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Globe and Mail
18-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
American Consumer Assessment Inc. Releases Results of the 2025 American Consumer Awards 'Cafe & Desserts' Category for California
The results of the 2025 American Consumer Awards in the 'Cafe & Desserts' category, organized by the American Consumer Right Association and managed by the American Consumer Assessment, have been announced for the California region. These awards aim to uphold consumers' fundamental rights by sharing results based on consumer evaluations, providing objective and valuable information, and promoting the qualitative enhancement of consumers' lives. Evaluations for the 2025 American Consumer Awards 'Cafe & Desserts' category were conducted from March to June, and we conducted an evaluation through review platforms. The evaluation criteria included beverage and coffee quality, facility satisfaction, pricing adequacy, accessibility, responsiveness to complaints and staff friendliness. Several outstanding businesses were recognized for their excellence in this category. Crumbl - Bakersfield Erick Schat's Bakery Joe's Italian Ice (2201 S Harbor Blvd) Krispy Kreme (1199 Artesia Blvd) Leatherby's Family Creamery (2333 Arden Wy) Porto's Bakery and Cafe (Beach Blvd/Buena Park) Porto's Bakery and Cafe (Firestone Blvd/ Downey) Randy's Donuts (Manchester Blvd/Inglewood) Red Rock Coffee Starbucks (1620 E Main St. Barstow) Urth Caffe (459 S Hewitt St) A spokesperson for the American Consumer Assessment Inc. stated, "The 2025 American Consumer Awards are grounded in evaluations from real consumers, and we hope these results will provide trustworthy information for consumers and contribute to the growth of the Cafe & Desserts industry. We also believe that these assessments will encourage businesses to prioritize customer satisfaction and continue to offer exceptional service." Media Contact Company Name: American Consumer Assessment Inc. Contact Person: Harvey Reed Email: Send Email City: Los Angeles State: CA Country: United States Website:
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Biggest customer fails from top firms YOU use revealed in Which?'s annual ‘Shoddy Awards'
THE companies that have let down customers the most in the past year have been revealed. Consumer group Which? has named the firms that have fallen short the most this year in its annual Shoddy Awards. 1 A range of companies made the list, including airlines, broadband firms, car firms and booking platforms. To be nominated the companies must have fallen below industry standards, offered poor value for money, made false claims or regularly underperformed. Experts put forward their own lists of companies that they felt met the criteria. The firms were then subjected to testing, customer surveys and investigations before a team of judges put together the final list. Below we've revealed a selection of winners and why they were awarded the title, plus read on for the full list. Harry Rose, Which? Magazine Editor, said: 'Consumers rightly expect high-quality products and services for their money. "All the companies named and shamed in this year's Shoddy Awards need to up their game and offer people the value for money they rightly expect.' Which? contacted each firm for comment. Kiddylicious Kiddylicious sells snacks for children aged from six months to five years old. The company claims to be allergen free, convenient and promote self-feeding. But research from the University of Leeds, funded by Which?, found that the majority of snacks are actually high in sugar and marketed in a misleading way. Many are closer to sweets than healthy snacks, with several classed as confectionery under World Health Organization guidelines. The snacks have little nutritional value and for babies aged under a year they risk replacing breast milk or formula in their diets. David Lloyd David Lloyd health clubs were also given a Shoddy Award because of their poor value for money. In Which?'s most recent gym survey, its members rated the company just two stars when it came to value for money. The consumer champion found that the average 'Plus' membership would cost you £131.50 a month. Meanwhile, in some locations the Platinum membership would set you back £259 a month. Ticketmaster Ticketmaster 's pricing for the Oasis reunion tour earned it a spot on the Shoddy Award shortlist this year. The company's practices when selling tickets for the long-awaited tour may have breached consumer protection law for two reasions. First, some seats were labelled as platinum and cost twice as much as a standard ticket. But Ticketmaster failed to explain to customers that there was o extra benefit to buying these seats. Meanwhile, customers were told that "in demand" prices would be used. This which meant that customers queued for tickets online without knowing exactly how much they would need to pay for tickets. The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated and agreed that these practices might have broken consumer law. Which? is calling on the CMA to make sure that Ticketmaster refunds customers who paid more than expected for tickets. Sports Direct Sports Direct has also been accused of breaking the law this year. When selling items Sports Direct uses Recommended Retail Prices (RRP) as a reference of how much an item is worth. