Service worse than a virus?
D ear Fixer: In August, I called Dell for assistance in removing a nasty virus from our computer.

Forget automated lines, get human
Dear Readers: The Fixer had a panicky moment the other day, when bad weather forced the cancellation of our airline flight. Fighting through the airline's automated phone system and then waiting forever for a live call center employee -- while watching the clock and knowing that our chances to rebook that day were disappearing -- was stressful, to say the least.

Concrete drive deal is too hard to prove
Dear Fixer: American Foundation Repair of Chicago agreed to repair my driveway with hydraulic cement April 26, with the work to be done the following day.

Fantastico! Missing flight miles credited
Dear Fixer: Alitalia will not credit me for the miles I earned as a participant in their MilleMiglia program.

Credit-card tricks could trip you up
Dear readers: The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act will go into effect in January, but credit card companies are pulling fast ones before it stops them. Here's an assortment from our mailbag:

Driver faces the $63,000 toll bill
Dear Fixer: I have been an I-Pass customer since 2006. When I enrolled, I gave my address of 10 years. At first, I was getting mail from I-Pass, but over time, I stopped receiving any information from them.

A refund check from the gods
A couple weeks ago, we brought you the sad story of Jeanette Shaven, of Burbank, who, back in July 2007, had accidentally made a double payment on her Reader's Digest subscription. The extra $24.76 payment had gone to a subscription-selling company in Stephens City, Va., that has racked up dozens of consumer complaints and operates under several names, including Readers Publication Services and Publishers Billing Bureau. The Better Business Bureau gives the company an F rating.

Attack of the clones: Customer and dealer scammed
Dear Fixer: I bought an '07 Ford Mustang from Mid City Nissan on March 17 for my wife for our third wedding anniversary.

Middleman digested cash
Dear Fixer: I accidentally made a double payment on my Reader's Digest subscription of $24.76 in July 2007. (I had already paid for it that May, but when I received another notice in July I accidentally paid it again.)

Budget car wasn't a good deal
Dear Fixer: At the end of March, I went on vacation to Florida with my family. We rented a car from Budget. A few days into the trip, the rental car broke down -- no AC and no power steering.