Consumerist
followups
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bad consumer
Angry Customer Shoots Taco Bell Employee Because They're Closed
So, you roll into Taco Bell at 3:30 am. They're closed. Sure, you're upset, but do you need to shoot the person working there? One guy in Miami thinks so, and he's apparently still at large after shooting a Taco Bell employee in the leg simply because the restaurant wasn't open. More » -
cheaper education
Florida State Universities Launch Free Digital Textbook Program
If you're going to school at a Florida state university, your fee burden just grew a little bit lighter:
More »The board that oversees Florida's state universities has launched a program that will offer free online textbooks to students; the program makes printed books available as well, for about half the price that students now pay every semester.
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the check is in the ... oh, never mind
Florida AG Sues TigerDirect For 'Continually Blaming Customers' For Rebate Delays
Waiting for a rebate from TigerDirect? Good luck with that. In a suit filed last Friday, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is charging the company with, among other things, promising customers that rebates would arrive in about 8-10 weeks of submission, when in fact "a vast number of customers experienced delays ranging from one to more than eight months, before receiving their promised rebates, if at all." The suit also charges TigerDirect with engaging in "deceptive and unfair trade practices." More » -
cable tv
Comcast Won't Let Me Watch Cartoons!
According to reader Chris, Comcast in South Florida has been cutting into TV programming with commercials, preventing viewers from watching various kinds of shows. Reader Chris H. writes: More » -
scams
Beware Scammers Installing City-Mandated "Whole House Water Systems"
A city in Florida has just warned its residents of a weird scam: someone's been hanging pink notices on doors around town that say, "Due to the water quality in this area, we will be installing whole-house water treatment systems." You're supposed to fill out the back of the notice and leave it out for further contact. Remember, don't let anyone remodel your home on behalf of the city. It probably goes without saying, but still.
"Volusia city: Our water is fine; beware of impostors" [Orlando Sentinel] (Thanks to Ed!)
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surprise!
Despite Refinance, Homeowner Evicted And House Sold [Updated]
Imagine coming home to find the sheriff on your doorstep with an eviction notice, and then being given 3 hours to get the hell off your property, which is no longer yours because your bank mistakenly sold it out from under you for about a third of its value. Oops! Although we initially assumed WaMu/Chase was behind all of it, NCB Miami reports that actually "a mistake in the Miami-Dade Clerk's Office appears to be behind the mishap, which landed Ramirez homeless for more than 24 hours."
Thanks to reader fantomesq, we now know more of what happened. More »
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mortgage meltdown
Family Lives Alone In 32-Story Tower
Thanks to their bank, Victor Vangelakos and his family live by themselves in a 32-story tower. More » -
Never Stop Screaming Ever
Pardon Me, But There Is A Mouse In This Can Of Diet Pepsi
(Ed. note— Ok, let me just tell you that reading this story made my stomach flip, which is something that almost never happens to me, so if you're eating lunch or (heaven forbid) drinking a Pepsi — just go to Cute Overload and forget this ever happened.) A Florida man says he was drinking a can of Diet Pepsi when he noted that it tasted funny. (Warning: "Not Safe For Lunch" graphic picture inside.) More » -
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dumb
Citgo Employees Smoke Cigarettes At Gas Station, Are Apparently Fireproof
Maybe these guys know something about the risks of combining fire and gasoline that we don't, but we're pretty sure that you're not supposed to smoke at a gas station. Reader Chris didn't think so either, and he sent us these pics of employees taking a smoke break at his local Citgo. More » -
summer of perverts
Be Sure To Wear Your Wetsuit, Blindfold, Pepper Spray Necklace To Florida's Water Parks
Various water parks in Florida have taken on a weird Westworld vibe this summer, only instead of robots gone mad it's fellow parkgoers, and instead of trying to kill you they're trying get at your genitals. And by "you" we mean teenaged girls and boys. More » -
Florida, the nation's fourth-largest honey producing state, has banned "fake honey"—the honey has to be 100% pure with no additives, sweeteners, or chemicals. [Examiner.com]
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disney world
Ways To Keep Mickey's Damn Dirty Hands Off Your Wallet At Disney World
Writing in the USA Weekend Sunday newspaper supplement, travel columnist Everett Potter provides some tips on how to save money on a vacation to Disney World. More » -
unemployment
Out-Of-Work Adults Try To Nab Summer Lifeguard Positions
Some adults who are out of work are now going after classic teen jobs, says ABC News. In Florida, which has the fourth-highest unemployment rate of the nation, men in their 30s and 40s "have pulled on swim trunks in hopes of beating out the teenagers for a few choice positions as $9.37 an hour lifeguards." The report also says adults are trying out for jobs at places like Six Flags. All of this reminds us a little of this Kids In The Hall Sketch (see below) where a young boy finds a stray businessman and brings him home. More » -
HOAs
Man May Lose Home Over Refusal To Pay Dog-Walking Fine
A Florida man who won't walk his dog on a leash now seems set to lose his $380,000 home, all because he refuses to pay a $1,000 'leash violation' fine to his Homeowners Association. And he's ready to kill over it. More » -
accidental porn
Mom! My "New" PSP Is Full Of Porn!
When a 6-year-old Tampa Bay boy turned on his "new" PSP from Walmart there was a little something extra included. Lots and lots of porn! More » -
obama
Chia Obama Pulled From Walgreens Shelves
Sorry, folks, you'll have to go elsewhere than Walgreens to purchase your "Chia Obamas," as headquarters has asked local stores to remove the item, saying they felt it was bad for their corporate image. This perhaps marks the first time anyone has said, yeah, that's probably not a good way to commodify the Barackster. The Chia Obama comes in two formats, "Happy Chia Obama," and "Determined Chia Obama," sporting either a smile, or steely resolve, respectively.
'Chia Obama' booted from local stores [FOX 13] (Thanks to Chester!)
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shamwow
ShamWow Guy Arrested For Beating Up Prostitute
Slap chop to the face! Vince Shlomi, aka the ShamWow Guy, aka You're Gonna Love My Nuts, was "arrested last month on a felony battery charge following a violent confrontation with a prostitute in his South Beach hotel room," reports the Smoking Gun. More »
