As a follow-up to the Starbucks post, we received a couple emails from employees who told us that Starbucks begins using the red cups typically on the first Tuesday of November, but doesn't start offering the peppermint mocha and all that stuff until later-November 17, according to one tipster.

(Photo: TMQ.st.louis)

Thanks!

From rent.com's press release:

While the survey found 11 percent of renters believe they have lived in a home inhabited by ghosts, others would be willing to do so in order to save money. In fact, 69 percent of renters would be willing to crash with Casper for the right price. More than half (51 percent) of renters would share their home with a ghost in exchange for free rent, and over one quarter (27 percent) would do it for half-price.

Three in 10 people who have rented (30 percent) said they'd bunk with the boogeyman if they received free utilities, while nearly one in four (23 percent) would do it in exchange for a free flat-screen TV with cable.

Overall, 31 percent of renters said no deal. Nothing, "not even a million bucks," would convince them to conquer their phasmophobia (fear of ghosts). However, a greater percentage of males than females are willing to live with ghosts for any given tradeoff (74 percent vs. 64 percent).

This data just goes to prove how much more daring women are than men. Judging from the Twilight phenomenon, a significant portion of women not only don't fear vampires, they lust after them, so long as they're metrosexual and sparkly.

So, Consumerists, let's have it out — would you live with a ghost? Have you?

(Photo: MReder Design)

Choose the 5 shopping gotchas suggested by readers that make your head hurt the most.

When the voting is done, we'll announce the top 10 most popular choices in another post.

(Photo:redandjonny)

He doesn't spell out his request in his message, but you can tell he's struggling with a moral dilemma. The devil on his shoulder tells him that the extended warranty he bought when he purchased his destined-to-break Xbox 360 entitles him to whatever results from the process when he makes Best Buy live up to its end of the bargain. The angel says, "Be better than Best Buy."

He writes:

Today I went and picked up a refurbished Xbox 360 Elite from my local Best Buy that they gave me as a replacement for the one I brought in a couple weeks ago which was broken. The only thing is, I had already returned the broken Xbox and received $400 in store credit for it. I had tried to get it repaired through their extended warranty program (which I know is a terrible deal for everything else, but has worked wonders for my series of Xboxes), and they couldn't repair it. I had been eyeing the release of the Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 being released in November, so instead of simply picking up another Xbox 360 Elite, I asked if I could get store credit instead.

The retail price of an Elite was $400 at the time of purchase, and the new MW2 Xbox will also retail for $400. $400 of store credit was granted, as well as a prorated refund of the extended warranty. Basically, I milked the warranty program to get a free upgrade to a newer version of the Xbox (which I had previously done when my Pro Xbox died and I upgraded to an Elite without being charged due to price drops), but this is an entirely new quandry for me. They gave me a replacement Xbox for one I already returned to the store for store credit. I have a feeling it may be an issue with the Best Buy computer system accepting the refund and the Geek Squad system automatically giving me a replacement for an Xbox they couldn't fix. Do you guys think I should try to give it back?

OK, time to weigh in on what you think Ian should do.

(Photo: Tengaport)

(Photo: jgodsey)

I recently had my 4th Red Ring of Death, specifically a 0020 Error. What that essentially means is that the internal components to my xbox have been warped to a point that the cheap soldering has broken, and the thermal paste inside the box isnt protecting the GPU enough. As Microsoft states, it's a general hardware failure, one that they refuse to officially identify.

That was the 4th xbox to RROD in my home.

I figured I would try to call Xbox support and see about getting a repair. Well, didn't work out as I planned. I've spent 5 days and 15 hours on the phone, most of them on hold. The first set of guys "Leon", "Mike", and "Vlad" a rep, "Supervisor" and "Manager" respectively, told me that they could not help me as my xbox was apparently out of warranty. I've not owned my 360 that long, I bought mine on Oct. 23rd, 2007. I tried to dispute this fact with them, but I was called a "Stupid American" and was given the brush-aside by being told I would receive a phone call in 24-48 hours to speak with an upper level manager.

