Dr. Eric Kneussl, DDS – Think Twice Before Going to this Bait & Switch Master

I recently had an appointment with Dr. Eric Kneussl, DDS, a partner in the firm of Abramson & Kneussl PA, located at 458 Elrino Street, Baltimore, MD 21224, to have my teeth cleaned.

Instead of charging me the price we had both agreed on before I made the appointment, he waited until he had cleaned about half of my teeth, stopped while I was still in his chair and told me he wouldn’t continue until I paid him more money.

Yes, that’s right, while I was in his chair and he was actually working on my teeth, he stopped dead in his tracks and told me to pay him over double the amount of money we had originally agreed on or he wouldn’t finish cleaning my teeth.

He said it was taking too long for him to clean my teeth and I had to pay him for the extra time it was taking him and his assistant. Mind you, this was after he was over 40 minutes late for his appointment with me because he was “running late.”

I told him I would pay the extra money, after which he cheerfully left the office with his assistant. They both came back about 5 minutes later with a portable high pressure “water pic.” Ten minutes later he was done. They both walked out without saying a word. I went to the receptionists desk, payed my $230 bill in cash and left.

Dr. Eric Kneussl is a bait and switch master. He’ll get you in the chair and hold your mouth and teeth for ransom. He knows it’s easier for you to pay him more to finish the job than leave his office with a half finished procedure and set up an appointment with some other joker.

Beware of placing your trust in this man! I’m not his first victim & I certainly will not be his last.

Listen, maybe the guy has gambling debts or an expensive boyfriend? Maybe the tuition for his kids’ private school has gone up or he’s got an expensive wedding to pay for? Who knows? Who cares? The fact is, you ought to be careful if you’re considering using him for your dental work.

If you’ve got dental insurance, I’m guessing your insurer will fight on your behalf –> so you’re probably safe, unless he asks you to pay him under the table. On the other hand, if you’re not insured, steer clear of this one!

Thanks.

As always — Take good care of yourselves and be happy.

Jose

Lingzhi Mushrooms for Asthma

Mayra suffers from Asthma. We’re always trying to find ways to end her dependency on Asthma medications. About 4 months ago we found an article titled Lingzhi – Mushroom of Immortality on Azmacare.com.

We got to the Lingzhi Mushroom (also known as Reishi Mushrooms) article, by way of a short article on the same site titled Clear Breathing with Chinese Herbs. In particular, it was the information on ASHMI which intrigued us.

After reading the article, I did a little research, talked it over with Mayra and thought it might be a good idea to order some Lingzhi Mushroom – Reishi Mushroom supplements for Mayra to see if they could be of some help. She also began taking two other supplements which I’ll write about in upcoming articles.

The result so far is very, very encouraging. Mayra has used her inhaler twice over the last 3 months. Believe me when I tell you that that result is pretty astounding to us. She was using her inhaler at least once a day for the past several years.

The combination seems to be working for her! We’re both very excited, but, certainly cautious. The short-term results have been pretty amazing, but, she still carries her inhaler everywhere she goes. The inhaler has saved her life more than once and even though the medication makes her jittery and she doesn’t enjoy taking it, she uses it when she has to.

We’ll be posting an updated article on how well things are going after another 3 months. Hopefully it’ll be more good news!

Thanks.

As always — Take good care of yourselves and be happy.

Jose

Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC – Beware

Part I – The Set-Up – Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC Invites Me to Use Them for an Oil Change

I brought my Chevy Silverado into Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC for an oil change and general checkup.

The supposedly $29.99 oil change ended up costing me several hundred dollars and caused my brakes to fail on a major highway going over 65 mph.

Let me tell you about it before you decide whether to trust these people and put your vehicle in their hands.

I brought my Chevrolet Silverado to Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC for an oil change based on an adverisement they sent me in the mail.

It was the first time I had stepped foot into their dealership and they were very nice. I asked them to change the oil and to please call me if they found anything else wrong with the vehicle, which was running beautifully, before performing any repairs.

Part II – Scam #1 – Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC’ Pulls Their Bait and Switch

I received a phone call within an hour or so from the Assistant Service Manager advising me that I needed new front brakes. He told me the job would cost me several hundred dollars and would be completed by that afternoon. I agreed to the service.

Later that afternoon I returned to Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC, paid my bill, thanked the Assistant Service Manager and drove my truck home.

