Consumerist
fireworks
Posts Tagged “
Holidays
”
fireworks
fathers day
5 Last Minute Father's Day Deals
Because Father's Day is this Sunday (you knew that, right?) CNN Money has put together a small list of last minute deals that will put a smile on dear old dad's face. The list, inside... More »
good company
Apple Reprocesses Photo Orders So They Can Arrive Before Mother's Day
Dan writes, "Apple saved Mother's Day!"My daughter and I ordered a book as a Mother's Day gift, and I was disappointed to learn it would ship late and miss the big day. I had waited until the last day of the promotion (April 30th at about 9:00 PM EST), so I didn't want to complain. Then this landed in my inbox.More »
It may not be too late to take your sweetie to a candlelit dinner at White Castle on Valentine's Day. Reservations are required. [White Castle]
above and beyond
Tiffany's Dazzling Customer Service More Than Makes Up For Shipping Snafu
Ritzy Fifth Avenue jeweler Tiffany & Co. failed to ship Chris' grandfather a bracelet for his wife in time for Christmas. We expect a certain level of service from high-end stores, but Tiffany's extravagant amends caught us by surprise. More »
accounting
How States And Companies Make Money Off Of Unspent Gift Cards
In the last three years, New York has collected $19 million in unused gift card balances under the state's unclaimed-property laws. Best Buy added $135 million in unspent gift cash to its total operating income over the past two years. "For individual retailers, unspent balances can range anywhere from 2% to more than 10% of all gift-card sales," notes BusinessWeek. More »
above and beyond
Pottery Barn Saved Christmas With Good Customer Service
Pottery Barn rescued Reginald's Christmas gift from the clutches of incompetent delivery people who forgot to hand over all the pieces to his Lawyer's Bar & Hutch. Reginald was fuming, ready to tell Pottery Barn that he would never shop with them again—but then he spoke to Jim. More »
seasonal
Buy Your 2008 Holiday Crap Now While It's Practically Free
If you're one of those people who has more storage space than money (not us, sadly) go out right now and buy your 2008 holiday crap, while it's 75% off. More »
retail
Has Walmart Finally Beaten Target?
Though the final numbers are not yet in, the analysts are predicting an unusual win this holiday season for Walmart:So what has turned the tide for Wal-Mart?More »
hype
The Best Deals Are Not Found On Black Friday
Stores offer the steepest discounts the day before Christmas, not on Black Friday. A Boston Globe study found that the orgy of mindless early-morning consumerism is good for cutesy door prizes and savings on one or two items, but provides no discount for the vast majority of surveyed goods. More »
complaints
What Part Of "Must Obtain Signature" Did FedEx Misunderstand?
Frank told FedEx to require a signature before delivering his skis, instructions FedEx found vague and confusing. When Frank complained, FedEx said that in order to deliver the increased volume of goods over the holidays, they reserve the right to essentially chuck your delicate gifts from a speeding truck. More »
stupid
Easter Creep: Target Hauls Out The Easter Products On December 26
We'd love to tell you exactly what we yelled at our computer screen when we saw the above photograph, but it would probably set off your company's web filtering software. More »
retail
Return Policies For 15 Major Retailers
Hate that stationary bike your hint-dropping friend got you for Christmas? Want to return it so you can buy something useful like a cook book or ten pounds of fudge? Well Mouseprint rounded up return policies for fifteen major retailers to help you offload all those gifts you never wanted. Retailers readily accept returns if you have a receipt and the original packaging with price tags. Most stores charge a 15% restocking fee and want their merchandise back within a few weeks. Happy returning!
Retailers' Return Policies: The 2007 Fine Print [Mouseprint]
Tips for hassle-free gift returns [All Consuming]
(Photo: stephentrepreneur)
cutbacks
Lillian Vernon Fires Employees Four Days Before Christmas
Longtime catalog business Lillian Vernon, famous for its dinky personalized items—and under corporate ownership of one sort or another since 2003—decided to personalize the sensation of being terminated last Thursday, reports the Virginian-Pilot. Although seasonal workers have always been a big part of LV's holiday workforce, this time around the axe fell on longterm employees who showed up to their normal, year-round jobs that morning. "Lillian Vernon officials declined to comment on the layoffs. Philip Read, a company spokesman, answered his wireless phone Friday and said he was no longer employed by Lillian Vernon as of Thursday." More »
clearance
Retail: Can The Day After Christmas Save Christmas?
It's official now, Christmas was "lackluster" for retailers, despite the predicted "last minute" serge of shopping activity. From USAToday:The International Council of Shopping Centers said same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year during the November-December period, appear to be coming in just below meager projections, though it said post-Christmas buying could help restore the shortfall.More »
holidays
Gift Idea: Buy Someone A Magnum
Tyler Colman, Ph.D., also known as Dr. Vino, suggests giving magnums this year because those huge bottles have a smaller carbon footprint due to the more favorable wine-to-glass ratio. More »
pr
Gee Whiz! The Starbucks "Cheer Chain Phenomenon" Might Be A Lame PR Stunt
Some cynical people, (not us, mind you) are starting to suspect that the news stories popping up all over the U.S. about Starbucks "cheer chains" might be planted by Starbuck's PR team. More »
failure
Reader Mike says:
Macy's Website Asks You To "Wait Here A Few Moments While Other Shoppers Finish Up"
Reader Mike says: Thought you guys would like this screenshot of a page I've been receiving from Macys.com for about the last half hour. Makes it pretty hard to see what their final One Day Sale before the holidays has to offer. Keep up the good work Consumerist!We like the "wait in line" style of the message. It's a good way to remind people who shop online to avoid crowds that they've managed to fail in that regard.
Mike
