Processing transactions for drug traffickers is a big no-no, which is why Bank of America has agreed to pay $16.6 million to resolve federal allegations that it was involved in moving money around for ten traffickers over the course of four years.
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Retail Services
Bank Of America To Pay $16.6M To Settle Allegations Of Processing Drug Traffickers’ Transactions
By 7.24.14
Walmart: Ice Cream Sandwiches That Don’t Melt After 12 Hours Outside Just Have Less Cream
By 7.24.14
You see an ice cream sandwich and think, “Mmm, ice cream sandwich!” But wait — it’s been sitting out for more than 24 hours… and it’s still recognizable as an ice cream sandwich. Something seems freaky here. [More]
Amazon Still Not Interested In Reuniting Lost Kindles With Owners
By 7.24.14
Two years ago, we tried to reunite a Kindle left behind on a plane with its owner, and we didn’t succeed. The reader who found it didn’t trust the airport lost and found, and Amazon wasn’t any help. Even though Amazon knows full well who each Kindle belongs to, with their e-mail address and even their credit cards and billing addresses. That doesn’t matter, though. When Steve called about a Kindle that he found, Amazon told him to throw it away. [More]
Comparison Shopping At Target Would Be Easier If They Could Do Math
By 7.24.14
A common strategy when comparison shopping is to use the unit prices that are often available on the shelf to help consumers. This is a pretty solid strategy…except, apparently, at reader MZ’s local Target, where the retailer doesn’t feel the need to make sure that their unit pricing reflects reality at all. [More]
Ohio Woman Sues Chase For Alleged Mortgage Law Violation
By 7.23.14
When you don’t follow the rules, you’re likely to get into a bit of trouble. In this case, JPMorgan Chase found itself party to a lawsuit alleging the company violated a law aimed to protect homeowners. [More]
If You’re Going To Commit $175K In ID Theft, Don’t Do It Under Your Real Name
By 7.23.14
One would think that a scammer clever enough to steal a victim’s personal data and trick some of the nation’s largest banks into helping her steal $175,000 would have the forethought to hide her own identity. But that idea apparently didn’t occur to a North Carolina who also posted helpful photos of herself online to aid police in their search. [More]
Authorities Bust Tiny Dog Out Of Hot Van At Costco, 98-Year-Old Mom Out Of Hot Car At Casino
By 7.22.14
Shopping at Costco is pretty great, but that doesn’t mean you should bring your dog along on your shopping trip, then leave it in your vehicle with the temperature outside in the 90s. The same goes for your very young and very old loved ones. Come to think of it, just don’t lock anyone in the car. An elderly woman and a dog are both still alive because authorities intervened and got them both out. [More]
Target App Allows Customers To Take Pictures Of Ads, Have Product Delivered To Their Door
By 7.22.14
Have you ever seen a product in an ad that you just had to have but couldn’t make it to the actual store? Sure, you could try to find it online, but who has time to wade through search results all day? A new app from Target hopes to connect customers and their sought-after items more easily. [More]
Remember: You’re Probably Only Opted Out Of Bank Junk Mail For A Few Years
By 7.22.14
Have you ever cut ties with a friend or loved one, thinking you’d never want to see them again? Have you later had second thoughts about taking the axe (metaphorically) to that relationship and wished you could rebuild what you once had? When it comes to banks, many of them just assume that people who opted out of junk mail are just sitting at home regretting that they ever stopped asking for their mailboxes to once again be filled with credit card, mortgage, and savings account solicitations. [More]
Credit Card Breach May Have Hit Goodwill Thrift Stores, Could Go Back To 2013
By 7.22.14
Banks can figure out the source of a major credit card breach long before the targeted company announces that something went wrong, and that site shares the scary news with the rest of the world. Have you used your credit card at a Goodwill Industries store lately? Bad news from that not-for-profit thrift store chain. [More]
Walmart Offers Teachers A Discount On School Supplies (Yes, There’s A Catch)
By 7.22.14
Buying school supplies can put a pretty significant dent in one’s pocketbook, especially when you don’t have a lot of expendable income to begin with. For teachers who bear the burden of supplying a classroom full of students, Walmart is offering a new discount – but there’s a catch. [More]
Trade In Your Unwanted Gift Cards To GameStop For A – You Guessed Right – GameStop Gift Card
By 7.21.14
Apparently, there are no shortage of unique business ideas over at GameStop. Earlier this year we reported that the retailer was operating as a sort-of bank, and now customers can trade-in their unwanted gift cards for one they actually want – you know, one to GameStop. [More]
Abandon Your Online Shopping Cart, Get Coaxed Back With Coupon Codes
By 7.21.14
When you’re shopping in a real-life store, fill up a cart, and then abandon it, that makes you kind of a terrible person. Store employees will secretly hate you. More importantly, no one will chase after you and hand over a coupon in order to encourage you to come back and finish your transaction. That’s where online shopping is very different. [More]
Amazon Opens New Massive Warehouses Just For Sorting Packages
By 7.21.14
Amazon has almost 100 warehouses all over the world for storing and packing their merchandise that hasn’t been sold yet, but in recent months, the company has opened some new facilities. They’re a different kind of warehouse, called sortation centers. Yes, “sortation” is a word. Truckloads of packages that are boxed up and ready to ship come in, and pallets full of packages already sorted by zip code come out. [More]
Amazon Unveils Subscription E-Book Service For $10/Month
By 7.18.14
After accidentally posting info about the service to its site earlier this week, Amazon has officially unveiled “Kindle Unlimited,” a $9.99/month subscription service that offers users access to a library of e-books. [More]
Wells Fargo To Stop Reordering Check Transactions; Should Reduce Overdraft Charges
By 7.18.14
A little talked-about way in which banks maximize overdraft fees is by processing transactions not in the order in which they are received, but in a way that results in the largest number of overdrafts. Now the folks at Wells Fargo are putting an end to this practice for its checking account customers. [More]
12 Things You Might Not Know About Costco
By 7.17.14
Consumerist readers seem to love Costco, but how much do you know about the warehouse retail chain? Here are twelve interesting facts that you may or may not know about Costco. If you did know them, you can feel smug about it; if you didn’t, then you’ll learn something new. Everyone wins! [More]
Here’s How Fulfillment Centers Make Shipping Stupid By Making It Smart
By 7.16.14
We received a letter from J., who designs order fulfillment systems for a living. We would call him a “Stupid Shipping Gang Kingpin,” but that’s not really fair: he says that he does his best to make the system less stupid. The problem, J. explains, is that “sometimes the smart way to do things and the common sense way to do things seem at odds with each other.” [More]