Part III – I Test Drive Our Chevrolet Silverado & Notice a Burnt Smell

On my way home, I test drove my Chevy Silverado and the brakes seemed to be functioning correctly, but after getting out of the truck and walking past the front tires, I caught a whiff of a strange burnt smell.

I immediately called the Assistant Service Manager and tried to describe the smell to him. He said not to worry. He told me that “…when brakes are new, they sometimes give off a strong odor because they are getting broken in.” I took his word for it.

The Chevy was an extra vehicle in our household and as a result, was not used often. When we did drive it, we used it for short trips to run errands near our home.

Part IV – Catastrophe – Complete Brake Failure

One day, about two weeks and less than 500 miles from the date the front brakes were replaced, I took it on a longer than normal trip which totaled approximately 60 to 70 miles round-trip.

Part of the trip required me to drive on a highway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph. On my way back home, after taking care of my errand, I was on this particular highway and was forced to slam on my brakes due to congestion in front of me.

The brakes failed completely! No brakes at all!

The brake pedal went straight to the floor of the truck but my brakes weren’t working. I was forced to swerve off the highway, onto the highway’s shoulder, to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me.

I drove on the shoulder pumping the brakes frantically (for what seemed like forever) to no avail. Finally, and believe me when I tell you I have no idea why, the brake pedal regained some pressure and I was able to stop my truck.

After waiting a few minutes for my hands to stop shaking and my heart to stop pumping wildly, I figured the best thing I could was to get the truck safely to Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC to fix whatever problems they had caused.

I was able to get the truck safely to the dealership shortly thereafter. It was after 6pm and no one was answering the phone in the dealership’s service area.

Part V – Scam #2 – It’s Not Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC’s Fault – It Must Be Our Fault

I was walking over to fill out my “drop-off” form when I ran into the Service Manager, who had stayed late filling out some paper work.

I described the service that was recently done and the catastrophe that had just almost occurred. We walked over to the truck together and both smelled the very strong burnt odor emanating from the front wheels.

He didn’t seem particularly phased nor was he apologetic in any way. In fact, he immediately began blaming the brake failure on my truck’s master cylinder.

Mind you, he popped the hood and saw the master cylinder well was full of fluid. Still, he was doing his best to convince me that the master cylinder was the root of the problem.

I asked him to have his brake specialist take a look at both front brakes the next morning because I felt that perhaps a mistake was made installing the new brakes.

He appeased me, but it was apparent to me that he felt that his crew had not made a mistake. Instead, I believe he was killing two birds with one stone:

1. He was not taking any responsibility for the brake failure.
2. He was setting me up for spending more money at the dealership.

The Assistant Service Manager called bright and early the next morning and said his “brake guy” had checked the front brakes and there was nothing wrong with them.

No apology. No sorry for your trouble. Nothing. He just told me the same thing the Service Manager told me the evening before:

“It was definitely the brake master cylinder which caused the problem. You’ll need to have us replace it for several more hundred dollars.”

I protested. I told him I believed there was something wrong with the brakes. I also repeatedly asked him why the burning smell kept coming from the front of the truck. He told me it was the leaking brake fluid.

I asked him how could there still be fluid in the master cylinder if it had been leaking this whole time?

He didn’t have a reasonable answer, but he said that:

They would fix the problem if I paid the dealership more money.

Long story short, I caved in. I gave him permission to do the service. Huge mistake!

Part VI – Catastrophe II – Complete Brake Failure Redux

The day after — YES — the day after I paid for a new master cylinder and picked my truck up, I was driving our Chevy Silverado along a major artery near our home. Guess what?

Complete ^%#&@# Brake Failure AGAIN!

Thankfully, I was driving below the 50 mph speed limit and there was not much traffic on the road. I just kept pumping the brake pedal like a madman until it (thankfully) regained some pressure.

I got the truck to the dealership safely. It was evening again so no one was around for me to talk to. I filled out a service ticket, dropped off my key and left.

Part VII – It’s Not Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC’s Fault – It’s Faulty Brake Pads

I called the Assistant Service Manager first thing the next morning. Guess what he said?

Low and behold, it wasn’t the master cylinder at all. It was faulty brake pads causing the problem.