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said an RRP should reflect the price a product is generally sold at across the market. But Which? found examples where no other online retailers were selling items at the RRP price shown by Sports Direct. Often their prices were the same as Sports Direct's, or lower. This could mislead shoppers about the true value of a product and the savings they are actually making. Many of the brands sold by Sports Direct are owned by its parent company, Frasers Group. For the majority of them Which? could not find the items for sale on any other websites. The ASA has said: 'If a marketer is the only seller of a product, and so has set the price themselves, it's unlikely to be acceptable to refer to the price as RRP.' It's not clear if this is the case here and if it applies to brands that are owned by the same parent company. Which? is calling on the CMA to investigate these pricing tactics. Tesco Clubcard Supermarket loyalty cards have become essential to cut the cost of your weekly shop. But some retailers have age, address and digital requirements that block shoppers from accessing savings. Tesco has the largest market share of any UK supermarket. But you must be 18 to get a Clubcard, while at other supermarkets you can register for a loyalty card if you are aged 16 or younger. The rules stop younger shoppers from getting access to thousands of discounted prices. Online marketplaces Websites including AliExpress, Amazon, Ebay, Temu and TikTok are failing to prevent the sale of unsafe goods from third-party sellers. Last year Which? listed an unsafe plug-in heater that looked identical to one that was recalled as far back as December 2022. The consumer champion found the heater for sale on Amazon, eBay, Etsy and TikTok. Meanwhile, it also found dangerous " energy saving" plugs available on websites including AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Temu and TikTok Shop. The devices claim to save you money but are not safe. Which? is calling on the government to introduce a duty so marketplaces have a legal responsibility to stop dangerous products appearing on their websites. The hotel booking platform came out top in Which? accommodation booking website survey - with the highest customer score. But when things go wrong, the situation was less positive. The consumer champion received dozens of complaints about scam messages and has seen hundreds of online reviews from people who have fallen for a scam. Which? said the award is specifically for approach to minimising and handling scams. Its recent investigation found that does not run proper identity checks on accommodation hosts. It is far too easy to hack into its messaging system and the system often shows positive reviews, rather that ones warning that the property is a scam. When you contact to say you have been scammed it will chase your money but it will not necessarily refund you itself. British Airways For the first time, British Airways was joint bottom of Which?'s long-haul airlines survey. It did not fly particularly high in the consumer champion's short-haul rankings. It landed nearer the bottom of the table than the top and was only awarded two stars for value for money, seat comfort, food and drink and cabin environment. Meanwhile, Which? research in May named it the worst-rated airline for customer service in the previous year. It also cancelled more flights than many of its rivals. Which? said that as many companies look to innovate and improve, British Airways needs to raise its game. Virgin Media The broadband provider earned its third Shoddy for its poor customer ratings and expensive price rises. Virgin Media was the worst-ranked provider in Which?'s annual broadband survey and received poor ratings for customer service and support. This year it also introduced the biggest mid-contract price rises for broadband-only customers - at £3.50 a month. In comparison, most other providers announced price rises of around £3 a month. The company has also been under investigation by Ofcom since 2023 after customer complaints that the firm is making it difficult for them to cancel their services. The case is still ongoing. EE Mobile EE used the new Ofcom rules on mid-contract price rises to levy a £4 a month increase for bundled contracts, which include both a phone and Sim. In comparison, the next highest price rise was just £1.80. Mobile providers say they need to invest in their networks, which could be justification for increasing airtime call, text and data prices. But the phone cost is fixed at the start of the contract. Which? also suspects that bundled contracts are being offered when customers fail the credit check for a Flex Pay contract to pay for their phone and airtime separately. So although this increase may only impact a small number, it could be a significant cost. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@