Well, it's been several days since that happened. I don't believe xbox is doing the consumer right, so I decided I wanted to find out exactly what was going on around campus. I intend to poll about 1000 people, personally, pertaining to individual xbox 360 failures. With this data, I intend to prove my thesis: It is not a matter of "if," it is a matter of "when." So far, I have about 200 respondants, and of them, I am sitting on a 71% failure rate. 14 students have worked with 3 xboxs, with 4 of them (including myself) working on their 4th box.

My aim is to show that through personal interview, I can get a better understanding of exactly what is going on with xboxs around the country (we are a university after all.)

I'd love to ask more people about their experiences, and when I feel that I have enough data, I plan on working with the Math department to get a good model on three variables "pass/fail test", "length of ownership", and "hours played per week."

If you are an Xbox owner and would like to help Ben with his project, email your name, phone number and a convenient time for a short interview to BenStrauss {at} sinsandsaints dot org.

RELATED: Xbox 360 Failure Rate is 54.2 Percent, Game Informer Finds
(Photo: tubbynj)

"Casual Fridays: We believe we're the thriftiest people we know" [Cognitive Daily]
(Photo: borman818)

Keep in mind that this poll is not specific to what's happening with Glenn Beck's show. We're not trying to be political here; it could be anything-companies that advertise heavily during Yankees games, companies that run ads during awful sitcoms, whatever. We want to know if you actually care. So...

If you have a different answer, let us know in the comments.

(Photo: Ryan Brenizer)

RELATED: How Credit Cards Are Getting Meaner
(Photo: SqueakyMarmot)

[NYT]

by CharlieChu

by www.robinryan.ca

by onlymefairmay

by iamtekn

by Nova Heart

Our Flickr Pool is the place where Consumerist readers go and upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click "Join Group?" up on the top right, and start hitting "send to group" on your individual photos you want to add to the pool.

Add your shots to The Consumerist Flickr pool, and perhaps they'll get featured in a future story, or even highlighted in a Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds post. See previous winners of the Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool finds here.

Creating a government-sponsored lending agency-a Fannie Mae for credit cards-would rein the whole system in. For one thing, it would offer lower rates than the usual 18 percent. The government could charge, say, 8 percent interest and still turn a profit. It would include none of the usual hidden fees or surprise charges. (In 2007, penalty fees were $7.5 billion, cash advance fees were $5.6 billion, annual fees were $4.6 billion, and interchange fees were $23.6 billion.) And while the credit card industry spent $34 billion on marketing in 2007, the government would avoid that expense entirely. The card would theoretically be accepted everywhere, because merchants would know Obama is good for it.

• Slots that don't fit (and can be removed!)
• Multiple mirrors - one could be hiding a camera that records your PIN
• Strange ATM error messages
• Trouble inserting or removing your card
• The ATM looks different from the other ATMs around it
• Dummy brochure boxes with hidden cameras on them

Well, The corks have yet to stop popping for those who opposed the plan — mainly drunk-driving awareness groups, the police, and small-business owners. Police feared an increase in underage drinking, since kids would have easier access to wine (uh, know any teens who crack open a bottle of Merlot on a Friday night?); and Mom and Pop wine stores claimed they would not be able to compete with the volume discounts offered at the supermarket.

However, supporters of the idea, such as Vote Wine 2009 (a coalition of supermarkets, wine growers, and the New York Farm Bureau) note that "Without this proposal, consumers will continue to pay higher prices and have less choice."

Either way, if the budget passes, wine will go up 6 cents a bottle. And since we'll still have to make a special trip to a wine store to buy our Chateau Trop Cher, it kinda seems like the consumer is the one who loses out in this war of the rosés.

