A year after a federal court ruled against Apple in the e-book price-fixing lawsuit brought by the Justice Dept., court documents reveal the terms of a second settlement that would close the books on state and civil claims tied to the price-fixing issue. But since the deal is contingent on Apple’s pending appeal of the DOJ case, the company could pay out as much as $400 million in refunds or as little as zilch. [More]
Retail Services
Sears Ships Tiny Wrench To Store In Giant Box
By 7.15.14
You would think that when ordering an item online for in-store pickup, a retailer would package the item in an efficient way, perhaps putting it in a box with other tools being shipped to the store. No. Not at Victor’s local Sears. [More]
Former Deputy Charged In Shoplifting Incidents That Got Target Worker Fired
By 7.15.14
Yesterday we told you about the Target worker in Virginia who was fired after he reported an alleged shoplifter believed to be a law enforcement officer. Today comes the news that a former sheriff’s deputy has been arrested and charged, while the Target worker remains unemployed. [More]
Mattress Store Tries Novel Approach: Leaving Customers Alone
By 7.15.14
Mattress shopping can be a stressful, high-pressure experience, with difficulty in comparing different models. One store in the Midwest wants to solve that problem by eliminating sales staff from the process. Entirely. No, they aren’t going to sell mattresses online: they plan an unattended store where shoppers can browse in complete peace. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Explore Canada, Find Primitive Smartphone
By 7.14.14
The Raiders of the Lost Walmart are a brave band of retail archaeologists who comb the continent’s stores to find the most ancient books, electronic devices, video games, and software at inappropriately high prices. I say “the continent” because today’s dispatches come from Raiders stationed in Canada. [More]
Best Buy Doesn’t Want You To Know They Take Returns Without A Receipt
By 7.14.14
Every store has two sets of policies: the official ones distributed to customers, and the policies from the other end that employees learn in training. A source inside Best Buy contacted us recently to explain how it’s possible to return items to Best Buy without a receipt. Yes, it is possible. No, customers aren’t supposed to know that. [More]
Target Security Worker Claims He Was Fired For Reporting Shoplifting Suspect Who Might Be A Cop
By 7.14.14
The job of a retail loss prevention officer is pretty clear — don’t let people steal stuff, and if you see someone who is, call the cops. But one Target security worker claims that after he reported a shoplifting suspect who may or may not be a police officer, he was fired. [More]
TJ Maxx Store Orders Customer To Put Service Dog In Cart Or Leave
By 7.14.14
A woman was shopping at a New Hampshire TJ Maxx with her service dog when the store manager asked her to put the animal in a shopping cart instead of allowing it to walk on the floor. She refused, saying that the dog wouldn’t fit in the cart, and was asked to leave the store. Now she’s taken her story to the media, and TJ Maxx has apologized. [More]
Ebay & Sotheby’s Announce New Online Marketplace For Art, Antiques & Collectibles
By 7.14.14
Need a new conversation piece for your parlor? Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to own a set of medieval and renaissance manuscripts but didn’t know how to get your hands on a set just like the one you saw on Antiques Roadshow. A new joint effort from eBay and high-end auction house Sotheby’s will bring those antiques, collectibles and art to an online marketplace for shoppers. [More]
Court Allows Company To Ask Amazon To Identify Negative Reviewers
By 7.14.14
While courts have held that companies have to prove an online review is libelous before it can be forcibly deleted, there is still a question about whether anonymous review-writers have a right to remain unnamed. A federal judge in Washington state recently decided that one company can request that Amazon provide information about users who left questionable reviews about the plaintiff’s products. [More]
A Single Camera Charger Shipped On A Pallet Looks Ridiculous
By 7.11.14
When a single charger box arrived at a camera store strapped to a wooden pallet, it caused one employee to take a video of the unboxing, then post it to Reddit with the question: “How is DHL still in business?” Yet this international edition of the Stupid Shipping Gang isn’t DHL’s fault. It’s how such items have to be shipped across borders. [More]
Police: Please Stop Pooping On Roofs Of Passing Trains
By 7.11.14
The police in Uxbridge, Massachusetts have a request. Someone out there is standing on train bridges and defecating on passing locomotives, and the police would like these people to stop. [More]
Amazon Asks FAA For Permission To Blacken The Skies With Delivery Drones
By 7.11.14
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration laid down a speed bump in the road toward the impending robot apocalypse, clarifying that package-delivery drones like the ones being planned by Amazon and others are currently illegal. But, much like a locked door or a cinderblock wall will not stop a T-1000, a bit of bureaucracy will not stop Amazon from its destiny of creating Skynet Amazon Prime Air. [More]
The Fun Thing About Target Math? You Can Find It At Home Depot & Walmart, Too
By 7.11.14
Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can and can’t be, friends. The world is your oyster, the sky is the limit, the cliche is yours to abuse and the rules are made to be broken. So when you’re a retailer, don’t think the only store that can have Target math. [More]
Amazon Takes Away All Discounts In France Under New Law, Charges A Penny For Shipping
By 7.11.14
Book lovers looking for a tidy discount in France won’t be finding anything of the sort, at least not from Amazon: In accordance with a new law in that country, the e-commerce Goliath has ditched all discounts and is charging a penny for shipping, because it’s not allowed to send books for free. [More]
Amazon Tosses Jumble Of Household Staples In Massive Box, Hopes For The Best
By 7.10.14
“Is that $120 in formula tossed in willy-billy with a bag of dog food?,” writes reader Cheryl. “Yes, yes it is.” Of course it is. We get that Amazon has a lot of boxes to ship on a daily basis, but she did sort of expect her giant order of household staples like kibble and granola bars to arrive not arrive loose in a large box, crushing some items. [More]
Bare Feet Will Remain Unshod If You’re Relying On This Ohio Target Store
By 7.10.14
Consumerist reader Mark has a problem: He needs some summer shoes. Simple, right? But while he was hoping to buy a pair at his local Target in Columbus, Ohio, alas, he has been greeted by a sad scene not once, but twice recently. [More]
Amazon Sued By Feds Over In-App Purchases
By 7.10.14
Last week, Amazon made it clear to the Federal Trade Commission that it wasn’t going to fork over a ton of cash to close an investigation into the e-tailer’s in-app purchase policy. And today the FTC made it clear that it intends to pursue its complaint against Amazon, suing the company in federal court. [More]
