Having just arrived in Paonia, Colorado for the summer, reader Ashlee thought she should get her oil changed. Not yet familiar with the area, she went with a name she recognized–Walmart. The oil change seemed to go fine so Ashlee and her friend decided to embark on a trip to Denver. Thirty minutes into the road trip, she heard a strange noise coming from the engine. She pulled over and intuitively checked the dipstick which revealed zero oil. Ashlee then looked underneath her car and saw oil covering much of the undercarriage. Eventually, she got the car to town where a mechanic discovered that the oil cap had been put on improperly, allowing the oil to escape. Later, she received an estimate from GMC of $5,875 to replace the engine. Ashlee’s letter, inside…
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Man Bitten By Rattlesnake At Wal-Mart
The AP reports that a man was bitten by a snake inside the garden center at Wal-Mart in Pembroke Pines, FL. The unidentified 42-year-old man was taken to the hospital and received antivenin for the pygmy rattler bite. Fortunately, these bites are rarely fatal. This is not the first time that a pygmy rattler has attacked a Wal-Mart customer.
Worst Company In America: "Final Four" Countrywide VS Wal-Mart
Here’s your second “Final Four” matchup: #3 Wal-Mart VS #15 Countrywide Home Loans.
Judge Orders Wal-Mart To Pay $6.5 Million For Violating Labor Laws
The AP reports that in a class-action lawsuit, a Minnesota judge ordered that Wal-Mart pay $6.5 million in compensatory damages for violating state labor laws 2-million times. Violations were incurred when the company reduced break time for employees and “willfully” allowed them to work off the clock. Other infractions include the failure to keep time records and denying employees time for meal breaks. Details, inside…
13 Headlines The Consumerist Editors Wish They Could Write
Here at the Consumerist we get a lot of emails requesting more “happy stories.” While we wait for some to happen, here are 13 headlines we would love to write. They are in no particular order.
Will New Square Milk Jugs At Wal-Mart, Costco Save The Planet? Or Spill Your Milk?
Wal-Mart and Costco have something new they’d like you to try— a square milk jug. The NYT says the new square jugs “are cheaper to ship and better for the environment, the milk is fresher when it arrives in stores, and it costs less.” So what’s the catch? Apparently, while the new jugs are helping cut costs, they kind of suck at pouring milk.
Worst Company In America "Final Four" Bracket!
It’s down to the final four worst companies in America, folks. The bracket has been updated and the next round will begin on Monday. Congratulations to the four companies that made it this far. You’ve really achieved something! Who do you think will win it all?
Worst Company In America "Elite 8": Wal-Mart VS American Airlines
Here’s your third “Elite 8” match-up: #3 Wal-Mart VS #43 American Airlines
Worst Company In America 2008 "Elite 8" Bracket!
The bracket has been updated as we prepare for Round 4 of our Worst Company In America contest. See the full-sized graphic, suitable for framing or forming the basis of informal office betting pools, inside…
Best Buy Agrees To Hand Over $100 Gift Card That Manager Denied
A few days ago we reported that Cliff didn’t receive a $100 gift card when he purchased a PS3 bundle from Best Buy, despite an unpublicized corporate memo that seemed to say otherwise. The manager at Cliff’s Best Buy said “You can buy any other PlayStation and you can get the gift card, but not on that one.” This didn’t match up with what others were reporting, so Cliff sent an email blast to the executive level asking why the offer wasn’t honored. Yesterday a Best Buy rep called Cliff and said that they’d be mailing him a $100 gift card. We’re impressed the Best Buy resolved this so quickly.
Worst Company In America 2008 "Sweet 16": Wal-Mart VS WellPoint
Here’s your fifth “Sweet 16” match-up: #3 Wal-Mart VS #51 Wellpoint
Best Buy Responds (Partially) To $100 Gift Card Story
When Cliff sent us his story about the denied $100 gift card from Best Buy, he also sent it to over a dozen addresses at Best Buy HQ. A few hours ago we got this email cc’ed to us from a VP of Executive Customer Care:
Wal-Mart & Local Police Detain Man, Threaten Arrest Over 4 Bags Of Sugar
This guy was trying to make strawberry jam this morning, and he had to go buy 4 bags of sugar. The cashier threw away the original receipt but put the sugar in a couple of Wal-Mart shopping bags, so Ben left the store thinking everything was, you know, normal for a Saturday morning. Then he was stopped by a security guard, a store manager, and an off-duty police officer, all of whom went batshit crazy on Ben over his 4 bags of sugar and lack of receipt. Before it was over one of the shopping bags was ripped open, a bag of sugar lay broken open on the parking lot, the guard had threatened to kick Ben’s ass, and the police officer said, “you’d better not be lying to me.” Ben was marched back into the store so they could verify with his cashier that he wasn’t a sugar thief. Welcome to Wal-Mart, the police-state superstore where prices are low and civil rights don’t exist.
Best Buy Ignores Internal Memo, Doesn't Honor $100 Gift Card Promo On Metal Gear Solid Bundle
According to this conversation over at the SlickDeals forum, Wal-Mart was offering a $100 gift card with any Blu-ray player purchase, including the PS3—and Best Buy Corporate issued a memo saying they would match Wal-Mart’s deal and offer $100 gift cards as well. Cliff tried to take advantage of this unadvertised special when he purchased a Metal Gear Solid PS3 bundle a couple of days ago, but the manager of the store refused, saying the bundle was off-limits: “You can buy any other Playstation and you can get the gift card, but not on that one.” Oddly, though, other members of SlickDeals were reporting success with the very same bundle around the country.
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Wal-Mart is cutting down its inventory (fewer clothing styles) and remodeling its older stores (lower shelves and clearer signage) to spur more shopping. [Reuters]
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Wal-Mart has launched a personal finance website at walmart.com/savemore. It offers tips and saving advice, while also pushing Wal-Mart’s own money services and weekly specials. [Wal-Mart]
Round 41: Wal-Mart vs Citibank
This is Round 41 in our Worst Company in America contest, Wal-Mart vs Citibank!Here’s what readers said in previous rounds about why they hate these two companies…
