Home / consumerist.com rss archive / September-19-2007


Accidental Freebies: Cycle Store Screws Up Giveaway, Now There Are Ten Winners
A cycle shop in Mississippi accidentally gave away an ATV ten times in a row during a promotional contest, when all ten of the people who were randomly selected from over a thousand turned out to have working copies of the same key. The store's owner still doesn't know how it happened, but he held firm to the intent of the original promotion and gave away only one ATV, which has angered at least one non-winning winner."It's just a big disappointment because my key worked, and that's what we were promised - if your key works, you get the ATV," said Cheri Reus, who was second in line and whose key worked just fine. She's since complained to the attorney general, and a spokesperson for the office said they were investigating the issue.The other nine contestants apparently agreed to let the cycle shop give the ATV to the first person who tried his key, which we think shows a remarkable level of customer compassion for the store owner."Hattiesburg business accidentally promises...

Leaks: Verizon's Style Book For Deploying "Can You Hear Me Now" Guy
You know the Verizon "Can you hear me now?" guy? Of course you do. Verizon has been pouring branding equity into the lil fella for years. You can't leverage a character across a big company like that without developing a special "style guide" Verizon developed to govern how his likeness is used in various marketing campaigns. It's quite hilarious, and a former company employee sent it to us to share with you.Verizon Wireless "Test Man" Usage Guidelines Consumers and current customers should view Test Man as the embodiment of a Verizon Wireless employee whose sole purpose is to test our network. As Verizon Wireless employees, we know we have the best network in the Nation. He represents our relentless pursuit of making sure that we continue to make it even better. He embodies the true spirit and personality of our company in that Verizon Wireless employees are relentless, obsessive and committed to meeting our customers needs. We are particularly relentless when it comes to making...

Personal Finance: The Basics Of Money
Kiplinger has launched a new site designed to teach the basics of money management and handling your personal financial life. If you're getting started, or starting over, there's numerous good articles here about budgets, investing, picking banks, retirement plans, insurance, etc. etc, delivered in the straightforward and personable manner for which Kiplinger is known.The Basics Of Money [Kiplinger](Photo: Getty)

Advice: When Should You Buy New Technology?
The short answer: when it's no longer new, of course—early adopters are the pawns in the great game of consumer electronics, easily sacrificed by both sides in order to fuel product launches, establish word of mouth, and help discover any 1st-gen bugs. (*cough* iPhone *cough*) SmartMoney says on average, wait six months after a product is released before buying it, but they also provide a list of specific advice for things like cellphones, computers, and cameras.Cellphones - six months. Prices drop quickly when a new model is on the horizon, or when multiple carriers are offering the same device.Computers - as long as you can. Even a year-old computer is more than advanced enough these days for most "normal" tasks, and you can pick up last year's model for hundreds less.Digital Cameras - wait one year. The editor of CNET tells SmartMoney, "Digital cameras are still a niche market, which means prices are slow to drop... But advancements have slowed somewhat, too."...

Precious: College Student Learns How Overdrafts Work
Forgive me, I'm a bit emotional over this. I'm raging mad and sad and disappointed because today Wells Fargo just lost my business. Yeah, I screwed up in this, but I'm a poor college student, and I thought I fixed it before it was a problem...So, Saturday night I made two Paypal purchases. When I looked at my bank account, I noticed that I didn't have enough to cover them, so I transferred enough to cover both purchases and the overdraft fee from my ING Direct account. Monday rolls around, my Paypal purchases come through, and my transfer shows up as pending. Okay, I thought, so I've got that covered, cool. Tuesday morning rolls around and my deposit has posted and I'm in the green, with enough to cover the inevitable overdraft fee. Then, Tuesday night I decided to check in on my account. TWO overdraft fees has posted, and I'm deep in the red. Not to mention I had bought a stamp today that puts me deeper in the red, though not by much. So I call Wells Fargo, explain my situation...

