Goodwill...sells broken IBM computers & rips-off consumers! Mandysa Lyons ignores complaints! Store fudges on legal responsibilities!

Bad will previals at rip-off charity in San Francisco!



If you're in the market for a computer, and on a budget, don't bother to stroll into  a "Goodwill" outlet looking for a bargain.

For good reason!

The charity is known to sell broken IBM Think Pads to unsuspecting victims

Ironically, Goodwill employees distribute a business card with the following outlandish slogan printed in bold-face on the front:

"We create solutions to poverty through the Business we operate."

Bullsh**!

The only opportunity they provide is a deceitful scam that enables employees to rip-off poor innocent consumers!

Just this weekend, for example, one customer snapped up a laptop for $225.00, returned home, and right-off-the-bat was embroiled in endless hard drive problems that he was unable to resolve.

Also, the customer noticed (after stopping for a lunch break to gobble up some finger food) that there were traces of unknown "chemicals" on his fingertips after typing on the keyboard for a few hours.

Yikes!

But, because of a so-called Goodwill "policy" promised at the point of sale,the consumer was not inclined to worry.

All the shopper had to do on his end was promptly take back the merchandise with the receipt, right?

After all, Goodwill promises a thirty-day money-back guarantee.

Not!

When the hapless customer trotted back to the outlet at 1500 Mission Street in downtown San Francisco, he not only got the run-around, but the dishonest staff tried to foist another useless piece of "junk" on him.

But, second-time-around the shopper wised up.

Before exiting the store with the iffy exchange, the once-burned (twice-shy) customer requested that the technician flip open the laptop and rev it up.

OMG!

The second IBM Think Pad (on sale for $225) was also a lemon.

The welcome page splashed to life, then - the dusty screen - went black.

Embarrassed, the Goodwill technician tried to shrug off the obvious.

The charity is is trying to sell broken-down computers to customers for a hefty profit.

And now, the Goodwill supporter was faced with a dilemma.

The Manager refused to give cash back in spite of the fact their computers were obviously not up to snuff or worth the asking price.

And, to the amazement of the customer - the Manager never even showed any remorse - whatsoever.

Without blinking-an-eye, she gruffly issued a credit for the $225, and informed the disgruntled customer that they would have to wait until a new shipment of PC's were delivered to the outlet at Van Ness and Mission Street in downtown San Francisco.

When the customer pointed out they were behind in their work schedule, and needed a computer right away, she barked back at the customer that they were essentially SOL.

So, the victim strode off to the Corporate Office next door to complain, where he summarily got the run-around there, too.

For example, when an employee put in a call to the Manager of the complaint department (a woman by the name of Mandysa Lyons) she was nowhere to be found!

How convenient!

In spite of promises that a call would be returned that afternoon, the Goodwill staffer has - thus far - failed to follow through.

Meanwhile, no one in the Corporate Office has lent a sympathetic ear, or offered up any constructive advice to make ammends.

Does that sound like "GOOD WILL" to you?

Notwithstanding, it should be noted that In their advertisements, Goodwill boasts that they are working together with other organizations in the neighborhood (Planet Green, for instance) to raise awareness about the positive impact donations make.

Yeah, it is pretty profitable to stock a broken computer on the shelf for free, then sell it to an unsuspecting consumer for $225.00 without guilt or shame.

What a scam, eh?

As the customer started to head out the door, he really got angry when he spied Goodwill's latest slick advert on a side-counter with a caption that screamed out at him:

"What fab Goodwill finds have you discovered today?"

The customer just about went berserk.

Talk about false, misleading, and erroneous advertising!

Goodwill is just another outrageous corporate rip-off , which passes itself off as a charitable organization - when, in fact - the second-hand-shop doesn't care about the community or its impoverished customers.

It's all about Corporate "greed"!

I say avoid Goodwill like the plague.

The employees are a bunch of scam artists at-the-ready to taking advantage of the disadvantage without conscience or any sense of morality.

http://www.thetattler.biz



Goodwill staff don't care about customers!

Sahara Hotel & Casino...Las Vegas gambling joint to shut-down! Consumer alert warning!



The brief news snippet in the morning paper - reporting that the Sahara Hotel & Casino was closing its once-celebrated doors - didn't surprise me one iota!

Tattler readers may recall that I posted a consumer alert about the deceptive business practices at the Hotel last year, with the dire warning that they book lodgings elsewhere, to gurantee a fun-filled vacation frolic in the desert oasis free of headaches.

Post:  09/16/2009

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/09/las-vegassahara-fails-to-disclose-fees.html

Film buffs will recall that in its glory days, producers for the successful feature - Ocean's Eleven - shot on location in the exotic environs of the Morocccan-themed resort situated at the end of the main strip in glitzy Las Vegas.

SBE Chief Executive officer Sam Nazarian (a Los Angeles-based hospitality and entertainment group and Stockbridge) snapped up the Sahara in 2007 and vowed to invigorate the sagging investment property.

