David and his fiancée decided that it was finally time to take their commitment to the next level: joining their mobile phone plans together. Unfortunately, they were both already Verizon customers and wanted to upgrade their phones. If can’t imagine why this would be a problem, you’ve never upgraded phones and then joined plans at Verizon. The process seems to be specifically designed to keep customers from doing this. [More]
Amex's Platinum Business Card Promises Are Less Than Golden
By February 15, 2011
Lois is a longtime American Express customer. She’s had an AmEx card in her wallet for longer than most Consumerist readers have been alive. When she received a mailing offering 50,000 bonus reward points and extra privileges for upgrading her account to a Platinum Business card, she went for it. Except she never received the reward points. Or the airport lounge privileges. Or, apparently, the upgrade to a Platinum Business card. [More]
Best Buy Officially Announces It Will Buy Back Your Old Gadgets
By February 4, 2011
Like we told you in a Consumerist exclusive back in December, Best Buy is launching a new program that lets customers trade in their old gadgets for a gift card for a fraction of their value, good towards another Best Buy purchase. They say it “future-proofs” your technology. The announcement was emailed to customers last night and will also be publicized during the Super Bowl. [More]
Verizon Confirms "New Every Two" Is Ending
By January 19, 2011
Verizon has confirmed the information in the leaked slide we reported on two weeks ago. They’re ending their “New Every Two” policy. New customers after Jan 16 won’t get the credit, and current customers won’t get the credit after their next contract renewal. [More]
Man Turns Water-Damaged iPhone 3GS Into New iPhone 4
By December 3, 2010
Matt was able to turn his water-damage iPhone 3GS into a new iPhone 4 for only $200, even though he hadn’t reached his upgrade time yet, thanks to a lot of persistence, and a little bit of mercy. [More]
Upgrade Your Outfits Without Downgrading Your Net Worth
By November 21, 2010
With a little creativity, those ragged clothes that fill your closet don’t have to define the way you look. You can class up your wardrobe if you’re willing to put in enough work to shop for steals at the right places [More]
RadioShack Employee Buys Customer An Accessory In Order To Get System To Approve Phone Upgrade
By September 27, 2010
Has RadioShack gone too far with its sales quotas? Allison wrote us to say that when she tried to upgrade her phone recently, the employee had to add accessories to the transaction before the system would approve it. She said he canceled some, and she ended up paying $2 for “two plastic covers for phones I don’t own.” But she says her mom had an even more bizarre experience at a RadioShack, where the assistant actually paid for the accessories herself. [More]
Hey AT&T, Can I Upgrade From An EDGE Data Plan And Still Get The Unlimited Option?
By June 8, 2010
Say you’ve got one of the 1st gen iPhones that operates on the EDGE network, and you want to upgrade to that fancy new model that was just announced. Can your unlimited data plan be grandfathered even though it was never 3G? That’s what Consumerist reader and 1st gen iPhone owner thecrazypnut wanted to know, so he contacted AT&T for an answer. [More]
AT&T To Let Nearly All Buy New iPhone At Subsidized Price
By June 7, 2010
AT&T customers Many AT&T customers who weren’t eligible for iPhone upgrades until later this year, and would have had to pay the full, non-subsidized price, or an early termination fee, have now had their dates bumped up to June. [More]
Microsoft Won't Offer Upgrade Discount On Office 2010
By May 12, 2010
The bad news: Confirming rumors that circulated earlier this year, Microsoft won’t offer existing Office owners a discount if they want to upgrade to the latest version, Office 2010. The even worse news: The new version hasn’t done away with the Ribbon. The good news: According to PC Magazine, There really isn’t any reason to upgrade if you’re happy with your current version of Office (or OpenOffice or Google Docs). [More]
Revolutionary New Apple Service Bills Your AMEX Card For Nearly $50,000 In Music
By February 9, 2010
I think we can all agree that Jobs and his crew at Apple are a bunch of visionaries when it comes to gadgets, online stores, and now getting really, really screwed by an iTunes purchase. Joel writes, “I just got a call from American Express stating that my recent purchase for iTunes plus for my entire library (cost $146) has been charged to my account over 300 times and is currently still being charged. I have called Apple to have them stop charging me and they told me the only thing I can do is cancel my card. There is no number for iTunes and I have sent multiple messages to them without response via email.” [More]
T-Mobile Offers $100 Refund To Customers Who Weren't Offered Original Nexus One Upgrade Price
By January 15, 2010
If you’re already a T-Mobile customer and you bought the new Google Nexus One phone recently, you know firsthand that you had to pay $100 more than new customers. Today T-Mobile announced that they’re dropping that heavily criticized price, and will be refunding $100 to customers who paid $379 for the phone before January 14th. [More]
Sony Replaces Customer's Broken Reader
By December 30, 2009
Earlier this week, I posted about Kate’s bad experience getting her Sony Reader upgraded. She hadn’t asked for an update, but was told by Sony to send it in, she says. What she got back was a busted Reader that wouldn’t work, and a demand from Sony to pay for any repairs.
Happily, over the past two days Sony reps have been in contact with Kate and made things whole again.
AT&T Took Me Offline For Nearly A Week When I Upgraded Internet Service
By December 25, 2009
Since you’re reading this on Christmas Day, there’s a reasonable chance you’d agree that losing internet access for a week is tantamount to going without food or showering. [More]
Warner Bros. Offers Discount Blu-ray Upgrade Program
By November 18, 2009
Warner Bros. has thought of a way to boost sagging Blu-ray sales. The DVD2Blu program lets you mail up to 25 DVDs (discs only), with a prepaid shipping label, to a processing plant — after having paid $8 to $10 online for each film — to get new, factory-sealed Blu-ray versions sent back to you.
Verizon Customer Finds Upgrade Dates Can Be Flexible If You Want A Droid
By November 11, 2009
Chris navigated Verizon Wireless’s troubled phone upgrade waters and came away with Droids for both himself and his wife, even though her upgrade date was still a ways off. Earlier, his wife had gotten a new Voyager with assurances that her contract renewal date wouldn’t be affected.
United Says No Track Suits In First Class
By November 4, 2009
How casual is too casual for an airplane’s first class section? If you paid for first class, and a bald guy in a Puma running outfit sat down across the aisle from you, would you honestly feel short-changed? United seems to think it’s inappropriate.
EECB Succeeds Where Stupid Sony Techs Fail
By October 20, 2009
Remember back when some individuals referred to good things as “da bomb?” They probably didn’t have the Executive Email Carpet Bomb in mind, since Consumerist didn’t yet exist, but they should have. Here’s to re-branding “da bomb” as shorthand for the EECB. Just look at what it did for c0crusader, a spurned Sony laptop customer who used da bomb to shake Sony down for $99.