Apparently, someone over in their service shop had the bright idea of taking the truck on a test drive to see for themselves what the problem was. Why did it take all of this for a &*#$*&%@ test drive?

I asked them to refund me the money I spent on the master cylinder. No chance. I told them I would sue them. They told me: “Go ahead. We work on the Sheriff Department’s cars.” No one’s going to take you seriously!

Part VIII – Beware of Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC

These folks keep sending me mailers and emails inviting me back to their dealership to service my vehicle. Mind you, I’ve never gotten any kind of apology. I’ve never even gotten an “I’m sorry for your trouble.” Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

It amazes me that they’re still in business. Although I’m certain they won’t make it through the GM Dealership downsizing.

I spoke with a GM Corporate Representative several times while I was trying to get this matter settled and I’m certainly not the first, nor the only person who’s complained about this crew!

Anyway, please use my story as a word of warning.

Do not trust these people!

My complaint isn’t that a mistake happened with the brakes. Mistakes happen all the time! It’s how they handled their mistakes where I have a huge problem.

They didn’t listen. They didn’t apologize. They didn’t even consider returning any of my wasted money.

So, if you’re thinking about taking your vehicle into Garber Auto Mall Buick Chevrolet Pontiac GMC – Beware – and get your check book ready for a whole lot more than whatever their oil change bait and switch price is this month!

I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.

Thanks.

As always — Take good care of yourselves and be happy.

Jose

Mia Bella Candles – Our 2 Year Experiment

After over 2 years, a couple of thousand Dollars and hundreds of Mia Bella Candles burned, our Mia Bella Candles (Scent-Sations, Inc.) experiment is now officially over.

What started as a fun experiment with an eco-friendly based vegetable wax candle has ended badly.

The reason we left may help you decide if this company is for you.

The Broken Jar

For over 2 years, we have ordered a dozen votive candles, a single 16oz. jar candle and a bar of soap for approximately $50.00 (including shipping) per month, from a friend of ours who happens to be a Mia Bella Candles Distributor.

Overpriced certainly, but when dealing with friends who are in MLM, you should expect that. We did. No problem.

Unfortunately, last month the glass jar was apparently broken during shipment. Not a problem (we thought). We called Mia Bella Candles’ customer service department directly (for the very first time!) to have a new one sent.

Getting Yelled at by the Owner

That’s when the fun started. We spoke with 3 different women who identified themselves as customer service reps whose attitudes became progressively nastier and more defensive.

Then, we were transferred to a man named Charlie Umphred who identified himself as the company’s Vice-President. He then transferred us to a man who identified himself as the company’s owner, Bobby Scocozzo.

Mind you, all we were asking for was a replacement candle for the one which was shattered in transit to our home.

Anyway, both Charlie Umphred and Bobby Scocozzo started yelling at Mayra, in part, apparently, because she didn’t care about the “Company” over the phone. It was quite astonishing — and completely hilarious, in retrospect.

Here are, presumably, the two most important officers of the company, yelling at a good customer over the phone because she was asking for a replacement candle. Why? Honestly, who cares!

The Aftermath

A couple of weeks after the phone call, we did receive a replacement candle. We donated it to a local Salvation Army Thrift Store, along with whatever other Mia Bella Candle products we had laying around the house.

As a result of that one shattered jar and one ridiculous phone call:

• We have found a more than adequate 100% soy wax candle replacement for their less than 2% soy candle.
• We are saving $21.00 a month.
• We get to choose what fragrances to burn in our home, instead of being dependent on their sometimes very disappointing fragrance choices.
• Mia Bella Candles (Scent-Sations, Inc.) supposed “Management” has lost a good customer for one of their Independent Distributors
• Mia Bella Candles (Scent-Sations, Inc.) has lost, at least, $600 in annual revenue.
• Mia Bella Candles (Scent-Sations, Inc.) has gained some very bad word of mouth.
• Most importantly, I think, Mia Bella Candles (Scent-Sations, Inc.) has lost a very good customer and product ambassador — Mayra.

Honestly, in a way, I’m sorry Bobby Scocozzo, Charlie Umphred and the rest of the “crew” at Mia Bella Candles (Scent-Sations, Inc.) had such a problem with replacing their broken candle. But, if they hadn’t, we’d still be wasting money on their over-priced products.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.

Thanks.

As always — Take good care of yourselves and be happy.

Jose