Self-checkout lanes have become a topic of debate in the retail world in recent years. Does it speed up the process and cut down on labor costs, or are they high-maintenance money pits that put people out of work? Are they intended to be used for small purchases of just a few items — or is it perfectly fine to get in line with a full week’s worth of groceries? [More]
you make the call
What’s The Best Way To Handle The “Hold On, I’m On The Phone” Customer?
By 7.10.12
There is a special type of bad consumer that is the bane of both retail employees and other customers waiting in line — the person who not only blabs away on their phone while waiting in line but also holds things up by refusing to pause their call when they get to the head of the line. So what is the best way to deal with this problem in a way that just won’t slow things down even more? [More]
Should Snapple Sorbet Bars Disclose They Contain Absolutely No Fruit?
By 6.19.12
Fruit-flavored snacks are notorious for their lack of fruit content, but most items with “sorbet” in the name at least use some fruit juice or fruit base. And one might look at the box for Snapple Sorbet Bars and think that the phrase “naturally flavored” implies some fruit content. But a look at the ingredients panel says otherwise. [More]
Should An Airline Be Allowed To Say Your Shirt Is Too Offensive?
By 5.23.12
When does an airline passenger’s attire cross a line and become so offensive they should not be allowed to board? And who determines where that line is drawn? Those are the questions surrounding an incident involving a woman who says she missed her connecting flight because a pilot said her shirt was inappropriate. [More]
How Many Minutes Should Store Employees Get To Clean Up Baby Vomit?
By 5.1.12
If you’re walking down the aisle of a grocery store and a customer only a few feet in front of you accidentally drops a glass jar on the floor, you would have a hard time blaming the store if you got nicked by a piece of glass. But what if that shattered jar had been there for an hour? Thirty minutes? Ten minutes? This is the question that will soon face a jury in a slip-and-fall lawsuit against Target. [More]
Hero Or Scoundrel? 92-Year-Old Pirates DVDs To Send To Troops Stationed Overseas
By 4.27.12
Making a copy of a new DVD to send to a loved one stationed overseas with the armed forces is something many people would consider just fine. Making thousands of copies of that same DVD for sale on street corners would likely earn some frowns from the public. But what about someone — especially an adorable nonagenarian World War II vet — who makes thousands of copies for the sole purpose of entertaining the troops? [More]
Who Is To Blame When Car Dealer Sells $62K Nissan To Man With Dementia?
By 3.12.12
A woman in California has a brand new, extras-packed Nissan Murano convertible worth a whopping $62,130 sitting unused in her garage. Why? Because she says the car dealership should never have sold the vehicle to her husband, who has been diagnosed with dementia. [More]
Should I Accept $10 From eBay Seller To Remove Negative Feedback?
By 3.8.12
Consumerist reader Ed recently had a rather unpleasant experience with a merchant on eBay, so he did what many of us would do — he posted a negative review detailing his problems. But then the seller reached out to him with a proposition. [More]
Is "No Problem" A Suitable Substitute For "You're Welcome"?
By 12.16.11
People often complain that customer service reps sound like — and sometimes are — reading from a script. So while many of us appreciate it when we speak to someone who treats us in a less-stilted fashion, is there a point where a CSR’s tone and diction can become too informal? [More]
What Would You Do If You Found $2,500 In The House You Just Bought?
By 12.15.11
When you buy a house, it’s pretty common to be slapped in the face (or kicked in the butt) by hidden costs. What is less common is stumbling upon a substantial stash of cash. [More]
Who Is Responsible When A Shopper Loses Items He Just Bought?
By 12.13.11
In all the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, we’re surprised we don’t hear more about shoppers accidentally losing a bag of items they just purchased. But when that happens, is the store responsible for the shopper’s forgetfulness? [More]
Does Accepting A Better Fridge Than The One I Ordered Make Me A Bad Consumer?
By 12.5.11
Last week, a reader wrote in wanting to hear from the Consumerist hive-mind if he’d been a Bad Consumer by badgering a carwash into giving him some wiper fluid for damage that might not have been the carwash’s fault. Inspired by that post, another reader wants to hear your verdict — and this time it’s a lot pricier than a bottle of wiper fluid. [More]
Does A Bad Credit Score Mean You'll Be Bad At Your Job?
By 11.10.11
A growing number of employers are running credit checks on potential hires before making a job offer. Unfortunately, there are a large number of people out there whose credit reports are still marred by the recent and ongoing economic troubles. So does it make sense to consider an applicant’s credit history? [More]
Who's More To Blame For My Horrible Walmart Experience: Store Staff Or The Extreme Couponer?
By 11.1.11
Consumerist reader Lucinda recently went to her local Walmart in Texas, where in addition to dealing with almost no open checkout lines and poor service from the cashiers, she also got stuck behind an extreme couponer who spoiled everyone’s day. [More]
Has The Free Flexor Replaced The Shake Weight As The Most Suggestive Exercise Device?
By 9.29.11
Consumerist reader Peter was flipping through YouTube when he came upon the Free Flexor, a handheld workout device that may give the notorious Shake Weight a run for its money in the race to be the most, um… self-stimulating workout device on the market. [More]
Should New Homeowner Have To Pay For Sidewalk Repair It Took City 14 Years To Perform?
By 8.23.11
A homeowner in Queens, NY, is none too thrilled after she paid the city more than $1,100 for repair on sidewalk cracks that went un-repaired for more than a decade before she purchased the building in 2008. [More]
Homeowner Overcharged On Property Taxes For Two Decades. How Much Should City Repay?
By 7.18.11
An 84-year-old widow recently found out she’s been paying too much property tax on her home for more than two decades because of an error by the original assessor. But the city has only offered to pay her back for one year of the overcharge. [More]
