Archives: Past 30 Days

5 Ways To Save Money By Spending Money

By Laura Northrup on May 24, 2012 9:40 AM 40 Comments

It seems counter-intuitive, but frugality doesn't always necessarily mean clutching your wallet with a vise grip and refusing to spend on non-essentials. Sometimes spending a little more doesn't just make your life easier: it can save you money in the long run. More »

(phildesignart)

Law Dropout Debilitated By Asperger Syndrome Gets $339,361 In Student Loans Forgiven

By Laura Northrup on May 24, 2012 9:08 AM 91 Comments

College debt is one of the few debts that can't be discharged in bankruptcy, unless you have a really, really good reason. You pretty much have to be dead or have a debilitating disability that keeps you from working. So it caught the attention of the National Law Journal when a Maryland woman in her 60s had $339,361 in college debt discharged in bankruptcy court earlier this month. More »

use your insider voice

Investment Firms Warned Off Facebook IPO In Advance While Small-Timers Lose Big Money

By Chris Morran on May 24, 2012 8:15 AM 97 Comments

In the days leading up to last Friday's initial public offering for Facebook stock, the company raised the IPO price by several dollars a share, leading many small-level and amateur investors to wonder if maybe there was something more to the company than a place to post photos of you and your friends waiting in line to see Men In Black III. But at the same time, large investment firms were reportedly bailing on sinking their money into the social media site. More »

papa john's

Papa John's Really, Really Cares That They Gave Me Wrong Pizza Crust

By Laura Northrup on May 24, 2012 8:00 AM 68 Comments

The complaint behind this story was not, at its core, a serious consumer problem. Chris ordered a pizza that was missing a few toppings and on the wrong type of crust. What's notable is that the regional management of Papa John's treated it like it was. Well, eventually. After the local store manager insisted that the error was Chris's fault, he fired off a quick complaint on the website. And that's when corporate solicitousness and free pizzas rained down upon him. Not literally. That would be kind of scary. More »

bag ban

(SUPERSTEVE9219)

L.A. Bans Plastic Supermarket Shopping Bags

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 5:36 PM 122 Comments

The movement against plastic shopping bags gained a lot of momentum today after the Los Angeles City Council voted 13-1 to phase out the use of plastic shopping bags at supermarkets. More »

things that make sense

Safeway Reinstates Employee Who Stopped Man From Beating Up Pregnant Girlfriend

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 5:19 PM 62 Comments

Last week we told you about the California Safeway employee who had been suspended after intervening in a fight between a man and his pregnant girlfriend. Now there's some good news to report, as the grocery store chain has given the employee his job back, along with pay for the weeks during which he was suspended. More »

bad news

(Richard Espagnolo)

HP To Give The Axe To 27,000 Employees

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 5:05 PM 87 Comments

Earlier today, HP announced its latest quarterly earnings and the results were not good — like "We are going to have to lay off 27,000 employees" not good. More »

all your fault

(northernplateguy)

Verizon Insists I Had Data Cap Put On My Plan Because "Customers Do Weird Things"

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 4:15 PM 37 Comments

With Verizon Wireless set to slaughter grandfathered unlimited data plans — at least for those who don't want to pay full price for their phones — some VZW customers are already being driven against their will into capped data plans by Big Red. More »

abstentine flersher?

CAPTCHA Later, Time Waster! Let's Play Games To Prove We're Human

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 4:00 PM 52 Comments

If you've ever been faced with a CAPTCHA sullenly asking you to type the words in a box below a mishmash of crossed out and jumbled letters, you know how frustrating it can be when you're inevitably told to try again with another set of just as flurbled letters. A new company says it has an easier way to prove you're not a robot, just a regular old flustered human. More »

food disservice

(Atwater Village Newbie)

What Peeves You Most When You Eat At A Restaurant?

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 3:45 PM 350 Comments

Most of the time when you go out to a restaurant, you're not only paying for food, but also for service and ambiance. So even if the meal was perfectly prepared, there are still plenty of things about which diners feel justified to complain. More »

bye bye booze

Truck Spills 55,000 Pounds Of Bottled Beer On The Ground, None Is Passed Around

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 3:15 PM 25 Comments

Quick, get out your straws and empty your pitchers! A big rig traveling in Florida near Daytona Beach was carrying 55,000 pounds of bottled beer when it overturned, spilling all that foamy, alcoholic liquid onto the road. More »

parenting

(balmes)

Which Is Worse: Using Your Daughter To Shoplift, Or Abandoning Her At The Police Station?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 3:00 PM 41 Comments

It's bad enough to involve your 11-year-old daughter in a shoplifting scheme, but to then refuse to pick her up from the police station after you get away? That's more than bad parenting. That's just mean. More »

we take it back

City Tells Man He Can Build Tomato Garden, Then Decides It's Against The Law

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 2:30 PM 95 Comments

A Massachusetts man says that when he decided to build a large tomato-growing structure in his front yard, he checked with the city who said it was going to be fine. Then as soon as the hanging garden went up, the city said it had to come down. More »

we no likey

Facebook Settles Lawsuit That Claimed "Sponsored Stories" Turned Users Into Marketers

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 2:00 PM 19 Comments

Tapping into the power of social networks to market to their users has always been an appealing goal for advertisers, but figuring out exactly how to do that has been tricky. Facebook recently settled a class action lawsuit from users of its network who said "Sponsored Stories" turned them into marketing machines, without the fun part of being compensated. More »

you make the call

Should An Airline Be Allowed To Say Your Shirt Is Too Offensive?

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 1:20 PM 219 Comments

When does an airline passenger's attire cross a line and become so offensive they should not be allowed to board? And who determines where that line is drawn? Those are the questions surrounding an incident involving a woman who says she missed her connecting flight because a pilot said her shirt was inappropriate. More »

turnabout is fair play

(Facebook)

Bet That iPhone Thief Didn't Think His Disney Cruise Adventures Would End Up On Owner's Facebook

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 1:00 PM 46 Comments

Technology combined with social networks can create a kind of vicious oversharing cycle. Yes — we've all seen pictures of food, and yes it's great to know what you made for dinner. But in the case of a woman whose iPhone was stolen, cloud technology paired with Facebook has made for an interesting twist, as she's chronicling her property's photographic adventures with the thief in an attempt to get it back. More »

pets

(atomicpuppy68)

FDA Still Not Sure Why Chinese Jerky Made 1,000 Dogs Sick

By Laura Northrup on May 23, 2012 12:36 PM 32 Comments

Pet owners think that we're doing our pets a favor by purchasing treats for them that are just pure dried meat: no flour, no soy, no additives, just meat. But these treats may not be as healthy as they seem. Many dog owners claim that these treats have made their pets ill with problems ranging from diarrhea to kidney failure, and many animals have died. The Food and Drug Administration continues to investigate, even sending inspectors to the production facilities in China, but can't determine what causes the illnesses. More »

free stuff

Pizza Chain Offers Free Pies If You Order In Spanish

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 12:18 PM 77 Comments

In a move that is both savvy publicity stunt and topical button-pushing, Dallas-based pizza chain Pizza Patrón says it will be handing out free large pies to customers who place their order in Spanish. More »

let go of the legos

(NBC Bay Area)

Target Claims Tech Exec Created His Own Bar Codes To Buy LEGOs On The Cheap

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 12:00 PM 60 Comments

You're never too old for LEGOs! But it is possible to take those beloved brightly colored building blocks to a bad place where you're resorting to crime in the pursuit of said toy. Millionaire tech executive Thomas Langenbach has been arrested for allegedly creating bar codes and using them to buy LEGOs at Target for his own special discounted price, and then selling them. More »

cell phone towers

(The Joy Of The Mundane)

These Men Died For Your 3G Signal (And A Paycheck)

By Laura Northrup on May 23, 2012 11:30 AM 59 Comments

In the last few years of the aughts, while many of us privileged jerks were whining about how our iPhones kept dropping calls, and the national mobile network couldn't handle the call volume generated by our data-slorping smartphones, a hidden army of workers were there for us, risking their lives so that we could download podcasts on the bus. These dudes (they're all dudes) scale towers to fix and upgrade equipment, working for subcontractors and receiving relatively low pay of $10-$11 per hour. And some of them fall and die. More »

no more hiding

(softlad)

NY Lawmakers Want To Do Away With Anonymous Online Comments

By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 11:23 AM 83 Comments

Anonymous hate-mongering,name-calling and venom-spitting has been around the Internet since before many of the people reading this post even had an e-mail address. While most of us have just come to accept that this is part of the cost of having an online community, state lawmakers in New York have drafted legislation that intends to do away with anonymous commenting. More »

prepaid trouble

(TheTruthAbout)

Consumers Union Urges CFPB To Regulate Prepaid Credit Cards More Closely

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 11:00 AM 14 Comments

Using a prepaid credit card and reloading at your convenience sounds like a great idea in theory, but there are many hidden fees and dangers involved. That's why the Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, is urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today to adopt new rules to protect consumers who rely on prepaid cards. More »

newegg

(ian murchison)

The Case Of The Newegg Investigation, The Missing Refund, And The Vanishing Unlocked Phone

By Laura Northrup on May 23, 2012 10:37 AM 35 Comments

Brian was really excited to open up and play with his new toy, an unlocked phone that he ordered on sale from Newegg. But the box arrived on his doorstep and.... no phone. The bluetooth headset that he had ordered was there, but not the phone. He grew impatient with Newegg's investigation when the missing phone wasn't his fault, and managed to get their customer service to do the right thing and get the phone into his hand, at the sale price. Only neither of their promised refunds—of the original purchase price, and of the difference between the original price and what Brian paid for the replacement phone—have come through. More »

serious salsa

(JoshBassettPhotography)

Chipotle Facing The Investigative Heat Over Its Compliance With Immigration Laws

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 10:00 AM 88 Comments

Mexican fast food chain Chipotle announced yesterday that it's the subject of an investigation by federal prosecutors into the possibility that it violated criminal securities laws with its hiring practices. More »

target is crazy

Target Feels Need To Brag About Selling Gift Cards At Face Value

By Laura Northrup on May 23, 2012 9:34 AM 29 Comments

Hey, who doesn't love gift cards? Target sells a few as impulse items at the checkout, and Reader Cheryl noticed something curious. The gift cards had the same "as advertised" tag that sale flyer items at Target get, but they weren't on sale. They were being sold at face value. As gift cards generally are. More »

auto-renewal

(the schneider clan)

DirecTV: You Can't Cancel $198 NFL Package Until Next Month

By Laura Northrup on May 23, 2012 9:02 AM 30 Comments

It was pretty thoughtful of DirecTV to automatically renew Pete's $198 NFL Sunday Ticket subscription. You know, in case he forgot. He didn't forget, actually, and he was planning to discontinue his subscription to the package. He can't. The auto-renew stands, and he won't be allowed to cancel the package until a month after the auto-renewal notice. You know, just in case he forgets. More »

omaha steaks

(chick_pea_pie)

My Dad's Neighbor Ate His Delicious Birthday Steaks, Omaha Steaks Fixes My Error

By Laura Northrup on May 23, 2012 8:05 AM 118 Comments

Kara is a totally great daughter, which is why she sent her dad a box of Omaha Steaks for his last birthday. She isn't as great at typing in his address, though, and the box had been delivered to a neighbor's house. This neighbor quietly signed for and ate $70 worth of gift meats. While the good news is that Omaha Steaks went above and beyond, correcting Kara's error and sending replacements, this still means that her dad has to live next to some jerk who ate his birthday present. Maybe this neighbor will invite him over for an incredibly awkward barbecue. More »

no exit

(Yo Spiff)

T-Mobile Admits It Made A $250 Error, Still Manages To Blame Me

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 5:00 PM 43 Comments

Welcome to the T-Mobile Customer Service Labyrinth, where every turn brings you back to the center, where headset wearing minotaurs tell you that the exit is right in front of you but it's not the exit, and where the company can admit in writing to making an error that costs you $250 but says it's your fault. More »

emerald isle ire

Aer Lingus Really Doesn't Want Ryanair To Be All Up In Its Business Anymore

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 4:30 PM 18 Comments

Aer Lingus scored a hit against fellow Irish airline Ryanair in court today, which will allow British authorities to continue investigating the cheapo carriers over its ownership of a 30% stake in Aer Lingus. More »

keep it like a secret

Broadcasters Would Rather Not Have To Post Political Ad Rates Online

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 4:00 PM 41 Comments

Last month, the FCC approved a new rule that requires broadcasters who air political ads to post on their websites the rates they charge — and other related information — for these commercials. This isn't sitting well with the broadcasters, who filed suit to stop the rule change. More »

truth in advertising

(r/funny on imgur)

The Threat Of Unplanned Parenthood Is One Way To Sell Condoms

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 3:30 PM 56 Comments

No need to resort to flashy gimmicks or big marketing campaigns — if you want to sell condoms, just present an easy juxtaposition with a meaning that can't be missed. A gas station is doing just that with a handmade sign showcasing two of its products. More »

o rly?

(Nintendo85)

Interim Best Buy CEO Admits Company Isn't The Greatest At Shilling Electronics Anymore

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 3:00 PM 168 Comments

Best Buy hasn't been enjoying much success lately: Its CEO departed amidst allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with a female employee, prompting the exit of Chairman Richard Schulze for not handling that situation well. And oh yeah, it's not selling as much stuff as it used to. Interim Chief Executive Mike Mikan isn't parsing any words on that front. More »

suspicious activity

(Jenna Belle)

U.S. Airways Passenger Arrested After Saying She Has "Surgically Implanted Device" Inside Her

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 2:15 PM 79 Comments

A U.S. Airways flight en route from Paris to North Carolina had to be rerouted to Bangor, Maine, where an allegedly unruly passenger was arrested because she reportedly told a member of the cabin crew she had a "surgically implanted device" inside of her body. More »

time's a'wastin'

(dmuth)

Spending 40 Hours A Year Stuck In Traffic Doesn't Sound Like Much Fun

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 2:00 PM 61 Comments

There are a lot of things you can fill 40 hours of your life with. Gazing at waterfalls, eating a few wheels of cheese, taking some nice long walks with your dog or flying to Fiji — the possibilities are endless. All of those things are better than spending more than an average of 40 hours sitting idle in traffic a year, which is what one study says is true for Americans in 10 cities. More »

ga$oline

Survey: Fuel Economy The Leading Consideration In Picking A Car

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 1:33 PM 73 Comments

While I have an affection for cars with after-market, clumsily welded spoilers, it appears I am in the minority, as a new survey by our test-driving in-laws at Consumer Reports says that fuel economy — and not undercarriage lighting — is the leading consideration for folks looking to buy a vehicle. More »

robo agent

(wnycradio)

NYC Airports Installing Avatars That Get Chatty Upon Being Approached

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 1:00 PM 46 Comments

They aren't tall, blue and skilled with flying beasts, but avatars installed at certain airports could provide useful information for travelers soon. If you can't find an actual warm body to assist you, you'll be able to just walk up to one of these flat-screen helpers and have it start talking. More »

scamalamadingdong

No, Microsoft Techs Are Not Proactively Calling You About Your Error Messages

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 12:45 PM 46 Comments

Software crashes. And sometimes when it does, you get the option of sending an error report to the developer. You'll never hear back, because that's not the purpose of the report. But that hasn't stopped scammers from pretending they are Microsoft techs responding to your crash reports. More »

zynga

Zynga-Branded AmEx Prepaid Card Lets You Earn FarmVille Cash In The Real World

By Laura Northrup on May 22, 2012 12:34 PM 30 Comments

This site does not, in general, approve of Zynga's freemium addiction-based gaming model or fee-laden prepaid debit cards. So we are amused and slightly dismayed to bring you the news that AmEx and Zynga have teamed up to bring a Farmville points rewards card into the world. Fill up your card, spend the money, earn points to buy in-game stuff. How could this product possibly go wrong? More »

conflict resolution

(photographybynatalia)

Slapping A Loudmouth 10-Year-Old Is Not The Best Way To Get Him To Shut Up In A Movie Theater

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 12:15 PM 150 Comments

What happens when two bad consumers come in conflict with each other in dimly lit movie theater? One ends up with a bloody nose and lost tooth, while the other faces assault charges. More »

money for nothing

(Ben Popken)

Would You Return $1,800 In Cash You Found At An ATM?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 12:00 PM 110 Comments

Just imagine — no need to insert your card or tap in your PIN, there's money sitting right there, sticking out of an ATM deposit slot, waiting for you to pocket it. Would you do it, or would you go the honest route like a Florida woman who turned in the $1,800 in cash she found? More »

name changes

(zonaphoto)

Changing My Last Name At Marriage Means I Can't Fly

By Laura Northrup on May 22, 2012 11:52 AM 99 Comments

Drawing conclusions from our mailbox here at Consumerist's virtual HQ, no one in the United States ever changes their last name when they get married. Or dies. Both events result in such confusion at some companies that it's clear they have never encountered them before. That's clear from Claire's experience booking a flight after her name change. She was already a Delta customer, so they used the name that was in their system and said they could change it later. This was not, strictly speaking, possible. More »

worth a shot

Ohio Man Selling $1000/Cup Kool-Aid To Raise Money For Doctor Bills

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 11:45 AM 37 Comments

When life hands you three bouts of pancreatitis, gall stones, a cholecystectomy, and possibly kidney stones, you make incredibly expensive lemonade in the hopes that some generous folks will pay — and that the local news will pick up your story. More »

sorry about that

Popeyes Apologizes To Customer With Service Dog

By Chris Morran on May 22, 2012 11:15 AM 120 Comments

Yesterday we brought you the story of a Georgia man who said he was wrongly kicked out of a Popeyes restaurant because of his service dog. And while the restaurant chain is sticking by its side of the story, it has released an official apology to the customer. More »

words actually can hurt

nothing sucks like an electrolux

Plastic Surgeon Sues Patient For Defamation After Negative Online Reviews

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 11:00 AM 69 Comments

Online rating sites are a great tool for consumers researching services their peers have already experienced. So in the case of getting cosmetic surgery, a bad review is akin to a huge spitball thrown at a business, which is why an Orlando plastic surgeon is suing one of his former patients for defaming him online. More »

(akeg)

Even A Happy Ending To An Appliance Saga Doesn't Leave Customer Happy

By Laura Northrup on May 22, 2012 10:38 AM 78 Comments

Last year, George purchased an Electrolux refrigerator from HH Gregg. Just barely a year after the first anniversary of his purchase, the fridge broke down. After he contacted four separate repair shops trying to find someone to fix it, the search came up empty. No repair tech, no working fridge. But wait! Electrolux contacted him, offering to buy back the fridge for the same price he paid for it. Hooray! But he's still not satisfied, since the refund doesn't cover the full cost of getting a new appliance. More »

both start with g

(PamelaVWhite)

No More Gucci Knockoffs From Guess: Luxury Designer Wins $4.6 Million in Lawsuit

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 22, 2012 10:05 AM 11 Comments

No more knockoffs for you, Guess-wearing Gucci aficionados: The battle of the designer G's has come to an end that will mean some fans of the cheaper Guess goods won't be able to buy certain products anymore. That's because a judge ruled that Guess was infringing on some of Gucci's trademark designs, and awarded Gucci just $4.6 million in the process as well. More »

4 kidz

Olive Oil 'For Kids' Is Apparently A Thing

By Laura Northrup on May 22, 2012 9:35 AM 45 Comments

Marketing material for Zoe brand organic extra virgin olive oil targeted at kids brags that it is "at the forefront of the burgeoning children's health food market." While the news that there is food targeted at children that doesn't contain alarming shades of food dye, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, or even "cheez," it's still Olive Oil For Kids, and we're still going to snicker at it. More »

disneyland

Disneyland Hikes Ticket Prices As Much As 30%

By Laura Northrup on May 22, 2012 9:05 AM 109 Comments

Prepare to pay even more to stand in line waiting to enjoy rides. For the second time in less than a year, Disney is hiking prices at its California theme parks. The cost of tickets will increase 9% (from $80 to $87) for the humble one-day pass for guests over 10, and 30% (from $499 to $649) for annual passes that include the cost of parking. More »

sears

(hep)

Sears Finds New And Exciting Ways To Not Deliver Me A Working Dishwasher

By Laura Northrup on May 22, 2012 8:03 AM 60 Comments

Years ago, in a time so foreign and distant that many of us can barely remember it, Sears was the place to go if you wanted to buy a quality appliance. That's not the case anymore. Evidently now it's the place to go if you want to buy a non-operational appliance and take a bunch of unnecessary days off work. Tomorrow morning, Jesse will be waiting for a technician to come by and (most likely) not get his new dishwasher to work. The second, replacement dishwasher that Sears brought after the first one didn't work either. More »

(stuartpilbrow)

Personal Finance Roundup

By FMF on May 22, 2012 7:30 AM 0 Comments

7 smart ways to pay for college [MSN Money] "Try these 7 savvy strategies to help them get an education without going broke."

Generics: Six I Buy, Six I Avoid [The Simple Dollar] "Use these lists as encouragement to try a few lower cost store brand products, as well as a useful reminder to not buy something that will end disastrously."

25 Ways to Have Cheap Summer Fun [Wise Bread] "Check out the following ideas for frugal summer fun."

7 Things Employers Want from New Grads [US News] "For 2012 grads intent on landing their dream job, here are seven key things that employers want."

Fixes For These 10 Money Mistakes [SavvySugar] "Solutions for some common money mistakes people make."

—FREE MONEY FINANCE More »

not a magic potion

(emilybean)

Judge Upholds FTC Complaint That POM Shouldn't Claim To Cure What Ails You

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 5:00 PM 28 Comments

If you've been chugging your way through vats of POM pomegranate juice or downing POMx supplements in the hopes that it would cure or prevent heart disease, prostate cancer or erectile dysfunction, the Federal Trade Commission has got some words for you. More »

throwing stones

Couple Faces $700 Tab For Listing Copy Of Rosetta Stone They Didn't Know Was Pirated

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 4:40 PM 145 Comments

A Washington state couple thought that when they found a copy of the pricey Rosetta Stone language-instruction software in their late nephew's belongings, they could sell it on eBay to help pay for his headstone. Instead, they are now being told they owe hundreds of dollars to the software company because the copy they listed is allegedly pirated. More »

no dogs allowed

getting your money's worth

Popeyes Customer With Service Dog & Popeyes Manager Tell Two Completely Different Tales

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 4:15 PM 169 Comments

UPDATE: Popeyes has issued an apology to the customer, though it appears to be standing by its original claims. More »

keeping it together

Extra Fees For Aisle & Window Seats Means Families Who Fly Together Won't Always Sit Together

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 4:00 PM 89 Comments

Flying with kids or in a large group can be tough, which is why it'd be ideal for families to be able to sit together. But now that some airlines are reserving window and aisle seats for customers willing to pay extra for them, or frequent fliers, it could mean some families having to split up on the plane. More »

(epicharmus)

Is $15/Month To Best Buy Worth A New Replacement Phone?

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 3:30 PM 70 Comments

Phone insurance plans are often not worth the money you spend on them; especially since many credit cards already include extended warranty protection at no extra cost. But a Best Buy customer in California feels burned by Best Buy's Mobile Phone Plan after she paid more than $250 in insurance payments and had her broken iPhone replaced with a refurbished device that cost less than what she'd paid out. More »

still don't get it

(amyadoyzie)

Shareholders To Weigh In On Whether Kraft's Mondelez Is Too Silly Of A Name

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 3:00 PM 38 Comments

The collective "who now what's that huh?" uttered when Kraft announced it was naming its spin-off snack business "Mondelez" — a combination of Latin words for "world" and "delicious" — and resulting jokes will no doubt factor in to a shareholder meeting that will decide whether the name is officially approved or not. More »

so long to soda

(Jon Brodkin/ArsTechnica.com)

School Fined $15,000 Because Bookstore Sold Soda During Lunch

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 2:36 PM 189 Comments

A high school in Utah says it won't be able to pay for some of its arts programs this year because it's been hit with a $15,000 federal fine after the school's bookstore was caught allegedly selling soda during lunch time. More »

revved to save

(stevendepolo)

Owning An Electric Vehicle Could Get You A Sweet Deal On Car Insurance

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 2:00 PM 60 Comments

Drivers of electric vehicles might have to hand over a bigger wad of dough to buy their cars, but it could be worth it, if they get a good deal on insurance due to their status as EV owners. It could partly be due to the fact that often, EV drivers are more careful and tend to get in less accidents. More »

trust us

Geek Squad Wants You To Write Down Your Password On This Sheet Because That's A Horrible Idea

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 1:45 PM 48 Comments

We haven't bought a new PC at Best Buy, well... probably since we investigated that whole optimized laptop thing a couple years back. So we haven't seen the above sheet that not only allows you to choose from a variety of useless Geek Squad services, but also asks for your e-mail address and password. More »

your face displeases me

(opacity)

No Need To Go In: App Tells You This Is Not The Bar You're Looking For

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 1:00 PM 21 Comments

How many times have you walked into a bar only to walk straight back out? Whether it's because it was overcrowded with grinding youths, silent as a coffin or just not your scene, it'd be nice to know before you waste your time going inside if it'll be worth a visit. So of course, if there's a need, there's an app for that. More »

rewards

(Ninja M.)

