Clifton says two book stores, both part of large chains, refused to accept his receipt-less returns unless he signed up for the stores’ discount cards. A former bookstore employee, Clifton balked at clerks’ assertions that the exchanges weren’t possible unless he signed up. [More]
gifts
Amazon Patents Tech That Returns And Exchanges Bad Gifts Before You Get Them
By 12.29.10
Call it “The Bad Gift Filter.” Amazon has patented a system that could intercept the yet another sweater Aunt Janice has sent you and automatically return it and exchange it for something you actually want. [More]
Yankee Candle Too Swamped To Answer Phone, Sends Free Candle Instead
By 12.29.10
Is a company that goes the extra mile to fix their own error during the key holiday season really going “above and beyond”? I would have to say “no,” but Robin was still impressed with the way that Yankee Candle handled an error they made with her order. Except for how they wouldn’t have had to send a replacement item had anyone been available to answer the phone when Robin called. [More]
Retailer Makes Up For UPS's Botched Delivery Of My Laptop
By 12.24.10
M ordered a MacBook Pro as a Christmas gift, but he says it didn’t show up when it was supposed to, despite UPS’s online report that it had been delivered to the “front door” of his apartment. [More]
BBB Offers Tips On Returning All The Unwanted Stuff You'll Get Tomorrow
By 12.24.10
Face it — you don’t actually want anything you’ll receive tomorrow, otherwise you would have found a way to have gotten it yourself by now. So you’ll either be lazy and shove all your gifts in a closet, or get ambitious and go on a returning spree. [More]
A 28-Year Santa Dishes On Kids' Requests
By 12.23.10
Portly men who don the visage of Santa Claus hear the darndest things. A man who has played Santa for 28 years started blogging about the poignant, funny and sad things kids have told him over the years. [More]
Is An IOU An Acceptable Alternative To An Actual Gift?
By 12.22.10
With just four days left until Christmas, it may be time to admit you’re going to end up stiffing someone. You could just do what I do: just purr and let them give you gifts. If that’s not an option for you, there are other choices. According to a new poll from our calculating cousins at Consumer Reports, about half of the people who don’t finish their gift shopping in time give IOUs instead. [More]
Regift Without Getting Caught
By 12.21.10
Don’t frown when you get awful, impractical gifts. They can serve as valuable currency in the countless occasions in your life in which you’re required to distribute trinkets to people you don’t know or care much about. [More]
Is It OK To Give Flight Attendants Gifts On Christmas?
By 12.15.10
Anna booked a Christmas flight, and perhaps feeling a little guilty, she wants to show the flight attendants some love by providing some token gifts. [More]
What Was The Best Gift You Ever Received?
By 12.10.10
Yesterday we asked you to tell about the crappiest present you ever received. And after all that outpouring of bad memories and disappointment we’re ending the week in a better mood. [More]
What To Do With Recalled Toys
By 12.8.10
Before allowing your kids to play with toys relatives give them during the holidays, it’s a good idea to make sure they aren’t known death traps. The Better Business Bureau sent in some suggestions on how to make sure your toys haven’t been recalled, and what to if you find out they have been summoned to toy hell. [More]
What's On Your Holiday Wish List?
By 12.1.10
The holiday shopping season began last week and the holiday gift-giving season kicks off tonight at sunset with Hanukkah: Day 1. We already asked you what your smartest purchases have been so far, but now it’s time to focus on those things you want other people to buy for you. [More]
Cheap, Easy Gifts To Hand Out
By 11.29.10
Nothing can slaughter a budget like a long list of friends and family members who expect gifts from you at the end of the year. It’s tough enough to handle the logistics and man hours it takes to get your holiday shopping done, but you have to be much more creative when funds are tight and you have to think of ways to stretch your meager resources. [More]
Santa's Elves Had Better Get Cracking On Retina Displays
By 10.26.10
Parents looking in the aisles of the toy store where they sell hula hoops, baseball gloves and baby dolls will want to start looking elsewhere to buy Christmas presents for their ungrateful ankle-biters. In face, they may want to avoid the toy section altogether and head toward the electronics department. [More]
Has Toys 'R' Us Forgotten That Its Customers Are Children?
By 10.21.10
Alexander wonders: if Toys ‘R’ Us is a business that caters to children, why aren’t their policies very child-friendly? If fickle children receive duplicate gifts or things they just don’t want, why won’t the chain take them back? He shared a recent experience along with his rant. [More]
FTD: How About $10 Off Those Late Mother's Day Flowers
By 5.11.10
Reader Greg is not thrilled with FTD’s offer of $10 off the flowers that were not delivered for Mother’s Day. Why? $10 doesn’t even cover the $18.99 in shipping and fees he was charged. [More]
Your Wife Doesn't Know Which Console You Have So Best Buy Sells Her Non-Refundable XBOX Live Card
By 2.16.10
Reader Bang’s says his wife wanted to surprise him (on Valentine’s Day) with a game. She didn’t know what console he had so she asked Best Buy for some help. They said he “probably” had an XBOX and sold her not only a game, but a non-refundable XBOX Live subscription. When the couple tried to exchange the purchase (he actually has a PS3), they say they were told the game could be swapped but they were stuck with the unopened, unused XBOX Live card. [More]
How To Buy The Right Gift Of Underthings For Your Special Lady
By 2.12.10
Valentine’s Day is soon approaching. Whatever your feelings about the day, the cold capitalist fact remains: this is a holiday when people who are not women venture into stores and attempt to purchase underthings for women. This can sometimes end badly. Fortunately, blogger Treacle over at Wisebread has broken down the essentials of lingerie-buying into four simple steps that even the most fashion-impaired gentleman can use to find a suitable gift. [More]