Customer Service: A new, pretty, site where people collaborate ...
A new, pretty, site where people collaborate and share information to help each other get customer satisfaction. Companies are encouraged to participate as well. [Satisfaction]

Leaks: Verizon's Style Book For Deploying "Can You Hear Me Now/" Man
You know the Verizon "Can you hear me now?" guy? Of course you do. Verizon has been pouring branding equity into the lil fella for years. You can't leverage a character across a big company like that without developing a special "style guide" Verizon developed to govern how his likeness is used in various marketing campaigns. It's quite hilarious, and a former company employee sent it to us to share with you.Verizon Wireless "Test Man" Usage Guidelines Consumers and current customers should view Test Man as the embodiment of a Verizon Wireless employee whose sole purpose is to test our network. As Verizon Wireless employees, we know we have the best network in the Nation. He represents our relentless pursuit of making sure that we continue to make it even better. He embodies the true spirit and personality of our company in that Verizon Wireless employees are relentless, obsessive and committed to meeting our customers needs. We are particularly relentless when it comes to making...

Flying: New Boeing 787 More Likely Than Other Planes To Be Unsafe... After Crashing?
Semi-retired newsman Dan Rather claims the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is made of a brittle material that is more likely than traditional materials to shatter on impact and emit poisonous chemicals when on fire. To us, the most important words in that sentence are on impact and when on fire, because if those conditions are met then we figure we'll already be in more than enough danger.A former Boeing engineer, who claims he was fired for his concerns over the issue, explains the problem in a more serious way. With airplanes made of aluminum, the fuselage crumples but remains intact, which keeps life-threatening fires away from passengers. But not so with the Dreamliner:"With a composite airframe, the fuselage would not crumple, it would shatter ... that shattered hole would be there for the fire that's going into the airplane. Instead of everyone getting out, it would be a far less positive result."He doesn't even mention all the sharks that would be able to get in if you crashed...

The Second Best A Man Can Get: Chinese Brothers Develop New "Mock 3" Razors
Chinese officials charged the Zhang brothers with assembling 160,000 fake Gillette Mach 3 razor blades in their home with the help of other family members (and, we imagine, lots of boxes of Band-Aids). The home was raided over a year ago, but apparently the charges have just been officially announced. Unless, of course, this very announcement is a forgery—or tainted with lead!Of the 160,000 counterfeit blades, 120,000 had already been shipped to Shanghai by the time of the raid. The fake blades were estimated to be worth over $300,000.We fully expect to be writing a post about a fake Olympic Village, where all the buildings are movie set faades, in 2008."Brothers on the cutting edge of knock-offs" [Reuters]

Badvertising: Great Moments In Commercial History: John Orcutt
Reader Jeffrey says:John Orcutt has been advertising in North Carolina for years. This most recent one made me laugh out loud. How delightful! The scary bill collector sort of reminds us of the dramatic hamster. If you'd like to nominate a commercial for our weekly series "Great Moments In Commercial History" send us an email at tips [at] consumerist [dot] com. Be sure to put "Great Moments In Commercial History" in the subject. To see other commercials that have been featured in the series, click here.

Faux-mobile: Phone Shop's Name Looks Oddly Familiar
The owner of this mobile phone and accessory store in NYC has found a creative way to re-use some existing signage. It's not exactly as genius as the "COBY" brand you see on low-rent CD players and headphones, but it gets the job done.Other ideas for mobile store signs once the original owner has vacated: AT&Tractive Mobile, erizon, and Sprinth.(Photo: Chris Walters)

A Bit Of Advice: Home Inspection Nightmares
There are times when you should do things yourself and times when you would be better off if you hired someone. How can you tell the difference?For example, if you think a chewing tobacco can would make a good junction box, you should always hire someone.Home Inspection Nightmares VIII [This Old House via boingboing]

Stats Feed: Today's most popular headlines are • ...
Today's most popular headlines are • Best Buy Sends The Police After You For Taking Your Loan Application Home (3,815 views today), • Pat's Plumbing Charges Guy In Wheelchair $550 To Remove Dispoable Razor From His Toilet Trap (3,347) and • Employers Can Reject New Hires Based On Low Credit Scores Credit History (3,106).

