Home / consumerist.com rss archive / September-28-2007


Show Us Your Verizon Face: Verizon Fighting To Offer Less Timely Customer Service To The Citizens Of Virginia
As we mentioned before, Verizon is fighting the state of Virginia in the hopes of lowering the required standard of customer service. Currently, Verizon is required to restore service within a day to 80% of its customers. They feel this standard is unfair:The SCC's communications division has recommended that Verizon Virginia and Verizon South pay a related fine of $17.5 million -- an estimate of the sum Verizon saved by not responding quickly to customer complaints of "land line" phone outages.The SCC says the fine is justified because Verizon, even after filing a "corrective action plan," violated a rule that requires the company and competitors to clear each month no less than 80 percent of out-of-service calls within 24 hours and 95 percent of such calls within 48 hours.In turn, Verizon warns that a fine that high, coupled with the SCC's continuing to hold the company to related performance standards, could set back efforts to fully roll out its fiber networks and put Verizon...

DIY: Charger Boxes Getting More Advanced
We've talked about these before, but we really like the idea of keeping our chargers neat and organized and the boxes people are making seem to be getting more and more advanced. This box also has the benefit of multiple switches so you can easily cut power to whatever device you have plugged in, should that be your desire. Nifty. In any case, this one looks pretty but nearly the same organizing effect can be achieved without the special switches.Power Charging Box [Instructables]

Underneath We All Are The Same: American Home Mortgage Bounces Checks, Blames Chase Bank
It seems that bankrupt mortgage lenders are no different from bankrupt home owners. When they start bouncing checks they blame the bank, and hey, they might even be telling the truth.From the Associated Press:American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. bounced 564 property tax checks in Maryland but blamed other financial institutions for the problem, the state's commissioner of financial regulation said Thursday.The bankrupt mortgage lender responded Thursday to inquiries made last week by state regulators, saying the problems stemmed from the inadvertent freezing of bank accounts and a previously disclosed dispute with government-sponsored mortgage financier Freddie Mac.While no one has lost their house yet in this situation, missed tax payments can lead to a tax lien and ultimately foreclosure on a property....American Home Mortgage claimed JPMorgan Chase inadvertently froze escrow accounts that were supposed to be used to make the property tax payments, Bloom Raskin said. American...

Shady: The Iowa Joint Legislative Oversight Committee ...
The Iowa Joint Legislative Oversight Committee will hold hearings about the potentially inappropriate Bank of America/University of Iowa deal. The University has agreed to give B of A access,. through its alumni organization, to databases that include the mailing addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of students and parents.[Des Moines Register]

Bad Consumer: Michael Vick Sued For Not Paying Car Loans, Bank Repossesses Cars
Oh, Michael. What have you done now? An Indiana bank is suing Mr. Vick for not paying loans related to a car rental business:Vick signed loan agreements as the CFO of Divine Seven, which bought at least 130 vehicles, including many Kia Spectra and Ford Taurus cars, through 1st Source Bank loans, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in South Bend on Wednesday.A phone call Friday to a number listed on loan documents for Divine Seven was answered by a clerk at a Payless Car Rental office in Atlanta. The Associated Press left a message there for Art Washington, who signed some of the loan documents as Divine Seven's CEO.According to the lawsuit, 1st Source Bank made a written demand for payment on Aug. 24, but Vick and Divine Seven have "failed and refused to pay." Wait, Art Washington? Is that like Ron Mexico? Or that an actual person? Oh well. We don't really care. According to the lawsuit, Vick owes $2 millionish for the cars. To make matters worse according to...

Issues: AT&T Refuses To Provide Unlock Codes, Feel Free To Complain To The FCC
AT&T is refusing to supply unlock codes for the iPhone, says reader George. He's written in to ask other iPhone users to complain to the FCC and other pertinent regulatory bodies, AGs, and so on about AT&T:Hey Guys,Well, updated to 1.1.1 and no brick, but lost all my apps.As a lark, I did call AT&T Wireless to request an official unlock code and was told "no way hombr."So, I filed the following complaint with the FCC, the State of Georgia's Public Service Commission, and the State of Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs:Hello.On June 30, 2007, I purchased my cell phone directly from an AT&T Wireless Corporate Store, located in Roswell, GA.On June 30, 2007, I ported my telephone number, 404-XXX-XXXX, from T-Mobile, over to AT&T Wireless.I am a customer in good standing with AT&T.As it has been close to 90 days since I have had service with AT&T, and with an account in good standing, as is customary I was attempting to unlock my cellphone as...

