CombatCritic's

CombatCritic's
Showing posts with label Kansas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kansas. Show all posts

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Lawrence Kansas: Adios Fuzzy's!

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
1115 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone number: (785) 841-8226
Website: fuzzystacoshop.com
Prices: $$$$

I am a loyal Fuzzy's patron and disabled veteran and have ordered on the phone for pick-up for nearly four years at their Lawrence, Kansas location. 

I just made a batch of guacamole and called to order our dinner, but the young man on the phone said" we're too busy right now and are not accepting take-out orders". Seriously? Too busy to take my money? What kind of operation are you running in Lawrence?

I have given Fuzzy's high marks on my popular blog and Yelp, Zomato and Tabelog reviews, but that has now come to an end as I will never set foot or call-in to Fuzzy's again. 

Adios amigos!

CombatCritic Gives Fuzzy's Tacos (Lawrence, Kansas) 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME"






One Bomb Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)


Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

View my food journey on Zomato!



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Fuzzy's Taco Shop on Yelp

Tabelog Reviewer CombatCriticView my food journey on Zomato!


Title: Lawrence Kansas: Adios Fuzzy's!

Key Words: Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Fuzzy's, Fuzzy, taco, shop, Lawrence, Kansas, KU, University of Kansas, university, Massachusetts, street, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Overland Park, KS: "HEY", Two Men And A Truck ... You Suck!

Two Men and a Truck Kansas City
7967 Frontage Road
Overland Park, KS 66204
Phone number: (913) 562-1369
Prices: ????
 
I asked them for a quote for a move from Lawrence, Kansas to Vancouver, Washington, giving them ample detail about our move. Their customer service rep, Allen Collins, wrote back, telling me that I had to fill out their inventory form which took me over 30 minutes, going room by room and piece by piece of furniture even though I had sent him a detailed spreadsheet with the same exact data:
"Hello, I received your online inquiry for an estimate for your upcoming move and I wanted to get a little more information from you to get started on your estimate.  Please complete the inventory checklist we sent you, as it will help us to create the most accurate estimate for your move.  You can also call me directly and we can put together your estimate over the phone.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Our office number is 913-341-6683. We will be open until 7p.m. today. Thank you again for choosing TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® and I hope you have a great day!"
A little while later, the same day, Allen wrote back to me stating:

"Hey, Thank you for your request for rates on your upcoming move. Unfortunately, the area you are moving to is outside our local service area. I will be glad to estimate our professional packing service or we offer boxes and all packing supplies if you are packing on your on. Thank you for considering Two Men and a Truck for your moving services."
This will tell you all you need to know about this company. Here is the reponse I got after directing him to this and my Yelp reviews:
From: Allen Collins <Allen.Collins@twomen.com>Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 8:14 AMSubject: RE: Allen-Two Men and a Truck 
Oh ok, well I hope everything works out. Have a good day! Allen Collins-Customer Service RepresentativeTWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Residential & Commercial Moving7967 Frontage RdOverland Park, KS | 913-341-6683Allen.Collins@twomen.com


"HEY" (a very professional greeting) Allen, thanks for wasting my time by asking me to fill out a long move survey only to tell me that you don't even service the area I told you we were moving to several hours earlier.

"HEY" Two Men And A Truck Kansas City, CombatCritic Gives You 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!
One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)


Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

View my food journey on Zomato!



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube



Tabelog Reviewer CombatCritic
View my food journey on Zomato!


Title: Overland Park, KS: "HEY", Two Men And A Truck ... You Suck!

Key Words: Overland Park, KS, Kansas, Two Men And A Truck, two, men, truck, movers. moving, company, long distance, packing, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, business, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Lawrence, KS: Pizza Shuttle Stands For ZERO INTEGRITY And Earns A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME"

Pizza Shuttle

1601 W. 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone: (785) 842-1212

I will not waste my time reviewing a business that totally lacks integrity, so I will ignore the food, delivery, etc. at Pizza Shuttle and focus only on the matter at hand ... fraudulent business practices.

I ordered two 14" one-topping pizzas online from Pizza Shuttle (through Eat Street - where I was automatically directed) at a price of $15.18 (including $1.38 for extra cheese on my pizza). 

My wife is allergic to tomatoes, so I asked for olive oil on her pizza instead of tomato sauce, a request that every pizza place we have ever ordered from has gladly and "free"ly complied with. With tax at $1.45 and delivery at $1.50, the total came to $18.13 as you can see on my receipt and order confirmations (online and email) below.