Woman Returns Lost iPhone, Is Rewarded With Beating

By Laura Northrup on May 21, 2012 12:45 PM 57 Comments

The 53-year-old woman in Fredericksburg, Va. was trying to perform a good deed. She found an iPhone near a convenience store, and contacted the owner to give it back. They agreed to meet up outside of a restaurant, and the phone's owner promised a reward. Then things went horribly wrong: according to police, the phone's owner took the phone back, handed over the reward, then attacked her from behind while she was walking away. More »

because we say so

(honeylamb)

Comcast Refuses To Believe I Didn't Open An Account When I Was 16 At A House I Didn't Live In

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 12:30 PM 44 Comments

We know that some unscrupulous people out there will try to pull one over on a cable/phone/utility company by simply claiming that the person who owes them a big bill is a previous, unrelated tenant. But if you have several documents proving that you are indeed the new tenant, that should be sufficient. Right? Oh wait... this is Comcast we're talking about. More »

lucrative loopholes

Amazon Figures Out How To Funnel California Sales Tax Back Into Its Own Pockets

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 12:00 PM 66 Comments

Amazon has been battling against having to pay state sales tax for awhile, and now it seems to have dreamed up the perfect scheme: It'll pay sales taxes in California starting next fall, but by setting up shop in two cities, it'll manage to funnel that money right back into its own pockets. More »

free for some

5 Cable Companies Agree To Share Hotspots, But Will People Use Them?

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 11:52 AM 13 Comments

For years, a number of the larger cable-based Internet providers have placed WiFi hotspots around the country for their customers to use when not in the comfort of their own home, but you had to find a hotspot operated by your ISP. Today, five of those companies — Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, and Cox Communications — have announced that their customers will all soon be able to all use the same hotspots. But will people use them — and will this actually make some of the problems worse? More »

garden of discontent

FTD.com Vs. Reality: Enjoy Your Mother's Day Chargeback

By Laura Northrup on May 21, 2012 11:30 AM 64 Comments

It's not a major flower-giving holiday here at The Consumerist without an installment of the Garden of Discontent. Laura (not me, a different one) sent along this disappointing diptych of the lush bouquet that she ordered for her mom from FTD.com and the meager handful of plant matter that was actually delivered, a day late. More »

what recession?

(reallyboring)

Who Has Enough Cash Floating Around To Pay $1 Million For A Parking Spot?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 11:00 AM 32 Comments

Circling the block repeatedly hunting for a free parking spot is for peons, apparently. If you really want to be burning cash, what you need is a parking spot that comes with a hefty price tag. Say, $1 million for an indoor spot in New York City? That sounds about right, if you've already got a bank vault full of gold to swim in. More »

have fun with that

(jabberwocky381)

If The Bank Hands You A Counterfeit Bill, You're Probably Stuck With It

By Chris Morran on May 21, 2012 10:45 AM 75 Comments

While financial institutions often go through various security checks to make sure that the $50 and $100 bills you hand to them are genuine, most consumers will accept these same bills from banks without giving a thought to whether or not they are bogus. Problem is, if you end up with counterfeit cash, you are most likely screwed. More »

pizza hut

Pizza Hut Thinks We Should Eat Pasta With Our Fingers

By Laura Northrup on May 21, 2012 10:30 AM 87 Comments

Jeff and his wife were traveling, and had a hankering for one of Pizza Hut's pasta dishes. They ordered up some starch-laden caloriffic goodness from The Hut's website, then followed up with a phone call to say, "hey, we're staying in a motel, can you send along some plastic forks?" This was evidently too much for the local Pizza Hut to handle. Which is kind of odd, considering that they deliver food and all. More »

tastes funny

(Valters Krontals)

The "Alcohol-Free" Part Of A Daiquiri Order For 4-Year-Olds Is The Key Phrase

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 10:00 AM 106 Comments

We've seen it too many times by now — ordering kids a beverage that in no way should include alcohol and then, woopsies, there's booze in a 4-year-old's cup. In this case, two boys, both 4, reportedly got alcoholic strawberry daiquiris, sending one of the kids to the hospital. More »

ebay

(jonasflanken)

Fraudulent eBay Buyer Leaves You Minus $1000 And A MacBook Pro

By Laura Northrup on May 21, 2012 9:30 AM 119 Comments

Earlier this month, Jacob sold a MacBook Pro on eBay. His buyer appeared to be in Australia, but contacted him after payment and asked to have the computer shipped to Indonesia. Since he's both a Consumerist reader and a person with a functioning brain, Jacob was wary of this change, suspecting some kind of fraud. He called up eBay to see what he should do. The customer service representative told him that he needed to mail the laptop, or it would negatively affect his seller account. So he sent it along, then heard from eBay less than 24 hours later that the buyer's account had been compromised. You don't say! Now Jacob is out both a laptop and the $1,023.74 payment. More »

dodge

(qJake)

Want To Look At A Car? Dodge Dealership Needs All Of Your Info

By Laura Northrup on May 21, 2012 9:00 AM 95 Comments

Allen wanted to look at a new Dodge Charger. Not test-drive it. Just look at it, and maybe check out the interior or sit inside. But the dealership he visited wouldn't let him even look at the car without taking down his name, address, driver's license information, and phone number. Annoyed, he left the dealership and did a Google Images search or something instead. More »

warranty and repair

Pay No Attention To The Flickering Excited Pixel On Your Plasma TV

By Laura Northrup on May 21, 2012 8:00 AM 40 Comments

Joshua has only had his Panasonic 3-D plasma TV for six months, so it's still well within the initial one-year warranty. It's developed a strange problem where one particular area of the screen glows bright green, flickers, and is hot to the touch. Once Panasonic was able to find someone on staff capable of viewing the YouTube video he sent in as evidence, they ultimately concluded that a hot flickering pixel is not covered by the warranty. Really? Somehow, he expected more after dropping $1,500 on a TV. More »

the land of the fee

Got A Good 'Drip Pricing' Story? The FTC Wants To Hear From You

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 5:15 PM 155 Comments

You may not be familiar with the term "drip pricing," but you're probably all too familiar with the concept. It's when a company advertises only one part of a product's price and doesn't reveal other associated charges until later in the the buying process. More »

thanks but no thanks

(alexjbehrens)

GM Says It'll Pass On Advertising On TV During The Super Bowl

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 5:00 PM 52 Comments

First General Motors was all like, "Facebook advertising? That's for nerds, it doesn't work!" and now the automaker has announced it's not going to go for Super Bowl ads in 2013, either. More »

buy... sell... like

Facebook IPO Makes Billions For Company But Stock Price Doesn't Go Up

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 4:34 PM 51 Comments

Skeptics that thought Facebook's IPO price of $38/share was perhaps too high a jumping-off point were proven partially correct today, as stock in the world's social network finished its first day of trading only about $.23 above the offering price. More »

you're no good to us

Bank Of America Apparently Doesn't Want Credit Card Customers Who Pay Their Cards Off

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 4:15 PM 108 Comments

Contrary to any ads touting financial responsibility, banks don't really make much money on people who pay attention to their money, and they may just kick you to the curb when they realize you won't be a huge source of fees and interest for them. More »

i'd name one rocky

a cost by any other name...

Dorito-Loving Raccoons Loitering Behind Neighborhood Store

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 4:00 PM 50 Comments

If you think it'd be cute to see a raccoon munching on a bag of Doritos, try to envision about 62 of them wandering around chomping snacks in your neighborhood. One community has been swarmed with a big group of raccoons that have been congregating in the woods behind a Stop and Save. More »

Report: Judges Collect More Than $1 Million In Traffic Fines By Calling Them 'Court Costs'

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 3:38 PM 75 Comments

Imagine you're caught speeding — or driving recklessly, or driving without a license — and you appear in traffic court all set to pay the fine. But then the judge tells you that he's not only knocking your offense down to a warning, but also discounting your penalty and collecting the lesser amount as "court costs." You'd probably be very happy. Only problem is, it's probably illegal and it keeps bad drivers on the road. More »

new low low price

Now You Can Get Pricey Blood Thinning Drug Plavix In Cheaper Generic Form

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 3:00 PM 33 Comments

The Food and Drug Administration has given the go ahead to seven companies to begin producing Plavix in generic form. As someone who has to shell out over $100 for about 10 pills to quarter and force an unwilling, yet sick cat, to take, I am pretty darn excited about this whole situation. More »

here boy

Petco Loses Dogs Too

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 2:30 PM 48 Comments

It's not just airlines that fail at keeping a handle on customers' pets. Just ask the Texas man who took his retriever in to his local Petco for some grooming and is now looking for help trying to find the lost pooch. More »

y u no reply?

(D©Bloom)

Smartphone Message Service Read Receipts -- Stress Incarnate Or Peace Of Mind?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 2:00 PM 22 Comments

As messaging applications on smartphones continue to sidle into the territory previously occupied strictly by traditional SMS texting, users are being confronted with a sometimes uncomfortable proposition. Namely, that whoever is on the other end can see when you've read their message, and you can see if they're ignoring you or not as well. More »

coasting on empty

(source: U.S. EIA)

Why Are West Coast Gas Prices Rising While Dropping Everywhere Else?

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 1:30 PM 72 Comments

While the national average for a gallon of gas has dropped nearly 20 cents since peaking in early April, prices on the West Coast of the U.S. recently began rising again, even as prices in every other region of the country trend downwards. More »

fees for all

(Flyinace2000)

Airlines Aren't Pulling In As Much Dough Off Checked Bags Fees As They Used To

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 1:00 PM 53 Comments

You might already have suspected that the reason why you engage in a fierce, almost Hunger Gamesesque competition to stow your carry-on is because no one wants to pay to check bags. That free-for-all has resulted in U.S. airlines making less money off baggage fees for the first time since they started assessing them. More »

(PepOmint)

Top Posts Of The Week And Open Thread

By Laura Northrup on May 18, 2012 12:30 PM 52 Comments

door-to-door service

(tjean314)

Postal Worker Accused Of Stealing Meds From War Vets, Selling To Others On Her Route

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 12:15 PM 14 Comments

We've heard numerous stories about carriers for the U.S. Postal Service pilfering mail intended for others. But it seems like a lot of those stolen items just end up piling up in the carriers' homes. Here's a story of a mail carrier in California who robbed drugs intended for Peter to get paid by Paul. More »

springtime santa

(MSNBC.com)

Do-Gooder Buys Out A Closing Kmart To Donate $200K Worth Of Items To Charity

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 12:00 PM 82 Comments

A Kentucky man was scoping out a Kmart set to close for good, trying to snag himself some good deals on the discounted items for his own business. But while he was at the register, a thought struck him — where does all the rest of this stuff go after the store is shut down? So he signed up to buy out the store and give items to the less fortunate. More »

no discount for grandpa

(Tom Raftery)

Verizon: If You Want Your Unlimited Data Plan, You'll Have To Pay Full Price For Your Next Phone

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 11:50 AM 64 Comments

After a bit of hemming and hawing on the topic, Verizon Wireless has finally released some concrete info on its plan to kill off grandfathered unlimited data plans as it moves customers from 3G to 4G LTE service. More »

new balance

(formatc1)

New Shoes Hurt, New Balance Replaces Them

By Laura Northrup on May 18, 2012 11:35 AM 42 Comments

Sean's new shoes hurt his feet. When he realized that this wasn't because he was out of shape or had bought the wrong size, he figured it had been too long since buying the shoes, and he wouldn't be able to return them. Not so when the shoes were from New Balance, purveyors of sneaker awesomeness. More »

who will fly the planes?

United/Continental Pilots Get Authority To Call Strike Vote

By Chris Morran on May 18, 2012 11:23 AM 8 Comments

Even though United Airlines and Continental have merged just about everything else, the pilots remain represented by two different groups at the Air Line Pilots Association. Even so, all pilots for the merged carriers received union approval to ask members to vote on a strike if negotiations with management break down. More »

fighting the power

(4029tv.com)

Community Not About To Let Walmart Sneak Into Spot Zoned For Residential Use

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 11:00 AM 69 Comments

In the case of an Arkansas town situated near the Bentonville headquarters of Walmart, proximity has not made many hearts grow fonder. Citizens packed a recent meeting in Bella Vista to make themselves heard on the issue of rezoning a spot so a Walmart Neighborhood Market could ostensibly move in. More »

banks

(Some random dude)

This HSBC Customer Is Left Out Of The Changeover

By Laura Northrup on May 18, 2012 10:32 AM 38 Comments

Last year, HSBC unloaded it credit card division on Capital One, and most of its retail bank branches in the Northeast to upstate New York's First Niagara Bank. They've also been selling off their retail banking operations in other countries. Regular people just aren't as profitable as we used to be. The thing is, while those branches and all of their customers have been sold, not all of their customers are making the change. George, who lives near a branch but had opened his HSBC accounts online for the sake of convenience, didn't know this. He's not associated with a branch, so his account stays with HSBC. He just won't have a branch to go to. More »

how rude

(KDKA)

Comcast: Arson Ain't A Good Excuse For Lost Equipment, So Pay Up

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 18, 2012 10:10 AM 119 Comments

It wasn't enough that a woman lost her apartment in a fire set by an arsonist— including most of her belongings, but then Comcast had to make it all worse by demanding she pay up for the two cable boxes and a router she failed to save in the fire. More »

(matneym)

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds

By Laura Northrup on May 18, 2012 9:34 AM 18 Comments

Here are twelve of the best photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or just plain neatness. More »

minivans

(stellarviewer)

Why Did Toyota Sell Me A Van With An Obsolete Navigation System?

By Laura Northrup on May 18, 2012 9:02 AM 107 Comments

Ben bought a Toyota Sienna minivan last year, and one of the fancy options included was a built-in navigation system. That's neat. But what's strange is that his car has the wrong system. It has the one meant for the 2011 model, not the 2012 that he purchased. This doesn't seem like all that big a deal, but it hurts the resale value of his van and is just generally annoying. Wouldn't you want the technology that you paid for? More »

mother's day

(SuziJane)

1800Flowers.com Doesn't Deliver Mom's Flowers, Conveniently Forgets To Tell You

By Laura Northrup on May 18, 2012 8:03 AM 48 Comments

Here's the thing with sending gifts, particularly gifts of flowers. You generally don't call up the recipient ahead of time and say, "hey, expect some flowers on Saturday." A big part of the gift is the delight and element of surprise. Aaron ordered some Mother's Day flowers for his mom from 1800Flowers.com, and only learned that his order hadn't showed up later in the week when he noticed she hadn't mentioned them. Okay, they hadn't delivered the flowers, but why didn't they notify him, and why did they keep the money? More »

unsettling attitudes

What Is This Debt You Speak Of? Study Says Many Students Are Clueless About Student Loans

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 5:00 PM 103 Comments

Student loan debt is the cause of plenty of headaches in this country, from aspiring nuns to the families of those straddled with a deceased loved one's payments. So it's a bit unsettling that a new study says many students are underestimating how much they owe — and some don't even know they have debt in the first place. Shudder. More »

too soon

Verizon CFO Probably Wasn't Supposed To Say That Thing About Killing Grandfathered Unlimited Plans

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 4:30 PM 39 Comments

Yesterday, the CFO of Verizon Wireless kicked the hornet's nest that is the Internet by unofficially announcing that VZW would be killing off currently grandfathered unlimited data plans as customers made the shift from 3G to 4G LTE. Judging by the company's response since then, he probably wasn't supposed to let that particular cat out of the bag just yet. More »

to xfinity and beyond

(Bravo Six Niner Delta)

Comcast To Remove 250GB Data Cap. Don't Celebrate Just Yet

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 4:12 PM 41 Comments

Following the recent news that Comcast would not count any of its own Xfinity streaming video services against Internet customers' 250GB data cap, the folks at Kabletown have announced they is doing away with that cap — and replacing it with tiered data plans. More »

lacking tracking

(Cobby17)

FTC Applauds Twitter For Signing On With "Do Not Track" Firefox Feature

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 4:00 PM 5 Comments

Twitter is joining the ranks of other websites that allow users to control who is checking out their online doings, announcing today that it is all set to support Do Not Track. For those not in the know, Do Not Track is a feature in Firefox that allows Internet surfers to tell participating websites that they don't want their activity tracked. More »

listen up y'all

(me and the sysop)

Are You A Customer Service Saboteur? If So, What Kind?

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 3:48 PM 147 Comments

The idea of the bad consumer — the person whose antics make products and services more expensive or cause stores to enact anti-consumer policies — is nothing new to Consumerist readers. But a college student in Washington recently undertook an effort to identify seven categories of what he calls "Customer Service Saboteurs." More »

mortgage meltdown

(epicharmus)

Man Commits Suicide After Years Of Fighting Wachovia & Wells Fargo Over Mortgage Mess-Up

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 3:00 PM 113 Comments

We've written some incredibly sad stories about homeowners trapped in the mortgage meltdown maze, and this one certainly ranks up there among the most depressing. Not just because a man is dead, but because it could have all been prevented more than three years ago. More »

gross beef sandwich

(Ð‘Ð ÐÐ¢Ð¡Ð¢Ð’Ðž)

Arby's Is Really Sorry That Piece Of Finger Ended Up In A Sandwich

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 2:30 PM 34 Comments

Tip to fast food workers: If you lose part of your finger while on the job, let your coworkers know so they don't just pick up making that sandwich where you left off. A 14-year-old boy in Michigan ended up with the "fingerprint portion" of an employee's finger in his sandwich recently after a trip to the drive-through. More »

serious stuff

Study Links Popular Antibiotic Zithromax To Rare But Deadly Heart Risk

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 2:00 PM 41 Comments

Many people use the antibiotic Zithromax, or azithromycin, to treat bronchitis and other common infections. Some surprising results of a 14-year study might turn some off the antibiotic, as it found the risk of sudden deadly heart problems increased with use of Zithromax. More »

what now?

(smcgee)

What The Facebook IPO Could Mean To Consumers

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 1:45 PM 44 Comments

Tomorrow, a very small group of people — many of them already incredibly wealthy — will be super incredibly wealthy when shares of Facebook start trading on Nasdaq. But while only a few folks will reap a direct, immediate benefit from the IPO, the decision to take Facebook public with such huge dollar amounts attached to the deal will definitely have a long-term impact on consumers. More »

a whole new world

interesting choice of words

Spammers Using Pinterest Pics To Hide Scammy Links

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 1:15 PM 12 Comments

Through the evolution of e-mail, the Internet and social media, most of the rules for identifying spam remained the same. The text of a scam e-mail sent on old school AOL isn't that different from the spam links posted today on Twitter or Facebook. But photo-based social sites like Pinterest are giving nogoodniks a less-familiar way to trick people into clicking. More »

saving the usps

(dooley)

U.S. Postal Service Set To Close Or Combine 229 Mail Processing Sites

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 1:00 PM 29 Comments

The U.S. Postal Service has announced its next step in the belt-tightening process of trying to cut down on its costs. It will close or consolidate operations at 140 mail processing sites through February 2013, said a postal official. More »

(DasPope)

Wendy's Offer Of A Small, Hot Redhead Confuses Those Out Of The Coffee Loop

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 12:45 PM 44 Comments

The Internet world is in a buzz of confusion. Or at least some of its denizens are, after a Wendy's coupon offered up a "Free Small Hot Original Redhead" with any purchase. Sounds like a good deal — or it sounds like you could get a small ginger person, if you aren't aware that Redhead Roasters is Wendy's newish moniker for its coffee. More »

lenovo

(jonasflanken)

Lenovo Has My Defective Computer, Isn't Returning My Calls

By Laura Northrup on May 17, 2012 12:30 PM 20 Comments

Bethany's Lenovo laptop computer is pretty nice. At least, it is when it's around. It keeps taking extended vacations at Lenovo's repair depot, to the point that she had to buy another computer in order to get through finals and computerless life in general. After they held on to her machine for three weeks, she finally asked for a refund instead of getting the evidently defective computer back. That's when they stopped returning her calls. More »

the sins of the children

(Devil Ducky)

Should Domino's Be Held Accountable For Franchisee's Robocalls?

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 11:45 AM 36 Comments

Where do you place the invisible line of responsibility that separates a national fast food company from the actions of its franchisees? That was the question facing a judge in Washington state, who found that Domino's Pizza should not be held liable for the questionable telephone marketing employed by one of its franchisees. More »

united airlines

(MartinRottler)

Flying While Fat: Research And Self-Awareness Mean Smooth Travel

By Laura Northrup on May 17, 2012 11:33 AM 109 Comments

Reader Mechpaul is a large man. He used to avoid flying, afraid of what would happen if he was too big for his seat, encroaching on his neighbors' space and potentially being humiliated and marched off the plane. Instead of approaching his flight with fear, he armed himself with two essential tools: a measuring tape and the Internet. He used these to find out whether he would fit in a United Airlines seat, and to plan accordingly. More »

the friendlier skies

the rent is too damn high

Survey Finds Best & Worst Airlines For Redeeming Rewards Miles

By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 11:15 AM 23 Comments

It's incredibly easy to pile up airline miles. I think I just earned 400 miles for merely mentioning this fact. But as you may have already discovered, it's not always so simple to actually redeem those miles. A new survey looked at dozens of domestic and international carriers to find which ones were more likely to have seats available for rewards travel. More »

taking a chill stand

(wickenden)

Jam Band Fights The Ticketmaster Man By Scalping Its Own Tickets

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 11:00 AM 42 Comments

You're not the only one who's sick and tired of all the fees levied on event tickets sold through Ticketmaster. Members of jam band String Cheese Incident are so fed up with fans having to shell out extra cash, that they're taking a stand by buying up bunches of tickets and reselling those to concertgoers, sans fees. So sort of a reverse scalp, maybe? More »

plastic bag

(taberandrew)

No More Plastic Bags Anywhere In Hawaii

By Laura Northrup on May 17, 2012 10:36 AM 86 Comments

Quite a few municipalities have managed to ban the practice of giving out non-biodegradeable plastic bags at checkout, including three of Hawaii's four counties. Last month, the Honolulu County Council passed its own ban, making Hawaii the first state where single-use plastic bags in stores are verboten. More »

slippery fingers

(oh, poppycock)

Asking A State Trooper For Illegal Alcohol By Text Message Won't Work Out Well

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 10:00 AM 65 Comments

It's always a good idea to double and triple check to make sure you know who you're texting — no one wants to say, accidentally send a message to an Alaska State Trooper regarding the illegal purchase of alcohol, after all. More »

(david_shankbone)

Can Verizon Hike My Cable Box Rent In The Middle Of A Contract?

By Laura Northrup on May 17, 2012 9:35 AM 52 Comments

Jeanne has had her Verizon FiOS settop boxes for three years now, and the rent for them has remained the same. Until now. The difference is only a dollar, but what vexes her is that she just signed a contract in order to get a discount on her service. They shouldn't be able to raise the rent when she's signed a contract. Should they? And why is the rent higher when she still has the same old boxes? More »

meatless wonders

Morningstar Veggie Dogs Make Triumphant Return To Grocery Shelves

By Laura Northrup on May 17, 2012 9:03 AM 212 Comments

I have to be honest: the last two summers have been tough. Like other vegetarians, I've been forced to make it through grilling season without access to the superior veggie dogs made by Morningstar Farms. They disappeared from store shelves in 2009 due, the company told sad customers, to a problem with sourcing one of the ingredients. The popular corn dogs returned last year, but the plain old hot dogs didn't...until now. They're back on store shelves, but are they any good? I set out on a rigorous research project, also known as "dinner." More »

i've seen better buys actually

(smcgee)

Target's Price-Match Policy Not Suited To Paperless World

By Laura Northrup on May 17, 2012 8:30 AM 51 Comments

Brick-and-mortar stores that match competitors' prices generally don't match prices from online merchants. They also won't match the websites of their competitors down the street, or price-match their own websites. All of that is reasonable and well within their rights. But what happens in a paperless world, where the only evidence a customer has of that sale price is a circular delivered electronically? Reader Span_Wolf receives an electronic copy of the Best Buy circular every week. Getting a paper copy would require a trip to Best Buy or purchasing a Sunday newspaper. But this isn't sufficient proof of the lower price for Target. More »

catching a breeze

(Times Union)

Apparently This Woman Doesn't Find Clothing Necessary For Running Errands

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 5:00 PM 88 Comments

Ever get that feeling like you knew you forgot something before leaving the house, but just can't figure out what it was? That could maybe kind of perhaps explain why a woman recently visited a few stores in upstate New York recently, totally and completely naked. Or hey, could be she just decided it was a nude kind of day. More »

computers getting smarter

Google Update Begins Transition From Search Engine To 'Knowledge Engine'

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 4:15 PM 35 Comments

Over the last few years, several updates to Google have improved the quality of its search results, and features like page preview have helped cut down on unnecessary clicking. But today the Internet biggie announced the roll-out of what it calls the Knowledge Graph, which supplements search results with information and links that you might also be interested in based on your search. More »

sadface

(KnoxNews.com)

78-Year-Old Woman Forced To Leave House She & Her Husband Built In 1956

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 4:00 PM 77 Comments

After the story of a 78-year-old grandmother being evicted from the home she and her husband built in 1956 hit the news, public outcry over the story has granted her a bit of a reprieve. The tricky part of all of this? Her daughter says her mental faculties are making it hard to figure out who exactly holds the mortgage. More »

no thank you

For Some Reason The Idea Of Cat Tongue Candy Is Less Than Appetizing

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 3:00 PM 43 Comments

How about biting into a nice chocolatey piece of candy resembling a rough cat tongue suitable for licking up hair and dirt from a furry pelt? Yum? We're always amazed at what companies come up with that somehow made it first into the "Yes!" bin of ideas and then end up on store shelves. Cat Tongue candy, you might be the weirdest thing yet. More »

the death of unlimited

(dooley)

Verizon To Kill Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 2:39 PM 134 Comments

If you were one of the Verizon Wireless customers who was allowed to continue their unlimited data plans after the company switched to tiered pricing last summer, we have some bad news. The company says it will be eliminating grandfathered plans as it rolls out LTE service. More »

free piggy

no good deed goes unpunished

Texas Farm Bureau Applauds Domino's For Keeping Pigs In Small Cages

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 2:30 PM 55 Comments

Just how much room pigs need to root around and snuffle is a hotly debated topic. And while some fast food chains have moved to phase out confining gestation crates for pigs, Domino's recently decided to continue using the controversial devices — and is receiving some love from the Texas Farm Bureau for doing so. More »

blast from the past

(ckilgore)

Judge Cites Steve Jobs' Own Words In Refusing Dismissal Of E-Book Suit

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 2:00 PM 30 Comments

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' words came back to haunt the electronics company today. Its attempt to have a judge dismiss charges of e-book price-fixing were refused, in part because of things Jobs said during his time with Apple. More »

passing the time

Delayed Air Canada Passengers Pass Time With Free In-Plane Concert

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 1:30 PM 39 Comments

Being stuck on a delayed, crowded plane — even for a short period of time — can be an ordeal. But for Air Canada passengers waiting on the tarmac to take off for their flight to Bucharest, they were lucky (or perhaps unlucky, depending on your taste in music) to be traveling with members of the Lemon Bucket Orkestra. More »

that's not nice

(CBS DFW)

Walmart Customer Goes In For Oil Change, Drives Away With 'Satanic Symbols' On Car

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 1:15 PM 86 Comments

This could be the auto service equivalent of rude receipt messages. A woman in Texas says that a recent trip to Walmart for an oil change resulted in devilish markings being left behind on the underside of her vehicle. More »

(Ninja M.)

Safeway Suspends Employee After He Stopped A Man From Hitting Pregnant Girlfriend

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 1:00 PM 150 Comments

We've gotten multiple tips from readers expressing disgust at Safeway, after an employee in California was suspended without pay for intervening in a domestic assault situation inside the store. The police called the worker a hero for stopping a man from hitting his pregnant girlfriend. More »

at&t

ain't nothing like the real thing

AT&T Upgrades DSL Customer To U-Verse, Slower Internet, Static

By Laura Northrup on May 16, 2012 12:32 PM 22 Comments

Cameron moved recently, but not all that far away. Just to another apartment within the same building. Not so bad. He's been an AT&T DSL customer for six years, but the Death Star wants to wean customers off DSL and get them onto U-Verse. Cameron was told that he couldn't be reconnected to DSL down the hall, so he upgraded to U-Verse. Only the upgrade is more of a downgrade. To lower Internet speeds and static on the phone line. More »

getting biggy with it

(713 Avenue)

Size Matters To Apple: New iPhones Will Reportedly Have Larger Screens

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 12:15 PM 40 Comments

Hey, iPhoners, remember when you scoffed at your friend's Android and what you called its "ginormous screen" while lovingly cradling your tiny, precious iPhone? Looks like people really do want bigger screens on their smartphones, as a new report says Apple is preparing to build four-inch screens for its next-generation iPhone. More »

all in the family

Chiropractor Who Gave Skechers Such A Great Quote Is Also Married To A Skechers Staffer

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 12:00 PM 37 Comments

As we mentioned earlier today, among the many pieces of evidence in the FTC's $40 million settlement with Skechers over deceptive advertising for the shoe maker's toning sneakers is one claim about a supposed "independent" clinical study undertaken by a chiropractor — who may not have been totally unbiased in his research. More »

up in the air

(Spidra Webster)

Virgin Atlantic To Allow Some In-Air Mobile Phone Calls

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 11:45 AM 20 Comments

If you are fan of the relatively chatter-free ambiance of the airplane cabin, this will probably not come as good news. On the other hand, if you're someone who finds the whole "no cell phone calls from the plane" thing tiresome, this may brighten your day a bit. More »

ftc

Skechers To Pay $40 Million In Refunds Because Putting On Shoes Is Not A Workout

By Laura Northrup on May 16, 2012 11:15 AM 58 Comments

News flash: you can't work out by not working out. As we predicted in November, the Federal Trade Commission has settled with shoemaker Skechers over claims that their rounded-bottom Shape-Up shoes helped wearers to tone their lower-body muscles and lose weight. These claims were all over ads and promotional material for the shoes, including an ad that aired during the 2011 Super Bowl. More »

mea culpa

(epicharmus)

Shareholders Sue JPMorgan & CEO Jamie Dimon Over $2 Billion Loss

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 11:00 AM 24 Comments

Late last night, two separate lawsuits were filed against JPMorgan Chase & Co and its Chief Operating Officer, Jamie Dimon, accusing the bank and its management of excessive risk that led to trading losses of at least $2 billion. More »

Massachusetts Creates Fake Scam Websites To Warn People Of Real Scam Websites

By Chris Morran on May 16, 2012 10:45 AM 22 Comments

Make a ton of money working from home! Lose weight by taking some fruit extract pills! Clear your debt today, guaranteed! Most of us know to give a wide berth to websites making promises like these. But the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation has decided the best way to educate the consumers is for the state to create its own slate of bogus sites that look eerily like real scam sites. More »

ikea

Didn't Notice Damage To IKEA Item Before Attaching Legs? Tough

By Laura Northrup on May 16, 2012 10:34 AM 53 Comments

If you want to get a refund for a damaged IKEA item, God help you if you take a few minutes to put it together first. Alan ordered a desk, which had a small dent in the side of the box. Figuring the item inside was fine, he put it together. This turned out to be a fatal mistake, since assembling an item means you're then unable to More »

hold yer fire

Man Claims He Found A Gun On The Job & Was Fired For Turning It In

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 10:00 AM 105 Comments

What's a guy to do when he finds a gun on a lawn while he's employed to mow that piece of yard? One man says he was fired from Wayne County in Michigan because he found a gun and turned it in to police. He says there's no policy in that county on what to do if you find a gun on the job, but it would seem an odd reward to terminate employment for doing so. More »

dell

(DM Rosner)

Dell Offers 25% Off Deal To Troops, Then Cancels Orders

By Laura Northrup on May 16, 2012 9:33 AM 64 Comments

Matthew, an Air Force veteran, saw a great deal on Dell laptops on the website of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, a network of stores just for servicemembers. 25% off in a Mother's Day special, an impressive deal. He ordered three, because who doesn't want new, discounted laptops for their whole family? Only Dell canceled Matthew's order and those of some other customers, with no explanation. More »

walmart

(Clean Wal-Mart)

Alleged Customer Sues Over 2010 Racist Walmart PA Prank

By Laura Northrup on May 16, 2012 9:04 AM 117 Comments

Loyal Consumerist readers and retail-watchers may remember the 2010 incident in which a 16-year-old took over the PA system of a New Jersey Walmart and announced, "Attention Walmart customers: all black people must leave the store." The prankster had done the same thing a few months before, and was charged with harassment and bias intimidation for each incident. Now, more than two years later, someone has filed a lawsuit against the store over the incident. He claims to have been in the store at the time of the prank, and that the incident led to "depression, anxiety, anger, loss of sleep and appetite, paranoia, and antisocial tendencies." More »

sears

Sears Offers Crappy Tools And Service, First-Rate Apologies

By Laura Northrup on May 16, 2012 8:02 AM 42 Comments

We're still not quite sure what Sears is. It pretends to be a retail operation, but in reality acts more like its existence is an elaborate anti-capitalist prank, aiming to keep consumers from exchanging their money for tangible goods. Take, for example, the case of Michael. He would like to order a Craftsman steel workbench frame from Sears, and Sears is doing its best to prevent him from owning one. More »

ipo no

GM Says Facebook Ads Don't Work

By Meg Marco on May 15, 2012 5:30 PM 76 Comments

GM spends about $40 million dollars on its Facebook presence, but only $10 million of that goes to Facebook itself, in the form of ads. Unfortunately for Facebook, it turns out that their cut will soon be zero. More »

vegetable shmegetable

i wish i were an oscar mayer weiner

Should Pizza Be Classified As A Vegetable? Crusading Lawmaker Thinks Not

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 5:00 PM 90 Comments

When I ask for a burger with a side salad, what I'm really after is a nice slice of pizza. Hey, it's a vegetable, right, Congress? U.S. Rep. Jared Polis has had it with this whole "pizza is totally a vegetable because it has tomatoes in it" thing, and has announced new legislation that would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement nutrition standards for pizza. More »

remembering times past

Navigate Through Your Social Security Information With New Online Tool

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 4:00 PM 50 Comments

Remember the year you couldn't even find a babysitting job and cashed out all your savings bonds just to afford groceries and beer? The U.S. Social Security Administration does, and now all of your past earning info and more is online, ready and waiting for you to walk down memory lane or prepare for your future. More »

(Handout)

Oscar Mayer Lifts Veil Of Secrecy On Ingredients With New Line Of Meats

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 3:00 PM 47 Comments

Pink slime backlash is seeping into all things meat related. If a consumer is going to eat some meat, companies are figuring out that hey, maybe they'd like to know what exactly it is that's going into their bodies. Which is why Oscar Mayer has announced a new line of meats with no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. More »

cuckoo

(ShopSmart)

Special K Chocolatey Delight Has More Calories Than Cocoa Puffs

By Meg Marco on May 15, 2012 2:30 PM 52 Comments

Eating Special K to lose weight? Splurging on the chocolate version? You might want to read the label. Our sisters at ShopSmart (also published by Consumer Reports) took a look at a variety of "junk" health foods for the June issue and discovered that "Special K Chocolatey Delight" isn't that different from Cocoa Puffs. More »

quarters are no good here

Washing Your Clothes Now Involves Complicated Flow Chart, Credit Cards

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 2:00 PM 59 Comments

Darren's New York City apartment building just got a new set of laundry machines. Which is all well and good, but the instructions that come with said equipment? Let's just say the "3 Easy Steps" touted on the in-depth flow-chart appear to be neither three in number, nor easy. Whatever happened to sticking some quarters in a machine and popping your whites and darks in? More »

some things are sacred

(Alan Light)

Debt Collectors Settle With The FTC, Say They Won't Pose As Ed McMahon Anymore

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 1:00 PM 13 Comments

The Federal Trade Commission and defendants in a debt collection operation have reached a proposed settlement, after the FTC had alleged in its complaint that the defendants knew, or should have known, that not all the magazine subscription debts they were trying to collect on were valid. There's also a line in there about pretending to be Ed McMahon, which is just so wrong. More »

amazon marketplace

Amazon Has A Strange Definition Of 'Counterfeit'

By Laura Northrup on May 15, 2012 12:33 PM 75 Comments

Philip has a fun and profitable hobby: he looks for great deals on items online, then resells those items on the Amazon Marketplace. Recently, he found a great deal on headphones on Amazon itself, so he bought the item before the price expired, then listed it on Amazon as usual. This resulted in a nastygram from Amazon telling him that his account had been suspended for listing counterfeit Sennheiser headphones. You know, the same ones that he just bought from Amazon. More »

stay away

(dirtyblueshirt)

9 Examples Why You May Want To Avoid Homeowners Associations Like The Plague

By Chris Morran on May 15, 2012 12:15 PM 161 Comments

We watch a lot of real estate shows here at Consumerist HQ, especially the many variations on the "show three places and pretend to pick the one that you're already in escrow on." And while home buyers always remember to ask, "Are there HOA fees?", they don't ask the more important questions, like "Why in the world am I buying a place with an HOA?" More »

tech savvy

(mrbill)

Probably You Should Log Out Of Facebook Before Robbing An Internet Cafe

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 12:00 PM 11 Comments

Oh, you silly criminals. You've got it all planned out — the guns, the demands for money, the getaway vehicle. But when it comes to social networking, even the best laid plans for doing dastardly deeds can come unraveled. Such was the case for two men who allegedly robbed an Internet cafe in Colombia. More »

sex

The Best Mattresses For That Other Thing You Use Mattresses For

By Laura Northrup on May 15, 2012 11:38 AM 59 Comments

Our lab-coated cousins down the hall at Consumer Reports may test all kinds of products extensively, including mattresses, but we're fairly certain they've never produced a ratings chart like this one. Hilariously-named sleep product review site Sleep Like the Dead polled their users to find out which type of mattress is best for the second most important thing that most people use their beds for: sex. More »

food fight

(WTMJ-TV)

Man Calls Police After Unsatisfying All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry

By Chris Morran on May 15, 2012 11:16 AM 93 Comments

Once again, the phrase "all you can eat" is at the center of a dispute between a restaurant and a hungry customer who says he was cut off without getting his fill of fried fish. More »

paying twice isn't nice

who would robbers give notes to?

Spirit Airlines Won't Let Woman Change Name On Reservation, Forcing Her To Buy Another Ticket

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 11:00 AM 75 Comments

A young woman who makes $7.40 an hour needed a bit of help to buy a flight to go visit her U.S. Navy boyfriend while he had two weeks of shore duty. So, three months before the planned visit, Katherine's dad let her use his credit card to purchase a $477 flight on Spirit Airlines through Orbitz. Unfortunately, his name somehow ended up as the traveler. More »

ask the consumerists

(bnilsen)

There's A Used Condom In My Room. Does The Hotel Owe Me Anything?

By Laura Northrup on May 15, 2012 10:36 AM 98 Comments

David and his wife were staying in a hotel over the weekend, and their lovely room came with a complimentary used condom on the floor. The staff on duty at the time swapped them into a different room, and promised that someone in charge would contact them in the morning. And that was the last they heard about it. He wonders: did they deserve a discount on their bill, a comped night, or anything at all for their trouble? More »

(gumbyliberation)

Are Bank Tellers Going The Way Of The Dinosaur?

By Chris Morran on May 15, 2012 10:15 AM 58 Comments

Between ATMs, online banking and smartphone apps, the average person can now go months, possibly years, without ever having to go into a bank and interact with a teller. And a number of financial institutions are continuing to looking for ways to remove tellers from the equation — or at least move the tellers somewhere that they aren't taking up expensive real estate. More »

facespacester

(Jerry7171)

Half Of Americans Think This Whole Facebook Thing Is Just A Passing Fad

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 10:10 AM 54 Comments

Perhaps Facebook isn't here to stay — at least based on the reactions of half of the country toward the seemingly super pervasive social network. About 50% of Americans think Facebook is just a passing fad, according to a new poll. It follows, then, in the build-up to its initial public stock offering, that half also say its expected asking price is too high. More »

asus

I Think Maybe I Used To Own An Asus Laptop

By Laura Northrup on May 15, 2012 9:35 AM 37 Comments

Dave owns an Asus laptop. Well, he kind of vaguely remembers owning an Asus laptop. He's had it for four months, but it's spent the last month at the repair center, not being repaired. The system claims that it's waiting for parts, but no one is able to explain what that means, or when he might expect to see his computer again. More »

landlines

(jetsetpress)

Tales From The AT&T Landline Twilight Zone

By Laura Northrup on May 15, 2012 9:00 AM 17 Comments

Imagine an alternate dimension. One where you have phone service, but it isn't working. You call AT&T your service provider, and their automated response system tells you that you aren't an AT&T customer, and to call your actual provider. When you call up AT&T to wait for an actual human to sort this out, they call you back... to immediately put you on hold. More »

walmart

(Patrick Dockens)

Rattlesnake Makes Terrible Walmart Greeter, Bites Customer

By Laura Northrup on May 15, 2012 8:30 AM 52 Comments

In a Walmart Garden Center, an outdoor area filled with plants, it's not surprising that you might encounter some critters. Maybe a large bug, a moth, a frog, or even a grass snake. While shopping for mulch for his medical marijuana plants on Friday morning, a 47-year-old Washington state man reached down to pick up what he thought was a stick, and ended up rushed to the emergency room with a rattlesnake bite. More »

oops

Woman Buys, Rehabs Wrong House; Can't Get Anyone To Care About It

By Chris Morran on May 15, 2012 8:00 AM 68 Comments

A woman in Mississippi says she spent thousands buying and rehabbing a foreclosed-upon home, only to find out after the fact that oops, she actually bought the smaller, cruddier house next door. Making matters worse, no one seems to be willing to take the blame or help her out. More »

(RichSeattle)

Personal Finance Roundup

By FMF on May 15, 2012 7:30 AM 3 Comments

10 biggest mistakes renters make [MSN Money] "Be aware of these potential pitfalls before you sign a lease."

8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Internship [US News] "Here are eight tips for getting the most out of interning."

Insurance You Can Live Without [Wall Street Journal] "What is worth your hard-earned cash and what's not?"

The 10 Worst Ways to Make Extra Money [Wise Bread] "It doesn't make sense to slave away over something that isn't actually going to put money in your pocket."

Save Hundreds on These 10 Essential Household Goods [Moneyland] "Cut your bills with these money-saving tips on buying household essentials, clothing, and personal products."

—FREE MONEY FINANCE More »

pizza hut perp

McDonald's Soda Thief Can't Catch A Break, Is Arrested At Pizza Hut

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 5:00 PM 52 Comments

The man who became a bit infamous for swiping a $1 soda refill from a McDonald's last month is in hot fast food water (sorry for that imagery, eww) again — this time after an incident at Pizza Hut in Naples, Fla. More »

customer disservice

Verizon Wants Me To Pay $300 ETF Because Of Its $450 Error

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 4:15 PM 74 Comments

When Consumerist reader Timothy bought his wife a new smartphone for her birthday last December, he thought he was just doing something nice for his special someone. Little did he know he was hopping aboard the grotesque merry-go-round that is Verizon Wireless customer service. More »

what in the what now?

paranormal pizza activity

It Makes Perfect Sense That Kodak Had A Nuclear Reactor Stashed In The Basement

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 4:00 PM 60 Comments

We've all got old stuff kicking around in basements and attics that we've forgotten about. But hey, what's this in Kodak's basement? Oh, it's just a nuclear reactor and 3.5 pounds of highly enriched uranium. Makes sense for a photography company to have such a thing. More »

fixing flubs

(Robert J Martin)

FedEx Punishing Me For Delivering Package Addressed To My Neighbor, Claims It Was Mine

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 3:15 PM 43 Comments

Consumerist reader Kenneth is a pretty good neighbor. After all, he dropped off a misdelivered package FedEx left on his stoop to a house around the corner where it was actually supposed to be going. But that simple act of consideration has resulted in FedEx refusing to deliver what he was supposed to get in the first place. More »

let there be light

Amazon Reportedly Set To Introduce Front-Lit Kindle In July

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 3:04 PM 26 Comments

Since the introduction of the iPad, e-book fans have generally fallen into two camps — those who prefer the E Ink technology in Kindles and Nooks because it causes less eye strain and uses relatively low battery power; and those who prefer the backlit screens of tablet computers, which allow them to read without the need for a secondary light source. The Nook has come up with one possible solution, and now Amazon is reportedly set to launch a Kindle that would use a front-lit system to allow people to read in the dark. More »

that sinking feeling

(s and j)

Study: Millions Of U.S. Families Still Falling Behind On Mortgage Payments

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 2:30 PM 54 Comments

In addition to all the people whose homes have fallen into foreclosure since the bubble burst a few years back, millions more have been having trouble keeping current on their loan payments — and about half of those homeowners say they expect their payment problems to continue. More »

(KDKA 2 Pittsburg)

Pizza Shop Owner Claims He Caught An Angel On Surveillance Video

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 2:00 PM 73 Comments

Someone call Ghost Hunters: A pizza shop owner in Bloomfield, Pa., says he's caught evidence of an angel from his security camera outside the store. Bob says he found the shot taken in the parking lot around 6 a.m. on Friday, featuring a white image with a distinctive image in the upper part of the photo. More »

talk faster!

(coffeego)

Why Does A 10-Second Collect Call Cost $37.66?

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 1:30 PM 79 Comments

When a Michigan man's traveling parents called him collect from a payphone a couple hours away, he expected to see a couple bucks on his next bill for the call he says was anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds in duration. But he definitely wasn't expecting to be hit with a charge for $37.66. More »

the glass is half full

something nice for a change

Coca-Cola To Meet Dieters Halfway With Mid-Calorie Sprite & Fanta

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 1:15 PM 44 Comments

Several years after abandoning its mid-calorie "C2" version of Coke, Coca-Cola has confirmed reports it will be dipping its toes into the not-quite-sugar-free pool again by testing mid-calorie editions of both Sprite and Fanta. More »

s.o.s pls

(Stephan J. Cox)

Sole Survivor From Stranded Fishing Boat Sues Princess Cruises For Failing To Help

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 1:00 PM 83 Comments

The sole survivor of a fishing boat set adrift for 28 days is suing Princess Cruise Lines, claiming that even though passengers on the ship alerted the crew to the vessel in need of help, the Star Princess simply passed on by. More »

we're not paying

Can A Restaurant Meal Be So Bad You Shouldn't Pay The Bill?

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 12:45 PM 192 Comments

I have a friend who likes to reward horrible restaurant service and food by leaving two pennies as a tip, but I've never known him to not pay the bill. However, one Colorado couple is telling their local Outback Steakhouse that the meal was so bad, the eatery should not be expecting a payment anytime soon. More »

the shack

(Penn-Cann Mall)

Protection Plan Protects Radio Shack From Replacing Your Keyboard

By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 12:30 PM 46 Comments

Thomas got a good deal on a wireless keyboard and mouse at Radio Shack, and also went ahead and bought the warranty and replacement plan. The plan that lasts for one year. Six months later, the item wouldn't work. So just drop it in the mail or take it back to the store where it was purchased for a replacement, right? Not so fast. The Shack was determined that he wasn't going to bring home a replacement keyboard on their dime. More »

captive audience

(matneym)

You Should Not Be Paying $175 To Get Your Car Door Unlocked

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 12:15 PM 54 Comments

While there are plenty of honest locksmiths ready to help you out when you lock your keys in your car, there are enough bait-and-switch scammers out there that consumers need to be careful before selecting one. Otherwise, you could end up with someone trying to charge you hundreds of dollars for something that shouldn't cost more than $100. More »

watch where you're going

(sfxeric)

Police In New Jersey Town To Slap Walking Texters With $85 Tickets

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 12:00 PM 75 Comments

Police in Fort Lee, N.J. want you to watch where you're walking — and since doodling around on your phone, texting/emailing/Tweet/whatevering can cause people to More »

grocery shrink ray

Safeway's New 'Easy Scoop' Ice Cream Easier To Scoop Because There's Less Of It

By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 11:30 AM 36 Comments

Safeway's Lucerne house brand ice creams have been repackaged, and now come in a round container branded the "Easy-Scoop Package." That's a nice redesign, and round containers are easier to scoop from. Only, as reader Ryan points out, maybe the ice cream is easier to scoop now because there's now a half-quart less of it. More »

(phildesignart)

Sallie Mae Opts Not To Go After Family Of Dead Woman For $120K In Student Loans

By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 11:15 AM 57 Comments

As we wrote last week, while many parents consider it a no-brainer to co-sign their children's student loans, that decision can come back to bite them later. And if that child passes away, there's little stopping loan servicers from piling debt on the parents' grief. But here's one story where Sallie Mae ultimately opted to not go that route. More »

best buy bye-bye

(Vincent J. Brown)

Best Buy Chairman To Step Down After Investigation Finds Former CEO Had Relationship With Employee

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 11:00 AM 24 Comments

Richard Shulze, the founder of Best Buy is leaving his role as company chairman, after an independent investigation found he had failed to report allegations of personal misconduct by former CEO Brian Dunn to the board's audit committee. More »

raymour & flanigan

$5K Customer Is Very Insignificant Person To Raymour & Flanigan

By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 10:30 AM 55 Comments

Maybe $5,000 isn't a lot to furniture retailer Raymour & Flanigan, but it is to Jeff and his fiancée. That's how much they dropped on furniture during a "VIP" sale at one of their stores. Most of the furniture has been delivered and is pretty great, but the two recliners they ordered were due to arrive weeks ago, and still haven't showed up. It's not that the furniture isn't there, Jeff explains. The real issue is that no one seems to care about keeping the couple updated. They would like to know when they'll finally be getting something to sit on. More »

don't touch this

(stirwise)

Postal Worker Blames Illness On Leaking Package That The USPS Says Never Existed

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 10:00 AM 34 Comments

A postal worker in Florida says a mysterious leaking package coming from Yemen has caused him to be super sick, but the U.S. Postal Service says that package doesn't even exist, and never has. The man has been to numerous doctors, and none have been able to diagnose his illness. More »

(a.r. briggs)

Aspiring Nun Has Too Much Student Debt To Take Vow Of Poverty

By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 9:30 AM 86 Comments

In news stories about the student debt crisis, we hear about American young adults delaying the typical milestones of adulthood due to their student loans. They (well, we) postpone marriage, childbearing, and purchasing first homes. But what if you're interested in a holier, more altruistic path? Men and women who want to join Catholic religious life must be debt-free before they even think about making their vows, and that's a challenge for people who don't realize their calling until after they've taken on student debt in the mid-five figures. More »

Has Your Best Buy Account Been Hacked?

By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 9:00 AM 23 Comments

Have phantom orders been placed using your Best Buy website account that you had nothing to do with? Since the wee hours of this morning, we've heard from two separate readers who write that their accounts and credit cards were used to order downloadable content that was delivered to another person's email address. And if posts on the Best Buy user forums are any indication, they're far from alone. More »

credit cards

(The Caldor Rainbow)

Macy's Actually Has No Idea What Your Credit Card Number Is

By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 8:00 AM 43 Comments

From what we're hearing at Consumerist HQ, it's easy to picture what goes on at Macy's credit card headquarters. When a check arrives, someone throws it in the air, and then it's applied to whatever completely random bill it lands on. That might help explain what happened to Joe, or not. He doesn't even know what his account number is supposed to be in the first place, and no one in the credit card department does, either. More »

overdone epidermis

New CDC Study Reveals A Third Of Young White Adult Women Get Tans Indoors

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 5:00 PM 83 Comments

Someone pass me the aloe — I'm feeling burned just reading about the results of a new study by the Centers for Disease Control. Not only have half of adults under 30 had a sunburn in the last year, but about a third of white women between 18 and 21 admits to going tanning 20 times on average in a year. More »

causing a stink

(Clean Wal-Mart)

When You Really Need Deodorant, Don't Use A Bobcat Loader To Break Into A Store

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 4:00 PM 12 Comments

No one likes that less-than-fresh feeling, but a little body odor is no reason to take drastic measures to get at some deodorant. Cops in Chicago say a man used a small Bobcat front loader to break through the windows of a Family Dollar and gain access to the store. He reportedly left with two cans of spray deodorant and a pocketful of gift cards. More »

love ya mom!

Why Not Treat The Special Mom In Your Life To Free Wings At Hooters This Sunday?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 3:00 PM 40 Comments

Maybe you're a little bit strapped for cash this Mother's Day, or maybe your mom just really loves wings more than flowers — and for those of you who like to say, "I love you, person who brought me into the world" with meat, Hooters has got just the deal. More »

for your inconvenience

Avis Customers Sue Over E-Z Pass "Convenience" Fee

By Chris Morran on May 11, 2012 2:45 PM 59 Comments

Have you noticed that anytime a company charges something labeled a "convenience fee," it only angers customers more? For example, a recently filed class-action claim alleges that car rental biggie Avis didn't fully disclose the details of the convenience fee it charges customers who rent vehicles equipped with E-Z Pass devices. More »

funsumerist

This Power Strip Is Ideal For Outdoor Use, Just Maybe Don't Use It Outdoors

By Chris Morran on May 11, 2012 2:15 PM 50 Comments

Consumerist reader Fred was strolling through his local Home Depot in Connecticut when he checked out this Belkin power strip, which says right on the front of the package that it is "ideal" for outdoor use. Apparently, "ideal" is Belkin-ese for "not advised." More »

you've got the power

(ninjapoodles)

We Feel Great, Oh Yes, We Feel So Great: Consumer Sentiment At 4-Year High

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 2:00 PM 18 Comments

Since buying stuff helps make the economy go round, we like to consider ourselves somewhat of a cheerleading section for consumers who are keeping upbeat about spending, giving the entire country a boost. So congratulations, everyone — the U.S. consumer sentiment index is at its highest level in more than four years in early May. Commence cheering. More »

what is your quest?

Is A DVR That Skips Entire Ad Breaks The 'Holy Grail' For TV Viewers?

By Chris Morran on May 11, 2012 1:45 PM 81 Comments

Yesterday, Dish Network unveiled a new feature on its Hopper DVRs called Auto Hop, which allows customers to completely skip over ad breaks on certain prime-time network programs. The company's CEO has already touted this as "the Holy Grail of television viewers," but we're wondering if that might be overstating the case a little bit. More »

don't touch that

(John Kittelsrud)

Disoriented Passenger Trying To Open Door During Flight Prompts Emergency Landing

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 1:00 PM 62 Comments

Perhaps it's just a coincidence lately, but there seems to be an uptick in instances where people aboard planes — whether pilot, flight attendant or passenger — have disruptive episodes mid-flight. This latest brouhaha prompted a Philadelphia flight bound for Portland to make an emergency landing in Boston, after a passenger became unruly. More »

made with real froot

General Mills Must Defend Claim That Fruit Roll-Ups Are "Made With Real Fruit"

By Chris Morran on May 11, 2012 12:45 PM 44 Comments

It's been a while since we heard any updates on that class-action lawsuit against General Mills over its claims that Fruit Roll-Ups are "made with real fruit." Well, yesterday the judge in the case gave it the go-ahead to proceed. More »

(funny strange or funny ha ha)

(kenfagerdotcom)

Top Posts Of The Week And Open Thread

By Laura Northrup on May 11, 2012 12:30 PM 86 Comments

not cool

(TheTruthAbout)

Movers Accused Of Holding Items Hostage In Exchange For Sex, Cash

By Chris Morran on May 11, 2012 12:15 PM 75 Comments

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has filed a lawsuit against a moving company, claiming dozens of cases in which movers allegedly held customers' items hostage until they paid charges that were several times the quoted cost. One woman claims she was told she could get could get her items off the truck — if she had sex with them. More »

know your audience

I Don't Appreciate Your Bubbly Excitement About Death, Shutterfly

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 12:00 PM 85 Comments

Perhaps Shutterfly should rethink the automated shipping confirmation it's sending out — especially since not every occasion one might order a card for is a time for celebration. Consumerist reader Ron was a bit unsettled over the email he received from the photo product company after he ordered a card for a somber life event. More »

grocery shopping

Save Two Whole Cents With This 'Smoking Hot' Frozen Pizza Deal

By Laura Northrup on May 11, 2012 11:30 AM 22 Comments

These Roman frozen pizzas normally cost all of $1.68. Who can afford that in this economy? That's why Wisconsin chain Pick 'n Save has them marked down to only $1.66 each. If you buy six, as recommended, you save twelve cents. And have a freezer full of cheap frozen pizza. Is that really where you wanted your life to end up? More »

hot pot of coffee!

Throwing Hot Coffee On The Donut Shop Worker Is Not A Reasonable Way To Resolve A Dispute

By Chris Morran on May 11, 2012 11:15 AM 107 Comments

For years, we've advocated the use of the Executive E-mail Carpet Bomb as a way for customers to resolve disputes with companies. What he have never suggested is the Donut Shop Employee Coffee Bomb. More »

not too big to fail

(Gary Burke.)

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon On $2 Billion Loss: "We Have Egg On Our Face"

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 11:00 AM 56 Comments

JPMorgan Chase dropped a hefty financial bomb on everyone yesterday, admitting that it lost $2 billion in six weeks after some bad trading decisions. CEO Jamie Dimon revealed the news after trading closed last night, admitting that the company only has itself to blame. More »

sage advice

(blue_j)

Why You Shouldn't Use PayPal On Target.com At All

By Laura Northrup on May 11, 2012 10:30 AM 41 Comments

In past reader stories posted to this site, we've learned that if you you use PayPal to buy an item from Target online, then later return it, you're only going to get store credit back. That's cool if you shop at Target a lot, but not so cool if you don't. Now Bethany has discovered an exciting and infuriating variation on this concept. If you order something from Target using PayPal and it's never delivered, sure, you'll get a refund. In the form of an e-gift card to Target. More »

pay to play

Great, Soon People Will Be Paying To Promote Annoying Posts On Facebook

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 11, 2012 10:00 AM 51 Comments

There are already enough posts we don't need to see on Facebook "Going to the bank and then the gym and wow isn't this day great oh by the way I'm breathing and I have 23 pairs of chromosomes lol," and now the social network is going to go ahead and let people pay to promote or highlight what they're yakking about. Get ready for an onslaught of too much information and an army of baby updates, everyone. More »

smartphone upgrade purgatory

(ktorster)

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds

By Laura Northrup on May 11, 2012 9:30 AM 28 Comments

Here are eleven of the best photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or just plain neatness. More »

amazon

(formatc1)

How My Ex-Wife Is Unintentionally Keeping Me Away From My Money

By Laura Northrup on May 11, 2012 9:00 AM 21 Comments

If you're going to be goofing off on the Internet anyway, you might as well make some money at it, right? That's how so many of us find ourselves doing tiny tasks using Amazon's Mechanical Turk in the wee hours of the morning. Reader Alex recently started using it, too. He's built up a nice balance, which he would like to withdraw using his Amazon payments account. Only he can't, because that account is a joint one with his ex-wife. Who he never added to his payments account, but might have had a wedding registry with long ago. Now Amazon has locked him out of his payments account entirely, and he can't fix the situation. Hey, $75 is $75. More »

(MrStinkhead)

Five Months Of Verizon Upgrade Runaround, Still No New Phone

By Laura Northrup on May 11, 2012 8:00 AM 37 Comments

Jeremy is eligible for an upgrade of his unreliable Droid X. Or maybe he isn't. No, but today he totally is! It seems like every time he talks to someone new at Verizon, he gets a different answer. More »

locals only

(Bennett V)

How Strict Should Stores Be About Employees-Only Bathrooms?

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 5:16 PM 225 Comments

While retail stores all need someplace for employees to wash up and occasionally relieve themselves, many stores have a "staff only" policy for access to the toilet. But are there situations where the store staffers should make an exception in the name of saving a customer from embarrassment? More »

movin' on up

(kusine)

You Might Be Making More Money If You Lived Somewhere Else

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 5:00 PM 80 Comments

Stuck in an economic rut? Maybe a move could give you a boost, says a new study, which found that the more economically mobile citizens of the U.S. live in places like New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. If you're living in the South, well, that money ladder is harder to climb. More »

half the fun

We Hope Redbox Customers Only Like Playing The First Half Of Max Payne 3

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 4:50 PM 32 Comments

UPDATE: Redbox has issued a statement to Consumerist explaining why they are only renting out the first half of the game. More »

hey that's my bike

(NBC 4 New York)

Man Steals His Bike Back From The Guy Who Stole It From Him

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 4:00 PM 90 Comments

A vigilant vigilante went after his property with a vengeance in Washington, D.C., after a thief made off with his bike. Police couldn't respond fast enough, so this guy did what any bicycle-loving property owner would do — he tracked his bike down and took back what was his. Turnabout is fair play, right? More »

look elsewhere for the union label

(Atwater Village Newbie)

Court Sides With Starbucks In Dispute Over Labor Union Pins

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 3:30 PM 55 Comments

You won't be seeing Starbucks baristas sporting aprons covered in Industrial Workers of the World pins anytime in the near future, after a U.S. appeals court ruled today that the coffee company is within its rights to stop employees from wearing too much of the pro-union flare. More »

butterbeer for everyone!

(Jeremy_Schultz)

Now You Can Force Your Friends To Finally Read 'Harry Potter' With Kindle Lending

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 3:00 PM 35 Comments

If you're sick of trying to foist various large tomes from the Harry Potter series on your friends so they can finally see for themselves how exciting Quidditch is, there's relief in sight. Amazon announced today that Kindle owners can now borrow Harry Potter e-books from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. More »

help us and we'll help you

(StarsApart)

Customer: Fry's Wouldn't Replace My Laptop Until I Dropped Complaint

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 2:15 PM 21 Comments

If you file a complaint against a company with your state's attorney general, and then that problem gets resolved, you might understand it if that company asked you to update the AG's office. But a woman in California says Fry's Electronics would not replace her broken laptop until after she dropped her complaint to the AG. More »

leave some for us

(WBZ-TV)

Where's The Cookout?: Thieves Make Off With $450 Worth Of Meat

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 2:00 PM 51 Comments

It's going to be really hard to refrain from asking "Where's the beef?" in this post. Shoot, too late. The meat in this case was allegedly loaded up and taken out of a grocery store in Massachusetts, resulting in a haul of $450 worth of food. Someone's either planning a killer cookout, or the meat business is getting lucrative. More »

bank failures

FDIC Announces Plan For How To Handle Failed Banks

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 1:30 PM 34 Comments

Nearly four years on from the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and a number of other large financial institutions, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is announcing its plan for what will happen the next time a too-big-to-fail bank goes kaput. More »

burning rinse of fire

gold for the golden years

Class Action Lawsuit Seeks Recall Of Whirlpool Dishwashers For Alleged Fire Hazard

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 1:00 PM 8 Comments

Doing the dishes is no fun (for most of us, at least), which is why having a dishwasher is super great. But if that appliance starts to smoke and burn inside while it's running, well, that's not so fun. Just such a fiery experience is what one man claims happened with his Whirlpool dishwasher, prompting him to seek a recall from the company. More »

tiny dangers

(panuta)

Family Pulled From JetBlue Flight Because 18-Month-Old Daughter Is On "No-Fly List"

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 12:45 PM 91 Comments

As we've already seen from the hug-happy 4-year-old, the 7-year-old on crutches, and the baby who caused the evacuation of an entire airport terminal, terror threats are getting younger and younger. The latest: An 18-month-old little girl who somehow allegedly ended up on a no-fly list. More »

safety

Recall Roundup - Banzai Inflatable Slides, Kolkraft Bassinets, And More

By Laura Northrup on May 10, 2012 12:33 PM 10 Comments

There are some particularly scary recalls this week, including a massive pet food recall for dog foods manufactured by Diamond, some bassinets that might collapse and hurtle babies, and those Banzai water slides are finally being recalled after allegedly killing one person and paralyzing another. More »

(cogdogblog)

Retired Couples Need $240,000 Just To Cover Health Care Costs

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 12:15 PM 80 Comments

If you and your loved one are looking down the road toward living out your golden years together, be prepared to have a pile of cash stashed away to cover your medical bills. More »

you don't know me

(kimaroo)

Comcast Assumes Woman Caller Doesn't Like Sports But Has A Husband Who Does

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 12:00 PM 106 Comments

A wonderful blogger happens to be a woman, a woman who called Comcast to get help with non-working Internet service. So, since we live in a society where all women must be heterosexual and have husbands, those women must also not like sports in the way that their husbands do. Right? Or something. More »

pesky kids

Mall Now Requires Teens Shop With Parents After 6:00 P.M.

By Chris Morran on May 10, 2012 11:45 AM 178 Comments

For teens at the NorthPark Center mall in Dallas, there's no more whiling away the hours loitering at the food court with their school chums. If kids under the age of 18 want to hang at the mall after 6:00 p.m., they now have to do it with parents in tow. More »

asus

7 RMAs Later, Asus Still Won't Replace My Tablet

By Laura Northrup on May 10, 2012 11:30 AM 40 Comments

Richard just wants a working tablet. He's sent his Asus Transformer in for repair seven separate times. It's usually for variations of the same issue, but Asus's records disagree. Handy, because those different service records mean that as far as Asus is concerned, the tablet hasn't come in over and over for the same issue, and doesn't need to be replaced. More »

greed for green

(ian.poley)

Cheapest Man Alive? Guy Refuses To Pay $12 Cab Fare While Carrying $5,000 In Cash

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 11:00 AM 36 Comments

If your cabbie is unable to bring you to a store selling cheap cigarettes, you should still pay him the $12.40 for the ride. That's not what one man thought, say police in Syracuse, N.Y. His cabbie failed him during a quest for cheap cigarettes, and he reportedly refused to pay up — even though he was carrying $5,000 in cash. More »

cautionary tales

(Hopelessly Un-Romantic)

Invoking eBay Buyer Protection? Don't Use Multiple Accounts

By Laura Northrup on May 10, 2012 10:30 AM 44 Comments

Maybe it wasn't such a great idea for De to purchase a diamond ring over eBay. But the site does have protections for buyers, and is notorious for siding with buyers in the case of a dispute. Just not in his case. Even though he got to deal with one of the rarest of beasts: an actual eBay employee over the phone, asking questions about the item using one eBay account and then using another to make the purchase was too much for eBay to understand. More »

gaga for groupon again?

Groupon Goes National With A Loyalty Rewards Program To Woo Merchants

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 10, 2012 10:00 AM 12 Comments

Groupon is on a quest to woo merchants and consumers alike with a loyalty program that is now going nationwide. It started the initiative last fall in select markets, in an attempt to try and help local businesses hold on to some of those new customers who come calling as a result of daily deal promotions. More »

iphone 4s

(Sigma.DP2.Kiss.X3)

AT&T Can Unlock Your iPhone, But Only If You Leave AT&T

By Laura Northrup on May 10, 2012 9:35 AM 34 Comments

We often hear from readers who can't get their mobile phone carriers to provide unlock codes so they can use their phone on a different network, even just while traveling abroad. AT&T only recently started providing unlock codes to customers with iPhones, and Josh managed to get one for his iPhone 4S. There was one weird condition: he had to sever his ties with AT&T forever. They couldn't provide the code and keep him as a customer. Wha? More »

dish network

(W.T. Neckbone)

Dish Keeps Making Up New Reasons Why They Want My Boyfriend's Money

By Laura Northrup on May 10, 2012 9:03 AM 50 Comments

Why does Dish Network keep charging Amy's boyfriend for his old account? It could be because he made a few payments on a deadbeat roommate's account, and then that roommate never turned the equipment back in. But he did. It could be because the account was canceled before the contract was up, and it was his name on the contract. But it wasn't. Dish just keeps making up reasons, and are determined to get his money one way or another. More »

just wait until next year

(jadavids)

Why Private Student Loans Are A Dangerous Game

By Laura Northrup on May 10, 2012 8:04 AM 118 Comments

Co-signing a younger relative's private student loans doesn't seem like such a reckless idea. After all, it's an investment in their education and careers, they'll certainly be able to pay it all back once they're educated, and they're going to outlive you, anyway. That's not always the case, and the risks can be substantial. Jessica's best friend had her grandfather, now 80 years old, co-sign her private loans with Citibank. After her sudden and shocking death, now he's on the hook for $70,000. More »

magic potion

(sonicstars1)

Health Group Mad At Michael Jordan Ad For Implying Gatorade Cured His Flu

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 5:00 PM 27 Comments

Wait a minute — Michael Jordan can do no wrong! So why is a health group so mad at his new ad for Gatorade? Perhaps because the ad seems to maybe kind of imply that Jordan got over a flu during a basketball game in 1997 because he was swilling Gatorade. Jordan isn't at fault, however. Whew. More »

customer training

(justagypsy)

How Starbucks Trained Us All To Use Its Lingo, And Why It Improved Customer Service

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 4:49 PM 199 Comments

While some people balk at having to ask for a "tall" or a "venti" when they go to Starbucks, most people have learned that the fastest way to satisfy their caffeine cravings is to use the company's particular lingo and keep the line moving. This, says one leadership expert, is not a coincidence. More »

Flyers Season Ticket Holders Sue Comcast Spectacor For Trying To Upsell Them Expensive Winter Classic Tickets

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 4:20 PM 26 Comments

Sadly, the Philadelphia Flyers' Stanley Cup hopes were dashed into the boards last night by the New Jersey Devils. But season ticket holders still have something to get riled up about, as they try to call team owners Comcast Spectacor for legal high-sticking. More »

chow down

(CBS DFW)

Why Not Just Stuff Vending Machines With Healthy Snacks Instead Of Junk?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 4:00 PM 81 Comments

I remember an episode of My So-Called Life where Rayanne was trying to get an apple out of a vending machine at school and thinking, "That would be great. Why aren't there more healthy vending machines? I'd eat an apple with Jordan Catalano.* " Seems one school district in Dallas also saw that episode and is trying out just such an idea to promote healthy eating among its students. More »

giving credit where it's due

(dmuth)

Should Cable Companies Credit You For Outages You Didn't Complain About?

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 3:45 PM 55 Comments

There's that old question that asks: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? But in the world of Consumerist, a more appropriate query might be: If the cable goes out for a few hours and customers don't notice, should they get refunds anyway? More »

state of the nation

People In 49 States Saw Significant Decline In Health Care Access During Last Decade

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 3:15 PM 66 Comments

During the previous decade, millions of Americans, regardless of whether they have insurance or not, found it increasingly more difficult to find — or afford — seeing the doctor or dentist, according to a new study from the folks at the Urban Institute. More »

expensive fail

(ABC 4 News)

Teenager Says TSA Screeners Are Responsible For Breaking $10K Insulin Pump

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 3:00 PM 110 Comments

Sure, there are a lot of things the Transportation Security Administration does right. Catching gun parts in stuffed animals? Great job! But one diabetic Colorado teen is upset with the agency, blaming TSA screeners for breaking the $10,000 insulin pump she needs to survive. More »

reversal of fortune

(royalconstantinesociety)

Honda Wins Reversal Of Small-Claims Judgment Over Hybrid Mileage

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 2:15 PM 52 Comments

Remember that story of the Honda owner who won nearly $10,000 in small claims court after she opted out of the $100-200 settlement from the class-action lawsuit alleging that the car maker made misleading claims about the gas mileage of its Civic hybrid vehicles? Well, her glory didn't last long. A judge in California has overturned that judgment. More »

you got burned

((Mon1ca))

Amazon Says It Will Never Compensate Us For Or Assist With Problems In Any Future Deliveries

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 2:00 PM 135 Comments

Consumerist reader L. and his wife have been loyal customers of Amazon since the giant e-tailer started out, he says. But because of a recent email his wife received today, he says they're going to reconsider their allegiance. More »

not while we're eating

(blue387)

If You're A Fugitive Sex Offender, Watching Porn At McDonald's Will Probably Put You Back In Jail

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 1:48 PM 18 Comments

While we certainly understand the appeal of looking at the human form sans clothing, we don't really get why anyone would feel the need to do so while chowing down on a Big Mac at a crowded McDonald's. But then again, we've never been a sex offender who was already wanted for failing to register. More »

once bidding twice shy

(hvoltmer)

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over eBay's Automatic Bidding System

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 1:30 PM 24 Comments

Back in January, we told you about the eBay seller who had filed a lawsuit alleging the auction website's automatic bidding system was preventing sellers from getting the maximum amount a bidder would have been willing to pay. But earlier this week, a judge dismissed the proposed class-action suit. More »

breakthroughs

FDA One Step Closer To Approving First Drug For HIV Prevention

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 1:00 PM 79 Comments

The battle against AIDS continues, with a favorable review by the Food and Drug Administration of a pill that has been used to treat HIV. The hope is that the pill could be used to prevent people from contracting the virus that causes AIDS. More »

linksys

Linksys: Where A 1-Year Warranty Sort Of Isn't A 1-Year Warranty

By Laura Northrup on May 9, 2012 12:30 PM 73 Comments

Yes, Linksys products ostensibly have a one-year warranty, but there's a catch. When Cody tried to contact them to replace a router, he learned that in order to actually use that original warranty, you need to pay extra. Specifically, after the first 90 days, you need to pay for either phone or chat support to talk to a real person who can authorize the return of your defective router. More »

not cool

(CBS Denver)

Scalpers Use ADA Loophole To Snatch Up, Resell Tickets Meant For Disabled

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 12:15 PM 82 Comments

At some sporting and concert venues, seating spaces reserved for people with disabilities can sometimes be prime spots. So it's sadly not surprising that unscrupulous scalpers are taking advantage of a loophole in the Americans with Disabilities Act that makes it legal for them to buy up blocks of these seats and then resell them to people without disabilities. More »

mickey's got a gun

(CNN)

Man Tells TSA He Has No Idea How Gun Parts Got In His Son's Stuffed Animals

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 12:00 PM 64 Comments

It's unfortunate when gun parts show up when you least expect them. Say, in your son's stuffed toy while going through security at an airport. A man traveling with his four-year-old told officials at T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island that he didn't know how handgun parts ended up in his kid's three stuffed animals. More »

delayed delivery

(Martin Buitron Photography)

Postal Service Maybe Not Closing As Many Post Offices As Planned

By Chris Morran on May 9, 2012 11:45 AM 29 Comments

It was last July that the US Postal Service announced it was considering closing around 3,700 of its approximately 32,000 outlets around the country, many of them in rural areas. But earlier today the Postmaster General unveiled yet another plan that could keep hundreds of these offices from closing outright. More »

social news apps

Oh Look, My Friend Is Reading About Vibrators. Thanks Facebook!

