An ex-Wells Fargo bank manager is accused of embezzling more than $900,000 from customers, most of whom were frail and elderly. [More]
readers
Update: Greetings From USAIR Flight 1922, Stuck For 24 Hours In Costa Rica
By 3.15.10
Paradise is great, but not if you’re trapped in it. Dan and his fellow passengers on US Airways flight 1922 were supposed to leave Costa Rica yesterday at 2:55pm. So far, with their broken plane awaiting a part, that hasn’t happened. Let’s check in on the front lines… [More]
Beat The "Four Square" Dealership Ripoff
By 3.12.10
Former used car salesman Alan Slone grew a little Jimminy Cricket in his ear and decided to spill his guts on a classic dealership technique used to addle your mind and empty your wallet. It’s called “The Four Square” and the object of the game is to make you lose. Here’s how it works, and how to beat it. [More]
Kroger Band-Aid Causes Flesh Wound
By 3.12.10
Band-Aids are supposed to heal wounds, not cause them. But Derek’s run-in with a Kroger brand Band-Aid left him bloodier than when he started. [More]
Toyota Probably Should Have Written This Spam's Subject Line More Carefully
By 3.11.10
“Amazing Incentives For Select Toyotas That Will Not Last Long.”
Reader Maida did a spit-take when this email from a Toyota dealer offering 0% APR for 60 months landed in her inbox. Yeeks, talk about a syntactical pileup.
Optician Takes 2 Years Of Bungled Prescription Very Seriously
By 3.11.10
WHO: Specsavers
WHAT: A little girl suffered blurred vision, headaches, and nausea for two years after opticians mixed up the prescriptions for her left and right eyes. When the mother took the glasses back, the staff told her it was a normal reaction to the new glasses and would soon pass.
Get Inside A Timeshare Salesman's Head
By 3.11.10
How would you like to be 1000% more awesome? You will, after you read the secrets to Timeshare selling success over at the Timeshare Coach blog. It’s written by the author of ts by the author of Zero Resistance Selling: Achieve Extraordinary Sales Results Using The World-Renowned Techniques of Psycho-Cybernetics. On charming, ” Charm to Timeshare Sales is like Bread to Butter, put them together and it tastes so much better. Bread without butter is dry.” [More]
American Airlines Charges You $317 To Not Take A Flight
By 3.11.10
If you think the state of flying is abysmal, consider the cost of not flying. Paul has, and has determined it’s $317. That’s how much American Airlines wanted to charge him for not getting onboard. [More]
"Mad Men" Barbie Dolls Launch
By 3.10.10
The cast of Mad Men just got Barbie Dollized. For only $74.95 a pop, you can have just as much fun toying with Don, Betty, Roger and Joan as they have toying with each other. Sorry, only G-rated accessories; they will not come with any cigarettes or martini glasses. However, fans will be glad to know that just like in the show, the characters will be trapped inside plastic coffins and their movements determined by powerful external forces. [More]
Deceptive "Just Energy" Salespeople Cruising Brooklyn
By 3.10.10
Reader Dan reports that salespeople from the “Just Energy” ESCO are going around his Park Slope neighborhood, banging on doors and incessantly ringing doorbells. Their opening gambit it to say they’re there to “make sure every bill payer in the house is signed up for the ConEd and National Grid price protection insurance program.” A warning by the Citizens Utility Board says the company routinely poses as representatives of other energy companies… [More]
Monoprice Not Taking New Orders During Fraud Investigation
By 3.10.10
Popular a/v cable site monoprice is back up but is not taking any new orders while it investigates the potential theft of banking information from its customers. Monoprice took its site offline this weekend after a few customers complained that credit cards they used at the site had fraudulent charges. [More]
The $1,110.00 Six-Pack Of O'Douls
By 3.10.10
“It appears that non-alcoholic beer is a delicacy in Florida,” writes Aaron, who spotted this $1,100.00 six-pack of O’Douls in a Walgreens down there. [More]
Continental Will Cancel Flights To Avoid Fines For Late Takeoffs
By 3.9.10
Starting next month, airlines delayed over 3 hours where passengers can’t disembark will be fined a hefty $27,500 per passenger. Continental CEO Jeff Smisek said that to get around the fines, they’ll just cancel the whole flight entirely. See, you can’t fine a flight for not taking off on-time if the flight doesn’t exist anymore. [AP] (Thanks to Brandon!) [More]
BoA So Messed They're Incapable Of Taking Your Money
By 3.5.10
It’s a real junkyard over there at Bank of America. We have yet another complaint about their online system being so jacked up that it won’t even take your money. That’s the last thing you want to happen when you’re trying to pay your mortgage in these foreclosure-happy times. Jason has already escalated to the executive office, and they still suck. [More]
Nissan Recalls 540,000 Cars
By 3.3.10
Due to potential problems in brake pedal pins and fuel-gauge components, Nissan is recalling 540,000 cars, 179,000 of which are in the US. [More]
VIDEO: Should I Go Credit Union Or Bank?
By 3.2.10
Sick of interest rate hikes, new hidden fees, and their credit lines cut, more consumers are trying their local credit union a shot. This CBS video takes a look at a credit union in Michigan who bought back their credit card program that they had sold to large bank after members started complaining. [More]
Banquet Spaghetti Meatballs Box Vs Reality
By 3.2.10
On the left is a box of Banquet brand frozen spaghetti and meatballs. On the right is what is inside. Disappointed at the lack of visible meatballs, reader reader Sonia snapped the photos and sent them in. On the one hand, that’s what you get for eating $1.00 Walmart frozen pasta and meatballs. On the other, well, couldn’t they have left at least one in? [More]
If I Read The Fine Print I Would Still Have A House
By 3.2.10
Credit card companies stuffed all the crazy they could into their contracts in advance of the CARD act taking effect. This time they might have taken it too far, even for banks. Shoulda read that boilerplate!
#599; The Boilerplate Clause [WonderMark] (Thanks to MercuryPDX!)
