Stickers need to stick to things. That’s why they call them stickers. Someone should have explained this to the State of New York.
New York State Provides Car Inspection Stickers That Lack One Important Feature
By July 31, 2009
Studio Turns High School Graduation Into Marketing Stunt, Nobody Cares
By July 29, 2009
The Wall Street Journal looks at how an unfortunately named marketing agency called the Intelligence Group tried to promote recent bomb “I Love You, Beth Cooper” with a viral video on YouTube. (Can we just once and for all ban anyone who works in advertising from accessing YouTube?) They paid the valedictorian of a Los Angeles high school $1,800 to “spontaneously” blurt out a secret crush during her speech, and they hired someone to film the speech in a faux-homemade style to post online.
Strips Are Best Teeth Whiteners, Consumer Reports Finds
By July 22, 2009
A Consumer Reports Insights story in the Washington Post evaluates the DIY teeth-whitening racket, finding strips work better than trays, which don’t always fit in your mouth so well, the products may mess with your sensitive teeth, and that yellow teeth whiten easier than gray, brown or blue.
Target Still Doing Business In A Reality Vortex
By July 21, 2009
Loyal Consumerist readers may have noticed that we haven’t made any recent posts in our widely acclaimed series of posts about how discount retailer Target is insane. Has Target sought help and found its way back to reality? No. We were just saving up material.
Better Business Bureau Kicks Out Four Businesses
By July 9, 2009
What can you do if you’re too small to have a shot in our Worst Company In America contest, but too awful to not earn some sort of notoriety? Well, you can get your BBB membership revoked and earn a big fat F ranking. It’s no golden poo, but it’s a start.
New York Mayor Says Luxury Homeless Shelter Residents Shouldn't Get Too Cozy
By June 8, 2009
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the Daily News that the residents of the swanky failed-condo-turned-homeless-shelter shouldn’t get too comfortable. They’ll need to move on.
Target Saves You Money In Ways You Can Only Imagine
By May 19, 2009
Target continues its rebranding as the Duchamp of retail stores, with this receipt that indicates savings where no savings ever existed. Or perhaps multi-dimensional savings; we can’t pretend to know what Target sees when it stares into the void. Mark notes, “The cookies were on sale, as indicated. The cascade, I had a coupon for it to be free. Total savings should be $4.23. The receipt says $7.37. Maybe it’s a conspiracy since it is the Love Field (near the airport) in Dallas where Southwest flies only 737s.” That’s as good an explanation as any, Mark. Maybe you should work for Target?
If You Use Twitter This Month, You Probably Won't Be Back Next Month
By May 11, 2009
Oprah has given the world many discoveries: Dr. Phil, books and on April 17, when she devoted an entire show to it, Twitter.
CBS Is Counting On Leno To Fail In Prime Time
By May 8, 2009
You know how much it sucks to lose a $5 bill, right? Well, times that by 11 million and you get an idea of how CBS president and CEO Les Moonves felt during the first quarter of the year, when his company lost $55.3 million.
This Discount Store Enjoys Messing With Its Customers' Minds
By April 23, 2009
Shelley just sent us this photo of a store she saw in New Jersey this afternoon. We particularly like that the neon signs in the window are just as contradictory as the roof signs. It’s like a decorating theme.
This Best Buy Survey Seems Suspiciously Biased
By April 18, 2009
Sidd tried to fill out a Best Buy post-purchase survey online, but he suspects it might be skewed toward specific ratings. We know, it’s just a glitch, but this would explain that report that Best Buy is demoting 8,000 senior sales associates.
Macy's Makes Fun Of Coupons With Its Latest Coupon
By April 7, 2009
Did you know the asterisk in the Macy*s logo is actually part of a clever branding campaign to associate the brand with fine print? It must be true, because no other department store has such a love of fine print on coupons—and such an apparent hatred of actual coupons. Their latest masterpiece in exclusions won’t cover electronics, wigs, mattresses, shoes, watches, about a million clothing brands, and more. What does it cover? Probably a shoehorn from the Notions for Men department.
Yum! Wants Feedback Only From Ancient Ones, Mummies, Civil War Veterans
By March 30, 2009
Want to provide some feedback to Yum! Brands, the company behind KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, and A&W Restaurants? No matter how old you are—they go back as far as Jan 1st, 1906—they’ll tell you that you’re too young to use the “Contact Us” part of their website. Yum! is in it for the long haul, and they don’t need a bunch of jibber-jabber from hooligans like you.
Sears Can't Get Its Story Straight Regarding Rust And Craftsman Tools
By March 13, 2009
C’mon Sears, rust isn’t a magic brown fairy powder that you can sprinkle over any warranty issue to deny coverage. Brian was told he couldn’t have his worn-out sockets replaced because they were rusty. He pointed out that he needed them replaced because they were worn out, not because of some cosmetic damage due to oxidation. Now Sears has officially told him that any rust on a Craftsman tool automatically voids the warranty—which is not what Sears told us two years ago.
Craftsman's "Lifetime Warranty" Depends On Tool Associate's Mood
By March 13, 2009
Brian tried to trade in some old Craftsman tools, the ones that come with a lifetime, no-questions-asked replacement policy. Unfortunately, the Tool Associate at Sears deemed Brian unworthy of the Cratfsman guarantee and refused him. That’s why he’s the Tool Associate.
Papa John's Love (Pizza) Is A Lie
By February 13, 2009
As is custom for Valentine’s Day, many businesses are offering heart-shaped merchandise. Papa John’s Pizza is offering a such a themed pizza. But, as is often the case, reality can be strikingly different than advertising. Come inside to see what the pizza actually looks like.
