Wells Fargo is meeting today at noon with the Philadelphia homeowner who “foreclosed” on them, The Consumerist has exclusively learned. Patrick says he “received a call from upon high” late yesterday and that he now has an appointment, “with a very senior Wells Fargo person.” It will be interesting to see how this plays out. But how did Patrick go from embattled and ignored homeowner to seated across the negotiating table with leverage? I spoke with him to find out more about both how and why he did what he did. His story is an inspiration to anyone who’s dreamed of going toe-to-toe with the big banks and winning. Turns out that armed with persistence, and a little legal know-how, Davids can take down Goliaths. [More]
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Wells Fargo Meeting Today With Philly Homeowner Who "Foreclosed" On Them (Here's How He Did It)
By 2.18.11
Ignore People On Craigslist Asking You To Halve Your Prices
By 2.17.11
One of the first annoying things you figure out when you try to sell a few things on Craigslist is that there’s these people who just seem to go around asking you to halve your price. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling or what the price is, invariably someone pops up and says “How about half? I’ll pick it up tonight.” Over at Blogging Away Debt she talks about how she said no to one of these price choppers, even though her husband got angry. Then she ended up relisting at a higher price and selling it. Win! [More]
Understand Common Contract Terms So You Don't Get Screwed
By 2.17.11
There’s a bunch of terms and provisions that keep showing up in the contracts you sign throughout life, but do you know what they mean? Who exactly are these “Heirs, Successors, and Assigns” coming over for the contract party? Do they have dietary restrictions? What is “separability?” Will it hurt? Well, we’ll tell ya! [More]
10 Meals You Can Make In A Coffeemaker
By 2.14.11
As this winter has taught us, the snowpocalypse can hit at any moment, potentially leaving you snowed in at the office, stranded in a coffee break room without access to vital food heating appliances. But armed with a coffee maker, you can make several different delicious dishes to keep you going until help arrives, or at least make being attacked by the snow zombies less painful. Because nothing sucks more than getting mauled by a snow zombie on an empty stomach. Of course, ramen is a no-brainer and so are rice and soft-boiled eggs, but how about lemon pepper chicken? [More]
10 Thrifty Ways To Deliver Big On Valentine's Day
By 2.11.11
Just because the economy is in the dumps doesn’t mean your spirits have to be on V-Day. There’s lots of great ways to celebrate your relationship without buying into all the myths of conspicuous consumption. At the same time, classic romantic gestures can be nice and sweet, as long as there’s more feeling than Franklins behind them. Here’s a guide to some last-minute, creative, frugal and even free ways to say “I love you.” (Spoiler alert: the best day to celebrate February 14… is February 15! It’s like getting Valentine’s Day half-off!) [More]
How To Quit LinkedIn
By 2.9.11
LinkedIn doesn’t make it very easy to leave, but it is possible to sever ties. Silicon Alley Insider walks you through the steps, which include navigating through non-obvious menu choices and waiting for a confirmation email from customer support. The reporter’s email never came and he had to lobby customer service several times, so if you do try to break the social networking ties that bind, be prepared to do a lot of follow up. [More]
Spot Fake Product Reviews By Looking For Marketing Speak
By 2.3.11
Online marketers are constantly trying to game the system by leaving puffed up reviews for their own products on online shopping sites. But they often leave tracks behind. One of the biggest is “marketing speak,” turns of phrase and words that no human would ever use to describe an actual experience they had. Coupon Sherpa says to look for the following red flags: [More]
How To Beat Scratch Lottery Tickets
By 2.2.11
WIRED reports how a geological statistician figured out how to beat a scratch-off lottery ticket game, discovering a simple trick hidden in the numbers that let him pick winners 90% of the time before scratching the tickets at all. What’s more is that the exploit he stumbled across can be repeated again and again against so-called “extended play” or “baited hook” tickets, spreadsheet-like scratch-offs featuring rows and rows of numbers and near-miss combinations. [More]
How Do I Melt Ice If The Store Is Out Of Salt?