Changes: Not Everyone Loves Vista, XP To Remain Available Until June, 2008
It seems people aren't taking to Vista as quickly as Microsoft would have liked. The result? XP will remain available through June 30, 2008. Good news for all the readers who've been complaining about the general lack of XP availability. Though we were unable to copies conjure XP out of thin air, it does seem that rumble from the XP faithful is getting louder. From Ars:In many ways, the success of Windows XP is also working against Microsoft. At this point, Windows XP SP2 is a very stable OS with known security strengths and weaknesses. In comparison, Vista is still an unknown quantity in some enterprise settings. Windows XP will also run well on older hardware. Myths that Vista needs high-end hardware to run adequately do not help Microsoft's cause, either.Microsoft is now saying they were "little ambitious" in giving XP only a year to live. Amid disappointing Vista uptake, Microsoft relents on XP execution [Ars Technica](Photo:TheNik)

Privacy: Gap Says Laptop Containing Job Applicant Data Stolen
Gap is disclosing that a laptop filled with job applicant data has been stolen. The laptop contained the personal information of 800,000 job applicants, including social security numbers.What are the odds that the Gap takes this "very seriously?" Let's find out:"Gap Inc. deeply regrets this incident occurred. We take our obligation to protect the data security of personal information very seriously," Gap CEO Glenn "Stop The Bleeding" Murphy, said in a statement.While they're taking it seriously, you should be paying attention to your credit report if you applied online or by phone for store positions with the company's Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap and Outlet stores from the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada between July 2006 and June 2007.The Gap has declined to divulge the name of the firm that lost the laptop. The Gap thinks that the data was not the target of the theft, and that someone just wanted a new computer. Gap is offering a year of free credit monitoring services...

Recalls: Volkswagen Recalls 340k Cars That Fail To Meet US Safety Standards
Volkwagen is recalling 340k cars because they "may be missing required caps in the sockets of the low beam horizontal and vertical aiming screws." We're not sure why that is important, but we're sure that they wouldn't bother recalling the cars if it wasn't.The following cars are included in the recall: 2005-2008 Jetta models and 2006-2008 Rabbit, GTI and R32.No injuries have been reported. Call Volkswagen with your questions: 1-800-822-8987.Volkswagen recalls 340,000 cars [CNNMoney]

Consumerism: Do We Need "Separation Of Store And State"?
Earlier this month we asked our readers, are you a consumer or a citizen? It was sparked by comments from Robert B. Reich, who's written a book called "Supercapitalism" that argues that we as consumers are in effect our own worst enemies—our collective desire to save a buck or earn more on our investments are contributing to the increasing "decline of democracy." AlterNet has posted an excerpt from his book that expands on this idea of how we undermine our own best interests with, well, our other best interests.Wal-Mart could afford to give its employees better pay and benefits, but would it remain competitive if it did? In 2005 its profit margin on sales was around 3.5 percent. This came to about $6,000 per employee. So at least in theory, Wal-Mart has some maneuverability. If it boosted wages and benefits of all full-time employees by $3.50 an hour, the extra cost would still total less than 3 percent of Wal-Mart's sales in the United States. It could absorb that...

Stocks: Buoyed by the Fed rate cut and hope for another, ...
Buoyed by the Fed rate cut and hope for another, indexes near July's record levels. [NYT]

No One Hurt: American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing Due To Engine Fire
NBC5 is reporting that a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight has made an emergency landing in St. Louis after taking off and being forced to return to the airport due to an engine fire. No one was hurt, but the incident is very likely to cause delays. From NBC5:A passenger on the flight, Lane Harris, told MSNBC that he credited the pilot for bringing the plane in as smoothly as possible, although the landing was rough."We slammed the ground pretty hard," he said.A runway at the airport has been shut down, which is likely to affect many major airports across the country.There were 139 passengers on the jet and many were en route to Chicago to catch other flights. The flight also had five crew members. Jet Engine Fire Grounds Flight To Chicago [NBC5]