Faux-mobile: Mobile Shop's Name Looks Oddly Familiar
The owner of this mobile phone and accessory store in NYC has found a creative way to re-use some existing signage. It's not exactly as genius as the "COBY" brand you see on low-rent CD players and headphones, but it gets the job done.Other ideas for mobile store signs once the original owner has vacated: AT&Tractive Mobile, erizon, and Sprinth.(Photo: Chris Walters)

Debacles: My Wonderful Trip To South Africa That Didn't Happen Thanks To The TSA And Delta Airlines
Here's a ridiculous story about the TSA, the San Diego Airport and Delta Airlines. It even involves allegations of "death threats." At this point the husband of the family, my hero - got love New Yorkers (living in Florida). Screams at the top of his lungs "He's with us, you let him up here right now!" directly into the face of the TSA bouncer that made the announcement earlier.The TSA officer says to the husband, "Sir, lower your voice.""Fine go through", Jackie says knowing she could no longer deny me and had lost. At the same moment I walk through the First class line behind the TSA officer. I hear the husband ask, "Why are you guys doing this to this guy, he just wanted to get on his flight?"As I walk by, I hear the TSA officer respond - "Sir, that gentleman made a death threat on my life". AN OBVIOUS LIE! I ignore it, as at this point I am shaking from the stress of the situation and I am nervous that I am not going to make my flight."Oh, I didn't know anything about that",...

Worst Company In America: Interview With RIAA Lawsuit Target Tanya Andersen
You might remember Tanya. She was falsely accused by the RIAA of sharing over 1,000 songs. Rather than admit they had the wrong person, the RIAA lawyers just wouldn't quit.Marketplace interviewed Tanya, who is now seeking class action status for her lawsuit against the big recording labels. According to Marketplace, Tanya is accusing them of "fraud, malicious prosecution, libel and slander, invasion of privacy, deceptive business practices, misuse of copyright laws and colluding to engage in widespread extortion and racketeering."No pause in music industry's tough play [Marketplace](Thanks, Andy!)

Videos: The Chuck E. Cheese Walkabout Instructional Video
Chuck-E-Cheese was a magical place your parents never wanted to take you, but there's a lot more to it than just an animatronic band, dwindling token supplies, and molten pizza. Consider the extensive training a Chuck-E-Cheese character has to go through, as shown in this instructional video where we learn, "Now it's more complicated because you're dealing with imaginary objects."[via Your Daily Awesome]

Questionable Crimes: Best Buy Sends The Police After You For Taking Your Loan Application Home
Here's a weird situation from Orland Park, IL. Mike Quilty, who works for a subcontractor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, went to Best Buy to purchase a refrigerator. Best Buy's loan application required his SSN, which he was not happy about providing because, you know, he works in "security" and likes things to be "secure." Then, after deciding he did not want to purchase the appliance, Mr. Quilty took his loan application back. That's when it got weird:Quilty said he picked up his paperwork, which he had signed, and intended to go to the rear of the store and talk to the sales rep."But the clerk shouted that I can't take the application," Quilty said. "She said it belongs to the store."Best Buy's spokesman said the clerk was following proper procedure.Quilty said at this point he decided to leave the store - and take the loan application with him.The clerk again insisted he leave the loan application behind.Quilty ignored her and headed toward the door.The clerk...

