Jon Yates

Problem Solver: 'Transaction failure' leads to cellphone shut-off

For Howard Wood, a functioning cellphone isn't a luxury; it's vital for his job. The Downers Grove resident works in a 100,000-square-foot warehouse, so the cellphone allows him to be accessible to his co-workers. When he signed up for service from...

Tags: Consumers, Credit and Debt, Virgin Group, Ltd.

Problem Solver: Legal document goes missing, and Northern Trust wasn't looking

Chicagoan Deborah Harrington never had a mortgage. When she bought her apartment in a South Shore co-op building more than two decades ago, she paid in cash. To cover her bases, she took out a home equity line of credit, which she could access in an...

Tags: Northern Trust Corporation

Problem Solver: Eyewear receipt has customer seeing red

Diana Sanchez paid $280.17 for new glasses at J.C. Penney Optical in the Orland Square Mall. Her husband, Paul, paid $445.81 for his. Together, the Tinley Park couple plopped down $725.98 for new specs Jan. 26. It was a lot of money but they weren't...

Tags: Netherlands, JC Penney Company Inc., Insurance

Problem Solver: Updates on parking tickets, insurance refund, model dinosaur

After a sleepy winter during which motorcyclist Loreen Targos received no parking tickets, the Loop resident awoke March 13 to find a new violation envelope affixed to her motorcycle, allegedly for "parking or standing in violation of an erected sign."...

Tags: Health and Medical Professionals, Aetna Inc., Government Health Care, Medicare, Office Depot Inc.

Problem Solver: Seat shuffle irks airline passenger

When she planned her family's spring break trip to Phoenix, Lesley Shifrin was meticulous. She logged on to American Airlines' website Nov. 1 and booked four tickets — paying for two with cash, the other two with miles — then selected four...

Tags: Travel, Services and Shopping, Trips and Vacations, American Airlines, Inc., Air Transportation Industry

Problem Solver: Bus driver ticketed in accident, but CTA denies fault

Finding a parking spot on North Halsted Street in Lake View is rarely easy, so when Bridget Bowen saw an open space in the 3500 block on the evening of Nov. 17, she thought she had struck gold. She put on her turn signal and began backing her Saturn Ion...

Tags: Transportation Accidents, Cook County Government, Car Safety Tips and Advice, Insurance, Chicago Transit Authority

Problem Solver: Ex-husband dies, but credit debt lives on

It has been almost a decade since Donna Mosier got divorced. At the time, the couple discussed their joint accounts, including credit cards, and took measures to officially sever their ties. Her ex-husband kept the couple's MasterCard and Home Depot...

Tags: Credit and Debt, The Home Depot, Citigroup Incorporated

Problem Solver: Pipe leak halts neighbors' water for weeks

On her kitchen table, Cassandra Austin keeps two milk jugs, a 96-ounce orange juice container, stainless steel pots and an assortment of plastic pitchers. Every evening for the past three weeks, her 32-year-old son has gathered the containers, walked out...

Problem Solver: UnitedHealthcare's prescription drug plan a real pain

Navigating a prescription drug plan can be difficult, but Barbara Stonewater was sure she had it figured out. Last year the Aurora resident used AARP's Medicare Part D plan, run by UnitedHealthcare. Under the "preferred plan" option, her copays were...

Tags: Celebrex (drug), Arthritis, Prescription Drugs, Drugs and Medicines, Pharmaceuticals

Problem Solver: Medical billing causes patient pain

Before he visited the doctor to get custom orthotics, Gil Harris contacted both Medicare and his supplemental insurance company, Aetna, to see if they would pay for the shoe inserts. Medicare said no but Aetna said yes — as long as the bill was...

Tags: Health and Medical Professionals, Aetna Inc., Government Health Care, Insurance, Medicare

Problem Solver: 2nd charge leads to pain at the pump

It was a glorious fall day and Steve Thompson's in-laws were visiting from California, so he gathered up the family for an afternoon drive. The St. Charles family made it to Lake Geneva, Wis., before the fuel gauge on its Chevy Traverse edged toward...

Tags: Credit and Debt, Downstream Oil and Gas Activities

Problem Solver: Decade-old parking ticket resurfaces

It was a remodeling project that led Juli Eardley to the old file cabinet. The former Chicago resident, now living in Menomonee Falls, Wis., was contemplating new flooring in her home office and decided the old cabinet would have to go. Before...

Tags: Justice System, Punishment, Judges, Fines, Legal Service