As you can clearly see, the online and email confirmations listed a total of $18.13 including tax and delivery, but when the Pizza Shuttle driver arrived he stated the total was $22.25, an additional $4.07 "due to my wife being allergic to tomatoes and substituting olive oil for tomato sauce". Nobody bothered calling to inform us of the ridiculous $4+ upcharge and when the driver called the manager to confirm the discrepancy, the manager merely stated "that's the way it is, it's Eat Street's problem, not ours". 

I paid the driver the extra $4.07 (because it was not his fault and he does not get paid enough to argue with irate customers) and tipped him an additional $1.75, stating "your tip would have been much larger if your manager wasn't such an a**hole. Tell him to read my review on combatcritic.com and on Yelp ... it won't be pretty!"

Never again, Pizza Shuttle or Eat Street, once and I am done. 

CombatCritic Gives Pizza Shuttle And Eat Street 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My WALL OF SHAME FOR ZERO INTEGRITY ... Nuff Said!

One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie

View my food journey on Zomato!



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube


Tabelog Reviewer CombatCritic
View my food journey on Zomato!
Pizza Shuttle Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato








Title: Lawrence, KS: Pizza Shuttle Stands For ZERO INTEGRITY And Earns A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME"

Key Words: Pizza Shuttle, pizza, shuttle, delivery, fraud, EatStreet, eatstreet.com, Lawrence, Kansas, 23rd, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Friday, August 12, 2016

Lawrence, KS: Unscrupulous, Rude, Unprofessional ... AVOID HARRIS AUTO REPAIR AT ALL COSTS!

Harris Auto Repair

811 E 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone: (785) 838-4488
Website: harrisautorepairinc.com
Prices: $$$$

Unscrupulous, rude, unprofessional ... AVOID HARRIS AUTO REPAIR AT ALL COSTS! 

Read my initial Yelp review dated 4/25/2016 for reference.

I have no idea how these guys get 5-star ratings on Yelp, other than from friends, but take this Yelp Elite's word for it, think twice before taking your car there because your or someone else's life could be in jeopardy if you do.

I should have gone with my gut feeling on these guys. Something was just not right, but I could not put my finger on it. Now I know what the problem is. They either do shoddy work or charge people for doing nothing at all because the $600 brake job they "supposedly" did on my car in April nearly caused me to rear end a bus that decided to stop in front of me (for no apparent reason) a little over a month ago and less than 3 months and 500 miles after they "fixed" my brakes.

As I mentioned in the review I wrote 3 days after they did (or did not do) the work referenced above, the brakes seemed no different than before I spent $600, but I trusted them and gave them the benefit of the doubt, assuming that the brakes worked fine and the vehicle was safe to drive. It is not. I was not very close to the bus I mentioned above, but when it unexpectedly stopped in the middle of a block for a jaywalking pedestrian, my brake pedal went straight to the floor and my car came to a very slow stop, barely missing the rear end of the bus. I was very lucky that I did not hit the bus, stopping inches from its bumper. Anyway, I was leaving town for a month and did not have time to take the vehicle in and tell them about the problem before I left, so I thought it could wait until I returned.

Well, now I am back from my trip and decided to stop by Harris Auto Repair today to tell them about the problem with their brake job. As I explained the problem, to Lance I believe, it seemed obvious that he was not going to stand behind the repairs they may or may have not made. Instead, telling me all of the things that could possibly be wrong with my brake system, I then asked him if they had inspected the system when they performed the work in April and why I was having the same exact problem after spending $600 in their shop. If they were in-fact "professionals", they would have inspected the brake system thoroughly (which I paid an extra $86 for), diagnosed the problem correctly, and performed NECESSARY repairs, charging me a fair price for work performed. At this point he started to get indignant with me, raising his voice and saying "look Chris, we've been through this before ... blah, blah, blah". That was when I stopped listening, realizing he was not about to stand behind their shoddy work (which nearly caused an accident) and telling him "Fine, I'll just take it somewhere else to get your work fixed".

On a similar note, a week or so ago (the day after I returned) I asked them for an estimate to have three belts replaced on the same vehicle (at which point I planned on telling them about the brake problem) and was quoted around $230, but I was alone and they could not shuttle me back and forth while the work was being performed, so I decided to go to my regular mechanic. Mike, at Don's Auto Center on 11th Street (near Haskell), quoted me $160 to replace the belts, which he did in an hour, charging me exactly what was quoted.

