• ask the consumerists

    Which Store Has The Worst Return Policy?

    As part of their multi-pronged effort to fight the financial Godzilla besieging the world economy, the European Commission today proposed a 14-day no-questions-asked return period for any online purchases made within the European Union. The "two-week cooling-off period" is designed to give consumers a chance to shop across borders for the best prices without worrying about return policies. The practically adorable European decision to respond to a financial crisis with consumer protections made us want to look inwards at some of the onerous return policies Americans face. More »

    4:00 PM on Sun Oct 12 2008
    By Carey
    18,256 views, 126 comments

    Most discussed sleze69: WRT to returns without a receipt. What is there to prevent someone from buying an item at store A more »

  • Fine Print

    Mattress Giant's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee Doesn't Apply To Mattresses

    Look, if you're going to call your store "Mattress Giant," and you're going to have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, then don't specifically exclude mattresses. More »

    4:00 PM on Sat Sep 27 2008
    By Carey
    32,011 views, 54 comments

  • Promotions

    Toys"R"Us: You Are Too Young For A Grandparent's Discount

    Sorry 49-year-olds, you aren't valid grandparents according to Toys"R"Us. The toy retailer and validator of family roles told 49-year-old Linda Peters that she wasn't old enough to use a 20% off coupon for grandkid-spoiling grandparents.
    "It's discriminatory," Peters said. "How do you put an age on a grandparent or a mother or a father, for that matter?"
    More »

    1:45 PM on Sat Sep 13 2008
    By Carey
    13,175 views, 80 comments

    Most discussed Diet-Orange-Soda: t's nt dscrmntry. t's wy fr thm t lmt rmpnt cpn s. Whnng bt t s pthtc. more »

  • bpa

    Confirmed: BPA Will Harm Your Monkey

    The bisphenol-A (BPA) saga continues, this time with a study that tried to replicate the ongoing environmental exposure to BPA that the average American faces, only with monkeys instead of rodents. The Washington Post reports:

    Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have linked [BPA] to problems with brain function and mood disorders in monkeys—the first time the chemical has been connected to health problems in primates.
    More »

    5:29 PM on Thu Sep 4 2008
    By Chris Walters
    3,455 views, 24 comments

    Most discussed ThickSkinned: To me the BPA scare is on par with fluoridated water warnings. BPA has been used for 50 years. more »

  • friendlys

    Friendly's Manager Outlaws Refunds, Demands That Employees Not Speak Her Name?

    There's something odd going on at reader Brian's local Friendly's. Brian and his wife ordered and paid for two sundaes, but when Friendly's discovered they were out of the flavor they'd requested, things got complicated. First, the employees refused to give Brian and his wife their money back because the manager doesn't allow refunds, then, when they asked to speak to the manager, not only would she not speak to them, but she also wouldn't allow the employees to say her name. More »

    4:15 PM on Wed Aug 20 2008
    By Meg Marco
    23,678 views, 150 comments

    Latest by lorenjfisher: This was NOT theft. Implied contracts aren't real contracts! You can have a written contract, or a verbal contract, and that's more »

  • ipods

    Apple Agrees To Replace Exploding First-Gen iPods After Japan Demands Action

    In what should have been a no-brainer, Apple today agreed to replace any iPod Nanos that unexpectedly explode. The announcement came as a response to the Japanese government, which yesterday asked the computer-maker to "take some measures" to warn consumers of the potential danger of their little pocket rockets. Apple blames a single bad battery supplier for the spontaneous fireworks. More »

    6:00 PM on Tue Aug 19 2008
    By Carey
    4,964 views, 22 comments

    Latest by Vivelafat says Vive La Obama: @metalrules24: No shit. I think some people on here owe him an apology. It seems that his attitude was justified more »

  • fred meyer

    Fred Meyer Says Cheese Is Not A Dairy Product

    Go shopping for cheese at the Ballard Fred Myer in Seattle, and you'll learn an interesting new fact about your food:

    The check-er-outer lady looked at it a while and said (without the slightest trace of irony),

    “I don’t think cheese is a dairy product.”

    Oh. Um. Well. Yes. Um. WHAT?

    “No, they don’t consider cheese a dairy product.”

    More »

    10:04 AM on Tue Aug 12 2008
    By Chris Walters
    16,588 views, 84 comments

  • customer service

    Despite What Their Website Says, Taking Pictures In San Francisco's Museum Of Modern Art Is Cause For Ejection

    Thomas Hawk was "forcibly thrown out" of San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art for taking photos in an area where photography is expressly allowed. Hawk had recently purchased a family membership to MOMA in no small part because of a policy change that permitted photography. When he arrived and started snapping away, he was approached by the director of visitor relations, Simon Blint... More »

    12:00 PM on Sun Aug 10 2008
    By Carey
    22,035 views, 131 comments

    Latest by antisan: That picture doesn't bother me, I suppose. But I have to say, I really don't think museums should let more »

  • Activism

    Disagree With Walmart's Bike Policy? Take Off Your Clothes In Protest!

    BikeForums member ReachHigher stripped down to her sports bra and spandex after Walmart refused to let her enter the store with her $600 bike. A manager explained that since Walmart sold bikes, bringing in an outside bike would obviously be too confusing to handle. ReachHigher asked if they also sold shirts. "She said yes so I took off my jersey and said well then I'd better not bring this in either..." More »

    1:00 PM on Sun Jul 27 2008
    By Carey
    77,570 views, 238 comments

    Latest by Cyfun: The issue of her having the bike in the store being a safety hazard is nullified by the fact that more »