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ID Theft: Guess Who's Not Getting Anything From The TJ Maxx Settlement? You!
Mouseprint.org has read the fine print and they say you're probably out of luck when it comes to the TJ Maxx Settlement: So, it is primarily shoppers who returned goods without a receipt during the relevant period who qualify for that part of the settlement. That amounts to some 455,000 people, a mere 1% of the total number possibly affected. These people have already received a direct notification of the breach from TJX, and will also be entitled to other compensation if they experienced actual losses.For everybody else who made a purchase at a TJX store by check, credit or debit card between certain dates, and who suffered more than a $5 loss as a result of the breach, you will be entitled to $30 to $60 in merchandise credit depending on the level of proof you have. Despite the large number of card numbers stolen, it appears that very few people actually became victims of id theft. That may best explain why most of the 45 million cardholders will not be entitled to compensation....

Recalls: Did The Chicago Tribune Embarrass The CPSC Into Recalling A Million Cribs?
When it comes to consumer reporting about hazardous children's products, the Chicago Tribune might be the most badass newspaper around. After shaming Walmart, Target, and Kohl's by finding (illegal) recalled toys on their shelves, the Tribune went after Simplicity cribs and a massive recall followed:Photographs taken of Liam Johns' crib by the Sacramento County Coroner's Office clearly show where it came apart.The drop rail had detached from its plastic track, creating a gap through which the 9-month-old boy slipped feet-first. Instead of falling to the floor, Liam got his head stuck between the rail and the mattress. Trapped in a hanging position, the boy asphyxiated.Liam's April 2005 death prompted an investigation by a federal watchdog agency and a family lawsuit against the crib's manufacturer, Simplicity Inc.But the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission didn't warn parents across the country about the potentially fatal flaw in Simplicity cribs--not after Liam...

Followups: Updates & Refutations
Tmobile says they fixed Motoko's fraudulent bill complaint.An insurance claims adjuster would like to adjust several of the claims made in "10 Things Your Auto Insurer Won't Tell You"Two airplane manufacturers and a UCLA professor take issue with a Dan Rather Reports episode claiming new Boeing 787 Dreamliners are made of a material more prone than other airplanes to shatter on impact.Jacqueline, the wife of an Alaskan fisherman, informs us that, "the marine smell of shell fish is more briny than fishy," and implores us to, "Always avoid fishy smells."

Videos: Fake Credit Card App Booths: An Extremely Unlikely Identity Theft Scenario
newVideoPlayer("Credit_Card_Scam_Today_show.flv", 475, 376);Jumping on the identity theft scare bandwagon, The Today Show demonstrated how thieves could successfully steal your personal information by making a fake credit card application booth. They made up a bank, had a printed sign, an electronic kiosk, a folding table, table cloth, and reasonably attractive blond girl, and got people to input their name, address, social security number, etc, in exchange for a $5 coupon. We've never heard of this method being used to perpetuate an identity theft scam, perhaps because it's retarded.It requires:High cost/barrier of entry for would-be thievesLack of concern for low reward relative to riskExtended face-to-face contact with victimsExtended public displayGetting official permits (they did it outside a student union and inside a mall)Technical aptitude to program kioskLet's focus on warning consumers about scams that actually exist in reality, thanks.

Consumerist Articles Of The Future: So, it turns out that if you send salmonella ...
So, it turns out that if you send salmonella bacteria into space, it comes back super evil and kills mice much faster than regular earthly salmonella. Bad news for those of you who enjoy eating Walmart peanut butter in space. [WSJ Health Blog]

Leaks: Get AT&T Dry Loop For $23.99
Thanks to the efforts of the Illinois Citizen's Utility Board, people all across the Midwest, Southwest California, Nevada and Connecticut, can get AT&T dry loop DSL for only $23.99 (express) or $28.99 (pro), instead of $43.99 or $48.99. But they won't tell you this through the regular customer service line, because AT&T would really rather you have a landline along with your DSL, and pay more for the privilege. A current AT&T retention rep tells us this is the way to do the discount dry loop dance:Call the AT&T Dry Loop department directly at 888-800-4095Ask to switch to "DSL direct"If they give you a hassle, say it's a retention offerOur source this will not work for the Bellsouth region. This tip is untested, but sounds worth the shot.(Photo: Travis Hornung)

