A controversial tax on sweetened beverages in Chicago is putting the entire state of Illinois at risk for losing millions in federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps), according to a warning sent by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to state regulators. [More]
you’re doing it wrong
Another Year That Shouldn’t Have Been: The 50 Most Embarrassing Stories From 2015
By 12.31.15
The end of the year is a time to reflect on the good times, bad times, and those that just made you scratch your head in disbelief. While there were plenty of really great – and not so great – things that happened in 2015, we’re here to remind you of some of the most baffling, embarrassing, and gaffe-worthy business and consumer stories that graced the pages of Consumerist in the last 12 months. [More]
Family Dollar Burglary Suspect Makes Things Easy By Falling Through Store’s Ceiling, Landing In Front of Cops
By 1.26.15
There’s getting caught redhanded, and then there’s dumping yourself into police custody all by yourself. A man suspected of trying to burgle a Family Dollar made his capture pretty darn easy on cops yesterday morning, after falling through the ceiling right in front of a police officer responding to the scene. [More]
The Year That Shouldn’t Have Been: The 50 Most Embarrassing Stories From 2014
By 12.31.14
In the days leading up to a new year, most people take time out to reflect on the good and the bad of the previous 12 months. While there were some really great things – and not so great thing (Comcast/Time Warner Cable Merger, anyone?) that happened in 2014, there was also a seemingly endless supply of stories that left us wondering just who has control of companies’ social media platforms and why CEO’s just can’t keep their mouths shut. So without further adieu, here is Consumerist’s list of stories that make us go “What, The What?” [More]
4 Holiday Gifts That Everyone Is Tired Of
By 12.1.14
Yes, it’s that time of year again, when people whine about how many people in our lives are important enough to us that we are obligated to give them gifts. Plenty of gift items seem like neutral gifts that just about anybody would like. They are not. Before you choose any of these default gifts, stop and think about what you’re doing, and whether the person will really like it. [More]
FTC Halts Debt Collection Company That Allegedly Used Illegal Tactics To Collect $8.7M
By 7.21.14
And another one bites the dust – kind of. The Federal Trade Commission, along with the New York Attorney General’s office, received an order to temporarily halt a Buffalo-based debt collection operation that allegedly used lies and threats to collect more than $8.7 million from consumers. [More]
Insulting A Customer On Facebook Won’t Reopen Those Restaurants You Had To Close
By 4.4.13
When you’re a chain restaurant that recently shuttered all but one location in a town, one might think you’d be a bit grumpy. Crankiness aside, firing a parting shot at a customer on Facebook, like one Houston Tex-Mex chain did, isn’t going to bring back those closed locations. Nope. All it’s going to do is anger and alienate your remaining customers. [More]
Kids' Fun Ruined When Easter Egg Hunt Is Canceled Due To Aggressive Parents
By 3.26.12
Tiny consumers across the country get amped up every year to run every which way, in search of Easter eggs and candy hidden in parks, on lawns and in backyards. But an Easter event that usually hosts hundreds of kids in Colorado has called off the hunt this year because parents were too aggressive last year. [More]
What Have You Been Doing Wrong All Your Life?
By 7.9.10
It’s an unnerving experience as an adult. You’re going along, being a good savvy consumer just like you always thought was the right way, only to discover in a flash that you’ve been doing it wrong all along. Has this happened to you recently? [More]
By 2.13.09
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Now it’s just getting ridiculous: Here’s a job offer looking to hire a review spoofer, a’la Belkin. If you’re going to commit review fraud, then you should at least learn to be subtle about it.
How To Properly Work Your Ceiling Fan. Yeah, You Read That Right
By 6.8.08
Ceiling fans aren’t just on/off affairs, and it’s possible you could be using yours incorrectly. According to Consumer Reports, people get tripped up by the ability to reverse the direction of the blades…
