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Kohl’s has signed musician Avril Lavigne to be the face of Abbey Dawn, a juniors lifestyle brand. A perfect synergy, one is just as much “punk” as the other. [NYmag via Don’t Believe The Hypebeast]
Here are working email addresses for the Sprint board of directors. Should the special phone line Sprint set up for Consumerist readers (703-433-4401) somehow fail to work out or someday cease working, these represent yet a higher level to which you could escalate a long-standing complaint. We hear you can also use these addresses to submit hostile takeover bids.
Earlier this week we posted an email from a man who said an AT&T salesman tried to charge him an “activation fee” to switch his daughter’s already-active SIM card to a GoPhone. We got a lot of useful (if sometimes contradictory) advice from readers in the comments section, and now an AT&T spokesman has written in with an official statement about it.
Last night I was grocery shopping at my local Walmart, to beat the insane weekend crowds. Upon finishing checkout, I swiped my card and signed. Then the system beeped, the cashier asks to see ID. I tell her that I don’t have it on me. She gets the manager. The manager informs me that due to a recent 8 incidents of credit card theft that she won’t process my transaction unless i can prove who I am. I normally do keep my driver’s license on hand. I do not carry cash. I have had a credit not work in the past and the manager gladly processed my purchase by manually punching in the numbers. It’s insane that a billion dollar company is concerned about $130 cart of groceries. If I was a thief, my cart would have had more than just milk,eggs and bread in it.
The aisles of Best Buy, Home Depot, and other retail stores are beginning to look more like a Turkish bazaar. Haggling is back, baby, at least based on some initial reports we’ve heard. People are talking about being able to say to walk into a retail store and say to sales people, “Hmm, I like, but it’s a little more than I was hoping to pay. Can’t you do any better on the price?” It seems the salesmen have some wiggle room on the price, especially if you opt for the extended warranty package. I’m helping out a reporter at a large publication, so if this has happened to you and you’re willing to share your story on the record, drop me a line at ben@consumerist.com or leave a comment along with your contact info.
I bought two books on Amazon – and my total came to $24.74. So I scouted around and found a site (www.filleritem.com) that lets you choose a small priced item to bump the price over the $25 to qualify for free shipping. I chose a small wooden knob for $0.72.
Donald Lynch, certified public accountant, was convicted of misdemeanor assault after pushing a 75-year-old Walmart greeter who wanted to check his receipt, reports The Chronicle. Lynch said the greeter tried to block him by pushing against him with his shoulder. Security tape showed the greeter flying to the floor. While an employee has no right to touch you, you also don’t have a right to shove them on the floor, especially if they’re septuagenarian!
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CBC Marketplace compared Monster cables with a midrange and a $12 HDMI cable. Both to the naked eye and to a computerized hardware test all the cable performed flawlessly. The only difference was the price. [CBC Marketplace]
Who really owns some of the biggest organic brands in the country? GOOD magazine made one of their sexy graphs to show you. For instance, Coke owns Odwalla, Pepsi owns Naked, and Kraft owns Boca Burgers. The chart also shows you that these parent companies are among the top 30 food processing companies. Not like we’re talking a giant scandal or anything, it’s just interesting to know more about where your food is really coming from. Just because it’s organic doesn’t mean it was made on a happy communal love-farm .
Talyor was able to leave his Verizon contract without paying an early termination fee by launching an executive email carpet bomb loaded with a polite email. In it, he says that customer service reps have refused to transfer him to a supervisor and now he needs some help. In the ensuing email exchange with the executive customer service rep who helps him, he tells her how he wants to leave because of the raise in text message rates. Frequent readers of The Consumerist will remember that when a cellphone company raises its text message rates, it’s a material change to the contract, meaning that the original contract is void and the other party can walk away from the contract without penalty. Taylor wins because he’s polite, professional, persistent, and acts like he’s conducting a business transactions, which is exactly what he’s doing. Read his blow by blow exchange, inside…
An employee of Best Buy apparently thinks too many days have gone without us posting something about the store, so he sent in his list of 10 things he thinks every customer should know when shopping there. Items 10 through 7 are all about warranties and service plans, so the usual caveats apply (make sure you know what’s really covered, and that it’s worth the extra cost to you). #4, however, is good to know: “Its pretty much pointless to call Corporate/Customer Service Hotline—they can not override a store’s decision. Best bet is to call or email a District Manager or higher.”
Does AT&T really charge a $25 “activation fee” when you move your SIM card to a GoPhone? A father had to replace his child’s broken cellphone over the weekend, and the rep at the AT&T store told him the only way to avoid an ETF or plan extension was to buy a GoPhone and pay an activation fee, even though the SIM card was the same. Online, you can buy a new GoPhone and have the activation fee waved. Way to treat your current customers, AT&T.
An AT&T insider tells us that starting March 11th AT&T has begun charging customers in the Southeast an extra $5 if they call in to make their payment over the phone by speaking to a customer service rep. He says this is set to be rolled out nationally starting in May. Please only speak to our robots, otherwise you will be punished, thanks.
Details are sketchy but a Chehalis Washington man is on trial after being accused of knocking down a Wal-Mart greeter. According to the AP report, Don Lynch says the greeter demanded to see his receipt and then the greeter and another Wal-Mart employee grabbed him. Lynch says he acted in self-defense.Now, we’ve done a bunch of posts about how, unless you’ve signed a membership agreement assenting to them, stores have no right to detain you if you refuse a receipt check. However, you cannot react violently. Then you will get in trouble and look like a jerk. Go for non-violent resistance. You must be like Gandhi. If someone touches you, ask them to stop. If they don’t, call the cops and complain that this guy won’t stop touching you. They’re not allowed to touch you, or for that matter, grab you.
Don’t say we never printed anything nice about you, BoA. One of your customers just had an experience with you that—despite still having an overdraft fee of $20 to pay—has left her feeling pretty good about you.
Because Marc B. hadn’t used his account for a few years, Bank of America decided he must have died, and froze his account. Then they started charging a maintenance fee, which eventually overdrew his account. Full email inside.
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