Latest news with #MildlyInfuriating
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Couple Hire College Student as Dogsitter—Shock at What They Later Discover
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A couple have received widespread support online after discovering that her dogsitter had added several expensive streaming subscriptions to her home account—without asking first. Reddit user u/Upstairs-Storm1006 shared the incident in a now-viral post on the subreddit Mildly Infuriating, where it garnered over 12,000 upvotes. According to the post, the original poster and their wife had hired a friend's daughter to stay in their home for four days and care for their dog. The sitter was paid and even given an extra $200 specifically for food delivery each night. But not long after returning home, they got a bad surprise. "I got a text yesterday from Xfinity thanking me for making my monthly auto-payment, and noticed the dollar amount was over $50 higher than normal. I looked on my bill and saw Max, Starz, Paramount+ w/Showtime, and Apple TV+ were now on my account, we don't subscribe to any of those. I called Xfinity which confirmed all were added via settop purchase during the dates she was staying with us," they wrote. After cancelling the subscriptions, the poster informed their friend, who reimbursed them immediately. The daughter then called in tears to apologize. "I'm glad it worked out for me but the chutzpah for her to do this in the first place they added. Expert Insight Etiquette expert Genevieve "Jenny" Dreizen, COO and co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry, described the situation as "frustrating and layered." "The OP handled things with admirable clarity and grace. They reached out directly to the parent, which may not have been everyone's first instinct, but it was likely the most effective and emotionally grounded route given the family connection," she told Newsweek. Dreizen emphasized that even in casual arrangements, there are unspoken rules that should be followed when staying in someone else's home: use only what's been offered, never purchase or sign up for anything without clear permission, and treat the space like a guest room, not a hotel. She noted that with the prevalence of smart devices and streaming services, clarifying boundaries ahead of time is more crucial than ever. She added that homeowners should feel empowered to leave a simple guide outlining expectations—including which services are OK to use, food policies, delivery boundaries, and emergency contacts. "Clarity is kindness for everyone," she said, also pointing out that while mistakes like these aren't uncommon among inexperienced sitters, that doesn't excuse them. Both parties can treat this as a learning experience. A stock image showing a woman holding a white dog. A stock image showing a woman holding a white dog. Halfpoint/iStock / Getty Images Plus Adrienne Alexander, a conflict resolution and etiquette expert and owner of public relations firm IPY Agency LLC, echoed that sentiment. She said the OP handled the situation well overall—taking quick action, contacting the parent, and resolving the charges without escalating. However, she pointed to one missed opportunity: "The OP could have spoken directly to the sitter before involving the parent. As a basic conflict principle, address the issue at the lowest appropriate level. Going through the parent first might've made the apology feel more coerced than sincere." "This isn't just about a $50 charge; it's about trust. When someone watches your pet, they're stepping into a role that demands maturity, respect, and responsibility. They shouldn't be in the role if they can't handle that," she added. Ivan Petersel, the founder of Dog Virtuoso, told Newsweek: "Pet care isn't just a side gig—it requires trust, professionalism, and accountability. "In general, people don't take Pet Sitting seriously enough. That goes for the pet sitters as well as the pet owners. "Many people think that anybody can take care of their dog but to find somebody that is responsible and truly understands Dogs is hard to find." Reddit Reacts Reddit users didn't hold back in the comments. "If a person can't take care of themselves, they can't take care of my dog," wrote one user. "Extra $200 for food? I'll dogsit for you!" joked another. "$200 for the person looking after the dog to eat food, s*** in this economy I'll start barking, sounds like a good home to me," someone quipped. Another commenter added: "If they aren't even capable of making a sandwich, then it is entirely possible that they aren't smart enough to figure out that adding channels means someone has to pay for them." Newsweek reached out to u/Upstairs-Storm1006 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case. Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Newsweek
Mom Thinks She's Bought a New iPhone, Shows Daughter—but There's a Problem
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A mother who had switched from an Android to her first iPhone was excited to show the new device off, only to quickly realize there was something very wrong. A Reddit user Tobias Tawanda, who posts under the username u/Tobias-Tawanda, shared a photograph of a touch-screen phone to the r/MildlyInfuriating subreddit on May 8. He wrote: "My friend's mom proudly showing off her new 'iPhone 16 Pro Max' to me and her daughter." A second photo showed the "about phone" info, where the model was listed as an iPhone 16 Pro Max, but was followed by "Android Version 12." Some people may be able to tell at first glance that the device was not an iPhone, and certainly not the 16 Pro Max, which was released in 2024 and retails for $1,199 on the Apple website. However, Tawanda told Newsweek that his friend's mother is in her late 50s and "not very tech-savvy." She had never owned an iPhone before, instead using an old Samsung "for years" until it eventually stopped working. The mom bought the phone on Facebook Marketplace, and it "came in a box and looked convincing enough at first glance, which is likely why she trusted it," Tawanda said—and she had paid "close to $600 for the phone, which is a significant amount for her. The poster added in a Reddit comment that when she described the phone as an iPhone 16 Pro Max Mini, Tawanda instantly saw a red flag, as "that model doesn't exist." He and his friend had to break the news that it was fake, and he told Newsweek "she was understandably very upset when we told her." While it is unclear whether the mom will be able to get her money back, Tawanda said they "messaged the seller immediately, but they haven't responded." "Her oldest son is now helping her get a proper new phone. We'll also be filing a police report—even if we're not sure how much it will actually help, it feels like the right thing to do." Stock image: A woman holds a smartphone with a blank screen. Stock image: A woman holds a smartphone with a blank post had a huge reaction, racking up more than 90,000 upvotes. Commenters worried about whether there could be even more sinister things at play, as one wrote: "God forbid she tries to access a credit card or bank on it." "There could be anything installed on it and she 100 percent should not be using it," another agreed, as a third said: "If there wasn't some kind of spyware or something else on that phone I would be shocked." Others suggested it was unlikely the person who sold it to her would refund her, as one user put it: "This was not an accident." Another agreed: "The scammer isn't going to respond. Their account will probably be blank or deleted soon. Just consider the money gone and this to be a lesson learned." E-commerce fraud, relating to things bought and sold online, is massive: in 2025 alone, losses to online payment fraud were estimated at $44 billion, according to Statista.
