Amazon is having a grocery clearance sale, 55% off regular price with coupon code CLRNCFTY. [Amazon]
Retail Services
Safeway IDs Everyone In Your Party When You Buy Beer
By 9.5.08
Daniel went to his local Safeway with his brother to buy some beer. Daniel had his ID, but his brother didn’t—but that’s okay, because Daniel was the one buying the beer. The cashier, however, felt otherwise, and wouldn’t complete the transaction without carding both of them. The store manager told him “the policy is, at the discretion of the clerk, to check the ID of every person present.”
Really, Credit Bureaus, I'm Not Dead
By 9.5.08
I have been battling with a silly preconception the federal government has concerning my status as a deceased person, that causes them to routinely shut down credit cards that I am using, and stresses my ability to build credit. (All this despite being actively enlisted in the US Navy)…
Morning Deals
By 9.5.08
- Woot: Refurbished Apple iPod 30GB Video for $129.99
- Macy’s: J.A. Henckels Four Star 7-Piece Cutlery Set + $0 s&h w/$125
- Amazon: Motorola H500 Bluetooth Headset for $19.99
Highlights From Dealhack
- Design Within Reach: Free Shipping on Everything & All Orders
- Amazon: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-inch Portable GPS $160 Shipped
- Buy.com: Soyo 22-inch Widescreen Dual Input LCD $180 Shipped
Highlights From Buxr
- Amazon: Denmark 60 Piece Prep, Cook and Serve Set $69.30 w/ Free Shipping
- Dell Home: Seagate 500 GB Serial ATA Barracuda 7200.11 Internal Hard Drive for $62.99 + $5 Shipping
- The Limited: The Limited Printable Coupon: $30 off $100 or $20 off $60
By 9.4.08
../../../..//2008/09/04/this-wendys-frosty-is-even/
This Wendy’s Frosty is even more delicious than the one we posted about yesterday. Dear Wendy’s managers, at least mark through the word “more” if you’re going to list the total price. (Thanks to Chris!)
EECB Scores Direct Hit On Best Buy After They Sell Used Phone As New
By 9.4.08
Obviously, stores sell items that has been returned by other customers as “open box” merchandise, but before reader David left the store, he specifically asked if the phone he was buying was “new” and was told it was. When he got home and found addresses saved on the phone and a few scratches he was understandably annoyed. He launched an EECB on Best Buy and after a little negotiation, he got a $120 gift card. Now he’s writing to compliment Best Buy on the way they handled his complaint.
The $19,370 ATT Phone Bill
By 9.4.08
You really got to be careful when using cellphones or wireless data plans internationally, otherwise you’ll end up racking up $19,370 on your AT&T AirCard like this American kid did in Canada. It would be nice if they made some kind of warning system that said hey, you’re spending several hundred times what you normally do, are you sure you want to continue, but then again, it would also be nice if a cupcake appeared on my desk right now.
BoA Reopens Credit Card Closed 10 Years Ago
By 9.4.08
At Bank of America, your accounts are Buddhist. As in, undergoing “eternal return,” where accounts that have been closed and passed on will reemerge, rejuvenated, reopened, even if you closed them long, long, ago. Reader Chip writes:
Save On Back-To-School With Google Checkout
By 9.4.08
Google has a special back to school promotion where you can get $10 off $60 and $5 off $30 discounts at a bunch of different online stores when you use their Google Checkout payment service. Official Site [via ProBargainhunter]
What To Do When A Store Sells You Box Of Crap And Won't Take It Back
By 9.4.08
We get a lot of complaints about people buying things from stores like Best Buy and Target and finding that once they get them home — there’s a bunch of bathroom tiles in the box instead of the item, or that the item is used, broken or smashed. When they try to return the thing, the store tells them that they’re out of luck. When you ask why they think they can get away with selling you a paperweight instead of an XBOX, they point to some bullsh*t policy and send you on your way. You don’t have to put up with this. In this post, we’ll tell you a) How to keep this from happening to you in the first place. b) How to equip yourself with tools that will help you in the event that this does happen to you. c) How to take advantage of these tools so that you never get stuck with someone’s old broken PS3.
Best Buy: We're Sorry We Accidentally Said You Were An "Elite" Customer
By 9.4.08
Not that it’s any big surprise, but Best Buy has now gotten around to taking back that “elite” status that they accidentally gave all of their Rewards Zone members yesterday. We knew that 45 day return policy was too good to be true… Best Buy’s “whoops” email inside:
Citibank Must Pay Back The $14 Million It Stole From Customers Over A Decade
By 9.4.08
Between 1992 and 2003, Citibank operated an “automatic sweeping” program that would without notice remove positive balances from customers’ credit card accounts—mainly those of the poor and the recently deceased—and pocket the money. Now it’s paying back $14 million dollars to the affected customers, plus another $3.5 million in penalties to California, thanks to that state’s Attorney General.
Best Buy (Accidentally) Announces Yet Another "Elite" Reward Zone Level? "Premier Black?"
By 9.3.08
Reader Andrew forwarded an email he just got from Best Buy letting him know that he now qualified for an even more special fantastic elite reward zone level. One in which he would be granted access to something called a “Premier Black Concierge.” We’re assuming this is like Reward Zone Silver but, more so.
This Frosty Must Be Delicious
By 9.3.08
Consumerist reader David saw this awesome special in his local Wendy’s restaurant. We wonder what kind of special magic goes into a Frosty to warrant a $5.99 price increase. Bacon grease? Extra HFCS? A no-spit guarantee? A short song and dance from the cashier? Or maybe they spend the extra money on “how to label signs properly” classes for the staff.
Amazon Closes Accounts En Masse
By 9.3.08
Slickdeal forums members are complaining about a mass-closing of Amazon accounts. The reasons cited vary from having too high a percentage of returns, shipping to too many different addresses, and having too many different Amazon accounts. Guess they’re trying to tighten their bottom line and prevent loopholes from being exploited, but the net may have been cast too wide; some of the adversely affected users say the action was unfair and unwarranted. Couple this with the online retailer dropping the post price guarantee at basically the same time and you have to wonder if the boys in the Amazon backroom spent Labor Day Weekend earning their Six Sigma certificates.
Amazon Ends Post-Order Price Guarantee
By 9.3.08
Amazon ended its post order price guarantee this Monday, according to an email a reader and deal forum members received from the online retailer.
Amex Tops JD Power Credit Card 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey
By 9.3.08
JD Power and Associates ranked American Express at the top of their 2008 Credit Card Satisfaction Study. Customers gave the company high marks in interaction, billing and payment processes, reward programs, fees and rates, and benefits and services, with the first three factors standing out in particular. Capital One and HSBC, which target revolvers with lower credit scores, received the worst marks. Oddly, Discover got second place. People must really like their two-cycle billing (see “Two-Cycle Billing And Why It’s Evil“). Full rankings inside…
