Hewlett-Packard's head of product packaging was unable to explain the odd shipping choice, as he is currently en route to St. Ives.

HP shatters excessive packaging world record [The Register]

1. Shop With A Timer: Avoid wasteful and expensive browsing by marching into stores with firm deadlines. Looking for a single item? Remind yourself it's time to leave by setting your cellphone to ring after five minutes.

2. Reward Your Effort: Need a little extra motivation to research that insurance you should have bought months ago? "Just like diet and exercise, slogging through the details of dreaded, uninteresting purchase decisions is hard work and requires some investment of time and energy. Set up the amount of time as well as the actual time, such as 2:30-3:00 p.m. on Sunday, that you will solely use to focus on evaluating the purchase details. Note this in your calendar along with a "treat" for sticking to the details and honoring your time commitment. Knowing that you have a reward for a job "well done" (or at least, "done") will help motivate you through the nitty-gritty of this kind of shopping situation."

3. Enlist An Expert: Alpha Consumer recommends enlisting an expert before making a large purchase, paying for outside help if necessary. Most of the "expert advice" available for sale is already hiding on the internet. Don't open your wallet without first training to become an armchair expert.

3 Ways to Be a Smarter Shopper [Alpha Consumer]
(Photo: goodrob13)

Here's what happened: Sue Schriener shipped a Novaform mattress topper box full of gifts to her friend Jen via FedEx. FedEx left the gifts on Jen's porch, where they were snatched by the Grinch's little helpers, who returned the box to Costco for $170. Costco recently sold the box to a customer who was startled to find Christmas gifts instead of a Novaform mattress cover. The customer returned the box, and Costco was able to piece together what happened.

“We were able to track down through our system where it was purchased,” Lokken said of the box.

Schriener, the Sanderfords’ longtime friend and giver of the purloined presents, effusively praised Costco and the Gig Harbor store manager for their diligence in the escapade.

The store and its employees “did such a nice thing,” she said. “They could’ve just thrown it (the gifts) in the garbage.” The manager, she said, offered to expedite shipping the gifts back to her at Costco’s cost.

“Six months goes by and then our family friend called from Vancouver,” Jen Sanderford said. “She said, ‘You’re not going to believe this.’”

The Sanderfords – 32-year-old Jen, 35-year-old Corey, toddler Evan and 2-month-old Emily – were on vacation in Texas when they got the news.

This time, Costco’s legendary return policy had a reverse twist. The huge corporation headquartered in Issaquah was the party making the return.

“We went over there (to the Gig Harbor store) as soon as we got off the airplane,” Jen Sanderford said.

“I’m not sure how it happened, but Costco did an amazing job in tracking it down.”

Great work, Costco!

Summertime Santa: Family's stolen gifts returned [The News Tribune]

1. Make A List! Shopping lists top every saving strategy we offer, and for good reason. Lists make for routinized, disciplined shopping.
2. Don't Fear An Empty Fridge: Food grows mold, not interest. An empty fridge is a strong sign that your buying matches your consumption.
3. Approach Deals Skeptically: Just because an item screams "Two for One!" doesn't mean that you need two. Make sure the item is something that you'll use, and something that won't expire quickly.
4. Avoid Supermarkets For Perishables: Buy your vegetables, meats, and fish at local establishments. You'll spend less per visit, while honing your comparison shopping skills. In our neighborhood, the Korean vegetable stand is usually 30% cheaper than the supermarket around the corner.
5. Buy Non-Perishables In Bulk: If you can store them, buy your pasta and rice in bulk. Just don't try to buy more than one bag at a time.
6. Buy Quality Products: Somewhat counterintuitive for those who focus exclusively on the bottom line, but if you pay more for a high-quality ingredient, you're less likely to let it go to waste.
7. Grow Your Own Herbs And Salad: Herbs and salad expire quickly in the fridge. If you have the space, grow your own and save.
8. Buy Whole Vegetables: Bagged lettuce? Washed carrots? Like any vegetable, they start to decompose as soon as they're processed.
9. Be Storage Savvy: Keep your food fresh with proper storage. If you're a fresh fruit lover, invest in an ethylene gas guardian to stave off spoilage.
10. Plan Your Meals: Planning is a key part of list building, and one of the best ways to prevent abandoned foodstuffs from clogging up your fridge.
11. Cook! Don't just follow recipes. Real cooks now how to whip that extra bit of coconut milk or leftover celery into a tasty meal.
12. Cook In Bulk: Since you're already at the stove, double the recipe and save the leftovers.
13. Use Your Freezer: Freezers are more efficient when they're full, so fill 'em up.
14. Learn To Love Leftovers: Mmm, leftovers! But seriously, don't throw away perfectly good food.
15. Watch Your Portions: The less you eat, the less you spend. If you have trouble eyeballing portions, consider buying a scale.
16. Learn From Your Parents: Your pappy's pappy would smack you silly for your wasteful ways. Says Sheila Tremaine, 81, "We never threw anything away, because if you didn't use everything up you had nothing to eat. People just seem to have lost that skill."
17. Rediscover Packed Lunches: Dust off that old He-Man lunch box and take your meals to work. Why waste $5.95 on a lunch special when you can eat from your own fridge?
18. Equip Yourself: "Make your own bread. It's quick, easy and so much better tasting than shop-bought. It's also much cheaper. Make your own ice cream, it's a doddle. Invest in a mincing machine as an attachment to a food processor, and turn the leftover roast lamb into a base for shepherd's pie. While you're at it, invest in a sausage stuffer and ask your butcher for some sausage skins when you buy the pork."
19. Don't Trust Use-By Dates: If it isn't soft cheese, pate, seafood or processed meat, then it will last for a while. "Chicken, raw meats and fish will all look and smell unpleasant long before they're actively unsafe (as long as you cook it thoroughly, chicken, for example, is good for at least a week past its sell-by date). Apples last for months; potatoes are fine as long as you chop the green shoots off before cooking; tins and jars will last decades if not centuries; hard cheese is indestructible; and dry foods will last for years too."
20. Become A Freegan: If all else fails, ditch your wasteful ways and become one with your urban landscape.

Humphrmi writes:

I recently purchased a 1963 Chrysler Newport as a project car for my son and I. It needs new paint, and a new power steering pump. Other than that, the car is in pristine condition, literally having only been driven by a little old lady to church every Sunday. The engine purrs like a kitten.

I called my insurance agent, Bernie Majewski, who sells exclusively State Farm insurance, and began the process of insuring the vehicle. I was told when I first called that State Farm offers a special discount program for antique vehicles that are only driven to and from car shows, parades, and auto shops. This is perfect, because that's all I do with the car, and it matches the use restrictions of the license plates I purchased (Antique Vehicle plates in Illinois have the exact same restriction - car shows, parades, and shops.) Otherwise it sits in my garage. I was quoted about $200 / 6 Months for basic liability and a declared value of $2000, which is what I paid for the car. State Farm also asked for pictures of the car, and I complied.