Green: Dell Says It Will Go Carbon Neutral By 2008
Being "green" is so hot right now. Everyone's talking about it, even Walmart, and now their best computer buddy is joining in for some of the hot, hot PR action.Michael Dell, CEO, recently told the WSJ that Dell plans to be carbon neutral by 2008. Mr. Dell said companies have become more efficient, but he said further progress is needed because global energy consumption is expected to grow rapidly over the next few decades. A company becomes "carbon neutral" by matching its carbon emissions with green technological projects or purchasing an "offsetting" amount of emissions from other sources. Sounds like Dell is going to be planting a lot of trees. As a consumer, do you care if your computer is carbon neutral? Dell Inc. Plans to Become 'Carbon Neutral' by 2008[WSJ]

Internet: Google Says It's Looking Into New Privacy Technologies
Google is looking into new ways to protect the privacy of its huge number of users, says their chief legal officer. These include "crumbled cookies," which spread a user's information out so that it's not connected to a single piece of code, and providing better information on the source of each ad that's served.Google is defending itself this week in Washington for setting its sights on DoubleClick, the online "advertising tools supplier" worth $3.1 billion. Critics and competitors charge that Google is gaining too much power over the online advertising space, which is at least part of the reason behind the announcement.In Canada, Google is considering blurring faces and license plates in its "Street View" images to comply with privacy laws there."Google looking at privacy protections for users" [Reuters](Photo: Extra Ketchup)

In Brief: Buoyed by the Fed rate cut and hope for another, ...
Buoyed by the Fed rate cut and hope for another, indexes near July's record levels. [NYT]

Sub-prime Meltdown: Tales From The Foreclosure Frontlines: The Little House That Couldn't
"My wife and I went through a foreclosure and bankruptcy here in Ohio (where we lead the nation in foreclosures). The long story short - we bought a house for $32,000 in 1995, but couldn't afford to fix it up. Just kids at the time (I was 20, she was 22), we were expecting our son and found a fix'er upper. We took out a subprime second mortgage to do the much needed repairs ourselves. The neighborhood was going to hell and after seven years we wanted to get out, but we had no real equity..."When we got our second mortgage, our home appraised for almost $90k. We listed it several times at $42k (the break even point for us) and couldn't sell it. We relisted at $36k (which would have us in debt without a house) and couldn't sell it. The roof was literally caving in, the basement was flooding and the porch was crumbling. Most of what the reality agent told us on the disclosure sheets turned out to be false, but we had no real recourse as we found out so long after the closing. One...

Panic: Here's a continually updated list of what ...
Here's a continually updated list of what the "brick update" did and did not do to the iPhone. [Ars Technica]

Recalls: Mini Zooper Doll Strollers (severed fingers, ...
Mini Zooper Doll Strollers (severed fingers, entrapment), Estes-Cox X-15 Flying Model Rockets (impact injury), Colanta Cheese (Staphylococcus aureus).

Recalls: Lead Recall Watch: 11,395,350 Items Recalled For Lead Contamination In 2007
Here at Consumerist we've been keeping an eye on the 2007 lead contamination recalls. Here's September's update:Total Number Of Item Recalled For Lead Contamination Jan-Sep, 2007: 11,395,350September Lead Recalls: 1,375,050 What sort of stuff was recalled this month? Mattel recalled 675,000 Barbie accessories, as well as 98,900 additional Fisher-Price toys. Target recalled 350,000 gardening tools, and RC2 called back 200,000 more Thomas & Friends toys that it had somehow overlooked and was still selling. As always, various junk jewelry for kids was recalled. About 24,350 pieces, in all. CPSC

Bad Medicine: Participating In A Clinical Study? You're On Your Own
The FDA's own parent department, the Department of Health and Human Services, just issued a report that says the FDA "does very little to ensure the safety of the millions of people who participate in clinical trials," according to the New York Times. The FDA has 200 inspectors, some of whom are part-time, to monitor 350,000 testing sites—and even when they reported "serious problems," their findings were downgraded 68% of the time by higher-ups in Washington.The chairman of the department of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania says, "In many ways, rats and mice get greater protection as research subjects in the United States than do humans."Animal research centers have to register with the federal government, keep track of subject numbers, have unannounced spot inspections and address problems speedily or risk closing, none of which is true in human research, Mr. Caplan said. Because no one collects the data systematically, there is no way to tell how...

