We don’t want to admit it, but most of us have done it before. We’ve misjudged how much money was in our checking accounts, leading to a cascade of overdraft fees. It happened to Bob: he used his Bank of America debit card for each transaction during a night out and was hit with a total of $245 in fees. Sure, he could have taken the fees as an expensive lesson, but he chose to fight back instead. [More]
Retail Services
Teen Scams Walmarts Out Of $30,000 By Pretending To Be Manager From Another Walmart
By 2.10.14
I once knew a guy who said that with the right outfit and enough confidence, you can get through any door. Looks like a 17-year-old in Oklahoma took that lesson to heart, walking into multiple area Walmarts and walking out with wads of cash in his pocket. [More]
Justice Dept. Sued Over Validity Of $13 Billion Chase Mortgage Settlement
By 2.10.14
Remember back in November when JPMorgan reached the massive $13 billion settlement with the Justice Dept. over allegations tied to toxic mortgage-backed securities sold to investors before the housing market went kerflumpp? A non-profit group filed suit today against the DOJ, challenging the validity of the deal and asking for a court to review it. [More]
The Defective Xbox, The Defective Kmart, And The Defective Exchange Process
By 2.7.14
Evan had a problem. Well, first, he had an Xbox One, which was a pretty great thing. He had picked it up at a Kmart in a different city while visiting friends, because they had it in stock. When it began to make can opener noises a few weeks later, it would have been simplest to exchange it for a new Xbox at Kmart. Naturally, that was impossible. [More]
Target Math: Dunkin’ Donuts Edition
By 2.7.14
Quick, which bag of coffee would you rather buy? Twelve ounces for $6.99, or twenty-four ounces for $16.99? Reader Mike spotted this piece of traditional Target math at a store in Hawaii. [More]
Visa, MasterCard To End Swipe-And-Sign By 2015
By 2.7.14
Goodbye credit card signatures and hello PIN numbers. In a move that could better protect consumers from massive security breaches, major credit card companies are looking to implement a chip-and-PIN system instead of the tired and true swipe-and-sign method used across the country. [More]
Why Would Anyone Steal $342 In Cat Food? To Sell To A Friend With 300 Cats, Obviously
By 2.7.14
There are always going to be bad consumers out there doing bad things, like stealing from Walmart. Awful. But not all bad consumers have reasons for thieving that can make us start laughing uncontrollably, then in starts and fits every time we think about it again. Presenting: The guy who stole $342 worth in cat food so he could sell it to his friend who has 300 cats. [More]
Target HVAC Vendor Provides Info On Connection To Data Breach
By 2.7.14
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the hackers behind the massive breach of Target’s in-store payment system were able to access the retailer’s network through one of its heating, cooling and ventilation vendors. That company is now providing more information about the attack. [More]
Bank Of America Addresses Junk Mail To “Lisa Is A Slut”
By 2.7.14
Only a couple weeks after OfficeMax sent out some junk mail addressed to “Daughter Killed in Car Crash,” a California woman says a mailing from Bank of America showed up at her mother’s home with her name printed as “Lisa Is A Slut” McIntire. [More]
5 Things You Shouldn’t Buy At The Drugstore
By 2.6.14
Sure, you’ll still be able to buy cigarettes at Walgreens for the foreseeable future, but what else should you pick up while you’re there to get your smokes? Nothing, apparently. [More]
Home Depot Employees Arrested For Stealing Personal Information Of 300 Co-Workers
By 2.6.14
Of all the people at your workplace that you’d hope would not violate employees’ trust by stealing their personal information and using it for illicit gain, it would probably be the folks in corporate human resources. But you’d be wrong, at least in the case of the three Home Depot HR staffers who have been arrested for allegedly stealing co-workers’ information to open bogus credit card accounts. [More]
Newegg “Premier” Offers Expedited Shipping For $50/Year
By 2.6.14
While Newegg has long been a go-to online retailer for a large number of electronics shoppers, for some consumers the site was lacking the expedited shipping and other perks offered by the Amazon Prime service. This week, Newegg finally dipped its toes into the premium subscription service pool with Newegg Premier. [More]
Credentials Used For Target Hack Reportedly Stolen From HVAC Vendor
By 2.5.14
When it was first revealed that the hackers who compromised Target’s in-store payment processing system had used stolen vendor credentials to breach the retailer’s network, many probably assumed that the vendor was some sort of IT or security consultant. But a new report from cybersecurity expert and journalist Brian Krebs says it appears that the entry point into the system was through a refrigeration, heating and cooling company in Pennsylvania. [More]
Secret Service: Hackers Behind Target Attack Used Specially Designed, Sophisticated Malware
By 2.5.14
A House subcommittee that’s looking into the massive theft of Target customers’ personal and financial information heard from a Secret Service official who says that the hackers responsible had been preparing long and hard for the “highly technical” attack, using sophisticated malware that likely was designed specially to infiltrate Target’s system. [More]
8 Retailers That Have Your Back When You Forget Your Coupon
By 2.5.14
Retailer coupons can be your ticket to great deals, but what happens when you forget to clip or bring along your coupon? If you know when to ask, sometimes the store will have your back. If not, these stores often have coupon-stuffed flyers at the entrances, or smartphone apps you can use to dial up your own. [More]
JPMorgan Chase To Pay $614M In Settlement For Defrauding Federal Agencies
By 2.5.14
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is running up quite the legal tab this year. On Tuesday, that tab grew by $614 million when the company agreed to settle its latest legal woe with the U.S. government. [More]
Man Posing As Walmart Worker Rewarded With A Swift Hit In The Junk After Flashing Customer
By 2.4.14
Listen, if you’re going to go around pretending you work for Walmart when really you’re just set on flashing your naughty bits at unsuspecting customers, you better believe you’ve got some pain heading your way. Because no one wants to see that, sir. [More]
Massive Data Breaches Could Lead To Americans Finally Getting Smarter Credit Cards
By 2.4.14
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony today from Target’s chief financial officer about the massive data breach that hit the company during the holiday shopping season last year. [More]
