Strange Business Ideas That Made Millions

There are some crazy business ideas out there that shouldn't have worked but did, but there are also some that you can't even imagine where the idea came from...

I have compiled a list of some of the craziest and strangest (I'm sure there are a lot more but these are just a few to get you started...

learn more ...

Copyright Infringement Universe Collapses In On Itself As Beastie Boys Sue Monster Energy Drink

So here's a copyright infringement lawsuit involving the makers of Monster Energy Drink in which they are the ones being sued and not the ones claiming ownership of an incredibly common word. Instead, the beverage company is the target of a lawsuit brought by the Beastie Boys, who claim Monster cobbled together dozens of their tunes to create promotional videos.

According to the suit, filed yesterday in a U.S. District Court in Manhattan:

[Monster], without plaintiffs' consent, synchronized and recorded certain of the Beastie Boys Musical Compositions and Beastie Boys Sound Recordings together with visual and other material in the creation ofpromotional videos for defendant Monster's products, including a promotional video for Monster's promotional event "Ruckus in the Rockies 2012" (the "Video"). The soundtrack of the Video is comprised substantially of excerpts from the Beastie Boys Sound Recordings and the Beastie Boys Musical Compositions totaling more than three minutes in duration.

On information and belief, defendant Monster has used the Video and similar promotional videos to create an association with the Beastie Boys and the Beastie Boys Musical Compositions and Beastie Boys Sound Recordings and defendant Monster's products, promotional events, and marketing, including on Monster's website www.monsterenergv.com and in various social media websites such as Facebook.

If the video weren't bad enough, the complaint alleges that in May of this year, "Monster caused a link to a downloadable audio recording (the "MP3") embodying a 23-minute medley of excerpts from the Beastie Boys Sound Recordings, the Beastie Boys Musical Compositions and the sound recordings and musical compositions comprising the additional Beastie Boys MP3 Copyrights to be posted on various websites [including Monster's website and YouTube] in conjunction with the Video, together with an offer that the MP3 was available for free download."

And it doesn't help Monster's case that the text accompanying the "Beastie Boys mega mix" reads, "With tracks from the Beastie Boys putting you in the vibe and a sponsorship from Monster Energy, this edit will make you want to ride and party like no other."

The Boys are seeking an injunction against Monster's use of the group's songs, as well as "a trebling

of defendant Monster's profits and actual damages sustained by plaintiffs, prejudgment interest, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs."

Speaking of copyright infringement, an urban legend surrounds the Beastie Boys' seminal 1989 album Paul's Boutique, claiming that the group swiped all or most of the more than samples used on the album. The Boys have denied these rumors, saying that they did pay for the use of the samples -- just not very much, as it was still a somewhat new way of producing an album at the time.

You can read the PDF of the lawsuit HERE.

The lawsuit comes as news outlets report that the last will and testament of Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch, who passed away in May, clearly states that the music he wrote and his image could not be used in any sort of advertising.

Huge thanks to Keith for the tip!

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Terms Of Service Too Long? This Site Reads Them For You

You don't always read the Terms of Service before accepting them. Not for hardware, not for software, not for websites. We're fairly certain that no one ever does. (Someone out there, please prove us wrong.) What we really needed all along is a service that reads over all of that legal language and gives you the highlights of the ToS, then explains which features are good or are bad for you as a consumer. Now that service exists. It even has little pictures that tell you which parts of the ToS are good or bad. Meet ToS;DR.

If you're not familiar with the term, "TL;DR" stands for "too long; didn't read" and signifies when someone on the Internet who is smart enough to use a semicolon is too lazy to read anything with more than 200 words. It's also how people label pre-emptive executive summaries on lengthy posts or comments. ToS;DR aims to create handy summaries for terms of service. They rate particular policies and requirements as "good," "mediocre," "Alert," or "informative." In this scheme, "Alert" signifies "Bad." Eventually, each site will be assigned a "class," from A to F, depending on how consumer-friendly its policies are.

The project is crowdsourced, open, and collaborative. If you're skilled at translating legalese into human language, can code in Javascript, or have other potentially useful skills, consider helping out.

ToS;DR [Official Site]

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Computer That Touches Itself Comes Back From Dell In Worse Shape, Michael Dell Swoops In

Remember Travis, the college-bound student whose touchscreen Dell laptop keeps moving the mouse pointer around on the screen, among other problems? When we last heard from him a week ago, he was waiting for the computer to return to him from Dell's repair depot after two in-home tech visits, and he hoped the problems would be fixed. They weren't. All Dell did was replace the wireless card. So he turned to the advice we gave in the post, and wrote to Michael Dell. This got him a new laptop for his trouble.

We're sure being featured here on the site had nothing to do with it.

Thanks to your tips on this post When I got home I inspected my notebook and found they did not repair the screen or even attempted to fix the touchscreen, headphone jack, or bluetooth. They only replaced the wireless card and somehow made bluetooth worse, disconnecting everything every few minutes, sluggish mouse (takes 10+ seconds to move my mouse a inch) and slower then normal wifi.

I sent Michael dell an email and within 4 hours I got a call from Dell. They asked for the serial number and looked up the case and basically said that since it started from the beginning and each time it wasn't fixed then they will issue a rare laptop replacement.

When you can get his office to intercede, the Great Michael Dell and his staff do offer kindness to customers who find themselves consigned to Dell Hell. Can't mak Dell's regular customer service and tech support peeps see reason? Write to Mr. Dell.

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Theater: If A Man Brings Bag Into Movie, He’s A “Possible Shooter”

While we can understand that some movie theaters might want to bolster up security in the wake of the shootings in Colorado that left a dozen moviegoers dead, some theaters are only taking a harder look at those of us who have Y chromosomes.

Take as an example the story of Consumerist reader Mitch, who dared to carry a small, cloth bag with him into the Omaha movie theater at which he'd previously seen more than a hundred movies.

In spite of that long history with no issues at this theater, Mitch was stopped when he tried to enter last night's preview screening of Hope Springs (because you know that bittersweet comedies about the withered marriage of a middle-aged couple is a prime target for mayhem).

The theater employee told Mitch he couldn't come in with the bag, a small messenger bag, which Mitch says is only large enough only to hold his Nook and a handful of other things.

"I opened it up and showed him the contents," writes Mitch, "The Nook, a few papers (including our tickets), chapstick, keys, and some hand sanitizer. That’s it. No gun, no knife, not even a sonic screwdriver."

Puzzled by this zero-tolerance policy, Mitch asked the employee, who has seen Mitch at this theater enough times to know him by name, what exactly the problem was.

“You could be a shooter," said the employee, according to Mitch. "We don’t know.”

The employee gave Mitch an option -- leave the bag in his car, or leave the theater.

The car wasn't really an option, as the 100-degree heat could damage his Nook, which is more important (and expensive) than a few movie tickets.

He asked the employee if he could speak to a manager. The employee then told him he is a manager.

"I ask for HIS manager, and a guy with a headset comes over," writes Mitch, who had noticed at least a half-dozen women walk into the theater, all carrying bags of some sort.

"The situation is explained again, and I point out that women are not being stopped, but men are. I repeat the first guy’s 'shooter' line and the second manager agrees that yes, I could be."

Realizing he wasn't going to be allowed in -- and that he couldn't risk putting his Nook into the oven that was his car -- Mitch handed one of the tickets to a female friend, who was able to enter with her bag going un-searched.