Today I received a call from an employee of my State Farm agent, informing me that they cannot write the policy as an "Antique Vehicle" until I "restore" the car to its original condition. Since the car is nearly pristine, I asked what, exactly, they required to be restored. Their answer? "You have to paint the car". Without the special Antique Vehicle program, the cost of basic liability and no comp/collision will be $300 for 6 months. That's 33% more with no damage coverage.

So it boils down to this: The State of Illinois sold me discounted AV plates with these usage restrictions, so I legally cannot drive the car except in shows, parades, etc. If I violate these restrictions, I will get a ticket and could lose my license plates. I'm fine with these restrictions, and will accept them from State Farm as well. Yet State Farm won't give me a discount for the agreed restricted usage of the vehicle unless I paint it. Apparently fresh paint makes you less likely to incur liability while driving.

Best of all:

The kicker? I just got a quote from Progressive online for $161 for the same basic liability for the same car. They don't even want pictures.

Our resident expert in all things car related recommends Grundy Worldwide as an alternative for insuring vintage cars.

Leave other helpful recommendations in the comments.

Dear Consumerist,

I bought an HP printer (LJ M1522nf) at Office Depot yesterday, for $259.99 after $140 instant savings. I attempted to use an Office Max coupon for $20 off a purchase of $100 or more, because Office Depot's website says they accept competitor coupons. When I presented the coupon to the cashier, it was refused. She said they don't accept any coupons for technology purchases.

That would have been fine, but I checked Office Depot's policy regarding competitor coupons again to check the wording, and it makes no mention of excluding technology purchases. Here is what the website says: "Does Office Depot accept coupons from Competitors? Yes. Coupons are accepted in-store only. Acceptance of coupons from the Competitors is subject to the terms and conditions listed on the coupon. Office Depot does not accept Competitor coupons for free/promotional or non-identical products."

So today I called Office Depot, and spoke with the Manager on Duty. I pointed out the policy on the website, but he still refused to honor the coupon, citing the technology excuse. I said okay, and asked for the General Manger's name and when I'd be able to contact him (tomorrow at 8 AM).

This is where the story gets interesting. I called Office Depot's corporate customer service line (1-800-Go-Depot), explained the situation, pointing out the policy on the website, and asked if it was valid for the store to refuse the coupon. The CSR said he'd need to "research" the issue, and came back in a few minutes. He told me that they COULD NOT accept the coupon on technology items. I asked why the website does not specify this, and he said that the website has "not been updated" and they are "working on it."

Can Office Depot do this? Don't they need to honor their own terms as stated on their website? I still have a shot with the General Manager to get the coupon honored, but I was hoping corporate would back me up so that I have ammunition when I speak with the GM of my local store. If the GM does not honor the coupon, is there any course of action I can take?

Thanks,
Chaz

Alright, well let's look at Office Depot's so-called "low price guarantee:"

Does Office Depot accept coupons from Competitors?

Yes. Coupons are accepted in-store only. Acceptance of coupons from the Competitors is subject to the terms and conditions listed on the coupon.

Office Depot does not accept Competitor coupons for free/promotional or non-identical products.

Office Depot's policy says nothing about restrictions on technology purchases. Guess what? That means it applies to technology purchases! Go ahead, Office Depot, change your website if you want, but until you do, shut up and pay up.

Low Price "Guarantee" [Office Depot]
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Nearly a third of the Association's $62 million budget comes from big pharma, which also showers individual practitioners with lucrative 'consultation fees'. The problem isn't that the profession lacks adequate ethics guidelines or regulations, but that some psychiatrists simply ignore the rules.

As a group, psychiatrists earn less in base salary than any other specialists, according to a nationwide survey by the Medical Group Management Association. In 2007, median compensation for psychiatrists was $198,653, less than half of the $464,420 earned by diagnostic radiologists and barely more than the $190,547 earned by doctors practicing internal medicine.

But many psychiatrists supplement this income with consulting arrangements with drug makers, traveling the country to give dinner talks about drugs to other doctors for fees generally ranging from $750 to $3,500 per event, for instance.

While data on industry consulting arrangements are sparse, state officials in Vermont reported that in the 2007 fiscal year, drug makers gave more money to psychiatrists than to doctors in any other specialty. Eleven psychiatrists in the state received an average of $56,944 each. Data from Minnesota, among the few other states to collect such information, show a similar trend.

In both states, individual psychiatrists are not top earners, but consulting arrangements are so common that their total tops all others. The worry is that this money may subtly alter psychiatrists’ choices of which drugs to prescribe.

An analysis of Minnesota data by The New York Times last year found that on average, psychiatrists who received at least $5,000 from makers of newer-generation antipsychotic drugs appear to have written three times as many prescriptions to children for the drugs as psychiatrists who received less money or none. The drugs are not approved for most uses in children, who appear to be especially susceptible to the side effects, including rapid weight gain.

A psychiatrist's office is a "safe space," where it's ok to ask any question, including: "have you received any compensation from any drug company?"

Psychiatric Group Faces Scrutiny Over Drug Industry Ties [NYT]
(Photo: Getty)

Jim writes:

A visit to my local North Texas Tom Thumb store on Wednesday revealed the latest target of the Grocery Shrink Ray: Lucerne Yogurt. Thankfully the stockers were helpful enough to place the new 6oz size right next to the 8 ouncers, which I'm willing to bet are not long for the shelf. Note that the 8oz size is "REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE". Lovely.

Quick, grocery products, cower behind the dressing or ice cream while there's still time!

Trevor sent us his exchanges with Delta. His initial letter:

Dear Delta,

In June of 2007, I experienced a collapsed lung. At the recommendation of my thoracic surgeon to avoid flight for three to six months from the time of my operation, I was unable to use tickets booked on June 11, for a flight from NY JFK to Toronto—flight XXXXXXXX.

After being made aware I would not be able to use the tickets, I called a Delta representative who informed me that once receiving a signed letter from my physician, I would be given full cred ($365.58) for the flight. The credit would be available for one year. On both occasions I spoke with Delta representatives—when canceling the flight and when confirming my letter was received—I was not made aware that the credit expired on the date the flight was booked (June 11) and not the date of departure (Aug. 3). This information was only relayed when I attempted to use the credit on June 24, 2008. No email or letter acknowledging the restriction was ever offered, just the instruction to call when I wished to apply the credit. On top of that, nowhere in the confirmation information given to me by Travelocity is the booking date listed, only the flight date and I’m sure you can imagine, given my health circumstances, how that is unsatisfactory if you expect me to consider June 11, the key date in this situation.