Wine in Grocery Stores Proposal is Killed (Photo: Ninjapoodles)

Title: "Where the gold went"
By: frankieleon

Title: "amazingness..."
By: ColumbusCameraOp

Title: "MACRO2009 - Cold hard cash"
By: Mike Rollerson

Title: "MACRO2009 - Refreshing"
By: Mike Rollerson

Title: "A drip, dropping? A drop, dripping?"
Caption: "I bought a Speedlite flash with my camera, but have always been intimidated by it. Tonight I faced my fears and attached it to the camera and then stood in the dark by the sink and used it strobe-like about 10,000 times until I was almost blind and I finally captured a drop of water falling from the faucet."
By: davidcaloren

Our Flickr Pool is the place where Consumerist readers go and upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click "Join Group?" up on the top right, and start hitting "send to group" on your individual photos you want to add to the pool.

Add your shots to The Consumerist Flickr pool, and perhaps they'll get featured in a future story, or even highlighted in a Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds post. See previous winners of the Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool finds here.

Title: "Ultimate Cheeseburger - 76/365"
Caption: "I laid out the shot, including the Gatorade and firearm, and Meghan hit the shutter."
By: Welvis Tarn

Title: "the Bugs Bunny house"
Caption: "You remember that old Loony Toons where a building is being constructed over Bugs Bunny's hole, and he goes to war to save his home. The end result is this huge skyscraper with a divot taken out of it where his hole is.

This house is kind of like that. The Big Evil Conglomerate bought up all the surrounding land save for this one house - the owner refused to move - so they built around her.

Makes for a very odd looking building, donchya think?"
By: Great Beyond

Title: "The Jellybean People"
Caption: "The Jellybean People by Sandy Skoglund, National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, PA"
By: afagen

Our Flickr Pool is the place where Consumerist readers go and upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click "Join Group?" up on the top right, and start hitting "send to group" on your individual photos you want to add to the pool.

Add your shots to The Consumerist Flickr pool, and perhaps they'll get featured in a future story, or even highlighted in a Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds post. See previous winners of the Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool finds here.

Title: "Open House"
Caption: "Shot on Kodak Ektachrome E100 GX "
By: thedarkerside.to

Title: untitled
By: DeJay!

Title: "Tax Frustration"
Caption: "It's that time of year again.

My first entry into the world of macro photography. "
By: Alberto Cueto

Title: "Free pleasure"
Caption: "Girard Avenue, Philadelphia
December 2008"
By: propaganda panda

Title: "Gaskiers, NL"
Caption: "A halfway demolished (and very old) house in the community of Gaskiers, Newfoundland."
By: Colin Tobin

Our Flickr Pool is the place where Consumerist readers go and upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click "Join Group?" up on the top right, and start hitting "send to group" on your individual photos you want to add to the pool.

Add your shots to The Consumerist Flickr pool, and perhaps they'll get featured in a future story, or even highlighted in a Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds post. See previous winners of the Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool finds here.

[via Kotaku]

Title: "Day 045/365 - The Sixth Circle of Hell: Lust"
Caption: "Happy Valentines Day, with the most appropriate of the Seven Deadly Sins - LUST!"
By: Great Beyond

Title: "DSC_1320"
By: Brian Jackson Now

Title: "Bike Ride to 7-11"
By: The Notorious T.D.P

Title: "Curbside Parking"
Caption: "Saw this all by itself, perfectly parked next to the curb outside our house this evening. It's kinda sad when a kid can park better than a lot of adults on the street."
By: wednesday181

Our Flickr Pool is the place where Consumerist readers go and upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click "Join Group?" up on the top right, and start hitting "send to group" on your individual photos you want to add to the pool.

Add your shots to The Consumerist Flickr pool, and perhaps they'll get featured in a future story, or even highlighted in a Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds post. See previous winners of the Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool finds here.

Title: "Day 043/365 - The Fourth Circle of Hell: Envy"
By: Great Beyond

Title: "Last Day of School"
By: tjean314
Caption: "On the last day of school, 5th graders at the Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts released a fleet of helium-filled balloons. The event was a rite of passage: at once a celebration of the end of elementary school and an embarkation to the brave new world of middle school. Attached to the balloons were cards expressing the students' hopes and dreams. "

Title: "how to get warm"
By: squashed bug

Title: "Smile Like You Mean It"
By: besar bears
Caption: "This construction site hoarding in Macau was adorned with flying Cheshire cats. Strange, eh? "

Title: "Mr Corporate"
By: amcdaniel83
Caption: "Charles keeps the books on this dodgy shipping company"

Our Flickr Pool is the place where Consumerist readers go and upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click "Join Group?" up on the top right, and start hitting "send to group" on your individual photos you want to add to the pool.

