Consumerist

shopping

coupons

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 6.20.08

Zipcar: Free ZipCar Membership + $150 Driving Credit + loaded public transit pass
Woot: They’re still wooting off like it ain’t no thang.
Meritline: 1W LED Adjustable Head Lamp for $6.40 + free shipping

Highlights From Dealhack

Buy.com: Genius G-Pen 4 x 5.5-inch Graphics Tablet $35 Shipped
Lenovo: ThinkCentre A55 Desktop PCs from $199 after $322 Instant Savings
J&R Music: Belkin TuneStudio iPod Mixer & Recorder $188 Shipped

Highlights From Bargainist

Home Depot: Up to 40% off select lighting & ceiling fans
Think Geek: $5 off $25 purchase coupon
C. J. Banks: Ultimate Summer Sale: All tops BOGO 50% off

florida

By Ben Popken 6.19.08

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Consumerist Editor Ben Popken (hey, that’s me!) talks about the grocery shrink ray today at 5:30 PM Eastern on WTVT-TV FOX 13 in Florida.

internet

RESOLVED: Circuit City 24 Minute Guarantee Means Whatever Rob, The Supervisor, Says It Means

By Meg Marco 6.19.08

Dustin wrote back to let us know that Circuit City corporate had contacted him about his difficulty with their “24 minute guarantee.” It seems that the general manger of the store had misunderstood the guarantee completely. Apologies were given and gift cards were received.

cars

3 Questions To Ask Yourself When Thinking Of Replacing Your Old Car

By Meg Marco 6.19.08

Reader Brenden says:

coupons

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 6.19.08

Woot: It’s a Woot-off!
ShopEcko.com: Up to 70% off select men’s apparel
Buy.com: SlingBox PRO HDTV Broadcaster for $179.99 + free shipping

Highlights From Dealhack

ShoeMall: Save 25% off All Shoes & Free Shipping Store-Wide
Eastern Mountain Sports: Save 20% off Any One Item & 15% off Your Next Two
Amazon: Save One-Third or More Off Hand-Held Multi-tools

Highlights From Bargainist

Amazon: MP3 albums $8 & under
Eddie Bauer: Ultimate Summer Sale: Up to 50% off
Aeropostale: Bulldog Sale: 50% off select styles

food

Is It Legal To Sell Expired Food?

By Ben Popken 6.18.08

Is it ok for stores to sell food that’s expired? It depends. It is illegal for stores to sell food past its “Use By” date. However, stores are allowed to sell food after it has passed the “Best Until” “Best Before” “Sell By” or “Display Until” dates stamped on the sides of packages. As the name suggests, it just might not be its best, in terms of flavor, consistency, or texture. Still, why get the old stuff when you can get the fresh for the same price? Always check the expiration dates on food packages to make sure you’re getting the best value for your dollar.

morning

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 6.18.08

Woot: Invicta Speedway II Stainless Steel Chronograph for $89.99

Amazon

eforcity

Highlights From Dealhack

NY & Co: Summer Sale: Deep Discounts on Women’s Apparel
Nike.com: Up to 65% off Clearance Footwear & Clothing
Buy.com: Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse $30 & Free Shipping

Highlights From Bargainist

Kate Spade: Private Sale: Up to 60% off
Philips Outlet: Philips SA4111 MP3 Player $20
Eastbay: Tent Sale: Up to 60% off + 20% off coupon

economy

Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Garden Salsa Sun Chips

By Ben Popken 6.17.08

These Sun Chips have shrunk from 11.5 oz to 10.5 oz and are still being sold at the same price. “Not even healthy foods that normally are already sold in smaller portions are safe,” says tipster MasonTwo who spotted these on the shelves at Walmart. CNN says the products most vulnerable to the Grocery Shrink Ray are paper towels, potato chips, sticks of gum, toilet paper, detergent and candy bars. Hey, look at the bright side, maybe the Grocery Shrink Ray is just what we need to fight the obesity crisis.

coupons

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 6.17.08

Barnes & Noble: 75% off select board games + extra 25% off
Diapers.com: $10 off $50 for new customers plus Free Shipping
eBay: 35% cash back from eBay purchase using Microsoft Live Search

Highlights From Dealhack

Buy.com: Kensington FM Transmitter for iPod Nano $15 Shipped
Butterfly Photo: Canon Rebel XTi DSLR + 18-55mm Lens Kit only $585 Shipped with Coupon
Tiger Direct: Save $70: ViewSonic 2200 Lumen DLP Video Projector $430

Highlights From Bargainist

Crate & Barrel: Summer Sale: Up to 50% off
The History Channel: Clearance DVD event: Save up to 65%
MAC Cosmetics: 15% off sitewide + free shipping coupon

deals

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 6.16.08

Amazon: Rock Band Special Edition for Playstation…

shopping

Amazon Customer Service Phone Numbers

By Ben Popken 6.13.08

Slightly buried on Amazon’s page and, at one time, not even published on their site, Amazon.com’s customer service phone numbers:

deals

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 6.13.08

Amazon: Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones for $72.99 (down from $149.99)
GraveyardMall: PaperMate Plasma Ball Point Pen
Amazon: $10 off $25 Grocery Clearance Event

Highlights From Dealhack

Wall Street Journal: 8 Free Weeks and 75% off Wall Street Journal Print & Online Subscriptions

Dell Home: Save $225 to $350 off Inspiron Notebook PCs

Buy.com: Acoustic Research Noise Isolating Headphones $20 Shipped

Highlights From Bargainist

Barneys New York: Sale: Up to 50% off or more

Buy.com: Logitech QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks Webcam $10 AR

Timberland: Summer Sale: Up to 40% off + extra 15% off coupon

shopping

How Sellers Manipulate You With Decoy Pricing

By Ben Popken 6.12.08

Sometimes numbers lie. Assuming you have no innate preference towards either of the two colors, it might be hard to choose between a red Civic and a blue Civic. If instead you have a choice between a red Civic, a blue Civic, and a red Civic without air conditioning, the choice becomes much easier. Dan Ariely in his book Predictably Irrational says his research shows that most people would choose the red Civic with air conditioning over both the other cars. Details inside.

advertising

Mommy Needs A New Pair Of Stimulus Shoes

By Ben Popken 6.12.08

Upgrade: Travel Better blogger Mark Ashley sends in this ad he spotted at the Oak Hollow Mall in High Point North Carolina, exhorting shoppers to use their stimulus payments in a selfish splurge on depreciating assets.

deals

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 6.12.08

Buy.com: Samsung WEP410 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset for $4.99 Shipped After Rebate
Tanga: Altec Lansing IMMINI stereo for iPod for $19.99
Staples: $25 off $75 Coupon

Highlights From Dealhack