Mobile Phones: New $40 SIM Lets You Call From Anywhere For Cheap
Yet another reason to go with unlocked cell phones, or to ask your mobile carrier to unlock yours: a small Irish company called Cubic Telecom has created a $40 sim card that works in most phones built in the past 4-5 years, and that will let you make and receive calls anywhere in the world for rates that are 50 to 90% lower than current telecom rates. One example: a 20-minute call from the Bahamas to the U.S. costs $60 on T-Mobile, but with this SIM card, the same call would cost $5.80. You can also request free local phone numbers in other cities, so you can give out your Paris or Sydney number, then go buy a copy of Wallpaper and pretend you're a jet setter.Now for the drawbacks: your calls will be carried over Internet connections, so you can expect lower audio quality and slight delays. And oddly, domestic rates are fairly expensive, so you wouldn't want to use it to replace your current domestic plan. However, if you're a frequent traveller, this can save you hundreds...

Prognostications Of Doom: Greenspan has been going around telling people ...
Greenspan has been going around telling people that the chance of a US recession has increased, but is still "less than 50/50." Greenspan is everywhere now-a-days. He's worse than Lindsay Lohan. [Bloomberg]

We Own The Air: EU playing hardball with US airlines over ...
EU playing hardball with US airlines over emissions in EU airspace. [BusinessWeek]

Travel: A Big List Of Airline and Airport "Tarmac Stranding" Policies
We've been looking over the Department of Transportation's spiffy new report about "tarmac strandings" (or "long on-board delays" as their now being called,) and have located some pretty interesting stuff. It seems that airlines vary wildly when it comes to their on-board delay policies. Some include very specific information (ATA specifies when to order food) while other airlines are flying without any policy at all (Delta, for example.)This list includes the airline's definition "extended period of time," as well as airline's planned response to an extended delay, if any. Some airlines say they'll take you off the plane just 1 hour after arriving (Northwest). Others think 5 hours sounds reasonable (JetBlue).Sadly, airline policies are not the whole story. Some airports have plans in place to help stranded passengers and some do not. In all, this data strongly suggests that airline and airport plans should be standardized, but until that day comes: Compare, contrast, and choose...

Schadenfreude: The Forewarned iPhone Bricking Has Begun
Earlier this week Apple warned its customers that a update was going to render some modified handsets "permanently inoperable". How sweet. Well, it was true. iPhones are bricked. In fact, our sister-site Gizmodo has amended their review of the iPhone and are now recommending that you do not buy it due to the loss of cool third-party applications that will now no longer work on the updated iPhone. (For the record, we always recommended that you not succumb to iPhone hype, and we even made the editor who loves Apple write a story about it. We're so mean.)From BBC News (emphasis ours):That warning has now proved correct as many owners are reporting their phones no longer work following installation of the update. Apple requires iPhone owners to take out a lengthy contract with AT&T in the United States but there are a number of programs on the net that unlock the device for use with other networks. Some owners are reporting on technology blogs and Apple's own forums that the...

Ooo, Pretty: Insider Tips For Buying Jewelry
The diamond industry is a big stinking sham, but if you're stuck in a relationship where you can't get away with a plastic spider ring for a gift—well, first of all, we feel sorry for you, but second of all, here are some great tips to help you save money when jewelry shopping.If you're already shopping for a ring, you probably already know about the "Four C's"—cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. But to get the most bang for your buck, remember that it's the cut of the stone, not the clarity, that determines how much it sparkles. Also, if you want a small stone to look larger, go for cuts other than round. If the stone has a yellowish tint and you want to make it look whiter, set it in yellow gold.Read the full article for more information, including how to shop for platinum and gold, and how to find the best place to shop."Experts Reveal Jewelry Shopping Secrets" [NBC11](Photo: Getty)

