The Chicago parking meter saga continues today with a post from theexpiredmeter.com, a blog about Chicago parking tickets and how to fight them. The post has photos of parking meters being spray painted, destroyed and otherwise defaced. Guess people aren’t too thrilled with paying 28 quarters for 2 hours in the Loop…
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AIG Financial Products Employee's Public Resignation Letter
By 3.25.09
Here is a resignation letter sent on Tuesday by Jake DeSantis, an executive vice president of the American International Group’s financial products unit, to Edward M. Liddy, the chief executive of A.I.G. It was published in the New York Times.
Worst Company In America: Target VS AIG
By 3.25.09
Here we go, folks. Your first match-up of the 2009 season. Tie your sneakers and put on your gym clothes.
Sears Clarifies Craftsman Tools Warranty
By 3.25.09
Earlier this month, we noted how a reader was having trouble getting Sears to properly honor the lifetime warranty on his Craftsman tools. Now David Figler, a vice president of the company, has responded and said, “We stand behind the warranty—complete satisfaction—period.” Below is his email, and a portion of the memo he sent to Sears stores on the matter.
Best Buy Forgets It Sold Laptop, Won't Take Customer's Money
By 3.24.09
The Best Buy where Toni bought a laptop earlier this month has no record of the sale, and it won’t collect the funds that have already been released from her account. This sounds like a fun problem to have—$1500 extra dollars, free laptop, woo hoo!—but it’s actually pretty annoying. Toni doesn’t want this phantom $1500 messing up her balance indefinitely, and she doesn’t want to feel like she’s stolen a laptop.
The 4489 Calorie, 1.66 lb Burger
By 3.24.09
The West Michigan Whitecaps recently unveiled their new stadium menu and gloating at the top of it is the 4489 Calorie “Fifth Third Burger.” This 1.66 pound piece of gastrointestinal wunder, named after team sponsor 5/3 Bank, costs $20 and feeds 1-4 people. If you eat it by yourself and finish it in one sitting, you get a free 5/3 tshirt. Said the team’s marketing director, “It’s something fun that people can understand.”
Treasury Secretary Wants The Ability To Seize Insurance Companies, Hedge Funds
By 3.24.09
The Washington Post is reporting that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will testify before the House Financial Services Committee today and argue that his agency needs broad powers to seize companies and “wind them down” without allowing them to enter bankruptcy.
50 Ways To Get A Live Person When You Call Customer Service
By 3.24.09
Do nothing. By doing nothing, you can trick the PBX into thinking you have a rotary phone and force it to get you an agent.
Here's What A Mystery Shopper Scam Looks Like
By 3.23.09
Want to see what a secret shopper scam actually looks like? Tracey sent us scans of the one that arrived in her mailbox today. It included a letter printed on cut-and-paste letterhead, a form, and a check for $4,200. The idea behind this sort of scam—also called an advance fee fraud or wire transfer scam—is to get the victim to deposit the check, wait for it to clear, then wire back the bulk of the money. Weeks or months later, the check will turn out to be fake, and by law the victim owes the bank for the full amount of the check.
AIG Big Bonus Getters Will Return Their Cash
By 3.23.09
You can put down your pitchforks, NY AG Cuomo told reporters this afternoon that most of the AIG big bonus receivers had agreed to return their bonuses. 9 of the top 10 bonus recipients, and 10 of the 15 bonus recipients in the infamous financial products services division, will return their monies. The holdouts were mainly overseas workers and those outside NY jurisdiction. The total remittance comes to about $30 million. Great, can we get back to fixing the economy now? Thanks.
Markets Leap On Treasury's Troubled Asset Purchase Details
By 3.23.09
Markets jumped after the Treasury presented the fleshed-out details of its plan to buy troubled bank assets. The need for getting toxic assets off bank books has been around for quite some time, but has stalled because banks and investors couldn’t compromise on the price. Banks didn’t want to sell for less than 60 cents on the dollar, investors didn’t want to pay more than 30. The Treasury plan makes the two ends meet by providing $75-$100 billion in financing for buyers. For it to work, private investors will have to step up, but with the S&P leaping up 7.1% the street is betting they will and it will unclog the credit markets.
AIG Who? Company Name Removed From Facade Of New York Building
By 3.23.09
Gothamist has some photos of 175 Water Street in NYC — which until recently proudly displayed the name and logo of the American International Group. What happened?
Share Your Money-Saving Secrets
By 3.23.09
What are your money-saving secrets? One Consumer Reports staffer recommends cutting open tubes of toothpaste to get at the last bit. I’ve heard that one before, but another new one was to “step on your toilet paper rolls.” That way it doesn’t dispense as fast thanks to its ovular shape and you save on sheets. I think you guys can top that and so does Consumer Reports, so submit your money-saving secrets in the comments or to tips@consumerist.com, subject line: “shhmoney.” Besides getting featured here, the best ones might end up in a future Consumer Reports magazine article! “No idea is too small, wacko, or miserly,” says the Consumer Reports editor-in-chief.
Taco Bell Typo Causes 11 Overdraft Fees
By 3.23.09
A Vancouver man says he was overcharged by Taco Bell — costing him hundreds of dollars in fees. The man used his debit card to buy $15 worth of Taco Bell for his family. The receipt read the correct amount, and he says he didn’t notice that his card had been debited $150 until he started receiving overdraft fees for each item he bought after Taco Bell.
Are Chicagoans Rebelling Against The New Parking Meter Regime?
By 3.23.09
The evidence is purely anecdotal, but it seems that some unrest might be brewing in the City of Chicago. Now that the Mayor has leased the city’s parking meters to a company that jacked up the rates, people might be staying home rather than feed the meters — which now take as many as 28 quarters for 2 hours.
Behold The 2009 Worst Company In America Bracket!
By 3.23.09
Your nominations are in and the teams have been seeded, all that’s left to do is vote! Without further ado, the Official WCIA Committee would like to present… The 2009 Worst Company In America bracket!
Best Buy Accused Of Paying Bonuses To Managers Who Don't Price Match
By 3.23.09
- Best Buy provided financial bonuses based, in part, on denying proper price match requests.
- Best Buy denied more than 100 proper price match requests per store per week.