By Laura Northrup on May 9, 2012 11:30 AM 41 Comments

If you don't already block "social news apps" from illustrious organizations like the Washington Post, Yahoo, and The Guardian on Facebook, maybe this incident will change your mind. Facebook seems very keen for Jake to know that his female friend is reading about vibrators, but Jake would really rather not know. Really. He wouldn't. More »

tables turned

(Bill Binns)

Woman Tries To Report Credit Card Fraud, Almost Gets Arrested

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 11:00 AM 58 Comments

Imagine how fun it must be to have your credit card stolen and then be accused of being a thief yourself. Oh, you're right, that doesn't sound very fun at all. A woman in Salt Lake City tells the story of a woman who had to go to great lengths, first to prove fraud, and then to defend herself against it. More »

best buy

Dozens Or Hundreds Of Apple Devices Burgled From Chicago Best Buy

By Laura Northrup on May 9, 2012 10:30 AM 45 Comments

How many Apple gadgets did thieves remove from a Chicago Best Buy this past weekend? Police gave the media a modest estimate of only $42,000 worth of iPads, MacBooks, and GPS devices. However, an unnamed source whispered to CBS Chicago that the figure could be closer to $200,000, with the haul including a few hundred iPads. More »

go get'em!

(Alan Cleaver)

There Are More Job Openings Now Than There Have Been For 4 Years

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 9, 2012 10:00 AM 55 Comments

Get your resume spiffed up and your best interview outfit ironed — there are more job openings in the U.S. than there have been in almost four years. In March, employers were looking for people to fill positions at a rate that hasn't been seen since July 2008. More »

tigerdirect

Nomadic And Crashing With Friends? No Computer Parts For You

By Laura Northrup on May 9, 2012 9:30 AM 66 Comments

Joshua is a functioning adult with plenty of money to spend at TigerDirect, but they don't want to sell computer parts to him. That's because he leads sort of a nomadic existence. The billing address for his cards doesn't match his address history in the various "public records" databases. He could fix all this by sending in his photo ID, a utility bill, anything that proves that he is where he says he lives. But he's crashing with friends, and that doesn't get your name on the power bill. More »

ask the consumerists

(lisaschafferphoto)

Where Do Smart People Sell Collectibles These Days?

By Laura Northrup on May 9, 2012 9:00 AM 102 Comments

When you have interesting collectibles in your house that you no longer have room for, what do you do with them? Reader pop top has acquired a collection of mint-condition Cabbage Patch Kids from the '80s. Okay, she won't be able to retire on them, but they must be worth at least a few bucks each. Years ago, the question of where to sell them was simple: eBay was the best and biggest marketplace for collectibles. But horror stories of frozen funds and scammy buyers now abound, and she wants to ask the Consumerist hive mind: where is the best place to unload some cuddly dolls? More »

success stories

(moxythecat)

Research And Determination Made Lowe's Fix My Carpets

By Laura Northrup on May 9, 2012 8:00 AM 26 Comments

A few years ago, Justin had workers from Lowe's come install carpet in his house. After the warranty on the work had expired, the carpet began to stretch out in high-traffic areas. Even though he's not a professional carpet installer, Justin does have extensive experience with walking on floors, and knows that's not how it's supposed to work. He researched possible causes, learned that it was due to an installation error, and tried to get Lowe's to admit their mistake and fix the problem. Here is the exciting plot twist: they did. More »

hindsight is something something

Let's Briefly Relive 2006, When People Laughed At The Guy Who Said The Economy Wasn't All It Was Made Out To Be

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 10:01 PM 72 Comments

Remember 2006, when your paperboy quit his route to work at a hedge fund, and the little girls down the street were flipping lemonade stands all over the neighborhood? It was also the gilded age of financial forecasters proudly declaring that nothing could possibly go wrong with the housing market, all while giving a swirly to any Debbie Downer who said otherwise. More »

one-stop shopping

Coffee Shop Offers Everything From Baked Goods To Paternity Tests

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 5:15 PM 29 Comments

If the people of Camden, NJ, want to get a coffee and a muffin, and a drug test, and their taxes and financial planning done, and have a paternity test, and maybe get their cluttered rental property cleared out, they can do it all with one visit to the same small coffee shop. More »

the dog days of united

(Jason M. Childs)

Petition Gets United To Remove Ban On Pit Bulls, 8 Other Breeds

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 5:00 PM 53 Comments

After United Airlines merged with Continental, it adopted its new spouse's PetSafe program, which includes perks like climate-controlled transport and cargo holds, and the ability to track your pets' whereabouts. But it also meant that nine breeds of dog, including pit bulls, were no longer allowed to fly United. Following customer backlash in the form of nearly 46,000 signatures on a petition, the airline has changed its tune. More »

paging george jetson

(jbjelloid)

Google's Self-Driving Cars Get License To Cruise Nevada's Highways And Byways

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 4:30 PM 48 Comments

It's not just about heading to Taco Bell anymore — Google has been granted a license in the state of Nevada to test its driverless cars on public streets and highways. Back in March, Google got permission from local police in Santa Clara, Calif. to let a blind man sit behind the wheel of the self-driving car to test it out. More »

preparing for the worst

(taberandrew)

Wells Fargo Prepping For Possible Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 4:00 PM 27 Comments

Though it hasn't been formally accused of anything by the government, Wells Fargo let it be known in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission that the Justice Dept. may soon be alleging the bank was involved in discriminating against minority mortgage applicants. More »

pink slime repercussions

(Beef Products Inc.)

BPI To Permanently Shut Down Three Of Four Pink Slime Plants

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 4:00 PM 85 Comments

The pink slime storm of controversy may have faded a bit since it hit in March, but the after-effects are still being felt. Beef Products Inc. announced that it will permanently close three processing plants this month, due to the ruckus over its meat product, according to a company official. More »

the gluten is free!

Domino's Gluten-Free Pizza Not For People Who Need Gluten-Free Pizza The Most

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 3:15 PM 108 Comments

While there are a number of people out there trying to cut down on the amount of wheat gluten they consume, it's people with celiac disease that truly need to avoid the protein. So while Domino's Pizza has been touting its new gluten-free crust option, the pizza people admit it shouldn't be eaten by those with celiac. More »

pouch pirate

(Captain Morgan)

It Kind Of Makes Perfect Sense That Captain Morgan Is Being Sued For Piracy

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 3:00 PM 45 Comments

That swashbuckling rum drinker Captain Morgan is facing some rough legal waters, as another company is suing its parent company, claiming it pirated a pouch cocktail design. Pirated! See how funny that is because he's a pirate and he takes what he wants and now... I mean, you get it! I know you do. As our tipster writes, "In other news, water is wet." More »

inept installation

Does Your Windshield Installer Actually Know What They're Doing?

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 2:15 PM 42 Comments

If you've ever had to get your car's windshield replaced, you might be familiar with rain water dripping down onto your dashboard and lap. Even worse, maybe you've had the window pop out or crack because it wasn't properly installed. Unfortunately, these problems may be all too common. More »

side of celery & blue cheese pls

(Rocket Fizz)

Buffalo Wing Soda Could Be Totally Delicious Or Super Nasty

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 2:00 PM 43 Comments

What could possibly go wrong when combining meat flavors and carbonation? A lot, unless you happen to be the biggest buffalo wing fan in the entire world. That hasn't prevented a company called Lester's Fixins from reaching for the blue cheese stars with its Buffalo Wing Soda flavor. More »

heat-ing things up

Health Care Fraud Prosecutions Up 78% Since Launch Of Affordable Care Act

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 1:33 PM 28 Comments

It's been more than two years since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, and while the Supreme Court mulls over the reform's future, a look back over the last couple years shows a sharp increase in health care-related criminal fraud charges. More »

here we go

Bank Of America Starting To Nudge Its Mortgage Write-Down Plan Along

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 1:00 PM 14 Comments

Like the super-slow fat cat that it is, Bank of America is finally easing its rump into a mortgage principal writedown plan, as part of the $25 billion settlement between it, other large mortgage servicers and the government. It announced today that it will start to contact homeowners who may be eligible for the program beginning this week. More »

legal loopholes

Skipped Step Results In Mass. Police Writing 896 Illegal Speeding Tickets

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 12:45 PM 79 Comments

It's a pretty big case of "Ooops," on the part of the Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation, which forgot to follow its own regulations when it determined the speed limit on a new stretch of road in Salem. Now, nearly 900 speeding tickets could be reversed — if the drivers are willing to go to court. More »

error not in your favor

(Corey Templeton)

Travelocity's 'Confirmation' Doesn't Mean You Really Booked A Hotel Room, Silly

By Laura Northrup on May 8, 2012 12:33 PM 36 Comments

The idea behind booking a hotel room or other travel through a site like Travelocity is that they're supposed to, um, actually book the travel that you pay for. They didn't manage to do that for the hotel room Graham tried to book in Maine. He booked nine weeks ahead, then learned that the reservation was imaginary two weeks before the trip. More »

up in the air

(What Rhymes With Nicole)

Are Heavier Airline Passengers At Greater Risk For Harm?

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 12:15 PM 67 Comments

Usually when we bring up the topic of weight and air travel it involves either passenger comfort or controversial airline policies regarding "customers of size." But some worry that outdated safety standards are actually putting people at risk while flying. More »

getting grabby

What Could It Possibly Mean That Apple Wants The Domain iPhone5.com?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 12:00 PM 30 Comments

Let the gleeful rumormongering begin! Apple filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization over the domain name iphone5.com, because it doesn't control it. And it wants it. So bad. Is it because that's the next iPhone, or just to stop others from taking advantage of the iPhone name? More »

fraud r us

Check Fraud At Toys 'R' Us: Not Fun At All

By Laura Northrup on May 8, 2012 11:33 AM 36 Comments

Lee hasn't shopped at Toys R Us in years, but he bought something there. His bank account did, and didn't bring him along for the ride. He was the victim of check fraud, with his account number used to make a purchase there. After reporting the fraud and getting his money back, he got a debt collection notice from Toys 'R' Us. He straightened that out, and now wonders: what next? More »

cramalamadingdong

FTC Goes After Nation's Largest 3rd-Party Billing Company For Profiting Off Bill-Cramming

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 11:15 AM 19 Comments

The federal crackdown on the practice of landline bill-cramming — the slathering on of charges for often unauthorized third-party services onto consumers' phone bills — continues, with the Federal Trade Commission accusing the country's largest third-party billing business of attempting to cram $70 million worth of bogus charges down consumers' throats. More »

free piggies

(poopoorama)

Safeway Says It Is Moving Toward Crate-Free Pork Suppliers

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 11:00 AM 15 Comments

Safeway is joining the ranks of other food providers, announcing that it plans to stop using any pork suppliers that put pregnant sows in cages as part of the production process. Animal rights groups call caging or crating pigs inhumane. More »

price matching

(Cayusa)

Want Verizon FiOS To Price-Match Itself? You Need Imaginary Re-Installation

By Laura Northrup on May 8, 2012 10:34 AM 42 Comments

A week after Kyle got Verizon FiOS installed in his new apartment, he saw an ad for a new subscriber deal that was $15 cheaper per month than the two-year contract he had just signed. No problem, then: just call them up and see whether they could price match their own deal. Sure, they could: but only if he canceled his new service, returned all of the equipment, and had the installers come out again to turn the service back on. Well, that's efficient. More »

smooth operator

(stirwise)

Prepaid Phone Cards Loaded With Fees That Chew Up Callers' Cash

By Chris Morran on May 8, 2012 10:15 AM 20 Comments

If you've lived in a major U.S. city, or anywhere else with a dense immigrant population, you're probably familiar with the wide array of prepaid phone cards available for folks who want to make international calls. But a new investigation by our pals at Consumer Reports shows that these cards have complicated fee structures that could quickly eat up the value on the card. More »

foiled

U.S. Officials: New Terrorist Plot To Bomb Airliner Discovered, Foiled

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 8, 2012 10:00 AM 68 Comments

U.S. intelligence agencies say they recently disrupted a plot to bomb an airliner, seizing an explosive device like others used by al Qaeda in the past. The plan was uncovered before it had a chance to threaten any Americans or put any airliners at risk, says a counterterrorism official. More »

failure to thrive

Toshiba Thrive Tablet Cracks While Being Held: Sorry, That's Your Fault

By Laura Northrup on May 8, 2012 9:35 AM 52 Comments

Alex writes that his five-month-old Toshiba Thrive tablet cracked, sort of under its own weight. Is that possible? Maybe. Stranger things have happened to electronics. But everyone he's talked to at Toshiba doesn't think so, and they're acting like it was accidental damage. More »

ups store

(felixthedeadcat)

UPS And UPS Store Awaken Reader's Inner Groomzilla

By Laura Northrup on May 8, 2012 9:00 AM 45 Comments

Gus's fiancée shipped the invitations for their upcoming wedding to him in Ohio from her current home in California. Only they needed to arrive before Gus leaves for a long trip today. Sending them 2nd Day Air from a UPS store, the future Mrs. Gus didn't expect them to be held for a few days to a different city in California. It was finally on its way and... delivered to the wrong place yesterday. More »

moving

(zeebahtronic)

Allied Van Rentals: We Didn't Deliver Wrong Mattress, You Just Forgot Wetting The Bed

By Laura Northrup on May 8, 2012 8:07 AM 59 Comments

Mike used a local Allied affiliate for his cross-country move, and everything seemed okay. Until he unwrapped his Serta mattress and found that he had received the wrong one. How did he know this? Well, the one at his house hadn't been covered with urine stains. Or so he says. Allied, for one, doesn't believe him. More »

Personal Finance Roundup

By FMF on May 8, 2012 7:30 AM 5 Comments

9 Thrifty, Meaningful Gifts For Mom [SavvySugar] "It's tough to find a gift that will reflect your appreciation."

10 ways to slash your medical costs [MSN Money] "Want to keep your health costs low the easy way? Avoid doing the bad things that tend to land you in the doctor's office."

If You're Under 40, Don't Bank on Social Security [Wall Street Journal] "If Plan A in your retirement scheme is Social Security, it's time to start working on Plan B."

10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Losing Your Wallet [Wise Bread] "Here is a checklist for you, featuring some very important numbers and a little advice that you should follow today to help you keep your valuables safe and make reporting a lost wallet a lot easier."

7 Bargain Summer Destinations [Smart Money] "Here are seven spots at home and abroad where experts say the lodging deals are sweet enough to offset higher travel costs:"

—FREE MONEY FINANCE More »

unfortunate phrasing

The Word "Used" Should Never Describe Sanitary Products For Sale

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 5:00 PM 31 Comments

Anyone can appreciate a good bargain on a used product that works just as well as when it was in brand new condition. Used cars? Great! Gently worn clothing? Sign me up. But perhaps when describing an item such as say, feminine hygiene products, such a term should not be attached. More »

beer battle

this takes the gross cake

Small Brewer Says Budweiser Is Bullying Him About Old Kegs

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 4:30 PM 95 Comments

A small-time beer operation in Tennessee says it's the subject of some big-time hassling from Budweiser — all of it over a bunch of old empty beer kegs. More »

remember yesterday

(MFfan310)

United Airlines' Phone System Is Just Being Nostalgic About Refunds

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 4:15 PM 5 Comments

The honeymoon may be over for recently wed United and Continental, and the merged company's phone system is already daydreaming about its days as a swinging single, when customers could just call it up and ask for a refund on 30,000 unused miles. More »

goodbye golden ticket

(x-ray delta one)

American Airlines Regrets That Whole Lifetime First Class Pass Thing

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 4:00 PM 84 Comments

Back in the day, American Airlines thought it was a pretty good idea to sell unlimited first-class travel for a lifetime. For a few hundred thousand dollars, travelers could hop on a jet any time, and for an additional fee, so could a companion of their choice. Turns out that costs American a lot of money, and they're trying to shut the whole thing down as a result. More »

piling on

(a.r. biggs)

Report: Forced-Place Insurance Pushing Homeowners Into Foreclosure

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 3:30 PM 41 Comments

If you've got a mortgage on your home, it needs to be insured. So if you stop paying that insurance premium, the bank will often go out and get insurance for you. Problem is, according to Bloomberg News, those policies cover less, cost more and will likely just end up putting you into foreclosure anyway. More »

nice tail

(KitanaOR)

Could Eating Yogurt Give You A Slimmer, Sexier Swagger?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 3:00 PM 52 Comments

It might be time to start stocking up on yogurt, if studies on mice are any indication of health benefits to humans. Scientists researching how probiotics fight obesity stumbled upon some unexpected results in mice — they got super sexy and had increased "swagger." Swagger as defined by researchers, that is. More »

i tumblr for ya

Nudie Mag's Lawsuit Could Have Far-Reaching Impact On Tumblr, Pinterest

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 2:30 PM 42 Comments

I've heard a rumor that there are a number of Tumblr pages that may feature nudity. Furthermore, some of these pages contain nude images to which someone else holds the copyright. One such copyright holder has filed a lawsuit against Tumblr which, if successful, could impact a lot more than just pictures of boobs, buns and bits. More »

square crackers that look round

Pill Smugglers Busted Because Powdered Baby Flesh Should Not Be Ingested

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 2:00 PM 61 Comments

Authorities in South Korea have seized thousands of smuggled drug capsules filled with a ghoulish ingredient — powdered flesh from dead babies. Some people believe that substance can cure disease, but health officials say the pills potentially contain harmful ingredients and bacteria. And yeah, human flesh. Ick. More »

let's make a deal

Microsoft Confirms $99 Xbox 360 For Those Who Love Pricey Monthly Subscriptions

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 1:37 PM 58 Comments

Last week, it was rumored that Microsoft would be slashing the price on its Xbox 360 game console to a mere $99 with the asterisk that you also sign up for two years of its Xbox Live Gold online service. The company officially announced the offer today, and confirmed just how huge that asterisk is. More »

watch it

(KENS-5 News)

Congressman Claims TSA's Pat-Down Was Aggressive & Strayed Into Uncomfortable Territory

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 1:00 PM 59 Comments

Senator Rand Paul isn't the only politician who's upset with the Transportation Security Administration. Congressman Quico Conseco claims the TSA was overly aggressive while patting him down, and that he didn't appreciate where he says the agent's hands went while searching him in San Antonio. More »

customer disservice

(PepOmint)

Woman Spends Night In Jail For Picking Up Prescription Refill

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 12:45 PM 175 Comments

Police in Dallas added insult to injury when they arrested a woman in a leg brace for a shattered knee on charges of forging her painkiller prescription, even though her doctor says no one ever checked with him to see if the 'scrip was legitimate. More »

best buy

At Least I Tried To Buy A Vacuum From Best Buy

By Laura Northrup on May 7, 2012 12:30 PM 55 Comments

Gregg ordered a new Dyson vacuum this past weekend, and used a Best Buy gift card toward the purchase. When he arrived at the store, his order wasn't ready, even though the exact item he had ordered wasn't on the sales floor. They couldn't rush the online order process, couldn't give him back the $30 from the gift card for his in-store purchase, and couldn't do much of anything useful. So he waited for a refund and bought the same item from Lowe's. The notification e-mail never did come through. More »

the handmade tale

More Than 1,000 Etsy Shops To Shut Down For Day To Protest "Collective" Shops

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 12:15 PM 40 Comments

A few weeks ago, the Etsy folks stirred up a hornet's nest of hate among its own sellers and the handmade goods community in general by featuring an Etsy shop that some accused of mass-producing furniture. Etsy didn't help itself by later defending the shop, saying it is a "collective." This hasn't gone over well with a number of Etsy sellers and buyers who plan on taking a "vacation" on May 10 in protest. More »

old school tablets

(MyFoxDetroit.com)

Instead Of An iPad 3 From Walmart, How's About A Box Full Of Notepads Instead?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 12:00 PM 86 Comments

Forget about all that high-tech fancy pants electronics stuff, who needs an iPad 3 when you can have a box full of fresh yellow notepads to scrawl on? There have been a few complaints at a Walmart in Michigan, with customers claiming they thought they'd bought an iPad 3, only to find stacks of paper in the box once they brought their items home. More »

Round Saltines Disguise Stealth Shrink Ray

By Laura Northrup on May 7, 2012 11:31 AM 36 Comments

As we reported on Friday, in parts of the Northeast, Nabisco's traditional Premium brand saltine crackers have abruptly disappeared from the shelves. Unless they want to switch to one of the several other brands of saltines, their only choices are mini crackers or the new round ones. The change also disguises a stealth Grocery Shrink Ray that reduces the total mass of crackers in a box. More »

randy described eternity

AT&T CEO Regrets He Ever Offered Unlimited Data To You Ungrateful Punks In The First Place

By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 11:15 AM 86 Comments

A lot of things keep AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson up at night. If he has enough hair gel to get through the week... Putting down the pesky rebels led by that Luke kid from Tatooine. But mostly it's about how third-party messaging systems are taking money out of his company's coffers and how he never foresaw that people might actually want to use smartphones for things other than checking e-mail. More »

hit the road

(taberandrew)

Wells Fargo Fires Woman After Finding Out She Shoplifted 40 Years Ago

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 11:00 AM 167 Comments

A woman in Milwaukee is paying for a crime she committed 40 years ago by losing her job. Wells Fargo found out during a background check that she had shoplifted in 1972, and subsequently fired her. She thinks she's already paid her time for that crime, but Wells Fargo's policies disagree. More »

vizio

(БРАТСТВО)

I Paid $2000 For A Stupid TV That Lasted Two Years

By Laura Northrup on May 7, 2012 10:30 AM 147 Comments

I feel a certain kinship with Alan. Two years ago, both of us purchased HDTVs made by Vizio. Both of us bristled at the idea of buying an extended warranty for an electronic device that really shouldn't be disposable. Both sets are out of warranty, but mine still works (for now) and Alan's has black horizontal streaks running across the screen. A warranty's a warranty, but he wonders: did he really just pay $1,000 per year for the privilege of owning a TV? More »

move it along

(zieak

The TSA Brags About Scooting 1 Million Passengers Through PreCheck Screening

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 7, 2012 10:00 AM 29 Comments

The Transportation Security Administration trumpeted last week that it had screened a whole one million passengers through its brand new accelerated screening program, PreCheck. But although that seems like a high number, it's really just the very tip of a large, slow-moving iceberg. More »

sears card

(nathanmac87)

At Sears Card, 24-Hour Customer Service Means 'Whenever We Feel Like It'

By Laura Northrup on May 7, 2012 9:30 AM 41 Comments

Citibank now administers the Sears Card, but in order to keep their branding consistent, Citi is sure to keep the experience of dealing with Sears Card just as confusing and customer-unfriendly as dealing directly with Sears. That's what Cat discovered while trying to contact their customer service, anyway. While the number on the card promises "24-hour customer service," in the evening, there's actually no way to get through. More »

drive-moo

Escaped Cow Visits McDonald's Drive-Thru, Ponders Circle Of Life

By Laura Northrup on May 7, 2012 9:00 AM 22 Comments

If you're an attentive reader of this site, you know that people are always bringing inappropriate things to fast-food drive-thrus, hoping to get served. Mobility scooters. Snakes. Even pedestrians have tried and failed to acquire food. But when Darcy wandered up to the drive-thru window at a Colorado McDonald's on foot, employees didn't just wearily tell her to go inside the restaurant to order like all of the other pedestrians. That's because Darcy is a dairy cow. More »

gate-checked

(Cea.)

