The Goodwill in Washington Iowa fired a thirty-year-old employee with Down syndrome after his mother bought him a $3 shirt. Goodwill initially refused to sell the shirt because of a policy banning employees from making purchases on days they were working. Another employee intervened and approved the sale after the employee’s mother explained both that she was a family member and not an employee, and that the employee with Down syndrome had no interest in buying clothes. When the employee reported to work the next day, he was fired. [More]
iowa
If You Buy It, They Will Come
By 5.14.10
Looking for a farm with a ballpark on it? Look no more! The family that owns the Field of Dreams cornfield ballpark has decided to sell. The asking price? $5.4 million. [More]
Credit Card Company Takes Seven Months To Notice You Moved To Illinois
By 3.19.10
Mike tells Consumerist that one of his recent purchases triggered a fraud alert on his credit card account. It’s nice to know that your card issuer is looking out for you, right? This alert was location-based, since he was using his card in Illinois, and the main billing address for the card is in Iowa, where Mike used to live. What he finds confusing about this situation is that he moved to Illinois seven months ago. [More]
Iowa Feline Catches Swine Flu
By 11.6.09
When you’re home sick, snuggling with a pet can have tremendous healing powers. “Plus,” you might say to yourself, “at least Fluffy can’t catch this awful swine flu I have.” Well….not so fast. It’s not common, but a cat in Iowa has been diagnosed with, and recovered from, swine flu.
Newsflash: The Next Tsunami Of Aggressively Irresponsible Loans Didn't Magically Disappear
By 9.18.09
We’ve been talking about the next wave of the mortgage crisis for quite some time now, and it seems that, as predicted, it’s cresting and about to hit. We are, of course, speaking of Option-ARM loans — considered the riskiest of all mortgages due to their ability to grow rather than shrink. Yes, there actually exists a mortgage that allows the borrower to pay less than the interest that is accruing on the loan.
Iowans To Get Wishy Washy Consumer Bill Of Rights
By 5.16.09
Good news, Iowans! Your legislature has decided to enact a consumer bill of rights giving you the power to sue businesses that commit fraud. Unless, of course, you’re going after banks, attorneys, insurance providers, doctors, cable companies, telecoms, utilities, veterinarians, realtors, charities, architects, or certain retailers. Still, the bill isn’t entirely useless…
Thanks For Giving My Tax Refund To Someone Else, H & R Block
By 3.6.09
Q:What happens when HR Block copies your bank information incorrectly and deposits your tax refund into someone else’s account? A:The other person spends it and H & R Block shrugs and tells you to call the police.
Iowa Woman Arrested For Failing To Return Library Book
By 1.24.09
Thirty-nine-year-old Shelly Koontz was arrested for failing to return a copy of the The Freedom Writer’s Diary that she borrowed last April from the Jessup library. The library had tried to reach Koontz through four calls and four letters, one certified, which she refused to accept. Fed up, library officials asked to press charges, leading officers to visit Koontz’s home with three simple options: return the book; pay the library $13.95 so they could buy a new copy; or, go to jail.
Iowa Town Uses Garlic Salt To De-Ice The Roads
By 12.17.08
The roads in a certain Iowa town are deliciously garlic-y. They’ve been using garlic salt to de-ice the streets.
Panera Bread Customer Service Rises To The Occasion
By 9.2.08
On 8/26/08 I stopped by my local Panera Bread [in Waterloo Iowa] after work to pick up dinner for my wife and I. We’ve always been very pleased with the level of service and quality of food we’ve received from Panera in the past. Last night however was a slightly different experience…
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Kraft Swiss Cheese Singles?
By 7.11.08
Bruce sends in what he thinks is another victim of the Grocery Shrink Ray’s fell and indiscriminate wrath:
No Help For 70% Of Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
By 4.23.08
A new study shows that despite the best efforts of lawmakers and mortgage-service companies, little is actually being done to help homeowners facing foreclosure, says the Wall Street Journal.
Pizza Hut Delivery Driver Fired For Shooting Armed Robber
By 4.22.08
A Pizza Hut delivery driver with a valid handgun permit has been fired after he shot an armed robber who put a gun to his head and demanded he turn over his cash. Now an Iowa state senator is calling for a boycott of Pizza Hut:
“You tell me any Iowan that was in his situation, that had a gun put to his head, how they would’ve reacted differently,” state Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale said. “I think it’s the wrong decision by Pizza Hut and I will not be buying any more Pizza Hut products.”
Pizza Hut says it’s against company policy for delivery drivers to carry guns, even with a valid permit.
Empty Room? Bijou Theater Screens Movie For One Couple
By 10.13.07
I had a great customer service experience and I thought I would share it with you. My fiancee and I live in Mount Vernon, Iowa and like to frequent the old-school, single-screen movie theater in town called the Bijou. It’s a family run theater with cheap prices ($4/movie) and a great reputation as a family-friendly place. Before each of the showings the owner/manager greets the crowd, gives out prizes, and welcomes any first-timers in the audience.
The University Of Iowa Removes Athletes From Credit Card Promotions
By 9.29.07
This University of Iowa credit card scandal is getting more interesting every day. Today’s development: The University has “backed away” from allowing athletes to be used in the U of I alumni association credit card program.
Alumni Associations And Public Universities Profit By Selling Student Data To Bank Of America
By 9.24.07
We stumbled across a very interesting article in the Des Moines Register that discusses the methods public universities’ alumni associations (in this case, the University of Iowa and ISU) use to obtain and sell student data.
Kmart Employee Busted For Letting Relatives Walk Out With Shopping Carts Full Of Stolen Stuff
By 6.26.07
Employee theft is a serious problem for retailers. It makes prices go up and return policies more strict. So when we hear about an employee getting busted for such a spectacularly stupid, yet probably effective and routinely performed scam we are glad.
Taco Bell Employee Allegedly Spit, Urinated in Food
By 6.25.07
A family from Sidney, Iowa has filed suit against the owners of a KFC/Taco Bell after they were served food that was allegedly contaminated by an employee. According to the lawsuit, the couple’s 4 year-old son became “violently ill” after being served food that had been contaminated by an employee who “maintained ‘special servings'” of food contaminated with urine and saliva so that it could be fed to unsuspecting police officers.