Devils Advocate: 5 Ways Credit Cards Can Make You Happy
The ways that credit cards can make you unhappy are legion. Fees, balances, crazy interest rates, universal default, the list goes on. But, even though we just saw Bank of America digging a pit in your backyard, and word has it the zoo is missing 3 tigers and a crocodile, there are a few ways that a credit card can make you happy. (Not all of these tips are unique to credit cards, so check to see which benefits your debit card has.) In order to properly enjoy these tips you have to:Enjoy budgeting money.Be naturally responsible with money.Have a job.Spend less than you earn.Pay your credit card on time.Realize that not all cards are the name, and take the time to find one that has the benefits you want.If that sounds like you, let's take a look:1) Cash Back: Some cards offer "rewards," but we think those programs are better at convincing you to spend money than they are at actually giving you the rewards. We like cash back cards. You spend money. You get some back. It makes...

Health: Slate Tests Snoring Solutions
Living with a snorer brings out the worst in you—things you would never do while awake, like punching your partner in the face, seem trivial at three in the morning when your bedmate suddenly sounds like an old lawnmower. This chronic snorer tested several solutions to find what worked best, ranking them on ease of use, reaction of spouse, and how he felt the morning after. The surprising winner? A tennis ball tied to the back of a t-shirt to prevent him from rolling onto his back.The one that fared the worst was the terribly named Pureline Scoreclipse. We still can't figure out what they were going for with that second "word"—it looks like "score," "sore," "clips" and "eclipse" all mashed together. Why would you want any of those words associated with a snoring cure? The clips use magnets and apparently go into your nose, and were uncomfortable. The spouse also hated them."Silent Night" [Slate](Photo: Getty)

Roundups: Top Posts Of The Week
Best Buy Adds Disclaimer To Secret Website"Consumers seeking bargains were led to believe that lower online prices had expired or never existed."Blue Cross Blue Shield Calls Miscarriage "Elective Abortion," Denies Claim"Are you saying that my records state that I had an ELECTIVE abortion, in an ER at 12 o'clock in the morning?"Cellphone Battery Designed To Fail At First Drop Of Water?"Is this a safety feature, a product designed to fail, or something else entirely?"5 Confessions Of A Comcast Customer Service Rep"They consider that if you don't pick up your phone...even if they never called you...you are not home verified. That means the tech does not have to go to your house because your appointment was canceled."77-Year-Old Man Sues Bank Of America Over $10,000 In Undisclosed Fees - Wins"Says Gossels: "This is the only way banks will learn not to cheat its customers."

Someone Think Of The Children: Are "sports drinks" really just junk food? ...
Are "sports drinks" really just junk food? Should they be removed from vending machines in schools? "One analysis determined that kids who drink a 20-ounce Gatorade each day could gain 13 extra pounds over the course of a year." A debate in congress rages on.[CalorieLab]

Stupid: Virgin America Is Trying Too Hard
According to OK! magazine, Virgin America will be hosting "the first-ever supermodel in-flight pajama party this November," with the Victoria's Secret models. No, you're not invited. Yes, someone else is. Yes, that person probably has a camera.It's not really like us, but this is one flight we really hope gets stranded on the tarmac. The idea of a planeload of models trapped in a jet, bored out of their minds and out of bottled water, pleases us for some reason. Meet the World's Luckiest Plane [OK! Magazine]

Insufficient Funds: Pay attention: it's costing you more and ...
Pay attention: it's costing you more and more to bounce a check. [Bankrate]

Shopping: Morning Deals
Woot: Refurb Dyson Vacuum for $289.99Blair.com: Bostonian Dress Casual Function Shoes for $27 Shipped with coupon code T4TBrylaneHome.com: 14-Piece Waffle Shower Curtain Set for $9.99Highlights From DealhackGap.com: Fall Clearance: Save up to 50% or More off ClothingFootlocker: Friends & Family Sale: Save 30% off EverythingGeeks.com: Save 50%: Microtek Multimedia DLP Projector $500 Shipped with CouponHighlights From BargainistAmazon.com: Free Slingbox AV w/ Comcast internet sign upVictoria's Secret: 25% off Ipex & Secret Embrace brasf.y.e.: Halo 3 $44.99 after rebate & pay w/Paypal

