When Michael’s son used his Christmas money to buy a copy of Madden 09 from Walmart, he thought he was buying a copy of Madden 09, not a blank disc that said “Redneck Sh*t.”
Retail Services
Impoverished Consumers Overwhelm British Site That Sells Expired Food
By 1.24.09
Impoverished and hungry Britons can’t get enough of Approved Food, a site that sells expired but still edible food for up to half off. Even after shutting down for two days to grapple with a ten-fold rise in traffic, the site warns that they still have to process 12 days worth of backorders. But can’t expired food give you salmonella or herpes, you ask? Nope! FDA regulations don’t require most foods to carry expiration dates, and selling expired food isn’t a violation of federal law.
By 1.23.09
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Remember that Walmart in Wisconsin that made almost 50 people ill? They are still sick, and the FBI doesn’t know why. [JSOnline] (Thanks, Nick !)
By 1.23.09
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Remember the father and son team who cut in line at Walmart, then threatened an off-duty police officer with bodily harm, then were arrested? They’ve been charged with battery, and the off-duty cop has been cleared. A police investigator said, “The [Walmart] video supports [Officer] Kirby’s version of what happened.” [Indy Star] (Thanks to David!)
Bank Of America On Twitter Solving Readers' Problems
By 1.23.09
Several readers have reported getting their problems solved after contacting Bank of America’s new Twitter-based rep. Here are their stories…
Morning Deals
By 1.23.09
- AMC: $30 to see all six movies nominated for “Best Picture”
- Finish Line: up to 80% off shoes
- Japanesemaple.net: Three 2 foot Japanese Maples for $25 shipped (scroll to page bottom)
Highlights From Buxr
- Big Lots: 20% OFF on Your Entire Purchase (print)
- Victoria’s Secret: Take 20% OFF Your Entire Purchase In-Store
- Walmart: Sanyo 50″ Class Plasma HDTV with Digital Tuner, DP50747 for $828 + Shipping (Free Ship to Store)
Highlights From Dealhack
- Shoes.com: Extra 20% off Already Discounted Sale Shoes with Coupon
- Dell Home: Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook PC $99 After Rebate with Mobile Broadband Subscription
- REI Outlet: Timbuk2 Metro Bag $35 & Classic Messenger $63
Highlights From Dealnews
- DeepDiscount: Set of 12 Unbreakable Shot Glasses for $9 + free shipping
- Dell Home: Sharp 32″ 720p Widescreen LCD HDTV for $469 + free shipping
- HP Home & Home Office Store: HP Pavilion s3700z AMD Dual Core 2.7GHz Desktop PC w/ Blu-ray for $620 + $29 s&h
Morning Deals are purely an informational service for the readers, Consumerist receives nothing in exchange for their posting.
Bank Of America Fires Former Merrill Lynch CEO
By 1.22.09
It seems that Bank of America didn’t really appreciate that unexpected $15.4 billion dollar 4th quarter loss by Merrill Lynch — because its former CEO, John Thain has been shown the door.
Nice Letter Gets Chase To Reinstate Man's Promotional APR
By 1.22.09
Stop the presses! Brian was able to get Chase to reinstate his promotional APR even though he accidentally set up in the auto-payment system in a way that incurred late fees. His secret? Asking politely and making a cogent argument that positioned his request in a manner any business would understand. His strange-but-true tale, inside.
Morning Deals
By 1.22.09
- Amazon: The Wire: The Complete Series for $82
- 1saleaday: Firefly kids’ cellphone for $4.99, just pop in a SIM card
- OpticsPlanet: Canon PowerShot SD790 IS Silver Digital Camera for $109.99 Shipped After Rebate
Highlights From Buxr
- Amazon: D-Link DPR-1260 RangeBooster G Multifunction Print Server for $39.99 after $20 rebate w/ Free shipping
- Brylane Home: Brylane Home: Free 8-pc Salad set with any purchase with coupon:BHSALAD4U
- Overstock: Two-pack of Cordless Tealight Tranquility Fountains for $19.99 + $2.95 Shipping
Highlights From Dealhack
- 6th Ave: Save Extra 30% off Skullcandy Headphones
- Newegg: Xerox Phaser 6180N Color Laser Printer $200 Shipped
- Amazon: Canon PowerShot A470 7.1MP Camera $83 Shipped
Highlights From Dealnews
- Blair: Scandia Woods Men’s Corduroy Pants for $6 + free shipping, more
- CompUSA: Refurbished HP TouchSmart IQ504 Core 2 Duo 2GHz All-in-One 22″ Desktop PC for $900 + $5 s&h
- Sears: Cosco Scenera Car Set for $34.99
- Walmart: Walmart Baby Gear Roundup: Cosco Scenera Car Set for $50 + $1 s&h
Morning Deals are purely an informational service for the readers, Consumerist receives nothing in exchange for their posting.
