Smoke in the cabin of a passenger airplane is a scary prospect. That’s why a plane heading from Munich, Germany to Washington Dulles International Airport made an emergency landing at Boston’s Logan Airport instead: There was smoke pouring from the plane’s galley… which may or may not have actually been caused by a fire. [More]
Maryland To Try Sending Recall Notices With Car Registration Renewals
By 10.30.17
Your state’s department of motor vehicles already knows what make and model of car you own, and sends you registration documents every few years that you have to open. Safety advocates have suggested including information about important vehicle recalls in vehicle registrations to make sure more people know about recalls and comply. In an experimental program, Maryland will start sending these notices to vehicle owners. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Uncover Ancient And Mysterious 12-Year-Old GPS
By 10.27.17
Back in 2005, you needed a standalone GPS device if you wanted a disembodied voice to yell at you when you made a wrong turn. Before smartphones existed, a pocket-size GPS device that was small enough to be convenient for motorcycle and bike use was novel and useful. However, such a device available on the shelf at Walmart in 2017 isn’t so impressive. It’s also not much of a deal. [More]
Starbucks Baristas Probably Aren’t Sad That The Zombie Frappuccino Is Already Running Out
By 10.27.17
After giving employees more than six months to recover from this spring’s Unicorn Frappuccino, Starbucks has another limited-time novelty beverage that’s made more for Instagram than for human consumption. Yet the good news (perhaps?) for many of the chain’s employees is that supplies for the drink have already run out in many locations. Darn. [More]
Southwest Airlines Thinks In-Air Concerts Are A Good Idea
By 10.27.17
Would you consider an in-air concert on your next flight an amenity, or something that would make you switch airlines? Southwest Airlines is continuing its series of concerts for captive audiences, partnering with Warner Music to have the label’s artists perform mini-concerts for Southwest’s passengers. [More]
New LuLaRoe Lawsuits Accuse Company Of Running A Pyramid Scheme
By 10.27.17
LuLaRoe is a multilevel-marketing company that has brought brightly colored leggings and dresses to communities across the country since its debut five years ago. Yet the company’s sales representatives say that the company is really peddling false hope and intense stress alongside leggings and the dream of being an independent businessperson, and two new class action lawsuits against the company accuse it of exactly that. [More]
Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
By 10.27.17
Here are seven of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness. [More]
Amazon Has Obtained Pharmaceutical Wholesaler Licenses In 12 States
By 10.26.17
There are a few things left that Amazon.com doesn’t sell, and one of them is prescription drugs. Yet for most of the last year, analysts and retail-watchers have speculated that Amazon may be looking to get into the prescription drug business. Now there’s proof that the retailer has taken more official steps toward becoming a mail-order pharmacy. [More]
Criminals With Terrifying Baby Mask Deploy ATM Skimmers In Minnesota
By 10.26.17
As Halloween draws closer, here’s a reminder of what you should really be scared of: ATM skimmers, or devices that attach to cash machines to slurp up customers’ card numbers and PINs. You should also be afraid of adults in creepy baby doll masks. According to police in Minnesota, a recent crime there incorporates both of these terrifying prospects, with a mask-wearing suspect accused of placing skimmers on ATMs in two counties and stealing tens of thousands of dollars. [More]
Americans Still Buying Lots Of Beer, Just Not Budweiser
By 10.26.17
If you’ve ever wondered why massive, international beer behemoths like AB InBev, which is already home to Budweiser and dozens of others, keep gobbling up small craft brewers? Because more Americans are sneering at mass-produced lagers and seeking out local and craft brews instead. As a country, we’re still drinking plenty of beer; we’re just not drinking Bud. [More]
National Park Service Wants To Charge Up To $70 To Visit Grand Canyon & Other Popular Parks
By 10.25.17
Most national parks are free to enjoy, but some of the most popular destinations overseen by the National Park Service charge entrance fees of around $25 to $30 for a full vehicle. Today, the Trump administration announced a proposal to more than double some of those fees for visitors during peak seasons. [More]
Flammable Tiles Linked To Deadly London Fire Still On Plenty Of Buildings
By 10.25.17
The lightweight metal architectural cladding that is believed to have played a significant part in a deadly June 2017 fire in a London apartment tower is still being used on thousands of buildings around the world, but what can be done about it? [More]
Despite Negative Feedback, Chipotle Says Queso Sales Are Doing Just Fine
By 10.25.17
When burrito chain Chipotle recently added queso dip to its menu, it seemed like the answer to many Chipotle fans’ prayers. But while the new cheesy dip made headlines, they weren’t necessarily good, with a number of early customers voicing their disappointment. However, Chipotle claims most people actually like the queso, and at the very least it’s not hurting sales. [More]
How Malls & Big Box Stores Are Using Real Estate Contracts To Stall Amazon’s Whole Foods Expansion
By 10.24.17
While many Americans know the Whole Foods brand, there are only about 450 locations nationwide, a fraction of the number of stores held by national retailers like Walmart, Kroger, or Target. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods is expected to help grow the supermarket chain’s footprint — which would help Amazon’s food delivery business — but some competitors have realized they can use the fine print in their real estate contracts to undercut Amazon’s Whole Foods hopes. [More]
Hordes Of Bargain-Hunters Destroy Liquidating Sears Canada Stores
By 10.24.17
Savvy shoppers know that the deals available at store-closing and liquidation sales are generally terrible, but that didn’t stop everyone else from raiding Sears Canada stores over the weekend, strewing boxes and merchandise across the floors. Shoppers described the scene as “apocalyptic,” which sounds about right. [More]
AT&T And Time Warner Extend Deadline For $85.4B Merger, Promise It’s Still Happening
By 10.24.17
Just over a year ago, AT&T and Time Warner proposed one of the biggest mergers of all time, a $85.4 billion deal that would bring together the owners of CNN, HBO, and DirecTV in a single company. The merger had a deadline of Oct. 22, which the companies have extended for an unspecified “short period of time” to gain regulatory approval in the United States. [More]
Report: Snap Has Hundreds Of Thousands Of Spectacles Stashed In Warehouses
By 10.23.17
A few weeks ago, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel bragged that the company had sold 150,000 pairs of its “spectacles,” sunglasses that are able to take 10-second video clips and post them online. Spiegel claimed to be satisfied with the first iteration’s sales of around 150,000 pairs. What he didn’t mention was that there are reportedly a lot more unsold Snap specs. [More]
Precut Veggies From Albertsons, Meijer, Safeway, Whole Foods & Others Added To Listeria Recall
By 10.23.17
Have you bought precut fresh or frozen vegetables in the last month or so? A wide variety of veggie-containing products, ranging from stir fry kits to salad bar greens, have been recalled for possible Listeria contamination. New additions to the list include products from Albertsons, Alaska Carrot, H-E-B, Meijer, Ready. Chef. Go!, Safeway, Whole Foods, and Vons. [More]