I understand Delta must have restrictions and expiration dates for credit; however, I feel my medical condition was taken advantage of by inadequate customer care that neglected to communicate the central piece of information. I am using the credit in a window well within a year of the flight date. This is the first time I’ve booked a flight since my injury and am dismayed by a lack of sensitivity by Delta’s policies and customer care representatives.

I appreciate your consideration and understanding.

Delta's response:

Thank you for your correspondence to Delta Air Lines.

We realize you expect to receive accurate information when you call us. Our Reservation Sales representatives are carefully trained in all our procedures, including providing a positive experience for our valued customers.

Please be advised most unused international tickets can be applied towards new travel, domestic or international, to commence within one year from issue date of the original ticket.

Delta tickets and other travel-related documents are valid for one year from the date of issue. Once a ticket or other document has expired, it has no further value and cannot be refunded, extended, or exchanged.

While we would like to offer special consideration in cases such as yours, we are unable to honor the many requests that we receive from others in similar situations. We follow a consistent policy to ensure that Delta is fair to everyone who travels with us. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline your request.

Again, thank you for writing. We recognize this was not the response you expected to receive and trust you will understand our position. We value your business and hope you will continue to choose Delta. Should you need to contact us in the future, or find information about our service or operations, please visit us at delta.com.

Sincerely,

Irene M. Roberts
Manager
Customer Care

Can't you feel the love and care of their velvet-covered sickle?

Trevor responded:

Dear Ms. Roberts,

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that your response is completely unsatisfactory and no, I do not in any way understand your position. Due to human error, Delta has stolen—that may sound like a strong word, but is in fact the ONLY way to refer to it—almost five hundred dollars from me.

You can claim your “Reservation Sales representatives are carefully trained”; however, all experience in this situation points to quite the opposite. Just one example, it took two hours and the escalation of the issue to a supervisor before anyone could even figure out how to locate my reservation. I understand the challenges of staffing qualified people to low-paying positions, but don’t screw your customers when they slip up. If you have many requests from “others in similar situations” than you have an institutional problem that needs to be fixed and I do not feel I should pay the price for that failure. It is certainly not Delta being “fair to everyone who travels” with you. Quite the opposite in fact.

In a business whose success and failure hinges on the ability to create customer loyalty—one ticket, just one, bought by me could erase any loss you’d take from giving me MY MONEY back—it’s shocking to me that you’ve decided to give me the middle finger and I'm sure, a contributing factor to Delta's struggles. I will NOT “continue to choose Delta.” In the internet age, I’m just shocked Delta doesn’t understand this costs more than it saves. You have no right to this money and with poor customer service from top to bottom, have taken advantage of my illness.

Attached you’ll find signed statements from just a few of the people who’ve heard my story and agree that Delta has abused its corporate powers and hidden behind policies that avoid accountability. This will be just the beginning as I feel it’s important people hear how your company approaches its customers.

I will be happy to forgive and forget if you decide it’s worth actually considering my case individually and realize the importance of respecting your customers especially when they are confronted with life and death health challenges.

We've shown that a well-crafted, reasonable Executive Email Carpet Bomb can decimate arbitrary airline deadlines. Send an EECB to Delta's executives using previously published contact information, and don't forget to cc the Department of Transportation.

PREVIOUSLY: EECB Scores Direct Hit On Delta's $25 Extra Bag Fee
(AP Photo/David Kohl)

Logan writes:

I bought some toothpaste last night as my wife an I had been surviving on tiny, dentist-issued travel tubes for the past couple weeks. We're lazy, so to save ourselves the trip after the next big tube was gone, I decided to buy a double pack of toothpaste. Thinking that the marginal savings of bundled toothpaste was the way to go, I grabbed a healthy sounding combo and was one may way. When I got home though, I was in for a big surprise. When I pulled the "Bonus" tube out of its box, it was actually in another, smaller box. Whaaaaat? Why the double boxing? Was it for packaging reasons? Or was it to hide the widespread reach and effectiveness of the the product shrink ray?

This isn't the feared Grocery Shrink Ray. This is deception, pure and simple. The weasels running Colgate's marketing team stuck to the law by printing the net weight on both boxes, but they clearly want consumers to assume that the boxes are the same size.

Way to waste an extra box, Colgate!

Alauna paid $26 to insure the laptop on its cross-country visit to a virus-hunting friend. When the laptop arrived, a menacing broken hinge threatened to scratch the screen.

She writes:

The United States Postal Service is falling apart. About 7 months ago, my father gave me a brand new, HP Pavilion dv9700z series (Retailed at over a thousand bucks, but it was a gift, so I don't know exactly how much it cost him). In the 7 months that I've owned it, I got a nasty bug (virus) on it, and it no longer allowed me to log onto the internet. Either way, my best friend is an expert with computers and lives in LA, so I decided to send it to him to take a look at it.

By this being such a high line item, I wrapped it in bubble wrap, placed in a laptop case, and wrapped it AGAIN in a ton of bubble wrap before placing it in a post office issue box that the clerk told me, "most people send their laptops in THIS box)". I made sure to put at least $500.00 dollars worth of insurance on the shipment (just in case).

Silly me for believing this woman as approximately a week later, I got a call from my buddy in LA explaining that the hinge of the unit was broken and it was threatening to cause further damage to the computer. He explained that if I close the laptop, the screen may scratch and cause about 800 bucks worth of damage. So I'm irritated because this company screwed me over, and some idiot ignored the FRAGILE that was placed on the box, but I'm somewhat relieved that I got insurance on the purchase.

I send my LA buddy the insurance information along with the required receipt and figure the money would be distributed in a respectable amount of time. NOT! My buddy calls me later after he received the insurance information and explains that the post office clerk in LA tells him that "without a receipt, they probably won't honor your insurance claim)". Are you serious? They weren't saying such nonsense when they sucked 26 bucks out of my pockets for the original shipment and insurance. Either way, I'm stuck with a brand new computer damaged by USPS, and the unfortunate truth that I may not receive any restitution for their mistakes. To all who read this, NEVER use the USPS to ship anything of importance. I live in a rural area (Cleveland, MS) so this was my only option, but I refuse to use this awful place again.

She later sent us an update:

So we file a claim with the Post office in April, and today I find out that they are denying my claim unless someone at the POST OFFICE admits to causing the damage! Are you serious?

I officially hate the USPS and this is what I get for using snail mail.

P.S. I don't know whether to be mad at the post office for breaking the computer or HP for making crappy hardware as I have a Compaq X1000 that wont charge (crappy HP).

We always thought the point of insurance was to protect a package in the event something happens. It doesn't need to be an abuse. If an employee admits to abusing an uninsured package, would the Post Office refuse to reimburse the owner?