Globe and Mail
15-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
American Consumer Assessment Inc. Announces 2025 American Consumer Awards 'Sports & Leisure' Winners in New York
The results of the 2025 American Consumer Awards in the 'Sports & Leisure' category, organized by the American Consumer Right Association (ACRA) and managed by the American Consumer Assessment (ACA), have been announced for the New York region. These awards aim to uphold consumers' fundamental rights by sharing results based on consumer evaluations, providing objective and valuable information, and promoting the qualitative enhancement of consumers' lives. Evaluations for the 2025 American Consumer Awards 'Sports & Leisure' category were conducted from March to June, we conducted an evaluation through review platforms. The evaluation criteria included staff friendliness, facility satisfaction, pricing satisfaction, accessibility, and service satisfaction. Several outstanding businesses were recognized for their excellence in this category. Gym : LA Fitness (1776 Eastchester Rd) LA Fitness (1565 Forest Ave) Planet Fitness (16840 Jamaica Ave) Adventure sports center : Bury the Hatchet Axe Throwing Brooklyn Rock climbing gym : Movement LIC Yoga studio : Hot Yoga Chelsea / Flatiron NYC Skydiving center : iFLY Indoor Skydiving - Westchester Sports complex : Sky Zone Trampoline Park (161 N Jensen Rd) Bowling alley : Rab's Country Lanes Go-kart track : K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts. Corporate Event Venue. Team Building Activities (2272 Palisades Center Dr. West Nyack) A spokesperson for the American Consumer Assessment inc. stated, "The 2025 American Consumer Awards are grounded in evaluations from real consumers, and we hope these results will provide trustworthy information for consumers and contribute to the growth of the Sports & Leisure industry. We also believe that these assessments will encourage businesses to prioritize customer satisfaction and continue to offer exceptional service." Media Contact Company Name: American Consumer Assessment Inc. Contact Person: Harvey Reed Email: Send Email City: Los Angeles State: CA Country: United States Website:
Globe and Mail
15-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
American Consumer Assessment Inc. Announces 2025 'Sports & Leisure' Award Winners in California
The results of the 2025 American Consumer Awards in the 'Sports & Leisure' category, organized by the American Consumer Right Association (ACRA) and managed by the American Consumer Assessment (ACA), have been announced for the California region. These awards aim to uphold consumers' fundamental rights by sharing results based on consumer evaluations, providing objective and valuable information, and promoting the qualitative enhancement of consumers' lives. Evaluations for the 2025 American Consumer Awards 'Sports & Leisure' category were conducted from March to June, we conducted an evaluation through review platforms. The evaluation criteria included staff friendliness, facility satisfaction, pricing satisfaction, accessibility, and service satisfaction. Several outstanding businesses were recognized for their excellence in this category. Gym : Fitness 19 (207 N Grand Ave) Powerhouse Gym Menifee Anytime Fitness (2209 H Dela Rosa Sr St) Leisure centre : The Escape Game San Francisco (Downtown) (150 Kearny St) The Escape Game San Jose Skydiving center : GoJump Oceanside. Off roading area : Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Go-kart track : K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts. Corporate Event Venue. Team Building Activities (1709 Main St) Fishing charter : Seaforth Sportfishing Bowling alley : Pins N Pockets Yoga studio : Hot 8 Yoga (177 E Colorado Blvd g080) A spokesperson for the American Consumer Assessment inc. stated, "The 2025 American Consumer Awards are grounded in evaluations from real consumers, and we hope these results will provide trustworthy information for consumers and contribute to the growth of the Sports & Leisure industry. We also believe that these assessments will encourage businesses to prioritize customer satisfaction and continue to offer exceptional service." Media Contact Company Name: American Consumer Assessment Inc. Contact Person: Harvey Reed Email: Send Email City: Los Angeles State: CA Country: United States Website:
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
I bought a new fan and it broke after just a fortnight. Can I get my money back? DEAN DUNHAM has the surprising answer
R.L. asks: The fan I bought just a fortnight ago has stopped working. Can I get my money back? I've been using it for seven hours a night since I bought it. DEAN DUNHAM replies: The Consumer Rights Act says that goods must be fit for purpose, of satisfactory quality and as described.
