According to Wired, Facebook users have hijacked Walmart’s dorm decoration discussion page, choosing instead to discuss the way Walmart “destroys communities and prevents unionization.” Oh, my!
Retail Services
Home Depot Finally Sells Commercial Business Supply Division After $2 Billion Price Cut
By 8.28.07
Home Depot has finally rid itself of the commercial business supply division that was often blamed for the chain’s miserable customer service and lagging stock price. The commercial supply division was accused of stealing resources from the stores, and was the pet project of disgraced former CEO “Big Bob” Nardelli. Home Depot had to chop $2 billion off the asking price, but they got the deal done.
Best Buy's Geek Squad Scours Stores In Person For Stolen Porn N' Stuff
By 8.28.07
In addition to having Best Buy Geeks Squad locations hook up store computers to headquarters to check for porn and music stolen from customer’s computers, and pirated software, they’re also sending “audit teams” to investigate hard-drives at the stores in-person, reports an insider.
Inside The Countrywide Subprime Lending Frenzy
By 8.27.07
The New York Times has a very interesting article about the business practices that resulted in Countrywide’s dramatic spiral into the dirt. Recently, the nation’s largest mortgage lender had to tap $11.5 billion in emergency credit and was the beneficiary of a $2 billion investment bailout from Bank of America.
Dell Having Trouble Fitting In At Walmart?
By 8.27.07
In recent visits to five Wal-Mart stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, however, TheStreet.com found a company still struggling to find its footing in the rough world of retail.
UPDATE: Hey Geek Squad, I Haven't Seen My Laptop In A Month
By 8.27.07
As of July 25, Lorraine still didn’t have her original laptop back from Best Buy. It seems to have vanished into the nether of a 3rd party repair center. Inside, you can read the update to her story posted on July 13th
By 8.27.07
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If you’re thinking about buying an HDTV, experts advise waiting till after January, when price drops are sure to follow Christmas overstocks. [NYT]
Morning Deals
By 8.27.07
Lazy Home Depot Employees Declare Fully Functioning Saw Inoperative
By 8.26.07
Home Deport employees didn’t feel like using the saw, so they hung a sign that claimed: “saw not working.” This offended marketing guru Seth Godin:
When I noticed this sign on the big saw, I took a picture, intending to write about how important it was to have key customer service feat ures up and running. Then, a few minutes later, a guy in an orange smock walked over, took the sign down and asked what he could cut for us.
AT&T Stops Pretending To Be The Network With The "Fewest Dropped Calls"
By 8.25.07
AT&T is no longer claiming to be the network with the “fewest dropped calls,” according to a company insider. The assertion was widely panned as a lie:
The ad campaign, which launched last March, was based on a Telephia report that actually noted AT&T Wireless (then Cingular) did not have the most reliable network in New York, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles. A recent JD Power report gives that honor to T-Mobile in most markets. Similarly, a report from Consumer Reports placed Cingular/AT&T at the bottom of their rankings for reliability and satisfaction.
AT&T will instead boast that they have: “more bars in more places.”
Executive Email Carpet Bomb Also Effective Against Cell Phone Spammers
By 8.25.07
I want to share a recent experience that involves a cell phone spammer. I would never think I’d be writing to tell you a positive story, but in the light of what happened I think it would be worth sharing. Last week, on 8/16 to be exact, I was spammed with an unsolicited text message to my cell phone. I recall reading a post on Consumerist about the Attorney General for Illinois along with Cingular would be suing a cell phone spammer. I also recall your Executive Email Carpet Bomb postings and decided to try it out.
Walmart To Test 20% More Toys
By 8.24.07
According to the Washington Post, Walmart will test 20% more toys in an effort to crack down on toy safety. Nu Wexler from Walmart Watch accused them of missing the point:
“Wal-Mart’s not addressing the larger problem of why Chinese toy suppliers are cutting corners with lead paint and melamine,” spokesman Nu Wexler said, referring to a harmful additive found in pet food made in China. “It’s because they’re under enormous pressure from buyers like Wal-Mart, and they’re sacrificing child safety to keep costs low.”
Walmart has hired three firms to help it ramp up the testing. Walmart says:
“We know this is an issue at the top of mind with our customers, and we know we can play a role to reassure them that we have great, safe toys in our stores,” said Laura Phillips, Wal-Mart’s merchandise manager overseeing toys.”
Morning Deals
By 8.24.07
Chase Penalizes Customers For Saving Money Too Long
By 8.24.07
Savings accounts, they’re where you save money. You put money in and leave it there. That’s the whole point, right? Well, at Chase, if don’t deposit or withdraw money into it for 3 months, it becomes “inactive,” blogs Tom Drapeau. That means you can’t make a wire transfer out of it. Annoying, but you can change to “active” by depositing or withdrawing money, and if you want to avoid “inactive” status, you could set up an automated transfer to put in $1 and take out $1 of it.
Best Buy Sells You A Game That Is Missing Its Manual, Won't Exchange It Because It's Missing Its Manual
By 8.23.07
Jenn’s husband Dave bought a game on BestBuy.com then picked it up in store. By doing this he saved $10. Sadly for Dave and Jenn, the game was missing its manual and you need a code from the manual to play the game. Simple, enough, right? Just exchange the defective game for a new one at Best Buy.
Morning Deals
By 8.23.07
Walmart "Rolls Back" Prices Negative Ten Dollars And Two Cents
By 8.22.07
This sign, snapped by reader Logan, shows how a Oklahoma City Walmart Supercenter “rolled back” prices on an unknown item negative ten dollars and two cents for a certain period of time on August, 19th, 2007. Wonder if some people just see the rollback sign and don’t do the math between the old price and the new. Someone pick up the Batphone and speedial the OK Weights and Measures department.
