Here’s your seventh “Sweet 16” match-up: #7 Bank of America VS #23 Blue Cross Blue Shield
Retail Services
Is It Legal To Sell Expired Food?
By 6.18.08
Is it ok for stores to sell food that’s expired? It depends. It is illegal for stores to sell food past its “Use By” date. However, stores are allowed to sell food after it has passed the “Best Until” “Best Before” “Sell By” or “Display Until” dates stamped on the sides of packages. As the name suggests, it just might not be its best, in terms of flavor, consistency, or texture. Still, why get the old stuff when you can get the fresh for the same price? Always check the expiration dates on food packages to make sure you’re getting the best value for your dollar.
Morning Deals
By 6.18.08
- Woot: Invicta Speedway II Stainless Steel Chronograph for $89.99 Amazon: Musique: Vol. 1 1993-2005 by Daft Punk MP3 Album downloads for $2.99eforcity: HDMI M / M Cable, 6 FT / 2M for $1.99 + free shipping, after coupon
Highlights From Dealhack
- NY & Co: Summer Sale: Deep Discounts on Women’s Apparel
- Nike.com: Up to 65% off Clearance Footwear & Clothing
- Buy.com: Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse $30 & Free Shipping
Highlights From Bargainist
- Kate Spade: Private Sale: Up to 60% off
- Philips Outlet: Philips SA4111 MP3 Player $20
- Eastbay: Tent Sale: Up to 60% off + 20% off coupon
Woman Sues Victoria's Secret Because Of Thong Injury
By 6.18.08
Macrida Patterson, age 52, is suing Victoria’s Secret, claiming that because of a design problem, a decorative metallic piece affixed to her thong became airborne and struck her in the eye as she was attempting to put on the garment, according to The Smoking Gun. The thong is called a “low-rise v-string” from their “Sexy Little Thing” line (pictured left). The injury has supposedly caused damage to her cornea, causing her to miss work and “will be affecting her the rest of her life.” Details, inside…
Sears Replaces Your Dishwasher With A Defective One, Then Says "See You In July!"
By 6.18.08
As part of a full kitchen upgrade, reader Sean purchased a $1300 dishwasher from Sears. Shortly after he received the unit, he realized it was defective. Sears directed him to an outsourced service company called OneSource. During the phone call to OneSource, Sean logged over 3 hours of hold time and was bounced around to 11 different CSRs, but they did nothing to help. Eventually, he got with Sears Executive customer service who said that they couldn’t replace the washer until July. Now, Sean can’t even wash his dishes because his hot water isn’t connected and his garbage disposal leaks water. Sean’s letter, inside…
Bank of America Gives 6-Year-Old A Credit Card
By 6.17.08
Didn’t you hate not having access to credit when you were 6? Today’s kids don’t have to suffer like you did. Meet Bennett Christiansen of Aurora, IL. He’s got a shiny new Bank of America credit card with a $600 limit.
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Garden Salsa Sun Chips
By 6.17.08
These Sun Chips have shrunk from 11.5 oz to 10.5 oz and are still being sold at the same price. “Not even healthy foods that normally are already sold in smaller portions are safe,” says tipster MasonTwo who spotted these on the shelves at Walmart. CNN says the products most vulnerable to the Grocery Shrink Ray are paper towels, potato chips, sticks of gum, toilet paper, detergent and candy bars. Hey, look at the bright side, maybe the Grocery Shrink Ray is just what we need to fight the obesity crisis.
Bank of America: "Free" Checking Means You Have To Call And Have The Fee Waived Every Month
By 6.17.08
Reader Tara has a checking account with Bank of America that’s supposed to be “free” if she meets 1 of 3 balance requirements. She meets one of them, but Bank of America keeps charging her $20 — and they don’t intend to stop.
