Yesterday, we told you about a outsourced door-to-door salesman who was soliciting for Verizon when he was caught masturbating while watching a woman work in her garden. He’s been charged with two counts of “lewdness, resisting arrest and criminal trespassing,” and now Verizon tells us that they’ve suspended all door-to-door marketing in Delaware until they’re done investigating the incident.
marketing
Earthlink Tries To Sell You Anti-Virus Protection When You Contact Them To Cancel Your Anti-Virus Protection
By 7.31.08
Sometimes we feel sorry for CSRs who have to try to sell you stuff you don’t want or need when you’re contacting them to correct a billing mistake. It’s just so sad. Reader ajlei contacted Earthlink’s chat support to cancel an anti-virus service that wasn’t supposed to be included on her bill, after canceling, the chat support rep kept asking her if she wanted a more expensive version of the service. When she said no, the chat rep asked her again, in bold this time… because asking in bold will make customers want more expensive versions of services they just canceled?
It's July, Time To Put Out The Christmas Decorations…
By 7.31.08
Reader Kelly wants to let us know that July isn’t too early for a candle store at her local mall to start its Christmas marketing push…
Bed Bath And Beyond Sees The California Earthquake As An Excellent Marketing Opportunity?
By 7.30.08
Reader PlusTax says he got an email (above) advertising disaster preparedness supplies from Bed Bath and Beyond a few hours after the recent earthquake in California.
Door-To-Door Verizon Salesman Can't Keep His Pants Shut While On The Job
By 7.30.08
We’re not big fans of door-to-door marketing, and today we bring you another example of why we feel this way. According to the News-Journal, an employee of a marketing firm contracted by Verizon has been arrested and charged with two counts of “lewdness, resisting arrest and criminal trespassing,” after a man in a Verizon t-shirt was spotted “masturbating while watching a woman work in her garden.”
Settlement: Sara Lee Agrees To Change Misleading "Whole Grain" Packaging
By 7.21.08
Back in December the Center for Science in the Public Interest became annoyed with Sara Lee for allegedly misleading consumers about the amount of “whole grain” in their breads. The organization announced its intention to sue Sara Lee over its “Soft & Smooth Made with Whole Grain White Bread,” which claims to combine “all the taste and texture of white bread with the goodness of whole grain,” when actually “there is more water in this product than whole grain,” according to the CSPI.
Grocery Shrink Ray Goes Down Under, Attacks Aussie Sprunch Hairspray
By 7.20.08
Looks like the Grocery Shrink Ray took a working vacation down under this summer. Reader Meg tells us that her redesigned Aussie Sprunch hairspray shriveled from 12 ounces to 10.2 ounces. Gone too is an adorable yellow kangaroo, mercilessly consumed, we presume, by the insatiable Grocery Shrink Ray.
3 Ways To Spend Less While Shopping
By 7.19.08
Shopping is a war and you are outgunned. Stores attack your desire for self-restraint with armies of psychologists, marketers, and “brand gurus.” Defend yourself from overspending with three easy and effective tips from Alpha Consumer…
This Colgate Toothpaste Packaging Is Awfully Deceptive
By 7.12.08
Logan thought this bonus pack of Colgate contained two equally-sized tubes of toothpaste. After all, the boxes are exactly the same size. Yet when he opened the bonus box, he found a smaller box containing a mini tube of toothpaste.
Study: Baby Boomers Are "Savvy Shoppers" Who Brand-Jump More Than Younger Generations
By 7.9.08
It’s time once again to play Categorize The Shopping Public, this time using a survey commissioned by TV Land to convince advertisers that its Boomer-centric programming is relevant. If you or someone you know is between the ages of 40-59, you won’t want to miss this very important message—but to summarize it for the ADD crowd, it seems younger folks are (slightly) more likely to choose a brand based on fashion and hype, whereas Boomers are (slightly) less brand-loyal and seek greater value. This runs counter to the conventional wisdom that younger consumers are savvier shoppers, and gives Boomers something to gloat over—before they forget what it is they’re gloating about. Ha ha! Old people are so old!