Technology: OLPC Announces "Give One Get One" Laptop Sale
Early adopters, geeks, technology bargain hunters and idealists rejoice: One Laptop Per Child is opening its high tech stash to private consumers, at least temporarily, in an effort to help get their project off the ground now that production has begun. For two weeks beginning November 12th, you can purchase one of their green and white, portable, solar powered, open source laptops with the super-bright screen, for yourself for a tax-deductible $399, and a second laptop will be given to a needy kid somewhere else.The One Laptop Per Child program has had its share of critics and setbacks over the past several years. For one thing, the "$100 laptop" is now the "$188 laptop" due to parts costs. Now a bigger problem is that that countries are dragging their collective feet on handshake agreements to purchase the laptops. Nicholas Negroponte, the guy behind OLPC, tells Newsweek,"I had a handshake agreement with the leaders of three countries--Thailand, Nigeria and Brazil--all agreeing...

Your Government: Philadelphia Mayor Cracks Down On Tax Evaders, Finds Out He Is One
Philadelphia's mayor, John Street, also known as the "iPhone Mayor," (because he camped out for an iPhone) told Philadelphia he was cracking down on tax scofflaws... only to find out that he is one. From KYW:About three weeks ago Mayor Street announced an aggressive effort to reclaim one-third of the $700 million that the city is owed in back property taxes: "If the taxes are delinquent, you will have to pay." A local newspaper did some digging and found that among those who owe money is John Franklin Street, our mayor. The Philadelphia Daily News found that he had not paid taxes on two of his four North Philadelphia properties since 2003, and owed $4,800. The mayor's spokesman, Joe Grace, says after the newspaper called, Street wrote a check: "As soon as it came to the mayor's attention, the mayor immediately issued a check for $4,798 to pay those tax bills in full." Street says the bills were going to the wrong address and is now asking Philadelphia residents to please provide...

Backlash: Is The Consumer Backlash Against DRM Starting To Make Them Sweat?
Consumers don't like DRM and neither do we, but quite honestly—we thought no one cared what we liked and disliked. Now Ars Technica seems to think that DRM producers are starting to sweat from the heat of the anti-DRM consumer backlash.You all know the slogan: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." At the Digital Rights Strategies conference in New York City, a similar message could be heard: "DRM doesn't anger consumers, content owners abusing DRM anger consumers." And then there's this little nugget of hilarity:At a conference convened by the overlords of DRM, Sony vice president Scott Smyers admits that he circumvents the copy protection on DVDs (CSS) in order to make backups for personal use. Apparently Mr. Smyers doesn't agree with Hollywood or the Register of Copyrights, both of which argue that "backups" can readily be had in the form of new copies you can buy at the store. The corporate hypocrisy is obvious: what the corporate parent demands (DRM that...

Shopping: This IKEA Infographic Is Extremely Easy To Understand
BoingBoing has an infographic from IKEA that seems like a good idea at first, but then makes your brain hurt if you look at it for too long. BoingBoing Reader Matt says:This is a picture of Ikea's "Optimal" shopping hours. At first glance, it seems like a good idea, and a good chart to follow. If you actually try to figure it out though, it makes no sense. It appears to be a 12 hour clock, but it also appears to reference 24 hour time. What? Why did they choose this format? It sucks. We'll translate:M-F 10-9, sorta busy from 7-9.S 9-9, Busy as hell. Show up before noon(ish).Sun 10-8, Busy as hell. Show up before noon.We posit that anyone who has ever tried to set foot in an IKEA after 12pm on a weekend is in possession of this information.Bad info-graphic: Ikea shopping hours chart [BoingBoing](Photo:Matt)

Electronics: Someone Invent This Electronics Company
After watchingthis 60 Minutes clip about how thanks to crappy and complicated technology, geeks will rule the earth, we got to thinking.Why doesn't someone make a new, friendly, consumer electronics company? Don't try to cram as many "advanced" features into new, hot, gadgets. Instead, make the product do basically what most people need it to do, and then do that very very well. Design the heck out of it, making it extremely intuitive and easy to use. Then make it cheaper than its competitors. Back it up with a lifetime warranty and a customer service department interested in creating life-long customers. Then, rule the earth.

