I just wanted to let you guys know that Amazon has been tracking reviews posted for possible safety concerns. I had a rice cooker that decided to shock me several times, so I wrote an anonymous review back in January. Unexpectedly, a few weeks ago, I get an email from Amazon asking about the incident. Given the gap between the review and the email, I suspect this is a new program on their part. A copy of their email is below.
Retail Services
Amazon Investigates Safety Concerns Posted To Its Website?
By 10.5.07
Need A $34.95 Warranty Covered Part? That'll be $65 For The Useless Service Call
By 10.5.07
If you could help me out I would be most appreciative. Please see my contact information at the end of this letter. Here’s the full version…
Cellphone Companies Typically Take 2-6 Weeks To Release Call Records That Could Help Catch Thieves
By 10.5.07
Here’s another good reason to know how to exploit the executive customer service system for your cellphone company: so you can give them to the cops. If your cellphone is stolen and you try to request call records to help you track down the thieves, making a request through grunt-level customer service can take two to six weeks. By then, the trail is probably pretty cold. But if law enforcement gets your request in to the right level, Sprint says they can turn it around within a “few hours.”
Morning Deals
By 10.5.07
Cubic Telecom Lied About Its "Cheap International Calling" SIM Card
By 10.5.07
Last Friday, we published a post about Cubic Telecom, an Irish start-up that sells a SIM card that’s supposed to enable international calling for “50-90%” less than standard carrier rates. The post was in reference to columnist David Pogue’s review of the product, and he was quoting rates that were provided to him directly by Cubic’s CEO. Turns out the CEO was “misleading” him—he provided numbers that were substantially lower than the actual rates, and has been stringing Pogue along with assurances that they’d “update the site” ever since. As of Thursday, October 4th, they still hadn’t.
By 10.5.07
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Sprint wants to replace CEO Gary Forsee by December. [NYT]
Verizon Will Let Customers Change Plans Mid-Contract Without Extending Contract
By 10.5.07
Starting October 7th, Verizon Wireless users will be able to adjust their plan’s minutes and features without extending their service contract. Previously if you made any sort of change it meant you were locked into a contract with them for another 1-2 years. It’s just Verizon’s way of saying “Thanks!” to the community, by screwing it just a little bit less!
Walmart Workers Win Additional $62 Million
By 10.4.07
Walmart workers who were forced to work through breaks won an additional $62 million Wednesday. Sounds like a ton of cash, but the AP says, “The payments for lost wages are expected to range from about $50 to a few thousand dollars, depending on employment history.”
By 10.4.07
../../../..//2007/10/04/previously-carey-posted-a-photograph/
Previously, Carey posted a photograph of a Geek Squad car on a sidewalk as if it were some sort of problem. We have informed Carey that this is in fact a Best Buy sidewalk, and it’s done to promote Geek Squad services inside the store. This has been so noted this on the original post, and we’ve encouraged him to get out into the countryside more often. The Consumerist regrets the error.
These Frappuccino Prices Are Confusing
By 10.4.07
Someone explain how this works. Jason tells us that Starbucks Frappuccinos 4-packs normally retails at the Target in Amherst, NY, for $5.24, but there’s a new price tag on them for $5.49, boasting they’re, “Even Lower than our advertised price.” So, in the circulars they’re advertising them for, say, $5.99? Why not a sign that says, “BIG SAVINGS” and then in small letters, “as compared to a piece of gold bullion.”
Man Gets 11 Years After Geek Squad Reports Child Porn On His Computer
By 10.4.07
A man got 135 months in jail and a $10,000 fine after Geek Squad reported the computer he brought in for servicing had child pornography on it.
Defective iPhone Screen? Here's A New One. Oops, Its Screen Is Defective Too (Repeat 5 Times…)
By 10.4.07
8 Bluetooth Headsets Reviewed
By 10.4.07
A professed non-early-adopter has reviewed 8 different Bluetooth headsets in a range of prices, scoring them on design, functionality, sound quality, and value. Her favorite from the group: the huge Plantronics Voyager 520, which sells for around $100. Coming in last was the $100 Samsung WEP410, which kept falling out of her ear.
5 Marketing Tricks That Unleash Shopping Frenzies
By 10.4.07
- Artificially limit supply. They had a giant warehouse full of Beanie Babies, but released them in squirts to prolong the buying orgy.
- Issue press releases about limited supply so news van show up
- Aggressively market to children. Daddy may not play with his kids as much as he should but one morning he can get up at the crack of dawn, get a Teddy Ruxpin, and be a hero.
- Make a line of minute variations on the same theme to create the “collect them all” effect.
- Make it only have one highly specialized function so you can sell one that laughs, one that sings, one that skydives, etc, ad nauseum.
Mystery Shopper Scam Now Comes Bundled With Check Fraud Scam!
By 10.4.07
Fraudulent check scams (which we wrote about yesterday) have taken a new, exciting twist: integrated into so-called “mystery shopper” scams. The classified ads you see for secret or mystery shoppers used to be small time cons, designed to bilk you out of $100 or so to provide information that’s readily available for free. But add a little check fraud and you could be taken for thousands of dollars.
Confessions Of A Campus Credit Card Pimp
By 10.3.07
Here are two of the things a former Citibank credit card pusher told college students to get them to sign up:
“Even if you apply, you can always cut up the card,” and “It’s easy to pay off your balance once you graduate and get a great job.”
The ex-app jockey even fell pray to his own patter. One signup shy of a cash bonus, he filled out one for himself. Five years later, he’s $13,000 in credit card debt. We encourage college kids who spot these hucksters, make like Jesus and overturn their tables.
Target Cards You For Buying Jones Soda
By 10.3.07
Reader Daniel would like to let us know that the Target in Huntsville, AL thinks Jones Soda is alcoholic, and they’re going to need to see some ID.
