One day after Best Buy announced it was pulling the plug on its Geek Squad experiment with Target, comes news that the electronics retailer is partnering with another big brand. [More]
Retail Services
Jared Sold Us Two Really Terrible Engagement Ring Settings
By 4.3.13
Three years ago, it was a beautiful and memorable moment when Greg proposed to his girlfriend and she said “yes.” Only a few hours afterward, something that was memorable for a different reason happened: the rhodium coating on the future Mrs. Greg’s white gold ring wore off, making it look yellow and setting off her nickel allergy. The couple convinced the retailer, Jared, to replace it with platinum, but that didn’t work out so well, either. [More]
Will The Edge Of Glory Really Let You Slice A Tomato WIth A Credit Card?
By 4.3.13
Have you always dreamed of slicing vegetables with the sharpened edge of a plastic credit card? Yeah, us either. But pitchman Anthony Sullivan does just that in the ad for the Edge of Glory, an inexpensive, small, and easy-to-use gadget that claims to sharpen any knife in your drawer. Is it worth $10.99 plus shipping and handling? According to tests by our super-sharp siblings down the hall at Consumer Reports, the answer is “maybe.” If you only have cheap knives. Or want to chop your food with a credit card. Which actually works. [More]
Target Can’t Find The Product I Returned In Its Own Warehouse & Somehow This Is My Problem
By 4.3.13
Consumerist reader Anne and her husband just welcomed a new baby girl to their Brooklyn home, and as such, were busy getting ready for her arrival in the weeks leading up to her birth. As part of her nesting activities, Anne ordered a baby rocker from Target and chose a light cream color. But when it arrived, it was really more of a brown hue and she didn’t want to keep it. [More]
Geek Squad Too Geeky For Target?
By 4.3.13
Back in October, we told you about Best Buy and Target experimenting with putting Geek Squad dorks behind the counter at a handful of Target stores. Shock horror, this didn’t really shake things up at either retailer, so they have decided to just go their separate ways and then maybe occasionally say hi in the hallway between class before eventually deciding it’s easier to just pretend they never went on those couple of awkward dates. [More]
Worst Company In America Quarterfinals: Bank Of America Vs. Walmart
April 3, 2013
We’re getting so close to handing out the Golden Poo you can almost taste it. Wait… that doesn’t sound right. [More]
These 8 Remaining Worst Company In America Contenders Sure Are Elite
April 2, 2013
The madness of March, when 32 bad businesses began pummeling each other mercilessly in an orgy of blood and denied extended warranties, has been refined and honed into the brutal fiery fury of April, as only eight names cling tenuously to their claim to be the Worst Company In America. [More]
You Really Don’t Need To Pay $70 For LPG Conversion Kit Delivery From Sears (Or Anyone)
By 4.2.13
Matthew bought a gas dryer, but needed one that runs on liquid propane. He only discovered this after installation. No big deal: you can get a little tiny converter, which fits in a small padded envelope. Or would, if Sears were willing to mail it. Which they are not. [More]
Someone Needs To Clarify When I Should Be Eating These Walmart Donuts
By 4.2.13
These donuts seem to be a bit indecisive as to when they will be at their prime tastiest. Were they the best before March 31? Or would April 1 do? Maybe April 2 is okay for these baked goods from Walmart. Who’s to say, really, when there are three tags on one package of donuts? [More]
Court Ruling Highlights Huge Roadblock To Reselling Digital Content
By 4.2.13
Even though huge online players like Amazon and Apple are working on ways to provide users a marketplace to resell “used” digital downloads like mp3s and e-books, neither plan really deals with the most salient problem with reselling digital products — getting rid of the original copy. [More]
Another Day, Another 9-Figure Settlement For Bank Of America
By 4.2.13
For most companies, a $165 million settlement would be huge news. For Bank of America, it’s like a paper cut on a guy that’s been swimming in the piranha tank all day. Not that we feel any sympathy. [More]
Congratulations, Jamie Dimon, You’re The Sexiest CEO In America!
By 4.1.13
The last week has been great for Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, or would be if he were a regular reader of Consumerist. Last Thursday, our readers voted his company to be less terrible than Bank of America in our annual Worst Company in America tournament. Today, our readers declared him to be the official Sexiest CEO in America! [More]
Sears Outlet Not Used To Having Actual Customers, Locks Them Inside Store
By 4.1.13
A Michigan couple were shopping at Sears Outlet with their infant last week when they realized that they had been trapped inside the store. Police responding to a tripped alarm last Monday night discovered the would-be customers inside, claiming that employees had closed up and left them inside. [More]
Presenting Best Buy And The Case Of The Phone That Vanished For 3 Months
By 3.29.13
November, 2012. Seems like it was only last year. So much has happened since then that it’s hard to remember exactly how this whole mess got started. And like a lot of cases involving a runaway cellphone, it didn’t strike anyone as such a big deal back then. Boy were they mistaken. [More]
Nope, It’s Not Legal To Hunt Deer In The Walmart Parking Lot
By 3.29.13
The Pennsylvania Game Commission would like you to know that it is not legal to hunt deer in the Burrell Township Walmart parking lot, and, by extension, any other Walmart parking lot. [More]
Amazon To Buy Goodreads, And Owns Part Or All Of Its Competitors, Too
By 3.29.13
Social book review site Goodreads is growing quickly, with 16 million members, partly because of its reputation as a source for independent user reviews of books. It’s main competition, Shelfari and LibraryThing are both partly or completely owned by Amazon. Yesterday, Goodreads announced that they were joining their competitors at the seller of cat litter and fine literature alike. [More]
Worst Company In America Round 2: Bank Of America Vs. Chase
March 28, 2013
It’s time for Banker Battle 2013, as these two Wall Street Warriors take a break from trading toxic securities in order to trade some deadly blows to the head. [More]
Worst Company In America Round 2: Walmart Vs. Sears
March 28, 2013
Let the next round begin! Now that these two retailers have a taste for blood, it’s time to sic them against each other in WCIA Ball Pit of Doom and Generalized Anxiety, But Mostly Doom! [More]
