NBC 5 Responds

A second round of stimulus checks were sent out to Americans, but many are still waiting for their payments from the first round of relief checks. NBC 5 Responds’ Lisa Parker reports

As consumers nationwide start to think about this year’s tax season, millions are still worried about their 2019 returns, as many still have not received their federal tax refunds. Taxpayers report filing early, but say they still await both answers—and their much-needed money. NBC5 Responds viewer Raffaela Gurschke is one of the millions in financial limbo. She filed her...

With an Internal Revenue Service backlog due to the coronavirus pandemic, here’s when people can expect their tax returns in 2021. NBC 5 Responds’ Lisa Parker reports.

Buried in the jampacked political news cycle last week was another extension of assistance for Illinois renters, but the extra month of rent relief provides fewer protections than previous iterations of the program. Previously-passed eviction moratoriums from March through October applied to all tenants, regardless of financial circumstances. Now, renters will have to fill out a declaration form, showing they…

Buried in the jampacked political news cycle last week was another extension of assistance for Illinois renters, but the extra month of rent relief provides fewer protections than previous iterations of the program. NBC 5 Respond’s Lisa Parker reports.

NBC 5 Responds’ hotline has been lit up with calls about unemployment benefits fraud since very close to the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. As with any crisis, criminals seemed to pounce, finding fodder with the tragic loss of jobs for millions of Americans.  Now agencies that say they have been working together behind the scenes are making it official,…

NBC 5 Responds found that many consumers could find money they had previously stored away in a flexible spending accounts just in time for the holiday shopping. NBC 5’s Lisa Parker reports.

Moving is one of those things that nobody enjoys or wants to do, and this year, things became even more complicated because of the coronavirus pandemic. Back in June, when Marion Schmekel hired a moving company to move her belongings from Aurora to a suburb of Kansas City, the $1,700 estimate she received had to be given over the phone….

One Chicago woman told NBC 5 Responds that her recent move cost her double after she didn’t look closely at one crucial detail. Lisa Parker reports.

People who received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance have begun seeing emails from the state saying they were overpaid and have to return the money. NBC 5’s Lisa Parker reports.

What’s already been a financially challenging year for thousands of Illinois residents, just became even more complicated for some of them. Last week, emails started arriving in the inboxes of people who received pandemic unemployment assistance, or PUA, that they were overpaid and now have to pay that money back.     The letter from the Illinois Department of Employment...

Open. Closed. Open. Closed. Dining in Illinois’ restaurants has been a gamble as coronavirus mitigation rules have meant indoor dining restrictions or closures depending on COVID-19 metrics in the state. Curbside pickup and delivery have remained a constant and safe option, but with such high demand, it’s not uncommon for the occasional order mix-up. “Maybe your soda didn’t come with...

When the receipt showed his debit card was charged $4,028.86 for a food order that should have cost $39.09 and with no answer in sight, a Chicago hospital case manager turned to NBC 5 Responds for help. Lisa Parker has the story.

An Illinois health insurance company is allegedly denying a couple coverage for pregnancy-related medical costs based on sexual orientation. NBC 5’s Lisa Parker reports.

A Packers fan spent hundreds of dollars for game tickets that were two years away, so when it was finally game time and no fans were allowed in the stands, his Hail Mary came from NBC 5 Responds. Lisa Parker has the details.

The rivalry between Green Bay Packers fans and Chicago Bears fans is legendary, which is precisely why Steve McKay, a lifelong Illinois resident, became a Packers fan more than 60 years ago. “I grew up a [White] Sox fan and a Chicago Cardinals fan, so when the Cardinals left town in 1960, I went with the team that the Bears…

When Angie Campbell sat down to state her case to NBC5 Responds, she told us she was at her wit’s end. The item she entrusted to a national jewelry chain for repair and had searched for through months of the pandemic was still missing. She told us it was a watch, but not just any watch. It belonged to...

After a sentimental family treasure went missing during the thick of the pandemic, NBC 5 Responds stepped in to help a Chicago woman get the item back. Lisa Parker reports.

Forced to confront long hold times, uninformed employees, and unresolved disputes, consumers around the country are sharing frustration with the state of customer service in 2020.

NBC 5 Responds asked you to tell us how the pandemic has affected customer service. And you answered. Lisa Parker has the story.