NEW YORK, 6:57 AM, SAT JUL 19 | 19 POSTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS | tips@consumerist.com | RSS

Stupid Shipping Gang

Hewlett-Packard Crowned Head Of The Stupid Shipping Gang After Packing 32 Sheets Of Paper In 17 Boxes

Leading the stupid shipping gang takes creative incompetence, and Hewlett-Packard is clearly up to the task. Other companies might have turned to email when faced with the challenge of shipping sixteen software licenses. Not Hewlett-Packard! HP went looking for a box. A really big box, which they filled with sixteen smaller boxes, each containing two precious pieces of paper ensconced in a layer of protective foam. More »

1:45 AM on Sat Jul 19 2008
By Carey
926 views, 14 comments

Latest by Gilbert: @zumdish: I stand corrected. Sort of. That said, if your friend does indeed buy an HP, at the very least he can retrofit his ebay business with all the shipping materials he'll ever need. Ever. more »

Shopping

3 Ways To Spend Less While Shopping

Shopping is a war and you are outgunned. Stores attack your desire for self-restraint with armies of psychologists, marketers, and "brand gurus." Defend yourself from overspending with three easy and effective tips from Alpha Consumer... More »

12:30 AM on Sat Jul 19 2008
By Carey
1,227 views, 7 comments

Above and Beyond

Costco Saves Christmas... In July

Thanks to Costco, Jen Sanderford's family was joyfully reunited with a box full of presents that had been stolen from their porch last Christmas. More »

8:00 PM on Sun Jul 13 2008
By Carey
10,681 views, 36 comments

consumption

20 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Groceries Without Spending An Extra Cent

Americans throw away a quarter of our food uneaten, which translates into serious wasted cash over time. The Guardian compiled an excellent list of ways to shop smarter so you end up buying what you need, and eating what you buy. More »

5:00 PM on Sun Jul 13 2008
By Carey
20,359 views, 70 comments

Insurance

State Farm: This 1963 Chrysler Newport Is Not An Antique, Unless You Give It A Fresh Coat Of Paint. What?

Humphrmi's 1963 Chrysler Newport has antique license plates, meaning he can't drive to or from anywhere other than car shows, shops and parades; but State Farm won't insure the car as an antique unless it gets a new coat of paint. "You have to paint the car," they said, to avoid a 33% higher premium. Does this strike anyone else as insane? More »

2:30 PM on Sun Jul 13 2008
By Carey
12,424 views, 88 comments

Coupons

Office Depot Makes Up Lame Excuse To Weasel Out Of Price Match Guarantee

Office Depot didn't want to accept Chaz's OfficeMax coupon for $20 off his $259 printer, so they told him that competitor's coupons didn't apply to technology purchases, which is an utter lie. Office Depot's policy is to accept competitor's coupons, subject only to the terms and conditions of the coupon, a simple concept Office Depot apparently can't understand. More »

12:00 PM on Sun Jul 13 2008
By Carey
8,994 views, 29 comments

Your Health

Modern Psychiatry: Brought To You By Selfless Pharmaceutical Companies

Psychiatry is nothing more than a well-funded front for big pharma, according to lawmakers investigating the field's premier organization, the American Psychiatric Association. Unlike psychologists, psychiatrists can write prescriptions, giving pharmaceutical companies a powerful incentive to lavishly subsidize both their lifestyle and profession. More »

9:45 AM on Sun Jul 13 2008
By Carey
6,305 views, 78 comments

grocery shrink ray

Lucerne Yogurt Fails To Escape The Clutches Of The Grocery Shrink Ray

Nothing is safe from the Grocery Shrink Ray: not babies; not household brands backed by expensive ad campaigns; and apparently, not even discount private labels. More »

8:45 AM on Sun Jul 13 2008
By Carey
4,523 views, 36 comments

Latest by brookeln: Went shopping at my Safeway tonight and noticed this too (they carry Lucerne - I didn't realize any other supermarkets also carried Lucerne). The Lucerne yogurt was the last and only yogurt still available in 8 oz. sizes, and was still more »

Vouchers

Delta: Sorry Your Lung Collapsed, But You Should Have Used Your Voucher Sooner

Trevor's lung collapsed last year, flummoxing his plans to travel with Delta from New York to Toronto. Delta issued a voucher and promised Trevor that it could be redeemed anytime within one year. What they didn't tell him, at any point, was that they started counting not from the date of his planned travel, or from the date he requested the refund, but from the date they issued the original ticket. More »

