This weekend, the Macy’s store in downtown Minneapolis closed for the last time. Yet one of the clearance items shared by a local reporter visiting the store caught our eye. A shelf of engagement rings marked 70% off made us wonder: Would most people want to know if their engagement ring had been one of the last jewelry counter dregs at a store-closing sale? [More]
ask the consumerists
Send Us Your Favorite (And Least Favorite) Punny Business Names
By 4.16.15
It started with a misdial. Specifically, a car repair business misdialed and reached my house instead, hanging up immediately. Checking out the number to make sure that there was no mixup, I learned that the business that had called me was a specialist repair shop for a make of car that I don’t own. Its name: The Saab Story. [More]
Have You Experienced An Infestation Of Car Spiders?
By 8.27.14
After posting about today’s recall of Suzuki Kizashi sedans that are susceptible to cracked fuel lines due to spider webs, we learned that the problem isn’t limited to Mazda and Suzuki vehicles. There have been reports of other spider-infested ventilation systems from at least two other companies, Honda and Hyundai. [More]
Tell Me How To… Join A Gym
By 11.7.13
Our own expertise is limited, but the knowledge and experience of the Consumerist community is unlimited. That’s why we’re turning to you, the Consumerist Hivemind, to provide guidance and help solve readers’ problems. Today’s question: how does the wise consumer choose and join a gym while getting the best deal and avoiding shady practices? [More]
Nexus 4 Owners: Really Unlucky Or Just Really Clumsy
By 11.29.12 — Updated: 1.28.13
Earlier this week, we asked owners of Google’s new Nexus 4 smartphone whether they’ve found it exceptionally slippery. It was part warning, part user poll. Reader Blaine thought that his phone got all smashed up after falling off an ironing board in a way that sort of defies the laws of physics because of its curved back and super shiny surface. Sad Nexus owners wrote in, but so did tech fans who wanted to defend the honor of Google and manufacturer LG. The consensus? Don’t put your phone on a non-flat surface, and accessory makers really need to hurry up with those bumper cases. [More]
Microsoft Keeps Your Repaired XBox For 4 Months, Calls You A Thief For Wanting It Back
By 4.19.08 — Updated: 3.10.13
[protected-iframe id="b8f18f624db3162ddc3edeca28b1ece8-40783744-40309798" info="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.php?u=http://digg.com/xbox/Help_Microsoft_Thinks_I_m_A_Thief_For_Wanting_My_XBox_Back" width="55" height="82" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"]Microsoft hasn’t returned Tiffany’s XBox 360 for four months because they think she is a thief, even though she has her original receipt and a credit card statement proving that she is the console’s rightful owner. Microsoft repaired the XBox back in January and tried to return it via FedEx, but a shipping snafu landed the box back at Microsoft’s service center. Tiffany has called repeatedly. She even sent a letter to Microsoft’s legal department, after sending her receipt and statement, asking how else she could prove ownership. That was 22 days ago. She has yet to receive a response.
Ask The Consumerist: Why Do You Hate Wal-Mart?
By 1.2.06
We’re off duty today, but we’ve gotten some great emails over the weekend so we thought we’d pass the goods on before it got stale.
