McDonald’s has decided to stop branding report card envelopes in a program that gave kids in Florida free food as a reward for good grades after a backlash from parents concerned about exploitive marketing. Teport cards came in an envelope (pictured, click to enlarge) telling kids to check their grades and redeem a free Happy Meal if they got all A’s and B’s or got good marks in “Citizenship” or attendance. The jacket also showed a smiling Ronald McDonald and mentioned McDonald’s several times.
florida
Burger King Will Not Pay Extra For Tomatoes, May Buy Them Elsewhere
By 1.17.08
Burger King has been fighting with tomato pickers in southern Florida for two years, refusing to pay a penny more per pound. Now the burger chain has announced that they may simply buy their tomatoes somewhere else.
By 1.17.08
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When 5/3 Bank acquired another bank, a computer glitch in the records merging splooged incorrect information into thousands of customer accounts, in some cases totally fudging up their credit reports and credit histories. The bank says it’s fixed everything but one customer says that’s not true and lost three loans due to the errors. [Orlando Sentinel via U.S. PIRG Consumer Blog]
Dead Bugs Found In Health Valley Soup
By 1.17.08
I bought a Health Valley split pea soup at Publix Supermarket in Miami, FL on Friday 01/11/08 in the morning before coming in to work. Around 12:30 or so when I finally felt ready to have lunch, I opened the soup only to find it infested with dead bugs.
By 1.16.08
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Disgusted with their failure to comply with a state subpoena, Florida Insurance Commissioner has banned Allstate from selling car insurance in the state of Florida. [Tampa Bay’s 10]
Higher Taxes, Fewer Services In Subprime Meltdown's Wake
By 12.27.07
Municipal ledger hounds are worried that local governments will slash services as the imploding housing market chokes off access to lucrative property tax revenue. The New York Times visited the future retirement destination of its readers, South Florida, to see firsthand the devastating affect the subprime meltdown can have on communities. For anyone who says “What housing crash, my community is fine,” hop across the jump for a look at your potential future.
By 12.18.07
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31 people in Florida were indicted in a complex mortgage fraud scheme that installed scammers at every level of the transaction, from buyers to sellers to bank employees, title agents, and appraisers. [NYT]
Shopper Tasered After Using Someone Else's Credit Card At Best Buy
By 12.4.07
The Daytona Beach Police Department say that a woman was tasered last Monday inside of a Best Buy store after attempting to use someone else’s credit card to make a purchase.
Florida Shopper Punched In Face In Black Friday Scrum
By 11.23.07
A shopper was punched in the face in the 1am scramble outside a Macy’s in Central Florida at the Altamonte Mall. Way to shop, indeed. “They couldn’t open the doors because there were too many people pushing,” Rhonda Wega told the Orlando Sentinel. “It was chaotic.” Once again we have a problem with outward-opening mall doors. Guess they need to invent futuristic inward-opening inward AND outward opening mall doors, or better cordon off the area immediately outside the doors.
What To Do When Rental Gets Foreclosed?
By 11.19.07
2 weeks ago both my wife and I got a summons, that let us know that our landlord was being sued by the bank he financed the house through, for not paying his mortgage since July of this year…
Don't Eat Jellybeans At Albertson's Or You Will Be Arrested
By 10.28.07
A Florida man was arrested and charged with petty theft after eating $2 worth of jellybeans at a local Albertson’s. The man was caught by surveillance cameras reaching into a bin and putting “an unspecified number of jelly beans in his mouth.”
The deputy told a manager that the suspect had taken about 10 of the “raspberry-flavored” candies. The man denied taking more than two. He added that he’d been shopping at Albertson’s for 30 years and that he was just trying the candy to see if he wanted to buy it. The deputy “advised him that Albertson’s did not have free samples of candy and he should have known that if he had been shopping at Albertson’s for 30 years.”
1/3 Of South Florida Gas Pumps Failed State Accuracy Tests
By 10.21.07
More than a third South Florida’s gas station pumps have failed the state’s accuracy test in the past three years. An analysis of state inspections reveals that slightly more than half of the broken pumps err in favor of the consumer. The state inspects all pumps every 12-18 months.
The Sun-Sentinel analyzed state inspection reports from 2004 to 2006. The analysis found 580 of more than 2,500 stations in South Florida had at least one pump dispensing more gas than customers paid to purchase, while 477 provided less fuel than they should.
"VersaDebt" Telemarketers Behind Rate-Lowering Robot Calls?
By 10.10.07
The company behind “Possible Credit Card Scam Alert: We’ll Lower Your Rates, Purrs Robot Message…” is called VersaDebt, according to one reader who was able to string them along long enough to find out.
Predatory Tow Trucks Steal, Sell Cars To Junk Yards
By 10.6.07
Predatory Tow trucks are prowling about Florida, looking to gin up extra cash by hauling perfectly good cars to salvage yards. The tow truck operators make up to $100,000 each year by preying on seemingly abandoned cars. By the time the rightful owners start asking questions, their cars are already cubes.
Investigators say salvage yards aren’t held responsible as long as they get the proper paperwork.
Bealls Says They Will Destroy The Walmart Nazi T-Shirts
By 10.5.07
Reader Rob wrote to Bealls, the outlet store that was selling the infamous Walmart Nazi T-shirts, and they responded by thanking him for making them aware of the situation and promising to destroy the shirts.
Florida City Considers A Ban On Anything Made In China
By 10.4.07
Palm Bay, Florida is irritated with China. They’re considering a ban that would prevent the city from buying anything made in China…. with a few exceptions:
The Worst Times And Places To Fly: Stay The $%# Away From Orlando Airport At 10pm
By 10.4.07
Attention World: Stay the $%#@ away from Orlando International Airport at 10pm! According to the brand new numbers from the Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report, flights scheduled to depart from 10pm-11pm at Orlando’s airport are on-time only 33.3% of the time. Yes, if you leave Orlando International Airport from 10-11pm, you have a 2 out 3 chance of being late. Don’t risk it.
