Can you share the worst house auction horror stories you've heard?
There was an auction where the house had been previously used for illegal activities. The new owner had no idea until the police showed up one day investigating some old cases related to the property. It was a nightmare for the owner who had to deal with the legal implications and the bad reputation of the house.
Sure. I heard of a house auction where the property was advertised as having a large backyard. But after the auction, when the new owner went to see it, half of the so - called backyard was actually a swampy area that couldn't be used for anything.
A family won an auction for a house that seemed like a great deal. However, during the inspection after the auction, they discovered that there was a serious mold problem throughout the house. The cost of getting rid of the mold was extremely high, and they regretted participating in the auction.
Can you share the worst house appraisal horror stories you've heard?
Sure. One of the worst was when an appraiser made a huge mistake in the square footage calculation. He miscalculated by a large amount, which made the house seem much smaller than it actually was. This led to a very low appraisal value. The homeowners were shocked as they knew the correct size of their house. They had to go through a long process to correct the error.
Can you share the worst franchise horror stories you've heard?
Sure. There was a home - cleaning franchise where the franchisor took a large percentage of the franchisees' revenue for 'advertising' but there was no visible increase in business due to it. Also, in a tutoring franchise, the franchisor provided really outdated teaching materials. Franchisees had to spend a lot of their own money to update them. Another bad one was a pet - care franchise where the franchisor didn't support the franchisees during a local crisis that affected the pet - care industry.
Can you share the worst Thanksgiving horror stories you've heard?
Well, I heard about a family whose Thanksgiving was ruined by a power outage. They had all the food cooking in the oven and on the stove, and suddenly, everything went dark. The turkey was only half - cooked, and all the side dishes were left in a state of limbo. They had to eat cold sandwiches instead of a warm Thanksgiving meal.
Can you share the worst workaway horror stories you've heard?
A truly horrible workaway story involved a young workawayer who was promised a friendly and cultural - exchange - focused experience. Instead, the host made them work from dawn till dusk in a sweatshop - like environment. The living conditions were so bad that there was no proper sanitation, and the food was inedible. The workawayer became ill due to the poor conditions but was still forced to work. This is a prime example of how a workaway can turn into a nightmare.
Can you share the worst fbar horror stories you've heard?
One of the worst I've heard was a family who had been living abroad for years and had multiple bank accounts in different countries. They were completely unaware of the fbar requirements. When they finally got notified, they faced huge fines that nearly bankrupted them. They had to sell some of their assets just to pay the penalties.
Can you share the worst Interrail horror stories you've heard?
A horrible experience was when someone had their wallet stolen on the train. They were traveling alone and all their money, cards, and identification were in that wallet. They had to rely on the kindness of strangers just to be able to call their bank and family. It was a nightmare trying to sort everything out in a foreign country.
Can you share the worst 'Homepolish horror stories' you've heard?
There was a case where the furniture and decor items sourced by Homepolish were of very poor quality. They started to fall apart or look shabby within a short time after the project was completed. The client had paid a significant amount for what was supposed to be high - end items, but ended up with junk.
Can you share the worst quitting smoking horror stories you've heard?
Sure. I've heard of someone who had really bad insomnia when trying to quit. They would lie in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep, and it affected their entire day. They were tired all the time and couldn't function properly at work or in their personal life.
Can you share the worst workmens compensation horror stories you've heard?
In a mining accident, a miner got seriously injured. His family was depending on the workmens compensation to pay for his medical bills and support them. However, the mining company's insurance department made the process so complicated. They sent different forms every week, asking for the same information over and over again. They also stalled the payment process for a long time. By the time the miner finally received some compensation, his family was on the verge of bankruptcy and he had missed out on some important medical treatments due to lack of funds.
Can you share the worst restaurant management horror stories you've heard?
In a particular restaurant, the management didn't train the waitstaff properly. The waiters didn't know the menu well. They couldn't answer customers' questions about the ingredients or how the dishes were prepared. This led to a lot of confusion and frustration among the customers. To make matters worse, the waitstaff was slow in taking orders and bringing the food. The restaurant's reviews suffered badly, and it took a long time to turn things around.