Consumerist
Parodies
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confusing
Texas Family Sad That The Buyer Of All Their Possessions On eBay Will Pay But Not Take Their Stuff
Meet Gregg and Brittiny Peters. They've had a pretty terrible year. Two of their children were diagnosed with costly medical disorders, and as the bills began to mount, they decided to start over by selling all their worldly possessions on eBay. Enter Donnia and Keith Blair, who upon learning of the Peters' plight, bid $20,000 and won the auction. Here's the catch: the Blair's are willing to pay, but they don't want to take any of the Peters' things. This has apparently infuriated the Peters.
The Peters spent Friday morning trying to persuade the Fort Worth family to accept their belongings, which include a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe. They even tried to retract the couple's bid.
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Verizon DSL
Verizon Isn't Really Sure How Much Their DSL Service Costs
Brian begged and pleaded but Verizon simply wouldn't tell him how much his DSL would cost after taxes and fees, unless he signed a one-year contract. The customer service representatives staffing Verizon's operation centers claimed that it was too difficult to figure out all that math nonsense for every jurisdiction. When Brian pushed and insisted that surely they had to know how much their service cost, he was told that "there wasn't anyone in Verizon that knew the answer." More » -
Big Disappointments
Exercise Science Shocker: Regular Exercise And Diet Are The Best Ways To Lose Weight
Are you sitting down? Of course you are, that's why you were interested in a lose-weight-quick scheme to begin with. Well, bad news. Exercise physiologists took at look at several six-week weight loss programs and determined that no, those products don't work, and that if you want to stop looking like a "dumpling," it's going to take at least six months of actual effort. More » -
Airlines
Great, Airplanes Are Cleaner. Do You Care?
No longer distracted by high oil prices, airlines now claim that they're starting to focus on customer service. Two of them, American and United, think that their biggest issue is dirty planes. Wouldn't it be great if that were true? More » -
Credit Cards
AmEx Denies Existence Of A Store Blacklist, Will Slash Your Credit Whenever They Want
Despite sending customers letter saying otherwise, American Express now insists that it never blacklisted cardholders based on where they shopped. Those notes explaining that "other customers who have used their card at establishments where you recently shopped have a poor repayment history with American Express?" Whoops! Just a big misunderstanding! Not unlike the comment they gave to ABC explaining that "shopping patterns" were used as a "contributing factor" in slashing credit lines, a statement AmEx later retracted. So what's really going on? Let's explore... More » -
Hotels
Four Reasons Not To Book Your Hotel Room Through A Third-Party Site
You won't get the best deal booking your hotel room through third-party sites like Expedia or Travelocity, according to an anonymous hospitality industry insider. Inside, four excellent reasons to book directly with a hotel to guarantee the best rooms at the best prices. More » -
This site may harm your computer
Every Google Result Is Malicious
Either Google has a bug or the entire internet is infected because no matter what you search for in Google right now it shows up with the warning, "This site may harm your computer." Judging by the submissions to Digg, this probably started showing up around 9:46 eastern this morning. Nobody knows what's going on yet, just that it's very odd. UPDATE: And of 10:17 eastern, everything seems back to normal. You may recommence your early morning vanity searching. UPDATE: Human error. Someone typed in "/" by mistake. More info at StopBadware.com. -
Cpsia
CPSC Delays Most Of CPSIA By One Year
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) has been delayed for one year for crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers by the CPSC. Instead of just giving specific exemption for like libraries and Etsy peeps, the CPSC decided to kick the can down the road. At least, however, the lead paint ban and lead in children's jewelry standards will still go into effect.
CPSC votes for one-year CPSIA delay on certain products [Consumer Reports]
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Someone think of the children
Consumer Groups To Obama: Please Put Someone With A Brain In Charge Of The CPSC
There's been a lot of talk lately about how the upcoming implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The law requires that all children's products be tested for lead and has caused a major freak out amongst librarians (who don't really want to test their books for lead, or ban children from the library) and thrift stores (who can't afford to test used toys for lead). Apparently, according to consumer groups that support the bill, the CPSC is supposed to be monitoring this situation and adding exceptions as needed, but has been ignoring the issue. Now those groups are asking President Obama for a change of leadership within the CPSC. Read their letter inside. More » -
Roundups
Top Posts Of The Week
Walmart Sells Blank Disc Labeled "Redneck Sh*t" As Madden 09
Top 10 Fast Food Chains In Customer Satisfaction
Is This The World's Best Airline Complaint Letter?
White House To Citi: Don't Even Think About Buying Luxury Jets With Taxpayer Money
Aetna Fires You From Your Job Without Your Company's Permission -
Flickr
Consumerist Friday Flickr Pool Finds
Here are five wonderful photos readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for neatness and usability in a Consumerist post. Check 'em out, vote for your fave!
Title: "Clock"
Caption: "Taken at home. Taken partially through a spectacle lens."
By: Hoong Wei Long More » -
salmonella
Senator And Representative Call For Criminal Investigation Of Salmonella Peanut Company
Responding to FDA reports that the company responsible for the salmonella-tainted peanut butter that has infected over 500 people knew its products were contaminated, two members of Congress have called for a criminal investigation into Peanut Corporation of America . More » -
dismal science
What Is A Depression And Are We In One?
Yes, we're saying the "D" word. Now that we've officially entered a recession — it's time to wonder if we're in a depression. We'd love to be able to give you a yes or no answer, but according to Marketplace's personal finance guy, Chris Farrell, nobody agrees about what makes a depression different from a recession. More » -
The economy might be in a tailspin, but Amazon.com is doing just fine. "Amazon’s net profit rose 9 percent, to $225 million, or 52 cents a share, in the quarter that ended on Dec. 31, up from $207 million, or 48 cents, in the same quarter a year earlier," says the New York Times.
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Superbowl
Reminder: Consumerist Liveblogs Super Bowl
Don't forget to tune into us during Superbowl Sunday, we'll be liveblogging the ads, reframing the advertising orgy within The Consumerist prism. (Photo: CrzysChick) -
After failing to get the required two-third majority on Wednesday, the House is expected next week to pass legislation delaying the digital television transition to June 12, according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The Senate has already voted to extend the deadline, and President Obama has indicated he will sign the bill.
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Marketing
Coke Finally Removes "Classic" From Its Label
In 1985, Coke added the word "classic" to its label when it brought back the original formula of the soft drink following the abject failure of its "New Coke" experiment. Now, finally, they are getting rid of it. More »
