Consumerist
advice
Posts Tagged “
Guides
”
advice
If you're going to buy an air conditioner unit this summer, remember to pick the right size. [Energy Star]
leaks
An anonymous tipster sent us AOL's 153 page internal collections guidebook for prying money out of delinquent account holders. The guide shows that AOL is following some of the debt industry's most egregious collection tactics by encouraging agents to deceive and lie to customers. After the jump we present AOL's scare tactics, tricks to negotiating a substantial discount, and the full collections guide.
More »
Exclusive: AOL's Collections Guide Encourages Agents To Lie And Deceive
An anonymous tipster sent us AOL's 153 page internal collections guidebook for prying money out of delinquent account holders. The guide shows that AOL is following some of the debt industry's most egregious collection tactics by encouraging agents to deceive and lie to customers. After the jump we present AOL's scare tactics, tricks to negotiating a substantial discount, and the full collections guide.
More »
babies
Get Info On BPA-Free Baby Products Via Text Messaging
If you've got a baby and you're concerned about buying unlabeled products that contain Bisphenol A or BPA—which some studies have indicated may lead to adverse health effects in humans—the website Z Recommends has just launched a free text messaging service that lets you query their database of companies while you're standing in the store. They've also got a printable wallet-card you can carry with you, which serves as both a cheat-sheet for the text service and a quick reference source for major companies. More »
gifts
10 Magazine Gift Guides Reviewed & Ranked
You're busy: you don't have time to shop, or to read magazines, or to look at magazines for ideas to guide you when you go shopping, which you're not going to do because you're too busy. Luckily Slate has pre-digested the gift guides from ten magazines including Vogue, Maxim, Consumer Reports, and Gourmet, then barfed them up like an HTML mama bird for your shopping convenience. More »
how to
Fix Your Old Christmas Lights
Save some money by re-using your existing strings of light this Christmas—even if they're currently acting all wonky. Here are some handy guides on how to repair dark strings of Christmas lights, whether they're LED or the classic incandescent type. They're fairly detailed, with a sort of techy "how things work" vibe, but contain a lot of useful information. For example, just because a string of incandescents has an AC outlet at the end, that doesn't make it an extension cord—the more power you pull through the cord, the greater the current and the higher the risk of shorting out bulbs. More »
advice
Who To Tip And How Much
Ah, holiday tipping, that peculiarly American pastime that erupts into an orgy of envelopes and awkward "thank you"s at the end of every year. Kiplinger tries the impossible: putting together a guide for who to tip and how much to give. Even they admit that it's nigh impossible to create a definitive guide—they suggest "handing out end-of-the year tips for one to three people who have given you exemplary service during the year." More »
how to
Live Without Credit Cards
The best way to escape from our mindless purchase economy is to ignore your credit cards in favor of pure, reliable cash. Credit cards undoubtedly have value - purchase protection, rewards, convenience - but only for consumers who use credit responsibly. No Credit Needed wrote a useful guide for anyone willing to live the credit-free life. More »
environment
Upgrade Or Repair Your Home With Eco-Friendly Products
Despite all the media attention, buying well-made, affordable products that are also environmentally sound is still a difficult task. Kiplinger's "Shopping Guide to Eco-Friendly Products" offers several suggestions to help you buy green and get a solid deal on major appliances, lawn care, building supplies, and home maintenance. More »
mother's day
Still Not Sure What To Get For Mother's Day? Consumer Reports Has A Guide For You
Last-minute shoppers wondering what to get for Mother's Day should check out a collection of useful tips from Consumer Reports. Some of the tips link to older articles, but the advice remain valid:What tips do you have for last minute shoppers? Tell us in the comments. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
rebates
Sensible Words About Rebates
Rebates are a huge point of controversy. We tend to be against them because they are designed to screw you, the consumer, out of money. However, some people have a lot of luck with rebates and we don't want to completely leave them out, so we're going to link to Wise Bread, where there is a well-reasoned and realistic guide to rebating. Just keep in mind that if you are forgetful like some of us, rebates are your enemy. Mortal enemy. Nemesis. The Darth to your Luke. The Wicked Witch to your Dorothy. More »
howto
HOWTO: Negotiate Your Gym Membership Like a Diva
Getting a gym membership without getting screwed is next to impossible, right? Wrong. Here are some simple negotiating tactics that will have you jazzercising in no time. More »
howto
HOWTO: Choose Your First Credit Card
Choosing your first credit card is serious business. Reader Travis writes in with a question: How should he choose his first credit card? It's a good question. More »
howto
HOWTO: Avoid ID Theft
According a Gallup poll 19% of consumers report having their financial information stolen including a bank or credit card number. More »
howto
HOWTO: Dispute a Utility Bill
While it doesn't compare to Michelle's $27,933.55 bill, last year we received what can only be called a totally bullshit $170 electric bill for a month when everyone was out of town. The problem was—we had no idea how to dispute it. Call in our Uncle Mickey? Scream colorful metaphors into the telephone? More »
howto
HOWTO: Grocery Shop on the Cheap
Oftentimes, people will grocery shop hungry, forget the list wadded in their pocket, and grab whatever looks yummy. Once home, they realize they bought 16 rotisserie chickens, a box of Chex Mix and a 6 pack of Rolling Rock. More »
howto
HOWTO: Handle Closing Dead People's Accounts
Anyone wishing to avoid the pain voiced by Sharon G in, "Sprint Harasses Grieving Mother For Two Years," should read the guide inside. More »
howto