It's A Miracle! This Free Digital TV Converter Box Will Cost Me $100
By 7.9.08
We know you’re too smart to fall for this ridiculously fraudulent digital TV converter offer, but maybe you know someone who’s not wise to the facts of the upcoming switch to digital TV—specifically that converter boxes cost less than $100, and that you can get a government coupon to offset $40 of that cost. Universal TechTronics—the same scam outfit behind those “Amish” Heat Surge miracle fireplaces—is now conning the less knowledegable with their “free” converter box offer: pay nothing but a warranty and shipping, bringing the total cost to anywhere between $68 and $97. The Los Angeles Times says this is “the first large-scale [converter box] scam the Better Business Bureau has seen.”
Charter Announces It Will Abandon User Tracking
By 6.25.08
Last month we reported on Charter Communications’ plan to start tracking its users internet activity in order to serve more targeted ads. Charter claimed customers could opt-out of the service, but a reader reviewed Charter’s opt-out method and discovered that even if you said no, you would still be tracked. Yesterday Charter announced it was abandoning the program and will not track its customers’ activities after all—at least for the immediate future.
Would You Like A Condom Ad In Your Beer?
By 6.19.08
Maybe the bottom of a beer glass isn’t the best place to advertise a jimmy cap. Do you really want to drain the last of your beer and suddenly be reminded of Stiffler from American Pie? Yeah, we didn’t think so.
Wal-Mart "Genuine Steakhouse Brand Steaks" Are "100% Guaranteed Fresh" (Some Restrictions Apply)
By 6.18.08
Reader Richie would like to point out the impressive pointlessness of this Wal-Mart promotion for “Genuine SteakHouse Steak.”
Feazel Roofing Responds To Misleading Junk Mail Accusations
By 6.18.08
Last week, we wrote about a roofing company that had sent out a “Defective Roof Notice” to potential customers. The blogger who received the junk mail thought it was deceptive, and so did we. To make matters worse, he wrote a complaint to the company and was ignored—but a few weeks later a fake “customer review” appeared on his site that was traced back to Feazel. Now the owner of Feazel Roofing has responded and apologized for the junk mail:
Winco Frozen Fish: The Big U.S. Flag Tells You It's Made In China!
By 6.15.08
A reader in Redding, California was shopping at the local Winco and saw this ultra-patriotic bag of frozen tilapia—if it were any prouder to be an American it would have to start singing country music. But when glugory turned the bag over, the phrase “Product of China” was stamped across the bottom. “So now these bastards are lulling you into a false sense of patriotism in order to sell their commie fish,” writes glugory. That might be overstating it a bit, but we’re fans of overstating things here at Consumerist, so… yeah! Damned commie fish! Remember: never trust packaging. It’s just marketing you can hold.
For The Lumber Liquidators, Economic Woes Yield Advertising Gold
By 6.11.08
While some people conflate “recession” with “depression,” the enterprising gents at Lumber Liquidators are using it as a cheery marketing hook. An ad on their website shouts, “Take advantage of the weak dollar! We ship anywhere in the world.” I guess when your brand is all about the color yellow, it’s hard to be a mopeypants.
Roofing Co Sends Misleading"Class Action" Junk Mail, Fakes Customer Reviews Online
By 6.11.08
Update: The owner of Feazel Roofing has responded and apologized for the misleading nature of the junk mail.
Blogger HolyJuan was annoyed with a piece of junk mail he received from Feazel Roofing, because it was written in such a way that it could (intentionally) mislead homeowners into thinking the roof inspection being offered was somehow official, required, or necessary. In fact, it was simply an attempt to drum up new business for the company—but when you lead off with “DEFECTIVE ROOF NOTICE” and then mention class action lawsuits in the first paragraph, it’s hard to claim marketing innocence. HolyJuan complained about the letter on his blog, and a few weeks later an anonymous “customer” posted a rebuttal full of praise for Feazel Roofing—from the IP address of the company, naturally.