Before heading outside to wait for his remaining friends, Mitch took out his loyalty card and handed it over to the manager.

"I’ve seen more than a hundred movies at that theater since they opened," he explains. "I’ve bought concessions, I’ve brought new people in, I’ve spent way too much money there, and they simply don’t want it. They don’t want me as

a customer. That’s fine. There is no shortage of theaters in the area, and no reason to support a business that openly practices discrimination."

And it looks like Mitch wasn't being singled out for reasons other than being a male with a bag.

While he was I sat outside waiting for his friends, every man who had walked into the theater with a bag came walking back out in under two minutes.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Stressed-Out Gate Agent Will Not Tolerate Tiny Purses On United Airlines Flights

Jarrod and his wife were returning from their vacation, flying United. Their flight was delayed, and they encountered a gate at 3 A.M. with a single employee working. They went to board their flight, and Mrs. Jarrod had a camera bag, a large shoulder bag, and a tiny travel pouch over her arm. Other airline personnel overlooked the tiny pouch, not even counting it as a "bag" for carry-on luggage purposes. Instead, the agent became just a little unhinged, not allowing Mrs. Jarrod on the flight until she nestled the little bag inside one of her other bags.

Wait, if one bag fits inside the other, what is the problem exactly?

My wife was carrying a camera bag, a large bag (kind of like an oversized purse) and a very small travel pouch/purse over her shoulder. Yes, we realize that we're supposed to be limited to "one carry on item and one personal item", but the small shoulder pouch barely took up any space and we thought it insignificant. In fact, we didn't have any issues boarding the flight from Hawaii to San Francisco.

As the agent scanned my wife's ticket, he looked her over and as she started to walk away he shouted at her, "you can't carry on three bags! You're limited to just two." My wife asked why since the small purse was so very insignificant. He said "it's the airline policy and that she would need to put the smaller purse into one of the other bags." My wife, said "OK, I'll do it" and started to walk down the jetway. He yelled at her again, "NO, RIGHT NOW!" Embarrassed, my wife fumbled about trying to put her small purse into the larger bag... and he proceeded to delay the boarding while he watched her put the purse into her larger bag. Laying it on top of the open larger bag/purse wasn't enough. It had to be inside the bag. She eventually shoved it in and started walking down the jetway without additional issue.

As soon as we were down the jetway, my wife pulled the purse out of the bag and had no issues boarding the plane or storing it underneath the seat in front of her with her other bag.

I guess this serves as a warning that thou shalt not carry any bag, no matter how small, in excess of the two you're allowed. But we think the situation could have been handled differently and in a more professional manner. Maybe by politely reminding us of the policy instead of being abrupt. In any event, I just had to vent. Thanks for listening.

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Should Tenants Be Punished For Landlord’s Inability To Pay Water Bill?

The residents of a South Florida apartment complex could be on the street soon -- not because they failed to pay their rent or utility bills, but because their landlord has allegedly run up a $14,000 water and sewer tab and won't pay up.

This is just the latest story of tenants being royally screwed through absolutely no action of their own, and in each case we've covered, authorities have turned to punishing renters rather than going directly after the landlord.

"We can’t let the landlord get away without paying bills,” the mayor of Hallandale Beach, FL, tells Miami's CBS4. She says the city has no choice and that it has already extended the time for the landlord to pay up.

But this doesn't explain why the city has to evict the people who don't owe any money.

Surely, the city could place a tax lien on the property, or perhaps a lien against tenants' rent.

After all, these are people who want to pay their rent, so why not use that money to pay down the water bill, rather than have to bring in the Red Cross to assist and house displaced tenants?

“I feel like they just don’t care about us,” one to-be-evicted tenant tells CBS4. “Just the fear of not knowing where I’m going to lay my head next. No water to take a shower with. It’s really overwhelming.”

We've written to various city officials in Hallandale Beach to see if we can get a more detailed response as to why they would choose to evict the tenants rather than come up with a creative solution to the problem. If anyone responds, we'll let you know what they have to say.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Man Accused Of Impersonating Cop For Free McDonald’s Can Afford His Own Burgers, Okay?

A Pennsylvania security guard is insulted, frankly, that local police are accusing him of acting like a police officer just to score some free burgers at McDonald's. Cops cited him on a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a public servant after they say he demanded food from staff at the restaurant, but he says that's just an inside joke he's got going with employees.

Police say he for months, would act like an officer in need of a burger pick-me-up while on duty, and that employees said they felt threatened, reports WPXI Channel 11 News. At that location, free food is a courtesy extended to on-duty officers.

"He wanted them to believe he was a police officer and on duty so that he could get free food. Kind of ridiculous," said one officer.

But hold up, says the man, who works as a private investigator and security guard— he claims he was just teasing workers and never claimed to be a cop. And besides, he's perfectly capable of purchasing his own grub.

"Do I look like I can't afford to buy my own hamburger?" the man asked the station's reporter when she showed up at his house. He added that he didn't flash his security guard badge and always paid for his food.

It could just be a case of mistaken identity. But if someone offers to buy me a drink because they think I'm Queen Elizabeth II, I would not accept it. See? Totally wrong, and besides, she and have different taste when it comes to perfectly-curled helmet hair.

Security guard cited for impersonating officer, demanding free food at McDonald's [WPXI]

by Mary Beth Quirk via The Consumerist

At Applebee’s, 2 For $20 Equals $21

Two meals and an appetizer for $20 at Applebee's is a nice, simple price point. Not a bad deal, either. Jeff ordered it for carside takeout, but was baffled to receive his order and see that the price listed on the receipt was $21, not $20. The waitress explained that the extra $1 was sales tax, but Jeff didn't buy that (and we don't either.) The restaurant calculated and charged him accurate sales tax on the entire order.

I ordered some "Carside to go" from my local Applebees last night and encountered some interesting math on the receipt. Their advertised offer of "1 Appetizer + 2 Entrees for $20" was rung up on the receipt as $21. I did not order any substitutions or extras that should have modified the package price. I asked the waitress why a $20 offer was suddenly $21, and she told me it was "$20 plus tax, they should really start saying that in the ad". She was immediately on the defensive, even though I was being very polite with her, and offered to bring the manager out to explain it. I wish I would have taken her up on that offer, but our food was getting cold and the family was hungry so I let it go.

After leaving I noticed that tax was added to the entire check down at the bottom, so her explanation was obviously a lie. I hope she enjoyed my $1 overpayment, because that was the only tip she was going to get from me. Fortunately for us, at least the food was good. Yes, I followed the advice on the receipt and completed their Guest Experience Survey.

Maybe the fuzzy math is ironic.

At the risk of setting off another round of comments section tipping wars, that's not fair to the waitress. She didn't pocket the extra dollar herself. Presumably.

A more direct method than taking the survey would be to call the restaurant and ask to speak to the manager, maybe during a between-meals time when the manager will be less busy.

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Google Apparently Wants To Get Sued Again, Now Including Gmail Content In Search Results

Because Google didn't learn anything from the Google Buzz privacy debacle, the company has now decided to begin testing the integration of users' Gmail content into general search results.

So a search for Amazon on Google.com would also bring up a sidebar with e-mails from or related to your Amazon purchases.

Well, that's all well and good. Until someone's spouse, significant other, or co-worker unwittingly uses that person's computer to search for something like "restaurants in Chicago" and up come e-mails about a secret rendezvous at the Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's.

“This is a baby step in a really complicated area,” says the company's director of product management for universal search about the e-mail results, which Google describes as being in the "limited field trial" stage.

