It’s always good to keep in mind that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Like an empty subway car on a hot summer day, or the email telling you you’ve just inherited millions from a dead Nigerian king. Or an offer for a “free” trial of beauty cream that ends up actually costing you hundreds of dollars. [More]
the fine print
Walgreens Says That All Prescriptions Count For Balance Rewards Program, But Not Quite
By 1.30.17 — Updated: 1.31.17
When the word “all” appears in an ad, are you supposed to take it literally? That’s a good question, and it’s an important question when it comes to how Walgreens advertises its Balance Rewards program. The store’s marketing claims that “all” prescriptions are part of Balance Rewards, but that is not true. [More]
Verizon Won’t Explain Confusing Ad Data Policy On NFL Mobile Streaming
By 12.9.16
If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer, you may have taken advantage of the carrier’s promotion that allows you to stream local football games via the NFL Mobile app without eating away at your monthly data allotment. However, you might not have noticed that the commercials you watch during those games do count against your data limit — at least initially. It’s confusing to some Verizon customers, and the nation’s largest wireless provider won’t explain why it’s not more straightforward. [More]
Study: 98% Of Us Will Sign Away Our Firstborn Because We Don’t Read The Terms Of Service
By 7.13.16
“Click here if you have read and agree to the Terms of Service.” How many times in your life — heck, how many times just this month, or this year — have you hovered over that little ticky box without bothering to click the TOS link first? Or scrolled straight to the bottom of a pop-up window with 17 pages of boring legalese in it, just to continue installation? If your answer is anything other than “all the times,” you are in a very, very small minority. [More]
Here’s Why You Can’t Expect Fast Food Restaurants To Hand Over A Sweepstakes Game Piece Without Purchase
By 10.26.15
Whenever you read the fine print on a sweepstakes promotion, or hear it read quickly during a commercial, the terms “no purchase required” might stand out. While it might sound like an easy way to get a chance to win something without spending a dime, it’s a little bit more complicated than walking into a fast food restaurant and demanding a game piece. [More]
This Is One Of The Scammiest Payday Loans We’ve Ever Seen
By 6.4.14
Many payday loans have confusing terms and questionable fees that end up costing the borrower a lot more than they’d planned on when they took out the short-term loan. But it’s mind-boggling how one predatory lender managed to squeeze money from borrowers through an automatic opt-in renewal program that turns a $300 loan into $975 worth of payments in only a few months. [More]
75K People Must Buy Raffle Tickets If Anyone’s Gonna Win This Dream House
By 2.20.14
Before you go setting your heart on a raffle prize, you should always read the fine print. Otherwise all your hopes might be in vain — and so will everyone else’s. To wit: In an exciting raffle benefiting Special Olympics athletes in Washington — very worthy cause, to be sure — the top prize is a gorgeous, $5 million lakeside house. But the only way anyone will win it? If the raffle sells at least 75,000 tickets. [More]
It’s Probably Best To Make Sure A Contest Is Still Running Before Spending Wads Of Cash To Win It
By 1.2.14
While dedication to the task before you is admirable, if that task is actually pointless the dedication can turn well, a bit sad. A man in the UK has earned not the prize of unlimited meals forever from his favorite chicken joint, but instead the pity of strangers after he realized the contest he spent a bunch of money on to win wasn’t even running anymore. [More]
Comcast Lawsuit Shows Why Mandatory Binding Arbitration Is Just Plain Evil
By 8.22.13
I know, I know… lots of you hear a phrase like “mandatory binding arbitration” and your eyes gloss over and your mind drifts off like it did when your high school history teacher tried to teach you about the Monroe Doctrine or the Teapot Dome scandal. And that’s exactly how companies like Comcast — and AT&T, Time Warner Cable, American Express, Sony, Microsoft, eBay, and many, many others want you to react. But here’s a decent example of why you should give a hoot about having your rights taken away by a few words in a contract you can’t possibly alter. [More]
