policies

The Man Who Owns DoNotReply.com Knows All The Secrets Of The World

The Man Who Owns DoNotReply.com Knows All The Secrets Of The World

By cwalters 3.24.08

If your company is in the habit of using a “donotreply.com” address in the “From” field of its emails, you might want to forward your IT department this entry from the Washington Post’s “Security Fix” blog—when customers don’t pay attention and reply to a “donotreply.com” email address, it goes to Chet Faliszek, a programmer in Seattle who registered the domain seven years ago.

With the exception of extreme cases… Faliszek says he long ago stopped trying to alert companies about the e-mails he was receiving. It’s just not worth it: Faliszek said he is constantly threatened with lawsuits from companies who for one reason or another have a difficult time grasping why he is in possession of their internal documents and e-mails.

Chicago Hospital Freaks, Nearly Bans Visitor For Taking Photo From Window

Chicago Hospital Freaks, Nearly Bans Visitor For Taking Photo From Window

By cwalters 3.6.08

Kurt was at Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago yesterday, where his father is in rehab after a recent stroke, and he was nearly kicked out because he took a photo of the setting sun out the window from a hallway.

Before even reviewing the picture, I heard a woman yell, “What do you think you’re doing?!” I looked up, seeing an angry looking woman briskly coming down the hall at me.
 
“Taking a photo of the sun,” I replied.
 
“You’re in a hospital!” she shrilly declared.
 
“Yes, obviously.”
 
“I’ve called security, you stay here!”

FYE: No Kids Under 18 Allowed Until After 4 P.M.

FYE: No Kids Under 18 Allowed Until After 4 P.M.

By consumeristcarey 2.23.08

The bus-eating abominable snowmen that commandeered I-95 early yesterday morning flummoxed our plans to return to New York on the Chinatown bus. As we wandered through Union Station assuring our mother that we would take Amtrak, we came across this magnificent sign in the music store FYE telling kids under 18—presumably a key demographic—to keep away until 4 p.m. As our friend took a picture, a surly FYE employee sternly warned that we were breaking the law.

Zappos Zaps Price Protection Policy, Free Overnight Shipping

Zappos Zaps Price Protection Policy, Free Overnight Shipping

By consumeristcarey 2.17.08

Update: Zappos will still surprise customers with free overnight shipping, but it is no longer a perk they will actively promote.

Best Buy Forbids You From Buying Assassin's Creed, Insists You're Buying It For A Minor

Best Buy Forbids You From Buying Assassin's Creed, Insists You're Buying It For A Minor

By Ben Popken 1.14.08

Matt writes:

Yesterday I went through the horror of taking my 15 year old brother to the Best Buy in Orland Park, IL on LaGrange Ave. I had close to $100 in Best Buy Gift Certificates given to me for Christmas. My brother and I were en route to dinner and we decided to swing by the aforementioned Best Buy to pick up a video game, Assassin’s Creed, and XBOX Live Gold. We entered the store. I browsed the camera aisle looking for a cable to possibly purchase for our flat screen then headed to the video game section. I picked up the said items and headed to check out where hell will shortly ensue.

Some Spare Batteries Banned On Flights

Some Spare Batteries Banned On Flights

By Ben Popken 1.2.08

Because some have been known to spontaneously combust, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is banning some lithium batteries from your checked-in luggage. In the spring, a laptop battery related fire erupted in the overhead compartment of a Jetblue flight, and on an American Airlines flight from Argentina, prompting the DOT to issue a warning about packing spare batteries. Lithium batteries are commonly used in laptops and cellphones. However, the rules mainly apply to professionals and/or people who travel with spare batteries. For the most part, batteries installed in the electronic device are fine. Inside, a handy chart to tell you what’s been banned. [More]

Return Policies For 15 Major Retailers

Return Policies For 15 Major Retailers

By consumeristcarey 12.27.07

Hate that stationary bike your hint-dropping friend got you for Christmas? Want to return it so you can buy something useful like a cook book or ten pounds of fudge? Well Mouseprint rounded up return policies for fifteen major retailers to help you offload all those gifts you never wanted. Retailers readily accept returns if you have a receipt and the original packaging with price tags. Most stores charge a 15% restocking fee and want their merchandise back within a few weeks. Happy returning!