Google hopes to expand the feature to all e-mail providers. It also hopes to similarly integrate all other Google products like Docs, Calendar, Drive.

While we have no problem with making one's entire Google account searchable from one screen, we think it should be within something like Gmail, where the user already has the expectation of privacy, as opposed to just a Google search that one can do straight from their browser's nav bar.

For those that have absolutely no problem with their Gmail content possibly showing up in search results, they can opt in at g.co/searchtrial, though we recommend staying far, far away.

Google Adds Personal Gmail Results Into Search

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Party City Takes Marketing Lessons From Macy’s

Consumers are so literal-minded. We see a sign that says "all items $1," and we foolishly believe that all items cost $1. Marketers take advantage of these tendencies with signage trickery and cruel, cruel asterisks. That's what Andrey found at a Party City store. "It's neither [all] on sale, nor does it make any sense," he typed on his phone.

"Excludes seasonal items. Select items only," says the fine print. The more one thinks about that, the stranger it becomes. Shouldn't seasonal items, like graduation party napkins and 4th of July centerpieces, be what's on clearance at a party store this time of year?

RELATED:

Macy’s Makes Fun Of Coupons With Its Latest Coupon

Lane Bryant Sale Flyer Redefines ‘Entire Store,’ ‘Everything’

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Wawa Pays $12,500 To Kicked-Out Customer With Service Dog

Many people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey speak highly of the Wawa chain of convenience stores. Which is why it was a bit of surprise to folks in the area when a man was kicked out of a store earlier this summer because he brought his service dog into the building. Now the chain has not only agreed to fork over a bit of cash to the customer, but to also make sure its employees don't repeat the mistake.

The incident occurred on June 13, when the man attempted to buy a sandwich at a Wawa in Cumberland County, NJ, only to be told by the store manager that he would not be served unless he took the dog outside.

The man, whose service dog is trained to assist him in case of a seizure, says he attempted to show the manager the animal's documentation and let her know that the store is required to allow service animals, but the manager refused to listen.

So now he's getting $12,500 as a settlement from the store. But more importantly, Wawa has agreed to post signs in all its stores -- at least the ones in New Jersey -- reminding them that service dogs are allowed by law.

While Wawa did not comment on the settlement, it had previously stated that "Because we are a food establishment, we have to comply with strict Board of Health regulations which do not permit pets in our stores, but of course qualified service animals are permitted and welcome."

N.J. man kicked out of Wawa for bringing in service dog to get $12,500 [NJ.com]

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Notice About Errors With Password Reset Emails

Our hosting provider is having significant difficulty delivering password reset emails to our users. Today, they made a change that resulted in a large amount of backlogged emails being sent out to users who had requested a password reset in the past two weeks. If you received such an email and are concerned or would like assistance, please email support@consumerist.com and our internal team will assist you.

by CSec via The Consumerist

Use The Clock And Google Voice To Actually Reach The IRS

Sure, it's not peak IRS season right now, but there is quite a variety of reasons that you might have to deal with the ever-present government agency anyway. Tax Cat is out of the office, vacationing at his offshore kitty condo in the Cayman Islands, so it's up to reader Christopher, a tax preparer, to serve us up with handy tax advice. See, sometimes you have to call the IRS. You can't avoid it. But so does everyone else in the country. What Christopher figured out is that the IRS call center doesn't have fixed hours like most. Its open hours depend on what time zone you live in. His solution? Use a Google Voice number to fudge what time zone he's in, and call late in the evening when the business day is done for most of the continental U.S.

This tip may come in handy for anyone who has to call the IRS to work out a tax problem, but can't call during the workday.

I prepare tax returns and provide accounting services for a living. So I spend a lot of time on the phone with the IRS fixing client issues throughout the year. Unfortunately, I sometimes don't have enough time in the day to get to everything within the the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time that their 800 number serves the public. If you call after 7 p.m., you're routed to the automated system and informed that person to person assistance isn't available until the next day. The computer uses your area code to decide if you get an operator or a computer.

An easy way around this? Today I set up a Google Voice account with a San Diego area code. It gave me 2 extra hours to work out tax issues for clients. I suppose if I wanted to, I could have used a Honolulu area code and extended the service time even more.

Of course, I still spent most of my extra time on hold, but I'm concentrating on the positive.

Handy!

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Can Best Buy Be Saved?

Best Buy founder Richard Schulze shook things up the other day when he mentioned that he'd very much like to have his company back and out of the hands of shareholders. Since then, a few details of how Schulze plans to keep the ship afloat have surfaced, but will it be enough to remain competitive or is he just making matters worse for the company?

The Wall Street Journal reports that Schulze's main plan is to cut retail prices. Thus, when those of us who go to Best Buy to check out a computer or TV before just going online to buy it for less, maybe we'll have another look at the price tag and decide it's not that much more expensive than buying on Amazon and you don't have to wait for shipping.

Meanwhile, Schulze also wants to keep pushing -- and improve upon -- the current company line that Best Buy's in-store experts are a selling point. The Journal says he envisions a Best Buy that is more like the current Apple store model.

He also says that the company's ongoing efforts to scale back its number of retail stores -- and the size of existing outlets -- is only pushing Best Buy closer to the grave.

Aside from the fact that Schulze's plans put him in direct conflict with the company's current direction, the Journal points out the problem of trying to grow while the bricks-and-mortar retail world is shrinking:

Mr. Schultz's approach—of lowering prices while avoiding major cost-cutting—would likely lead to substantial run up in costs in the first couple of years that would be difficult for a public company to justify, the people familiar with the matter added.

"As long as the top line is slowing you have to cut costs at a similar rate or your cash flow starts to suffer," one retail analyst explains.

Even if Schulze's attempt to buy back the company is not successful, the attempt on its own could impact Best Buy's immediate future.

While interim CEO Mike Mikan has been pushing to keep the job, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that he could lose it if the company's board decides it wants a retail heavy-hitter as CEO to counter Schulze's take-back bid.

And even then, that CEO's tenure could be short-lived -- and will require a huge golden parachute -- in case Schulze succeeds and chooses to install his CEO.

So on on hand you've got the company founder who has a vision for Best Buy that may work, but which could drive the company into the ground if it doesn't reap positive results rather quickly.

On the other hand, the current Best Buy leadership seems to be taking the stance that shrinking the company is the best way to keep it from sinking.

And though both sides seem worried about trying to have their retail outlets compete with online sellers, you don't hear much about a strategy to bolster BestBuy.com to the point where it's not just an adjunct to the in-store experience but can compete directly with Amazon as an e-tailer.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Taco Bell Employee Suspended Over Prank Because Nachos Con Urine Is Not On The Menu

Critics might decry the oversharing nature of social media, but if it weren't for Twitter and Facebook, how would we catch people doing idiotic and grody things they shouldn't be doing? A Taco Bell employee in Indiana has found himself in hot water for posting a picture on Twitter that appears to be him peeing on a plate of nachos at the restaurant. Classy.

Viewers of NewsChannel 15 alerted the station to a disturbing photo of what looks like someone peeing on nachos, which was posted on a Taco Bell employee's Twitter account. He then allegedly asked his followers what he should pee on next. He's subsequently been suspended from his job, even though he claims it was all a big mistake, a joke gone wrong.

