We’ve written before about Walmart failing to keep its shelves stocked, but here’s a story about a different kind of neglect at the nation’s largest retailer. Shoppers at a New Jersey Walmart say the store was allowing the live fish in its pet department to fester in dirty, unfiltered water with dead fish sitting on the bottom of the tanks. [More]
Retail Services
Homeland Security Warns Retailers About Malware Used In Target Hack
By 1.17.14
While you might imagine other big retailers sitting back and having a good ol’ chuckle at the expense of Target, the reality is more like they’re all shaking in their boots. Because if a massive data breach could hit Target, it could happen to any merchant (and probably will hit more). The government wants retailers to be ready, and has released a bunch of information about the methods used in the attack to prepare them. [More]
If Walmart Won’t Take Your Printer Back, Don’t Throw It At The Customer Service Rep
By 1.17.14
When we advise unhappy consumers to escalate their customer service complaints, we mean to take your issue to a store manager or someone at corporate HQ. We don’t suggest that you ramp up your anger by smashing things and tossing printers at store employees. [More]
Varying Laws Allow Companies To Delay Notifying Consumers Of Hacks
By 1.16.14
It took Target mere days to notify consumers that their personal information had been breached. Not fast enough? Well, it could have taken months before the incident was made public, thanks to state laws that vary the length of time in which companies must announce cyber hacks. [More]
Cody Foster & Co. Sends Cease And Desist Letter To Catalog Whistleblower
By 1.16.14
Nebraska-based trinket maker Cody Foster wholesales adorable items to boutiques, gift shops, and even bigger retailers like Anthropologie. Their catalog is only visible to their customers. One of those customers noticed a curious resemblance between items in the Cody Foster catalog and items made and sold by prominent (but not too prominent) artists and Etsy sellers. [More]
Home Depot Worker Swoops In To Save Falling Baby
By 1.16.14
So imagine you’re working at the store one day when out of the corner of your eye you see a baby about to fall to the floor from atop a shopping cart. Would you be fast enough to save the day? [More]
Citi To Replace Debit Cards Linked To Target Hack
By 1.16.14
A month after Target first revealed that its in-store credit and debit card payment system had been breached, Citi has finally announced plans to replace all debit cards for customers whose account information was stolen in the hack. [More]
NLRB Files Complaint Against Walmart For Alleged Retaliations Against Workers
By 1.15.14
Back in November, the General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board said he had investigated allegations that Walmart had violated the rights of some employees who protested for higher wages and better working conditions. Today, the NLRB says it has actually issued a complaint against the nation’s largest retailer, possibly setting the stage for a hearing later this year. [More]
Best Buy Customer Claims Employee Stole His Identity And Used It To Buy Stuff At Best Buy
By 1.15.14
When you use your retailer credit card at one of the company’s stores, it might seem like that’s the safest place to use it. But one Best Buy customer said he feels decidedly unsafe and has lost trust in the store after an employee allegedly swiped his personal information to gain access to his store card. [More]
Capital One Is The Most Complained-About Credit Card Company
By 1.15.14
Since the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau opened its credit card complaint portal in Sept. 2010, more than 25,000 complaints have been filed with the CFPB. And while the 10 largest credit card issuers account for 93% of all those complaints, one company is responsible for more than 1-in-5 of all complaints filed with the Bureau: Capital One. [More]
Sears, Kmart Recall Kenmore Fan Heaters Because They Are Not Supposed To Catch Fire
By 1.15.14
While flames have long kept humans warm during cold weather, fire is not the intended output of a Kenmore heat fan. That’s why Sears and Kmart have recalled 43,000 of the fans and will be issuing refunds to customers who bought them. [More]
Target Price Scanner Is Ready To Play What Now?
By 1.14.14
Robert was understandably confused when he checked the price of a Hot Wheels toy on a price scanner and got a saucy message in return. Or maybe an insult. Or just the name of another Hot Wheels product. (Mildly NSFW screenshot and video inside.) [More]
We Don’t Understand How Walmart Oil Changes Keep Going Terribly Awry, But Here We Are
By 1.14.14
There’s something afoot in the oil at Walmart. Or least that’s what one could believe as we hear yet another story of your average customer bringing in a vehicle for an oil change at the store and leaving with a headache-inducing damaged car situation. [More]
We Don’t Want To Hear About Your Disappointing Flowers This Valentine’s Day
By 1.14.14
Well, Consumerist readers, the time is near. There’s a month to go until Valentine’s Day, and we have a goal. We do not want to publish any disappointing wire service flower photos on Tuesday, February 18. None. Zero. Because everyone reading this right now who plans to order flowers will proceed to the friendliest, best-reviewed local florist they can find and order directly. [More]
Senators Call On Target To Explain Credit Card Breach
By 1.14.14
Nearly a month after Target revealed that its retail credit and debit card payment system had been breached, compromising the information of more than 100 million customers, the Chairs of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee have written to the retailer asking it to explain just how a huge mistake like this could happen. [More]
Get Ready For A Flood Of Credit Card Offers From Your Bank
By 1.14.14
The recession years had one pleasant side effect — a drop in the number of credit card offers filling consumers’ mailboxes. But now that all the banks have learned their lessons and will never again lend out money to people who won’t pay it back, they are once again ramping up the credit card offers. [More]
Target CEO Apologizes For Hack, Explains 4-Day Delay For Alerting Customers
By 1.14.14
As you all know, between Black Friday weekend and December 15, Target’s in-store credit and debit card processing system was compromised, allowing attackers to make off with more than 100 million card numbers and other information. Last night, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel went on TV to (repeatedly) apologize and to explain why Target didn’t acknowledge the hack until Dec. 18. [More]
77-Year-Old Walmart Shopper Attacks Man With Cart For Having Too Many Items In Express Lane
By 1.14.14
We’ve all been in the express checkout line, grumbling about the person in front of us who has more than the maximum number of items in his or her cart. We may have even said something to this person, or complained to the cashier. But I’m guessing that most of us have not been charged with assault for attacking that other customer with a shopping cart. [More]
