Waiting for a rebate from TigerDirect? Good luck with that. In a suit filed last Friday, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is charging the company with, among other things, promising customers that rebates would arrive in about 8-10 weeks of submission, when in fact “a vast number of customers experienced delays ranging from one to more than eight months, before receiving their promised rebates, if at all.” The suit also charges TigerDirect with engaging in “deceptive and unfair trade practices.”
Government Policy
Weirdos Attempt Elaborate Theft Of A Chili's Giant Pepper
By 9.8.09
I hope we’re not editorializing too much by calling these people weirdos, but let’s have a look at the facts provided by the Bennington, VT police department: The alleged weirdos ran 450′ of extension cord across a Home Depot parking lot in order to power an electric drill that they planned to use to steal the giant chili pepper off of a Chili’s. Weirdos, right? That’s fair, isn’t it?
What's In Your Herbal Remedies and Supplements?
By 9.8.09
In the wake of FDA warnings about steroids in nutritional supplements, federal officials are studying ways to improve safety in dietary supplements. Mean time, we’ve got a few consumer tips for those of you who take supplements, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal:
Police Dog Chooses More Delicious Of Two Crimes
By 9.8.09
A police dog who had lost the scent of an armed robbery suspect located a different crime instead reports Fox News in Boston. The dog led police into a Stop & Shop chasing a masked man who had robbed a nearby Shell station. The dog lost the trail, but did find a homeless man who had shoved a bunch of meat in his pants.
Chinese Police Say Walmart Shopper Beaten To Death After Botched Receipt Check
By 9.8.09
Chinese state media says that a woman accused of shoplifting was allegedly beaten to death by 2 employees of a Walmart in eastern China. A police report says that the employees stopped the woman on the street near her home (which is also near the Walmart) and demanded to see her receipt. One report says she refused because she was unsure of the employee’s identities, another says she handed it over, then took it back.
Papa John's Camaro Drives To Court
By 9.6.09
We all should have known that at the intersection of a long-lost car, a multi-national pizza chain, and a huge cash reward, there would be litigation. Papa John’s owner John Schnatter offered a $250,000 reward for his 1971 Camaro. A couple who formerly owned the car helped Schnatter track it down, but didn’t receive the reward because they didn’t hold the car’s title. They did receive a $25,000 “finder’s fee,” but claim that the reward should rightfully be theirs. Now the company and the couple are suing each other. [WKLY] (Thanks, Becky!)
ID Theft Ring Placed Skimmers In Taco Bell, Stole Cards From Gym Lockers
By 9.4.09
Credit card skimmers aren’t just on ATMs and in grocery stores, apparently they’re at Taco Bell. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that a ID theft ring was busted for skimming credit card numbers at a Taco Bell as well as stealing cards from people’s gym lockers.
Apple Store Is Efficient And User-Friendly For Thieves
By 9.3.09
I’ve always found Apple Stores to be open and inviting. A team of thieves in New Jersey evidently agree with me. They smashed the front window of the Promenade at Sagemore store in Marlton, N.J. and cleaned out the display models. How long did it take them to steal 23 Macbook Pros, 14 iPhones, and 9 iPod Touches? Thirty-one seconds. Yes, there’s surveillance video.
Police Say Walmart Shopper Slapped A Stranger's Kid
By 9.3.09
Holy crap! A random Walmart shopper apparently just went and slapped some other shopper’s toddler because the kid wouldn’t stop crying. A police report says that the man told the toddler’s mother to keep her quiet saying “If you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you.”
Carry Liquids On A Plane In 2-Liter Bottles
By 9.3.09
“Baby Soda Bottles” are 2-liter bottles before they’ve been heated and formed into their soda bottle shape. In this pre-bottle stage, they make waterproof, hard-to-crush containers for small objects, and they hold approximately 2 ounces of liquid which makes them useful for air travel. Oh also, you can use regular 2-liter bottle caps on them.
Hey, There's Listeria In The Eggo Waffles
By 9.2.09
Well, %#$% there is listeria in the Eggo Waffles. A sample of buttermilk Eggo waffles tested positive for listeria, says the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The product wasn’t shipped to the marketplace, but they’re recalling a few batches that did — just in case.
Good News For Attorneys With Bulging Muscles, Pretty Dresses, And HDTVs
By 9.2.09
Have you taken a bar exam prep course since 2001? Have you shopped at Cache, bought an HDTV, or used creatine supplements? You just might be eligible for one of several recently settled lawsuits.
Comcast Wins Right To Own More Than 30% Of Cable Market
By 8.30.09
Comcast is the biggest cable provider in the United States, and now a U.S. Court of Appeals decision states that it can grow even bigger. Yay! Yay?
More Unemployed Alumni Sue Their College
By 8.29.09
Everyone (including us) snickered when an unemployed woman sued the college she had graduated from only months before, but the news story did help bring to light the overly optimistic or outright misleading claims made by some for-profit educational institutions. Now, thirteen former students of Everest College‘s Dallas campus have sued the school, claiming that they were misled about the transferability of the school’s credits and their prospects for employment.
Identity Theft Ring Targets Governors Of States At End Of Alphabet
By 8.29.09
While he governor of California is autographing cars as part of his state’s massive garage sale, his colleagues in West Virginia, Vermont, Wyoming and Washington state are receiving mysterious HP and Compaq laptops in the mail, and are possible victims of identity theft.
Iowa Woman Claims Rodent Of Unusual Sauce Served As A Hot Wing
By 8.29.09
I’m no connoisseur of chicken wings, but I’ve heard that they aren’t supposed to contain fur. However, that was what a woman in Des Moines allegedly found in her hot wings. She’s stashing the unacceptable food item in her freezer until further notice. Is it an Iowa Fried Mouse, or something else that doesn’t belong in a meal?
Driving Your Rolls Royce Through The Wall Is Not A Good Way To Lodge A Complaint
By 8.28.09
This is probably something we shouldn’t have to tell you, but apparently some people are confused. For example, this guy: He decided to drive his 1983 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit through the wall of a store after a dispute over the delivery of a mattress.