Namco Bandai Won't Sell Accessory Separately

Namco Bandai Won't Sell Accessory Separately

By cwalters 12.5.07

Some non-game playing exec at Namco Bandai has decided that the gun controller that ships with Time Crisis 4 for the Playstation 3 cannot and will not be sold separately, even though there’s a 2-player mode in the game. Their CSR’s helpful suggestion? “You will need another copy of Time Crisis 4.” It’s as if the game is a license to use one gun controller—if you want more gun controllers, simply buy more licenses!

Airlines Quietly Institute Annual Two-Bag Max Policy For Caribbean And Latin American Travel

By consumerist.com 12.3.07

If you’re traveling to Latin America or the Caribbean, don’t pack more than two bags, and don’t let them be overweight. People traveling to and from these countries have a propensity to pack heavily this time of year. And so every year at this time of year the airlines impose stringent restrictions, though you’ll have to do some Googling on the airlines’ sites to find mention of the policy. No worries, cougars only need one coat anyway.

Target To Downgrade Return Policy: Receipts Always Required

Target To Downgrade Return Policy: Receipts Always Required

By consumerist.com 12.3.07

A Target insider writes:“Starting next year, guests will no longer be able to return items without a receipt. This means that if you accidentally lose your receipt, or if your cashier doesn’t give you one, you’re SOL.

Health Insurer Paid Out $20k In Bonuses For Dropping Sick Policyholders

Health Insurer Paid Out $20k In Bonuses For Dropping Sick Policyholders

By cwalters 11.9.07

The Los Angeles Times reports that Health Net Inc., one of California’s largest insurers, “avoided paying $35.5 million in medical expenses by rescinding about 1,600 policies between 2000 and 2006.” Its senior analyst in charge of cancellations, Barbara Fowler, made $20,000 in bonuses during that period for meeting cancellation goals. We hope for her family’s health that she uses that extra money to buy insurance from a better company than Health Net.

Bed Bath & Beyond Forbids Cell Phone Cameras

Bed Bath & Beyond Forbids Cell Phone Cameras

By cwalters 10.17.07

Bed Bath & Beyond tries to prevent shoppers from doing any online comparisons or research, because it has a “no photos” policy in its store. I discovered this yesterday when I used my cellphone to take a no-flash, silent photo of a coffee grinder.

IKEA Won't Sell "In-Stock" Mattress Because It Requires The Forklift?

IKEA Won't Sell "In-Stock" Mattress Because It Requires The Forklift?

By 2.13.07

Reader Gerald writes in after an odd experience with IKEA. He’s writing to ask if he has a legitimate complaint, or if he’s just being whiny. After calling to make sure that IKEA had the mattress he wanted in-stock, he rented a man with a van on craigslist for $30 and they went to go pick it up. Weirdly, IKEA refused to sell him the mattress because they have a policy against using their forklift during store hours.

Meghann Will Ship Her Broken DVD Player Back

Meghann Will Ship Her Broken DVD Player Back

By consumerist.com 12.7.06

The people have spoken. Meghann will ship her broken DVD player, not make a video of her smashing it. Spoilsports.

What Should Meghann Do With Her Brokeass Woot DVD Player?

By consumerist.com 12.6.06

After Meghann pitched her woe about getting a Woot!ed DVD player that wouldn’t turn on, we tried to convince her to do ship it back to Toshiba.

Woot: Thanks for the Broken DVD Player

Woot: Thanks for the Broken DVD Player

By 12.6.06

We’ve been a member of Woot since Feb ’05, but until the other day, we never saw anything we needed. Then our DVD player broke, and Woot had one, and it was like 40 bucks, and so we finally tried Woot!

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