Stuck In Mexico Without Any Bags Thanks To Gate-Checked Carryon

By Laura Northrup on May 7, 2012 8:00 AM 42 Comments

Edwin's wife flew to Mexico last week, toting only her carry-on luggage. United Airlines personnel made her gate-check the suitcase, telling her that it was too big and that she would definitely get it back when she landed. She hasn't seen her suitcase since, and suspects it might have been stolen. United, as of yesterday, refused to give Edwin or Mrs. Edwin any answers. More »

that's the spirit

(spirit.com)

Spirit Decides It Doesn't Want To Be So Reviled After All, Refunds Dying Man's Ticket

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 6:27 PM 48 Comments

More than a week after a man with terminal cancer took his gripe with Spirit Airlines public — and after several stern statements by Spirit that it would not, under any condition, bow to public pressure and refund the man his $197 — the airline has bowed to public pressure and is refunding his $197. More »

ban the bunga bunga

bank error not in your favor

UK Checking To See If It Can Just Go Ahead And Block All Porn Sites

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 5:00 PM 83 Comments

United Kingdom Internet users won't have to suddenly shut their eyes in shock when "accidentally" happening upon a pornographic web site, if the Prime Minister can figure out whether or not the government can just block all porn. For its citizens' sakes, of course. More »

back door g-man

(Corey Templeton)

FBI To Internet Biggies: Pretty Please Give Us An Easy Way To Spy On Your Users

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 4:30 PM 41 Comments

The FBI really wants to know why you won't just make it your Facebook friend or add it to your Google+ circle. That's why the bureau has reportedly been asking those companies, along with Microsoft, Yahoo and others, to not impede its proposal to require back doors that would give the feds easy access for snooping. More »

we hate math too

Target, I'll Buy Three 4-Packs For Less Than The Price Of One 12-Pack

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 4:15 PM 47 Comments

Target makes us giggle on a consistent basis. It's always trying so hard to offer customers a deal, but somehow, its resident mathematicians keep on failing at putting together a real discount. Consumerist reader Dane spotted the most recent pricing error and sent us a tip using our mobile tipster app. More »

Bank Of America Tells Family It Won't Foreclose, Tries To Foreclose Anyway

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 3:53 PM 53 Comments

For two years, a family in Washington state has been waiting for Bank of America to get its act together and finally figure out whether it's evicting them or whether it's going to adjust their mortgage. More »

breaking bad news

Oh Look, TV Viewers About To Get Screwed Over In Another Fee Dispute

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 3:00 PM 101 Comments

If you have Dish Network satellite service, we hope you don't like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead or anything else on AMC, the Sundance Channel, IFC or WE TV. The company says it's dropping all four channels when their contract ends June 30. More »

go to the front of the line

(Meg)

US Airways Now Offering Priority Boarding For A Fee

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 2:45 PM 38 Comments

Add another airline to the list of carriers that sells upgrades to priority boarding and the use of the speedier security checkpoint lanes, to passengers not flying in first class. More »

walmartmexicogate

California Pension Fund Sues Walmart Leaders Over Alleged Bribery Scandal

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 2:25 PM 7 Comments

When you've got shareholders with a lot invested in your company, and you're caught up in the midst of a bribery scandal, well, said shareholders might not be too happy. A California pension fund that holds more than 5.3 million shares of Walmart is none too pleased with the company and how it's handled the alleged bribery situation in Mexico. More »

hurray!

(WCCO-4)

Reebok Finally Gives Free Shoes To America's Tallest Man After He Raised $37K

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 2:00 PM 84 Comments

Remember the very very tall man who needed special shoes? Igor has foot problems, at over seven feet tall, and he couldn't find shoes to fit. The shoes he needed cost $15K, money he didn't have. But when his story came to light in March, well-wishers ended up donating $37K to his cause. Now Reebok is doing the right thing and offering him the shoes for free. More »

cutting corners

(The Consumerist)

Has The Grocery Shrink Ray Turned Saltines Round?

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 1:30 PM 45 Comments

We don't eat saltines all that often here at Consumerist HQ, but we are certainly familiar with the classic cracker's orthogonal form. Well Nabisco is out to shake up the "stuff you crumble into your soup" market by testing a round version of its Premium brand saltine. More »

take a dip

(photographynatalia)

Hotels Trying To Buy Time For Making Pools Accessible To The Disabled

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 1:00 PM 140 Comments

Warmer weather is headed our way, and with the heat comes the desire to take a dip into a cool pool. But it's not so easy for those with disabilities, which is why there's a May 21 deadline for pools at hotels and recreation centers to be accessible. Some pool operators are pushing back against that mandate and asking for more time. More »

the $108 piece of paper

(Legodude522)

LG Suggests I Buy Extended Warranty For Problem Warranty Doesn't Cover

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 12:45 PM 14 Comments

Buying a new kitchen range should be a rather straightforward process. And yet Consumerist reader Bruce says he hasn't been able to get anyone at LG to give him an honest answer about the appliance on which he wants to spend his cash. More »

(sussmanb)

Top Posts Of The Week And Open Thread

By Laura Northrup on May 4, 2012 12:30 PM 75 Comments

defining the terms

(zonaphoto)

Woman Sues Southwest To Clarify "Customers Of Size" Policy

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 12:15 PM 169 Comments

You may remember the story from last year about a woman who was not allowed on a Southwest Airlines flight after allegedly being told she was "too fat to fly." The airline apologized for the incident, but the woman is filing a lawsuit in an attempt to get Southwest to clearly define its "Customers of Size" policy. More »

i like you

Judge Says Your Facebook "Likes" Are Not Protected By The Constitution

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 12:00 PM 69 Comments

Go ahead and click "like" on whatsoever you please on Facebook, but if you get into hot water because of it, don't expect a judge to let you hide behind the First Amendment and the right to free speech. A federal judge ruled recently that liking something on the social network isn't constitutionally protected speech. More »

automatic re-orders

(Tortuga One)

You Will Never Stop These Shipments Of Kenmore Filters

By Laura Northrup on May 4, 2012 11:30 AM 30 Comments

Automatic re-ordering of items you use a lot of can be a wonderful and convenient thing. But if you don't want the thing anymore, ending that perpetual re-order can be a colossal pain in the butt. Dave had the water filters for his Kenmore fridge set for annual re-orders from Sears PartsDirect, but discovered a cheaper source. He tried to cancel the re-order, but wasn't able to, so he removed all credit cards from his Sears account. They sent the filters anyway. More »

what savings?

(Van in LA)

Time Warner Cable To Expand Discounted, Capped Internet Plan. Don't Fall For It

By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 11:20 AM 42 Comments

In February, Time Warner Cable began offering lower-cost, capped Internet access to customers in some parts of Texas. Apparently this was a success, as the company plans to expand the option to other markets around the country. More »

talk to the hand

Spirit Airlines Knows Everyone Hates It, Really Doesn't Care

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 11:00 AM 76 Comments

Just in the last week or so, Spirit Airlines has made a lot of people mad, what with denying a veteran dying of cancer a refund and then announcing it'll charge $100 for some carry-on bags. But perhaps unsurprisingly, Spirit doesn't really give a flying fig if you don't like it or if it's got a high number of customer complaints. It's all about the money, see. More »

keurig

If You Enjoy $200 Disposable Coffeemakers, Buy A Keurig

By Laura Northrup on May 4, 2012 10:30 AM 112 Comments

I've often heard, both from readers of this site and in real life, about the generous replacement policy that coffee-pod maker Keurig has when something goes wrong with one of their products. But if you happen to buy a model that's defective, reader Synimatik tells us, Keurig will only replace it so many times before you're on your own and have to just buy yourself a new one. He didn't expect to spend more than $200 on what he calls a "disposable coffee maker." More »

mean ol' mouse

Disney Ruins Family Vacation By Not Letting Adopted Child On Cruise

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 4, 2012 10:00 AM 194 Comments

When B. and her husband K. were preparing to take their family on a Disney cruise, they knew they'd have to be prepared. Their son is adopted, and realized Disney has a policy that each child needs a birth certificate to board the boat, and they didn't have his yet. Unfortunately, despite their careful planning, things went awry, and how. More »

from riches to ridiculous riches

(Muffet)

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds

By Laura Northrup on May 4, 2012 9:30 AM 10 Comments

Here are thirteen of the best photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or just plain neatness. More »

home depot

(analogkid281)

Home Depot Delivers $2500 Worth Of Appliances, Won't Accept Money For Them

By Laura Northrup on May 4, 2012 9:00 AM 60 Comments

Consumer thought experiment: if Home Depot delivers some appliances to you, but never bills you for them, are they free? If that were true, a California grandmother got one heck of a Cyber Monday deal on more than $2,500 worth of kitchen appliances from Home Depot. That's not what she wanted. She'd rather just pay the hardware mega-chain already, but they won't accept her money. A computer glitch makes it look like she already paid for the appliances, and Home Depot won't accept her money. More »

trashy behavior

(frankieleon.)

Rogue Garbage Truck Kidnaps My Trash, Demands Ransom

By Laura Northrup on May 4, 2012 8:00 AM 94 Comments

Reader Fubish lives in a rural area, where he pays for his own trash pickup. That's pretty normal. What isn't normal is that one day last month, an unfamiliar truck stopped in front of his house and took his trash. His regular hauler came by later and found the empty cans. Now, it would be one thing if the rogue hauler admitted that they stopped at the wrong house and just said, "oops, our bad." But they've sent him a bill for the pickup that he didn't want and never asked for. More »

(soul_motor)

Facebook Humbly Sets Its Value At Up To $96 Billion

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 11:22 PM 36 Comments

Facebook, a clever little startup that lets people "friend" each other or something like that, is set to go public on May 18. In advance of its initial public offering, the company led by a plucky, big-dreaming college dropout announced today that it's worth as much as $96 billion. More »

what's in a slogan?

Bank Of America To Drop That Whole "Bank Of Opportunity" Thing

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 5:24 PM 23 Comments

For several years, Bank of America — via the gravelly voice of Kiefer Sutherland — has referred to itself in ads as the "Bank of Opportunity." Now, realizing that this slogan may not quite fit the public's image of BofA (and it would just be too easy for the bank to say "Pick on the other guys for a change"), the nation's second-largest financial institution is shifting its branding gears. More »

get it while you can

(The Consumerist)

McDonald's: Variety Is The Spice Of Life & The Key To Getting Your Money

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 5:00 PM 37 Comments

How exciting is it when the Shamrock Shake hits the McDonald's menu every year? It's unfreakingbelievably exciting, because it only happens annually and then goes away, leaving our mouths bereft of mint. To that point, McDonald's is betting on our collective love of limited-time items to lure more customers in. They know we get bored if something sits on the menu for too long. More »

bonus buy

(eden elilzabeth)

Utah Woman Finds Free Prize In Her Tampons -- Cocaine

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 4:15 PM 43 Comments

When you buy a laptop for a couple bucks at a salvage and recovery store, you take a chance it might not be good as new. But if you're buying a box of tampons from the same outlet, you might ask "what could possibly be wrong?" Well... lots. More »

for the love of hog

(Matt McGee)

Harley Davidson Says It'll Restore Motorcycle Washed Away By Tsunami

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 4:00 PM 45 Comments

If your heart has been feeling a little chilly, here's a chance for it to warm right up: Harley Davidson says it'll restore a motorcycle found washed up in British Columbia, that was swept away during the tsunami that hit Japan last year. More »

bank error not in your favor

(genetic drift)

Is 3 Weeks Too Long To Wait For My Bank To Refund $1,200 It Took By Mistake?

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 3:24 PM 71 Comments

Consumerist reader Josh is currently staring at a depleted checking account — and it could be several weeks before it's back to looking healthy again — all because his mortgage lender screwed up some paperwork. More »

the power of poo

(Creativity-Online.com)

Park Putting All That Dog Poop To Good Use To Fuel Free Wi-Fi Service

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 3:00 PM 17 Comments

There you are, just sitting on a park bench, with the smell of dog poo wafting toward your nostrils because someone didn't bother to pick up after their pet. It would be great if that poo was gone. And it would also be great to be using free Wi-Fi to Tweet about how crappy it is that it smells like poo, wouldn't it? A park in Mexico City is trying to solve both of those problems in one go, with poop-fueled free Wi-Fi. More »

tax cats?

conspiracy or common sense?

Bioethicist: If We're Going To Tax Obese People More, We Should Tax Cat Owners Too

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 2:36 PM 216 Comments

A growing number of people believe that obese Americans should pay more in taxes than healthy folks since being overweight can put you at a higher risk for health problems. It's similar to the logic used to justify additional taxes on cigarettes. But bioethicist Art Caplan asks: Why not tax cat owners more while we're at it? More »

find me on teh facebook

(Flyinace2000)

Study: 13 Million People Haven't Touched Facebook Privacy Settings

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 2:00 PM 30 Comments

There are more than 150 million Americans using Facebook at this point, and that number is growing. But do you know everything you need to about your privacy when it comes to social networking? Maybe not, as a new exhaustive study from Consumer Reports on social networking privacy found that 13 million American Facebook users have never touched their privacy settings. More »

free ride

(Chris Rief)

Taxpayers Stuck With Tab For Restaurant's Utilities Because City "Failed To Issue" Bills

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 1:37 PM 42 Comments

The taxpayers of Philadelphia have unwittingly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars paying the electric, gas, and water bills for a posh restaurant, all because the city says it simply goofed. But now that they know about it, the restaurant will be compelled to pay that money back, right? Not quite. More »

work hard for the money

(dabby1)

Survey Says Women Are Working Longer, Harder Hours On The Job

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 1:00 PM 45 Comments

Many of us are putting in longer hours on the job these days, whether it's in an office at a desk, in a warehouse or on a store floor. But according to a new survey, women are clocking in more hours at work, and are working harder than their male counterparts. More »

lock it up

(count2rparts)

Burglaries Are Down, So Why Are People Buying More Safes?

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 12:45 PM 62 Comments

Over the last 20 years, the burglary rate in the U.S. has dropped by around 45%, according to the FBI. And yet, manufacturers of safes and other devices to protect folks' valuables have gone up as much as 40% in just the last few years. More »

cars

(classmanager)

10 Signs Your Used Car Is Really A Rebuilt Wreck

By Laura Northrup on May 3, 2012 12:30 PM 46 Comments

We often hear from readers horrified to discover that their perfectly lovely used car was once another owner's total loss. They only find out much later, once something goes horribly wrong due to the previous damage. But once the vehicle is all fixed up and shiny, how is the average car buyer to know the difference? It turns out that there are distinctive signs that a car was previously in a crash or flood. Some you might notice yourself, and others require a mechanic's eye. More »

(Louis Abate)

Are Verizon Reps Pushing 4G Android Smartphones Over The 3G iPhone?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 12:00 PM 105 Comments

Is there some kind of anti-iPhone conspiracy going on at Verizon Wireless stores? Some customers think so, but perhaps it's just a matter of 4G versus 3G. After all, there is no 4G-compatible iPhone for Verizon, and many customers want the fastest, newest technology. Or maybe it's all one big secret deal conducted in dark corners with men in trench coats and fedoras! More »

check yourself

(dirtyblueshirt)

Ripping Up Checks Will Not Necessarily Prevent ID Theft

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 11:45 AM 52 Comments

If you make an error while writing a check, how thoroughly are you shredding it when you toss it out? And in an era where some banks let you deposit checks just by taking a photo with your smartphone, what are you doing with those pieces of paper after the money has cleared? More »

damn kids

(20 buckz)

11-Year-Old Destroys $36,000 Worth Of MacBooks By Peeing On Them

By Laura Northrup on May 3, 2012 11:30 AM 140 Comments

If smoking near your computer turns it into a biohazard, what does urinating on it do? According to local police, a Pennsylvania elementary school found out when an 11-year-old student emptied his bladder on a cart full of MacBooks. This hilarious prank destroyed more than $36,000 worth of computers. More »

inside job

(Pylon757)

Three Delta Employees Charged With Smuggling At Least $600K In Drugs

By Chris Morran on May 3, 2012 11:15 AM 7 Comments

Even though it could result in a life sentence and millions of dollars in fines, airline and airport staff continue to think that smuggling drugs is a good way to earn a few extra bucks on the side. More »

tip or else

(Click2Houston.com)

Diners Say They Were Locked Inside Restaurant For Refusing To Pay Automatic Gratuity

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 11:00 AM 253 Comments

It's a common policy at many restaurants in the U.S. — if you have a party of a certain number or more, say, five or six, gratuity will be automatically added to your bill. But should you be able to refuse to pay that gratuity, if the service wasn't so great? One group of friends thought so, and ended up locked inside a restaurant until the cops arrived. More »

wegmans

(Tom Simpson)

High School Drama Class Produces Entire Musical About Wegmans

By Laura Northrup on May 3, 2012 10:30 AM 51 Comments

Northeastern grocery chain Wegmans inspires the same kind of fanatical devotion in consumers as iPhone releases or "Twilight" movie premieres. So when a Wegmans store opened in Northboro, Mass., people camped out overnight awaiting their opportunity to storm the bulk candy aisle and buy $6 prepared meals, or something. Students in a local high school's advanced drama class tapped into the zeitgeist, and have created an entire musical about the chain. It may be the world's longest grocery store commercial. More »

the small screen

(acetonic)

Amazon Getting Into The Business Of Making Its Own TV Shows

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 3, 2012 10:05 AM 20 Comments

Amazon has already learned how to tie its own shoes, and now it wants to figure out how to have its own successful TV shows to offer on its streaming service. Netflix has its web shows already, so it seems it's time for Amazon to catch up to the other kids. More »

waste management

(diaper)

I Think Waste Management Actually Hates Me

By Laura Northrup on May 3, 2012 9:00 AM 126 Comments

A month ago, Richard signed up for trash pickup service from ubiquitous chain Waste Management. They have not, to date, delivered the WM-branded trash can that he's supposed to get, or removed any of the trash he already has at the curb. Instead, the drivers pick up the can and place it in the middle of his driveway, so he hits it with his car when he tries to leave the house. Nice. If they did this once, it would be annoying, but they've now done it twice while also ignoring all of his complaint calls and e-mails. More »

mastercuts

MasterCuts Gives You Bald Spot, Doesn't Tell You

By Laura Northrup on May 3, 2012 8:00 AM 79 Comments

Here's the thing about the back of your head: you can't see it. When Patrick stopped by his local Mastercuts to freshen up his 'do, they stylist let him leave without mentioning the fresh new bald spot on the back of his head. And it was only his girlfriend who was bold enough to mention the problem, finally snapping the picture at left with a cell phone camera to prove it. Mastercuts employees insisted that he must have a medical condition that caused the spot. Nope. More »

rock band

(37prime)

Keep On Rocking: EA Not Shutting Down Rock Band For iPhone

By Laura Northrup on May 3, 2012 2:01 AM 36 Comments

Good news, rockers! We heard back from our friends at EA, and yesterday's panic over the kill switch on Rock Band for iPhone was premature. They tell us that the in-app message was an error, and you can buy the game with confidence if you feel so inclined. More »

land of the fee

no tweets in the afterlife

Spirit To Start Charging Up To $100 For Some Carry-On Bags

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 6:49 PM 55 Comments

Spirit Airlines continues to demonstrate why Consumerist readers nominated the bottom-dollar carrier for the Worst Company In America 2012 tournament. The airline, only one of two U.S. carriers to charge for carry-on bags, has announced it will be jacking up its baggage fees, meaning some people could end up paying $100 per carry-on. More »

don't do that again

FAA Scolds Passenger For Using iPad To Shoot Video Of Bird Strike

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 5:15 PM 159 Comments

Remember that bird strike in April that forced a Delta flight to make an emergency landing? The actual incident was caught on video by author Grant Cardone, who is now on some FAA "you're a troublemaker" list because he shot that video when his iPad was supposed to be turned off. More »

(Wade Courtney)

The U.S. Government Wants To Make Sure You've Written Your Social Media Will

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 5:00 PM 20 Comments

The United States government is hip to social networking, and because it knows all about the Facebook and the Twittering, it wants you to be prepared with a social will in the event of your demise. After all, there have been reports of the families of deceased people having trouble gaining access to those kinds of accounts. More »

omg omm

One Million Moms Doesn't Like JCPenney Showing Happy, Married Lesbian Couple In Catalog

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 4:00 PM 255 Comments

One Million Moms is back on JCPenney's case again, after the company failed to fire openly gay spokeswoman Ellen DeGeneres. The problem for OMM this time? A happy couple in the May catalog made up of two women. Shock, gasp, etc. More »

everyone loves a happy ending

GE Makes Customer Happy By Actually Responding To, And Resolving, Problem

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 3:30 PM 16 Comments

GE may not have the best public image — and it's certainly no help that it was portrayed on 30 Rock as a lumbering dinosaur left over from a bygone age — but one Consumerist reader says he was pleasantly surprised by how well the company responded to his problem. More »

only in a college town

(WOWT.com)

Pabst Distributor Replaces Beer Stolen At Forkpoint From College Student

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 3:00 PM 26 Comments

We can't imagine how bereft one must feel after having a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon forcefully stolen at forkpoint. But we do know what it's like to get free beer, so we're pretty happy that a Pabst distributor tried to right the wrong done to one theft victim by giving her free cases of PBR. More »

ruining it for the rest of us

This Is An Actual Sign Telling People Not To Have Sex In Cable Cars

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 2:45 PM 33 Comments

Bad consumers are responsible for those signs that remind you not to litter, smoke, talk too loudly, turn off our cellphones, and apparently to stop having sex in cable cars. More »

renters' rights

(hradcanska)

Lawsuit: HOA Guards Threatened Tenants With Tasers, Stole Naked Pictures Over Foreclosure Miscommunication

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 2:16 PM 90 Comments

Renters of a California condo say they got a rude awakening when a group of guards hired by their homeowners association allegedly used Taser guns to evict them from a house they didn't know had been foreclosed on. More »

game for a deal

( tubbynj)

Report: Microsoft To Offer $99 Xbox & Kinect Bundle With 2-Year Subscription

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 1:35 PM 45 Comments

A new report says Microsoft is preparing to launch a $99 Xbox console, equipped with a Kinect sensor, next week. To get your grubby hands on that sweet little piece, however, you'll have to sign a two-year contract for monthly subscription service. More »

civil duty is annoying

( ash™)

Too Bad We Can't All Blame Jury Duty Summonses On Computer Glitches

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 1:00 PM 44 Comments

For 1,200 people in California that were told to show up for jury duty this week, there was good news and bad news. The good news was they really didn't have jury duty that day. The bad news? About 800 of those notified hoofed it all the way to the courthouse just because of a computer glitch. More »

the unfriendly skies

(thoth1618)

What Are The Worst Airports In The U.S.?

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 12:45 PM 69 Comments

Though La Guardia Airport is by far the least-busy of the three major airports in the NYC area, it managed to put a bad taste into enough travelers' mouths to end up on the top of a new survey of the worst airports in the nation. More »

lottery

(Triborough)

Judge: Return $1 Million Lottery Ticket Found In Trash To Original Owner

By Laura Northrup on May 2, 2012 12:30 PM 92 Comments

If you found a million dollars sitting in a convenience store trash can, would you take it? In that case, it's probably better to call the police. But when an Arkansas woman scanned her lottery ticket and learned it was a loser, she tossed it in the garbage. Another customer who likes to check discarded tickets for small winnings found the ticket and learned that it was worth one million dollars. More »

carbo loading

Apparently What The 2012 Olympic Games Needs Is The World's Largest McDonald's

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 12:00 PM 36 Comments

Nothing says athletes in peak physical condition like a Big Mac and large fries, right? As such, McDonald's is building the world's largest McDonald's restaurant in London's Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics. No other brand name food will be sold at the Olympic Park. More »

friends no more

(poopoorama)

Target Stops Selling Kindle Over Reported "Conflict Of Interest"

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 11:34 AM 65 Comments

Even though Amazon's Kindle e-reader has been a top seller for Target since the retailer began selling the device in 2010, the Minnesota-based chain is pulling the Kindle from stores and has already stopped selling it on Target.com. More »

ebay

(Sigma.DP2.Kiss.X3)

Another Seller Swears Off eBay Forever

By Laura Northrup on May 2, 2012 11:30 AM 100 Comments

There was a time, around approximately 2001, when eBay was a global marketplace where you could easily and efficiently unload items with any market value that you wanted to get rid of. Now, it's more of a global flea market full of scams and villainy. eBay and its old accomplice, the U.S. Postal Service, worked together to make Keith's old iPhone disappear into the ether. More »

what a bunch of app

Why Do App Developers Release iPhone Versions First?

