Hey kids, want to spend the summer with five of your friends in your very own backyard pool? Then stay the hell away from Banzai’s Wild Waves Water Park! David Ng juxtaposed Banzai’s box art with a picture of his disappointed kids standing next to the fully assembled “water park.” He wasn’t the only one deceived, according to the reviews on Amazon…
photos
These Toy Horses Are Also Educational
By 7.29.08
Ali writes, “I was at the Borders in Elk Grove, CA with my cousin when I noticed these toys in the section with iPod accessories and various other objects. The funny thing is, all the other packages behind it were exactly the same.” Now you can learn about nature, and maybe pick up some new sexual slang, while you play horse farm!
Not Even Mini Babybel Cheese Can Escape The Grocery Shrink Ray
By 7.5.08
Violating every conceivable standard of decency, the Grocery Shrink Ray has unleashed a heartless attack on baby cheese. Mini Babybels, those adorably pudgy wax-encrusted cheese cylinders, were once allowed to grow until they reached 132 grams. Now, the Babybel’s are a stunted 120 grams.
Circuit City Calls The Cops On Customer Who Tried To Redeem $40 DTV Coupon
By 6.22.08
Circuit City wouldn’t let Larry redeem his $40 digital transition converter box coupon unless he signed a credit slip agreeing to pay $40. Larry refused, and asked to cancel the transaction. Circuit City’s manager responded by calling the police before following Larry into the parking lot to write down his license plate number.
Revealed: Apple's Secret Membership In The Stupid Shipping Gang
By 6.22.08
Apple may have Al Gore on its board of directors, but that won’t stop them from shipping teeny tiny remote controls in cartoonishly large boxes.
Next On The Airline Chopping Block: Lavatory Sinks?
By 6.1.08
Disturbing news from Horizon Air: rising costs have apparently forced the airline to replace lavatory sinks with a “lone bottle of hand sanitizer glued to the counter.”
Applebees Hot Fudge Sundae Menu Picture Vs. Reality
By 5.25.08
Reader Jose wants to know what happened to all the hot fudge that was supposed to grace this excuse for an Applebees sundae…
Sorry Girls, This McDonald's Is All Out Of Boy Toys
By 5.24.08
[May 17, 2008. Fairfax, Virginia. Image thanks to Jose!]
Apple Reprocesses Photo Orders So They Can Arrive Before Mother's Day
By 5.11.08
Dan writes, “Apple saved Mother’s Day!”
My daughter and I ordered a book as a Mother’s Day gift, and I was disappointed to learn it would ship late and miss the big day. I had waited until the last day of the promotion (April 30th at about 9:00 PM EST), so I didn’t want to complain. Then this landed in my inbox.
Rising Food, Gas Prices, Force Stormtroopers To Carpool
By 5.7.08
Paxton Holley submitted the above Storm-Troopers-go-shopping awesomeness to The Consumerist Flickr pool. They also bought Colt 45, and Amstel Light.
Circuit City Sells Employee Busted Floor Model TV, Refuses To Accept Return
By 5.4.08
Anthony paid Circuit City $1,271 for a new 40″ Samsung LN40A550, but what he received was a “scratched up, dinged to hell, beaten and abused FLOOR MODEL OPEN BOX” LN40A330. As a Circuit City employee, Anthony thought exchanging the TV or receiving a refund would be a cinch. Boy, was he wrong.
The Legend Of The $1.549 Gas
By 4.25.08
Tony was pumping gas at a Maryland convenience store when he noticed something awesome: the gas, advertised for $3.54, was only $1.54. He then did the right thing and told the store about it. “My friends are ridiculing me for informing the store clerk of the error,” writes Tony, “but the way i figure it – I would be complaining if it had been ringing up at $4.54/gallon instead so how would it be any better if i tried to rip them off?” Good point Tony, and good consumering! Though, it sounds like not everyone was honest as Tony. He adds, “By the way, i noticed the place was unusually busy today. I imagine a few people informed their friends who told their friends…” What would you have done? Select your answer from our morality poll inside…
Dell Celebrates Earth Day By Sending Me Junk Mail After I Said Stop
By 4.22.08
Despite my repeated requests via online form and phone, and even a few posts about it, including one where I made a photo spread of burning the offending items, Dell keeps sending me catalogs. So here is another post for the online pillory, but, in celebration of Earth Day, instead of burning these catalogs, I have recycled them (see above). Their inability/indifference is all the more stupid because two different Dell execs contacted me to say they would look into the issue. They even had me email them the cryptograms on my address label to help remove me from their mailing system. Dell, please, help me save the planet and take me off your stupid catalog lists. Otherwise I guess I’ll just have to deem your material “pornographic” (hey, I know it when I see it, right?) and use USPS form 1500 to get you stop. When you decided to get people to lust after your XPS line, that probably isn’t what you had in mind.
Let Best Buy 'Professionally Install' Your XBox Games
By 4.20.08
Tipster Michael writes:
Apparently the local Best Buy has an unbeatable service option for you. Looks like they will come to your house and insert your game to your 360 for you. Wonder how much they would charge to turn it on and put the controller in my hand?
Fie on anyone who says these signs are misplaced. This is a revolutionary new service that will do for game installation what Game Genie did for gameplay. Just you wait and see…
What Happens When You Pay Your $0.19 Amex Bill With 7 Origami Checks?
By 4.13.08
Bad Consumer Smith finally paid off her American Express Optima card after 14 years, but couldn’t believe that Amex tacked on a $0.19 finance charge to her last bill. Smith summoned her lesser angels to work out a fitting response. Here’s what she came up with:
I sent AmEx two checks for a penny each, one for two cents, two for three cents, one for four cents, and one for a nickel.