Online Savings Accounts: Beware Falling Online Savings Account Rates
Yesterday we bemoaned HSBC's online savings account 5% rate cut and gazed hungrily at Emigrant Direct's still-holdin' strong 5.05%, so of course Emigrant Direct to cut theirs to 4.75% today. Until the impact of the federal rate cut sets in, don't go rate chasing. [Emigrant Direct]

Money: Personal Finance Roundup
How to invest in a falling-rate environment [Bankrate] "We asked two portfolio managers for some ideas that do-it-yourselfers can consider when reviewing their portfolios." How to fight your health insurer [MSN Money] "Here's a step-by-step guide to battling your way through the appeals process." A Green Revolution for Your Budget [Yahoo Finance] "No one has focused on the financial rewards of going extreme-green. As it turns out, it's a lot more than chump change." Getting taken for a ride: Airline fees [CNN Money] "Plans often change and flights must be rescheduled, but airline penalties can be harsh."Saving on Funeral Costs [Smart Money] "Here are some tactics to help you keep costs reasonable, whether you're arranging a loved one's service, or pre-planning your own." — FREE MONEY FINANCE

The Case Of The Disappearing Bond: Bank Of America Refuses To Pay 80-Year-Old's $5,000 Bond
Bette Miller has a bond she purchased in 1984 from Rainier National Bank. That bank was purchased by other bank, which was then purchased by Bank of America.Now Bank of America says they have no record of her bond and have been refusing to pay it since she first tried to cash it in 2 years ago. Haggerty [Senior Vice President of West Coast Media Relations for Bank of America] said the only way to find out what really happened in this case is for Bette Miller to find tax records dating back 20 years or more."I think they're stonewalling her," said Bette's attorney, James Jackson. He's been trying to get the bank to honor Bette's bond."Claiming they don't have the records, when she has the original certificate, is insufficient," he said.Jackson says the bond is proof that Bette didn't get her money."The only way that she would have been able to cash the bond out was by bringing the certificate with her," he said.Those are the rules -- printed right on the front of the bond certificate...

Confessions: The Furniture Industry Is A Secret Cabal
"Most people do not realize that home furniture has a 200% to 400% markup on it. Some has less, but that is where the majority falls. In fact my friend was a furniture industry insider and at the Highpoint show, a furniture company told him to mark up the price of a wall unit by 400%. One wall unit he came back home with for $1800 had a retail price of $6500. So when these big stores advertise in the local papers with 50% off MSRP sales, they could still be doubling their money. Not only that, many stores advertise their sale prices are 50% off MSRP, yet if you dig a little deeper, you might find that they never sold the pieces at MSRP to begin with, so they are really just dropping their price maybe 5 to 10%. Some stores don't drop their price at all, because they were already at MAP. This means that store really is not having a sale!"You'll find that manufacturers set their so called "MSRP" price, and then usually in secret between them and the home furniture stores,...

Rude: Apple Ships Computer Late, Denies "Expired" Rebate
Karl writes:My girlfriend is a college student. She purchased a brand new iMac on Apple's website on August 7, the day the new iMacs came out, and got the free iPod Nano (after rebate) along with the deal. The rebate required both the UPC codes -- which you would need to have received the products, right? Well, she had the Nano in time -- but the computer didn't ship until September 14th. We actually got it in our grubby paws on the 22nd of September. The catch? Apple customer service told her that since it was more than 30 days since she had made the purchase, she was ineligible to receive the rebate. So let's get this straight -- she would've had to have had the UPC code of the computer we received on September 22nd by September 7th in order to get the rebate. Thanks, Apple! Guess you really have gone to the dark side. Taking a momentary break from our usual droning mantra about how rebates are designed to produce this exact result.... That's rude as hell. We suggest you...

Dsl: Reach Speakeasy Executive Customer Service
Steve Miranda206-902-5321(Photo: badjonni)

Get Rich Quick: Retire Early By Suing Google For Anything
You're likely reading The Consumerist in the middle of a workday, so we're guessing you're receptive to new ideas on how to make lots of money fast without actually doing any work. Here's a great way: just make up some reason to sue Google.For example, last week a 25-year-old Pennsylvanian filed a lawsuit against Google because his social security number spells a scrambled version of "Google" when turned upside down, and consequently his safety is in jeopardy. He's asking for $5 billion in damages. His handwritten complaint also states quite clearly that not only is his right to privacy being violated, but that "Plaintiff and defendant(s) have a responsibility to fight the War on Terrorism." Or here's another example: sue Google and Yahoo for stealing their names from your grandparents, who hailed from the Gogo and Yao tribes of Tanzania, like someone in Texas did last week.See? It's easy. Here are some more ideas to help get you started:I thought Google was a palindrome but...