Best Buy Agrees To Hand Over $100 Gift Card That Manager Denied
By 6.17.08
A few days ago we reported that Cliff didn’t receive a $100 gift card when he purchased a PS3 bundle from Best Buy, despite an unpublicized corporate memo that seemed to say otherwise. The manager at Cliff’s Best Buy said “You can buy any other PlayStation and you can get the gift card, but not on that one.” This didn’t match up with what others were reporting, so Cliff sent an email blast to the executive level asking why the offer wasn’t honored. Yesterday a Best Buy rep called Cliff and said that they’d be mailing him a $100 gift card. We’re impressed the Best Buy resolved this so quickly.
Morning Deals
By 6.17.08
- Barnes & Noble: 75% off select board games + extra 25% off
- Diapers.com: $10 off $50 for new customers plus Free Shipping
- eBay: 35% cash back from eBay purchase using Microsoft Live Search
Highlights From Dealhack
- Buy.com: Kensington FM Transmitter for iPod Nano $15 Shipped
- Butterfly Photo: Canon Rebel XTi DSLR + 18-55mm Lens Kit only $585 Shipped with Coupon
- Tiger Direct: Save $70: ViewSonic 2200 Lumen DLP Video Projector $430
Highlights From Bargainist
- Crate & Barrel: Summer Sale: Up to 50% off
- The History Channel: Clearance DVD event: Save up to 65%
- MAC Cosmetics: 15% off sitewide + free shipping coupon
Another Man Sues Home Depot After Being Glued To Toilet Seat
By 6.16.08
Perhaps you recall the strange story of Bob Dougherty, a Home Depot customer who sued the retailer after being glued to a toilet seat at their Louisville, CO location. Mr. Dougherty contended (before the case was dismissed) that the incident gave him post-traumatic stress disorder and that he developed diabetes as a direct result of Home Depot’s negligence. Now, nearly 4 years after Mr. Dougherty became affixed to the Home Depot toilet, a Mr. Haywood R. Rosales of St. Louis, MO has filed a similar lawsuit, claiming that Home Depot was negligent in allowing a “copycat” incident to happen to him.
Worst Company In America 2008 "Sweet 16": Wal-Mart VS WellPoint
By 6.16.08
Here’s your fifth “Sweet 16” match-up: #3 Wal-Mart VS #51 Wellpoint
The New iPhone May Save You Money—If You Don't Buy One
By 6.16.08
If you’re thinking about getting that new 3G iPhone, you might want to hold off a few more months and see what happens with the other carriers. BusinessWeek has an article about how AT&T’s aggressive subsidizing of the iPhone will have a negative impact on handset makers and carriers, because it’s going to force them to increase subsidies and reduce service fees. Translation: good times for the consumer bold enough to stay off the iPhone train.
The $26,000 "My Dior" Cellphone
By 6.16.08
For the idiot who has everything comes the latest in unbridled extravagance: fashion house Christian Dior is set this month to launch of line of luxury cellphones costing a ridiculous amount of money. The phone will come in two versions, a “basic” one for $5,000, and a “Lady Dior” one for $26,000. The latter’s pricetag is justified by 640 stones and 3,251 carats of Swarovski crystals embedded in a crocodile skin sheath. Both models will feature touchscreens, integrated media player, bluetooth, blah blah blah, but they do have one actual innovation. The phone comes with a “My Dior,” a USB key-sized version of the main cellphone that communicates with the mothership cellphone via Bluetooth and clips to the outside of a bag. Christian Dior says this way you don’t have to go digging through your purse to find your phone. We think it would also come in handy if you don’t have time to set up a full security perimeter every time you want to make a call.
Why Are Gas Stations Charging More For Credit Card Purchases?
By 6.15.08
Yechial wants to know why his Chase BP Visa card, which offers 5% rebates on gas purchases, costs him more to use at BP stations than if he pays with cash. He asked a BP station owner in Pennsylvania about this and the station owner told him it was because credit transaction fees had gone up—”When I told him that I would report his station to BP and to Chase Bank, he said, ‘Screw you! I don’t care, report me. They are the ones charging us more money for the transactions.'”
