MichelleBuckman's Blog

Friday November 7th Free Electronics Recycling Day

Got Junk?

We want it!

Tossing millions of computers, TVs, and cell phones into landfills poses serious health and environmental risks.  For example, the average CRT computer monitor contains four to eight pounds of lead that can leak into the soil and ground water when dumped in a landfill.  Keeping these and other materials out of landfills also means they can be recycled, which conserves natural resources.

Plus, it gets all the junk that's collecting dust, out of your house! 

Now Fox 29 viewers can drop off old computer and electronic equipment to be recycled for free!

I am teaming up with TBS Industries and Comcast-Spectacor to offer this free event this Friday and I hope you'll join me! 

The event will be held Friday November 7th from 6am-6pm in the "D" parking lot of the Wachovia Center, thanks to Comcast-Spectacor.  Viewers can enter off Broad Street.  TBS Industries is a full service electronic/metal recycling company out of Northeast Philadelphia. 

Join me live on Good Day Philadelphia from 6am-9am and again on the Fox 29 News from 5-6pm.  If you can't make it then, you can still drop by all day long with your  recyclables.

Here is what you can drop off to be recycled:

Computers - desktops, laptops, mainframes, keyboards, mice

Electronic Circuit Boards - power supplies

Monitors - CRT Monitors

Office Equipment - copiers, printers, faxes

Other Electronics - stereos, DVD & VCRs

Telephones & Cell Phones

Batteries

We will NOT be accepting televisions at this time, however a full TV Recycling Day is in the works for February.

Please join me, I'd like to meet you and take your junk off your hands!

If you tend to vent your frustration online, the company you’re complaining about could be listening.  While that may feel a little ‘Big Brother’ at first, it may lead to a solution for your problem.

Specifically, I’m talking about a company many of you love to hate; Comcast Corporation.  It’s frustrating when your cable goes out in the last quarter of the game, your internet is working at a snail’s pace or your DVR failed to record your favorite show as promised.  Then when you try to get customer service on the phone to fix the problem, you may face even more frustration.  I feel your pain.

Now there is a backdoor way to get satisfaction from your cable company, all you need is the password: Twitter (or in this case, my blog). 

Let me explain.

I recently met Frank Eliason.  He is the director of Digital Care for Comcast, headquartered in Center City Philadelphia.  Frank’s sole job is to surf the web for Comcast criticism, then reach out to the complainer and tackle the problem.  He and his team of seven employees go into places like blogs, message boards and especially Twitter, looking for any reference to Comcast.  If you don’t know, Twitter is an online social message site, allowing brief text-message-like conversations.  If you’re looking for complaints, it’s a goldmine.  Since Comcast started actively ‘tweeting’ in April, his department has sent over 15,000 messages and defused over 6,500 situations. 

I spent some time with this team as they went about their daily work as Comcast’s punching bag and I quickly realized they genuinely care about solving your problem.  They actually trip over each other trying to help a customer.  I heard them talking over their cubicle walls, ‘I got that one already,’ or ‘I’m already working on getting a technician out to help Mrs. Jones.’  They have a much different attitude about customer service than the typical rep on the other end of the phone line.  They check emails and Twitter from home at all hours of the night, trying to turn angry customers into thankful customers.

Not convinced?  Try it out for yourself.  If you’re not already on Twitter, that’s ok, you can use my blog to vent about Comcast.  Frank Eliason will monitor my blog from time to time and if you have a gripe he’ll reach out to you here and help you out!

Please, only legitimate complaints and NO four letter words!  Enjoy this new online world of customer service and let me know what you think!

Last night we warned you about a company that's advertising in the 'help wanted' section of local papers.  They promise you a good steady job at a decent wage but first they ask you to purchase a CRN number (for accreditation) for $98.  Problem is, you never get a job and now you're out the 98 bucks!  Here is some advice on how to avoid these situations from The National Consumer League's Internet Fraud Watch:

Don't pay a fee upfront. Most legitimate employment agencies don't charge unless they actually succeed in getting you a job, and often it's the new employer who pays.

Be cautious about emails offering help getting a job. Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.

Know exactly what services are being offered. The company may only provide advice or help writing a resume. Some fraudulent employment services simply sell lists of companies that they have gotten from public directories. They may not have contacted those companies directly or know if there are really any job openings. 

Document all promises. Print out the information so you can prove what you were promised. 

Be wary of promises to help get you a government job. If a test is required, the government usually conducts it. No employment service can guarantee that you'll qualify for a government job or arrange to get you special treatment.

Money-back guarantees may not be worth the paper they're written on. Fraudulent employment services will use an endless string of excuses for why you're not entitled to a refund. 

Do your own research. Use the public library, newspapers, the Internet, and your state employment office to find the job that's right for you. If you need advice about an Internet or telemarketing solicitation, or you want to report a possible scam, use the Online Reporting Form or call the NFIC hotline at 1-800-876-7060.