Videos: Woman Googles Way Out Of Illegal $600 Tow
After this woman's car got towed (from what looks like what might be her driveway), she did some Googling and found the towing company didn't have a moving license at the time she was towed. She also found the company hadn't notified the city of the tow, as required by law. After complaining to the Texas Department of Transportation, the consumer got her car back, and the $600 the company had charged her. Now that's using your noodle!North Texas Towing Company Impounds Cars Illegally [cbs11] (Thanks to Reni!)UPDATE: Midas had her car towed from her driveway because she bounced a $39.50 check for a state car inspection.

Beat The System: How To Fill A 120-Day Prescription For 1/5th Of The Regular Price
Here's a potential way to get certain drug prescriptions filled cheaply—as in, a several-month supply for less than $15—from our own Consumerist reader and commenter Hambriq. He posted it last week and we thought it was worth bringing to the foreground for more readers to see.Here's a tip about pharmacies; we all have a minimum price that we charge for prescription drugs. It doesn't matter how cheap the drug is. The drug could cost less than a penny, and we would still charge that minimum fee. At my pharmacy, that fee is $10.99. At most pharmacies, the fee is comparable as well.We do this for two reasons. One, it's illegal for an insurance company to charge you more than the store price for a prescription drug. Most insurance companies have a $10 copay for generics. So, when you get your 30 hydrocholorthiazide or atenolols, the insurance company can charge you $10.00, even though the actual price of the drug is closer to $2.00. This is because the pharmacy...

The Internet: Verizon edges closer to adopting IPv6, which, ...
Verizon edges closer to adopting IPv6, which, among other things, will allow for unique IP addresses to be assigned to all your electronic kitchen appliances. [EETimes]

Recalls: More Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys ...
More Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys (lead), Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Children's Sunny Patch Chairs sold at Target (lead), Britain's "Knights of the Sword" Series Toys (lead), Jo-Ann Stores Children's Toy Rake (lead), Guidecraft Floor Puppet Theaters (lead), : Rhode Island Novelty Children's Spinning Wheel-Metal Necklaces (lead), More TOBY N.Y.C. Children's Metal Jewelry (lead), Quesos Sabrosos Mexicanos Queso Cincho de Guerrero (salmonella).

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter In My Lungs: The House of Representatives passed a bill ...
The House of Representatives passed a bill today that would require OSHA to limit workers' exposure to diacetyl, the recently popularized butter-flavored chemical used in microwave popcorn and the suspected source of dreaded "popcorn lung." The White House has threatened to veto any regulation sent its way, and some House Republicans agree. Said Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina, "Fundamentally, the science does not exist to state the link between diacetyl and impaired lung function." [Reuters](Photo: Getty)

Stats Feed: Today's most popular headlines are Coffee ...
Today's most popular headlines are Coffee Makers As Overpriced Gadgets (4,981 views today), Bank Of America Refuses To Pay 80-Year-Old's $5,000 Bond (4,594) and Exercise Doesn't (Necessarily) Make You Lose Weight (2,590).

Didn't We See This In Heathers?: Add "barmaid" to your list of toxic things ...
Add "barmaid" to your list of toxic things to avoid in Australia. The woman, a 23-year-old former employee of a Melbourne nightclub, and someone police say is "known for her prankster-style behavior," served a patron a shot of Pine-O-Cleen disinfectant during a 6 a.m. "drinking bout." The victim survived but developed ulcers on his skin. The ex-barmaid now faces "four charges of intentionally causing injury." Man, everything cool happens in Australia. [Reuters](Photo: Getty)