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 11:17 AM 41 Comments

Even though there are still significantly more smartphones running some version of the Android operating system, it's not uncommon to see developers come out with an app for iPhone users weeks or months before they release anything for Android. What's up with that? More »

putting it together

Did IKEA Use East German Political Prisoners To Make Its Adorable Furniture?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 11:00 AM 27 Comments

Putting together IKEA furniture is hard enough for people who go out and willingly buy it, knowing later they'll be gazing adoringly at the affordability of it all while digesting meatballs. But it would be much worse to be say, an East German political prisoner forced to manufacture the stuff before the fall of the Berlin Wall. More »

diy debt reduction

Try Your Hand At Stabilizing The National Debt

By Chris Morran on May 2, 2012 10:45 AM 86 Comments

Everyone agrees that the U.S. debt has risen to scary heights. What not everyone agrees on is what needs to be done to keep the debt from going past the point of no return. Now comes a new interactive tool that lets you try your hand at deciding what sacrifices we all need to make. More »

(Updated) EA's Rock Band Game For iPhone Will NOT Self-Destruct In 29 Days

By Laura Northrup on May 2, 2012 10:30 AM 72 Comments

UPDATE: We heard back from EA this evening. They tell us that the message to players was an error, and Rock band is NOT being turned off after May 31. More »

a best buy outing

(7 News Denver)

Straight Man Says Best Buy Employee Outed Him On Facebook During Phone Servicing

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 2, 2012 10:00 AM 166 Comments

We are well aware that many of our readers have had a tough time dealing with Best Buy employees. But we're pretty sure that being outed on Facebook during the process of a phone servicing session pretty much takes the "You're Terrible With Customers" cake. More »

lowe's

(yoshiffles)

Ordering Appliance At Lowe's Results In Cascade Of Incompetence

By Laura Northrup on May 2, 2012 9:30 AM 23 Comments

The employees at his local Lowe's store were pretty great, reader Tony tells us, but ordering his stove online with multiple store gift cards wasn't such a good idea. When he hit "Submit," the order didn't go through, and the Lowe's customer service buffoons weren't able to tell him what had happened. A visit to the local store resolved the situation, resulting in the actual delivery of the stove. Which was damaged. More »

fair and square

J.C. Penney Employee: 'I Fear We're Turning Into Sears'

By Laura Northrup on May 2, 2012 9:00 AM 109 Comments

H. is just an ordinary employee of one city's flagship J.C. Penney store somewhere in America, but tells us that since the company's "fair and square" rebranding effort began, things are looking grim. According to H, without coupons to lure them in, the customers just aren't coming, and quiet layoffs have begun. More »

pnc mortgage

(Karen_Chappell)

The Fax Of Shame: How It Really Feels To Lose Your Home

By Laura Northrup on May 2, 2012 8:00 AM 121 Comments

C. and her husband are a young couple who moved into their first house just a few years ago. Unable to manage their mortgage payments, they asked their lender, PNC Mortgage, for help. The bank offered them a monthly payment $500 higher than the mortgage they couldn't pay in the first place. Their house has sat empty and on the real estate market since January, waiting for a buyer to come along for a short sale. One did, and the nightmare is almost over. Or it would be, if PNC would just stop calling the couple and any relative whose phone number they can find, almost every day. More »

more ways to save

Is It A Good Or Weird Thing That Some Dollar General Stores Offer Groceries?

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 5:00 PM 71 Comments

Just the words "dollar store" evoke images of aisle upon aisle of discount merchandise — housewares, light bulbs, bright green flip flops — but if Dollar General has anything to do with it, those words will also make you think of buying groceries. More »

the thigh's the limit

People Realize Chicken Thighs Taste Good, Now Cost Same As Breasts

By Chris Morran on May 1, 2012 4:50 PM 78 Comments

For too long, chicken thighs were the ignored child of the chicken meat family, relegated to bulk packs at ridiculously low prices. For people that knew what to do with the less-desired but more flavorful dark meat, it meant tasty meals that didn't break the bank. But the secret is now out, and consumers are starting to pay top dollar for the one-time bargain poultry parts. More »

empty promises

Fifth Third Bank Says It Doesn't Actually Have Overdraft Notice Emails I Signed Up For

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 4:00 PM 42 Comments

Consumerist reader Chris says he's been a customer of Fifth Third bank for around two decades, as well as the rest of his family in the Midwest. Heck, his grandfather even worked there. But he says he's now growing very disappointed with it, and a recent rash of overdraft fees isn't helping that dissatisfaction. More »

you make the call

(dwrichards)

How Many Minutes Should Store Employees Get To Clean Up Baby Vomit?

By Chris Morran on May 1, 2012 3:45 PM 106 Comments

If you're walking down the aisle of a grocery store and a customer only a few feet in front of you accidentally drops a glass jar on the floor, you would have a hard time blaming the store if you got nicked by a piece of glass. But what if that shattered jar had been there for an hour? Thirty minutes? Ten minutes? This is the question that will soon face a jury in a slip-and-fall lawsuit against Target. More »

snow means no

Lack Of Snow In 2012 Was A Financial Windfall For Some

By Chris Morran on May 1, 2012 3:15 PM 25 Comments

All that snow that failed to fall during the winter of 2012 didn't just save you from straining your back while shoveling. It also helped cash-strapped state and local governments save millions of dollars that would normally have been spent plowing and salting. More »

labels shmabels

silver lining for your silver years

Survey Says Millennials Ditch Brand Loyalty In Search For Lowest Price

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 3:00 PM 59 Comments

Who has time to keep up with which brands are the coolest when you're trying to make ends meet? That's how millennial shoppers — those between the ages of 18 and 34 — are feeling, according to a new survey. Doesn't matter what the name on the styrofoam cup of high-sodium soup says, as long as it's cheap and edible. More »

it's time to get real

(donbuciak)

Man Arrested For Passing Not-Counterfeit $50 Bill

By Chris Morran on May 1, 2012 2:17 PM 113 Comments

If you've ever been stuck having to buy something with a $50 or $100 bill in the last decade, you have probably had to stand there while a store clerk performs the marker test to see if the note is legitimate. Unfortunately, that test doesn't work on older bills, and that's how a Tennessee man ended up in jail over the weekend. More »

creepy camerawork

Report: Pervy Employees At German Supermarket Chain Secretly Filmed Female Shoppers

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 2:00 PM 22 Comments

Guess what? America isn't the only country where store employees get a kick out of secretly spying on customers. According to a new report out of Germany, managers of several supermarkets of the Aldi discount chain have been filming female shoppers as they bend over refrigerators, reach for stuff on shelves and walk around stores. More »

(m kasahara)

Your 401(k) May Actually Be Worth Something Again

By Chris Morran on May 1, 2012 1:30 PM 34 Comments

We know a lot of people simply stopped looking at their quarterly 401(k) account statements a few years ago, hoping and praying the market would eventually recover and they would someday see all that money lost when the economy went SPLLLAATTT!!. Well, it may be time to take a peek at your next statement, as the latest numbers show very positive signs of recovery. More »

#!@%?

(Videodrome DiscothÃ¨que)

Police Chief Proposes Town Swear Jar To Cut Back On City's Cussing

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 1:00 PM 51 Comments

Speech won't be exactly free in Middleborough, Mass. if the town's police chief has his way — well, it'll just cost you to have a potty mouth. Swearing has gotten so bad in public in the town that the city is considering a plan to start enforcing a law against obscenities. More »

productivity

Taylor Rewrites Time, Crams 85 Minutes In An Hour

By Laura Northrup on May 1, 2012 12:30 PM 23 Comments

Sure, you might wish that there were more hours in the day to get things done. But what if there were more minutes in every hour? That's what Taylor Precision Products, maker of measuring devices, from thermometers to scales, has apparently accomplished with one of their timers. It puts at least 85 minutes in every hour, for maximum productivity. It's either that, or a hilarious typo. More »

get poor quick

FTC Wins Judgment Against Makers Of 3 Get-Rich-Quick Infomercials

By Chris Morran on May 1, 2012 12:15 PM 30 Comments

We don't know why people still fall prey to infomercials promising easy paths to riches. And yet, the Federal Trade Commission says a trio of popular get-rich-quick programs — all backed by the same two people — took consumers for a total of $450 million by misleading them into believing they could quickly earn piles of cash in real estate or Internet marketing. More »

moving out

(mainfr4me)

Home Ownership Dips To New Low While We Become A Renter's Nation

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 12:00 PM 110 Comments

As the share of home owners in the United States keeps sliding down, marching right upward is the amount of us who are now renting our residences. Makes sense — if you can't afford to own a home, you've got to find somewhere to live in the meantime. And not everyone has access to their parents' basement. More »

the blame game

Who's To Blame For Broken Urn: UPS Or The Crematorium?

By Chris Morran on May 1, 2012 11:45 AM 66 Comments

When a California woman went to unpack the urn containing her late brother's ashes, she found it had been damaged in shipping and the ashes spilled onto her floor. The crematorium that sent the urn blames UPS, which points the finger right back at the crematorium, saying it violated UPS policy by shipping human remains. More »

there's an app for that

Fight Discriminatory TSA Profiling With Your Smartphone

By Laura Northrup on May 1, 2012 11:30 AM 52 Comments

It's hard to find any travelers with nice things to say about the Transportation Safety Administration, but members of the Sikh faith really have a grievance. They claim that they're singled out for secondary screening at airport security to an extent that's discriminatory, and frequently ordered to allow inspections or removal of their turbans. So they're fighting back in 21st century fashion: with a smartphone app. More »

security steps

(Ben Popken)

Air Travel Officials Keeping An Eye Out For Surgically Implanted Threats

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 11:00 AM 63 Comments

It's come a long way from underwear and shoe bombs, as authorities now say they're focusing on explosives that could be surgically concealed inside someone's body. Tonight is a year from when President Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden, which has caused security at airports in Europe and the Middle East to be stepped up. More »

liquid gold

(zonaphoto)

Delta Cuts Out Pesky Fuel Middleman, Buys Itself An Oil Refinery

By Mary Beth Quirk on May 1, 2012 10:35 AM 53 Comments

Delta Air Lines has been battling rising jet fuel prices with all the other airlines, trying to institute prices hikes — some successful, some not — and do what it can to cope. And now that everything else hasn't worked, it's decided hey, why not just cut to the heart of the problem and buy an oil refinery? More »

lenovo

(.:AR:.)

EECB Strikes Lenovo, Gets Customer New Laptop

By Laura Northrup on May 1, 2012 10:30 AM 6 Comments

Patricia's refurbished laptop from Lenovo could have used more refurbishment. It had a scratched webcam and an unbearably rattly disc drive, and she didn't find this acceptable for a device that she had just purchased. So she tackled the issue using a time-honored consumer technique: the executive e-mail carpet bomb. Lenovo's Executive Relations team heard her plea, and sent her a new computer to replace her refurbished one. More »

ask the consumerists

(Firehouse Designs)

Can I Use A Chargeback On A No-Show Electrician?

By Laura Northrup on May 1, 2012 9:30 AM 123 Comments

Penelope and her husband hired a licensed electrician/handyman she had worked with before to replace the breaker in her house. Miscommunication and what looks like laziness on the electrician's part meant that he missed several scheduled appointments-stopping by but not calling, then just not showing up at all. Now he's charged their credit card, but is ducking their calls and won't come out without being paid for another service visit. So Penelope and Mr. Penelope did what any sensible person would do: installed the breaker themselves, and requested a chargeback. More »

xbox

(kristenrachelle)

Microsoft: The Person Using Your Stolen Xbox Totally Didn't Commit Any Fraud

By Laura Northrup on May 1, 2012 9:00 AM 63 Comments

Ashlee's house was robbed last Thanksgiving, and the culprits were never caught. They replaced the stolen items, and life went on. Until her Xbox Live account signed on using another console. The same console that had been stolen, whereabouts now unknown. Maybe the identity or location of the person now using Ashlee's Xbox could provide valuable insights into who robbed their house five months ago. Microsoft wasn't interested in helping, and determined that the new owner's use of her account and attempt to use it to buy points weren't fraudulent. Well, that's good to hear! More »

crime

(WKTV)

Police: Man Tried To Rob Banks While Brandishing Toilet Plunger

By Laura Northrup on May 1, 2012 8:00 AM 29 Comments

A toilet plunger isn't a terrifying weapon to anyone but germaphobes, or maybe a child with nightmares of being chased by Daleks. Yet a man in Utica, NY thought that it made a terrifying enough weapon that he attempted to rob three different banks while threatening tellers with the plunger. None of the robberies were successful. More »

(This Year's Love)

Personal Finance Roundup

By FMF on May 1, 2012 7:30 AM 0 Comments

Want a promotion? Make friends at work. [CNN Money] "If you're not reaching out to make and nurture friendships at work, you're probably hurting your career."

Perfect Prom on a Budget: 13 Ways to Spend Less, Still Shine [Daily Finance] "According to USA Today, spending on the spring formal is set to rise this year to an average of $1,078."

21 Tasty and Cost-Effective Breakfast for Dinner Ideas [Wise Bread] "Here are 21 ways to enjoy breakfast for dinner that balance flavor, frugality and fun."

4 Ways Your Bicycle Could Help You Earn Extra Income [Bucksome Boomer] "Do you have a bicycle? If so, you have not only a mode of transportation but a means to boost your bottom line."

6 Reasons Why You Should Never Purchase an Extended Warranty [US News] "Here are six of the main reasons why it doesn't make sense for you to purchase an extended warranty for your items."

—FREE MONEY FINANCE More »

repairing the cord

Report: Hulu Thinks Maybe You Shouldn't Cut Your Cable Cord Just Yet

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 6:19 PM 139 Comments

Hulu is one of the many streaming services that have led a growing number of cable and satellite subscribers to cancel their subscriptions and get most of their TV entertainment via the Internet. But a new report claims that Hulu is now looking to appease cable companies by eventually making the service available only to those who are also paying for cable. More »

blast from the past

keeping the pirates at bay

New Jersey Goes After Woman For $73 Debt From 1977

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 5:12 PM 101 Comments

Thirty-five years ago, the state of New Jersey accidentally overpaid on a teenager's unemployment claim to the tune of $73. Now the Garden State wants that money back. More »

anti-peeping

([F]oxymoron)

Federal Lawmakers Introduce Social Networking Online Protection Act

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 5:00 PM 36 Comments

While some states are taking steps toward protecting workers against current or potential employers from snooping around in Facebook accounts, federal lawmakers are also pushing similar legislation. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and and Rep. Eliot Engel, of New York, both Democrats, have introduced a new bill to Congress regarding the matter. More »

claiming ignorance

(troy.b.asher)

FCC Report Says Google Knew It Was Collecting Data With Street View Cars

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 4:05 PM 26 Comments

Google is all about showing the report the Federal Communications Commission wrote up detailing its probe into the company's Street View cars collecting data from Wi-Fi networks. Which is great, but it seems its claim that it had no clue info was being gathered is kind of suspect. More »

Court Orders UK Internet Providers To Block Pirate Bay

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 3:35 PM 37 Comments

File-sharing in the United Kingdom just got a little bit more difficult, as the nation's High Court has ordered the country's largest internet providers to completely block access to BitTorrent site The Pirate Bay. More »

low monthly payments

(emilybean)

Hundreds Of Thousands Of People Are Still Renting Home Phones

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 3:15 PM 100 Comments

While many of us are ditching landlines in favor of wireless, a large portion of the country still has some sort of terrestrial home phone. But what's surprising is just how many folks out there are still paying every month to lease their phones. More »

new kid on the block

getting into the wrapp game

CFPB Creates New Office To Focus On Diversity In The Financial Industry

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 3:00 PM 14 Comments

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a new appointment today, that of Stuart Ishimaru as the leader of the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at the bureau. Previously, Ishimaru was the acting chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. So he knows his stuff, ostensibly. More »

free offer respond now

(Dan Zen)

4.5 Billion Spam Texts Sent To U.S. Cellphones Last Year

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 2:35 PM 34 Comments

If you think you've seen an uptick in the number of spam texts showing up on your wireless phone in recent months, you're not crazy. A new report claims that the number of those unwanted messages jumped 45% last year, totaling 4.5 billion texts in the U.S. alone. More »

Social Gifting App Bills Itself As The Anti-Groupon To Gain Fans

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 2:00 PM 13 Comments

In an attempt to harness the backlash against daily deal sites like Groupon, new so-called "social gifting" companies are trying to garner fans with a different kind of mobile merchandising. Instead of giving yourself the gift of a deal, apps like Wrapp allow users to give e-gift cards to popular retailers. More »

roadside distractions

the waiting is the hardest part

Georgia Woman Arrested For Removing Illegal Roadside Sign

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 1:15 PM 84 Comments

While two cities in Florida are using robocalls to go after the people who litter their roadsides with illegal "snipe" or "bandit" signs advertising everything from home-flippers to roofers to tax assistance, their neighbors to the north arrested a woman who took the law into her own hands. More »

uneasy rider

(stirwise)

Man Sues BMW For His Constant Erection, Blaming Seat Design

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 1:00 PM 68 Comments

Auto companies get blamed for a lot of things, from health problems to the economy to people driving around in Hummers they don't need. But BMW North America has a doozy of an odd case on its hands now, as a California man is blaming the company for a persistent erection. More »

(MFfan310)

Why Has United Airlines Taken A Month To Not Process My Ticket Vouchers?

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 12:45 PM 26 Comments

Back in July 2011, Consumerist reader Mary and her husband were awarded a total of $800 worth of ticket vouchers from United after they were bumped from a flight. Problem is, now that she's trying to actually use those vouchers, no one at United seems to have any idea what to do with them. More »

really happy mother's day

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift: Condoms And Lube

By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2012 12:30 PM 20 Comments

We'd like to think that this display is the work of a Big Lots employee with a wicked sense of humor. "Celebrate the woman who gave you life," it seems to say, "by making sure she doesn't create any more of it." More »

box block

(Maulleigh)

Wells Fargo Won't Let Man Access His Safe Deposit Box, He Misses His Mother's Funeral

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 12:00 PM 103 Comments

Keeping your belongings safely tucked away in a safe deposit box is a great idea. But when your only photo identification is a passport that happens to be inside that box, it might prove troublesome. A man trying to fly to India to visit his ailing mother was prevented from going anywhere when Wells Fargo put up a fight over his safe deposit box. More »

at the movies

Atheist Group: Movie Theater Discriminated Against Us By Pulling Ad

By Chris Morran on April 30, 2012 11:45 AM 243 Comments

An atheist group in Texas is claiming discrimination after a local movie theater backed out of an agreement to run ads for the organization during pre-movie slideshows. More »

warehouse clubs

Sam's Club Absolutely Must See Your ID For One-Day Pass; Can't Say Why

By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2012 11:30 AM 93 Comments

Claudia is a Costco member, but when Sam's Club advertised a one-day shopping pass in her local paper, she went to see what Sam's had to offer. What the ad didn't mention was that a photo ID would be needed to get the pass from the store's customer service desk. Which is interesting, since you can actually print a pass from the Sam's Club web site, presumably without holding your driver's license up to the screen. More »

in a fry daze

(gavdana)

Now You Can Use Your Phone To Pay For That Cheeseburger At TGI Friday's

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 11:00 AM 24 Comments

We've seen the march of mobile push onward in many other areas of shopping, including small businesses equipped with smartphone technology to accept credit card payments on the spot. And now TGI Friday's is getting into the mobile arena at select locations, with a new way to pay for that delicious cheeseburger, using your phone. More »

impulse purchases

(FlySi)

How Gamestop Lost My Business Over Twenty Bucks

By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2012 10:30 AM 86 Comments

The game Brett wanted for his computer is compatible with both Windows and MacOS, in theory. He went to GameStop to buy a physical copy, and learned that he had to buy it as a download instead. They sold him a download code and he went home to get his new game. That's when he learned that GameStop's Impulse download platform might sell Mac-compatible games, but the program itself is Windows-only. Brett wants to warn other gamers...and to vent. More »

a penny saved

(yoshiffles)

Personal Income Rises But We're Squirreling More Money Away

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 30, 2012 10:00 AM 32 Comments

Personal income is on the rise in the U.S., and while we're going out and spending a little bit of that cash, consumers are still keeping belts tightened and saving money. The Commerce Department said today that consumer income is up a little bit over last month, but spending is only up a modest amount. More »

local ads

Roller Skating Is Definitely Better Than Using Crack

By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2012 9:30 AM 30 Comments

More than three years ago, comedy duo and self-proclaimed "internetainers" Rhett & Link set out to find great local businesses all over the country, and make great local commercials for them. "That's nice, Consumerist," you say. "But they can't possibly still be doing this three years later and producing new ads." That's where you would be wrong, imaginary hypothetical reader! More »

roommates

(tedd4u)

Will My Deadbeat Roommate Trash My Credit?

By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2012 9:00 AM 30 Comments

A terrible roommate can make your life unhappy in a lot of ways. But let's say you have a financially irresponsible roommate who never pays their bills. Do their bad habits affect you ... other than constantly having to chase down the rent? More »

dell hell

Dell Will Sell You A 5-Year Warranty, Not Actually Honor It

By Laura Northrup on April 30, 2012 8:00 AM 81 Comments

M. bought a five-year Complete Care Warranty from Dell, and this somehow led him to believe that he would receive five years of warranty coverage. Crazy, right? Consumers can be so foolish. But just because the site will sell you a warranty, and documentation on the Dell site says that you have almost a year left on that warranty, that doesn't mean that you actually have that warranty, because the Complete Care warranty that includes things like accidental damage is only an add-on to the regular warranty that has already run out. More »

taxes in texas

modding mortgages from the delta to the dmz

Amazon To Start Collecting Sales Tax In Texas

By Chris Morran on April 28, 2012 2:17 AM 87 Comments

Starting in July, shoppers in Texas will no longer have to go through the hassle of calculating and paying all that sales tax that Amazon hasn't been collecting on their purchases. On Friday, the Lone Star State joined a growing group of states reaching accords with the online giant about making sure those taxes get collected at the time of purchase. More »

baby on board

(Jason Daniel Brown)

Newark Airport Terminal Evacuated Over Unchecked Baby

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 5:34 PM 42 Comments

The week of little children posing a threat to the travelers of the world concludes with this story about how officials evacuated and temporarily shut down an entire terminal at Newark International Airport because a baby didn't receive a second screening. More »

overzealous yet lacking

(formatc1)

Amazon Marks My Order As Fraudulent But Doesn't Reverse Charge Or Stop Shipment

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 5:00 PM 21 Comments

Consumerist reader Paul works in the Internet retail business, and as such, knows how easily an order can get tangled up if the shipping and billing addresses don't match. So after he'd moved, he made sure to change the address on his credit card before ordering an item on Amazon. Even that didn't save him from the headache that followed. More »

Group Alleges 'Good Morning Vietnam' DJ Misled Troubled Homeowners

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 4:15 PM 11 Comments

Though he bears little resemblance to the record-slinging, Nixon-impersonating prankster played by Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam, former Air Force radio DJ Adrian Cronauer is still closely associated with the 1987 comedy. Now, Cronauer is making a different sort of headline after the National Community Reinvestment Coalition has filed a pair of complaints against the law firm that bears his name. More »

nightmare scenarios

fighting fire with robofire

KFC Ordered To Pay $8.3 Million For Chicken That Poisoned Girl To The Point Of Brain Damage

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 4:00 PM 44 Comments

A bellyache after a bucket of chicken is one thing, but in the case of a little girl who fell ill with salmonella poisoning after eating at KFC, things are a lot more serious. The fast food chain has been ordered to pay $8.3 million to the Australian girl's family after she suffered severe brain damage after being poisoned by a "Twister" wrap from KFC in 2005. More »

(City of Hollywood)

Florida Cities Use Robocalls To Fight Illegal Signs

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 3:15 PM 61 Comments

How does one stop people from ugly-ing up the streets with those signs that are illegally posted on the sides of roads or on lamp posts and telephone poles? Two Florida cities think they might have found the solution — hire a robocalling firm to bombard the companies that use these signs to advertise. More »

taking it to the man

(TheTruthAbout)

Disabled Woman Protesting Foreclosure Arrested Outside Home Of Wells Fargo CFO

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 3:00 PM 45 Comments

A woman who suffers from cerebral palsy and uses a motorized wheel chair was arrested after protesting the foreclosure of her home outside the house of Wells Fargo Bank Chief Financial Officer Tim Sloan. She claims she's being punished for a stay in the hospital. More »

a tree grows in a foreclosed brooklyn property

Average Foreclosure In NYC Area Now Takes Longer Than 3 Years

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 2:30 PM 10 Comments

Aside from being the title of a totally rad Olsen Twins movie, the phrase "New York minute" implies that things move rapidly in the Big Apple. One exception is the home foreclosure process, which can drag out to more than 1,100 days in the NYC metro area. More »

cram it

(me and the sysop)

FCC Approves Anti-Cramming Rules For Landlines, But Nothing Yet On Wireless

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 2:15 PM 13 Comments

It's been almost a year since the FCC finally got around to considering rule changes to keep landline phone service providers from padding customers' bills with charges for third-party services that range from long-distance service to yoga classes. Today, the commission announced some new regulations — but they only goes so far in protecting consumers. More »

snore more

(Studio d'Xavier)

About 30% Of American Workers Aren't Getting Enough Sleep

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 2:00 PM 42 Comments

Maybe you're not hurting anyone if you're slumbering peacefully at your desk in the middle of the workday, but for those who work the night shift in say, hospitals, warehouses or public transportation, getting enough sleep is extra important. A new study says 30% of American workers are sleep deprived, and are getting six or fewer hours of sleep a day. More »

jet who?

