Consumerist
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Loose screws
Careful: Lean Cuisine May Contain Random Pieces Of Plastic
A few weeks ago Lean Cuisine recalled some dinners because they contained random shards of plastic. Now, a reader of the Times Union says she found a plastic screw in her unrecalled Lean Cuisine dinner.
She contacted Nestle, the company that makes Lean Cuisine, and they offered her some coupons for more Lean Cuisine. She's understandably reluctant and would prefer a refund. More » -
The "Mystery Shopping" check scam we wrote about a bunch of times about is still fooling people. Here's something to memorize: No matter what, if someone asks you to deposit a check and send them a smaller amount of money — you are about to get screwed. [Local 6] (Thanks, Patrick!)
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Auto bailout
Auto Makers Going Out Of Business, But Still Have Enough Money To Lobby Congress
CBSNews is reporting that while, at this very moment, the big three auto bosses are testifying in front of the House Financial Services Committee (watch this now at CSPAN, if you like.) about how they need emergency bridge loans in order to continue functioning — they still apparently have enough money to continue to spend millions lobbying our government. More » -
Sales
Morning Deals
- Reader's Digest: 1 yr. Sub. $5, direct from publisher
- TiVo: Free TiVo-shaped cookie cutter
- Walmart: free sample of Ultra Gain /w baking soda
- NewEgg: LG Black 6X Blu-ray DVD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Combo Model GGC-H20LK for $99.99 w/ Free shipping
- BestBuy: Dynex - 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV for $597.99 + Shipping (or free in-store pickup)
- Gap.com: 20% OFF Every Purchase of $75 (printable)
- Tiger Direct: Apex Digital TV Converter Box Free with DTV Program Coupon
- Amazon: Canon Selphy CP760 Compact Photo Printer $79 Shipped
- KB Toys: 60% & More off Select Toys plus $5 off Oders of $100+
- Amazon.com: Planet Earth: Complete BBC Series on HD DVD for $20 + $3 s&h
- Amazon.com: DVD and Blu-ray Disc Roundup: Sicko for $4 + $3 s&h, more
- Cell Hut: Unlocked Cell Phone Roundup: NEC E132 for $56 + free shipping, more
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Journalism
Reporter Pays Double MSRP For G1 Phone, Uses Flashmob To Get Revenge
A Time Out New York reporter paid nearly double MSRP for a new G1 phone she bought off Times Square from Cellular Stop. After she realized she'd been had (internet access and texting were sold to her as "add-ons"), she went back to the store asking for an explanation. Instead, she says, six clerks began circling her and her friends, screaming and cursing and threatening to "break" their "fucking faces." Her friend was tossed against a wall and another clerk tried to smash her camera. More » -
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Studies
If Your Rep Is Good Enough, Shoppers Accept Additional Surcharges
Fees may be a way for sellers to offer a low "landing price" to attract buyers in, but then make it up by the time of final sale by tacking on extra charges, but not all surcharges are created equal. The seller's reputation impacts whether buyers will pull the trigger or not, according to a new study. More » -
Most Popular Stories
- Testing Chuck E. Cheese Restaurants For Bacteria Will Probably Give You Nightmares (17,239 views, 110 comments)
- Not Even Money Saves You From Foreclosure (10,744 views, 132 comments)
- FDIC Criticizes Banks' Overdraft Fees (8,170 views, 92 comments)
- Neighborhoods Propose Printing Their Own Currency To Encourage Local Shopping (107 comments, 4,880 views)
- PrettySinful Pledges To Stop Calling Children's Clothes "Sexy" (78 comments, 3,812 views)
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Walmart
Jdimytai Damour, RIP
Artist Jeremy Scheuch made this digital image of Jdimytai Damour, the Walmart worker who was trampled to death by a crowd of Black Friday shoppers after they broke down the front doors and stormed in.
"Art is subjective, but I didn't mean to cause offense in any way," said Jeremy. "People were shopping at the Wal-mart the next day as if nothing had happened. I was appalled at the events that happened and this was my reaction."