He defended himself on his Facebook page, writing:

"I poked a hole in the top of a water bottle and filled it with really watered down mountain dew. I took the bottle and the nacho bell to the back utility sink and squeezed the bottle on to the nacho bell, making it look like I was [urinating] on it. My manager was aware that it was not urine and it is all a joke."

Joke or not, the department of health, the police and the Taco Bell overlords are taking it quite seriously.

Said Taco Bell in a statement:

Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and team members. We have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations. As soon as we learned of the situation, we immediately investigated and found the photo was an ill-conceived prank and the food was never served to customers. We find this prank absolutely unacceptable, and we plan to terminate anyone involved and work with authorities to pursue legal action.

The health department says whatever was put on those nachos, they probably weren't sold to a customer. It hasn't been confirmed whether or not the yellow-ish liquid was indeed, human urine. If it was and the nachos really did end up getting served, the man could be in some pretty big trouble, especially if it caused harm to a customer.

On the other hand, if it's found that Mountain Dew was really involved and no one ate the nachos, he'll be off the hook from the cops, at least. Taco Bell might not be so forgiving in regard to what the company calls "defaming actions" toward it.

Employee suspended after "Urine in Nachos" prank

*Thanks for the heads up, James!

Employee suspended after "Urine in Nachos" prank [WANE.com]

by Mary Beth Quirk via The Consumerist

Mystery Denny’s Diner Pays Tab For Everyone In Restaurant

Everyone loves a free lunch, especially when there are no strings attached. Just ask the 60 or so diners at a California Denny's who were treated to gratis grub by a mystery woman who decided to pay for everyone's meals.

The woman, described as a mother of two in her 30s, simply told the manager at the Denny's restaurant in Newcastle, CA, that she wanted to pay the bill for all her fellow diners.

“I asked her, I said ‘Are you sure?” the manager tells CBS Sacramento. “She said ‘yeah.’ I said ‘It’ll be a lot of money.’”

It came out to around $300, with $40 thrown on top for a tip, which doesn't seem like that much money for dozens of diners' meals.

“There was people, their meals were like 10 or 12 bucks. That one table there was 50 some dollars,” recalls the manager, who was sworn to secrecy about the woman's identity.

We can only hope that this woman's act of generosity inspires others -- much like last holiday season's trend of paying for folks' layaway items -- mostly because we could really go for some Denny's but are a little light on cash until payday.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Man Surprised To Receive Illegal Assault Rifle Instead Of The TV He Ordered From Amazon

A man living in Washington, D.C. was expecting a new high-definition TV he ordered from Amazon through a third-party seller, but somewhere along the way, his order got turned into something he (or anyone) wouldn't have ever expected: A high-caliber, semi-automatic assault rifle that is very large and very illegal in D.C.

Apparently the guy was first tipped off that something was amiss because instead of the rectangular packaging and somewhat flat shape one might expect for a TV, his delivery came in a long, narrow box, reports FOX 5, and was simply left outside his apartment door. Once he and his wife discovered the rifle, they called the cops right away to get the gun out of their house as fast as possible.

Assault rifles are totally illegal in D.C., as is transporting them. Which is why it's a good thing the guy called the cops instead of even bringing it to UPS to return it to the sender. Police officers confiscated the gun and are in the midst of trying to figure out how it landed at the man's apartment instead of the gun shop in Pennsylvania where it was heading originally.

"[Police] were a little confused at first, they've never seen anything quite like it," said the man. "They just took my information and then said we'll handle this weapon because it's illegal to keep here. It's illegal to transport in a car, so it can't be returned."

Now, about that missing TV...

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

*Thanks for the tips, Patricia, Elizabeth and Grant!

DC man orders television online, receives rifle in mail instead [FOX 5]

by Mary Beth Quirk via The Consumerist

Comcast Employees Caught Taking Payments From 5,975 Customers To Permanently Lower Bills

Most of us wince at our cable bills each month, but what would you do if someone from the cable company approached you and said they could permanently lower your bill -- if you gave them a one-time payment of $150?

Authorities in Pennsylvania have arrested five men and issued warrants for more than a dozen others, alleging they were all involved in a scheme to enrich themselves by accepting payments from Comcast customers in exchange for lower rates on their cable bills.

In total, at least 5,795 Comcast subscribers paid $150 each to the schemers, which shorted the Comcast coffers by around $2.4 million between April 2011 and April 2012.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, those involved in the scheme would approach Comcast customers -- which in the Philadelphia area means just about anyone -- and offer to reduce their bill if they paid $150.

Once the payment was made, at least one Comcast employee would change the customer's plan through a computer that had secretly been installed at a Comcast subcontractor's office in, well... my home town in suburban Montgomery County, PA.

But what the clever fellows forgot about Philadelphia is that you also can't toss a rock in this region without hitting someone who works for Comcast.

So when they unwittingly made the perma-discount offer to a Kabletown employee, it set the ball rolling that ended in yesterday's arrests.

"She was asked if she'd like to have a discount to her bill in exchange for a payment," said the prosecutor. "This was reported by the employee to Comcast security."

As for the those Comcast customers who paid for the insider deal, the cable company says it is putting them back into non-discounted plans, but currently doesn't think it will chase them down for back payments.

It's possible this scheme is just the tip of the iceberg, as one of the men arrested appears to have been involved in an earlier ruse that reportedly netted him more than $200,000.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Apple And Amazon Quietly Change Security Procedures After ‘Epic Hack’

It was inevitable that ome of the companies called out in Mat Honan's piece about a few hackers destroying his digital life would change some of the loophole-laden security procedures that helped the baddies gain access to the tech journalist's account. So we're relieved to learn that Apple and Amazon have both closed the particular weak spots that allowed a few determined people to reset all of Honan's key passwords for services like Google and iCloud, and to remotely wipe the hard drives of all of his Apple devices connected to iCloud.

Yes, tech fans, our information is safe: until the bad people of the world figure out another way to access our sweet, sweet information when we customers and company empolyees are careless. . I give 'em maybe another five minutes.

Amazon Quietly Closes Security Hole After Journalist’s Devastating Hack [Wired]

After Epic Hack, Apple Suspends Over-the-Phone AppleID Password Resets [Wired]

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

American Express Payment Plans Won’t Do Your Credit Any Favors

Ryan was in a tight spot, and late with the payment on his American Express account. The problem didn't seem as scary as it could have been, though. The company's Web interface offered him the opportunity to sign up for a payment plan, so he could pay down the outstanding balance over a period of as long as twelve months. Neat! But the plan didn't quite have the credit-saving effects that he expected. He was reported to credit bureaus as delinquent during the entire repayment period. That's how the plan works.

Wouldn't you think that signing up for an AmEx-approved and Amex-administered payment plan means that they report back that your account is in good standing? Not so. Effectively, all signing up for a payment plan did for Ryan was keep the company from pestering him with collection letters and calls. It took him three months to pay off the entire balance, and the net effect on his credit report is the same as it would have been if he had stuffed all of that money under his mattress for three months.

If you are late for a payment, and are going to have trouble making it in a reasonable amount of time, calling American Express for a payment plan might not be the best idea.

I was behind on a payment and used their web interface to select a 12 month payment plan, including interest charges, to keep my account in good standing.

They did not tell me that they planned to report my account to the credit agencies as 'past due' for the duration of that payment plan. I fortunately paid it off well ahead of the plan, but it still looks just the same on my credit as if I completely ignored them and didn't pay the bill for three months.

