February was a dark time for video game publisher Activision Blizzard, which announced layoffs of 500 along with the shelving of its overused Guitar Hero brand. [More]
Retail Services
Would You Take A Bad Amazon Marketplace Review Down For A Refund?
By 4.14.11
T. ordered a replacement power adapter for his MacBook from an Amazon Marketplace seller. He was under the impression that it was a genuine Apple product, but the $35 price tag probably should have been an indication that it wasn’t. The item arrived, worked okay, and then T. accidentally broke it. Two months after he left a tepidly negative review, he heard from the seller, offering a refund to encourage him to remove his negative feedback. Coincidentally, the seller had received a huge increase in negative feedback in the period since T’s purchase. What would you do? [More]
Chase Rep Thinks Deaf People Can't Have Credit Cards
By 4.13.11
Dheeraj’s father is a silent partner in the business that they own together. They made him the personal guarantor when applying for a new business credit card from Chase recently, not realizing how many problems it would cause while trying to get the father’s card activated. See, Dheeraj’s father is deaf, and Chase was completely lost when it came to ways for him to prove his identity and activate the card. Now the account is frozen because all of Chase’s ways for business credit card customers to prove their identities depend on speaking directly with the cardholder on the phone. [More]
Senator Durbin To Chase CEO: You're Already Gouging The Consumer, So Stop Complaining
By 4.13.11
The main reason that JPMorgan Chase and other big banks have given for things like $5 ATM fees and prohibitive caps on debit card purchases is a soon-to-be-enacted bit of legislation known as the Durbin Amendment, which limits the amount of money banks can make off of interchange fees, the amount they charge retailers for each debit card transaction. Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has called the laws “price fixing at its worst” and “downright idiotic.” Now Dick Durbin, the Illinois senator whose name graces the legislation, has come out swinging at Dimon, telling the bank exec to quit whining and enjoy being profitable. [More]
Target Sells Bike Without Brake Parts, Won't Exchange Without Receipt
By 4.13.11
When buying someone a gift at Target, always, always, always ask for and give a gift receipt. It’s useful not only when the gift is the wrong size or something the recipient doesn’t like or need, but also when it’s defective. Kekoa’s daughter received a bicycle from Target for her last birthday, a gift from her grandparents. Some parts were missing from the box, but employees at the local Target were helpless and unhelpful because the family didn’t have a receipt. [More]
Bank Of America Asks Employees For Advice On How It Can Suck Less
By 4.13.11
The polls haven’t closed yet, but as of right now Bank of America appears to be heading to the finals in this year’s Worst Company In America tournament. But unlike reigning WCIA champ Comcast, which would rather ask its employees to flood the ballot box than fix the problems, BofA has reportedly started a company-wide initiative to at least pay lip service to the idea of making the company run more smoothly. [More]
Walmart To Turn Shrink Ray On Electronics Department
By 4.13.11
Even though electronics are a huge business, the devices are getting smaller and the number of people purchasing them from online outlets is growing. Thus, the nation’s biggest retailer has decided to cut the amount of floor space it dedicates to all things electronic. [More]
Former Sears CEO's Compensation Tripled In 2010
By 4.12.11
Back in February, the Sears Holding Company named Louis J. D’Ambrosio, formerly of IBM and of Avaya, its new CEO. As the company continues to struggle for profits and relevance, the Associated Press determined that W. Bruce Johnson, interim CEO from 2008 until this year, got a huge raise in 2010, which more than tripled his pay. For what? Not improving customers’ satisfaction with Sears, if our mailbox is any indication. [More]
Worst Company In America Final Four: Bank Of America Vs. Ticketmaster
By 4.12.11
This year’s WCIA Final Four kicks off with a rematch of the closest fight from last year’s tournament. [More]
Sears' Inept Service Has Left Me Without Heat For Over Three Weeks
By 4.12.11
Jeff bought the boiler for his home from Sears with a Master Protection Agreement, thinking that, should the very necessary piece of hardware conk out, it would be fixed in a timely fashion. Alas, when said boiler did turn useless last month, Jeff found out the awful truth. [More]
Here They Are: Your Worst Company In America Final Four!
By 4.12.11
Thirty-two entered. Four remain. And in the end, there can be only one. [More]
Church Group To Pray At Gas Station For Lower Fuel Prices
By 4.12.11
For the third time, members of a church group in Georgia will gather to pray for stability in the economy, lower fuel prices, and peace in the Middle East. Where will they gather? The gas station of their local Kroger, where else? [More]
Amazon's Kindle: Now Brought To You By Buick?
By 4.12.11
If $140 for an Amazon Kindle e-reader is still too rich for your blood, the online book-seller is starting to take pre-orders for a new $113 “Kindle with Special Offers.” What makes it cheaper (and “special”)? The new e-reader will display advertisements on the Kindle’s screensaver and at the bottom of the home page. [More]
Slobstopper: Your Coffee And Donut-Blocking Poncho
By 4.12.11
Have you ever sipped coffee while driving, and spilled it down the front of your shirt? Man, we’ve all been there. What if there were a product that could prevent such mishaps? Perhaps a massive synthetic backless poncho of an adult bib, with a handy homemade-looking infomercial, and with a gross name. Yes! That’s perfect! [More]
Want Cheap Gas? Try Costco
By 4.11.11
For a good price on gas, try your favorite purveyor of bulk-sized butter barrels. WSJ reports that Costco tries to sell gas at or below the lowest price in the neighborhood. [More]
A Bank Of America ATM Ate My Checks But Didn't Deposit Them
By 4.11.11
Now that ATMs can gobble up your checks and not even bother with an envelope, many consumers have been joyfully feeding their money into them, especially those who, like Consumerist reader Frank P., have ebank accounts and thus would have to pay to deposit them with a teller. This very technology, gone awry, is the reason Frank says he’s leaving BofA forever. [More]
Video: Driverless Tractor Rampages Cars In Walmart Parking Lot
By 4.11.11
It’s demolition derby time at this Walmart parking lot where a tractor without anyone behind the wheel drives around in a circle of death, plowing through minivans and raising sparks as its blade gouges the side of the building. [More]
DirectBuy Pressured Me Into Membership But Won't Let Me Buy Anything I Want
By 4.11.11
It’s kind of like DirectBuy is just refusing to be cool, ever, even once: Adding to the long list of complaints we’ve received and read about, a woman who says she was pressured into buying a $5,000 membership to the home club says she hasn’t been able to buy anything she actually wants from them. Wait a darn tootin’ second, DirectBuy is being difficult? Go figure! [More]
