You might call them bodegas, corner stores or convenience stores, but you’re probably familiar with that one locally owned store that has exactly what you need at the odd hour when you needed it. They’re more common in cities than elsewhere, but there’s a startup out to replace them entirely — with giant minibars. [More]
replacement
Period Underwear Company Thinx Has A New CEO Months After Sexual Harassment Claims
By 7.27.17
Period underwear company Thinx has a new “She-EO,” a title the company’s former leader bestowed upon herself: The startup named a new CEO today, months after the previous leader and co-founder left amid reports of sexual harassment and employee dissatisfaction. [More]
Dangerous Recalled Airbag Shows Up In Honda Accord That Wasn’t On Recall List
By 4.19.17
Vehicles that end up in the scrapyard are sometimes dismantled and pieces sold to companies — often repair shops — to be used in other vehicles as replacement parts. While this is perfectly legal, it’s also dangerous, especially when it concerns recalled supplies, such as the deadly shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags. [More]
Tesla Drops Price For Some Model S, Model X; Increases Cost For Most Expensive Version
By 4.17.17
Unless you’re willing to wait a while for Tesla’s massively pre-ordered, cheaper Model 3 electric car, you’re looking at spending a pretty penny — or millions of them — to buy one of the company’s other vehicles. But Tesla is trying to make that bill a bit more affordable, by knocking off a few thousand dollars. [More]
Regulators Could Call On Other Parts Makers To Increase Production Of Replacement Takata Airbag Inflators
By 9.11.15
Just days after federal regulators announced they would hold a public meeting to once again address the slow replacement of defective, shrapnel-shooting, Takata-produced airbags linked to eight deaths and hundreds of injuries, officials with the agency outlined what steps it could take to finally coordinate the messy recall. [More]
Toyota Officially Testing Airbag Inflators From Takata Rivals
By 8.25.15
A week after it was reported that Toyota planned to buy 13 million airbag inflators from a rival of Takata in an attempt to reduce the risk associated with millions of recalled safety devices from the Japanese auto parts maker, the car manufacturer announced it will indeed be testing alternative replacement components. [More]
Toyota Reportedly Set To Buy 13 Million Airbag Inflators From Takata’s Rival
By 8.21.15
Automakers have struggled in recent months to get their hands on enough new parts to replace millions of defective Takata airbags. To make matters worse, the Japanese auto parts maker at the center of the massive safety issue has re-recalled hundreds of thousands of replacement parts in recent months because the devices could still harm drivers and their passengers upon deployment. To reduce these risks, Toyota is reportedly looking to purchase millions of new airbag inflators from a rival of Takata. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalls More Than 88,000 Challengers For Takata Airbag Defect
By 7.13.15
Nearly a month after regulators announced they had identified all 33.8 million vehicles equipped with potential shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags, one auto maker says it’s not quite done, recalling about 88,000 more cars to the massive recall. [More]
Regulators Identify All Vehicles Recalled For Defective Takata Airbags
By 6.18.15
Consumers worried that they may be driving around with what some have likened to an explosive device in their steering wheel and dashboard can breathe a small sigh of relief, as federal regulators say all 33.8 million vehicles equipped with potential shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags have been identified. [More]
Takata Confirms It Will Replace About 400,000 Previously “Fixed” Airbags
By 6.4.15
Earlier this week Japanese auto part maker Takata announced it may have to call back some of the millions of airbags already replaced because they may still have a tendency to shoot shrapnel upon deployment. Today, the company released an estimated number of re-recalled airbags, to the tune of 400,000. [More]
Takata “Deeply Sorry” To Those Affected By Defective Airbags, Still Reluctant On Nationwide Recall
By 11.20.14
In September 2013, Stephanie Erdman’s life changed forever when her 2002 Honda Civic collided with another vehicle on the way to a local grocery store in Florida. While Erdman’s passenger suffered only scrapes and bruises, she’s undergone a number of surgeries – with more to come – after being struck by shrapnel from her vehicle’s ruptured Takata airbag. Erdman’s story, and the graphic photos of her accident and injuries, took center stage Thursday morning during a Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation hearing addressing the airbag defects that have now been linked to at least five deaths. [More]
Best Buy Replaces Your TV, Forgets About It, Offers You Another
By 8.4.10
Reader Wayne is an honest person. His Best Buy Insignia TV died and so, of course, he brought it back to the store. They kept it for a little while, decided they couldn’t fix it, and replaced it with a similar model. Then they forgot they did this. [More]
Logitech Helps You Out Just Because They Feel Like It
By 11.19.08
Here’s a nice story! Cody bought a refurbished Logitech remote from an Amazon reseller — which he says had no warranty of any kind. When it broke, he called Logitech and they decided to replace it for free. Just because!
Happy Endings: Adidas Upgrades Your Tragically Leaky Backpack
By 10.22.08
Here’s a nice story from reader Aaron. His Adidas backpack soaked up a ton of water and ruined his books and papers, so he complained to Adidas. They referred him to their backpack manufacturer, and they replaced the backpack with a better one for free.
Circuit City's "Advantage Protection Plan" Doesn't Live Up To The Sales Pitch
By 10.22.08
A reader signing off as “Sucker” wants to let the world know that Circuit City’s extended warranties/replacement plans aren’t living up to the sales pitch. When he bought his XBOX 360, the salesperson assured “Sucker” that if the XBOX broke (as they tend to) that instead of having to wait around for a replacement — he could get a refund in the form of a gift card. He accepted. Guess what didn’t happen?
Whatever Acer Is Doing To Your Laptop Is The Opposite Of Repairing It
By 8.13.08
Reader Alex bought an Acer laptop with a 3 year extended warranty, and honestly, we lost count of how many times he’s sent it in to Acer for repairs — but every time Acer sends it back it seems to get a little bit less functional. Now he’s finally had enough and is demanding a replacement. This has lead to a 5 month stand-off in which Acer is refusing to send him a replacement because it would be a “downgrade” from his current broken laptop. Alex has already replaced the laptop and was going to give up. We’re his last hope…
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?
AT&T Says They'll Charge $25 "Activation Fee" To Move SIM From A Broken Phone To A GoPhone
By 3.13.08
Does AT&T really charge a $25 “activation fee” when you move your SIM card to a GoPhone? A father had to replace his child’s broken cellphone over the weekend, and the rep at the AT&T store told him the only way to avoid an ETF or plan extension was to buy a GoPhone and pay an activation fee, even though the SIM card was the same. Online, you can buy a new GoPhone and have the activation fee waved. Way to treat your current customers, AT&T.
