Paul Michael at Wise Bread thought that he had found a great deal on throw pillows at his local Hobby Lobby store. Signs advertised ninety percent off! Imagine that, a $50 fancy throw pillow for only five bucks! It was only when he looked closer that he noticed that the “original” prices were surprisingly high for mass-produced pillows: about $90 to $120. Research online showed similar pillows from the same company for sale for around half that. Just what was going on here? [More]
Retail Services
A-Hole Identity Thieves Send Thank You Flowers To Victim
By 4.4.11
It’s bad enough when someone finds a way to swipe your personal info to use for their own illegal purposes. But it’s a special kind of jackass that has the temerity to send you a “Thank You” note after stealing your funds. [More]
Worst Company In America Sweet 16: Comcast Vs. Best Buy
By 4.4.11
The reigning WCIA champ struts into the blood-stained octagon to defends its title against a bunch of geeks in blue shirts who fancy themselves as contenders to the Worst Company throne. [More]
Walmart Considering Online Grocery Delivery Service
By 4.4.11
One day, Walmart was walking down the street, probably whistling or twirling an umbrella, when it saw a Fresh Direct Delivery truck and a big ol’ lightbulb dinged on above its head. Even if that didn’t happen, the mega-chain is said to be considering offering its own version of online grocery shopping, complete with home delivery. [More]
Jennie-O Recalls 55,000 Pounds Of Turkey Burger Because Salmonella Isn't Very Good For You
By 4.4.11
Lots of people are always going on about how turkey burgers are healthier for you than beef, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for the nearly 55,000 pounds of raw turkey burger that Jennie-O has had to recall over worries about possible salmonella poisoning. [More]
E-Mail Breach Hits Best Buy, TiVo, Walgreens, Chase, Kroger, Many More
By 4.4.11
What first looked like a small e-mail list breach at New York & Company over the weekend was just the tip of the iceberg as multiple national retailers and banks found themselves the victim of the same data hackers. [More]
New York & Company Warns Customers Of E-Mail List Breach
By 4.3.11
Several readers have forwarded us an email from New York & Company warning customers that their email system had been compromised. The company assures subscribers that “only” names and email addresses were accessed, adding that customers might receive spam email as result. [More]
Movie Studios Set To Charge $30 To Watch Movies On-Demand While They're Still In Theaters
By 4.1.11
When we first brought up the idea of charging $30 for on-demand titles that are still lingering in theaters, less than 20% of you said you would be interested. But our little poll — and the protests of theater owners — hasn’t stopped everyone from moving forward with plans to launch the service in the coming weeks. [More]
Worst Company In America Sweet 16: Capital One Vs. Chase
By 3.30.11
So far, the WCIA Sweet 16 has been nothing but blowouts. This battle of the banks promises to be a more evenly matched tussle. [More]
Drug Companies Pushing Up Prices In Patent-Ending Panic
By 3.30.11
Get it while you can, big drug companies! Pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer Inc, AstraZeneca and Bristol Meyers Squibb are feeling a little panicky as the deadlines loom on patents for some of their best-selling drugs, so what do they do? Up the prices now, before those pesky generic versions arrive to drive consumer costs down. [More]
Baby Formula Is A Prized Item For Shoplifting Rings, Drug Smugglers
By 3.30.11
Raise your hand if you’re surprised to hear that baby formula is a popular choice of not only shoplifting rings, but drug smugglers who use it to cut heroin and cocaine. Yes, we’re shocked, too! [More]
Stupid Shipping Gang Underpackages Glass Jar, Mauling Customer
By 3.29.11
We like to post pictures of items comically overpackaged by the Stupid Shipping Gang, in order to point, laugh, and call attention to the wastefulness. Nicole’s experience shows what can happen to consumers when an item is stupidly packaged: Amazon sent her a woefully underpackaged glass bottle of vitamins, which broke in transit and cut Nicole’s finger when she went to open it. Now Amazon won’t give her a refund until she sends the box of broken glass, vitamins, plastic wrap, and a tiny bit of blood back. [More]
Is Walmart Putting Elderly Greeters In Harm's Way By Having Them Check Receipts?
By 3.29.11
While Walmart fires young loss-prevention staffers for restraining an armed shoplifter, the company has no problem asking its elderly employees to check receipts of exiting customers, who occasionally get violently upset when stopped. Perhaps the latest incident, in which a 71-year-old greeter was allegedly hit and choked by angry customers, might change things. [More]
Coors Light To Pass Budweiser As Second On Biggest Beer List?
By 3.29.11
First it was Diet Coke pushing Pepsi out of the way to take over second place on the bestselling soda list, now it looks like beer behemoth Budweiser might lose its coveted number-two slot to Coors Light. [More]
Supreme Court Hears Walmart Sex Discrimination Suit Today
By 3.29.11
Walmart is quite competitive this week, not only vying to move on in the Worst Company in America Sweet 16, but battling female employees in a sex discrimination court today in a case before the Supreme Court. [More]
Worst Company In America Sweet 16: Walmart Vs. Delta
By 3.28.11
Two sultans of suck square off in today’s Sweet 16 match-up that pits big box stores against jumbo jets. [More]
Some Girl Scouts Join 20th Century, Begin Taking Credit Cards For Cookies
By 3.28.11
For decades, if you wanted to chow down on Thin Mints or any other Girl Scout cookies, you needed to have cash on hand or find someone willing to take a check. But now, a handful of troops in Ohio and California are shaking things up at the 100-year-old organization by accepting credit cards. [More]
Wells Fargo & SunTrust Cancel Debit Rewards Programs
By 3.28.11
Last week, we wrote about JPMorgan Chase’s decision to get rid of rewards programs for debit card users in response to a new law that will slash the amount of money banks receive per debit card transaction. Now comes news that at least two other banks — Wells Fargo and SunTrust — have followed suit. [More]
