Calgary News Watch

Want to get a lot of negative press? Buy an apartment building. Jack up the rent 150%. And when everyone moves out, you don’t have to make notice or wait a year for permits and such, you can just go ahead and convert to a condo.

Residents of a Mission area low-rise apartment building are facing such a predicament. The building was recently sold and the new owners, a company, have increased the rent from $700 to $1900 without any advance warning to the residents.

A new law requires tenants a one-year notice when their apartments will be converted over to condominiums. However, there’s a loophole. Read the rest of this article »

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583 wants to talk to the city council. Members feel that council members haven’t been “fairly informed”.

Mike Mahar, of the transit union, has stated that they will be running more ads, giving the union’s side of the story in an attempt to make sure council is informed, as well as the general public.

Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart claims both sides have been accused of not fully informing anyone. Read the rest of this article »

Last Wednesday I got an email from one frustrated Calgary shopper. The lady was trying to exchange her $10 pans bought at TD Mall in Calgary’s Downtown. She asked me to publish her letter. Here is exactly what she asked:

Below is a letter I have recently wrote to the Head Quarters of a Shopping Franchise after having a horrible customer service experience. I would love for you to be able to use this as an example of poor retail sales customer conflict and to warn customers that the only thing worse than the annoying salesperson who doesn’t leave you alone are the salespeople who do not acknowledge your presence because they are too busy talking amongst themselves and not doing their job, and the rude cashier who instead of doing their best to help you out in a frustrating situation, make your shopping experience, a living hell. I’m not sure how these employees are getting paid to stand around, gawk at a customer who is getting inappropriately treated by their co-worker and just shuffle about as if nothing is wrong. I went into the store feeling great until this unqualified bunch of ignorants ruined my shopping experience and made me feel as if I was “just another angry customer”, because I only became distressed after having being dealt with a bad dish of unpleasant customer service.

Please feel free to contact me for more information by responding to this email if someone should become interested in exposing the truth behind the till.

Well I thought for a while and decided to open up a new category named “Consumer Life”. Read the rest of this article »