Walmart offers rain checks. Not everyone is aware of this, including people who work at and manage Walmart stores. The mega-retailer has few advertised specials that would require rain checks, you see. That’s how a disabled Florida senior citizen ended up having the police called in and being banned for life from Walmart after he tried to get a rain check for a pint of blueberries. [More]
Retail Services
Walmart Putting Pressure On Suppliers To Go Green
By 2.26.10
In an effort to de-taint its public image (and cut long-term overhead costs), mega-retailer Walmart has been going “green” for over a decade with eco-friendly changes to its operation. And yesterday the company announced it is asking its suppliers to help them in their latest initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 million metric tons in the next five years. [More]
Lactose Intolerant? Drink Milk!
By 2.25.10
If you think you’re lactose intolerant, the National Institutes of Health says, well… maybe you’re not. In a statement released yesterday, the NIH claims that lactose intolerance is nowhere near as prevalent as it’s believed and that a general misunderstanding of lactose is causing people to not get the Vitamin D and calcium they need. [More]
Toshiba Is Holding My Computer Hostage For $140
By 2.25.10
Getting something fixed under warranty is rarely a pleasant task. It often takes longer than expected and occasionally lapses into bouts of back-and-forth finger-pointing between the manufacturer and the owner of the faulty product. Just ask Consumerist reader Art, who says that Toshiba has not only had his busted laptop for three months, but they’ve reneged on their promise to replace it and now want $140 for his troubles. [More]
Getting Refund For Defective Treadmill Is Like Running On… Well, You Know
By 2.25.10
After purchasing a large piece of fitness equipment from Amazon, do not move. Ever. This apparently confuses the customer service representatives and sends you on a two-month odyssey of buck-passing, missed connections, confusion, and consumer mayhem. Vu writes that he has learned this lesson the hard way. He would like Amazon to come pick the damn thing up so he can get his refund. [More]
Want To Spend $9,999 On A Mouse Pad? Go To Amazon
By 2.25.10
There are plenty of people selling Belkin F5L008 Mouse Trap mouse pads through Amazon, but if you want the one in gray, you’re going to have to pay a little bit more than you’d expect… like about $9,989 more (plus shipping). [More]
Giant Redesigned DS Coming In March, Could Be Second-Tier Kindle
By 2.25.10
The jumbo-sized DS redesign, the DSi XL, which came out in Japan in November, will make its way to the U.S. March 28 and cost $190. [More]
Amazon's Frustration Free Packaging Still Not Quite Working Out For Electronics
By 2.24.10
Tom wishes Amazon would use better packaging when it comes to shipping things like hard drives. Their “frustration-free packaging” is meant to save shoppers from dealing with blister packs and unnecessary boxes. For the Western Digital hard drive Tom was trying to buy, it meant bouncing around a half-empty box from the fulfillment facility to his doorstep, where it arrived broken. Twice. [More]
Walmart Closing Down Vudu's Porn Channel
By 2.24.10
To no one’s great surprise, Vudu has announced that now that it belongs to Walmart it will be shutting down the adult section. No more streaming HD porn from Vudu, everybody. Their announcement after the jump. [More]
VIDEO: The Daily Show On Credit Card Reform
By 2.24.10
When you are a major national bank, and your fees and policies compare unfavorably to those of a Mafia loan shark, you’re probably in trouble. To celebrate the CARD Act going into effect on Monday, last night “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” gave their audience a quick overview of how credit cards work. (“Or maybe they’ll just give you a rate hike of 30% for no reason at all. Why? F*** you, that’s why!”) Then correspondent Wyatt Cenac spoke with two people who have unique insights into how the American lending industry works: former Bank of America credit collections CSR, YouTube star, and Consumerist hero Jackie, and former Mafia loan shark Lou. [More]
Magical USAA Check-Depositing Smartphone App Now Available For Android
By 2.24.10
Do you envy iPhone users’ ability to deposit checks in their USAA accounts by snapping a picture and using a fancy secure app? Now, check-zapping abilities have been granted to phones using Google’s Android mobile operating system. [More]
Just Calling Bank Of America Invokes The Cancel Monster
By 2.23.10
Be careful if you call Bank of America. You might wake the beast. April called BofA about a credit card that she hand’t used in a while to see about getting her interest rate reduced. At first they told her she qualified for a new card with an APR 10 points lower, but then the bloodshot eye of the guardian cast its fell gaze upon her for the first time in years and something nasty happened… [More]
Judge In Bank Of America Case Calls Settlement "Half-Baked Justice"
By 2.22.10
A U.S. District Court Judge signed off on the $150 million settlement between Bank of America Corp. and the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations of making misleading statements during BofA’s purchase of Merrill Lynch & Co., but he wasn’t exactly happy about doing it. [More]
Walmarts Gets Into Streaming Video With Possible Vudu Acquisition
By 2.22.10
While Walmart sells everything from gasoline to groceries, and they have a pretty sizable online presence, they haven’t gotten into the lucrative business of on-demand/streaming video. But that could all change with news that the box store leviathan is about to purchase streaming video service Vudu. [More]
Bank Of America Only Lends You Money When You Have No Income
By 2.22.10
Reader James writes in with a story we hear a lot lately. During the run up to the credit meltdown –Bank of America kept raising James’ limit. He ran up a balance while caring for someone who eventually died — and now that he has paid off his debt, his limit has been cut. In the long run, however, he feels that he’s better off without credit cards. [More]
Would You Buy This Meat?
By 2.22.10
Reader Michael sent us this breakfast-ruining photo of some seriously off-putting meat offered at a discount at Walmart. A quick glance at this meat spoilage guide suggests “Oxidative Rancidity” which is what happens when you don’t wrap meat properly.
Heavy-Drinking Off-Duty Employee Ruined My Trip To Boston's
By 2.22.10
Kris was trying to get his poker on at Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, but an unruly manager who tried to impress him by showing him video of strippers doing their thing at the restaurant after hours ruined the night for him. [More]
Walmarts Kicks Name Brands Off Shelves
By 2.22.10
Another reason to try/buy generic: you might have to because your favorite name-brand could be getting the boot from store shelves. [More]