(Photo: Getty)

The Senator recently criticized the Office of Thrift Services for allowing banks to underwrite cruddy mortgages, and specifically mentioned that IndyMac might be in trouble. Afterwards, the bank's depositors started a run on the bank, withdrawing up to $100 million per day. According to the director of OTS, a political appointee: “The senator made comments in his letter questioning the viability of the institution. When a member of the United States Senate makes such a statement, it frightens depositors.”

Schumer responded:

If OTS had done its job as regulator and not let IndyMac's poor and loose lending practices continue, we wouldn't be where we are today. Instead of pointing false fingers of blame, OTS should start doing its job to prevent future IndyMacs.

Now, now, Senator, man up for your actions. Your persistent questions about the subprime meltdown are obviously what got us into this mess in the first place.

The bank's failure will cost the FDIC around $10 billion. IndyMac customers, like the woman who pointlessly banged on the bank's doors pleading, "please, please, I want to take out a portion," will be able to access their money via ATMs over the weekend, and will have full access by next week. The 10,000 customers who collectively deposited $1 billion above FDIC insurance limits will lose half of their uninsured funds.

The latest bank failure is a reminder that your FDIC insured bank account will always be safe, but only if you keep your deposits within FDIC limits.

Regulators Seize Mortgage Lender [NYT]
IndyMac Bank seized by federal regulators [L.A. Times]
IndyMac Seized by U.S. Regulators; Schumer Blamed for Failure [Bloomberg]
(Photo: The Associated Press)

Men's Wearhouse was so torn up over the situation that they gave Brad a $10 Shell gas card that didn't work.

Brad writes:

On Saturday, I got married to the love of my life. The ceremony and everything was great, but my tuxedo rental was a complete disaster.

A couple of months prior, I had set up our account in Nashua, NH. The account had my tuxedo, my best man, two groomsmen, my father, my now brother-in-law, and our ring bearer, bringing us to seven tuxedos total. We decided to use Men's Wearhouse. It is a national chain, and that would make it easier for everyone to get fitted and coordinated, since I had people coming to Vermont from Ohio, Rhode Island, and the DC Metro area.

We all met on Thursday at the Williston, VT location to pick up our tuxes, and hit a problem. My entire tux did not fit. The jacket and vest were both too tight, and the pant legs and shirt sleeves were too short. Added to that, my father's tux jacket was also too tight. The only thing they could do for us was to re-order the parts we needed, lengthen the pants, and get everything ready for Saturday morning. This was a bit of a problem, since the wedding was at 2pm Saturday, but about a 90 minute drive from Williston (in Fairlee, for reference). However, the employee we spoke to (Stacey Brower) was unwilling to make any other arrangements, so my father drove up that morning to pick up the rest of the tuxedos.

Forward to Saturday, my father arrives back at the resort with our tuxes a little after 12. I start putting mine on, when I find another problem - there are no pants in the garment bag! I called the store in Williston back, asked to speak to a manager (I believe his name was Tony), and while he did apologize, the best he could offer was to meet us halfway. So the tuxedo is now incomplete -twice-, and both times the management at Men's Wearhouse is unwilling to bring the items to us. My father had to meet them halfway (speeding down the back roads of Vermont is rather dangerous), and the pants finally arrived, though the ceremony had to be delayed. I only noticed later that the new vest's bottom button had fallen off, and was floating around inside the garment bag, and the jacket's sleeves were not hemmed - they only tucked the sleeves in and ironed them, so the sleeves started falling apart shortly after the reception began.

As some sort of compensation, the manager of the store gave my father a $10 Shell gas card. In a hilariously obvious twist, when my father attempted to use the card, he found out it wasn't even activated.

So here's why I'm writing you. Men's Wearhouse really screwed up big, and made an already stressful planning time that much more stressful. I'm hoping that I can get some publicity out there, and recommend people never use Men's Wearhouse (or MW Tux), since they apparently can't handle a tuxedo rental when given a second chance. My tuxedo was free, as part of their promotion - if your account has five tuxedos, the groom's becomes free. Ours had six, plus mine. I can't really get my rental any more free than it was. However, my father's tux was incorrect in the first place, and should have been at the very least, heavily discounted. I would also like for Men's Wearhouse to do something for my guys. Yes, their tuxedos may have been correct, but they were part of this account that included a free tux rental that was messed up. Therefore, they should be receiving at the very least a partial discount, as well.

You could fire off the almighty Executive Email Carpet Bomb to george.zimmer@menswarehouse.com, but if time isn't a factor, we would send a letter with all the style and class Men's Wearhouse failed to deliver. Doll up your complaint in the form of a thank-you note. Put it on nice stationery, exactly as if you were writing to your Aunt, and send one to each of Men's Wearhouse's executive officers at:

Men's Wearhouse
6380 Rogerdale Road
Houston, TX 77072

(Photo: Getty)

Jim writes:

Greetings, Consumerist braintrust. Attached is a picture I think you'll find interesting. I took it yesterday at my local Staples store. As you can see, it states that as of July 1, 2008, it is the law that you must use a hands-free calling device while operating a vehicle. And that's certainly true. At least, it's true in California. But I live in Birmingham, Alabama, which is a couple thousand miles away from California, and which has no such laws. There was no disclaimer on the display, just a "DO IT NOW!" admonition to comply with a law that doesn't apply to you.

Five states restrict their residents from yabbering while driving: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, and as of July 1, California.

Call us old fashioned, but we think public safety laws should be written by legislators, not marketers.

Cell Phone Driving Laws [Governors Highway Safety Association]

She writes:

I don't know if this is something you can help me with over the holiday weekend, but my husband and I are currently experiencing an issue with Jet Blue. In March, my mother in law paid for and I booked two tickets through the JetBlue website (at the total price of 798.00) to fly our two older children ( we have 4, two of whom are old enough to fly alone) to Boston direct from Austin for a two week vacation. The day we booked the tickets, my husband called to verify that A) the unaccompanied minor fee was included in the fare just paid (798.00) and B) the information needed for the drop off and pick up people.

He spoke with a woman named Jackie, who told him the fee WAS included, took the names of the adults and we thought all was well.

I called 20 minutes ago to verify that Jet Blue had all the adults information correct and make sure all was a go for the flight, and Jet Blue proceeded to tell us that the fee WAS not included and still needed to be paid. I handed the phone to my husband, who had verified it was included in the fare months ago, and at this point he escalated the call to the agents supervisor Laura, who completely stonewalled my husband, even after admitting that Jackie had made a mistake in informing us that the fee was included. Since we had been told that the fee was paid, we were not prepared to tell our kids grandmother that she is going to have to shell out another 200.00 for the kids to even get on the plane. (50 per kid, per way) Laura would only give us a first name for her supervisor ( Janet) and would not give us a number to reach her directly, at which point my husband asked how he was supposed to call a company as large as jetblue, as for Janet and get the RIGHT person. Laura simply said, she wasn't authorized to give out any info, so we got nowhere. We weren't even asking for the fee to be waived at that point, just what could be done to rectify the mistake, but Laura told him that only SHE could waive the fee and she wouldn't and she was not going to do anything else to help us. I REALLY hope JetBlue recorded that call. It's not like we can cancel the kids vacation, but he did manage to ask them if this is how they treat all their customers. and that he was sorely disappointed in thier customer service, and he would be sending all his business to another airline. Not that they care.

