Amazon is no stranger to selling in multiple languages, with sites in more than a dozen countries, but until now the U.S. version Amazon has never included an option to make it more accessible to Spanish-speaking users. [More]
spanish
CFPB Releases Educational Guides To Help Non-English Speakers Avoid Scams, Understand Financial Issues
By 7.10.15
Understanding the world of finance can be difficult for just about anyone in this country, but especially so when the rules of the industry are written in a language that you might not be proficient in. For these consumers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has created a new set of guides aimed at helping them avoid financial devastation. [More]
How ‘Notario’ Fraud Preys On Language Differences & Can Result In Unfair Deportation
By 4.2.15
While the news is filled with reports of various frauds perpetrated on American consumers, one particularly nasty scam doesn’t make as many headlines because it preys almost exclusively on recent Spanish-speaking immigrants who think they are paying for quality legal advice but instead get someone with nothing more than a notary stamp. [More]
Whole Foods Says Employees Were Not Suspended For Speaking Spanish At Work
By 6.7.13
Whole Foods is quickly working to smooth over a recent controversy over its policy on speaking languages other than English on the job. Two employees at New Mexico store claimed their pay was docked for speaking to each other in Spanish while on breaks, but Whole Foods says they were reprimanded for rude behavior, not for Spanish. [More]
Home Depot In Need Of Spanish Translator, Proofreader
By 1.12.11
Mike found this sign in the carpet section of a New Jersey Home Depot. The portion below the boldface type under the second bullet point highlights the fact that the sign could have used one last look before the person in charge of sign proofing gave it the thumbs-up. [More]
Kmart Warns Spanish Speakers Not To Open Stuff Before They Buy
By 10.11.10
Kmart scientists have discovered that everyone who opens products and leaves them on shelves can read Spanish, so a Maryland store has cleverly posted this sign to warn stuff-openers to ceasendesisto. Silly Patrick, who spotted the appropriate and in-no-way-insensitive signage, takes issue with its posting: [More]
Domino's Has A Deal For You, As Long As You Speak English
By 8.10.10
Roxie found this coupon attached to her pizza box. The large-print English offer includes two three-topping pizzas, while the smaller, italicized Spanish translation is for a pair of two-topping pizzas. [More]
If You Visit Venezuela, Please Bring Us Back A Penisphone
By 5.13.09
That rascal Hugo Chavez! First he uses a photo op with President Obama to hawk his new a book, and now he’s on Venezuelan TV urging his citizens to buy a new Vergatario cellphone. For those not up on Spanish slang, that’s equivalent to buying a Dickarama here in the states.
Why Is Comcast Charging Spanish-Speaking Customers The Same Price For Slower Service?
By 4.17.09
UPDATE: We’re bad at Spanish. See below. We came across a Twitter user who, while browsing Comcast’s internet prices, discovered that the Spanish-language version of the site offers reduced speeds at the same prices as the higher speeds seen on the English version of the site. What the hell?
Supermarket Chain Adds 10% At Register, But Only In Some Stores
By 10.10.08
The Nash Finch stores Avanza, Food Bonanza and Wholesale Food Outlets add the 10 percent charge to food at the register and specialize in serving Hispanics, according to store workers.
Store Owner Demands Spanish-Speaking Customers Show Social Security Cards
By 3.13.08
David C. Richardson, the owner of Rhode Island Refrigeration in Providence, Rhode Island, overheard two customers speaking Spanish to each other, so he asked them to produce proof of citizenship. According to them, he then threatened to call Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and make a citizen’s arrest, although Richardson denies he picked up the phone, but not that he made the threats. In fact, he says he’s done this “fifteen or twenty times” in the past and refuses to do business with those who won’t show their Social Security cards.
UPDATE: Calls From a Stranger
By 5.3.06
Reader Ben reports that 1) he received another strange Spanish phone spam scam call, this time from 401-200-9876 and 2) he still doesn’t speak Spanish.
UPDATE: A Big Break in ‘Calls From a Stranger’ Story
By 4.17.06
More answers and more questions about our mysterious phone spammer.
954-678-8026 Voice Spam Translated
By 4.17.06
Hundreds of people across America have received a strange message in Spanish on their cellphone from one number. We hunted down who the number belonged to, got a copy of the message uploaded and now have a translation.
954-678-8026 Voice Spam Uploaded
By 4.17.06
For your listening pleasure, we have the message that an auto-dialer has been leaving on hundreds of people’s cellphones the past month. All the calls came from 954-678-8026
We Know His Name. Calls From a Stranger: UPDATE
By 4.14.06
We have a name. George Martinez. Found by shelling out the twenty bux at Intellus.us. We are lazy P.I’s. Unfortunately, no address… yet. We caution, however, the information may not be current and there are a ton of George Martinez’s in Ft. Lauderdale, including the Office Director of the U.S. Commercial Service in Florida.
UPDATE: Calls From a Stranger, 954-678-8026
By 4.14.06
So this number is auto-dialing people across the nation and leaving marketing messages in Spanish and we’ve decided to try and track them down.
UPDATE: Calls From a Stranger, 954-678-8026
By 4.14.06
We’ve been having a devil of a time tracking down this phone-spammer. None of the reverse phone-lookup services gave us more information than that the number used to be with “Global Crossing Local” and is now with the MetroPCS cellphone company. The number is listed as being in Fort Lauderale, FL, sleazy marketing capital of the world.
