[See the update here.] Dear Tufts Health Plan, I am fortunate to have had the privilege of working for more than three decades in white-collar jobs which provided decent employer-sponsored health insurance. I’ve therefore been a member of many different health insurance companies, and I’m not sure any of them has given me so much… Read More: An open letter to Tufts Health Plan: why are you… »
Cross-posted from: Do you think as the economy spiraled into the toilet in 1929, people were telling investors with money in the stock market, “Just ride it out. You’ll be fine. The fundamentals of the economy are strong. Trying to time the market is a fool’s bet.” That’s what people said when I started saying… Read More: On fleeing the stock market during the Second Great Depression »
Tufts Health PlanAttn: Member Appeals To whom it may concern: I am writing about the letter I received today from Cigna Health Management for myself, participant ID [elided] and reference code [elided]. To be frank, this letter is the worst, most impenetrable, absurd blob of insurance-company doublespeak I have encountered in many years. I am… Read More: My response to absurd denial letter from Tufts Health Plan »
Recently our toaster broke, and although we have a “spare” toaster (long story), my wife and the kids all hate it and insisted that we replace the broken toaster, which they apparently absolutely adored, with a new one of exactly the same model. The old toaster had an unfortunate habit of its feet falling off… Read More: Fleeced by a scammy web site, Paypal acts quickly to… »
I recently had to replace my old Synology DS415+ NAS with a new Synology DS918+ NAS, at a cost of more than $600, because my DS415+ failed. When I researched the failure that permanently bricked my DS415+, I learned the following: The failure was caused by a known defect in a component of my NAS.… Read More: Why I can no longer recommend Synology »
On Thursday night of last week, my Synology DS415+ NAS died. It turns out that there was a CPU defect in this NAS which prompted Synology to extend its warranty from two to four years for people who ran into the defect, but alas my NAS decided to wait until it was five years old… Read More: Newegg, why you gotta break my heart like this? »
I recently wrote about a series of poor experiences I had with Amtrak and most notably about their horrendous response to my feedback about those experiences. I decided to send a complaint letter to the CEO of Amtrak. Of course, I knew the CEO was never going to see my letter, but every large corporation… Read More: Thanks, Amtrak, for demonstrating how to apologize badly »
I recently replaced my Fitbit Ionic, which I wore for a couple years, with a Garmin Forerunner 35. Before the Fitbit, I wore two different Pebble models, so I’ve had long-term experience with four different fitness smart-watches. Here are my thoughts about both watches and how they compare. A good overall framing for this review… Read More: Review: Fitbit Ionic vs. Garmin Forerunner 35 »
Due to a tragic accident on December 5 in which an Amtrak worker was electrocuted, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor service was negatively impacted throughout the day, with many trains delayed or canceled. I was scheduled to take an Amtrak train from New Haven, CT to Boston, MA on the evening of December 5. Because of the… Read More: Amtrak classifies valid customer feedback as “venting,” ignores it »
Dear Vanguard, Yesterday, I wrote to you about the trouble I had trying to donate stock to a charity through your site, and the additional trouble I had when trying to complain to you about the initial trouble. I also tweeted at you about it. You responded this morning: I also DM’d you and asked… Read More: Vanguard Group, you disappoint me again »