Complaints: Pat's Plumbing Charges Guy In Wheelchair $550 To Remove Dispoable Razor From His Toilet Trap
My name is Pat. I recently needed some plumbing done on my toilet. It was clogged, and we couldn't get anything to work for us to get it unclogged. I looked through the online websites in the area of plumbers. Holy crap, here is Pat's Plumbing. I didn't even know I had a plumbing business, so I figured "what the hell". I called them, and I told them of my troubles. "We cannot give prices over the phone sir, but we give up front pricing after our technician shows up". Well, c'mon over I said. They showed up, and without even looking at my toilet, they whipped out a book of prices, and quoted me $500 to do this obviously tough job, but not obvious to them because like I said, they had not even looked at the item yet.Well, I am physically handicapped. I had a spinal cord tumor removed from my back, and it has really screwed up my G.I. system, so this is one reason the toilet was clogged, plus, I depended on that toilet to work. I was desperate. I reluctantly agreed thinking that...

Tare: Vintage Weights And Measures Scams
Before leaded toymakers, these homegrown shortchangers conned "Mr. and Mrs. Buying Public" with lead-weighted ducks, berry boxes designed to look like they held more than they really did, and various deliberately faulty scales."Gypping" the Public (May, 1938) [Modern Mechanix] (Thanks to Charles & Virginia!)

Ask The Consumerists: Why Don't You Weigh In On The Video Format War?
Reader James writes:I know that you guys have already covered the "format war" to some extent in the past. As I recall your site stated that the "format war" is indeed anti-consumer, which I agree with wholeheartedly. However, I do think that it would be incredibly helpful if you guys would revisit the story, and determine for yourselves which format is the most "consumer friendly."I realize that if you all were to essentially cast your vote then it would subject you to a lot of "hate" mail and such, but I believe that depending on how you present the information there will be no room for debate...James,That wasn't your entire email, and we apologize for not reprinting it in full, but we need to move on to the topic at hand. Why doesn't Consumerist pick a format? Let us be frank with you. One of the reasons we enjoy writing for this site is that does not require us to blow smoke up our reader's asses. We think... We hope... they appreciate it, even though our advice isn't...

Scams: Vintage Weights And Measures Scams
Before leaded toymakers, these homegrown shortchangers conned "Mr. and Mrs. Buying Public" with lead-weighted ducks, berry boxes designed to look like they held more than they really did, and various deliberately faulty scales."Gypping" the Public (May, 1938) [Modern Mechanix] (Thanks to Charles & Virginia!)

Jobs: Employers Can Reject New Hires Based On Low Credit Scores Credit History
A friend of ours recently took his Air Force application tests and was told he qualified for every job, except those with Top-Secret classification, because his credit score was too low.It turns out employers can actually legally refuse to hire you if they don't like the looks of your credit report.According to a VISA survey released last week, 80% of Americans are unaware of this.UPDATE: Maybe they're unaware because the VISA press release is wrong. Experian credit bureau spokeswoman Maxine Sweet told The Detroit News, "We do not score for employment reports...If you chose to do that, I think you would be breaking the law."Some employers believe that one's credit score is a measure of a prospective employee's honesty and integrity. We wonder what the CEO of Enron's credit score was in October, 2001."Credit scores have become the de facto 'GPA' for all aspects of modern life..." said Jason Alderman, director of financial education for Visa USA— a frightening claim,...

Safety: When To Sell Your Car
You can save money by not offloading your car for the next hot thing, but Consumer Reports says there's a few special situations when you should definitely sell your car, like when it has:Necessary repairs cost more than the car is worthStructural-integrity threatening rustAfter repairs, there's still a likelihood the car will fail and leave you stuck on a dark country road miles away from civilizationBeen in a flood or serious accidentSaving money is great, but it shouldn't come at the expense of safety.When to say goodbye [Consumer Reports via Consumerist Commentary](Photo: Morsteen)

New And Exciting Products: Is The World Ready For Martha Stewart Wine?
Is the world ready for Martha Stewart-themed wine? Oh, apparently. Martha will be slapping her name onto some Gallo wine, according to the Wall Street Journal. Although Ernest & Julio will be producing the wine, the Gallo name won't be on the label.From the WSJ:Dubbed Martha Stewart Vintage, the $15-a-bottle wine -- in chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot -- will be produced and distributed by closely held E.&J. Gallo Winery, of Modesto, Calif., and made from grapes grown primarily in Sonoma County, Calif., these people said. A ros version is under consideration for future releases in the line. For some reason this makes us laugh.Martha Stewart and Gallo Set Wine-Marketing Pact