I will never consider taking our cars to Harris Auto Repair again and highly recommend that you consider doing the same. I have had extremely poor experiences with mechanics in Lawrence (Das Autohaus is another example) where integrity appears to be severely lacking, Don's Auto Center being the sole exception. So take your vehicles there because they are honest, you can trust them, they do good work, and they will charge you a fair price ... unlike Harris Auto Repair.

CombatCritic Gives Harris Auto Repair 1 Bomb Out Of 10, Earning Them A Spot On CombatCritic's "WALL OF SHAME!











One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie

View my food journey on Zomato!



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube



Tabelog Reviewer CombatCriticView my food journey on Zomato!



Title: Lawrence, KS: Unscrupulous, Rude, Unprofessional ... AVOID HARRIS AUTO REPAIR AT ALL COSTS! 

Key Words: Harris Auto Repair, Harris, mechanic, car, auto, automobile, Volkswagen, VW, battery, repair, cost, con, pro, rude, Lawrence, Kansas, Yelp, combatcritic, review, wall of shame

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Parkville, MO: Half-Ass Estimate, Zero Communication ... We're "The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys"!

The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys
Parkville, MO
Phone: (816) 741-7101
Website: TheLawnAndSprinklerGuys.com

Look at their name, "The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys", and it will tell you a lot about their professionalism.

I asked them to provide an estimate for major damage to our sprinkler system caused by a lightning strike and to install a backflow prevention device required by the city. All they did was come to the house, look around, and tell us "here's our hourly rate ($70/hour) and we'll figure it out when we start". No formal bid for our insurance company, no phone call, just an email form their admin person.  I asked to have the owner call me to discuss details of the job, but he never bothered to contact me. 

Like most of the dozens of lawn, landscape, and sprinkler companies I have dealt with since moving to KC in 2008, The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys are irresponsible, unprofessional, poor communicators and I would not hire them if they were the last company in Kansas or Missouri. They must have more business and money than they need if they can treat customers like that, so do not waste your time contacting them.

CombatCritic Gives The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A spot On My Quickly Growing WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie

View my food journey on Zomato!



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube


Tabelog Reviewer CombatCriticView my food journey on Zomato!



Title: Parkville, MO: Half-Ass Estimate, Zero Communication ... We're "The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys"!

Key Words: Parkville, MO, estimate, The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys, lawn, sprinkler, guys, repair, installation, service, Kansas City, Kansas, city, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Topeka, KS: Drove 25 Miles, Arrived During Business Hours, But "Closed For Maintenance"? UNSAT!

Margarita’s Jalisco
1616 SW 17th
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: (785) 234-1500
Website: margaritasjalisco.com
Prices: $$$$ - Don't know, never saw a menu!

We made the 25 mile drive from Lawrence, on a night and time they advertise as being open (6pm on a Tuesday - my birthday by the way), but were turned away in the parking lot. As we drove up, a man I assume was the owner knocked on the window of our car and said, "we're closed for maintenance". I told him, "but we drove all the way from Lawrence to eat here", to which he replied, "sorry!".

You cannot close a business during business hours for routine maintenance just because Tuesday evening may be a bit slower than most. For an emergency (power outage, flood, bomb threat), yes, but maintenance, absolutely not. They had 12+ hours between closing on Monday night and opening on Tuesday morning to perform the maintenance or they could have scheduled (and advertised) closing between lunch and dinner instead, but they chose to close unannounced during prime dinner time instead.

I had heard that the food was good here and the service excellent, but I will never find out because I will not be back. You had your chance Margarita's Jalisco, and you wasted our time and our gas ... you blew it!

CombatCritic Gives Margarita's Jalisco 1 Bomb Out Of 10 For Obvious Reasons And A Spot On My WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!









PS - We drove over to El Centenario just a few blocks away, they were open, they were packed, and we had an excellent meal ... read my review elsewhere on Yelp!

One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "#1 Ranked Foodie"

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Tabelog Reviewer CombatCriticView my food journey on Zomato!



Margarita's JaliscoMargarita's Jalisco

Margaritas Jalisco Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Title: Topeka, KS: Drove 25 Miles, Arrived During Business Hours, But "Closed For Maintenance"? UNSAT!

Key Words: Margarita's Jalisco, margarita's, margaritas, margarita, jalisco, Mexican, Topeka, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR -"Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Lawrence, KS: Aggressive Driving Was All I Had To See To Decide NEVER To Hire This Company

River City Heating & Cooling
1120 E 23rd St
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone: (785) 841-2665

I wouldn't hire these guys if my life depended on it.