If someone is tempted by one of these offers, I hope they will be able to find this and make their decision accordingly. If I hadn't enrolled in the plan, and just paid the total bill two weeks later, there's a very good chance nothing would have been reported.

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

It Took Half An Hour For Hackers To Totally Shred Tech Journalist’s Digital Life

Hackers wanted access to technology journalist Mat Honan's Twitter account. It doesn't just have 16,000 or so followers, but was tied to Gizmodo's account, allowing for exponentially more mischief and, above all, lulz. So how did they get access to his account and destroy most of his digital life in the process? Knowledge of how different companies confirm customer identities and how their password retrieval systems work are all that a determined person needs to get into your life and mess everything up. The weakest links in this rather insecure chain? Apple and Amazon.

If you only click through and actually read one article that Consumerist links to this year, please let it be this one. Honan's article about the incident for Wired details what happened to him, how he experienced it, the aftereffects, and how he could have prevented the whole mess.

Setting up strong passwords is important, but it's not enough. As former Alaska governor and Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin learned during the 2008 campaign season, someone can reset your password with very little effort and some pretty basic information about you.

From the article, here are the bare facts of what happened. The ball got rolling when the hacker called up Amazon, pretended to be him, and obtained the last four digits of his credit card number on file. When the hacker (presumably a he) turned around and called AppleCare to reset Honan's iCloud password, these four digits served to confirm the caller's identity, verifying the card on file with Apple for iTunes purchases.

At 4:33 p.m., according to Apple’s tech support records, someone called AppleCare claiming to be me. Apple says the caller reported that he couldn’t get into his .Me e-mail — which, of course was my .Me e-mail.

In response, Apple issued a temporary password. It did this despite the caller’s inability to answer security questions I had set up. And it did this after the hacker supplied only two pieces of information that anyone with an internet connection and a phone can discover.

At 4:50 p.m., a password reset confirmation arrived in my inbox. I don’t really use my .Me e-mail, and rarely check it. But even if I did, I might not have noticed the message because the hackers immediately sent it to the trash. They then were able to follow the link in that e-mail to permanently reset my AppleID password.

At 4:52 p.m., a Gmail password recovery e-mail arrived in my .Me mailbox. Two minutes later, another e-mail arrived notifying me that my Google account password had changed.

At 5:02 p.m., they reset my Twitter password. At 5:00 they used iCloud’s “Find My” tool to remotely wipe my iPhone. At 5:01 they remotely wiped my iPad. At 5:05 they remotely wiped my MacBook. Around this same time, they deleted my Google account. At 5:10, I placed the call to AppleCare. At 5:12 the attackers posted a message to my account on Twitter taking credit for the hack.

His key recommendations:

- Don't link together key services, like Honan linked his iCloud and Google accounts.

- Don't use the same e-mail prefix or login for every service that you use.

- Back up your computer(s).

How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking [Wired]

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Will Protection From Paying For Office Depot’s Protection Plan Cost You $4.99?

"Who knew that not protecting your purchase would be so costly?" was all John's e-mail to our tipline said. Attached was this screen capture. When putting an item costing $22.99 in his virtual cart, the site presented him with two protection plan options: two years for $6.29, or no plan for $4.99. Wait, what?

We contacted Office Depot about this questionable pricing scheme, and they never got back to us. Maybe they thought that it was a ridiculous question and that their web site couldn't possibly be proposing something so silly to customers. That's what we thought, too, but we tested it on the site with this same product, and there it was. A $4.99 charge to not get a protection plan.

Look closer, though. Selecting the purported $4.99 option doesn't cost anything. (Indeed, John's cart total was $22.99.) See that tiny curved line above the first radio button? That's another radio button, hiding behind the top one. That's the option for the three-year protection plan. Poor alignment on the site hides this button and its caption from view and misaligns the other buttons.

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Fed Chair Bernanke: Smart Consumers Are Good For The Whole Economy

Too often when people talk about being a good consumer or being educated about financial matters, the big picture is ignored in favor of images of individual wealth and well-being. But Federal Reserve Chairman Ben "It rhymes with stanky" Bernanke says that it's really in everyone's best interest for us to be smart about what we do with our money.

"Financial education supports not only individual well-being, but also the economic health of our nation," explained Benny B. (I can call him that because we both get confused for Paul Giamatti) earlier today at a town hall chat with teachers held deep in the bowels of the Federal Reserve batcave in D.C. "As the recent financial crisis illustrates, consumers who can make informed decisions about financial products and services not only serve their own best interests, but, collectively, they also help promote broader economic stability."

Families who put some thought into their savings and financial planning are better prepared for emergencies and the down times that can rend relationships for those who are not prepared.

And Bernanke pointed out that it doesn't require immersion in macroeconomics to get people on the right path, citing a Fed study that found people who had taken a high school financial education course were more likely to save regularly.

"Effective financial education... involves teaching them the essential skills and concepts they will need to make major financial choices," he explained. "High school students might not recall specific information from a lesson about loans a year later when they go to get their first car loan or student loan. However, if they understand and remember some basic ideas--for instance, that it's important to shop around for a loan to get the lowest interest rate, to review the fees charged, and to know how to contact financial counselors and advisers--they will be more likely to make a good decision."

With regard to the hot-button topic of student loan debt, Bernanke echoed the sentiment we discussed last week of going through financial puberty early, so that young consumers understand the ramifications of taking on debt before they ever take out that first loan.

"Students with some exposure to economic thinking will be more likely to conceptualize their spending on post-secondary education as an investment in their own human capital and choose their school, course of study, means of paying for their education, and profession with that thought in mind," said Bernanke. "Likewise, the economic tool of cost-benefit analysis should help students make sounder personal and financial decisions."

And, added the Chair, becoming a good consumer tends to spill over into other aspects of one's life that aren't always directly tied to finances: "Making good financial decisions requires that consumers seek out relevant information from trustworthy sources, and that they use critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and decision-making skills. These competencies are also some of the fundamental abilities our schools seek to inculcate in our children."

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

No, Trojan Isn’t Giving Away Hot Dogs On The Streets Of NYC: Those Are Vibrators

Lest you think that bright purple cart and the objects being handed out willy nilly on the streets of New York have anything to do with hot dogs, we're here to warn you — Trojan is not the food business, it's in the business of getting you to buy its vibrators. That's why the company will be handing out 10,000 of its Trojan Vibrations vibrators on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Again, not hot dogs. Sex toys. Get it right.

Street teams will be doling out the goods with lines like "Getcha vibes here!" and "Relish the moment," playing up that hot dog that is not a hot dog idea, reports the New York Times. Customers will get either a Tri-Phoria or the Pulse, costing the company about $350,000 in total to give the toys away.

If you find yourself sort of kind of wondering where the carts will be roaming, their locations will be updated on Trojan Vibrations' Facebook page. Just in case you're maybe curious.

Trojan is calling these items "almost like a gateway product" for reducing any stigma surrounding sex toys, as they can be purchased in drug stores and not just in sex shops or online.

“What we’re doing is taking something like a hot dog cart that is so everyday and so mainstream,” said Trojan's vice president of marketing, “and we’re showing people that vibrators are mainstream.”

According to studies financed by Trojan and published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 52.5 percent of women and 44.8 percent of men have used vibrators. Contrary to perceptions that they are used nearly exclusively by the unaccompanied, 40.9 percent of women and 40.5 percent of men report having used them with sexual partners.

See, doubters? All the cool kids are doing it!