Money: Personal Finance Roundup
35 minutes to riches [CNN Money] "47 smart ways to get on track to a rich life." How to Master the Subtle Art Of Self-Promotion on the Job[CareerJournal] "Five ways to highlight your achievements without making yourself look like a braggart or a buffoon." A Break on College Costs [Kiplinger] "New legislation will make college more affordable by directing federal money to students instead of to student lenders." Retired by 50: What it really takes [MSN Money] "It's possible to pinch pennies in your 30s so that you can give up the daily grind by 50. Just don't expect to spend the rest of your life on the golf course." 5 Things to Look for in a Retirement Home [Smart Money]"Here are some tips on what to look for when shopping around for a retirement community." — FREE MONEY FINANCE(Photo: amyadoyzie)

Travel: Southwest To End "Family First" Boarding Policy
Southwest currently lets families board first, but they're axing that policy in an effort to save time. Rather than board with the A group, families will now board after A but before B and C. If all members are in the A group, they will board with A. The change reflects Southwest's new focus on attracting more business travelers. Some analysts expect that Southwest will soon begin charging extra for A passes or some variation. No word yet.Southwest to end family-first boarding policy[Houston Chronicle](Photo:dlkinney)

Food Safety: Hypochondriacs Rejoice! CSPI Launches Foodbourne Illness Outbreak Database
Here's a nifty little tool for you hypochondriacs, the CSPI has put together an easily browsable database of all the foodbourne illness outbreaks in the US! Did you know that lima beans caused an outbreak of Clostridium perfringens at an Illinois jail in 1996? Now you do!My goodness, this will provide hours of terror.Outbreak Alert! Database [CSPI]

Real Estate: If you're upside down on your home mortgage, ...
If you're upside down on your home mortgage, don't be afraid of losing your house. It could be the best thing to happen to you. [Bankrate]

Jobs: Employers Can Reject New Hires Based On Low Credit Scores
A friend of ours recently took his Air Force application tests and was told he qualified for every job, except those with Top-Secret classification, because his credit score was too low.It turns out employers can actually legally refuse to hire you if they don't like the looks of your credit report.According to a VISA survey released last week, 80% of Americans are unaware of this.Some employers believe that one's credit score is a measure of a prospective employee's honesty and integrity. We wonder what the CEO of Enron's credit score was in October, 2001."Credit scores have become the de facto 'GPA' for all aspects of modern life..." said Jason Alderman, director of financial education for Visa USA— a frightening claim, and one that underscores the credit score's overreach beyond what it was designed to measure.A credit score can indicate that you have your shit together, but does having a lower one really mean you won't be as good at your job?Americans Unaware That...

Chinese Poison Train: Target, Limited Too and Dollar General Quietly Pulling Lead Contaminated Items Off Shelves
According to the NYT, Target, Limited Too and Dollar General have located additional products that are contaminated with lead, but no recalls have been announced by the CPSC. The retailers have been quietly pulling the items off shelves. CPSC rules stipulate that a retailer has 24 hours to report a defect that has potential to cause injury, a rule that companies regularly ignore.Target disclosed that two products it sold recently -- David Kirk Happy Giddy Children's Garden Trowel and Sunny Patch Safari Children's Chair -- had hazardous levels of lead. It did not say how many of the items were sold before it became aware of the lead contamination in August.Dollar General said that 192,000 metal key chains appeared to be contaminated, while Tween Brands, owner of Limited Too stores, said it had discovered lead paint on a decorative flower-shaped object included in the wrapping of a shower gel and body lotion set.Discount School Supply, a retailer based in Monterey, Calif., reported...