Add your shots to The Consumerist Flickr pool, and perhaps they'll get featured in a future story, or even highlighted in a Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds post. See previous winners of the Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool finds here.

1. Are you prepared to give your taxes your time?
2. Are you prepared to put up cash to hire a preparer?
3. Are you prepared to deal with the complexity of the federal code?

Certainly there are several good reasons you may want to hire someone to do your taxes. MSN Money adds to these with a list of eight situations when they believe you'd be foolish not to hire a tax preparer:

1. You have significant amounts of income and possible tax losses from a business.
2. You have investment gains and losses, especially from limited partnerships.
3. You have income from foreign countries.
4. You have investments in several investment rental properties with losses.
5. You have a tax-free exchange of property.
6. You have potential exposure to the alternative minimum tax.
7. You have made significant noncash charitable contributions, such as property, stocks or other assets.
8. You've had a change in marital status, such as a divorce or the death of your spouse.

The key to making the right decision for yourself is this: does a tax preparer add value? If they are simply putting numbers on forms, it's likely not worth the cost. If, however, they educate you, help you avoid taxes and/or get deductions you wouldn't have otherwise found, and help you plan appropriately for the next tax year, it's likely worth it.

What's your take? Do-it-yourself or hire out?Should you do your own taxes? [MSN Money]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: funny strange or funny ha ha)

• $2 increase for additional subs
• $2.99 fee for internet radio service
• However, all internet subs will now include the 128k feed

Sirius XM Rate Increase For March 11th CONFIRMED [SiriusBuzz]

But the most interesting part of Tyson's article is the question he asks to kick it off: "Which financial gurus are worth listening to?"

He lists some options for consideration: Suze Orman (The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom), Terry Savage (The Savage Number), Jim Cramer, Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad), Thomas Stanley (The Millionaire Mind, The Millionaire Next Door), and Jane Bryant Quinn. A few more deserving consideration include Dave Ramsey (Total Money Makeover) and even widely-read financial bloggers like JD Roth and Trent Hamm.

Of course almost every "guru" has both supporters and detractors — what works for some people doesn't work for others — so finding consensus is difficult, if not impossible. That said, we thought we'd get your take on the numerous financial gurus offering advice these days.

So, what financial gurus do you think are worth listening to?Which Financial Gurus Are Worth Listening To? [Eric Tyson]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: dsb nola)

Don't know your FICO? Here's 5 no-BS ways to get one for free.

PREVIOUSLY: Woot Customer Demands Non-Existent Black iPod Headphones
(Photo: bbatsell)

Millard does not care that Apple only makes white ones (unless you're getting special U2 iPods, which this wasn't). Now he wants Woot to pay for the black headphones he was "forced" to buy so they would match. It was very important to both him and his daughter, for whom the iPod was a birthday gift, that the headphones and iPod matched.

Woot.com was actually the ones who forwarded over the email exchange to us. They're hoping that Consumerist readers can offer advice on how they should react to the situation. At the bottom of the exchange posted below is a poll where you can write your tips and vote on other others'. Woot has promised to take them under advisement.

"From: MillardR
To: Service; Woot Member Services
Subject: Error in color ....
Hello,

I received the item I ordered, but the ear piece was shipped to me in "white" rather than in "black" to match my black iPod.

Can you help?

Millard R

—
Woot Member Services wrote:

Millard,

Apparently the people at Apple are not fashion-sensitive because those ear pieces only come in white. We apologize for this but unfortunately there isn't much we can do for you in this case.

-Rutherford

—
From: MillardR
To: Service; Woot Member Services
Subject: Re: Error in color ....