A Surprise in a Hot Dog Cart [New York Times]

by Mary Beth Quirk via The Consumerist

Walmart Oil Change Turns Into $3,000 Disaster And I Can’t Even Get Store To Call Me Back

An oil change seems like a pretty simple procedure, at least as far as automotive maintenance is concerned. And yet, one Consumerist reader now faces nearly $3,000 in repairs to her SUV because someone at Walmart mucked up the all-important "refilling" part of the oil change.

On July 27, Liz picked up her car from the Walmart service bay where she'd dropped it off 90 minutes earlier to have the oil changed.

"Immediately upon turning on my car and putting it in gear, I noticed a faint thumping noise," she tells Consumerist. "I drove 50 yards on my way to exit the store before I turned the vehicle around because the thumping noise was getting louder and at that point the oil indicator light had come on."

She never left the Walmart lot and figures she only had the engine on for around 30 seconds by the time she got back to the service center.

Liz told a Walmart auto tech what was going on and he checked the dipstick -- twice.

"There is no oil," he told Liz and then began pouring oil in where it should have gone.

Meanwhile, a second employee got under the SUV to check for a leak.

When it was confirmed that there was no leak, Liz asked the first tech if he was the person who had done the oil change. He admitted he was and then gave her the explanation for why her engine had no oil in it -- "I put the oil into the transmission."

Liz told the tech to immediately stop putting oil in her car. Judged by his behavior thus far, he could have been filling up her wiper fluids with Pennzoil.

She went inside and demanded to speak to a manager, who then offered to tow her Ford to his repair shop to have the transmission flushed.

"I refused, and demanded that it be towed to the nearest Ford dealership," says Liz. "I asked him for a rental, and he said that I would have to rent a car on my own and that 'maybe' his claims administrator would decide to reimburse me."

The manager also promised her that Walmart's claims management folks would call her later that day, or the next morning at the latest.

Liz and her husband got the SUV towed to the Ford dealership, where they were finally able to rent a car -- and where the service manager had some bad news for them.

"He called me and told me that my engine was 'worst case scenario,' as it had been run without any oil in it and that there were metal flakes in the engine," writes Liz. "He does not know what damage is done to the transmission and will not know until there is a working engine in the vehicle."

But the dealership did provide an estimate for repairs, totaling $2,935.02.

The Walmart claims people did not call until three days after the incident.

"At that time, the claims examiner told me that 'he would do nothing for me until someone from the Walmart store verified my story,'" she writes.

Of course, he promised he'd call the next day. But that call didn't come for four days -- and even then, the claims rep refused to discuss getting Liz a rental car.

That was last Friday. Since then, the claims rep has not responded to Liz's phone calls or e-mails.

"I do not have transportation and my son starts kindergarten in two days," she tells Consumerist. "My vehicle sits in the shop at the Ford dealership, with Walmart yet to acknowledge their responsibility for this situation."

We wrote to two Walmart reps trying to get someone to listen to Liz's issue and haven't even received an "our claims company is handling this case" e-mail in reply. We're still hoping someone will respond, as we've seen the documentation where the Walmart service center admits in writing that, at the very least, it put 5.5 quarts of oil in her transmission.

If anyone out there has any advice gleaned from either a similar experience -- or even from having worked at Walmart, please share in the comments.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Should NBC Leave Schmaltzy Olympic Profiles To The Advertisers?

Long before anyone could get mad at NBC for its glitchy Olympic webcasts, the network was padding out its tape-delayed broadcasts with overlong pre-taped video profiles of various competitors from the U.S. and around the world. But here's an idea -- rather than irritate viewers by interrupting the diving competition for a 10-minute bio of a 16-year-old and then going to commercial, why not just leave these stories to the people who specialize in heartstring-tugging schmatltz: advertisers.

Doing so would cut down on all the filler and allow the Olympics coverage to actually show, ya know, the Olympics. After all, though you might not know it from NBC's prime time coverage, there are events that don't involve, swimming, diving, gymnastics, sprinting or basketball.

Also, it would give advertisers and opportunity to engage viewers who enjoy the biographical pieces. Rather than just having your watch being worn by a generic model in a Speedo and swimming cap, you have the chance to attach your brand name to a few minutes of air time that some viewers might actually delay their pee-breaks for. And chances are these spots would be both better produced and more economical in their use of time.

AVclub.com's Farihah Zaman makes the case for foisting the mini biopics on to advertisers:

What is really unfortunate is that NBC is failing in its video content where commercials are succeeding with far less time or need. The little meet-the-athlete sidebars feel like hokey commercials with stock footage of scenic beaches or families posing on the playground, while a TD Ameritrade commercial about Jonathan Horton climbing to the ceiling of a department store as a child, or Yelena Isinbayeva learning the pole vault when her dreams of being a gymnast are dashed, are embarrassingly moving mini documentaries about the genesis of greatness.

We're generally not fans of having every part of a sportscast sponsored (We're pretty sure baseball announcers can read a batting order without the assistance of Pizza Hut), but this might be the rare case when handing something off to ad agencies would actually benefit viewers who tune in.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

HSBC Really Wants Your Cellphone Number To Alert You To Suspicious Activity (Oh, And Also To Make Collections Calls)

According to this post from yesterday, the folks at HSBC's collections dept. have such a trigger finger on the redial button that they made a list of most-blocked phone numbers. And now we have a pretty good idea where HSBC is getting permission to call up customers' cellphones.

Consumerist reader Greg says he's noticed that HSBC has been making a big push to get cell numbers, urging credit card customers to "Update your Cell Phone number to be contacted about important information, like suspicious activity on your Account."

But when Greg looked at the fine print on the next page, he noticed that it reads [emphasis ours], "By providing your number in the Cell Phone field, you are granting us permission to use the number via call, including auto dialers, or text message for Account Servicing including (but not limited to) customer service, suspicious transaction activity and collections."

See, this little bit of fine print gets HSBC around the "written consent" requirement for the company to auto-dial you about, well... anything, really.

It's worth mentioning that HSBC's credit card business was bought by Capital One last year and that Cap One takes up two spots on that same most-blocked number list.

This is why we recommend using services like Skype or Google Voice that allow you to have a phone number that you only use for giving to companies that require a phone number.

And if you inadvertently opt in to robocalls on your cell phone, you should immediately look up how to opt out. The HSBC fine print says you can do so by calling the customer service number of the back of the credit card (and presumably sifting through three levels of customer service reps).

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

LEGO Piece Crammed Up Nose For 3 Years Causes Child’s Chronic Health Problems

The six-year-old Utah boy was sick for no clear reason. Just bad luck. For years, he had terrible sinus problems, and doctors assumed that it was bacterial, prescribing antibiotic after antibiotic that never solved the problem. Then one physician looked outside of the box (outside of the nostril?) a bit and noticed that there was some kind of foreign object up the child's nose. Did he remember putting anything up there? No, of course not. A specialist removed the obstruction, which turned out to be a "ball of fungus" surrounding a tiny, flexible LEGO tire. The child's health problems abruptly disappeared.

"You ask yourself, ‘Am I a bad parent because I didn't catch it sooner?' But the doctors just kept prescribing antibiotics," the child's dad told TV station KSL. "We just didn't know."

LEGO piece found in boy's nose after three years [KSL] (Thanks, GitEmSteveDave!)

