There are many things one might expect to show up suddenly on your doorstep at some point — in-laws, a baby in a basket with a note — but one New York man was definitely not expecting that UPS would drop off pieces of a government drone like it was just another delivery. [More]
surprise
Another Christmas, Another Porn-Filled Nintendo DS Under The Tree
By 12.27.13
When you buy what is supposed to be a brand-new piece of electronics from the world’s largest retailer, it really shouldn’t come loaded with someone else’s content. And when the supposedly new device is a gift for your 8-year-old son, it certainly shouldn’t come pre-loaded with other people’s porn. [More]
Deadly Spiders Ambush Family From Within A Bunch Of Supermarket Bananas
By 11.5.13
It’s looking like a bad week to be a banana: Either you’re getting slathered in mustard and cheese and stuck in an oven, or a family of spiders decides to nest all over you and freak a family out. [More]
Plane Lands On California Highway In The Middle Of Rush Hour Commute
By 10.4.13
Sometimes when you’re stuck in your car in the middle of rush hour traffic, don’t you just wish you could somehow lift yourself above it all and fly far, far away? Maybe that’s what commuters thought was happening when a small plane landed on a California highway yesterday — deliverance was arriving from on high. [More]
Ohio Forgot To Tell Residents That Cops Have Been Using Facial Recognition On License Photos
By 8.27.13
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is facing some criticism after a news investigation revealed that his office had launched a facial recognition system, which allows police to scan pictures of suspects and match them to drivers license photos in the law enforcement’s database. Despite the fact that the system hadn’t been updated to provide protection against misuse, DeWine says he will make sure it isn’t used improperly. [More]
Turns Out That $99.99 Upfront Price For T-Mobile iPhone 5 Was Only A Monthlong Promo
By 5.13.13
Customers shopping around for a good deal on an iPhone 5 might be a little confused if they’re checking out T-Mobile’s site: Clicking on the “Buy Now” button below the promo will garner one downpayment amount for the 16GB phone, $149.99, while choosing “Learn More” touts the phone for $50 cheaper at $99.99 upfront. So what gives? [More]
Man's Neighbors Had No Idea He Had Squirreled Away $7 Million In Gold
By 9.18.12
The tale of the reclusive neighbor hunkered down in the house down the street, surrounded by a lifetime of clutter is a familiar one. But in the case of one elderly man who recently passed away in California, along with all that detritus was a collection of gold that’s estimated to be worth about $7 million. He must’ve been one of those 10 million Americans eschewing bank accounts. [More]
Chase Is Now Surprising People With Mortgage Adjustments
By 9.11.12
While we’ve seen many a story during the last few years of people stuck chasing their tail in an attempt to get a mortgage modification from their lender, some Chase customers are now finding out they’ve gotten a loan adjustment without ever having to lift a finger. [More]
No, Trojan Isn't Giving Away Hot Dogs On The Streets Of NYC: Those Are Vibrators
By 8.7.12
Lest you think that bright purple cart and the objects being handed out willy nilly on the streets of New York have anything to do with hot dogs, we’re here to warn you — Trojan is not the food business, it’s in the business of getting you to buy its vibrators. That’s why the company will be handing out 10,000 of its Trojan Vibrations vibrators on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Again, not hot dogs. Sex toys. Get it right. [More]
Church Buys Foreclosed Property, Ends Up With $170,000 Tax Bill
By 6.18.12
Members of a Dallas-area church congregation thought they had done their due diligence when they looked into buying some foreclosed property. They were told that all the back taxes had been cleared off the books; so why are they now facing a tax bill for $170,000? [More]
Wells Fargo Forecloses On Home Because The Title Was Never Transferred
By 10.7.11
We’ve covered a number of stories of homeowners who weren’t behind on their mortgage payments but found themselves the subject of foreclosure because someone at the bank transposed a number or didn’t pay attention to the documents they were robo-signing. But here’s one about a Houston couple who find themselves facing foreclosure from Wells Fargo, all because someone never transferred the title. [More]
Here is The Eye Exam Appointment You Didn't Ask For
By 7.13.11
Terry got an eye exam last year from the handy in-house doctor at a local Pearle vision, but decided not to buy the overpriced glasses that they had to offer. He had no intention of going back, so he was annoyed when they took the liberty of scheduling an appointment for him this year, and notified him of the date by e-mail. Except…well, the local store claims that they never did any such thing. [More]
Survey Finds That Most People Don't Want To Be Tracked Online
By 12.23.10
Do you like it when marketers track your behavior across the Internet, in the name of providing you with targeted ads? If you said no, you’re in the majority, according to a new Gallup Poll and common sense. But don’t worry. Advertisers will continue to follow you anyhow. [More]
Overstock Accepts Returned Sony Reader But Charges $93.41 For Missing USB Cable
By 8.8.10
If you ever wondered why Sony eBook readers cost so much, it’s apparently because of the included mini USB cable—at least according to Overstock.com. When reader Matt forgot to include the cable when returning his $147 Sony Reader Touch Edition, Overstock smacked him with a $93.41 charge. [More]
Bank Of America Seizes Wrong House, Causes Big Stink. No, Really.
By 1.12.10
Last October, Bank of America screwed up and seized a vacation home that didn’t belong to them. They also changed the locks and shut off the power, leaving 75 pounds of salmon and halibut rotting for a week before it was discovered, writes Laura Elder of the Galveston Daily News.
The owner, Dr. Alan Schroit, and his wife discovered what had happened when they showed up on Halloween to prepare for a party they were going to host the next day.
Kmart Workers Find $10k Tin Can
By 12.8.09
Did you leave your tin can filled with over $10,000 on the customer service counter of a Des Moines Kmart? Because if you did, call them, they found it.
Update: Several of our readers have pointed out that the owner has reclaimed the can and the money. She says her husband left it there by accident, possibly while having a reaction to some medication, and that she’s going to deposit the cash in a bank.
Congress Seeks To Move Up Credit Card Act Implementation To December 1st
By 9.24.09
Today, Reps. Barney Frank and Carolyn Maloney are going to request that the implementation date for the rest of the Credit Card Act‘s rules be moved to December 1st of this year instead of February 2010, after seeing companies “jacking up their rates and doing other things to their customers in advance of the effective date” all summer, reports Mary Pilon at The Wall Street Journal.
Boa Constrictor Discovered Lounging On Top Of ATM
By 8.22.09
Is this boa constrictor discovered on top of an ATM in Serbia part of an attempt to control the scourge of mice nesting in ATMs, or just the latest international crime syndicate to take up ATM skimming?
