Consumerist
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recession
Sears: Lose Your Job, Keep Your Purchase, Forget The Debt
Acknowledging that skittish consumers are still unwilling to buy big-ticket items, Sears tomorrow plans to unveil a bold new guarantee: if you lose your job after charging a purchase worth $399 or more to your Sears card, the retailer will credit 1/12th of the purchase price to your account for each month you are unemployed. If you stay jobless for one year, the debt is entirely forgiven, and the appliance is yours to keep. More » -
flowers
Ask The Consumerists: These Flowers Just Need To Chill
Billy's wife owns a small flower shop near Austin, Texas. The shop's floral cooler broke down recently. They can't afford a new one, and can't find a used one for sale in the area. A misunderstanding when taking out an insurance policy means that the business's insurance won't cover the cooler malfunction.
Without a place to keep the flowers fresh and cool in the summer heat, they might as well close down the shop—but who wants to do that? More »
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appliances
Maytag Refers You To Sears Repair, Then Claims Sears Repair Isn't Authorized
Consumer affairs columnist (and my former colleague) Dan Higgins stumbled upon a well-guarded secret—the real reason the Maytag repairman has nothing to do. It isn't because the appliances are so reliable. No, apparently it's because Maytag dispatches Sears repairmen to make warranty repairs, then refuses to reimburse customers because Sears isn't an authorized repair provider. At least that's what happened to this nice elderly lady. More » -
how to
Use Your Dishwasher Properly
Listen parents, we told you all those years that cleaning the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher was silly and duplicative, and now we have the Times telling us we were right! Ha! Pre-rinsing dishes is "actually triple bad" according a "senior dishwasher design engineer," because dishwasher detergent exists to attack food, and when it doesn't find any, it instead attacks your glasses. It also wastes electricity and water. And that's not the only mistake most people make. Inside, the Times' tips for keeping your dishwasher happy... More » -
appliances
LG Refrigerator Causes Flash Floods, Mini-Glaciers
Jason's refrigerator wouldn't work correctly, no matter how many times it was repaired. Eventually, Best Buy had to intervene. Yes, that Best Buy. More » -
best buy
Best Buy Assembles Washer/Dryer Outside, Delivers It To Your Neighbor
John ordered a washer and a dryer from Best Buy. First, he says Best Buy showed up early for the delivery, so naturally, John wasn't home. Then they assembled the pedestals for the washer and dryer on some gravel in front of his house, damaging them. After that, they left the appliances with his neighbor. More » -
repairs
Woman Barricades Repairman Until He Fixes Her Washer
A British woman locked a repairman in her washer room and said she wouldn't let him out until he fixed her washer. More » -
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There's a George Foreman fryer now, people. It promises to "knock out" 55% of the fat by spinning your food. "Patented Smart Spin™ Technology lets you spin out the fat for up to 2 minutes with low or high speed setting." You may begin posting your Arrested Development "cornballer" jokes in the comments at this time. [George Foreman]
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Freezers
Americans Stop Buying Appliances... Except For Freezers
Consumer Reports says that despite an overall downturn in appliance purchases, one category is up 13% from last year. Freezers! More » -
kitchenaid
This !@#$% KitchenAid Refrigerator Won't Stop !@$% Beeping!
Beep... Beep... Beep... That's all Robin's new KitchenAid fridge does. For the past two months, nothing but !@#$ beeping. Sears claims that they replaced every circuit board in the fridge, and that Robin's only choice is to wait another beeping month for a replacement unit. Think that might drive you a little crazy? Try reading Robin's letter... More » -
sears
Sears Offer To Mail Customer Missing Key To Floor Model Snowblower
Aaron visited Sears to pick up a new Craftsman snowblower he bought for 10% off on Sears.com, but the store only had one floor model in stock. Aaron agreed to take the unit after staff assured him that it came with a warranty, manuals, and all the things normally bundled with new snowblowers. Of course, Sears couldn't find either the manual or the keys. A salesman promised that "Ray from Lawn & Garden" would mail the key whenever he returned, an offer Aaron refused. The salesman then offered a key from another snowblower, promising "the keys are basically universal." That key didn't work because, as a different associate later discovered, the unit was missing its electric start socket. More » -
vacuums
Consumer Reports: Kenmore Vacuum Sucks In A Good Way, Dirt Devil Just Sucks
Consumer Reports' vacuum cleaner test results are in and there's bad news for Dirt Devil. Their pretty "Kone" vacuum poses a safety risk. More » -
appliances
Invest In A New Freezer And Start Buying In Bulk
Freezer sales are heating up as thrifty consumers spend cash now so they can realize savings later by buying in bulk. More » -
appliances
Front Loading Washers Have A Love Affair With Mold
Consumer Reports says that despite the fact that front-loading washers are more efficient than traditional top-loading washers, they do have one major drawback. Mold. And the problem is severe enough that there have been several class action lawsuits filed against LG, Whirlpool, and Sears, whose Kenmore front-loaders are made by Whirlpool. More » -
sears
Sears Is Out Of Kitchen Appliances
Sears twice confirmed the date and time they would deliver Sandra's six new kitchen appliances. She had her plumber and contractor standing by for a day of hard work when Sears called to say they weren't coming. After hours of futile calls, Sandra finally tracked down the delivery warehouse manager who explained that Sears had run out of kitchen appliances. More » -
best buy
Best Buy De-Hoses Washers To Save Money?
An alleged Best Buy employee tells us that the company has stopped including inlet water hoses in some Inglis, Whirlpool and Maytag top-loading washers it sells. According to the blurry photos he sent us, employees are now supposed to push this $27 accessory hose product on customers who buy the washers. Update: we don't know if the decision originated with the manufacturers or Best Buy. More » -
appliances
8 Tips That Will Keep Your Refrigerator Healthy And Your Bills Low
Consumer Reports has some tips for keeping your refrigerator happy and your utility bills low. Keeping the door shut as much as possible is apparently very important. As mom always said, "We're not trying to refrigerate the entire State of Illinois, are we?" More »
appliances
New York, 1:58 AM
Mon Jul 6
6 posts in the last 24 hours
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