(TwincliffMusic)

Why Just Complain Over A Lost Bag When You Can Sing About It In A Video?

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 1:15 PM 13 Comments

There might be nothing more frustrating when you lose a bag full of expensive (or otherwise) stuff while flying somewhere, only to be met with a lackluster response from the airline you traveled on. Instead of just complaining, one customer has employed his musical and video skills to decry his treatment in a song called, "Jet Blew" on YouTube. More »

you make the call

(Studio d'Xavier)

Hero Or Scoundrel? 92-Year-Old Pirates DVDs To Send To Troops Stationed Overseas

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 1:00 PM 69 Comments

Making a copy of a new DVD to send to a loved one stationed overseas with the armed forces is something many people would consider just fine. Making thousands of copies of that same DVD for sale on street corners would likely earn some frowns from the public. But what about someone — especially an adorable nonagenarian World War II vet — who makes thousands of copies for the sole purpose of entertaining the troops? More »

(astakatrin)

Top Posts Of The Week And Open Thread

By Laura Northrup on April 27, 2012 12:30 PM 116 Comments

credit offense

(Spidra Webster)

Wells Fargo Has Been Billing Me For "Credit Defense" Program I Never Signed Up For

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 12:15 PM 38 Comments

Consumerist reader Andrea has had checking and credit card accounts at Wells Fargo for several years, but she recently noticed that somewhere along the line the bank had enrolled her in something called "Credit Defense," which has been quietly siphoning off a small percentage-based fee every month. And even though Wells could offer no proof that Andrea had ever opted into the program, the bank would not refund her money. More »

cyber security

(Jerry7171)

House Passes CISPA Despite White House's Objections To The Measure

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 12:00 PM 35 Comments

We first heard about CISPA, aka the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, a few weeks ago, and wondered then if we should worry about it being the next SOPA or PIPA. While the legislation is progressing further, and was passed in the House yesterday, the Obama administration is likely to veto it. More »

recalls

A Few More Recalls: Bunny Sippy Cups, Plastic Rattles, And Instant Knives

By Laura Northrup on April 27, 2012 11:30 AM 13 Comments

The Consumer Products Safety Commission announced these three recalls were announced too late to make yesterday's Recall Roundup, but we wanted to share them as soon as possible since two of them could affect small children. We don't want to see anyone get hurt, ever, but a little kid getting poked in the eye by an Easter-themed sippy cup shaped like a smiling bunny? That's particularly undignified. More »

do no harm

(Maulleigh)

Dentist Accused Of Offering Cash To UPS Employees To Let Him Perform Unnecessary Procedures

By Chris Morran on April 27, 2012 11:15 AM 39 Comments

Authorities in California say that a Sacramento dentist not only performed unnecessary procedures on patients in order to rack up huge payments from insurance companies, but that he also enticed UPS employees into undergoing unneeded work because the company's dental plan had no co-pay and no maximum dollar limit. More »

sky high

(bravoinsd)

Summer Airfares Climbing Right Into The Sky Along With The Planes

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 11:00 AM 18 Comments

Better fact in some extra cash for airfares this summer — flying is getting more expensive than last year. And just as you ascend into the sky, jetting upward into the heavens, so shall prices continue to rise as the season progresses. More »

asus error in your favor

How Hard Should I Try To Give Back Someone Else's Tablet?

By Laura Northrup on April 27, 2012 10:30 AM 108 Comments

Last week, Brian received a package from the ASUS repair center. It was a freshly repaired tablet, the same model that he owns. Except he hadn't sent his in for repair lately. Someone else's address appeared on the return merchandise authorization (RMA) form inside the box, but the label on the outside had Brian's information. He wonders: how much time and money should he invest in getting this package home when Asus doesn't particularly seem to care? More »

tiny revolution

(shakedown.dave)

Even Toys Aren't Enough To Tempt Children To Eat Kids Meals These Days

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 10:00 AM 53 Comments

It should come as good news to parents who are sick of stepping on plastic pieces of various toys that come from fast food restaurants or other chains: Kids meals aren't as popular as they used to be, perhaps because children are just way too cool for such things at an earlier age. More »

(Sharese Ann Frederick)

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds

By Laura Northrup on April 27, 2012 9:30 AM 7 Comments

Here are nine of the best photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or just plain neatness. More »

diy

Fixing Your Own Electronics Is Fun And Almost Easy

By Laura Northrup on April 27, 2012 9:00 AM 61 Comments

Last year, I bought a used iPhone 3Gs that is now well out of warranty. Not a big deal. Only the battery didn't stay charged all day anymore, and I wondered whether it was time for a new phone, even though mine is otherwise in great shape. Too bad I couldn't just order a new battery online and snap it in like with previous phones. Except...I could. I just needed a tiny screwdriver, a few other tools, step-by-step instructions, and a lot of patience. More »

we can see clearer now...

(*Sally M*)

Key Finally Decides Not To Make Family Pay Dead Student's College Loans

By Laura Northrup on April 27, 2012 8:00 AM 79 Comments

When a person dies and their estate is settled, any remaining debt dies with them, including student loans. But there's an exception: if a parent or other responsible grown-up co-signs a loan and the borrower dies a tragic young death, that co-signer is on the hook for the entire amount of the loan. That's how co-signing works, after all. But after a Rutgers student died in 2006 after two years in a coma, most of his lenders (credit cards and student loans) deferred, then forgave his debts. Key Bank was the holdout, since the student's father had co-signed his college loans at Key. Since 2006, the family has paid $20,000 of the $50,000 balance. It took an awful lot of negative publicity, but Key says that they will forgive the debt, and might not even put future families in the same terrible situation. More »

flying is fun

Delta Passengers Quarantined Following Medical Scare (Which Turned Out To Be Bug Bites)

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 7:34 PM 28 Comments

Passengers on board a Delta flight from Detroit to Chicago were quarantined on the tarmac for several hours this afternoon over concerns about one traveler with what appeared to be a mysterious rash. More »

beeswax & bzz-ness

(Theodore Scott

Monsanto Blamed For Bee Population Collapse, So It Buys Bee Research Firm

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 5:00 PM 66 Comments

If you can't beat'em, why not buy'em? Biotechnology giant Monsanto has had the collective finger pointed at it for a lot of things, including the apparent collapse of the bee population. So instead of fighting off skeptics, it just decided to buy out Beeologics, a major international research firm devoted to studying and protecting bees. More »

old problems

Between 36-122 Million Americans Have Pre-Existing Conditions That Would Restrict Health Insurance Coverage

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 4:37 PM 112 Comments

Health insurance providers have a long history of telling individual policyholders — and people shopping for individual policies — that their care isn't covered or their policy is voided because of a pre-existing condition. Starting in 2014, that is all supposed to stop when a condition of the Affordable Care Act kicks in, making it illegal for health insurers in the individual market to deny coverage, increase premiums, or restrict benefits because of a pre-existing condition. Question is: Just how many people are we talking about? More »

no flushing for you

(jstephen25)

Town Threatens To Turn Off Utilities If You Won't Pay Your Darn Traffic Ticket

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 4:00 PM 121 Comments

So you wanna go cruising through red lights in Las Cruces, N.M. and then just not pay up when you get a ticket? Hope you like using an outhouse, as the town might start shutting off utilities for anyone not handing over their fine money. More »

skimtacular!

(KresbsOnSecurity.com)

Meet The Card Skimmer That Might Make You Think Twice About Ever Using An ATM Again

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 3:15 PM 58 Comments

Once upon a time, identity thieves hoping to capture victims' debit and credit card information had to resort to clunky, sometimes obvious skimming devices. But as consumers have grown more savvy about how to identify a possible skimmer, the devices have evolved to a point where some are all but impossible to detect by the naked eye. More »

party's back on

(photograpybynatalia)

Judge Says Florida Can't Require Drug Tests For State Employees

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 3:09 PM 67 Comments

State employees in Florida can now get back to all the cocaine-and-quaalude-fueled late nights we imagine they put off after Governor Rick Scott issued a March 2011 executive order requiring random drug tests for state workers. A federal judge has ruled that such tests violate folks' protections against unreasonable search and seizure. More »

hefty price tag

Bayer Says They've Paid Out $142 Million In Yasmin Birth Control Settlements So Far

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 3:00 PM 30 Comments

Bayer says they've been shelling out some serious dough, $142 million to be exact, to settle around 651 U.S. cases involving their Yasmin and Yaz birth control pills. Consumers in those cases allege that the pills caused blood clots, which can sometimes be fatal or lead to heart attacks and strokes. That's around $218,000 per woman, on average. More »

double standards

(.sanden.)

TSA Allows Airports To Hire People Without Finishing Background Check

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 2:30 PM 40 Comments

While the TSA dare not let a hug-friendly 4-year-old go by without a pat-down, the agency is apparently just fine with allowing airports to hire new employees who haven't gone through a complete background check yet. More »

dollar dollar bills

Walmart's New "Pay With Cash" Online Option Still Means A Trip To The Store

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 2:00 PM 45 Comments

What bribery scandal? It's business as usual at Walmart, as the company gets around to rolling out its new "Pay With Cash" option for shopping online, which works a lot like ordering takeout — you select what you want on Walmart.com, then head to a bricks-and-mortar store to pick your stuff up and pay cash. More »

House Passes Bill To Track All Federal Spending On Single Website

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 1:36 PM 28 Comments

The federal government has never exactly been known for its transparency, especially when it involves exactly where all our tax money goes every year. But things could get slightly clearer thanks to legislation passed yesterday by the House of Representatives. More »

get your beer here

(themikepark)

Which Baseball Stadiums Have The Priciest Beer?

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 1:15 PM 38 Comments

Detroit may have some of the nation's least-expensive real estate, but baseball fans in the Motor City are paying the highest prices in the U.S. (and Toronto) when they buy a beer at a Detroit Tigers game. More »

mmm cheese

(James Callan)

High Five, Governor Scott Walker: Wisconsin Lost The Most Jobs Last Year

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 1:00 PM 167 Comments

A big pat on the back goes out to ~~Governor Scott Walker of~~ Wisconsin — ~~his state~~ it posted the most job losses in a year, more losses than any other state in all of America. ~~He happens to be facing a recall in Wisconsin in June, so many of his constituents might take that job-loss into account when casting ballots~~. More »

recalls

April Recall Roundup: Flaming Monster Truck Edition

By Laura Northrup on April 26, 2012 12:33 PM 18 Comments

The boys' t-shirts at Kohl's feature a monster truck jumping over a row of vintage convertibles and tall orange flames, and come with a free toy monster truck to match. This design turned out to be oddly prescient when customers inserted batteries in the trucks and they smoldered or caught fire. Yes, it's time for the Consumerist Recall Roundup, with a diverse assortment of products lurking in your home, waiting to kill or maim you and your children. More »

bill shock

Airman Racks Up $16,000 In Roaming Charges In 6 Days

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 12:15 PM 69 Comments

Usually when we write about someone racking up insanely high phone charges, it involves a trip outside the U.S. borders, but here's a post about a member of the U.S. Air Force who found himself facing more than $16,000 in roaming charges after short visit to his family in Sacramento. More »

creepy crawly

(FOX 59)

Health Inspector Visiting Fazoli's Because Spider Mites Shouldn't Be Included With Entree

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 12:00 PM 43 Comments

Customers at a Fazoli's restaurant near Indianapolis got a bit of unexpected protein in their food, as several people claimed there were spider mites crawling around in their dishes and elsewhere in the restaurant. More »

citigroup

Citibank Doesn't Want Your Gross Punctuation Marks

By Laura Northrup on April 26, 2012 11:34 AM 65 Comments

Sandra wanted to contact Citibank about a fee, and figured that contacting them using secure account e-mail from within their site was a good way to do it. When she tried to send the message, the system rejected it, telling her to remove any special characters. "What special characters?" she asked. Turns out the e-mail form didn't like quotation marks. At least it wasn't apostrophes? More »

a taxing situation

Illinois Judge: Law Requiring Amazon To Collect Sales Tax Is Unconstitutional

By Chris Morran on April 26, 2012 11:18 AM 51 Comments

Last year, Illinois joined the ranks of states passing laws requiring Amazon and other online-only retailers to collect sales tax on purchases by that state's residents. Yesterday afternoon, a judge in Cook County, IL, surprised a lot of people by ruling this law violates the U.S. Constitution. More »

penney for your thoughts

JCPenney Hit With $40 Million Lawsuit Claiming They Stole Light-Up Logos

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 11:00 AM 28 Comments

While it seemed the little rebranding engine that could, JCPenney, was chugging along at an admirable pace, a lawsuit against the retail chain could make a bit of a kink in the tracks. A lighting design and branding firm is suing JCPenney for $40 million over their new logo. More »

allergies

collecting from the collectors

Does 'No Outside Food' Discriminate Against People With Food Allergies?

By Laura Northrup on April 26, 2012 10:32 AM 245 Comments

Domenica is gluten intolerant, and there are a number of other foods she can't eat as well. During a recent visit to the movies, she was caught bringing in outside food and argued with the manager. There isn't anything available at the concession stand that she can eat without becoming ill. Sure, a private business can set their own rules. But is it discriminatory? In spite of what theater owners might tell you, buying snacks at the cinema isn't mandatory, and no one's going to go hungry after a few hours. More »

ideal ride

(Flying Photog)

Where Is The Absolute Best Seat On The Airplane?

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 10:00 AM 58 Comments

We all have our favorite spots on the plane — a window seat in an exit row so we can rest our heads on the wall and doze off, while stretching out our legs. Or perhaps an aisle seat, so as not to have to disturb our rowmates to get up and use the bathroom. But a new study claims to have determined the absolute best seat on any plane. And that seat is... More »

atms

(longislandwins)

Have You Found An ATM With Minimum Deposits?

By Laura Northrup on April 26, 2012 9:30 AM 62 Comments

When Paul's wife brought a small check to deposit at a Chase bank ATM, she didn't expect to have the machine spit it back out. Deposits, you see, have a $15 minimum. Wait, isn't that the point of using an ATM to deposit checks - not having to waste a teller's time on an $8 transaction? More »

asus

Asus: No, Your Tablet Is Totally Supposed To Draw Jagged Lines

By Laura Northrup on April 26, 2012 9:00 AM 35 Comments

Sita's Asus tablet cost about $1,400, and the purpose of it was so she could work on her art wherever she happens to be. She has this crazy idea in her head that to serve that purpose, the tablet should let her draw smooth lines. Or at least lines that don't look like a seismograph during an extremely minor earthquake. Asus doesn't agree, and they insist that there's nothing wrong with the tablet. More »

lawsuits

(urgent_98)

There's Actually A Settlement In Nutella 'Health Food' Class Action Lawsuit

By Laura Northrup on April 26, 2012 8:00 AM 102 Comments

Remember last year, when various media outlets reported that the mother of a four-year-old child was suing the makers of Nutella for advertising it as a health food? Everyone thought that this was hilarious, because hey, lady, fat-laden choco-paste ain't a health food. It's time for us all to stop laughing now, because the class-action lawsuit has been settled for about $3 million, $2.5 million of which is going to consumers willing to admit that they can't read a nutrition label. More »

homeland insecurity

(lorelei)

TSA Agents Accused Of Taking Bribes To Let Drugs Through LAX Checkpoints

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 7:33 PM 55 Comments

While the TSA blog loves to brag about all the weapons the agency's screeners have taken off travelers, this news probably won't be posted with pride on the kitchenette bulletin board at TSA HQ. More »

Woman Wins $10 Million Judgement Against Collections Agency, Has Trouble Collecting

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 6:00 PM 55 Comments

Last year, a woman in West Virginia won a $10 million lawsuit against a collections agency she'd accused of using deception and threats in an attempt to collect a non-existent debt. But considering that no one from the agency even showed up at the trial, it seems unlikely that she'll ever see a nickel. More »

that's the spirit!

Spirit Airlines, Where "Dying Of Cancer" Equals "Not Following The Rules"

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 5:10 PM 82 Comments

Spirit Airlines once again proves that it was only pulling our legs when it called itself the "most consumer-friendly airline." This time, the fee-happy carrier isn't just telling a dying passenger he has to suck up the cost of his $197 ticket, but are somehow equating being near death as a form of rule-breaking. More »

swimming like scrooge

A Rebuttal To Important News Regarding How Much Money Is In Scrooge McDuck's Vault

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 5:00 PM 37 Comments

Here at Consumerist, we don't take vaults filled with riches lightly. So when a recent story claimed to have finally calculated how much money it would take to fill Scrooge McDuck's swimmable vault of gold, our childhood selves were all atwitter. But then, we started talking about it amongst ourselves. More »

caught on camera

Man Pleads Guilty To Selling Booze To Underage Customer Even Though Video Footage Shows He Didn't

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 4:30 PM 48 Comments

Earlier this month, an employee at a Brooklyn bodega was arrested for selling alcohol to a minor in an undercover sting operation. On the advice of his lawyer he entered a guilty plea and paid the $120 fine, but that was before he found out that there is in-store video footage that appears to vindicate him. More »

pre-nup pays off

(JD Hancock)

FCC Approves Transfer Of AT&T Spectrum To Its Former Flame T-Mobile

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 4:15 PM 11 Comments

In the telecommunications world, the transfer of spectrum is sort of like alimony for a relationship that didn't quite work out. The Federal Communications Commission has approved just such a gift from AT&T to T-Mobile, which was a condition of their failed merger. No word on who got the house in Aspen. More »

piling on

Shareholder Sues Walmart Board Over Mexico Bribery Allegations

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 4:00 PM 11 Comments

The fallout continues over WalmartMexicoGate, a term I just made up right now that will likely never be used again. A shareholder in the nation's largest retailer has filed a lawsuit against the company's board of directors over the bad press tied to allegations that Walmart spent millions of dollars bribing folks in Mexico. More »

unequal service

(a. spiteri)

Study Claims 1 In 3 Restaurant Servers Discriminate Against Black Customers

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 3:30 PM 273 Comments

We'd like to believe that when we go into a restaurant, the waitstaff will treat everyone at the table equally (which may be a good or bad thing, depending on the server), but a new survey claims that more than one-third of servers admit to providing inferior service to African-American customers, and more than half say they've seen other servers treating customers poorly based on race. More »

rolling in dough

(Jeremy Brooks)

Lucky Woman Defies Odds, Wins $1 Million Powerball Lottery Twice In One Day

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 3:00 PM 30 Comments

Try as you might, you can't seem to win one dang lottery, much less win two in one day. Sure, life isn't fair — unless you're the woman who happened to have two Powerball tickets with winning numbers on the same day. Share the wealth, lady! More »

surprise surprise

Turns Out That Forcing Customers Into Arbitration Is Not Good For Consumers

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 2:15 PM 19 Comments

A year ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in the AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion case. It decided that a company could force customers into arbitration — and effectively pre-empt any class-action lawsuits — by including a tiny clause in their contracts. At the time, AT&T had the gall to claim that this was all for the benefit of you, the consumer, but a new study proves what you probably already guessed: AT&T was full of it. More »

hasbro brouhaha

Hasbro Uses Fan's Love To Get His Address & Send Creepsters After Him

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 2:00 PM 53 Comments

Hasbro really knows how to take intense love and devotion to its products and turn it into a creepy, weird stalkerish situation, and fast. A man named Martyn in Australia was so into Nerf guns that he had a blog devoted to the subject so he and other fans could geek out over the toys. All fine and dandy until he posted a review of a gun that wasn't released yet. More »

anywhere but here

Mayor Calls For Boycott Of Gas Stations In His Town

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 1:15 PM 79 Comments

It's a common occurrence for a town's mayor to make a public plea for residents to spend their money at local businesses, rather than driving a few miles outside of town to save a couple bucks. But one mayor in Illinois is so fed-up with the price of gas in his town that he's asking residents to go elsewhere when it's time to fill up their tanks. More »

behind the scenes

verizon error not in your favor

Report: Walmart Lobbied Aggressively Against Anti-Bribery Laws They May Have Violated

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 1:00 PM 44 Comments

As every action Walmart has taken over the last few years is being picked apart in the aftermath of the New York Times story that alleges they used bribes to expand in Mexico and then covered up those bribes, lots of little interesting side stories are popping up. For example, a new report says Walmart was involved in lobbying aggressively against the very anti-bribery laws they are being investigated for violating. More »

(AJENT.MSG)

Verizon Charges You Extra $700 For Returning A Phone

By Laura Northrup on April 25, 2012 12:30 PM 28 Comments

Ron is a longtime, loyal Verizon Wireless customer. Things were going quite well until he returned a new phone recently. This phone was somehow never logged in at the warehouse, and Verizon keeps piling equipment fees on Ron's account. Now his service has been shut off, which is bad news for him and for his patients: he's a doctor and on call. He has FedEx tracking info indicating that he sent the phone back, but Verizon didn't record it on their end. More »

tiny terrors

(Bill Binns)

Report: TSA Has No Idea How To Screen A 7-Year-Old With Cerebral Palsy

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 12:15 PM 112 Comments

The tiny (potential) terrorists of the world continue to wreak havoc at airport security checkpoints. We already brought you the story of the 4-year-old who dared to hug her grandmother in view of TSA screeners, and now comes the tale of a 7-year-old girl with cerebral palsy whose crutches and leg braces reportedly confounded security personnel at JFK Airport. More »

avian antics

(NBC New York)

Two Geese Have The Misfortune To Fly Into Plane, Prompting Emergency Landing

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 12:00 PM 26 Comments

Another bird strike in less than a week ended safely for everyone aboard a JetBlue flight departing from Westchester County Airport in New York last night. Two geese had the unfortunate luck to fly directly into the plane's windshield after takeoff — they didn't fare so well. And don't worry, the news coverage shows all the bloody bits of bird body aftermath. More »

disabilities

(Maulleigh)

How Switching To Cheaper Smartphone Plan For Deaf Customers Can Cost More

By Laura Northrup on April 25, 2012 11:35 AM 30 Comments

Mobile phone carriers aren't about to let the majority of smartphone customers give up their voice plans any time soon, no matter how few minutes you use every month. Jack's girlfriend doesn't have much use for voice minutes, though. She's deaf. She actually talks on the phone rarely, and more often uses the data connection to type to people and make phone calls using a relay service. After a few months, she managed to find someone at Sprint willing to put her on a special plan for deaf customers that has no voice minutes, and even gave her that plan's price going back two months. What she didn't realize was that she would be billed twenty cents for every minute of voice calls she had made during those two months. More »

go green or else

(Cranky Media Guy)

Parking Lot To Offer Discount To Hybrids & EVs, Charge More For SUVs

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 11:15 AM 116 Comments

It's one thing for a parking lot to simply offer a discount to people who choose to drive fuel-efficient hybrid and electric vehicles. But does that lot go too far when it charges a premium for people to park their SUVs and Jeeps? More »

mad at mad cow

(photographynatalia)

Two Grocery Chains In South Korea Halt Sale Of U.S. Beef Citing Mad Cow Concerns

By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 11:00 AM 25 Comments

Refusing to sell American beef is one way to spread fear about mad cow disease, even after the USDA assured consumers not to worry about the one cow in California that was found to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and that's exactly what two major South Korean grocery chains are doing. More »

ups mychoice

UPS MyChoice Feels More Like A Protection Racket

By Laura Northrup on April 25, 2012 10:37 AM 49 Comments

The UPS MyChoice program is supposed to be a good thing - it lets customers tell the company in advance whether to deliver packages without a signature or deliver them right ot a UPS store. But Holly ends up clicking in circles trying to find out how to sign up for the (free) program. The useful options, like redirecting packages to a UPS store or getting a delivery window, cost extra money. More »

handmade explanations

Etsy: Controversial Shop Isn't A Re-Seller, But A "Collective"

By Chris Morran on April 25, 2012 10:20 AM 40 Comments

Earlier this week, a number of Etsy sellers and shoppers were upset at the website — which is intended to sell only handmade items, vintage goods, or crafting materials — for featuring a shop that some claim is merely a re-seller of mass-produced furniture made from reclaimed wood. But rather than pull the plug on that shop, Etsy has allowed the owner to attempt to clarify matters — and also told its users to stop being such meanies. More »

oink & cluck freely