Hello Rutherford,

I never knew that this piece was going to come this way, and if you ask me (your customer) I fell that Woot should inform their customers of this type of detail issue. Well ... it now cost me an additional $29.00 to purchase a black set of ear plugs (that are for sale) to match the IPOD that I purchased from Woot in Black. How is this fair
to me .... the customer that feels he was mislead?

I hope you can do something to off-set my additional expense.

Best regards,

Millard R

—
Woot Member Services wrote:

I'm not sure how you felt mislead. The picture shows white earbuds. As a matter of fact, I looked back at other iPods that we sold and ALL the earbuds were white.

Rutherford

—
From: Millard R
To: Woot : Service

Hello Rutherford,

I'm really surprised to see that you're (WOOT) is taking this stance against one if its customers. The reason I felt mislead is because I was asked to select between "White" or "Black", and I was under the assumption that, again "White" meant totally "White" and that "Black meant totally Black". It never mentioned that only to IPOD itself
would be affected by the color, and that the other accessories would be shipped in a standard White color.

That's like purchasing a new car in the color of your choice (Blue) and when you finally take it home and you open the hood or truck ... its pink in color. Well when you call your sales person and report your finding, the customer support person states that it only comes in that color. Well if you were never told this information, would you feel mislead just because you never opened these areas to check for your self. Well ... I feel mislead, and so did my little daughter that received it item from us for her birthday!!!

Please review your customer satisfaction policy to see if there is any language within that takes care of your customer ... under this type of circumstance.

Please advise,

Millard R."

(Photo: bbatsell)

RELATED: The Worst Tip We Have Ever Received

Science tells us there is almost no correlation between tips and good service, but surveys show that Americans relish the power to tip because we falsely believe it provides an incentive to provide good service.

Let's consider a situation: you go out to one of your regular dinner spots for a snack with friends. The place isn't too busy, and you're not too hungry, so you only order a salad and a side dish. Your friends don't get their food for almost 40 minutes. You get nothing. After repeatedly flagging down the waitstaff, you still can't get your salad. Another 30 minutes goes by before your food finally arrives, around the time your friends are finishing their meal.

Obviously, it's not the end of the world and there are far more disturbing stories littering the internet. Before asking what kind of tip this service merits, let's travel with the New York Times to San Diego to visit a small restaurant called the Linkery. The Linkery's waitstaff doesn't accept tips. Instead, they levy an 18% service charge on all sit-down meals, which is split 3-1 between the waitstaff and the kitchen. If customers want to tip more, they are invited to donate to the restaurant's charity of the month.

...every so often diners at the Linkery take offense. “I’ll go over to the table and ask if there is a problem with the service,” McGuan, the general manager, says. “If there is, then I offer to remove the service charge. Almost always, the customers’ issue isn’t about the service but about not being able to handle their loss of control.”

In some instances, this restaurant with a uniform charge completely removes the service fee, resulting in no tip.

Keeping that in mind:

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Why Tip? [The New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

From the Wall Street Journal:

John McCardell, a history professor and former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, is leading the effort. His group, Choose Responsibility, a nonprofit unaffiliated with the college, has received financial backing from money manger Julian Robertson. Mr. McCardell says he receives no money from the alcohol industry.

He argues current laws drive drinking underground, causing more problems than they solve. "The law is out of step with reality," he says. "The law is so obviously unjust and discriminatory. It ought to at least be the subject of debate."

But he and the college presidents are taking on powerful constituencies, including some of their colleagues, the top government traffic-safety agency, the insurance industry and public-health authorities, all of which say the higher drinking age saves lives. Even representatives of the alcohol industry say they support current laws.

A college student interviewed for the piece says she cut back on her drinking once it was no longer forbidden:

Elizabeth Pogust, a 21-year-old senior at Middlebury, says she felt pressured to drink as a freshman. Classmates would quaff alcohol in their rooms before roaming the campus on weekends, she recalls. As they got older, she says, she and her peers learned their lessons. "I've noticed a definite change in my attitude once it was no longer forbidden," she says.

What do you think? Is the 21-year-old drinking age part of the problem — or the solution?