By 2.1.11
The big batch of winter wrath this week has caused a run on basic supplies at the hardware stores. So what if the shelves are empty where the salt usually sit? Grab a bag, box, jar or bottle of one of these alternative ice and snow melting supplies instead. [More]
Get The Stuff On This Checklist Before The Winter Storm Slams Your House
By 1.31.11
Before the storm hits, get equipped. If you’re one of 100,000,000 Americans who is about to get smashed with this frozen blast, here’s a list of supplies you should have on hand before you get snowed in. [More]
Get Your Airline Ticket Changed For Free Because Of Massive Midwest Storm
By 1.31.11
The Superbowl of storms is headed for the Midwest with 20″ snow and 45 mph winds predicted for Chicago. Thankfully, a lot of airlines are waiving their usual ticket change fees for travelers who could be affected. 3,000 flights have already been canceled in advance of the potentially deadly weather. Don’t go to the airport to see if you can make your flight, don’t get stuck in an airport, stay home, stay over at your friend’s house an extra day or two, and take advantage of this leniency. Here are links to the various airlines and their waiver and winter update pages and policies: [More]
Where To Complain About The Postal Service
By 1.31.11 — Updated: 5.6.15
A lot of times when people complain about the postal service they can find that calling up their local post office is an exercise in futility. Assuming they get through to anyone, they can find the person on the other end of the line lackadaisical or difficult to understand. If this happens to you, you don’t have to just cry into your Beanie Baby collection. [More]
9 Things We Wished We Did Before Our House Burned Down
By 1.28.11
This pictures is of Melanie’s house as it burns to the ground within 60 minutes. It was a fixer-upper she and her husband had poured their savings and souls into with all sorts of DIY projects, and they and their two-and-half year-old son escaped it becoming their pyre by only minutes and with only the clothes on their backs. These are 9 things she wished beforehand, now that she is wrestling with insurance and filing claims: [More]
Before You Start A Food Truck, Slow Your Roll
By 1.25.11
Food trucks offering everything from cupcakes to waffles have sprouted in cities all over, and it sure sounds fun. Driving around, selling unique food, tweeting about it, who wouldn’t want that? But before you jump in, you should know it’s a darn hard grind. $100,000 in startup costs is not unheard of, and you better make sure you know the regulations. For instance, how are you going to sell food from your truck if you’re not allowed to park it anywhere? [More]
Build Your Own Home Gym For Cheap With Craigslist
By 1.25.11
Getting in shape this year needn’t require a gym membership. A reader over at the New York Times Bucks Blog sent in info and pictures about the home gym he built almost entirely from equipment scavenged off Craigslist. [More]
Ninja Hacks For Doing Everyday Stuff A Lot Faster
By 1.25.11
As someone who fights a continuing war against physical objects – any pair of sunglasses over $10 gets broken or lost, pasta dinners somehow crawl up my hand and cover it in sauce – I am appreciative of this 5-minute compilation showing you how to do a lot of everyday things faster. It shows you how to quick-dry your nails with cooking spray, peel an egg in seconds with the “tap and blow” method, and how to take off your shirt with one hand in one smooth motion. [More]
Ward Off Squirrel Raids On Your Bird Feeders With A Slinky
By 1.24.11
A classic children’s toy can be a fun way to keep squirrels from gorging themselves on your bird feeders. If your feeder is on a pole, attach the end of a slinky to the top and let the rest fall down the pole. One guy who tried it out says that since then, “the squirrels will try to jump onto the pole, grab the Slinky and promptly find themselves dumped to the ground.” [More]
How To Defrost Pipes
By 1.24.11
You wake up. Your toes recoil the instant they hit the floor. Your breath forms stalactites in the air. You go to wash your face, and squeak squeak, the knobs turn but no water comes out. Damnit. The pipes are frozen. How do you get the water flowing again? [More]
