DrRonster was inspired by a recent Consumerist post about a guy who couldn’t take advantage of Costco’s famed warranty because he wasn’t a member. The “Ronster” went to take his own suitcase in for a refund. The suitcase has a broken wheel and is five years old, yet his venture was met with success, as he is a Costco member. [More]
Retail Services
Amazon Testing Locker System That Lets You Pick Up Package At 7-11
By 9.7.11
For some of us with day jobs, especially those of us in cities, getting a delivery from Amazon can be a bit of a pain. You can’t have the delivery driver leave the package outside, which means you wait in line at the post office or UPS or FedEx depot to pick it up. But according to reports, Amazon is about set to test a new system that would deliver packages to a locker inside your local 7-11 store. [More]
Best Buy To Allow Online Competitors To Sell Through BestBuy.com
By 9.7.11
Many people refer to Best Buy as “the place I window shop for things I’ll buy from someone else online.” Now the electronics retailer’s latest move seems to acknowledge this fact while still profiting from it. [More]
JP Morgan Explains Euro Debt Crisis With Legos. Really.
By 9.7.11
In order to explain the Euro debt crisis, Michael Cembalest, the Chief Investment Officer of JP Morgan’s private bank, sent around a research note that used Legos to depict the different players. The Legos were fashioned by his 9-year old son. This really happened. Here’s the legend to explain which parties each figure represents, or you can play a fun game and guess on your own first. [More]
Walmart Shopper Borrows Electric Shopping Cart For 11 Days, Uses It Like A Car
By 9.6.11
You know those electric shopping carts you can use while shopping at Walmart? Then you likely also know that you’re supposed to return the cart when you are done shopping. You’re certainly not supposed to keep it for 11 days until you get ticketed by police for driving it down a public road. [More]
Geek Squad Takes Three Months To Not Fix My TV
By 9.6.11
Less than two years ago, Consumerist reader Eric plunked down more than $2,000 for a big, shiny Sony HD TV from Best Buy. He also got Geek Squad Black Tie Protection in case the TV needed fixing, which is exactly what happened earlier this summer. But three months later, Eric’s TV remains unrepaired. [More]
Shell Gas Station Uses Stickers To Prevent Credit Card Skimming
By 9.5.11 — Updated: 12.5.13
As gas stations with pay-at-the pump, ATMs and other unattended machines where you scan your credit card get hit by skimmers tampering with their equipment, some businesses are taking preventative measures by way of a simple sticker. [More]
Dave And Buster's Adds Mystery Service Charge To My Bill
By 9.5.11
Nothing like a sneaky additional charge slapped on a bill to get customers to shell out more money, right? Consumerist reader Pat writes in to tell a story of gratuitous gratuity trickery at Dave And Busters recently. [More]
Bank Of America Called Grieving Widow "48 Times A Day"
By 9.5.11
Many families who have just lost a loved one have had to deal with the unfortunate task of dealing with the debt left behind after death. One widowed woman is suing Bank of America Home Loan Servicing, saying they called her as many as 48 times a day demanding payment. [More]
Best Buy Robocalls You To Upgrade Phone You Didn't Get At Best Buy
By 9.2.11
Best Buy is a “valued business partner” of Verizon. That’s why they handed over their customer list to Best Buy so Big Blue could call up Verizon customers eligible for new phones and encourage them to upgrade. At Best Buy, naturally. This happened to Mary, and she wonders whether anyone out there might have assumed that they had to upgrade at Best Buy. [More]
Sears Repair Stands Customer Up 4 Times, Delays Repair 7 Weeks
By 9.2.11
It seemed to a California woman that spending a few hundred extra bucks on an extended warranty for her Sears washing machine was a good investment. And with a newborn in the house, the ability to summon a repairman with a phone call for no out-of-pocket cost. That’s true: assuming they show up and actually repair the appliance. Local Sears employees instead dismantled the machine, ordered parts, and then proceeded to stand her up four times, leaving the family without a working washer for seven weeks. [More]
Sears To Start Selling Craftsman Tools Through Costco
By 8.31.11
Do you like Sears’ brand of Craftsman tools but don’t like shopping at Sears? Well, this might be good news for you. The retail chain has announced you will be able to buy Craftsman wares at Costco stores as early as this coming weekend. [More]
The Strange Flavors People Give Ice Cream
By 8.31.11
Just as culinary mad scientists will attempt to fry just about anything, they will also make ice cream flavors out of the least expected stuff. [More]
Wells Fargo And Chase Waive Fees For Irene-Affected Customers
By 8.30.11
Wells Fargo and Chase announced that they are waiving some fees for customers in NY, NJ and CT to help them out after Irene. [More]
Home Depot Tells Me I'll Be Able To Return Unused Generator, Changes Mind After Hurricane
By 8.30.11
Hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s stand to rake in a nice pile of cash from hurricane-related sales. And according to one Consumerist reader, his local Home Depot intends on keeping as much of that cash as possible by not making good on its pre-storm promises. [More]
Home Depot, Starbucks To Make A Pile Of Post-Hurricane Cash
By 8.29.11
Reports state that Hurricane Irene could have done anywhere from $3 billion to $10 billion in damage during her brief trip up the East Coast. That’s a lot of plywood, nails, plaster and everything else that will be needed for repair. It’s also a lot of coffee for beleaguered consumers. [More]
Friday Tipster Round-Up: Holiday Creep Edition
By 8.26.11
Sifting through this week’s submissions, it looks like users of the free Consumerist Tipster App had the holidays on their brains. Of course, it appears they didn’t have much choice as stores have already begun packing the aisles with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas items. [More]
Best Buy Tells Me It Will Honor Coupon For Printer, But Only If It Can Charge Price That Negates Use Of The Coupon
By 8.26.11
Consumerist reader Jon saw that Best Buy was offering what appeared to be a pretty decent deal: Bring in any old printer for recycling and get a coupon for $50 off a Kodak ESP printer. And when he got to the store and saw the printer price had been dropped from $99 to $49, he thought he’d truly won a small victory. And then he got to the checkout line… [More]
