UPS delivered a package to a Texas man expecting some tools he had ordered. Instead, the man found a 30-pound brick of marijuana.
UPS Inadvertently Busts Mail Order Pot Scheme By Delivering Brick Of Marijuana To Wrong Address
By January 15, 2009
Circuit City's "Free Shipping Day" Promise Turns Out To Be Worthless
By January 7, 2009
Circuit City promised that if you ordered from them on December 18th, you’d get free shipping and a guarantee that your order would arrive before Christmas. It turns out that promise was worthless, at least for Brandon—or rather, it’s worth exactly $5 in company scrip from Circuit City. (We love apologies that force you to shop at the company that screwed up.) Circuit City’s CSR even says that the December 18th offer doesn’t exist, despite the fact that their logo is still up on the freeshippingday.com website as of today.
UPS Refuses Your Package On Your Behalf
By January 5, 2009
Adam asked UPS to hold a package at his local facility because he knew he would be out of town. UPS sent Adam a confirmation message saying they would hold it for five days. Instead, they twice tried to deliver it to Adam a few hours later. Then they marked the package as refused by receiver and sent it back to the shipper.
By January 3, 2009
We know tween girl clothes aren’t sexy; we also think pre-tween clothes shouldn’t be promiscuous.
Don't Even Think Of Ordering A Pizza Stone From Amazon
By December 31, 2008
We’d like to share a personal story: it involves Amazon, Christmas presents, and three broken pizza stones.
By December 28, 2008
Borders gave a reader a coupon for $5 off any purchase of $5 or more. As our reader notes, “is this the right tactic for a struggling company to take?”
This Is Not A Good Method For Transporting Shopping Carts
By November 20, 2008
If you were thinking of loading a semi with tons of shopping carts, make sure you view the following video before you attempt it — just in case you’ve missed a small detail.
Restaurant's Creative Way Of Disguising Bad Health Inspection Report
By October 22, 2008
To disguise that they got a “C” on their recent health report, this restaurant incorporated it into a big sign on their front window. Tricky like a rock rhythm. Sneaky Restaurant Fail [Fail Blog]
Leading Hotels Still Kinda Committed To Selling 5-Star Rooms For $19.28 Per Night
By October 12, 2008
The Leading Hotels of the World want you to know they are still committed to offering 6,000 five-star hotel rooms for $19.28. The contest, originally conceived as a way to honor the association’s 1928 formation, is proving ironically successful, fusing a modern giveaway with 1928 technology. That whole email do-over idea? Silly! Forget it even existed. The group has gone and hired themselves some internet sherpas to help run the contest, and here’s what they’ve come up with….
The Worst Tip We Have Ever Received
By October 11, 2008
Yes, our pro-consumer bias has its limits. For instance, when a customer service representative tries to help you, don’t respond by telling them to “go back to school,” or by mentioning that your fourth-grade class can “spell better.” Of the tens of thousands of tips you have sent us, this is one of the worst. Do not be this guy.
By September 20, 2008
What sort of ad do you run next to a full-page PSA that says, “My sister accidentally killed herself”? Probably not this one. [FAIL Blog] (Thanks to theblackdog!)
Continental Confuses California With NYC?
By September 12, 2008
[Update: Several commenters have pointed out that "Ontario, CA" actually refers to Ontario, California, which is near L.A. And to be fair to the OP, we're the ones who misinterpreted Ontario, not her. We've updated the post. Also, check out Fly Girl's insider explanation as to what likely happened.]
Continental canceled one leg of Lesley’s flight from NYC to California without notice—she only discovered it when she went online to check that everything was okay this morning. What’s worse, however, is the alternative flight plan they proposed, which would have her going from NYC to Houston to California and immediately back to Houston to NYC again, depositing her 20+ hours later in Newark, New Jersey—where we presume a gang of Continental employees will be waiting for Lesley at the gate to beat the crap out of her with confiscated water bottles. East Coast hates West Coast, Lesley!
Nobody Panic: Government Seizes Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae
By September 6, 2008
Oh dear, all that talk about Freddie and Fannie being “adequately capitalized” was utter bullshit and the government has now announced plans to place the failed government sponsored enterprises into conservatorship. That means the fate of the housing market and the global economy rest squarely on the shoulders of U.S. taxpayers.
ATT Chatbots (People?) Don't Even Pretend To Help Anymore
By September 3, 2008
This unedited transcript from a recent “customer support” chat is pure, undiluted idiocy. Do not be surprised if after reading it, you feel a little dead inside, or a little stupider. That’s how you know the customer service chatbot—or person, which is kind of sad—is doing its job.
![Adobe: "It Would Have Been A Pleasure To Assist You With This Issue. [Unfortunately, We're Totally Incompetent]"](http://consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/failwoman.jpg?w=99)
Adobe: "It Would Have Been A Pleasure To Assist You With This Issue. [Unfortunately, We're Totally Incompetent]"
By June 26, 2008
If you produced expensive, frequently pirated software, you’d probably want the process for buying it to be as easy on the customer as possible, right? If you’re Adobe, not so much. Yet another reader writes in to share her frustrations with trying to buy Adobe’s Dreamweaver.
Why Would Anyone Bid $55 For A $50 Target Gift Card?!
By June 8, 2008
The ever-thoughtful economists over at Freakonomics are stumped by eBay member lpinok, who bid $55.71 for a $50 Target gift card.
We Are Not Impressed By New York City's Proposed Cable Consumer Bill Of Rights
By April 26, 2008
New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson has proposed tying a Cable Consumer Bill of Rights into the 10-year franchise renewals Time Warner and Cablevision are expected to sign later this year. The proposal would force cable operators to disclose information about their expenses and service goals—which sounds nice and important on paper—but wastes an unrivaled opportunity to end the cable operators’ most hated practices.