I just feel entirely swindled and almost like Jet blue pulled some kind of new bait and switch routine on us.

Is there anything we can do at this point, we really don't want to have to pay for Jetblues customer service mistake, especially since we were told the fee was paid in full when the tickets were booked (the site even asked if they would be flying alone when it was booked). I know in the short term we will have to pay it since they leave on saturday, but I will never hear the end of it from my Mother in Law ( :) ) if we don't fight what they did to us.

Catie

Considering that the website asked if the children were traveling alone, and your husband verified that the charge was included, it's not unreasonable for JetBlue to waive the fee.

Don't waste time fighting with frontline customer service representatives. Instead, call JetBlue's headquarters at (718) 709-3026 and ask someone in the CEO's office to help solve your problem.

(Photo: mil8)

Slap on a $1-off "Manager's Special" sticker, obviously!

(Thanks to M!)

The 10 Best Cities



1. Pittsburgh, Pa.—$539 per week



2. Charlotte, N.C.—$457 per week



3. Raleigh, N.C.—$457 per week



4. Boston, Mass.—$600 per week



5. Philadelphia, Pa.—$539 per week



6. Providence, R.I.—$531 per week



7. Salt Lake City, Utah—$427 per week



8. San Antonio, Texas—$378 per week



9. Seattle, Wash.—$515 per week



10. Houston, Texas—$378 per week

The 10 Worst Cities



10. Los Angeles, Calif.—$450 per week



9. Nashville, Tenn.—$275 per week



8. Kansas City, KS-MO—$280 per week



7. Tampa, Fla.—$275 per week



6. Orlando, Fla.—$275 per week



5. Washington, D.C.—$359 per week



4. San Francisco, Calif.—$450 per week



3. Phoenix, Ariz.—$240 per week



2. Miami, Fla.—$275 per week



1. New York, N.Y.—$405 per week

If your job falls prey to the ongoing not-recession, read up on our tips for saving cash and consider potential ways to make the most of unemployment.

Best and worst cities for unemployment pay [L.A. Times]

Spherion had switched life insurance providers without informing Thomas. Under the new policy, employees had to work for one full day to activate their coverage. Spherion never mentioned this to Thomas, and repeatedly assured him that he didn't need to do anything to retain his coverage.

His widow said he easily could have worked a day if that was what it took to activate the new policy. Spherion could have waived the one-day-of-work provision, as it did for other employees but not for Amschwand.

When Thomas died, because the policy had never been formally activated, Spherion refunded his insurance premiums and told his widow she would receive nothing else.

The story has played out often under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Designed to protect employee benefits, the law has been used by employers as a shield against suits.

Federal appeals courts, interpreting Supreme Court decisions dating to 1993, consistently have said companies that offer health, life and retirement benefits under ERISA cannot be sued for large amounts of money, or damages. Instead, they can be sued only for typically smaller sums such as Amschwand's insurance premiums.

Several federal judges have bemoaned the unfairness even as they have felt constrained to rule in favor of employers.

"The facts ... scream out for a remedy beyond the simple return of premiums," Judge Fortunato Benavides of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in the Amschwand case. "Regrettably, under existing law it is not available."

The Supreme Court recently refused to hear Melissa's case. Congress has refused to act. Insurers continue scrape up lucre, and consumers are left to suffer.

Employers use federal law to deny benefits [AP]
Write Your Senator
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PREVIOUSLY: How To Write To Congress
(Photo: Getty)

She sent us her polite letter to Brooks Brother's CEO:

Dear Mr Del Vecchio -

Today, I received a Brooks Brothers catalog in the mail, addressed to Benjamin James Tate-Booth (sic). Benjamin Tate-Boothe is my three-week old infant son. I assure you that he has no need of Brooks Brothers suits at this time, especially as he tends to soil garments quickly.

I am concerned at how your company gained my son's name and address in order to address an unsolicited catalog to him. The customer number present on the envelope is #004388918, and the accompanying letter states that a request for this catalog was placed. Brooks Brothers may have purchased his name from another mailing list, because I doubt Ben is signing up for clothing catalogs at such a tender age.

I am addressing this to your attention as your name is on the letter accompanying this catalog. I am hoping you will look into the source of Ben's catalog request, and stop any further unsolicited mail going to our address.

Sincerely,

Jillian

Who says this is a mistake? Stain-resistant ties! Maybe they come with matching bibs. Benjamin could charge them to his brand new American Express card, you know, once as he learns to scribble his name.

Josh cc'd us on his Executive Email Carpet Bomb:

Dear American Airlines:

My name is Joshua, and my AAdvantage number is XXXX. I am writing in regard to ticket XXXXX, under record locator XXXX.

I would like a refund of the $15 fee I paid to check a bag on AA 4794 on June 27, 2008, as the flight was cancelled and I (and my checked bag) did not travel with American.

When the flight was cancelled, I called your customer service 800 number and requested that my itinerary be refunded. Your customer service representative processed this refund over the phone without difficulty. However, the refunded amount did not include the bag fee.

I am now advised by your telephone customer service that, in order to get my $15 refund, I must mail a letter with my original receipt for the bag fee to your refunds department in Tulsa. They have told me that they cannot issue a refund over the phone, and cannot waive their policy on the matter.

I do not find this to be an acceptable solution. You should not require me to mail a paper receipt when the information about the fee already exists in your computer systems. Indeed, I am not even sure what I did with that receipt after I left the airport. More broadly, while I understand your rationale for charging a fee for the first checked bag, you should not make it unreasonably difficult to collect a refund of the fee when the service is not provided.

I recognize that I am not currently an elite-level American customer. However, I qualified as AAdvantage Gold in 2006 and have over 100,000 lifetime travel miles under my belt on American. I have recently moved to Washington, DC and will be traveling frequently to New York and Chicago. Those are places to which both American and its competitors provide frequent service. I hope to continue doing that business with American, contingent on the refund of this fee.

I hope that you will be willing to refund this fee to me without further difficulty.

Sincerely,

Joshua

American's contract of carriage is silent on baggage fee refunds.

While Josh's EECB is detailed and concise, American's recent cash-hemorrhaging makes them less receptive to reason. Give the request an added punch by asking the Department of Transportation for their interpretation of American's greedy conduct.

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

A doctor at the hospital, William T. Kumprey, was tired of seeing Farnam.

Farnam had been to the hospital several times in the last month or so. He had used his fake heart attack routine at Silk — an exotic lounge — at several restaurants and while getting out of various cabs.