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

CenturyLink Holds Me To Imaginary Contract, Bills Me Twice For $700 ETF

Rick typed out his tale of Qwest/CenturyLink woe using the Consumerist Mobile Tipster app, and attached one of those pictures that has circulated online seemingly forever--a little boy sticking a butter knife in an electrical socket. That's how this situation apparently makes him feel, and it's easy to see why. He used to work for Qwest, and never really had any problems with them in seventeen years of service from them. When he finally canceled service, he was told that he was still under contract and owed an early termination fee. A twenty-year contract?

A year and a half after canceling Qwest service, Century Link (the new owner) turns over a bill I didn't owe to a collection agency. I had Qwest for 10 years while I worked for them then another 7 after I left. They sent me this bill saying it was because I was in a contract when I cancelled service for over $700 and because I couldn't prove it when I disconnected I just paid it to make it go away. Then a year and a half later they tried to collect it again via this collection agency.

I spent two hours on the phone with them both and was finally able to download the credit card statement to prove I paid it. I still don't think I owed it on the first place - how can you be on a contract after having a service for 17 years? And I sure as hell wasn't going to pay it twice. Qwest was an excellent employer, I will say that, but as a service provider - they suck!!!

When adding new features or locking in a new price with your telecom, always make sure that you're not committing yourself to a new, shiny, and onerous new contract. Rick most likely knew better and wouldn't have done this, but the rest of us who have never worked for our telecoms are not so savvy. Clearly this would not have happened if Rick were still working there to keep the company in shape.

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Reebok EasyTone Refund Checks Are In The Mail

Almost a year after Reebok settled with the Federal Trade Commission for $25 million over allegations that it had deceptively advertised its EasyTone sneakers, those checks are finally going out to around 315,000 consumers who registered for refunds.

The Reebok toning shoe ads had made unsubstantiated claims that the footwear somehow strengthened and toned users' leg and butt muscles more than other sneakers.

According to the FTC, refund amounts will vary depending on how much each person paid for their particular pair of Reeboks, with most people getting back about 87% of the price they listed when filing for the refund.

If you get one of these checks, be sure to deposit ASAP, as the FTC says checks must be cashed on or before November 6, 2012. Anyone with questions can call 1-888-398-5389.

We're assuming that checks for the much larger $40 million settlement over Skechers Shape-Ups shoes won't be going out until 2013.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Couple Duped Into Not Actually Booking Tom Petty For Their Wedding Ends Up With Tom Petty Anyway

Talk about a heartbreaker: Can you imagine thinking you've managed to book your favorite musician to play at your wedding, only to find out you've been duped to the tune of $165,000? An Amazon exec was dazzled by the tales of a booking firm that said it could not only get Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to play at his July nuptials, but also boasted a roster of artists such as Run-DMC and Ludacris. Had to be legit, right? Wrong.

According to The Smoking Gun, Brian, a senior vice president at Amazon had the cash to shell out to try for Tom Petty. He had a sentimental reason — he and his wife were engaged at a 2010 Petty concert. Aww! So he did some research and found a booking firm to get him set up with the musician. He ended up paying the booking company owner a 50% deposit of $165,000 to lock Petty in for their wedding.

Then there came a set of dead ends — Brian couldn't get in touch with various contacts purportedly connected to Petty that had been provided by the booking firm, and he began to get that icky feeling.

When he managed to contact Petty's actual management company in April to talk about what would happen at the wedding, he got quite the shock — Petty's people had no idea what was going on, had never heard of the booking firm and definitely didn't know anything about the couple's wedding. Ruh roh.

His manager wrote to Brian in an email:

“We have never heard of [booking firm owner] or his agency. We are not aware of any deal for Tom Petty to play Seattle in July and I have never signed a contract for any such.” He added, “It looks like you have been defrauded.”

Brian had received a contract that was supposed to have been signed by Petty's manager before he'd paid the deposit, so with that $165,000 staring him in the face, he went to the FBI to report the fraud.

The booking firm's owner was arrested last week on felony fraud charges — and here comes the happy ending! Brian remained unflagging in his quest for the band, and after talking to actual people involved with the musician to get a booking, Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers did end up playing the Seattle wedding reception.

Hey, if anyone else out there has mistakenly thought they'd booked Tom Petty for their wedding and ended up jamming out to "Free Fallin' " in the end, feel free to share.

*Thanks for the tip, Rowell!

FBI: Amazon Exec Was Fleeced In Tom Petty Scam [The Smoking Gun]

by Mary Beth Quirk via The Consumerist

Apple Hates Your Kitten Videos, No Longer Pre-Installing YouTube On iOS Devices

When the next versions of Apple's iPhone and iPad devices hit customers' hands this fall, they will come without the YouTube app that was one of the initial big marketing points of original iPhone back in 2007.

Since then Apple and YouTube owner Google have been engaged in a bloody battle for smartphone users for their respective smartphone and tablet operating systems.

So rather than get the Apple YouTube app you've grown to know and love, you'll have to go to the Apple App Store to download -- presumably for free -- a version being cooked up directly by YouTube.

"We are working with Apple to ensure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users," a Google rep tells the Wall Street Journal.

Even those who don't download the app will still be able to look at YouTube clips within the iOS Safari browser.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

This E-Mail Basically Sums Up Why JCPenney May Be On Borrowed Time

Like the dorky kid in a high school sitcom who tries to change his image by showing up one day in pants and frosted hair, JCPenney has spent the last year desperately trying to make over its image as a place people used to get dragged to by their mom every August. But all the across-the-board price cuts, logo redesigns and iPad-toting cashiers in the world can't cover up sheer incompetence.

Consumerist reader E. had sent a rather simple e-mail to JCPenney's Customer Care department asking how he could unsubscribe from the retailer's automated e-mails. Should be a simple issue to resolve, but rather than getting a response saying he'd been unsubscribed or explaining how he could do so, he gets the above auto-generated message.

Not only does the message have absolutely nothing to do with his question -- he made no mention of an any online order -- whichever CSR-bot sent it couldn't even be bothered to choose whether or not the change he never requested had been made to the order he never placed.

At least E. has a sense of humor about it.

"This email response is just a hilarious extra bonus which I got for trying to communicate this to the 'Customer Care' team."

We wonder if maybe this is just new JCP CEO Ron Johnson's attempt to innovate by creating the first ever choose your own adventure customer service team?

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Amazon Hopes Delivery Lockers Will Fix That Whole “My Package Never Arrived” Problem

If you live in a few certain metropolitan areas, perhaps you've seen large metal lockers emblazoned with Amazon's logo on it in your local grocery store, drugstore or 7-11 and thought maybe the company was just keeping a change of gym clothes on hand. But as we reported last fall, Amazon has been testing a new locker system to avoid the often frustrating experience of trying to get a package delivered on time.

Sometimes you're not home when the delivery shows up, or the carrier decides for whatever reason not to deliver your goods. So Amazon's large metal cabinets, which began showing up in New York, Washington, D.C. and Seattle about a year ago, are the company's attempt to fix that system. San Francisco customers should be seeing the lockers around town as well.

It's seen as a good fix for apartment dwellers or anyone who doesn't have a back door or a safe place to leave a package in. The item is just delivered to the Amazon locker and the customer can then later pick it up, reports the Wall Street Journal (check out a picture of the lockers in the source link).

After you choose to pick up your item at a locker, you'll receive an emailed code that will unlock your locker door. Customers then have several days to get their goods. There's a weight limit, however — only items less than 10 pounds, so that TV won't fit.

