Bob didn’t realize that his Amtrak train from Syracuse would be delayed for more than an hour until an Amtrak agent called him up and offered to upgrade him free of charge to an earlier and pricier train. Bob initially declined, but later called back to change his mind. When he got to the station, the same agent realized that he qualified for a cheaper ticket and refunded the difference on the spot.
NEW YORK
By 7.13.09
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Tim Horton’s a Canadian doughnut place that, I’m told, is awesome. The chain opened 12 locations in NYC today, prompting excited people to email us about it. Example: “Tim Hortons is in NYC! Tim Horton’s takes Manhattan! Exciting! Let’s tell the world!” The world has now been told, but help us out here — what should New Yorkers order on their first trip to Tim Horton’s? [Tim Horton’s] (Thanks, Dave!)
Radio Shack Is Levying The Wrong Sales Tax In New York City
By 7.5.09
Radio Shack is charging New York City consumers an extra half-percent of sales tax, even though the State hasn’t approved a new tax rate. Before descending into a chaotic mess of embarrassing inaction, the New York State Senate was widely expected to hike the sales tax New York City’s local sales from 8.375% to 8.875%. That never happened, a minor detail that isn’t stopping Radio Shack from collecting more tax, as reader Jeff discovered…
By 7.1.09
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When a power line falls in your neighborhood, be patient. Wait for the proper authorities to take care of it. Above all, don’t try to clear it out of the way using an industrial saw. A man in Pond Eddy, NY did that against the advice of firefighters, and was electrocuted. [Newsday] (Thanks, AJ!)
Unlicensed Cabbie Welcomes Tourists To New York With High Speed Police Chase
By 6.28.09
Jean-Jacques Dulugat learned yesterday why you should never let an unlicensed cabbie give you a lift from the airport. Police tried to stop Dulugat and his family as they got into a van driven by a pair of known solicitors, but the duo took off and led cops on a high-speed chase through Brooklyn…
Southwest Is Coming To LaGuardia. Hello, Price War!
By 6.27.09
Starting tomorrow, Southwest will fly out of New York‘s LaGuardia airport, which hopefully means that flying between New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington is about to get a whole lot cheaper.
NY Attorney General Shuts Down Abusive Debt Collection Operation, Puts Owner's Rap Career On Hold
By 6.24.09
The New York Attorney General shut down a network of debt collection agencies today that were run by convicted felon Tobias Boyland, who along with his colleagues impersonated police officers, threatened debtors with arrest, and told them they were being sued in civil court. Boyland is also an author and a musician, and he has an awesome website, bagsofmoney.us, which—warning—launches into a street-friendly rap song as soon as it loads.
The Maid Is Stealing Your Checkbook
By 6.9.09
Identity theft is rising in the recession, according to a Brooklyn public defender I talked to at a party this weekend. Most often the crime starts with the perp stealing the victim’s checkbook, he said.
AOL User 927 Gets Staged Reading In New York
By 6.8.09
Back in Aug ’06, a researcher ended up releasing 500,000+ AOL user search histories online and all sort of heck broke loose. One of the pieces of fallout was the search queries of User 927, who displayed a fondness for mold, mange, orchids, beauty and the beast disney porn and testicle festivals. The only sensible thing to do, of course, was to make it into a play.
It's Now Illegal To Sell A Ticket In New York For More Than $2 Over Face Value
By 6.6.09
Quick, go buy scalped tickets while it’s still illegal to sell them for more than $2 over face value. The New York law allowing unlimited markups on scalped tickets expired last week, and Governor David Paterson has yet to sign an extension bill passed by the legislature. TicketsNow and StubHub are, of course, ignoring the law, because they’ve never been big fans of little things like laws or decency.
At Food Lion, "Value Pricing" Means Extra Confusion!
By 5.31.09
Food Lion can’t decide how much this boneless New York strip steak costs or weighs. It could weigh .47 pounds at $9.49 per pound, or it could be 1.06 pounds of value priced meat at $6.64 per pound. Reader Mike isn’t sure what’s really going on here, but he’s hungry and confused and wants his steak to come with answers.
Angry Bees Attack New York GameStop
By 5.24.09
A swarm of bees gathered yesterday outside the GameStop in Union Square, possibly to demand a higher trade-in value for their games. Store employees were trapped inside for hours and eventually hung a sign reading: “Look! … closed due to bee infestation.”
"Homeboy Hookup" Scammer Rips Off Renters
By 5.22.09
Apartment scams are the new hotness. Can’t do housing scams anymore because no one can afford a house, so it’s on to rentals. Insert “Merce,” a guy is ripping off renters saying he’s got the “homeboy hookup” and can get them into a rental cheap and with free gas an electricity, but he doesn’t actually own the properties. Fox NY investigates in this video.
Thirteen More Weeks Of Unemployment Benefits In New York State
By 5.20.09
Governor David Paterson of New York signed into law a bill extending unemployment benefits for thirteen more weeks. Around 56,000 people are on their last week of benefits right now, and the extension takes effect immediately.
Cupcake Truck Hits New York
By 5.20.09
Two words. The first word is cupcake. The second is truck. Started by a recently graduated New York Law School student who realized he wasn’t getting a job this year, Cupcakestop will be scooting around Manhattan, serving up treats like red velvet, oreo crumb, and black and white cookie. $1 for minis, $2.25 for regular size. I think they’re going to be Twittering their location at each stop, too. Innovation in the recession. Tasty.
A Few Spaces Left For Consumerist Party Tuesday
By 5.18.09
There’s about 30 spots left if you want to go to the Consumerist/Consumer Reports party/panel-discussion this Tuesday night from 6-8pm at the 92Y at 200 Hudson in New York, NY. Come Hear Ben Popken, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, MSNBC’s Red Tape Chronicles Bob Sullivan, and The Daily Beast’s Rachel Sklar. Moderated by Consumer Reports Editorial Director Kevin McKean, the topic is “Defending The Endangered Consumer: High Impact Journalism in a Low-Budget Era.” Also in attendance, Consumerist bloggers Meg Marco, Carey Greenberg-Berger, Chris Walters, Alex Chasick and Laura Northrup. Should be a good time. RSVP for a free drink at rsvp@consumerist.com.
Car Warranty Robot Calls Senator During Meeting On Capitol Hill
By 5.11.09
First they pissed off Verizon, then they pissed off the internet, the attorney general of Indiana, and Congressmen Mike Doyle. Now the group of companies responsible for the car warranty robocalls have annoyed New York Senator Chuck Schumer by calling him during an important meeting about health care.
Pinkberry Apologizes For Website Error By Offering To Shower Your Office With Freebies
By 5.9.09
To thank Kelly for pointing out an error on their website, Pinkberry offered to come to her office bearing “a few yogurts and toppings for some of the hard working people that you work with.” What error could prompt such an over-the-top apology? Kelly tried to visit two separate Pinkberry locations at 11:30 a.m., which Pinkberry’s website lists as the store’s opening time. But! The store’s don’t open until *gasp* noon!