Worst Company In America: Tanya Andersen, RIAA defendant, has been ...
Tanya Andersen, RIAA defendant, has been awarded awarded attorney's fees for her nearly two-and-a-half-year fight against a copyright infringement lawsuit. [Ars Technica]

Drastic Measures: Harvard Bookstore: "We Own ISBN Numbers"
The Harvard Crimson ran a story last week about a student who was asked to leave the premises for writing down the prices of six textbooks at the Coop, Harvard's bookstore of record. The bookstore's president says that there's no official policy against students writing down information, but "we discourage people who are taking down a lot of notes." But what's more surprising, he tells the Crimson that the textbooks' ISBNs—which can be used to look up the same books online—are "the Coop's intellectual property."The Crimson speculates that the Coop may be reacting this way because of Crimsonreading.org, an online database that lets students search for the lowest prices by using ISBN. Harvard's Undergraduate Council President says he's spoken with an intellectual property lawyer and confirms that the ISBN-ownership claim is hogwash.We understand taking severe measures to protect your business against cost-cutting competitors—especially when they...

Deals: Vonage customers can switch to the $14.99 ...
Vonage customers can switch to the $14.99 Unlimited Special from the $24.99 plan by calling 1-866-243-4357, talking to Account Management Department, asking for the reduced plan, and threatening to cancel if they don't give it you. [Hustler Money Blog]

Update: Best Buy Adds Disclaimer To Secret Website
In response to being sued and humiliated on the internet over their "secret website," reader MK says Best Buy has added a disclaimer that warns customers that the in-store kiosk doesn't display the same prices as the public website.For those of you new to this issue, Best Buy was caught using a duplicate website to fool customers who tried to compare internet prices with in-store prices.Customers who asked why the price was higher in the store were often told that "the sale must have ended" in the time it took them to drive to the store. They were then told to "check the website" to see for themselves, then were shown an identical-looking website that displayed different "in-store" prices.We think Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said it best back in May (right after he sued Best Buy): "Best Buy gave consumers the worst deal - a bait-and-switch-plus scheme luring consumers into stores with promised online discounts, only to charge higher in-store prices," Blumenthal...

Economy: Canadian Book Buyers Are Angry Over Dollar Parity
Canadian book buyers are mad! After decades of higher book prices being explained away by the weak Canadian dollar, book buyers suddenly find themselves paying "more" money for the same book.From USA Today:Among books released in recent weeks, as the currencies approached parity, the list price on Alan Greenspan's The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World is $35 U.S. and $42 Canadian. Suggested retail prices for James Patterson's You've Been Warned are $27.99 and $32.50."Before, when there was a 5% or 10% difference (in the currencies), people would ... accept that the Canadian price was higher without making a calculation," says Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. "Now that we're spot-on parity, it's tougher to explain away that difference." Books have their prices set months in advance, so its tough luck for Canada, though David Kent, CEO of HarperCollins Canada, says his team is working on it. "One tactic they're taking: Putting stickers...

We're Using The Internet: Walmart Launches "Customer Contact Reduction" Program, Disconnects Phone
Walmart.com doesn't want to talk to you, so they're disconnecting their phone as part of their new "Customer Contact Reduction Program." No, that's not an awesome joke we just made. That's the actual name of the program, according to the New York Times.We've made a significant investment in the enhancement of our online customer "self-help" tool at Walmart.com to better serve our online customers," said Amy Colella, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.Ms. Colella said the customer service phone number was being removed because "a significant number of calls are related to order tracking," and the improvements to the Web site will make the tracking easier. How very Amazon.com of them. Oh, wait. Amazon has a customer service number: 1-800-201-7575. They'll even call you back if you use their click-to-call feature.Offline customers can still call Walmart to discuss their customer service issues at 1-800-WALMART. Will they hang up on online customers? We can't wait to find out. Walmart.com...

