There’s a whole lot of buzz today over an ad for TrueCar.com and it’s not the good kind: The March video spot, just now catching fire on Facebook and Twitter, features a female TrueCar.com customer who is so empowered by the company’s products that she sassily proclaims,”I don’t need to bring a dude with me.” [More]
backlash
TechCrunch Provides Complaint Letter Template For Their Own Redesign
By 7.12.11
AOL-owned technology blog TechCrunch is extremely interested in your opinion of its new redesign, so they’ve created a helpful complaint letter template full of swearing and finger-pointing so that you, the user, can compose your thoughts more efficiently. [More]
Revolt Over GoDaddy CEO's Elephant Kill Video Makes 20,433 Domains Flee, Rival Claims
By 4.8.11
Rival domain name registrar Namecheap says they’ve raised over $20,000 for an elephant charity and poached thousands of customers who switched 20,433 domain names from GoDaddy following an uproar over a video their CEO posted of himself killing a pachyderm. Bob Parsons is unapologetic, saying he did it to feed the hungry villagers and save their crops. But that’s just a moral fig leaf. In another video, Bob hunts and kills a leopard. I don’t think it ended up as steaks for hungry villagers. [More]
Are Travel Boycotts Hurting Arizona Hotels? Will They?
By 7.28.10
The controversial immigration law passed by Arizona’s government back in April has lead to over 20 organizations (including cities, towns, school districts, churches and universities) joining a travel boycott of the state. But is it hurting business? Too soon to tell, says USAToday. [More]
Urban Outfitters Causing Outrage With "Eat Less" T-Shirt
By 6.6.10
Urban Outfitters has apparently responded to internet-outrage over its “Eat Less” t-shirt by pulling this item from its website. At issue was a gray V-neck that was described on UO’s website thusly, “Eat less or more or however much you’d like in this seriously soft knit tee cut long and topped with a v-neck.” [More]
Oyster Lovers To FDA: Kindly STFU And Leave Our Deadly Snack Alone
By 11.16.09
Eating raw oysters from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico can and does kill people. Not a lot of people. But it does kill people. The FDA recently was forced to back off from a plan to ban these oysters pending more research into how to keep them from killing said people. Apparently, oyster lovers are a motivated bunch.
Flickr People Really Don't Like The New "From Yahoo!" Logo
By 9.24.09
You may have noticed that Flickr recently updated their logo to include “From Yahoo!” If you’re at all familiar with Flickr, you can probably guess how well this is going over with the users.
Customer Tells Bank of America To Stick Her Debt "In Your Bailout Pipe And Smoke It"
By 9.14.09
Run people’s interest rates up to over 25% and eventually one of them is going to snap. Meet Ann. She’s has a balance of several thousand dollars on her Bank of America credit card. The bank has raised the interest on the card to 25.49% from 12.99% and she feels like there’s only one thing she can do to take a stand against what she calls “usury.” She’s refusing to pay. She’s also asking other consumers to “search their own souls” and consider joining her in a “debtor’s revolt.”
New York Times Wishes It Had Not Published "Snotty" JC Penney Review
By 8.24.09
The NYT is now expressing regret over publishing Cintra Wilson’s “Critical Shopper” review of JC Penney’s new Manhattan store. The column was simultaneously hateful and boring, offering astute observations such as the fact that middle class people shop there and that the store carries clothes for the average-sized woman.
Type The Wrong URL? Comcast Redirects You To An Advertising Page
By 8.6.09
According to PCWorld, Comcast is testing a program called “Domain Helper” that will redirect you to an advertising page if you type the wrong URL.
In Which NPR And Congressional Oversight Panel Chair Elizabeth Warren Hate Each Other
By 5.21.09
While we were concentrating on other things (Snuggie testing, for example), there has apparently been something of a backlash going on against NPR’s Planet Money podcast for its rude treatment of Congressional Oversight Panel Chair Elizabeth Warren. NPR’s Adam Davidson has since expressed regret that he talked over Ms. Warren in a rude way — but despite the mea culpa, a series of links about the issue has popped up in our inbox more than a week later.
TWC Delays Metered Broadband Test So They Can "Educate" A "Vocal Minority"
By 4.16.09
Anti-metered broadband advocates are rejoicing today as TWC admitted defeat and delayed its plan to expand metered broadband to Rochester, NY.
Amazon Apologizes For "Ham-Fisted" Catalog Error
By 4.14.09
Was it a hacker? Probably not. Was it a translation error? Who knows. Here’s the official #Amazonfail apology email (again) for your reading pleasure. It is, apparently, the final word on the matter.
Parking Meter Revolt: Chicagoans Are Vandalizing Parking Meters In Protest!
By 3.25.09
The Chicago parking meter saga continues today with a post from theexpiredmeter.com, a blog about Chicago parking tickets and how to fight them. The post has photos of parking meters being spray painted, destroyed and otherwise defaced. Guess people aren’t too thrilled with paying 28 quarters for 2 hours in the Loop…
Ticketmaster Sells Phish Tickets Early, Then Cancels
By 3.20.09
Thousands of disappointed Phish fans are crying right now because Ticketmaster accidentally sold “a significant number” of 4-day passes to the upcoming show at Red Rocks — then canceled them. Phish fan and Consumerist reader Trevor has the scoop:
AIG Turns Over The Names Of Bonus Recipients
By 3.20.09
AIG has complied with Andrew Cuomo’s subpoena and turned over the names of the bonus recipients. The NY AG has released a statement about the issue, which you can read inside.
Capcom Says Your Complaints About Their Game Are "BS"
By 3.17.09
What’s the appropriate response to complaints about your product? One Capcom executive seems to think that calling the complaints “BS” in the company forum is the answer.
Lawmakers, Regulators, Taxpayers Unbelievably Pissed At AIG
By 3.16.09
There’s no shortage of outrage directed at AIG today as the fallout from the bailed-out insurer’s announcement that they intend to use $165 million in taxpayer money to pay bonuses to the very executives that ruined the company continues.