When a police car suddenly stopped with lights flashing in front of me just minutes ago, I needed to merge into the left lane to get around the officer performing his duty. The white River City Heating and Cooling van that had cut me off just minutes earlier (on 9th Street just east of Iowa) was to my left, but rather than letting me merge left, the male driver (with a woman in the passenger seat) aggressively sped up to ensure that I could not get over, causing me to have to slow quickly in order to merge and avoid the police car blocking my way.

If this is the way River City Heating and Cooling treat Lawrence neighbors while driving their clearly marked vehicle around town, you can imagine how well you can trust them with your heating and cooling needs.

CombatCritic Gives River City Heating and Cooling 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My Quickly Filling WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "#1 Ranked Foodie"

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Tabelog Reviewer CombatCriticView my food journey on Zomato!




Title: Aggressive Driving Was All I Had To See To Decide NEVER To Hire This Company

Key Words: River City Heating and Cooling, river, city, heating, cooling, furnace, air conditioner, Lawrence, Kansas, KS, 23rd, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR -"Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Saturday, August 8, 2015

I Only Support Patriot-Owned Businesses And This Is Not One Of Them

Dr. Douglass Stull - Orthopaedic Surgeon
1112 W 6th St, Ste 124
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 843-9125

Referred by my primary physician, Dr. Steven Dillon, for severe shoulder pain that has been going on for months, Dr. Stull's office called to make an appointment, but when they found out I was retired military (Tricare) I was told "you're going to have to pay a lot out of pocket, we don't take Tricare or recognize Tricare's discounts".

Dr. Stull accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and most other major insurances, but those who protect his freedom have to pay out-of-pocket? That seems un-American to me and I refuse to support any business that treats military and Veterans with such disdain. If a doctor does not accept Tricare, he or she has made a conscious decision that padding their already inflated bank account is more important than treating American heroes, the men and women of our nation's military, retired military, and our families.

Thanks, but no thanks Dr. Stull, even if I have to suffer a couple weeks longer I refuse to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of my military pension and VA disability so you can get the latest Mercedes. There are plenty of patriots out there willing to accept Tricare, even if I have to drive 50 miles to Kansas City to see my old orthopaedic surgeon. She takes Tricare by the way.

As it turns out, there are six orthopaedic surgeons in Lawrence, including Stull, but like many medical professionals, and I use that term loosely, in this extremely liberal town, not a single one takes Tricare. Not a single patriot in the bunch:
William A Bailey, MD 
Neal D Lintecum, MD 
Stephan L Pro, MD 
Jeffrey C Randall, MD 
Douglass E Stull, MD 
Kenneth L Wertzberger, MD
So I have no choice but to drive nearly 30 miles to Topeka, Kansas, a much more conservative city and, coincidentally, where many more physicians take Tricare. To prove my point, there are 15 orthopaedic surgeons in Topeka, which is a little larger than Lawrence, and 8 of them (53%) accept Tricare:
MCCOY, MICHAEL T., MD 
WALLACE, BRETT E., MD 
WILSON, BRIAN F., MD 
GILBERT, JOHN H, II., MD 
LEPSE, PETER S., MD 
MUMFORD, JOSEPH E., MD 
POOLE, BRADLEY T., MD 
SMITH, MICHAEL L., MD
Compared to zero (0%) out of six orthopaedic surgeons who take Tricare in slightly smaller and much more liberal Lawrence, the story in Topeka is telling and distressing for those of us who serve or have served our nation and happen to live in Lawrence, protecting the freedom of all 21 surgeons referenced herein.

Oh, and by the way, Dr. Steve Dillon, who I switched to in April after a rash of bad encounters with primary care managers, has decided to reduce his practice by 80% and charge remaining patients $1,650 per year (out-of-pocket) to stay with him. I finally found a PCM I can trust and now have to pony-up close to $2000 or find ANOTHER doctor? I guess I will find another doctor, but I am running out of options in a town where most medical professionals do not take military medical insurance (Tricare). The Hippocratic Oath says "do no harm", but it seems as though modern medicine does not embrace that commitment and most practitioners are more concerned with their personal wealth than taking care of patients.

CombatCritic Gives Douglass Stull M.D. 1 Bomb Out Of 10 For Treating Military Patients With Disdain And Takes A Spot On CombatCritic's "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!   









"Follow Me To TravelValue"

Title: I Only Support Patriot-Owned Businesses And This Is Not One Of Them

Key Words: Doctor, Stull, Lawrence, Kansas, 6th, orthopedic, surgeon, Tricare, military, veteran, retiree, patriot, value, wall, shame, orthopaedic, Dr. Stull, Dillon, Steven