Consumerist
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H1N1
Iowa Feline Catches Swine Flu
When you're home sick, snuggling with a pet can have tremendous healing powers. "Plus," you might say to yourself, "at least Fluffy can't catch this awful swine flu I have." Well....not so fast. It's not common, but a cat in Iowa has been diagnosed with, and recovered from, swine flu. More » -
mortage meltdown
Newsflash: The Next Tsunami Of Aggressively Irresponsible Loans Didn't Magically Disappear
We've been talking about the next wave of the mortgage crisis for quite some time now, and it seems that, as predicted, it's cresting and about to hit. We are, of course, speaking of Option-ARM loans — considered the riskiest of all mortgages due to their ability to grow rather than shrink. Yes, there actually exists a mortgage that allows the borrower to pay less than the interest that is accruing on the loan. More » -
News From The Heartland
Iowans To Get Wishy Washy Consumer Bill Of Rights
Good news, Iowans! Your legislature has decided to enact a consumer bill of rights giving you the power to sue businesses that commit fraud. Unless, of course, you're going after banks, attorneys, insurance providers, doctors, cable companies, telecoms, utilities, veterinarians, realtors, charities, architects, or certain retailers. Still, the bill isn't entirely useless... More » -
errors
Thanks For Giving My Tax Refund To Someone Else, H & R Block
Q:What happens when HR Block copies your bank information incorrectly and deposits your tax refund into someone else's account? A:The other person spends it and H & R Block shrugs and tells you to call the police. More » -
crime
Iowa Woman Arrested For Failing To Return Library Book
Thirty-nine-year-old Shelly Koontz was arrested for failing to return a copy of the The Freedom Writer's Diary that she borrowed last April from the Jessup library. The library had tried to reach Koontz through four calls and four letters, one certified, which she refused to accept. Fed up, library officials asked to press charges, leading officers to visit Koontz's home with three simple options: return the book; pay the library $13.95 so they could buy a new copy; or, go to jail. More » -
odd
Iowa Town Uses Garlic Salt To De-Ice The Roads
The roads in a certain Iowa town are deliciously garlic-y. They've been using garlic salt to de-ice the streets. More » -
panera
Panera Bread Customer Service Rises To The Occasion
Dave sent the following lovenote to Panera Bread after they made a bad situation into a great customer service experience. He writes, More » -
grocery shrink ray
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Kraft Swiss Cheese Singles?
Bruce sends in what he thinks is another victim of the Grocery Shrink Ray's fell and indiscriminate wrath:I was shopping at my local HyVee here in Iowa the other day and noticed that Kraft Deli Fresh cheese slices have new packaging. Being an avid Consumerist reader I immediately suspected the grocery shrink ray.
The old packet, still visible on the Kraft website, contains 11 slices and weighs 8 oz, compared to 10 slices and 7 oz in the new one. The individual slices a little bit thinner now too, 8/11 > 7/10. Bruce is exactly right, if you see your old favorite now being sold in a new packaging, that's a red flag that you may looking at a slimmed-down package. However, Bruce did not send in shots of the price tags, which is necessary to determine if the item is truly grocery shrink ray shrunk. As such, we can only label this a potential victim for now.
DELI DELUXE - CHEESE - SWISS 2% MILK REDUCED FAT SLICES 11 CT [Kraft]
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subprime meltdown
No Help For 70% Of Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
A new study shows that despite the best efforts of lawmakers and mortgage-service companies, little is actually being done to help homeowners facing foreclosure, says the Wall Street Journal. More » -
backlash
Pizza Hut Delivery Driver Fired For Shooting Armed Robber
A Pizza Hut delivery driver with a valid handgun permit has been fired after he shot an armed robber who put a gun to his head and demanded he turn over his cash. Now an Iowa state senator is calling for a boycott of Pizza Hut:"You tell me any Iowan that was in his situation, that had a gun put to his head, how they would've reacted differently," state Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale said. "I think it's the wrong decision by Pizza Hut and I will not be buying any more Pizza Hut products."
Pizza Hut says it's against company policy for delivery drivers to carry guns, even with a valid permit. More » -
above and beyond
Empty Room? Bijou Theater Screens Movie For One Couple
I had a great customer service experience and I thought I would share it with you. My fiancee and I live in Mount Vernon, Iowa and like to frequent the old-school, single-screen movie theater in town called the Bijou. It's a family run theater with cheap prices ($4/movie) and a great reputation as a family-friendly place. Before each of the showings the owner/manager greets the crowd, gives out prizes, and welcomes any first-timers in the audience. More » -
marketing
The University Of Iowa Removes Athletes From Credit Card Promotions
This University of Iowa credit card scandal is getting more interesting every day. Today's development: The University has "backed away" from allowing athletes to be used in the U of I alumni association credit card program. More » -
privacy
Alumni Associations And Public Universities Profit By Selling Student Data To Bank Of America
We stumbled across a very interesting article in the Des Moines Register that discusses the methods public universities' alumni associations (in this case, the University of Iowa and ISU) use to obtain and sell student data. More » -
bad consumer
Kmart Employee Busted For Letting Relatives Walk Out With Shopping Carts Full Of Stolen Stuff
Employee theft is a serious problem for retailers. It makes prices go up and return policies more strict. So when we hear about an employee getting busted for such a spectacularly stupid, yet probably effective and routinely performed scam we are glad. More » -
lawsuits
Taco Bell Employee Allegedly Spit, Urinated in Food
A family from Sidney, Iowa has filed suit against the owners of a KFC/Taco Bell after they were served food that was allegedly contaminated by an employee. According to the lawsuit, the couple's 4 year-old son became "violently ill" after being served food that had been contaminated by an employee who "maintained 'special servings'" of food contaminated with urine and saliva so that it could be fed to unsuspecting police officers. More » -
success
FCC Chairman Orders Telecoms To Restore Access To Free Iowa-Based Conference Call Providers
The Chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin, has issued a stern rebuke to the telecoms that blocked their subscribers from accessing free Iowa-based conference call providers. Quoth the Chairman:We actually contacted the companies that were listed in the press [reports] and said our rules prohibit you from blocking consumers' access to any of the service providers... One had stopped blocking, but we heard complaints the next week that they were restricting access, sort of narrowing the pipe. We called them back and said, no, no, you can't artificially degrade [service] either.
We think you should celebrate this reversal with your friends on a free Iowa-based conference call. If the service is blocked, or in any way degraded, don't hesitate to fill out the FTC's consumer complaint form. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER More » -
microsoft
Iowa Microsoft Users Can Get Some Class Action Settlement Cash
According to Ars Technica, Microsoft users in Iowa can cash in on some sexy, sexy Class Action Settlement cash. Oh, my! More »
iowa
New York, 2:14 PM
Mon Nov 9
11 posts in the last 24 hours
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