We’re getting a bit of deja vu over here in Consumerist-land: Four months after an Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage apparently took down most of the internet, another huge hosting company had some issues this morning, making it difficult to access popular sites like CNN, Reddit, and the New York Times. [More]
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IRS Wants Your Help To Make Its Website Better
By 3.31.16
Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service announced that its website was used as an avenue for hackers to get their hands on nearly 500,000 stolen Social Security Numbers. While those ne’er-do-wells apparently didn’t have a difficult time traversing the site, consumers who actually head to the portal for help during tax time aren’t so lucky. For that reason, the agency is asking for help in revamping its online presence — and a chance to win $10,000. [More]
Tesla Finally Acquired The Tesla.com Domain
By 2.19.16
If you want to find the websites for Ford, Chevy, or Dodge, you just add a “.com” to the name. But not so for Tesla, which had long been unable to acquire the user-friendly Tesla.com domain name. That’s finally changed, though no one is saying how. [More]
Ask Tax Dad: I Just Can’t Quit Itemizing My Deductions
By 4.11.14
Historically, our staff Certified Tax Cat has handled readers’ questions about taxes, but he took feline early retirement and hung up his oversized eyeglasses. Filling in for him is Laura’s dad, a retired accountant and real live independent tax preparer. Exclusively on Consumerist, Tax Dad answers your questions. [More]
Ask Tax Dad: Mobile Home Sale, Sisterly Support, And Son Leaves The Nest
By 2.26.14
Historically, our staff Certified Tax Cat has handled readers’ questions about taxes, but he took feline early retirement and hung up his oversized eyeglasses. Filling in for him is Laura’s dad, a retired accountant and real live independent tax preparer. Exclusively on Consumerist, Tax Dad answers your questions. [More]
Ask Tax Dad: How Do I E-File? What’s A Deduction, Anyway?
By 2.3.14
Historically, our staff Certified Tax Cat has handled readers’ questions about taxes, but he took feline early retirement and hung up his oversized eyeglasses. Filling in for him is Laura’s dad, a retired accountant and real live independent tax preparer. Exclusively on Consumerist, Tax Dad answers your questions. [More]
Ask Tax Dad: Micro-Business, Rental Home, Deadbeat Ex, And Government Shutdown
By 1.28.14
Historically, our staff Certified Tax Cat has handled readers’ questions about taxes, but he’s taking a leave of absence to campaign for the legalization of medical catnip. Filling in for him is Laura’s dad, a retired accountant and real live independent tax preparer. Exclusively on Consumerist, Tax Dad answers your questions. [More]
Target And Target.com Are Not The Same Company, So Just Deal With It
By 3.16.10
Reader Patricia is angry and somewhat baffled by Target’s insistence that Target and Target.com are not the same company and its not a Target store’s problem if the website is messed up and tells you to drive 25 miles to buy something that isn’t in stock. [More]
You Trick Home Depot Into Price Matching Their Own Website
By 1.12.10
Reader Aaron was trying to buy a toilet from Home Depot, but they, like other retailers, would not price match their own website — that is until Aaron told them he would just go to Lowe’s and have them price match Home Depot’s website. [More]
Best Buy Too Lazy To Find Your Item Unless You Order It Online
By 9.9.09
Reader Michael went to Best Buy to pick up a hard drive that he saw on sale. The website said that the item was in stock, but when he got to the store there were none on the shelf. The employee he questioned said that the item was out of stock but explained that the website was slow to update. So Michael went home, ordered it for in store pick up and… can you guess what happened next?
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?
Retail Multiple Personality Disorder Strikes at Walmart
By 1.29.09
Reader Jeff is confused. He wants to purchase a laptop from Walmart. Upon Perusing his website from home, he saw a nice Acer Netbook for under $300. Of course, upon walking into the store, he was confronted with a slightly higher price. Luckily, he talked to the nice customer service representative and quickly price matched the in store item to the online price and Jeff walked out a happy customer.
And Lo, a Pale Horse; Circuit City Website Down
By 1.19.09
Look unto ye, electronic consumers, and gaze upon your ruined world. The abyss swallows yet another false god, with CircuitCity.com stumbling, “Updating”, and finally closing all within the last twenty-four hours. Visit the website yourself for proof, as well as a full explanation of what is going on with all those wonderful product service plans you purchased.
Walmart: You Cannot Buy This Lamp Anywhere, So Just Give Up
By 12.2.08
We love Walmart’s website. We really do. Here’s a nice lamp that you can’t buy. At all. Deal with it.
Does A Store Have To Price Match Their Website?
By 11.21.08
Here’s a question we get a lot. Are stores required to price match their own website?
J. Crew's Notoriously Awful Website Charges You $9,208.50 To Ship The Wrong Shirt
By 8.7.08
J. Crew has a problem with their website. Whatever the problem is, it isn’t small. Meet Per, a J. Crew customer who tried to order some polo shirts and not only did he get the wrong shirts, the bill came with a shipping charge of $9,208.50. Per would like to return these shirts and not pay $9,208.50 in shipping, but he can’t manage to log on to J. Crew’s website.
Sorry, Blockbuster Is Not Available
By 1.7.08
Nice, since I am a Blockbuster Online member and now have zero access to my queue or know what’s coming to me next.
Haven’t the foggiest, Amy.
Best Buy's Secret "Employee Only" In-Store Website Shows Different Prices Than Public Website
By 2.9.07
Have you ever found a deal at Best Buy’s website only to travel to the store and find that the “sale” is over? Did the Best Buy employee show you “proof” on their “website”? It now seems that there are really TWO websites, and they’re identical except for the prices. Here’s the deal:
