Eric wrote to us this week with a tale of such epic dysfunction while trying to purchase air conditioners from Sears that there’s not much we can add to it. Inside: Imaginary deliveries, super-secret New York City surcharges, and the hazards of daring to order anything over the phone.
Retail Services
WaMu/Chase Doesn't Believe Your Card Was Stolen, Despite The Fact That The Thief Was Arrested
By 7.24.09
Reader Stephen says that a NYC Taxi driver tricked him into using an ATM skimmer-like-device instead of the normal credit card machine and made off with his card and PIN. The NYPD made an arrest, but Stephen says he’s still battling with Chase/WaMu.
Bezos Apologizes For Kindle's Orwellian Moment
By 7.24.09
Nearly a week after Amazon remotely deleted 1984 and Animal Farm from customers’ Kindles because they weren’t licensed, head Kindle-cheerleader Jeff Bezos posted this statement on the Kindle Community discussion board on Amazon.com.
Morning Deals
By 7.24.09
- 39 Dollar Glasses: [Glasses] $20 Off Purchase w/ Coupon 20bucksoff
- Deep Discount: [Toys] 3D Pool Table for $14.99 w/ coupon DVDTALK w/ Free shipping
- Procter & Gamble: [Cleaning Supplies] Free Gain Laundry Detergent Sample
Report Says Zappos Was Forced To Sell To Amazon
By 7.23.09
According to the San Francisco Business Times a report by PrivateEquityHub citing “two sources close to the company” claims that Zappos wanted to remain independent, but was forced to sell to Amazon by venture capitalists who had invested in the company.
Craftsman Doesn't Have The Ability To Cancel A Duplicate Order
By 7.23.09
Reader C.W. is wondering why Craftsman (which is part of Sears) doesn’t have the ability to cancel a duplicate order. Especially since there appears to be a “cancel” button on the website.
Morning Deals
By 7.23.09
- ConsumerAction: [Booklets] 2009 Consumer Action Handbook (PDF download)
- Buy.com: [Power] Mobility iGo Universal AC/DC Power Adapter $35 Shipped
- Newegg: [Camcorder] Flip video UltraHD 2.0″ 230K 8GB (120 minutes) Internal Memory Camcorder for $164 w/ coupon FLIP7115
Network World Uncovers More Dirt On Zer01
By 7.23.09
NetworkWorld published its findings on the suspicious histories of the men behind new cellphone company Zer01 just two days ago, but they clearly sent someone behind the scenes scrambling. This afternoon they reported that Zer01’s parent company “has stripped its Web site down to only basic information,” and that “new details have also come to light suggesting a past connection between two of the involved companies, despite claims to the contrary.”
Everything Retailer Amazon Buys Shoe Retailer Zappos
By 7.22.09
Amazon has purchased Zappos for $807 million. Reaction around Consumerist’s (virtual) newsroom: “Oh, no.” Then we started locking up our shoes in case our right to own them is revoked. No, no, we kid. Maybe.
Customer Visits Verizon CEO's Home, Gives Him A Taste Of No Privacy
By 7.22.09
John Hargrave of comedy site Zug.com tracked down the personal info of Verizon’s CEO, then showed up with a bullhorn to illustrate what a lack of privacy feels like. “Ivan Seidenberg! I’m here on behalf of Verizon customers. PLEASE DO A BETTER JOB PROTECTING YOUR CUSTOMERS’ CELL PHONE RECORDS! Everyone has the right to privacy, including you Ivan! When we don’t have privacy, then freaks with bullhorns start showing up on our front lawn.”
Is ZER01 Mobile A Legit Cellphone Service?
By 7.22.09
ZER01 is a new cellular service launching soon that promises unlimited calling and unlimited, fast data connectivity for $70 a month. There’s another unique twist: you can sell the service to your friends for $10 monthly credits. That’s right, it’s a multi-level marketing mobile virtual network operator—an MLM MVNO. NetworkWorld smelled something fishy, so they researched the companies behind the offering and found that there’s a lot of sketchy looking stuff. We put the highlights of their investigation into a chart.
Walmart Frozen Green Beans Come With Free Frog
By 7.22.09
Mmm, delicious green beans! Oh wait, what’s that? Kermit, nooooooo!
Get Ready For More AT&T Data Slowdowns
By 7.22.09
Oh jeez, AT&T, don’t you have enough on your plate? You can’t handle your iPhone customers as it is. TechCrunch says some customers’ voicemails go missing for days or even weeks, you can’t enable MMS because there’s no room for it on your system, and the “faster” 3GS isn’t any faster at all on your network. Now comes word that you’ll be the one providing so-called “connectitivty” for Barnes & Noble’s new ebook reader coming out next year. The result: more congestion for every AT&T customer.
Morning Deals
By 7.22.09
- Home Depot: [Home Goods] Home Depot 25-50% off Patio Furniture + Free Shipping
- Gretsch Store: [Music] Free Gretsch 125th Anniversary Guitar Poster + 10% Off Coupon
- Various: [Storage] Five 1TB External Hard Drives Under $100
- Woot: [???] Woot-off currently in progress
Best Buy Won't Let Reader Exchange Money For Functioning Computer
By 7.21.09
Best Buy is an electronics store. The purpose of such a store is to allow customers to exchange money for electronic devices, then take those devices home and use them. Unfortunately, the Best Buy in Yuma, Arizona doesn’t seem to take this mission seriously, and has given reader Elizabeth such a run-around that she isn’t interested in buying a computer at all anymore.
What Do You Want In A Consumerist iPhone App?
By 7.21.09
We’re working on an iPhone app for The Consumerist, along with finally getting a mobile version, mobile.consumerist.com, for the site. Our first iPhone app will be extremely basic. This 1.0 will have iPhone-optimized version of the latest posts, and you’ll have a few drill-down categories to choose from (top stories, features, personal finance…. something else? You tell us). That’s about it. You will not be able to make comments. 1.5 will have comments. 2.0 will be a from the ground up rewrite with all the bells and whistles. So, questions: What categories should be in the 1.0? What dream features do you want to see in the 2.0? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Target Still Doing Business In A Reality Vortex
By 7.21.09
Loyal Consumerist readers may have noticed that we haven’t made any recent posts in our widely acclaimed series of posts about how discount retailer Target is insane. Has Target sought help and found its way back to reality? No. We were just saving up material.
Morning Deals
By 7.21.09
- Toys R Us: [Toys] Fisher-Price Power Wheels Kawasaki Boy’s Sport Quad for $59.99 + Shipping
- Amazon: [Grocery] Up To 40% Off Groceries w/ Coupon BCKSCLO9
- American Eagle Outfitters: [Clothing & Accessories] American Eagle Outfitters Clearance Sale: Jeans from $15 + $7 s&h
