Consumerist
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Casablanca Fan Company
Above And Beyond: Here's Looking At You, Casablanca Fan Company
Arthur purchased a Casablanca ceiling fan over two decades ago. This is his story.Around 1980 or 1981 I bought a Casablanca ceiling fan. I've been happy with it's performance. A couple of weeks ago the 4 way switch (that turns the lights and fan on and off) broke. I went to the Casablanca web page but couldn't find my model fan listed so I couldn't order the part I needed. I called their customer service line. The lady was dismayed that I had THAT model fan since they no longer had the electronic replacement parts in stock except for the on/off switch. "But all I need is the on/off switch.", I said. "Ok, I'll send it right out. No charge. (!)". 2 or 3 days later I got the switch and the ceiling fan is working again.
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Honda
Honda Models From 1995-1997 May Be Eligible For Free Inspections, Repairs
If you purchased a Honda between 1995 and 1997, you may be eligible for a free repair and tune up. Way back, during the age of Clinton, the EPA sued Honda for disabling part of the emission control system, which could lead several vehicle models to emit pollutants without issuing an engine warning to the driver. The EPA spanked Honda with a $12.6 million penalty, and the automaker agreed to spend at least $250 million repairing the defective systems. Here is where you come in. More » -
PointMaven
PointMaven Uncovers Superior Hotel Reward Offers
The makers of MileMaven.com, a utility to compare airline reward offers, have expanded their offerings to include PointMaven.com, a utility to compare hotel reward offers. PointMaven displays offers from several conspicuously named hotel reward programs, including the Best Western Gold Crown Club, Choice Privileges, Hyatt Gold Passport, and Intercontinental Hotels Priority Club. Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, and TripRewards are in beta testing, and compatibility with Hilton HHonors and Radisson Gold Points Plus is "coming soon." More » -
Venmar
Recalls: Faulty Ventilator Motor May Burn Your House Down
Venmar is recalling 75,000 heat recovery ventilators manufactured between 1991 and 2001. The ventilators, designed to bring fresh air into a home, contain a motor that can overheat and catch fire. Four motors have already caught fire, with one in Michigan causing $1 million in damage. More » -
Banks
Banks Target The Wealthy To The Detriment Of Minorities And The Poor
According to a report by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC,) banks are predominantly concentrated in wealthy neighborhoods, leaving poor and minority communities without access to basic financial tools such as checking and savings accounts. The NCRC compared bank locations to minority and income data provided by the census. The findings suggest that banks are redlining with devastating consequences.This report shows in 24 out of 25 MSAs [Metropolitan Statistical Areas], urban areas that have dense populations have fewer bank branches — therefore fewer mainstream banking opportunities — than the less populated suburbs. Without the ability to build relationships with the regulated banking community, working class and minority neighborhoods are more likely to use "fringe" services, such as payday lenders and pawnshops, for small loans. They are also more likely to have their home loans originated with mortgage brokers and subprime lenders, which often led to foreclosures and unmanageable monthly payments.
Houston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles showed the greatest disparities, compared to the relatively equitable distribution of banks in San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston. More » -
Tweeter
Update: Tweeter's Liquidation Sales Are Unimpressive
Liquidation sales have not transformed consumer electronics chain Tweeter into a Shangri-La of discount electronics, much to our disappointment. No $50 HDTVs. No 'buy one get one' deals on iPods. Just 49 closing stores offering 10%-30% discounts. All sales final. More » -
car dealerships
Acura Dealer Refuses To Fix Torn Leather Seats Because Driver Wears "Wrong Kind of Pants"
Leather seats aren't supposed to break apart on your two-year-old Acura TSX. So a conscientious owner with miles left on the warranty does what any sensible consumer would do: Take it to a dealership for warranty repair. Not so easy. More » -
secondary screening
Cat Gets Secondary Screening At Airport
While picking up our bags from the x-ray in ATL on our way back from Florida, we saw this cat getting what appears to be a secondary screening. Ignoring signs forbidding picture-taking, we surreptitiously slipped the cellphone from our pocket and snatched the pussy. More » -
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tjmaxx
How TJMaxx Hackers Stole 45.7 Million Credit Cards
TJMaxx computer system intruders who stole 45.7 million credit cards siphoned off customer data using a program they implanted on the company's servers, recent regulatory filings reveal. More » -
w-2
What The IRS Sends Employers Who Forget To Send W-2s
Here's the letter your employer gets if you tell the IRS that the bastards forgot to send you your W-2, just for kicks. More » -
Continental Airlines
VIDEO: Girl Kicked Off Continental For Excessive Coughing
Here's a video interview with the mother of the 16-year old student kicked off a plane for coughing too much. More » -
Geek Squad
LEAKED: 5 More Geek Squad Manuals
Here's 5 more Geek Squad manuals. They're not a fascinating as the troubleshooting manual, but perhaps if you use the Geek Squad you can use them to make sure they're doing their job right. Or you could learn how to open up your own Geek Squad store. Sort of like a lemonade stand, except instead of turning lemons into a tasty beverage, you turn laptops into lemons. More » -
iTunes
Bought a Song on iTunes? Don't Pay For it Twice
Until yesterday, iTunes users who bought a single song, and later decided they wanted the whole album, ended up paying for the same song twice. Not anymore! More » -
Identity Theft
Most Likely Site of Credit Card Theft: Restaurants
Visa reports that more credit card information is stolen at restaurants than at any other type of business. 40% of all credit card information theft is traced back to restaurants. But don't blame your waiter! More » -
four square
Dealerships Rip You Off With The "Four-Square," Here's How To Beat It
Former used car salesman Alan Slone grows a conscience and reveals one of the major strategies dealership use to screw you when buying a new car. More » -
Continental Airlines
Continental Ejects Passenger From Flight For Coughing
Better pack some mentho-lyptus vapor-action candy-meds next time you fly Continental Airlines. A 16-year old was kicked off a scheduled flight from Newark to Honolulu because she was coughing. More » -
How To
How To Find And Join A Credit Union
Credit unions are nonprofit, cooperative, member-owned banking institutions, so they're less likely to screw you with fees and rules than the major commercial banks. More »
New York, 1:07 PM
Sat Nov 14
20 posts in the last 24 hours
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