PRESENTING THE "SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL" AWARDS

[kiramdear]

Are car's mufflers knitted out of steel wool? I don't mean to needle anyone.

[admin]

Only on the Pontiac Biskein models, Kira.

[kiramdear]

Haha, I'm obviously way out my league here, I surrender with dignity

[jingle_jangle]

Yep, I am exhausted...

[ozover50]

Perhaps not in the same league as your experience, Paul, but I was contacted by a collection agency last year who informed me that they had found some 'lost' superannuation funds in my name. After going through all the difficulties of proving my identity and connection to my previous address (the whole process took more than a month) they informed me that there was a 70% 'finder's fee'!! So my $680 windfall ended up being just over $200.

Plus, the government taxed me 15% on it because I chose to take the cash rather than have it rolled into one of my 'live' funds.

What is really interesting is that they've just found $280 in another fund and only want 30% of it this time...... go figure!

[cjj]

Man, you've gotta quit losing your money that way... just start losing it the old fashioned way like the rest of us, no finders fees that way!

[beatlefreak]

Sounds like you'll blow a gasket after all, Paul - In the letter you write to Midas Corporate.

[jingle_jangle]

I wrote Midas corporate the same day, and contacted the BBB and filled out their complaint form, too.

I have heard back from neither in a bit over a week.

I also wrote a review on SF's "Yelp!", which is supposed to be a customer review site. I kept it factual and tined-down in all cases and even injected a touch of humor to take the edge off, although there is little that is funny about petty larceny.

Interestingly, although "Yelp!" is supposed to be a populist review site, they remove negatives and bump ads to preferential locations, if businesses pay a "participation fee". In an email to me from a "Yelp!" customer service guy, I was told that they don't remove reviews.

My review was deleted within a day. I wonder where it went?

[wayang]

Midas...wasn't he the guy who turned everything he touched into precious metal?

"But sir, we have to charge you $22 for these bolts...they're solid gold!"

We have a very successful car dealer here who regularly does tv ads 'pimping his rides', which inadvertently (or not) feature his collection of gigantic gold and diamond rings on both hands. An odd business-generating strategy...I don't know what goes on in his customers' minds, but the last thing I'm thinking is 'Hey, looks like he needs another one for that left pinkie! I'd better get right down there and buy a car!'...

[jingle_jangle]

Midas guys use li'l tiny muffler clamps on their...

never mind...

[captsandwich]

My nominee for A Special Place In Hell Award goes to: all the computer hackers that create PC viruses/worms/trojans to 'get back at Bill Gates' ... and cause a billion people to waste hours of their lives combating and fixing the damage done by their 'creations'.

They created the need for my job.

[wayang]

Midas guys use li'l tiny muffler clamps on their...

Uh...solid gold nuts?

[jingle_jangle]

[kiramdear]

[tallpat1]

I have a story about The Midas shop by my home in Maryland. I have a restored 1986 Cadillac Coupe Deville That needed a new Radiator So I called them and they told me it would cost about $1000.00 to install it. I almost fainted and said you got to be kidding, how do you sleep at night? he said that caddy' radiators are tricky. Who is he Bull&$%#ing. I bought a brand new one for $150 and it took all but 1 hour to install it. Sometimes they know you are stuck and try to take advantage. I feel sorry for the people out there how have no idea what a oil filter looks like. They can get taken to the cleaners.