8:45 PM on Sat Jul 12 2008
By Carey
32,604 views, 88 comments

Marketing

This Colgate Toothpaste Packaging Is Awfully Deceptive

Logan thought this bonus pack of Colgate contained two equally-sized tubes of toothpaste. After all, the boxes are exactly the same size. Yet when he opened the bonus box, he found a smaller box containing a mini tube of toothpaste. More »

5:15 PM on Sat Jul 12 2008
By Carey
89,109 views, 74 comments

Usps

The Post Office Will Pay Out Your Insurance Claim... If Their Employees Admits To Abuse

The post office won't pay Alauna's insurance claim for a damaged Hewlett-Packard laptop unless one of their employees admits to intentionally abusing her package. More »

2:30 PM on Sat Jul 12 2008
By Carey
24,372 views, 60 comments

Subprime Meltdown

Regulators Seize IndyMac In The Second Largest Bank Failure In U.S. History

Ever hear of IndyMac Bancorp? Well, it's gone! Federal regulators seized the California bank spawned by Countrywide founder Angelo Mozilowhich, which had giddily doled out mortgages to lenders without requiring proof of income. Rather than blame the second largest bank failure in U.S. history on the subprime meltdown, the charmingly politicized regulators at the FDIC blamed the bank's demise on Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY). Huh? More »

12:45 PM on Sat Jul 12 2008
By Carey
8,316 views, 48 comments

Tuxedos

Help! Men's Wearhouse Ruined My Wedding!

Reader Brad had to delay his wedding so his father could speed through Vermont to retrieve a pair of pants Men's Wearhouse forgot to include as part of Brad's rental tux. Two days earlier, Brad learned that the fitted tuxes he and his father had rented were too short and too tight. Men's Wearhouse offered to re-order the tuxes, but refused to deliver them to Brad's wedding, forcing his father to drive three hours to pick up the replacement garments. When he returned, not only did they realize that Brad's pants were missing, but his vest was missing a button, and his jacket sleeves hadn't been hemmed. More »

11:15 AM on Sat Jul 12 2008
By Carey
11,716 views, 86 comments

Latest by omyard: Solution? Don't get married. more »

Badvertising

This Threatening Staples Sign Misrepresents The Law

Staples is reminding Alabama consumers that state law requires them to use a hands-free device to talk on the phone while driving; which would be nice except Alabama is one of 45 states that has no such law. More »

9:15 AM on Sat Jul 12 2008
By Carey
9,913 views, 64 comments

Customer service

JetBlue Can't Decide If They Charged An Unaccompanied Minor Fee

JetBlue promised Catie's husband in March that the $798 fare charged to fly his children from Austin to Boston included the unaccompanied minor fee. But when Catie recently called to verify the reservation, she was told that her children wouldn't be allowed to board unless she paid an extra $200. More »

8:08 PM on Sun Jul 6 2008
By Carey
6,738 views, 26 comments

unacceptable food

This Partially Filled Half-Gallon Of Milk Is Reasonably Priced

Pretend you're a manager at Ralph's and you notice two-inches of milk missing from one of your half-gallon milk containers. What do you do? More »

6:35 PM on Sun Jul 6 2008
By Carey
88,347 views, 53 comments

Latest by loueloui: I was at a Winn-Dixie a few weeks ago, and someone had taken an opened and partially empty bag of shredded cheese, put it on a meat tray, shrink wrapped it and put it out for sale at the low,low more »

Unemployment

The 20 Best And Worst Cities For Unemployment Benefits

Losing a job is bad enough, but your unemployment benefits can vary wildly depending on where you live. The L.A. Times compared unemployment benefits to the cost of living and picked the twenty best and worst cities to be unemployed. More »

4:15 PM on Sun Jul 6 2008
By Carey
27,866 views, 77 comments

Life Insurance

Spherion Corp. Steals $426,000 From Widow

Thomas Amschwand knew he was dying and did everything in his power to make sure his wife would be able to collect his $426,000 life insurance policy. Yet when the 30-year-old succumbed to heart cancer, his employer, Spherion, a temporary staffing company, told his widow Melissa that she would receive nothing. More »

1:30 PM on Sun Jul 6 2008
By Carey
18,362 views, 80 comments

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