Credit Cards: With "Free Pita" Promise, Citi Lures Students Off-Campus To Skirt On-Campus Solicitation Ban
How does Citi get around Syracuse University's ban against turning college kids into debt sharecroppers? Simple. Pass out flyers saying, "free pitas," given away at a location just outside the campus boundaries...Then when the kids go off-campus to redeem their pita, they're told they have to fill out a form allowing a credit card application to be mailed to them, which also got around the school's prohibition against gift-giving in exchange for apps. You might chalk this up to "rogue marketers," except that Ohio just sued Citi marketers for their "free burrito" event. A tasty pattern begins to emerge.Besides, why would you want to give a credit card to someFree pitas come with a catch [Daily Orange] (Thanks to Jodi!)RELATED: Ohio Attorney General Sues Credit Card Marketers Over Ohio State "Free Burrito" Event(Photo: Morton Fox)

Typos: Spelling Bee Champ Lands Lucrative Walmart Sign Making Job
Besides the obvious misspelling, it seems now that Walmart considers a measuring cup a "gadget." Ooh, look at these fancy gradated lines! Futuristic. Someone send Gizmodo a press release.(Photo: irgreendevil)

Privacy: Alumni Associations And Public Universities Profit By Selling Student Data To Bank Of America
We stumbled across a very interesting article in the Des Moines Register that discusses the methods public universities' alumni associations (in this case, the University of Iowa and ISU) use to obtain and sell student data. From the Des Moines Register: Last year, representatives of Bank of America sat down to negotiate a deal that would guarantee the company access to the home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of University of Iowa students and parents.But they didn't deal directly with school officials. Instead, they talked to representatives of the school's privately run alumni organization.The two eventually signed a confidential credit card marketing agreement in which the bank agreed to pay the alumni association an undisclosed amount of money.The alumni association then signed a related contract with the university guaranteeing the association - and, by extension, Bank of America - access to publicly owned databases of information on students, parents and...

Debt: How one blogger paid off $11,500 in 10 months ...
How one blogger paid off $11,500 in 10 months using the "debt snowball" method. [No-Credit Needed]

Complaints: Blue Cross Blue Shield Calls Miscarriage "Elective Abortion," Denies Claim
After going without any healthcare coverage for 3 years, (husband's employer didn't not offer it and husband and child have preexisting conditions that make self paid insurance imposable to afford) was ecstatic to find out my husband's new employer did offer insurance! Even though it is at a very high premium and a $2000 deductible, it's better than nothing, right? At least that's what I thought, till I tried to use Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City...Picture: The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City management team.I set my daughter up a doctor's appointment for a well needed check up, and in just one weeks time was sent a statement for BCBS that they don't cover any of procedures that was done that day! NOT ONE!? So of course I called BCBS and they were very apologetic about this "mistake" and would fix it, it will take about 10 days. A week later I receive a bill from the hospital claiming that BCBS had denied all charges. I called the hospital and told them that BCBS...

Advertising: Pudding Media is like Skype except that it's ...
Pudding Media is like Skype except that it's free, supported by the ads it displays on your computer which change based on your topics of conversation. [NYT]

Financial Advice: 12 Ways For You To Beat Inflation
The Digerati Life has a lengthy article that offers 12 tips on how to help beat the eroding power of inflation. Broadly speaking, you should first recognize that inflation erodes purchasing power in the long run and take steps to insure yourself from it, while also being "mindful of when inflation rates rise" and taking additional measures during those periods.Insure Yourself From Inflation For The Long TermBuy a house.Consider landlording.Build or preserve your earning power.Own your own business.Keep a diversified investment portfolio.Consider using inflation-indexed securities in your portfolio.Counteract Inflationary Pressures With Additional MovesKeep money in short term funds.Watch interest and yield rates and lock them in when you're comfortable.Invest in commodities.Invest in gold.Rework your debt.Cut your spending even more.While it's not a huge threat in today's economy, over time it can eat away at that retirement nest egg you're working on, and then you'll have...