Black Friday [jeremyscheuch]
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Dealerships
Zombie Trade-Ins! When The Dealership Goes Under, Your Old Cars Come Back To Haunt You
Meet Christine O'Kelly. She just bought a new Kia and traded in her old car. Kia of La Quinta, California sold her a new Sorento and offered her $4,000 for her trade-in. They then took the other $4,000 she owed on her old car and rolled it into the new loan. That was in October. Now she's getting calls from former employees of the now out-of-business dealership — telling her that she is still responsible for the trade-in and had better come pick it up. More » -
recession watch
Neighborhoods Propose Printing Their Own Currency To Encourage Local Shopping
Two neighborhoods in Milwaukee are considering printing their own currency, which could be bought with U.S. dollars, but would be only accepted at local businesses, in order to encourage people to shop at home instead of Walmart. More » -
Oil
What Would $40 A Barrel Oil Mean For Travelers?
Oil is now nearing a 4-year low as the world's economic crisis keeps on truckin', says the Wall Street Journal. Light, sweet crude (don't you just love that term?) is now trading at 44.56 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. "The price was the lowest since January 2005 and more than $100 below oil's record close July 3," says the WSJ. So, what does that mean for travelers? More » -
Apple
Apple Pulls Anti-Virus Advice Due To Bad PR?
According to Computerworld, Apple yanked a "controversial" support document from its website Tuesday, after it began a heated debate among the Apple faithful. What was the controversial advice? Apple suggested its users run anti-virus software. More » -
Money
Personal Finance Roundup
Simple (and complex) investment strategies [Bankrate] "What's the best way to invest? The jury is still out on the best strategy, but here we present several approaches used by professionals."
Turn Yourself Into a Savvy Buyer While Christmas Shopping [Dumb Little Man] "Here are some hints for being more than a bargain hunter; we're talking about becoming a savvy buyer."
How to Handle the Job Offer You Can't Afford [Wall Street Journal] "Rather than immediately reject or accept a lowball deal, you should mount a careful counterattack."
10 Benefits Your Employer Will Cut Next Year [US News] "Here's a look at the where employers are likely to make cuts."
What to Do if You Get Fired [Yahoo Hotjobs] "Here are 10 tips for coping with a job loss and finding your way back into the workforce."
— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: frankieleon)
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Consumer Reports
Try Consumer Reports' Website For Free And Increase Your Shopping Abilities
Consumer Reports has set up some cute mall kiosks in the Boston Area so that shoppers can research products while they are shopping, but if you can't get to Boston you can still give the website a try. More » -
Disgusting
Testing Chuck E. Cheese Restaurants For Bacteria Will Probably Give You Nightmares
After one of their friends claimed to have gotten ringworm from a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, mommy blog "momlogic" decided to swab several Chuck E. Cheese locations and have the samples tested for bacteria. The results are pretty gross, and make us thankful to have an immune system. More » -
Ripoffs
Not Even Money Saves You From Foreclosure
Eric lost his home to foreclosure, but unlike other homeowners, he had actually been trying for the past month-and-a-half to buy it back from the mortgage company for more than the mortgage. The law firm that was handling it, however, wanted an extra $20k in fees to make that happen. He told the realtor that he would buy it for more than it was going to be listed for. The realtor told him that he couldn't make a bid until it was "active," which would happen on 11-29. On Sunday he tells the broker he;ll give an offer on Monday. Monday rolls around and they've already sold the house to someone else, for less than Eric was willing to pay. They said they "forgot" that he was going to make a bid. Eric is livid. His story, inside...
More »
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Your taxdollars at work
Labor Department Screwing Unemployed By Not Answering Phones
The waiting area of the New York Department of Labor Office is getting increasingly crowded. It's not just the economy, more people are showing up because they can't get anyone on the phone. More » -
Followups
PrettySinful Pledges To Stop Calling Children's Clothes "Sexy"
Yesterday we told you about PrettySinful, a clothing maker on Amazon that was marketing its tween girl tights as being "sexy." Tipster Jasmine also sent a complaint to PrettySinful. A customer service rep responded and pledged that they'll be removing the word "sexy" from all their children's clothes descriptions. More »
New York, 12:33 PM
Fri Dec 5
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