worked at Best Buy and that they sold this particular machine. I helped myself into the conversation and the woman told me of her experiences. She said she's bought "cheap ones and spendy ones" and that for value and duty, the HOOVER STEAMVAC was the best. I was impressed with her story and her genuine stories of vacuum experiences, which she continued to share.

I have been happy with this machine up until recently. I don't remember the circumstances of how, but I failed to lock the CLEAN SOLUTION TANK properly. The result was a dropped tank. The tank was somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 full. What I got was a BADLY chipped tank. The problem: there is also a crack that runs JUST outside the tank. 1-2 millimeters further and the tank would have been breached. So you might say "well Roger, you dropped it. What do you expect?" I say "I would expect the manufacturer to make something that lasts!"

The Clean Solution Tank is a component that, by design, is removable and then locked back into place by the user. It is there to store the cleaning fluid (mostly warm water). In my opinion it's expected (or hopeful) that this machine will sell across the demographic landscape. So why is a component that will be frequently removed and replaced, with varying weight within and strength of the user, made with plastic so vulnerable to breakage? You decide.

HOOVER has been in business for decades and this kind of poor quality is unacceptable at any price point. I was fortunate that my first and only drop came during the original manufacturers warranty period, so I should be able to have it replaced. What about other consumers (with varying incomes, resources & etc) that have paid $175+ for a machine that they expect would last a few years, but find themselves with a broken tank outside of the warranty? You decide.
UPDATE: I drove to the nearest authorized warranty/repair shop and they said that this issue isn't covered under the manufacturer's warranty. I called Hoover and their first line of defense (tier 1 customer service) also said that the part was not covered under warranty. If I wanted to replace the tank I would have to pay $30+ and that's before shipping. I told her that was unacceptable and I asked to speak to someone to voice a complaint (tier 2). They offered me a discount to purchase the part at a discount. I didn't ask what the discount was, but I told him that the offer was unacceptable. I continued to explain that this is a matter of principle. Hoover is (supposedly) a trusted and reputable brand. The material (plastic) was not built to last (which I would call poor "material") especially for something that costs $175+. The tank is a component that is frequently removed and replaced, increasing the consumers' chances of dropping or otherwise damaging it. Hoover has clearly chosen to sell a product with "built-in obsolescence" and to not stand by the perceived brand integrity. I concluded the call by stating that Hoover had damaged their reputation with me. I will not buy another Hoover retail product and I highly encourage you to avoid their products as well! You decide.