McDonald's Soda Thief Can't Catch A Break, Is Arrested At Pizza Hut
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 5:00 PM
43 Comments
The man who became a bit infamous for swiping a $1 soda refill from a McDonald's last month is in hot fast food water (sorry for that imagery, eww) again — this time after an incident at Pizza Hut in Naples, Fla. More »
Verizon Wants Me To Pay $300 ETF Because Of Its $450 Error
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 4:15 PM
50 Comments
When Consumerist reader Timothy bought his wife a new smartphone for her birthday last December, he thought he was just doing something nice for his special someone. Little did he know he was hopping aboard the grotesque merry-go-round that is Verizon Wireless customer service. More »
It Makes Perfect Sense That Kodak Had A Nuclear Reactor Stashed In The Basement
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 4:00 PM
50 Comments
We've all got old stuff kicking around in basements and attics that we've forgotten about. But hey, what's this in Kodak's basement? Oh, it's just a nuclear reactor and 3.5 pounds of highly enriched uranium. Makes sense for a photography company to have such a thing. More »
FedEx Punishing Me For Delivering Package Addressed To My Neighbor, Claims It Was Mine
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 3:15 PM
33 Comments
Consumerist reader Kenneth is a pretty good neighbor. After all, he dropped off a misdelivered package FedEx left on his stoop to a house around the corner where it was actually supposed to be going. But that simple act of consideration has resulted in FedEx refusing to deliver what he was supposed to get in the first place. More »
Amazon Reportedly Set To Introduce Front-Lit Kindle In July
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 3:04 PM
21 Comments
Since the introduction of the iPad, e-book fans have generally fallen into two camps — those who prefer the E Ink technology in Kindles and Nooks because it causes less eye strain and uses relatively low battery power; and those who prefer the backlit screens of tablet computers, which allow them to read without the need for a secondary light source. The Nook has come up with one possible solution, and now Amazon is reportedly set to launch a Kindle that would use a front-lit system to allow people to read in the dark. More »
(s and j)
Study: Millions Of U.S. Families Still Falling Behind On Mortgage Payments
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 2:30 PM
49 Comments
In addition to all the people whose homes have fallen into foreclosure since the bubble burst a few years back, millions more have been having trouble keeping current on their loan payments — and about half of those homeowners say they expect their payment problems to continue. More »
Pizza Shop Owner Claims He Caught An Angel On Surveillance Video
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 2:00 PM
64 Comments
Someone call Ghost Hunters: A pizza shop owner in Bloomfield, Pa., says he's caught evidence of an angel from his security camera outside the store. Bob says he found the shot taken in the parking lot around 6 a.m. on Friday, featuring a white image with a distinctive image in the upper part of the photo. More »
(coffeego)
Why Does A 10-Second Collect Call Cost $37.66?
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 1:30 PM
71 Comments
When a Michigan man's traveling parents called him collect from a payphone a couple hours away, he expected to see a couple bucks on his next bill for the call he says was anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds in duration. But he definitely wasn't expecting to be hit with a charge for $37.66. More »
Coca-Cola To Meet Dieters Halfway With Mid-Calorie Sprite & Fanta
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 1:15 PM
43 Comments
Several years after abandoning its mid-calorie "C2" version of Coke, Coca-Cola has confirmed reports it will be dipping its toes into the not-quite-sugar-free pool again by testing mid-calorie editions of both Sprite and Fanta. More »
Sole Survivor From Stranded Fishing Boat Sues Princess Cruises For Failing To Help
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 1:00 PM
81 Comments
The sole survivor of a fishing boat set adrift for 28 days is suing Princess Cruise Lines, claiming that even though passengers on the ship alerted the crew to the vessel in need of help, the Star Princess simply passed on by. More »
Can A Restaurant Meal Be So Bad You Shouldn't Pay The Bill?
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 12:45 PM
160 Comments
I have a friend who likes to reward horrible restaurant service and food by leaving two pennies as a tip, but I've never known him to not pay the bill. However, one Colorado couple is telling their local Outback Steakhouse that the meal was so bad, the eatery should not be expecting a payment anytime soon. More »
Protection Plan Protects Radio Shack From Replacing Your Keyboard
By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 12:30 PM
40 Comments
Thomas got a good deal on a wireless keyboard and mouse at Radio Shack, and also went ahead and bought the warranty and replacement plan. The plan that lasts for one year. Six months later, the item wouldn't work. So just drop it in the mail or take it back to the store where it was purchased for a replacement, right? Not so fast. The Shack was determined that he wasn't going to bring home a replacement keyboard on their dime. More »
(matneym)
You Should Not Be Paying $175 To Get Your Car Door Unlocked
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 12:15 PM
48 Comments
While there are plenty of honest locksmiths ready to help you out when you lock your keys in your car, there are enough bait-and-switch scammers out there that consumers need to be careful before selecting one. Otherwise, you could end up with someone trying to charge you hundreds of dollars for something that shouldn't cost more than $100. More »
(sfxeric)
Police In New Jersey Town To Slap Walking Texters With $85 Tickets
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 12:00 PM
64 Comments
Police in Fort Lee, N.J. want you to watch where you're walking — and since doodling around on your phone, texting/emailing/Tweet/whatevering can cause people to More »
Safeway's New 'Easy Scoop' Ice Cream Easier To Scoop Because There's Less Of It
By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 11:30 AM
34 Comments
Safeway's Lucerne house brand ice creams have been repackaged, and now come in a round container branded the "Easy-Scoop Package." That's a nice redesign, and round containers are easier to scoop from. Only, as reader Ryan points out, maybe the ice cream is easier to scoop now because there's now a half-quart less of it. More »
Sallie Mae Opts Not To Go After Family Of Dead Woman For $120K In Student Loans
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 11:15 AM
56 Comments
As we wrote last week, while many parents consider it a no-brainer to co-sign their children's student loans, that decision can come back to bite them later. And if that child passes away, there's little stopping loan servicers from piling debt on the parents' grief. But here's one story where Sallie Mae ultimately opted to not go that route. More »
Best Buy Chairman To Step Down After Investigation Finds Former CEO Had Relationship With Employee
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 14, 2012 11:00 AM
23 Comments
Richard Shulze, the founder of Best Buy is leaving his role as company chairman, after an independent investigation found he had failed to report allegations of personal misconduct by former CEO Brian Dunn to the board's audit committee. More »
$5K Customer Is Very Insignificant Person To Raymour & Flanigan
By Laura Northrup on May 14, 2012 10:30 AM
53 Comments
Maybe $5,000 isn't a lot to furniture retailer Raymour & Flanigan, but it is to Jeff and his fiancée. That's how much they dropped on furniture during a "VIP" sale at one of their stores. Most of the furniture has been delivered and is pretty great, but the two recliners they ordered were due to arrive weeks ago, and still haven't showed up. It's not that the furniture isn't there, Jeff explains. The real issue is that no one seems to care about keeping the couple updated. They would like to know when they'll finally be getting something to sit on. More »
