We’ve written too many stories over the years about pay-TV and telecom companies still insisting that customers keep paying for service in the wake of natural disasters that destroyed their properties. So it’s nice to hear that the nation’s two major satellite TV companies are being proactive about the millions of Americans in Puerto Rico who are trying to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Maria. However, Dish and DirecTV have decided to take two very different approaches toward not piling on on Puerto Rico. [More]
puerto rico
Dish Network Temporarily Halts Service In Puerto Rico, Unless Customers Say They Want It
By 10.10.17 — Updated: 10.11.17
Aid For Residents Of Puerto Rico Remains Unloaded At Docks
By 9.28.17
As residents of Puerto Rico continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, much of the needed aid sent to the island has yet to make it into their hands. Instead, cargo container after cargo container — holding things like meals, first aid materials, and other items — remain at port because the system in place to move the goods has been equally devastated by the storm. [More]
How To Donate To Disaster Relief Operations In Puerto Rico
By 9.25.17
Millions of Americans in Puerto Rico are without power, water, or homes in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Some of us who want to help with the effort to provide for these victims and to rebuild their lives may be overwhelmed by trying to figure out the best way to do so, and how to not get taken in by scams. [More]
Pizza Hut Puerto Rico Adds Bacon To Pools Of Cheese On Crust
By 12.10.13
You might not know that the Cheeseburger Pizza that Pizza Hut has put on the menu in some of its international restaurants has an American cousin. It’s true! It’s called Crazy Cheesy Crust, and lacks the mini burger patties, but has the same vague flower-ish shape. The cheesy monstrosity also has a cousin in Puerto Rico, the with one important difference: the cheesy crust pools can come with bacon. [More]
Yes, This Is A Hands-Free Whopper Holder
By 5.31.13
Forget the HAL 9000, Skynet, or Cylons… the next step in human evolution is already here, and it’s a hands-free way to eat fast food. [More]
Amazon Super Saver Shipping No Longer Available In US Territories
By 8.18.11
Bad news for regular Amazon.com shoppers who live in United States territories: the online retail behemoth now limits their free Super Saver shipping to only residents of the fifty states. Reader Barbara in Puerto Rico wonders why this is. “They ship all their stuff through USPS anyway,” she points out, “so the postage difference is zero!” [More]
Apple Realizes Puerto Ricans Are U.S. Citizens, Starts Shipping Free iPhone 4 Cases
By 8.3.10
Over the weekend, we wrote about how Apple had decided to cancel all shipments of free iPhone 4 cases to Puerto Rico because they were “unable to ship to an international address.” Well it looks like someone at Apple checked out Wikipedia and found out that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and shipping to the island doesn’t cross any national borders. [More]
Apple: Puerto Ricans Aren't Americans And Can't Have Free iPhone 4 Cases
By 7.31.10
Sorry Puerto Ricans, even though you bought your iPhone 4s with U.S. dollars, endure AT&T’s shoddy “national” coverage, and are United States citizens, Apple doesn’t think you’re entitled to a free case like real Americans. Apple originally told Puerto Ricans that they would qualify for free apology cases, but decided to cancel all orders being shipped to Puerto Rico after claiming that they were “unable to ship to an international address.” [More]
Buying Things In Puerto Rico Is Apparently "International" Commerce
By 1.11.10
So, Puerto Rico is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States. Its head of state is Barack Obama. Its currency is the US Dollar. So why is one of Chris Elliott’s readers being charged an international transaction fee on her Visa? [More]
Netflix Can't Decide Whether Puerto Rico Is In The USA
By 6.2.09
Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories are in sort of an awkward place. Are they part of America, or not? Sure, they can’t vote in presidential elections, but they are on the back of a quarter. This confusion has led to problems for Netflix users in Puerto Rico. Netflix will provide them with DVDs-by-mail service at the same price as service in the 48 contiguous United States, but considerably slower. However, they won’t let Puerto Rico customers stream movies over the Internet, which would be handy while they wait three or four days for their DVDs to show up.
Tainted Puerto Rico Pills Hit U.S. Mainland
By 2.6.08
A review of FDA reports shows that Puerto Rico’s pharma industry has exported pills with metal in them, pills with incorrect dosages, and pills with paint from the factory doors embedded in the finishing, among other defects. One company, responding to the findings, said “some metallic material was to be expected because the manufacturing equipment is made of metal.” The FDA says the problems in Puerto Rico, which makes 13 of the top 20 best-selling drugs, are proportional to those found on the mainland. Consumer advocates contend that that just shows how ineffective the FDA is, both on the island, and on the mainland. If those are the defects inspectors found, imagine which ones they didn’t, and are inside our bodies right now.
IDT Calling Cards Are A Scam
By 1.8.07
We’ve written about how IDT Energy tries to con ConEd customers into switching their electrical contracts, but they also sell calling cards…