Claim Your Share ($78) Of The Bank Of America Overdraft Settlement
By 1.22.09
Bank of America has settled a class action lawsuit over its dirty overdraft tricks—things like approving transactions that generate overdraft fees, for example, or clearing transactions in high-to-low order to increase the number of overdrafts. If you’re a former customer of BoA, Fleet, LaSalle Bank or United Trust Company, you can claim your part of the settlement fund.
"Star Raids" Thrash Product Ratings, Get Company's Attention
By 1.22.09
Add this to the Consumerist toolbelt: Star Raids. If a company is pissing off a bunch of customers and refuses to change some aspect of their product, some consumers are finding it effective to band together and thrash the product’s rating. An avalanche of “zero” ratings can make a ratings score plummet, and turn away potential customers. The fall-off in sales will definitely grab their attention.
By 1.21.09
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EBay today announced that their net earnings fell 31% last quarter. You’d think in this economy, shoppers would be drawn to the potentially lower prices of eBay—after all, Amazon apparently did just fine. Are the headaches of dealing with eBay/PayPal outweighing the potential savings? [WSJ]
By 1.21.09
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Update your address books: Best Buy’s CEO Brad Anderson will retire in June, and Operating Chief Brian Dunn will replace him. [Bloomberg]
Circuit City: Long Lines For Few Bargains
By 1.21.09
Consumer Reports took a look at the so-called deals that people are flocking to at Circuit City — and again found that prices are higher than they would have been had the store not been liquidated. Judging by the photos of enormous crowds that are showing up in our Flickr pool — people still think that liquidation sales are bargains.
9 Tips For A Designer Wardrobe At Secondhand Prices
By 1.21.09
ShopSmart, a shopping magazine published by the same folks who publish Consumer Reports, and now, of course, Consumerist, have collected a bunch of tips for outfitting yourself in fabulous designer clothes — from secondhand stores. Don’t scoff, it’s possible. ShopSmart says they found a trendy Prada skirt and a classic Ralph Lauren jacket and pants at Immortal Uncommon Resale in Philly, and a cute necklace at Beacon’s Closet in Brooklyn.
WaMu To Close 299 Branches, Many In Chicago
By 1.21.09
Chase has announced that they will be closing 299 branches, 57 of them in the Chicago-area alone. The Daily Herald says that most of the branches are across the street or down the block from existing Chase branches and consolidation is necessary. The remaining WaMu branches will be converted to the Chase brand.
Morning Deals
By 1.21.09
- Amazon: Do Not Enter tape 300 ft roll for $4.18, Caution roll. 1000 ft for $7.23
- Great Clips: $6.99 haircuts at participating locations
- Southwest Airlines: 50% Off Fares To/From Seattle
Highlights From Buxr
- Walmart: Weslo Cadence G40 Treadmill for $277 + Shipping (Free Ship to Store)
- Dell: Dell Vostro Mini Tower Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB,250GB,Vists + 22″ Monitor for $409 + $35 Shipping
- BestBuy: Panasonic – 46″ 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV – TH-46PZ80U for $999.99 + Shipping (free in-store pickup)
Highlights From Dealhack
- Buy.com: Turbo Tax Deluxe Federal & State + eFile $40 Shipped
- Amazon: Leatherman Kick & Micra 2 Multi-Tool Kit $29 Shipped
- OfficeMax: Kodak V1273 12MP Digital Camera $150 Shipped
Highlights From Dealnews
- DeepDiscount: Burnout Paradise for PS3 for $19 + free shipping
- JR: Unlocked Motorola V191 Cell Phone for $45 + $7 s&h
- Buy.com: JVC HA-RX700 Stereo Headphones for $35 + free shipping
Morning Deals are purely an informational service for the readers, Consumerist receives nothing in exchange for their posting.
Sprint Clears Up 'Unlimited Messaging' Confusion
By 1.20.09
We got an email today from a Sprint representative addressing the confusion over just what “unlimited” means in their unlimited messaging package. If you recall, Erica says Sprint told her she would still be billed per message when sending pics or video, which runs contrary to the offer she signed up for. Now Sprint has officially responded that unlimited means no additional charges, and they’re investigating the matter. Below is their statement.