Shopping: TypoTrawler Finds MIsspelled eBay Deals
TypoTrawler scans eBay looking for misspellings. Savvy eBay shoppers know that misspelled listings result in fewer bidders, because they're harder to find, so they offer the opportunity for getting a lower final auction price and/or making the item easier to win. You can select which categories you want to view and you can vote on which items are really misspelled or not, as well as click through to the eBay page. They really need some kind of search function to make the service really useful but TypoTrawler, currently in Beta, looks like a cool site to keep an eye on for future developments. [TypoTrawler via Mighty Bargain Hunter]

News From The Swamp: Liveblogging The House Energy And Commerce Subcommittee Hearing On Toy Safetymayb
-In Progress-Starting at 10 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection will ask how best to protect children from lead-tainted imports. The hearing will be chaired by former Black Panther, Bobby Rush (D-IL), and comes exactly one week after the Senate Appropriations Committee grilled the CPSC and toy industry representatives at a similar hearing. Parading before you today will be two familiar panels: The first will feature acting Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore, who skipped out of last week's hearing for a dentists appointment. The second will be devoted solely to Mattel CEO Robert Eckert.Keep hitting refresh for up-to-the-minute coverage, including pictures of Members playing with lead-ridden children's toys.(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)9:30: Video Link - The House knows better than to use Real Player. Fun fact: before entering the Senate, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) was the Vice-Presi...

Frugality: So it seems you can open a 6 volt battery ...
So it seems you can open a 6 volt battery and find 32 AA batteries inside. Consider that a 4 pack of AAs costs around $5, and you can get a lantern battery for about $5, and that's some powerful savings. [Lifehacker]

Recalls: REI Novara Afterburner Trailer Bicycles (can ...
REI Novara Afterburner Trailer Bicycles (can detach from adult bicycle...).

The Old Grey Lady Is Loose: Get your Times Select refund from the NYT! ...
Get your Times Select refund from the NYT! Fun! [NYT]

Leaks: Comcast's Download Cap Is 200 GB, But Only In Areas With Subpar Networks
Comcast's download limit is 200 gigabytes, but the limit isn't everywhere, a former Comcast employee told The Consumerist. Places where the network isn't optimal, due to old hardware or too much traffic, like the Bay Area, will run into the limit. Places like Philadelphia will never run into the problem.Comcast even has a system ready to go where if you exceed the limit a popup will ask you to purchase additional gigabytes, our source says. The graphical user interface is completely designed and everything, but Comcast hasn't deployed it, because they're waiting for either another ISP to do it first, or to figure out how to do it without angering their customers, whichever comes first.CEO Brian Roberts is said to have seen a demo and given his thumbs up.RELATED: Comcast Customer Uses "Unlimited Service" Excessively, Gets Disconnected For A Year(Photo: cmorran123)

News From The Swamp: Liveblogging The House Energy And Commerce Subcommittee Hearing On Toy Safety
Starting at 10 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection will ask how best to protect children from lead-tainted imports. The hearing will be chaired by former Black Panther, Bobby Rush (D-IL), and comes exactly one week after the Senate Appropriations Committee grilled the CPSC and toy industry representatives at a similar hearing. Parading before you today will be two familiar panels: The first will feature acting Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore, who skipped out of last week's hearing for a dentists appointment. The second will be devoted solely to Mattel CEO Robert Eckert.Start hitting refresh at 10 a.m. for up-to-the-minute coverage, including pictures of Members playing with lead-ridden children's toys.(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)9:30:Video Link - The House knows better than to use Real Player. Fun fact: before entering the Senate, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) was the Vice-Preside...