But now, it appears that the ailing Hotel will slip into obscurity when it is shut down in May.

No doubt, the ghosts of the rack pack (Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr.) will continue to haunt the premises 'til then.

Poor quality food, over-priced rooms - and a failure to keep up with the heartbeat of "Sin City" - spelled doom (as I predicted many moons ago).

I trust the place will be imploded, sit empty for a year or two, or be revamped by ambitious optimistic investors with money to burn somewhere down the long-and-winding road.

News at 11!

http://www.thetattler.biz



The rat pack in their heyday!

Western Dental...& Doctor Rita Metrikin (DDS) rip-off consumers!

Shortly after Hollywood hopefuls trek into town in search of elusive fame and fortune, they may be in need of a little cosmetic work (if only to boost their confidence a tad in the audition line).

After all, it's not only tough to compete with triple threats (performers who dance, sing, and act) but a humilating experience to have to stand next to a pack of polished show-biz types with dazzling white teeth and mega-watt personalities.

Subsequently, there may be a need for a lot of "smiling" - and buttering up to the casting department - to land a competitive edge.

So, what is an individual to do if their pearly whites are not up to snuff?

Rustle up an appointment with a local dentist to discuss the options, of course!

For starters, a likely cadidate may go for a bit of tooth whitener, or a couple of artfully-placed beautifully-crafted crowns.

Unfortunately, locating a qualified dentist to pull the transformation off - at a reasonable price - may be a tough proposition to pull off.

In fact, in recent days it has come to my attention that consumers need to be wary of a posse of dentists in the Big Bad Orange who are sloppy, unprofessional, and inclined to rip-off young innocents (and oldsters, too).

Such is the case with chains like Western Dental - and independent clinics run by Dentists such as Dr. Rita Metrikin (DDS) who operates a fly-in-the-wall operation in the heart of the city of broken dreams (Hollywood) - in addition to the "Dental Group of Beverly Hills" located at 250 N. Robertson (Suite 423) in Beverly Hills (CA).

in fact, Western Dental has the scam down to a high art!

Once a subject alights in a chair, staff engage in a bold-faced effort to take advantage of their client at whatever cost.

For example, on the premise that much-needed dental work is required to maintain healthy gums and build a solid foundation  for a handful of crowns, the dentist pitches an overhaul plan that sounds reasonable (but that is just the bait to land the sucker from the get-go).

But, what if the dental work is too pricey for the individual in question?

Western Dental proceeds to offer up an easy-pay-plan at alleged low-cost.

At this juncture, the illegal business practices commence.

Once the dental work has started, an employee saunters into the room to inform the patient that after running a credit check, it has been determined that a higher rate of interest is required on the loan  (which will end up pushing the monthly payments through the roof).

Say what?

The patient may be a little taken aback - especially if they know their rights.

After all, a business is not legally allowed to run a credit check without a consumer's permission!

Ooops!

Western Dental has been caught red-handed, provided the customer is familiar with applicable State & Federal Laws, pertaining to the issues.

After-the-fact, the patient may also end up with teeth that are not "straight or perfect" because, after all, the disreputable outfit is rife with unprofessional dentists who lack the skills to deliver up the goods.

If a customer complains about the overall "look" of the finished product, the employees at Western will just scoff, in a deceitful effort to wiggle out of the dilemma.

"You don't want your teeth to look like chickletts, do you?"

They'll take the position that teeth that are too perfect are not natural-looking.

Bet 'ya, ten to 1, I know what the patient's response will be.

"Look, if I am spending all this money on crowns, I want them to be perfect."

Amen!

If no accord can be reached, and the patient storms out without paying the balance, Western Dental will report their client to a credit bureau and damage their rating at three of the major reporting bureaus.

The same kind of horrors await individuals who have the misfortune to step into Dr. Metrikin's office at 7315 Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.

If  a patient determined from their insurance carrier before they sauntered into her office what co-pays apply, they'll waltz in for their appointment expecting to be treated fairly and honestly.

Wrong!

Dr. Rita Metrikin will try to "double-dip" and rip-off her clients at every turn.

For example, once initial preparations are performed on the first appointment, she'll try to collect "co-payments" that the consumer is not required to pay pursuant to the terms and conditions of their insurance policy.

If the patient is keen to the truth, and refuses to pay, Ms. Metrikin will stall dental work (even if there is an infection, an emergency need for an extraction, etc.).

The client may be forced to angrily stomp out of the clinic with unsightly gaps in their mouth because of her illegal (and deceptive) business practices which amount to fraud and theft.

Undoubtedly, Dr. Metrikin is part of a disreputable Russian contingent in the Los Angeles area, who prey on unsuspecting Americans.

It's time someone reported her to the Dental Association, and a network of Insurance Carriers, to prevent her from ripping-off consumers-at-large in the near or distant future!

Well, a consumer alert on the Tattler is the first best thing, eh?

http://www.thetattler.biz/

Dr. Rita Metrikin