Investigations

Petland Uses Puppy Mills

After an eight-month investigation, the Humane Society of the United States accused Petland, the national pet store chain, of selling dogs bred under appalling conditions at puppy mills around the country.

While puppy mills aren't illegal, they're also not places where dogs are treated as anything more than merchandise—and the Humane Society says that the 21 Petland stores they investigated mislead buyers on where the dogs actually come from.

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8:11 PM on Thu Nov 20 2008
By Chris Walters
10,256 views, 136 comments

investigations

Video: JiffyLube Caught Upselling Car-Damaging Repair Services

KNBC undercover cameras caught local JiffyLubes and EZ-Lubes upselling customers to buy engine-flushing and fuel-injection cleaning services, services which have been forbidden by auto-manufacturers because they're unnecessary and can severely damage your engine. One guy's engine died while he was driving on the highway, and it cost him $5,000 to replace his engine. More »

4:44 PM on Thu Nov 13 2008
By Ben Popken
18,617 views, 94 comments

Most discussed nursetim: It was all of the upselling that soured me forever on oil change places. I have been changing my more »

investigations

Video: Ben Popken Investigates for CNBC's On The Money

Here's the clip from my piece and appearance on CNBC's On The Money on Friday night. I attended a Robert Allen Institute get rich in real estate seminar, interviewed some attendees, and gave tips on what to watch out for in "money-making opportunity" scams. Here are some red flags to beware:

Promises of fast and easy money
The person who brings you in gets a cut of your profits, and then you get a cut off new people you bring into the system
Requires large upfront fees before you really understand what's going on

As one interviewee told me, anyone who's got a killer investing strategy is out there doing it, they're not giving free seminars about it. Watch the video, inside... More »

8:05 AM on Sat Nov 8 2008
By Ben Popken
8,253 views, 50 comments

Most discussed Teradoc: That is a good video, wish I had saw that over 4 years ago when I got suckered into Quixtar. I more »

media whoring

Ben Popken On On The Money This Friday

Check me out on On The Money tomorrow night. I acted as their on-screen reporter in their piece about the Robert Allen get rich in real estate Institute. Catch it Friday at 9pm eastern on CNBC. Bloggers are reporters and they're on TV, baby!

12:34 PM on Thu Nov 6 2008
By Ben Popken
869 views, 11 comments

Most discussed MercuryPDX: Tivo and TV Guide show: "Fast Money" "The bailout package" The bailout package has caused a shift in power for American more »

investigations

Updated: Ben Popken Rocks On The Money (Delayed)

UPDATE: CNBC is holding my piece tonight because Robert Allen himself has agreed to talk to them on-camera. So maybe we'll see it next week. Stay tuned.

Be sure to catch me in my debut as a "real journalist" of the small-screen, doing a special report on the Robert Allen real estate program, on CNBC's On The Money program Tuesday night, 9pm eastern. I'll be the reporter in the piece, and talking with Carmen Wong Ulrich on set. Set the DVR to "posterity," it's a special Consumerist/On The Money tag-team you don't want to miss!

On The Money [Official Site]
RELATED:Consumerist Attends Robert Allen's Get Rich Quick In Real Estate Seminar
Despite Subprime Implosion, Robert Allen's Troops Still Pitch "Get Rich Quick In Real Estate With No Money Down"

9:33 PM on Mon Oct 27 2008
By Ben Popken
2,610 views, 20 comments

investigations

Consumerist Attends Robert Allen's Get Rich Quick In Real Estate Seminar

I wanted to find out what Robert Allen's "get-rich-quick in real estate with no money down" promise was all about, so when I saw a full page ad in the Daily Post advertising one of his free seminars recently, I went and checked it out. I'll give you a full run-down later, but here's the quick and dirty, and what I can tell about how the darn thing seems to function. More »

8:00 PM on Wed Oct 22 2008
By Ben Popken
28,613 views, 95 comments

Most discussed proskills: So, in the name of consumerism, you paid this tool $1500 to listen to him slowly speak about something anyone more »

text messages

Wireless Carriers Tell Senate: "Text Messaging Rates Have Dropped, And Your Queries Have Led To Lawsuits Against Us!"

The national wireless carriers have responded to the Senate's request for information on why its text-messaging fees have doubled over the past three years. Their collective response: they haven't gotten more expensive, they've gotten cheaper—and your public suspicion of our business practices has led to lots of class action lawsuits! More »

9:04 PM on Mon Oct 13 2008
By Chris Walters
15,831 views, 82 comments

Most discussed humphrmi: Here's an easy way to fix the problem (this statement is targeted to the wireless carriers): When someone sends 10 messages more »

Avanza

Supermarket Chain Adds 10% At Register, But Only In Some Stores

Nash Finch, a Minneapolis-based supermarket chain, adds a 10% fee to the bill at its stores catering to Hispanic shoppers in Colorado, reports 9News in Denver:

The Nash Finch stores Avanza, Food Bonanza and Wholesale Food Outlets add the 10 percent charge to food at the register and specialize in serving Hispanics, according to store workers.

However, the Nash Finch stores Sun Mart Foods, Econo Foods, Family Fresh Market, Pick N Save and Prairie Market stores do not charge extra at the register and do not cater to Hispanics, according to the store workers.

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2:44 PM on Fri Oct 10 2008
By Chris Walters
13,989 views, 113 comments

Most discussed hillsrovey: What a stupid idea - and someone was paid to come up with this? I can't imagine shopping anywhere more »

career day

What It's Like To Be A Flight Attendant

A travel reporter for the New York Times spent two days working as a flight attendant on American Airlines, flying between Dallas and New York City and shadowing the real flight attendants as they dealt with drunk passengers, supply shortages, and travelers who are already fed up and tense before they even board the plane.

“Who would have thought, after 30 years, that we’d be a flying 7-Eleven,” Becky Gilbert, a three-decade veteran of the industry told me during a break in our training session in Fort Worth.

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1:45 PM on Thu Sep 25 2008
By Chris Walters
22,226 views, 70 comments

Most discussed dopplerd: The thing that I don't get is the weight limit due to the runway. What were they flying in more »

lead

Some Outsourced Dental Implants Test Positive For Lead

If you're getting dental implant work done, you may want to ask if they outsource to other countries. A KPHO investigation bought 13 crowns from labs in China, Thailand and the US. Ten of them came back positive for lead, with levels from 110 parts per million to 240 parts per million. The problem may be from the surface stain used to whiten and brighten the teeth. Throughout history, lead has been used in paints because it's bright, cheap, and highly durable.

Some Dental Work May Contain Lead, Tests Show [KPHO] (Thanks to Nicole!) (Photo: dental ben)

6:41 PM on Tue Sep 23 2008
By Ben Popken
4,649 views, 50 comments

Most discussed yankerosa: Who do I have to punch in the taint to change that damn picture... sweet backstroking Christ. more »

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