Consumerist
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be good
Consumerist's 10 Commandments of Credit
The Pope recently issued 10 commandments of driving, so we thought, "If the Pope can talk about driving from the back of his little popemobile, we can talk about credit." So without further ado, Consumerist's 10 Commandments of Credit. It's not everything you need to know about using credit wisely, but it's a good start. More » -
Above and Beyond
Did A Continental Flight Crew Order Pizza For Grounded Passengers?
Sam's Continental flight from Massachusetts to New Jersey touched down at a remote airstrip to refuel after bad weather forced his plane to circle for over an hour. After two hours on the ground, the flight attendants made a surprise announcement... More » -
Next May, look for a new hydrogel pill that can quash the urge to eat by expanding into a jelly-like ball in your stomach.
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Desperation
Vonage's $3.99 Retention Plan
Vonage offers a $3.99 per month retention plan to customers who might jump ship to providers with more certain futures. The plan is meant to shore-up Vonage's customer churn rate, especially as the internet telephony company struggles to stay alive amidst a patent dispute with Verizon. Vonage's churn rate last quarter was 2.4%, high enough to spook investors or anyone considering a potential acquisition. A comment left by a self-avowed Vonage flack tries to put a positive spin on the offering: More » -
St. Louis will allow dogs to dine outdoors with their owners at fine restaurants that make waterless hand sanitizer readily available.
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Shopping
How To Shop At A Farmer's Market
Finding the freshest, healthiest, and tastiest produce at a farmer's market requires asking farmers the right questions: More » -
Energy
Save On Utilities By Spending More On Your Home
Saving by spending is not as counterintuitive as it sounds when it comes to home improvements. Though energy-saving improvements can cost more upfront, savings are eventually realized as lower utility bills. Kiplinger put together a nifty list to help determine how long it takes to recoup the extra amount spent on energy-efficient improvements: More » -
United and Continental boosted fares by as much as $10 to combat rising fuel costs. American, Northwest, and US Airways are "studying the price changes."
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Walmart
Watch Out For
FallingRising PricesWalmart's little yellow smiley face must have taken revenge on the corporate overseers who make him slash through the aisles like a jaundiced deflationary Casper. More pictures and our tipster's email, inside... More » -
Hype
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty Cut The iPhone Line
Did D.C. Mayor Adiran Fenty dispatch henchmen to retrieve an iPhone? An eagle-eyed tipster spotted a member of the Mayor's coterie dashing into a double-parked SUV with three bags outside the AT&T store on 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue.By this point, more than a few people are asking questions, and after a guy behind me yells out "fix the schools first," the [Mayor's staffer] gives him the finger and sneers, "there's only 15 left."
The full email, after the jump... More » -
Regardless of whether you set your cellphone locator to "Location On" or to E911, your phone will only squawk its location if you dial 911.
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Government
NYC May Require You To Obtain Permit To Shoot Vacation Movies?
The Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting is considering new rules that would require any two or more people who plan to shoot for more than 30 minutes in a public location to obtain a permit and $1 million in insurance. More » -
We Report, You Decide
Poll: Has Rooms To Go Honored Their Warranty?
Cratin ordered a micro-fiber living room set from Rooms To Go after being taken by an all-encompassing warranty. Five months later, Cratin began to notice stains on the fabric. Rooms To Go attempted to remove the stains on three separate visits, and then offered to re-upholster the marred piece. Cratin also noticed that the velcro attaching his couch cushion to the couch was coming undone. Rooms To Go again dispatched three technicians who could not resolve the problem, and then offered to reimburse Cratin if he decided to purchase additional velcro from a hardware store. Cratin is furious and wants to raise bloody hell, but to us, it looks like the Rooms To Go is doing their best. We ask you, The Consumerists, to decide who is right, after the jump: More » -
Government
States Target Big Box Retail
States are fighting back against the perceived threat of big box retail, according to the Wall Street Journal: More » -
bad consumer
Guy Switches Price Tag On Walmart Plasma TV, Tries To Buy It For $4.88
The dumb scams people try to pull never cease to amaze us. Take Chandon L. Simms, 23, of Monroe, LA. He walked into his local Walmart, grabbed a 42" Sanyo Plasma TV, removed its price tag and affixed one that would scan for only $4.88. More » -
Video Wars
Netflix Lowers Costs As Blockbuster Prepares To Raise Prices
Netflix has reduced the cost of its 2-DVD plan by $1 to $13.99, matching a move made by Blockbuster earlier this month. Blockbuster had expected to be dancing triumphantly atop the battered and bankrupt corpse of its rival by now, but Netflix's staying power is causing Blockbuster to re-think its strategy. By the end of the year, Blockbuster will raise the price of its Total Access service, which allows subscribers access to its retail locations.The company said in the filing that it planned to modify its popular Total Access plan before the end of the year to "strike the appropriate balance between continued subscriber growth and enhanced profitability."
Netflix's email to subscribers, after the jump: More » -
40 years ago, John Shepard Barron invented the ATM after being locked out of his bank. Happy birthday, ATMs!
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Hype
Philadelphia Mayor Gives Up iPhone Wait After Being Confronted With 200th Murder Statistic
John Street, the iPhone loving mayor of Philadelphia, has giving up the wait after a guy with a mohawk asked him, "How can you sit here with 200 murders in the city already?" The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on its Web site. More »
New York, 9:57 PM
Thu Nov 12
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