This move is similar to steps other retailers are taking to make it easy for customers to get their goods — Walmart and Best Buy both have pickup sites for online customers to come and retrieve their items. Since Amazon has no physical stores, it's found partners to house its lockers instead.

The lockers are currently in states where Amazon already charges sales tax or will soon. The simple act of having a locker in a physical store might trigger a sales tax in a certain state — it's unclear how that would pan out so far.

If you spot a locker or have tried the system out, let us know in the comments or via tips@consumerist.com how it worked out for you.

Amazon's New Secret Weapon: Delivery Lockers [Wall Street Journal]

by Mary Beth Quirk via The Consumerist

McDonald’s Tries To Open Up The Elusive 2 To 5 A.M. Breakfast Market

I do most of my writing between 2 A.M. and 5 A.M. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't drive over to the nearest 24-hour McDonald's and order up an Egg McMuffin or a breakfast burrito right now. Breakfast food in the most wee hours of the morning? Who could imagine such a wondrous thing? McDonald's, of course. They're currently testing out very, very early breakfast service at their 24-hour locations in Ohio.

2-5 is a low-volume time in the fast-food business. That's not because customers' need for late-night eggs aren't being met, but because most normal people have jobs that don't involve illustrating appliance horror stories with cat pictures, and they are sleeping. Right? Maybe. The ad agency handling this project in Ohio is running a campaign aimed at what it terms "Nocturnivores," or "young people who want burgers or maybe McMuffins late at night." Will it work? Guess we'll find out. As far as this site is concerned, though, the success or failure of this campaign isn't the real issue at hand. The real reason why this makes us happy? You should be able to make a Mc10:35 late into the night.

A Mc10:35, in case you missed it the first time or have blocked it from your memory, is a secret menu item normally only available during the changeover period from breakfast to lunch. Except it's not all that secret, because you have to order two things and combine the disparate elements yourself. It consists of a McDouble (or your burger of choice) with the egg and Canadian bacon from an Egg McMuffin placed deliciously on top of the burger.

If you live in Ohio and have an interesting late-night breakfast experience or even a Mc10:35, you know where to find us.

McDonald’s launches Breakfast After Midnight for late-night diners [Columbus Business First]

McDonald's Is Going For American Fast Food's Last Unconquered Frontier [Business Insier]

by Laura Northrup via The Consumerist

Are You Overdosing On Supermarket Loyalty Cards?

Just about anyone who has been into a chain grocery store in the last decade is familiar with loyalty programs -- and the little barcode cards that can quickly clog up your wallet and/or key chain. But one Consumerist reader thinks it's time for supermarkets to rethink these programs and just pass the savings on to everyone.

"My wife now has loyalty keyfobs on her keyring outnumbering keys almost 2:1," writes H., who dreads those times when he forgets to bring the stash of cards with him when he makes a grocery run. And since they have so many of these cards, not all of them are correctly tied to his or his wife's phone number, meaning the cashier can't look up the cards using that info.

"When I find myself in that state I simply want to pay my 'just dues' and buy my stuff and get on with life," says H.

But he finds that cashiers are not always willing to let him get away without joining the loyalty program.

"The other day as I was checking out at Vons I failed to provide my card," he writes. "The cashier asked if I had a Vons card. I lied and said 'No' (because I simply wanted to go home before the butter melted). She didn't seem satisfied so she asked 'Are you on vacation?' I looked at her and said 'No.' She pointed out that she wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some possibility to save a few extra cents."

He asks, "Why not just give everyone the discount and dispense with tracking my every move with your card?"

And that's exactly the point, as a good part of the value of these cards to supermarkets is the ability to track regular shoppers' habits. They also can lock people into becoming perpetual customers through the use of rewards points. So it's in a grocery store's own interest to get these cards in as many customers' hands as possible.

(On a side note: The CDC has used supermarket loyalty cards to track a salmonella outbreak, while the USPS used them to return someone's lost keys.)

But the problem happens when every store offers the exact same kind of loyalty programs. It takes away any incentive to shop at any one store, and requires you to make extra room on your key chain.

"The fact that I can have an unlimited collection of 'loyalty' cards from every single grocery in this town indicates that it only serves to make sure I'm annoyed when I try to get out of the store without presenting the plastic key to leave," writes H.

So who can win over these customers who want discounts but don't want to be overwhelmed with plastic fobs?

"We have found a couple of local smaller chains that don't bother with the card system," says H. "I'm growing more fond of them by the day!"

Feel free to use the comments to talk up your favorite -- and least favorite -- rewards programs, and why they do or don't work for you.

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Citi Has Some Very Strange Ideas On How I Plan To Spend My Extra Cash Points

Is there no limit to what banking rewards programs will cover these days? Flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, electronics, women. Wait -- what?

Consumerist reader F. is a member of Citi's Extra Cash rewards program and saw they could earn 100 points just for taking this survey. But when F. got to this question about "What products or services are you considering purchasing using your Extra Cash?", they noticed that apparently Extra Cash can be spent on adult human females.

We're sending this to Citi, because we're pretty sure this isn't what the survey was meant to say.

And it gives us a reason to run this clip from the Blues Brothers:

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Setting Cheerios On Fire Outside General Mills Office Is Maybe Not The Best Way To Voice Opinion On Same-Sex Marriage

Whatever your opinion on same-sex marriage (and the companies whose executives may oppose or support it), you certainly have the right to express your beliefs. However, we are pretty sure that only bad things can happen if your protest involves an attempt to ignite a bowl of Cheerios in public.

"One out of every eight boxes of cereal in this country is Cheerios," says a man standing outside a General Mills office with a box of Honey Nut Cheerios in one hand and a torch in the other. "This is really the treat now for the homosexuals. And this is our protest of General Mills advocating same-sex marriages."

The man then attempts to light the cereal on fire, and not with much success.

Not that the cereal doesn't eventually go up in flames, but so does the plastic bag inside the box. That flaming bag then falls to the grass and lots of stomping ensues.

Much like the Arizona man on the opposite side of this debate -- who lost his job after he posted a video of himself harassing a Chick fil-A drive-thru worker over the beliefs of that company's president -- we're at a loss to figure out what the cereal flamer had hoped to achieve, other than becoming the butt of Internet jokes.

[via Buzzfeed]

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist

Scammers Find New Favorite Target: Lawyers

Lest you think that the only people being taken in by apparently obvious scams are naive rubes, it looks like lots of people with fancy law degrees are being scammed by letting their avarice get the better of them.

The Wall Street Journal has the story of how scammers are increasingly targeting lawyers who are hungry to take on new clients:

Crafting elaborate stories that often involve real companies or properties, con artists say they live abroad and need help collecting money from a debtor or a legal settlement. They ask the lawyers to wire the funds to bank accounts overseas, after taking a cut in fees for their services.

The scammer then sends a bogus settlement check -- along with documents that add an air of truth to the story -- to the lawyer. If the lawyer attempts to call any of the people referenced in the documents, they will reach actual people; actual people who are part of the scam.

So the lawyer then deposits the settlement check and wires money (minus the attorney's fee) to the "client." Meanwhile, the lawyer's bank is figuring out that the check is worth absolutely nothing.

It takes a higher class of criminal to rook a lawyer, say those who investigate such scams.

"The guys that are doing this, they are the top of the game," admits U.S. Postal Inspector Louis Di Rienzo, who estimates that law firms have been scammed out of at least $70 million since 2009.

In Email, Scammers Take Aim At Lawyers [Wall Street Jounal]

by Chris Morran via The Consumerist