Problem Solved is a weekly consumer column that fixes reader problems. From broken laptop computers to faulty kitchen appliances, nothing is off limits for this feature. Each story brings a fresh problem and solution in an engaging and succinct Q&A format.
William Hunt paid $365 for a Samsung projector that died after eight months, still under warranty. The repair center confirmed it was defective but said parts were unavailable. Samsung then shipped it back unrepaired and marked the service ticket completed.
Henry Dickson has been an Amazon customer for 20 years. Then his iPad was bricked, and to log back in, Amazon asked him to approve a notification on the very device he had lost access to. He remains locked out.
Paul Clarke’s GE Profile ice maker needs one part. GE Parts has shipped it eight times, and every time the propeller arrived shattered, with the broken blades missing from the sealed bag. Four months on, his $3,000 machine still fails.
HP’s techs could not fix Hugh Fuller’s laptop, then sold him a $40 warranty the warranty department later called the wrong type. HP agreed to refund it, sent the money to a bank he does not use, and closed it.
Tony Rogozinski called StubHub to cancel his concert ticket listing before selling the tickets to someone else. The agent said no further action was needed. The listing stayed live, the tickets sold on StubHub, and the site billed him $864.
Tracey Croisier paid $1,866 for a Lenovo Yoga because she travels for work. The battery collapsed from 100 to 30 percent in two hours. Five repairs later, it still died on a short drive to class, and it ran hot.
Laura Bartholomew’s new $1,856 GE washer rocked so hard on spin that it banged the walls. She called ten times. Five technicians came out. One tested it empty, another with four towels, and every report said it was working properly.
Luke Gilbertson’s dog Stewie was healthy when he booked a Rover sitter. Ring footage, he says, shows the sitter shut away for 17 of the 24 hours while Stewie swallowed something and vomited repeatedly. The vet bill came to $5,272.
An injury meant Andrew Greenman could no longer wear the $179 sneakers he bought on Amazon. After weeks of conflicting answers, an agent finally emailed him: the refund was coming in 24 to 48 hours. Then the money never arrived.
Adriana Gores overpaid her Comcast bill by $4,762 by mistake. Comcast refunded her on a prepaid debit card. The balance then dropped to $82, with a charge she says she never made and no statement showing where the money went.