The doctor told Farnam he would call the police the next time he caught him faking the clutch of death to avoid paying his bills.

Farnam let it slip that he had, earlier that very day, after a hearty meal for which he did not pay, absconded to Froedtert Hospital.

The doctor called police.

The 52-year-old faces nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

Cardiac arrest: Man faked heart attack when dinner bill arrived [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Bill writes:

I read the Consumerist daily and have learned about Sprint's crappy customer service. However, I am a Sprint third-party vendor (i.e. I'm not on Sprint's payroll...but I sell their stuff), and I was happy with their 99.99 "Simply Everything" plan, so I signed up.

Cut to a month later; I paid my two bills in time, in full, and added extra to my payments to keep a negative balance. You never know when you'll need to miss a month for unexpected expenses, and in this day and age, better safe than sorry. To this date, I had a -$50 balance...at least, I was under the impression I was.

On my way to work this morning, my phone was shut off for "exceeding my account spending limit." Hmmm...I'm being cut off because I pay ahead?!?! Ok, ok, in their defense, maybe it was a malfunction...

Nope. I called customer service and the CSR explained "well, you did have 3000 texts last month." I explained I had the unlimited package, to which he said "ummm...well no you don't...wait, you do...let me get my supervisor..." Fortunately, the CSR gave me the benefit of the doubt and reactivated my phone, but even then explained that "it will probably shut back off in a couple of days." I actually give kudos to the CSR...he was professional and helpful...for once.

I bring up two points in my tip: Sprint CSRs are actually pretty decent (at least THAT one), but I still didn't know paying ahead gets your service cut off.

Don't run a negative balance; you essentially give companies an interest-free loan at your expense. Leave the money where it belongs: in your account, earning interest.

If Sprint keeps disconnecting your service after your balance is restored, call our super-special executive customer service hotline set up just for readers, at: (703) 433-4401.

(Photo: Getty)

Reader Heather recounts the unfortunate discovery:

I thought I'd bring to your attention Mini Babybel Cheese, which was one that surprised even me. I got a message from the cashiers saying it didn't scan, which I thought was ridiculous, since it's always been popular. But there you go, a whole 2g less per wax packet. Sigh. And, you guessed it, the price is staying the same.

All this shrinking makes a lot more work for poor file maintenance workers like myself. But ah well! Such is the way of things in this wacky world.

I have attached a few photos of the "offenders", including the original as well as the copy-cat. The original Babybel package was 132g in total, the new one is 120g. I looked at each cheese packet, and yes, there is a noticeable size difference between the two.

Thank you for your time, and keep up the great work, guys! I'll be sure to keep you guys informed if I notice anything particularly interesting.

1. Make a list and stick to it. Lists focus your shopping and are the single best way to save money.
2. Compare unit pricing, not box size. As with good things, good prices sometimes come in small packages.
3. If you only need a handful of items, use a basket, not a cart. Empty space cries to be filled.
4. If it's not on your list, don't pick it up. According to Paco Underhill in Why We Buy: “Virtually all unplanned purchases…come as a result of the shopper seeing, touching, smelling, or tasting something that promises pleasure, if not total fulfillment.”
5. Shop at the edge of the store. That's where the healthier, cheaper items hide.
6. Disavow brand loyalty and swear allegiance to the lowest price.
7. Consider generics. You usually get the same quality, without the unnecessary branding.
8. Learn to love coupons. With practice, you can buy almost $150 worth of stuff for $5.
9. Make one big shop, rather than several small ones. You'll save on gas while inoculating against wasteful spending.
10. Buy from bulk bins. Why pay for packaging and marketing when you can reach right in and scoop out exactly what you need?
11. Check your receipt. Don't let an errant scan ruin your hard work.
12. Shop alone. Science shows that we spend more when we're with company.
13. Track your spending so you can see what's eating your money. Committed receipt hawks can spot price cycles to help guide their shopping.
14. Eat a meal before shopping. Shopping on a full stomach tamps down impulse spending and keeps you focused on your list.
15. Shop without a car. Nothing limits spending like knowing you'll have to carry your goods home.

Saving at the Supermarket: 15 Great Grocery Shopping Tips [Get Rich Slowly]

(Photo: Getty)

The Ponemon study indicates that most airport laptop losses occur at the security checkpoints or at the departure gates, where it's easy to leave things behind. More than 70 percent of business travelers say they feel rushed when trying to get on their flights, and 69 percent said they are usually carrying too many items while trying to catch their flights.

Los Angeles's LAX reported more laptop losses than any other airport, about 1,200 per week. Most of the airports said they generally keep the laptops for some period of times, then destroy them if they are unclaimed.

Sixty-five percent of the business travelers admit that they do not take steps to protect the confidential information contained on their laptops when traveling on business, according to the study. Forty-two percent say they don't back up their data before going on a trip. Fewer than 20 percent of respondents said they have whole disk encryption or file encryption on their machines.

Interestingly, only 1 percent of the respondents admitted personally losing a laptop computer. However, 84 percent say they know someone who has lost a laptop while traveling on business.

The UK's The Real Hustle shows how security checkpoints offer thieves an unrivaled opportunity to poach laptops from unsuspecting travelers:

Next time you travel, keep an eye and hand on your laptop. And don't be ashamed to admit if it's stolen. Clearly, you're not alone.

Laptop Losses Total 12,000 Per Week at US Airports [Dark Reading]
The Real Hustle - The Airport X-Ray Steal [YouTube]
(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

The absurdly hypocritical claims were made to weasel out of a British tax on potato crisps and other potato-based foods. London Justice Nicholas Warren ruled that Pringles were made, not of potatoes, but out of good 'ole fashioned American chemicals.

Potato chips "give a sharply crunchy sensation under the tooth and have to be broken down into jagged pieces when chewed," the Cincinnati-based company's lawyers argued. "It is totally different with a Pringle, indeed a Pringle is designed to melt down on the tongue."

Warren agreed. Pringles aren't "made from the potato" for the purposes of the tax office's exemption, he said. He didn't say what Pringles are, other than that they're tax-exempt.

What's that old adage about a duck?

Pringles are not potato chips, judge says in British tax case [L.A. Times]

As an idea, risk-based pricing isn't all that bad: consumers pay for credit based on their risk. But with credit cards, only interest rates and late fees are arguably "risk-based."

Interest rates are a terrible way to counter risk. Responsible cardholders never carry balances, so fiddling with their interest rates mean nothing. Kicking consumers with retroactive penalty APRs means that creditors failed to properly assess the risk in the first place; if creditors were truly risk based, they would respond to increased risk by slashing credit lines.

Late fees are equally terrible. Most creditors have three tiers of late fees. It doesn't matter if you're late by one hour or one month, even though the two clearly show different degrees of risk.

