Heartland Automotive Services, Inc., which runs 31 Jiffy Lubes in the Austin area, has to pay a $300,000 fine after admitting to pumping used oil into the city’s sewer system instead of recycling it. Normally shops are paid by the gallon for used oil, but in this case a damaged wall let water seep into the oil collection area and create a toxic mess that couldn’t be sold—so instead of paying to remove it, they pumped it down the drain.
austin
Austin Jiffy Lubes Too Cheap To Dispose Of Oil Properly, Keep Dumping It In City Sewer System
By 4.10.09
Roy & Friends Find Used Skeeball Machine
By 4.10.09
Roy and his friends in Austin, TX would like to thank Consumerist readers for helping them locate a skee-ball machine they could all chip in on and practice on for their Brewskeeball league. They ended up finding one on in College Station, TX on Craigslist for $800. Score!
Abel's Copies Won't Issue A Refund Even After Selling You The Wrong Product
By 2.8.09
Abel’s Copies is standing by their strict “No Refunds” policy even after ordering the wrong course packet for reader David. The workers at the off-campus bookstore near the University of Texas at Austin insisted there was only one instructor for David’s course and that they couldn’t order a new course packet unless David paid in advance. When David got home, he realized that Abel’s sold him the wrong packet. He called the store and learned that Abel’s had the right packet in stock for $25 less than he paid—but Abel’s refused to issue a refund…
As Salmonella Recall Expands, FDA Warns Consumers To "Postpone Eating" Many Peanut Butter Products
By 1.18.09
The FDA still hasn’t tracked down all that yummy salmonella-contaminated peanut butter, and until they do, they want consumers to stop eating all “commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter-containing products and institutionally-served peanut butter.” No, this doesn’t mean the jar of Skippy on your shelf, but it does seem to cover cookies, cakes, and ice cream; pretty much any shrink-wrapped peanut butter snack.
Kellogg: "Please Don't Eat Our Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers"
By 1.15.09
Can’t make it to your local prison, hospital, or school cafeteria to get in on this year’s peanut butter salmonella craze? Kellogg may have you covered at the nearest snack vending machine. The company has announced that it doesn’t want anyone eating its Keebler and Austin brand peanut butter crackers right now while it investigates whether they’re action packed with salmonella stowaways.
Make Your Driver's License A Debit Card And Save 3 Cents Per Gallon Of Gas
By 1.12.09
If you live in or around Austin, Texas, you can save 3 cents or more per gallon by turning your driver’s license into a debit card.
Photo: "All Job Fairs Have Been Cancelled Until Further Notice"
By 1.9.09
Against a a backdrop of cheery balloons, and exclamatory soap opera digest headlines, the signs at this Austin supermarket checkout lines read, “All job fairs have been cancelled until further notice.” Sign of the times, perchance?
NBC Stations Will Ditch Time Warner Cable Unless They See Some Cash
By 9.29.08
Cable companies compensate most of the channels they offer, sharing a portion of the money they get from subscribers with the individual stations– but apparently Time Warner Cable doesn’t share the wealth with broadcast networks — and Austin, TX NBC affiliate KXAN is having none of it. They want some money!
Hot Talks With Michael Dell
By 8.30.06
Surely there’s got to be a slightly less unfortunate name for this chat n’ chew.
Reader Flexes Consumer Powers
By 7.6.06
A loyal Consumerist reader, Chris has developed incredible abilities. Not only can he recognize both good and bad customer service, he can reward and punish it with a powerful consumer weapon: the letter to management.
