U.S. News and World Report has started a new consumer reporting column called “Alpha Consumer.” A recent post probed one of our favorite punching bags, cellphone contracts. Penned by Kim Palmer, they’re looking for more complaints to investigate. Send yours to alphaconsumer@usnews.com.
BLOGS
McDonalds Gets Mad When You Order Drive-thru Wearing Transformers Voice Distortion Helmet
By 7.4.07
While wearing an Optimus Prime voice distortion helmet, Gawker video master Richard Blakely and sidekick Sarah Meyers tried to order a spicy chicken chalupa through McDonald’s drive-thru.
How Frank Abagnale Protects Himself From Identity Theft
By 7.4.07
How does Frank Abagnale, an infamous check forger in the 60’s, protect himself from modern day identity thieves?
GoogleMaps Mashup Of Minneapolis Foreclosures
By 7.3.07
A googlemaps mashup of 2007 foreclosures to-date in Minneapolis area puts the acceleration in failed mortgages into a different perspective.
Small Print Can Be Broken
By 7.3.07
The Red Tape Chronicles has an interesting post about “contracts of adhesion,” which come into play in nearly every purchase you make. It’s called the fine print, and as you know, companies use it to get you to do and not do all sorts of things.
Recording Of Tmobile Trying To Prevent Matt Haughey From Cancelling For An iPhone
By 7.2.07
Listen to the valiant attempt a T-mobile retention rep makes to keep Matt Haughey, Metafilter creator, from canceling and switching to an iPhone.
By 7.2.07
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Whether or not you agree with him, you can watch Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko, which explores potential flaws in the American health care system, for free online without downloading anything. [via Stay Free!]
How To Shop At A Farmer's Market
By 6.30.07
Finding the freshest, healthiest, and tastiest produce at a farmer’s market requires asking farmers the right questions:
5. When was this picked? You ideally want fruit and vegetables that were picked one or two days before arriving at the market.
4. Can you recommend a recipe? Farmers usually have creative ideas for turning their produce into delicious meals. Don’t pretend you would know how to prepare Kohlrabi without asking.
Save On Utilities By Spending More On Your Home
By 6.30.07
Saving by spending is not as counterintuitive as it sounds when it comes to home improvements. Though energy-saving improvements can cost more upfront, savings are eventually realized as lower utility bills. Kiplinger put together a nifty list to help determine how long it takes to recoup the extra amount spent on energy-efficient improvements:
Personal Finance Roundup
By 6.29.07
• The Next China: Five Emerging Markets To Watch [Seeking Alpha] “…countries that offer equally compelling investment prospects but are still off the screens of most investors.”
By 6.29.07
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Money Crashers shares some ideas for fighting Universal Default, the practice whereby if you fall behind on your payments with one lender, they alert other lenders, who then use that as an excuse to jack up your rates.
By 6.29.07
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Consumer Reports squarely places the blame for unsafe Chinese products on everyone.
CA Judges Issues Opinions That Tmobile's Mandatory Arbitration Agreements Are "Unconscionable" And "Not Enforceable"
By 6.28.07
A California judge issued an opinion that Tmobile’s contract terms forcing customers to go into arbitration instead of being able to sue were, “unconscionable and therefore not enforceable,” reports BoingBoing.
Now This Is A Car Salesman
By 6.28.07
A guy walks into a dealership and wants to buy a $30,000 truck for $19,900, according to this blog entry by car salesman, “Bloodraven” (pictured). The mark gets with one salesman but then calls over to a second salesman he’s bought from a few years ago. Now the second salesman has to sell the truck for the first salesman. Read how salesman #2 fends off the seemingly unstoppable customer’s quest for a deal with a good jerk of the patriotic heartstrings…
By 6.27.07
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Copywriters for law firm advertising understand that animal metaphors are a good way to quickly encapsulate client/vendor relationships.
By 6.27.07
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If you quantify the language experts used in their hands-on iPhone reviews you get a critical consensus of, “Buy the amazing device, if you can afford it,” writes Valleywag.
Donate Your Frequent Flier Miles To Charity
By 6.23.07
Why bother with frequent flier miles when you can donate them to charity? The donations are tax-deductible, making them an attractive alternative to the Sisyphean challenge of ferreting out an eligible seat.
Many non-profit organizations have frequent flier mileage donation packages, and several major air carriers have developed charitable programs using earned miles. Some are exclusive partnerships geared to one or two specific charities, while others have multiple organizations with quarterly or monthly rotations, allowing all the participating charities equal time to receive miles.
Peter Greenberg lists several charities that accept miles as donations, from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to Save The Dogs, an Italian non-profit committed to rescuing stray dogs in Romania. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Personal Finance Bloggers Say "Maxed Out" Has Non Sufficient Funds
By 6.22.07
We’re not the only ones irked by the Maxed Out documentary.