Or as Levitin puts it:

Suffice it to say that it is a real stretch to say that credit card pricing overall is risk-based; certain elements of card pricing are partially risk-based, but many are not. Moreover, there is no empirical evidence connecting the advent of risk-based pricing to lower costs of credit to creditworthy consumers or greater credit availability to subprime borrowers. There is a study that correlates late fees and overlimit fees with banks' aggregate cardholder risk, as well as with banks' market power, but there is no research connecting fee levels, which are often one-size fits all, with individual cardholder risk. The putative benefits of risk-based pricing depend on pricing being sensitive to individual level, not aggregate level risk, so that low risk cardholders don't subsidize high risk cardholders.

In any case, the benefits that the card industry attributes to risk-based pricing are explained at least as well by other factors: lower costs of funds explain lower interest rates to creditworthy consumers (issuers’ annual net interest margin has been fairly static for the last two decades), and securitization is at least as good of an explanation for the expansion in subprime lending.

So why do credit card companies pretend to use risk-based pricing? To evade government regulation. Professor Levitin makes a convincing six-point case for the government to lasso creditors with powerful regulations, but we'll let you read the full paper for yourself to see why.

The Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights [Credit Slips]
All But Accurate: A Critique of the American Bankers Association's Study on Credit Card Regulation [SSRN]
(Photo: Getty)

Josh writes:

Hi guys...

My name is Josh, and a friend of mine suggested that I might come to you guys for some help. I've kind of engaged in some letter writing to the Krystal corporation all thanks to the restaurant down the road, and I seem to be being ignored. It's weird; I don't actually want anything from Krystal - all I want is an apology, or even an acknowledgment that someone's bothering to read the complaint letter department. Anyways, I've written about it on my own blog, and he suggested I might try you guys. So here goes nothing.

I live in Donelson, Tennessee (a suburb of Nashville), right down the street from a Krystal. I love Krystals - for those of you not from the South, they're very similar to White Castle burgers. Anyways, the Krystal down the street from me is pretty incompetent. Really, really incompetent. To the point where I finally did something I'd never done in my life, and I wrote a letter. Went to their website, found the complaint form, and wrote the following:

To whom it may concern:

I genuinely feel that you may be missing out on a magnificent opportunity to get some press for your Krystal restaurant in Donelson, Tennessee. It is rare that you see a fast food franchise attempt to take on such a massive challenge as this one, and even rarer to find them succeeding.

You see, there is an old phrase, "Even a broken clock is right twice a day." The idea is to show that every person or organization, no matter how incompetent, how wrong-headed, is not wrong 100% of the time. It's a noble, optimistic saying.

Your Donelson Krystal restaurant has taken on the considerable challenge of proving this saying wrong, and they seem to be succeeding (so to speak) magnificently. Of my last five trips to this Krystal, all but one of them have necessitated me returning to the store to fix my order. This is an impressive accomplishment. I have worked fast food, so I know that while mistakes are made, they are not as common as people feel, and most of the time they are the results of inattention or rushes. Yet, your fine employees have managed to bungle my orders at all times of the day, in any number of variations, no matter how busy or not they may be.

Adding to their style is the ridiculously slow speed with which they manage to bungle my orders. You would think that a restaurant so dedicated to such blunders would at least do so quickly, to have the pretext of being in a rush to keep the customers happy. However, this Krystal manages to take an eternity for even the simplest orders, rendering me not only late for whatever I was doing, but doubly late because I now have to go and get my order corrected.

You are thinking to yourself, "Surely this must be because your order is so complicated. Surely no restaurant could mangle orders so constantly unless they were complicated." But no. This Krystal manages to even make a mockery of a request for plain burgers. That's right. To get these orders right, all they have to do is to do nothing. And they still get it wrong. What commitment to their goal!

But to focus on their inability to follow simple directions is to sell the staff of this fine establishment far short. How could we not discuss their rude natures, their incivility, their lack of sympathy? On precisely no occasions that I have had to drive back from my house to correct my orders has anyone apologized, offered me a discount, or even asked if I wanted my drinks filled. Instead, I am greeted with withering stares and disdain, as if I am imposing by requesting that the food I paid for be correct. Especially with gas prices rapidly climbing, most people would succumb to regret or contrition, knowing that they have effectively raised the price of my meal by a decent percentage by making me waste gas. And yet your sterling staff crushes these human weaknesses, ignoring me for as long as possible before begrudgingly giving me what I asked for in the first place.

There are so, so many more issues I could discuss about this store. Could I discuss the time that they only had two employees at the store, but told no one, so the drive thru backed into the street, and people who walked in were greeted by a cook who politely inquired, "What do you want?" while rolling eyes? Or when a manager yelled obscenities at employees while coming in through the front door? Or their mysterious tendency to never have receipt paper, meaning that we have no way of confirming orders or what we paid?

But here is the most simple way to illustrate the impact this store has had on me: they have made me feel as though it is my job to check my order before I leave the store. Imagine being so successful at your incompetence that you have successfully made your customers feel that they are to blame for your mistakes, and that they bear the responsibility of making sure they get what they are asking for.

In the end, I am unsure if your restaurant is a massively successful performance art installation designed to prove how truly miserable a fast food experience could be. If so, bravo, good sirs. If not, then I can only applaud your employees and staff at their incredible incompetence, inhumanity, and miraculous consistency of ineptitude. Clearly they are wasted here; they should have themselves positions in the federal government. I think would fit in perfectly with the good people at FEMA, no doubt.

In conclusion, I find myself wondering tonight why I continue to frequent this Krystal. Yes, I love the food. Yes, it is close to my house. But with such incredible incompetence on display, you would think that I would have learned to stay away. Maybe I finally am.

Sincerely,

Josh

Now, that was on May 18th. I got nothing as a result of this letter. Not an acknowledgment, not even an automated "We thank you for writing to us" letter. I don't really want anything back; all I would like is some sort of comment that a) they listen to compaints and b) would like to apologize for how I was treated.

But nothing.

Now, this past Sunday, my wife ended up stopping at Krystal to pick me up some dinner. The resulting drive-thru trip took 30 minutes, over which period of time...well, here's the next letter I wrote.

To whom it may concern:

I have complained about the Donelson branch of Krystal twice in the past, and been ignored. I would have thought that a long, detailed letter expressing irritation at your restaurant would have been responded to, but apparently not. Perhaps it's because my letter was long. Here's a simple version of tonight's events for your apparently simple minds.

1. When we tried to order dinner, we were told that the restaurant had run out of fries. Then it turned out that they hadn't really - he just hadn't checked.

2. AFTER ordering, AFTER paying, my wife was told that it would take 7-9 minutes to get food. She was thus stuck in her car with a fussy child for ten minutes, rather than getting the quick dinner we were hoping for. And ten minutes for Krystals? RIDICULOUS.