Rumors: Comcast's Download Cap Is 200 GB, But Only In Areas With Subpar Networks
Comcast's download limit is 200 gigabytes, but the limit isn't everywhere, a former Comcast employee told The Consumerist. Places where the network isn't optimal, due to old hardware or too much traffic, like the Bay Area, will run into the limit. Places like Philadelphia will never run into the problem.Comcast even has a system ready to go where if you exceed the limit a popup will ask you to purchase additional gigabytes, our source says. The graphical user interface is completely designed and everything, but Comcast hasn't deployed it, because they're waiting for either another ISP to do it first, or to figure out how to do it without angering their customers, whichever comes first.CEO Brian Roberts is said to have seen a demo and given his thumbs up.RELATED: Comcast Customer Uses "Unlimited Service" Excessively, Gets Disconnected For A Year(Photo: cmorran123)

Health: Wal-Mart Unveils Improved Insurance Plan For Its Employees
Wal-Mart's rehabilitation continues, possibly: beginning in January, it will offer its employees a revamped insurance package designed to cut costs, expand coverage, and reduce the price of prescription drugs. Even past critics of Wal-Mart, such as health care advocacy group Families USA, are hopeful: "On face value, this looks like a very significant change and improvement." Some of the plan's details: a $100-500 grant to defray costs, premiums as low as $5/month, the "elimination" of expensive hospital deductibles, and an increase in the number of $4 prescription drugs to 2,400.We're not sure about the details of these details—do the $5/month premiums pay for largely pointless "limited benefit" plans? What deductibles are being eliminated, exactly?— but it's a step in the right direction. There are still some valid criticisms. Wal-Mart Watch points out that low wages and long waiting periods (before qualifying for insurance) mean that for a large group...

Rumors: Comcast's Download Limit Is 200 GB, But Only In Areas With Subpar Networks
Comcast's download limit is 200 gigabytes, but the limit isn't everywhere, a former Comcast employee told The Consumerist. Places where the network isn't optimal, due to old hardware or too much traffic, like the Bay Area, will run into the limit. Places like Philadelphia will never run into the problem.Comcast even has a system ready to go where if you exceed the limit a popup will ask you to purchase additional gigabytes, our source says. The graphic interface is completely designed but they haven't deployed it because they're waiting for either another ISP to do it first or to figure out how to do it without angering their customers.CEO Brian Roberts is said to have seen a demo and given his thumbs up.RELATED: Comcast Customer Uses "Unlimited Service" Excessively, Gets Disconnected For A Year(Photo: cmorran123)

Credit Cards: Credit vs Debit
What's better, debit or credit? Red Tape Chronicles examines the pros and cons. Our position is that debit cards are better for controlling spending, but credit cards protect the buyer better, much better.

Creative Marketing: Lego, Playmobil, Ravensburger: We're Not Made In China
It's clear that this shopping season, a new marketing angle for toy manufacturers will be the "made locally" claim—and to that end, several European toy companies are cautiously happy that they decided not to move production to China in recent years. The managing director of Playmobil tells the New York Times, "At the level of quality we need, we didn't have enough manpower to inspect factories in China," and that "Looking back, it feels like it was right to make that decision." Ironically, Playmobil's last recall in the U.S. was in 1982 over toys made by an American manufacturer—over a lead paint issue.Whether this will impact sales is still questionable, but an analyst says that at the very least, they should enjoy bumps in their domestic markets. And none of these companies is entirely self-sufficient; for example, Playmobil makes its own toys but sources its electronic lights from China, while Lego is moving production from Denmark to factories in Hungary...

Shopping: Morning Deals
Amazon: Two Wii Remote Controllers for $59.98eCost.com: Refurbished Westinghouse 37-inch Widescreen HD 1080P Monitor for $663, shippedAmazon: Pnzon 10 Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set for $59.99 ShippedHighlights From DealhackOrbitz: 3-Day Sale: Save $50 off Hotel Bookings of 2+ NightsDell Outlet: Wednesday only: Save Extra 15% off Refurbished Inspiron, Dimension, & XPS Desktop PCsCircuit City: Philips P-Scan DVD Player with DivX $36 ShippedHighlights From BargainistBuy.com: Refurbished iRobot Roomba 4199 $90 shippedAmazon.com: Sci-Fi DVDS up to 50% offL.L. Bean: Fall values up to 60% off