Bid to Reconsider Drinking Age Taps Unlikely Supporters [WSJ]
List of College Presidents Who Signed The Petition [Amethyst Initiative]

The association has paid outside lobbyists about $50,000 so far this year to defend it in communities across the country. Two main points the group tries to get across are that phone books help promote local businesses and that they are made almost entirely from wood scraps collected at saw mills and recycled paper.

In Albany, city councilman Joseph Igoe is trying to build support for a law that would limit the distribution of phone books and require publishers to make it easy for people to halt delivery. Igoe said the issue came to his attention while campaigning door-to-door last spring and saw phone books wrapped in plastic littering sidewalks, driveways and lawns.

If Igoe succeeds in passing legislation, it will be noteworthy. Proposals have been floated — without success — by state legislatures in Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and Washington.

Phone book publishers peddle the usual free market babble to defend the proliferation of yellow doorstops, saying it's a "sign of competition in a healthy business."

Even residents who do want more than one phone book — such as 81-year-old Jean Angell, who lives in Igoe's district and likes to keep a phone book by each phone in her house — get fed up with the extras.

"They delivered two to the house across the street, and it's been vacant since last October," she said.

What do you think?

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As phone books multiply, so do consumer hang-ups [AP]
(AP Photo/Bill Sikes)

According to US Airways policy, coffee and tea are $1, but bottled drinking water is $2. So, can you order tea and ask them to "hold the tea" and save a $1? Shouldn't you be able to get a boring old glass of water for free?

Jeanne Leblanc from the Hartford Courant thinks so:

It's hard to understand why the laws that require free potable water in such public places as movie theaters and amusement parks don't seem to apply to airlines. But then, it shouldn't have to be a law. It should just be a matter of common decency.
...
Now, I'm not saying US Airways should have to hand out free bottles of water, although that would be nice. I'm saying it should pour a cup of water out of a quart bottle for any passenger who's thirsty. And for no other reason than that they're thirsty.

US Airways says that if you're "desperately thirsty" and you don't have any money, they might give you some water... so that you don't try anything embarrassing like drinking out of the bathroom sinks.

“Frankly, [drinking from the sink is] just not classy,” a US Airways spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal.

So what do you think? Should there be non-fancy water for anyone who is thirsty?

US Airways' Fee Too Far [Courant]
Starting Today, No More Free Water on US Air [WSJ Middle Seat Blog]
(Photo: caseywest )

High fructose corn syrup has become a favorite target of the health-conscious as an alleged cause of America's obesity boom. A typical 2-liter bottle of soda contains 15 ounces of corn syrup, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Whether it's really at fault is open to debate.

The Corn Refiners Assn. contends that high fructose corn syrup is just as natural as table sugar and honey. Others say it's not natural at all, because it is manufactured through a chemical process and does not occur in nature by itself. The Center for Science in the Public Interest called the corn refiners' campaign "deceptive."

We prefer real sugar, and eagerly greet Passover as the holiday with the Kosher Coke. How about you?

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Consumers are raising cane over corn sweetener [The Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: Getty)

...6098 to 4826, a solid trouncing of Comcast, which had been favored to win by many commenters. After 67 rounds and five months of fierce battling, Countrywide climbed to the top of the poop pile and affirmed its well-deserved status as the absolute nadir of capitalism. It looks like in the end, we all decided that the destruction of a giant chunk of the American economy by greed and fraud was more reprehensible than an unsatisfactory internet experience.

The Lucky Golden Shit award will get shipped to Angelo "Golden Boy" Mozilo, former Countrywide CEO, who steered the ship of financial doom from its inception to the height of its unfettered raping of the American Dream, just as soon as we find a good mailing address for him. The receipt for the Lucky Golden Ship will get mailed to Bank of America CEO Kenneth D. Lewis, along with a certificate of completion.

Congratulations to our top 10 runners up

Comcast
Walmart
Bank of America
American Airlines
Capital One
Diebold
Exxon
United Health Care
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Microsoft

You're champions, all of you. Better luck next year.

Reader Neal's receipt:

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Leave your venue suggestions in the comments.