Starting today, United Airlines has a new policy. If you can’t fit into a single seat, you need to buy another one or stay behind.
policy
Microsoft's Policy Regarding Identifying Sexual Orientation On XBOX Live
By 2.26.09
Teresa, the reader who was banned from XBOX Live for self-identifying as a lesbian, caused quite a stir on the internet. Joystiq managed to get a statement out of Microsoft regarding the issue. Microsoft says they do not allow expressions of sexuality of any kind in GamerTags or in profiles, and that they take harassment “very seriously.”
By 11.10.08
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Does Comcast love Obama? Or do they just really, really, really hate FCC Chairman Kevin Martin? [DSL Reports]
By 11.10.08
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Flying somewhere to welcome home a family member in the military? Hope that the military doesn’t change the date, because as one mom found out — Travelocity’s insurance policy is only covers changes due to “death, illness and jury duty.” Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending. [MomLogic]
American Airlines Thinks It's "Generous" To Charge A $100 Excess Baggage Fee To Soldiers
By 7.30.08
Let’s say you are in the military and have to undergo some training before you are deployed to Iraq to fight in a war. Let’s also say that this training requires to you bring 3 bags of equipment. If the airline you’re flying charges a $100 “excess baggage” fee, but waives the $15 first checked bag fee, and the $25 second checked bag fee… is that “generous?”
Target Fixes Their Broken Wedding Registry, Will Let You Return Duplicates Without A Receipt
By 6.23.08
Reader Jon writes in to let us know that your complaining has had a positive effect on Target’s return policy. They will now allow you to return duplicate wedding registry gifts without asking your friends and relatives for a receipt.
Target: Yes, You Can Return That Camera After The 90 Day Deadline. Oh Wait, Never Mind. You Can't.
By 6.11.08
Ronald was in a hurry and wondered if he could delay returning a camera to Target until a few days after the 90 day deadline. He called them up and they told him it wouldn’t be a problem. Guess what? It was a problem.
Six Flags Requires You To Check All Bags Before Each Rollercoaster For $1 Per Ride
By 6.10.08
Reader Aaron says that his trip to Six Flags was ruined by their new policy of making riders check even very small bags before each ride — at the cost of $1 a ride.
Better Return Policy, Customer Service Available To Best Buy Customers Who Spend $2,500 Per Year
By 6.9.08
Like shopping at Best Buy but don’t like their lack of customer service and crappy return policy? They’ve got an offer for you. Spend $2,500 per calendar year and you’ll be considered a “Reward Zone Program Premier Silver Member.” The benefits of this membership are immediately apparent. You’ll get your own dedicated customer service line that’s only for Premier Silver Members, and a more generous return policy as well. Why should good customer service be available to bad customers? We’ve got the text of a Best Buy Reward Zone Silver Training Document, inside.
Don't Use Target's Wedding Registry If You Think Asking Your Wedding Guests For Receipts Is Rude
By 5.27.08
As we’ve mentioned before, Target doesn’t accept returns or exchanges of gifts bought through their wedding registry unless you have a receipt. Got two of the same thing? You’re out of luck unless you’re willing to call your wedding guests and ask them if they kept the receipt.
Target's Super Secret Return Policy
By 4.30.08
Consumer Reports tells us that Target’s strict “No receipt, No return” policy has an “unadvertised” loophole — you can return items of less than $20 for store credit. The catch? You can only do this twice a year.
Best Buy Calls Cops On You For Telling Fellow Customer Jawbone Headset Is Overpriced, Sucks
By 3.27.08
Best Buy called the cops on Alex because he told another shopper that the Jawbone headset he was considering was poor quality and marked up $30 from the manufacturer’s price. Alex went to Best Buy to purchase a new Bluetooth headset because the Jawbone he recently purchased from Verizon wasn’t cutting it. While browsing the headsets, he struck up a conversation with another customer who was checking out the Jawbone. Alex told his fellow customer that he had been disappointed in the quality of the Jawbone, and that Best Buy was charging $30 more than the manufacturer or Verizon. A sales associate overheard this and told the manager, who asked Alex to leave the store, then threatened to call the police, then did.
Best Buy Charges $2 Premium For Inferior Open-Box Mouse
By 3.21.08
The Best Buy in Champaign, Illinois wants Andrew to pay $2 extra for a used mouse covered with someone else’s hand gunk. We see plenty of these open-box pricing bloopers and Best Buy employees are always fast to rush to the comments screaming “But it’s policy!”
Apple Replaces Lemon Laptop As Promised
By 3.13.08
Our intern Alex’s lemony MacBook Pro finally went out with a spectacular graphical display of what it looks like when a robot’s brain dissolves. Fortunately, Apple made good on the promise they gave him last month when he asked about their replacement policy, and a new replacement MacBook Pro is on its way to him. They’re also refunding a portion of his AppleCare. Is this just typical Apple follow-through or above and beyond treatment because Alex’s story was posted on Consumerist?
Scammy Computer Seller BlueHippo Settles With FTC For $5 Million
By 2.26.08
BlueHippo, the scammy “no credit check” computer seller accused in several states of taking money from customers without providing the computers and other electronics it supposedly sells, has settled with the FTC for $5 million. They did not admit wrongdoing.
Valentine's Day Ice Storm 2008? Everybody Panic!
By 2.13.08
Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Great Valentine’s Day Air Travel Massacre—a storm that took down JetBlue’s entire operation and ultimately their CEO, too.
Apple's Semi-Official Computer Replacement Policy
By 2.12.08
Yesterday we noted that our intern Alex Chasick was told by an Apple Genius that Apple will not automatically replace a defective laptop after the third hardware failure. Alex followed our advice and called Apple’s Executive Customer Service line for some official answers. Here’s what he found out.
Best Buy Refuses To Sell You An XM Radio Without Your Phone Number
By 1.14.08
Reader Travis would like to purchase an XM radio from Best Buy. Sadly for him, Best Buy refused to sell him the radio without first learning his phone number. Travis does not want to share his phone number with Best Buy, therefore Travis has no radio.