Complaints: Blue Cross Blue Shield Calls Misscarriage "Elective Abortion," Denies Claim
After going without any healthcare coverage for 3 years, (husband's employer didn't not offer it and husband and child have preexisting conditions that make self paid insurance imposable to afford) was ecstatic to find out my husband's new employer did offer insurance! Even though it is at a very high premium and a $2000 deductible, it's better than nothing, right? At least that's what I thought, till I tried to use Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City...Picture: The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City management team.I set my daughter up a doctor's appointment for a well needed check up, and in just one weeks time was sent a statement for BCBS that they don't cover any of procedures that was done that day! NOT ONE!? So of course I called BCBS and they were very apologetic about this "mistake" and would fix it, it will take about 10 days. A week later I receive a bill from the hospital claiming that BCBS had denied all charges. I called the hospital and told them that BCBS...

Whoops: Dell Sends You Halo 3 Slightly Early
Reader pr0zac would like the world to know that Dell sent him Halo 3 slightly early. He'd like to thank Dell (and DHL) and apologize to everyone who has to wait, um, a couple hours.Is breaking street date good customer service? Well, probably not, but Mr. pr0zac sure is happy about Dell's prompt shipping.

Phishing: Is Bank of America Lying About Website Security?
According to a demonstration by Chris Soghoian over at CNet, Bank of America's "SiteKey" picture authentication feature can be spoofed by phishers and is, basically, worthless.We know worthless is a strong word, but when paired with statistics that show most customers don't even pay attention to the feature—thinks are looking pretty bleak for B of A. (A study found that 58 of 60 consumers fell for an obviously fake B of A website.) Chris explains that SiteKey is vulnerable to "man-in-the-middle" attacks in which the phisher contacts Bank of America's site and feeds the info to the target. This news came to our attention back in April but now Chris is wondering (as we did) why Bank of America is (still) telling its customers that SiteKey is "certain" to work. Bank of America's website says that "you can be certain you're at the valid Online Banking website at Bank of America, and not a fraudulent look-alike site." Are they simply lying to their customers?From CNet:Customers...

3rd Division Ss Totenkopf: Walmart's Nazi Tshirts Found In Outlet Stores
Ever wonder what happened to all those shirts Walmart pulled off their shelves for containing a disgusting Nazi symbol? Well, some of them can be found in a Florida Beall's Outlet store for $4.99."Original walmart price sticker and UPC still attached," writes tipster Chad." They seem to have a lot of em..."What happens to the other products Walmart recalls, like lead children items, or cans o' Botulism beans? Are they destroyed, or just offloaded to discount stores?Recent updates to this story.Backstory.

No Free Lunch: Ohio Attorney General Sues Credit Card Marketers Over Ohio State "Free Burrito" Event
Ohio Attorney General, Mark Dunn, is suing Citibank-affiliated credit card marketers for violating Ohio's consumer protection laws during a "Free Burrito" event at Ohio State University.Fliers pasted around Ohio State's campus offered students a "free burrito" for showing their Ohio State ID at the restaurant. The fliers made no mention that filling out a credit card application was required. Ohio is arguing that this violates the definition of "free" in Ohio's consumer protection laws because the terms of the offer were not disclosed on the fliers.Similar fliers were posted luring students to Potbelly Sandwich Works. Delicious, but deceptive. State Of Ohio vs. Campus Dimensions, INC. (PDF) [State of Ohio]Editorial: Citibank's credit card come-on proves there's no such thing as a free lunch [The Plain Dealer]

