Consumerist
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mashups
Radio Shack Opening Mobile Phone Kiosks In Target Stores
One problem I've always had when shopping for jacked-up prices is I can't find enough crazy to go along with it. Same thing for the crazy: I know where to go to get cart-loads of that, but I can't find the 2400% markup! What I need, clearly, is for Radio Shack to open up specialty kiosks inside Target stores, so then— oh hey! It's the Bullseye Mobile Solution! More » -
sales pitches
Radio Shack Sales Staff Unfazed By 2,400% Markup
No one goes to Radio Shack to take advantage of low prices. They go because they need an electronic component on short notice, and Radio Shack is pretty ubiquitous. That's how Chris and his fiancĂ©e found themselves at a Wisconsin Radio Shack in search of a mini USB cable, but they encountered such high prices and high-pressure sales lies that they walked out and found what they needed...at the dollar store. More » -
ceos
Top 10 Crappiest CEOs (According To Their Employees)
Glassdoor released its report of the 50 lowest-rated CEOs as determined by employee reviews on its site. I scractched out all the companies you don't care about and ended up with this list of the 10 Crappiest CEOs (of consumer-facing compaines) (according to their employees)... More » -
The Shack
Radio Shack Acts In Consumer's Best Interest, Hell Freezes Over
The ShackRadio Shack is not known in these pages for its high level of customer service. That's why we were stunned and impressed with Chris's story, where Radio Shack salespeople were not only knowledgeable and immensely helpful, but sent him to a competitor. More » -
dumb ideas
How Radio Shack's Rebranding Makes It Even More Uncool
"Names, like fashion trends, often don't age well," notes Chadwick Matlin over at Slate's The Big Money. In this week's "Broadband" video segment, he looks at Radio Shack's weird rebranding effort to get people to call it "The Shack," even though it's not changing its name, and even though "The Shack" isn't any better. "Radio Shack has hedged its bets," Matlin writes, "Splitting its identity in two and not choosing either. What's worse, neither is especially impressive, or especially modern." More » -
radio shack
Radio Shacks Rebrands As "The Shack"
Radio Shack will soon be known as "The Shack," because not many people are tinkering with electronic parts to make experimental hobbyist radios anymore. But shacks themselves are still hot, it seems. [Engadget] (Thanks to William!) (Photo: The Joy Of The Mundane) -
insiders
RadioShack Will Say Anything To Upsell Extended Warranties
An anonymous RadioShack employee sent us what he considers unethical talking points distributed by the corporate office to help employees upsell the RadioShack Replacement Service Plan. According to our tipster, "each example encourages lying." Read the deceptive talking points, inside... More » -
tax
Radio Shack Is Levying The Wrong Sales Tax In New York City
Radio Shack is charging New York City consumers an extra half-percent of sales tax, even though the State hasn't approved a new tax rate. Before descending into a chaotic mess of embarrassing inaction, the New York State Senate was widely expected to hike the sales tax New York City's local sales from 8.375% to 8.875%. That never happened, a minor detail that isn't stopping Radio Shack from collecting more tax, as reader Jeff discovered... More » -
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insiders
More Insider Tips When Buying From Radioshack
There's clearly no love lost between D. and D's former employer, RadioShack. A little over a year ago, D. sent us some insider tips on what to watch out for when you shop at RS. Now here comes a follow-up, with more information on cell phone sales tricks, warranty pitches, and used merchandise. More » -
used goods
RadioShack Sells Defective Pre As New, Gets Caught
Eric bought a Palm Pre from RadioShack this past weekend, but maybe he shouldn't have. Or maybe RadioShack should make sure that when a phone is returned as defective, it's not sent back out to the first unsuspecting customer as a brand new device. More » -
dtv transition
Cablevision Takes Away Analog Stations Before DTV Transition, Confuses Customers
Joe works at a Radio Shack store on Long Island. Lately, the combination of the digital TV transition and some recent lineup changes at local cable TV provider Cablevision has Joe concerned, since he has both a conscience and a brain, and is an avid Consumerist reader.
Most electronics store employees don't know or care enough to straighten their confused customers out. They mistakenly believe that they need to buy an over-the-air converter box in order to receive the missing channels again. More »
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where's my money
RadioShack Electronics Trade-In Program Not The Fastest Way To Get Cash
A Dallas Morning News blogger decided to test out RadioShack's new trade-in program, where you mail them your unwanted cellphone, for example, and they mail you a gift card, which you can then turn around and use to buy 7,000 house brand AAA batteries. As you might expect, RadioShack didn't offer him as much money for his Blackberry Storm as he saw them going for on eBay, but the real problem came from the missed deadlines and delays in getting his gift card: what they said would take one week ended up taking 5 1/2 weeks, and might have taken longer had he not emailed them.
"DMN reporter tests RadioShack's gadget trade-in program; RadioShack tests reporter's patience" [Dallas Morning News] (Thanks to Trevor!)
(Photo: Robbert van der Steeg) -
crime
Radio Shack Punches Customer In Face
Instead of getting his money back, one Radio Shack customer got a sock in the jaw when he tried to return something. According to the police report, the employee wouldn't let the customer return the item. When the customer asked to speak to a manager - kapow! And you thought the worst thing you had to worry about was if you kept your receipt!
Radio Shack Employee Arrested for Punching Customer [WEAU] (Thanks to lilboisleepy!)
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lawsuits
AT&T Mobility And RadioShack Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over $5,000 Overage Bill
A woman in Oklahoma bought a 3G netbook from RadioShack for $100, subsidized by a two-year data plan from AT&T Mobility. That plan comes with a 5GB monthly data cap, which she exceeded, and as a result her first monthly bill was over $5,000. Now the two companies are facing a class action lawsuit that alleges they are not clearly disclosing to purchasers that overage fees could be "astronomical." More » -
radio shack
Radio Shack Employee Lies, Says Government Requires Your Name And Address To Use DTV Coupon
Tim tried to use a Digital TV coupon at a Philadelphia Radio Shack and was told that he had to provide his name and address in order to redeem it, as per government regulations. Strike out "government" and replace with "imaginary" and you're closer to the truth. Hmm, did this Radio Shack employee just break the law? More » -
refunds
A Radio Shack Manager Explains Why They Ask For Personal Info On Cash Returns
Last week, we pointed out that even with a receipt and the product in hand, and even though you purchased it with cash the day before at the same store, Radio Shack won't give a refund unless you give them your home address first. We got a lot of insider tips from former employees in the comments section, and the next day we received the following perspective from a Radio Shack store manager. We think his explanation still doesn't explain why you need personal ID to refund a cash transaction when you've got the item and the receipt in front of you, but read on if you want an unverified store manager's point of view. More » -
privacy
RadioShack Won't Give Refund On Cash Purchase Unless You Show Your Papers
RadioShack's whole collecting-your-personal-data nonsense is old news, but it's not just for purchases anymore. When Pete tried to take back some potentiometers he'd paid for the day before with cash, the clerk refused to give him any sort of refund—even a store credit—without Pete's physical address. More »
radioshack
New York, 3:19 PM
Sun Nov 8
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