3. Finally, they brought the Krystals, but told my wife that their heat lamp has broken. Did I still want cold fries?

4. We asked for our money back. SO THEY TOOK THE FOOD BACK WITH THEM.

5. There was no apology, no explanation.

6. It took FIFTEEN minutes to process a refund.

7. The manager chose to YELL at my wife for being interested in what was taking so long for the refund. His exact words were, "Bear with me. I'm working on it."

8. He STILL did not apologize.

9. We were there for THIRTY minutes. We received no apology whatsoever.

10. We gave up on getting our money back. We finally got our food again and left. But, they lost the receipt and had to find it.

To give the devil his due, there was a single employee who was kind and understanding to my wife during all of this. Although he did not apologize, he did give my wife a pack of cookies, telling her, "Give this to the little one for having to wait."

This is inexcusable, offensive, and disrespectful. This has managed to do what no amount of health talk or bad experience has done before - I will not return to a Krystal restaurant again until I have received either an apology, an explanation, or I have been assured that your entire moronic, pathetic staff at this restaurant has been replaced by someone more intelligent and sympathetic, like a dog or a cardboard box. I have eaten Krystal since I was a young boy, and I will miss it and the considerable amount of business I have done there, but I am sick of being treated with disrespect, disdain, and contempt by your corporation.

This time, I sent it through the complaint form, the question form, the suggestion form, AND the compliment form, just in the hopes of being read.

Nothing.

Look - I don't want much. All I want is an apology, someone to say "Hey, maybe we shouldn't treat our customers this way." But I have gotten nothing, and I would have thought that my wife being YELLED AT by the manager might have merited such. But no.

It just seems to me that it's disingenuous to have a complaint and feedback form if you're going to ignore it.

Do I have a valid issue? Or do I need to just let it go?

Josh is clearly passionate about his concerns, and while he invested more time pursuing his complaint than we would recommend, it's not unreasonable for him to expect some response.

C'mon Krystal, showing up is half the battle. Take a minute and crank out a form letter.

(Photo: Wikipedia)

Chelsea writes:

I've had Sprint service for seven years because I receive a state employee discount, and it's been pretty smooth sailing. Luckily when I renewed my plan in May, I was paired with a sales manager who seemed both friendly and efficient. Going through my first bill I noticed four incorrect charges, including mysterious internet usage and a late fee, despite the fact I've been on automatic payments for years. I emailed Sprint about these charges and promptly received a long and apologetic response from someone named Steffi. She credited all of the charges and informed me of a way to block internet access altogether. This all was great, so I wanted to express some gratitude:

Thank you for responding so quickly. I really appreciate your help with this invoice. If there's no charge in preventing internet access, I would like that to be applied.

You know, there's a lot of Sprint hatred out there, but I've never had a huge problem with anyone. Seeing weird charges on my bill had me worried, but I'm happy to see Sprint sticking to their word to provide good customer service.

Thanks again.

Soon after that email, I received this reply:

Thank you for contacting Sprint.

I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to write



regarding the excellent service you received. Our goal is to serve you



with world-class customer service, and feedback from customers like you



is a great source of motivation in our endeavor to achieve that goal.

I have added Sprint Vision Pack for $15.00 on the account effective June



20, 2008.

Now you can enjoy:

• Unlimited Web/Data Access on Handset
• Unlimited Picture Mail and Video Mail
• Multimedia - Sprint TV Channel 1

Have a nice day!

Sincerely,



Peter P.



Sprint

......Wha-? I re-read my email to make sure I didn't somehow authorize this, but no, I mentioned preventing internet access. What a fool I was, doting on Sprint before the job was done. Instead of calming down and being rational, I replied with a crazy email rife with superfluous exclamation marks and all caps. I pointed out that's the exact opposite of what I asked for and asked if anyone even read my email.

The response email from Gloria D. wasn't nice and certainly lacking any apology. But Vision has been removed, so oh well. A toast to Sprint and another glorious two years.

(AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

Apparently the super-market shrink-ray has a "reverse" option too. I've been collecting and re-purposing old scoops from laundry detergent boxes for years now, and have almost exclusively been a Cheer Color Guard (or it's current incarnation) customer during that time. Rather than use the scoop from a new box, I usually just continue using the previous scoop. Therefore I can't tell you how old this one is, but it's at least three or four years old.

So the scoop on the left is an older one, used in the cheer boxes many years ago. The one on the right is a new one from a box I purchased this month. Notice anything immediately? If you're like me, you don't sit down and painstakingly measure out your detergent, you eyeball the partially filled scoop and pour. For years I've used about 3/4 scoop to wash my clothes, no problems. If I applied that logic to the same scoop from a new box of Cheer, I'd have been using significantly more in my laundry.

However, to give Cheer a fair chance, I decided to measure them out as per the directions on the scoop. Each has 3 levels. Medium, Large and Heavy Soil for the old scoop and a 1 and 2 for the new scoop. The new scoop however has three lines on it and the directions state they are for Medium Loads, Large Loads or Heavy Soiled Medium Loads and Large Heavy Soiled Loads. So to try and judge fairly, I filled the large scoop to the maximum amount (3rd line from the top) with water.

Looking at the two side by side, it actually appears that the larger scoop requires less detergent for a large heavy soiled load. Perhaps Cheer tweaked their formula over the years and I'm judging them harshly. So I decided to see, because it seems to take a completely full old scoop to equal what a 3/4 full new scoop does. So I poured the larger scoop into the smaller, attempting to transfer all of the liquid to the old one. I couldn't do it.

If you'll notice, not only is the smaller scoop completely full (including the handle) but there's still water left in the large scoop. Two and one-half tablespoons worth.

So my conclusions are either Cheer is either trying to gently encourage us to use more washing powder than necessary, or they've reformulated their detergent over the years to actually be less effective.

-Mark

If you catch the Grocery Shrink Ray in action, approach warily with a camera, and send the results to the tipline.

My sister-in-law Judy has had an account with Sears since 1964 when she got married. She has been flawless about paying her Sears bill (along with all her other bills. That's just how she is.) Her husband passed away about ten years ago. Judy dutifully called Sears and every other company she had an account with to inform them of his death and tell them that she might be a few days late with her payment that month because of the funeral, etc. They were all understanding and told her to send in her payment when she could.

OK, fast forward to this past weekend. Judy wanted to buy a saw to take care of some tree branches which fell down during the hurricane force winds we had here on the Oregon coast. She found one for $142. on Sears' website. Her Sears card, which she hadn't used in about a year, didn't have an expiration date on it, so she wasn't sure it was still good.

She called Sears' customer service number. Everything was going well until the CSR asked Judy what name the account was in. Judy explained that it was her late husband, to which the CSR said, "Well, I'm sorry, Ma'am, but in that case I'm going to have to close your account." Judy was speechless