Eat, Drink And Be Merry: 10 Great Wines For $10 Or Less
The sommeliers who read The Consumerist may scoff, but there are actually some decent wines available for $10 or less, or so says the New York Times food critics. They tasted 25 popular low-price wines and picked the ten they thought were decent:The wines we recommend are gulpable and satisfying with a modest level of intrigue. You cannot expect much complexity at this level, or subtlety. But you can hope for something more than the most basic, and you can strive to avoid wines that are obviously confected or manipulated to achieve a predetermined set of characteristics.Here are the wines they recommend, listed in order beginning with their highest rated. Read the full article for tasting notes, ratings, and commentary.Casa Cadaval Portugal Ribatejano , $8.99, Padre Pedro 2002Domaine de l'Ameillaud France , $9, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2005Via Gormaz Spain Ribera del Duero , $9, Tempranillo 2005Georges Duboeuf France , $9, Beaujolais-Villages 2006Altas Cumbres Argentina Mendoza...

Consumer Action: 77-Year-Old Man Sues Bank Of America Over $10,000 In Undisclosed Fees - Wins
77-year old Peter Gossels won his 8-year lawsuit against Bank Of America for $10,000 in undisclosed fees the bank assessed when he deposited a large check drawn on a German bank. The elderly lawyer argued that the bank failed to disclose the exchange rate when he conducted the transaction. He might not have won had the bank not accidentally stapled to a deposition a "secret rate sheet" that was handed out to tellers daily and told not to show to customers.The case cost Gossels well over the disputed value, but he said, "This is the only way banks will learn not to cheat its customers."Man beats bank [Boston Globe via Bloggingstocks](Photo: meghannmarco)

Lost Luggage: British Airways had the ability to sell this ...
British Airways had the ability to sell this passenger's lost folding chiropractic table, but not the inclination to Google "Dr. Marta Callotta, Sports Chiropractic" imprinted on the front of it it to return it to it's rightful owner. [Elliot via Rick Seany]

Fair Wages: Starbucks Busted For Union Busting
Another week, another round of Bad Employer news about Wal—oh wait, we mean Starbucks this time, which actually has a lower rate of insured employees than the discount chain (42% versus 47%). Last Thursday, the National Labor Relations Board accused Starbucks of "unlawful anti-union activity" at a store in Michigan, similar to the charges it's currently on trial for in New York.The Industrial Workers of the World—the union that's been campaigning to organize Starbucks employees for a few years now—claims the chain "threatened to terminate a worker for union activity and denied union members access to the store bulletin board."Starbucks has until this Friday, September 28th, to settle the Michigan case or proceed to a Labor Board trial as in New York.In the meantime, Starbucks just lost a motion to defeat a class action from 900 managers seeking overtime pay, and is being investigated over whether it failed to honor the terms of a 2006 settlement...

Shopping: Morning Deals
Meijer: 20% off $50+ with coupon code meijercomgiftshirt.woot: Pretty cool "Brain Freeze" shirt for $10.Staples: Brother PT-1880 Electronic Laber Maker for $25 Shipped After RebateHighlights From DealhackBackcountry.com: Save up to 50% off Jackets and PantsMeritline: High Speed 2GB Secure Digital Card $20 Shipped, USB Car Reader $5 ShippedBest Buy: Compaq Intel Dual Core 15-inch Notebook PC $450

Not So Golden Years: Investment Firms Make Retirement Homes Profitable By Making Them Hell Holes
If you wanna make an omelet, you gotta break a few eggs—even if those eggs are old people who die from bedsores that have become infected. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services say that on average, patients at nursing homes that are bought by private investment firms do worse than other nursing homes, with higher rates of depression, increased loss of mobility, and less ability to dress and bathe themselves. The New York Times has a horror story on 48 Florida nursing homes where staff was reduced to levels below mandatory requirements and didn't repair equipment or keep facilities sanitary. Even senior activities were reduced. And there are thousands of (now profitable) nursing homes across the country that are owned by private investment firms.Says the Times article,The typical nursing home acquired by a large investment company before 2006 scored worse than national rates in 12 of 14 indicators that regulators use to track ailments of long-term residents....