Recalls: RC2 Continued To Sell Lead Tainted "Thomas & Friends" Toys After Initial Recall
According to a recall notice just posted by the CPSC, RC2 is recalling additional "Thomas & Friends" toys that are contaminated with lead-based paint. According to the recall notice, some of these 200,000 toys were sold after the June 13 recall of 1.5 million other Thomas & Friends toys.Back in July, Curt Stoelting, the chief executive of RC2, told the New York Times he fired the vendor who made the contaminated toys: "We've always required our suppliers to follow our safety specifications," Mr. Stoelting said. "In this incident, those requirements were not met.""We're still moving forward with our Thomas product lines," he said. "Our goal is to use this incident to really improve our procedures, improve our safeguards." Mr. Stoelting said RC2 was now "requiring lead testing of every batch of paint used on the Thomas toys." On its website, RC2 offered this statement in the way of assurances:Are the other Thomas Wooden Railway products safe?To assure that the toys families...

Followups: Kid Get $120 In Wells Fargo Overdrafts Refunded After Rich Dad Calls VP
DM reports that he was able to get Wells Fargo to reverse all his overdrafts... because his dad has a big Wells Fargo account and was able to call up some company Vice President. Ahem. Three cheers for the power of escalating issues outside of the customer service line, we suppose.After he got off the phone, DM's dad gave him a stern lecture on financial responsibility. DM says he is now keeping track of his transactions in Excel and using Mint.com to monitor his accounts. We also made him download our budget. Amazing that people can make so much money (his mother also apparently has the ultra exclusive AmEx Centurion card...) and not teach their kids a damn thing about overdrafts.PREVIOUSLY: College Student Learns How Overdrafts Work

Learning Is Fun... Too Much Fun: Health organization Kaiser Permanente has ...
Health organization Kaiser Permanente has launched an online game for kids that teaches them about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, then "locks" the kids out of the game after 20 minutes so they'll go outside and play. We imagine the lock-out functionality won't be needed, as the educational aspect of the game should organically repel the target audience of 9- and 10-year-olds in 10 to 15 seconds. [Reuters](Photo: Getty)

Stupid: Scammers Arrested After Claiming They Could Multiply Money With A Secret Potion
Some scams are clever and some are not. This is one of the not-so-clever ones. Jean-Luc Mbilli and Constant Yao were arrested in Fort Lauderdale, FL after trying to convince Samith Ghazawi, an convenience store employee, that they could use a special potion to multiply money. Ghazawi suspected that the men were using slight of hand and not a magical potion, so he called the cops. The BSO Economic Crime Unit and U.S. Secret Service set up a sting operation, complete with surveillance. While the Secret Service watched, Ghazawi offered the men $3,000... which they refused because they wanted more. From the Sun Sentinel:The two men were then arrested and investigators found a metal box filled with paper the size of U.S. currency in their vehicle.Authorities asked any other people who may have fallen prey to the "black money scam" or "wash wash scam" to call sheriff's detectives at 954-321-4255 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477. You know, if we had a potion that doubled...

Deep Thoughts: Is Fuze Violating Labeling Law By Making Bogus Health Claims?
The always entertaining Center for Science in the Public Interest is irritated with Coca-Cola's Fuze drinks because they make ridiculous health claims on their labels. Some examples, emphasis ours: Labels for Fuze Vitalize blackberry grape claim that its Vitamin A "helps reinforce resistance to colds, influenza & infections of the kidneys, bladder and lungs." Fuze Oolong Tea claims that "regular consumption of Polyphenols are associated with reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease and certain cancers." The vitamin B3 in the four flavors of Fuze Refresh is "known to improve circulation and reduce the cholesterol level in the blood," according to the Fuze web site. None of those claims have been approved by the FDA."Fuze drinks won't do anything for your kidneys, your lungs, or your heart; nor will they lower your cholesterol or prevent you from catching a cold," says CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt. What? But, but, Jessica Simpson drinks it! It must prevent...

Be Careful: Accidental Deaths On The Rise: Poisoning Deaths Increasing Quickly
People! You are accidentally poisoning yourselves! What the hell? Stop it. According to Consumer Reports, the second highest cause of accidental death is poisoning, and its the fastest growing, too. After car accidents, you're more likely to accidentally poison yourself than anything else.Uncool. Also of note: Deaths from accidental falls rank third and choking and drowning are fifth. In some states fire is number 5, so please check your smoke detectors. Accidents also accounted for more than 24 million nonfatal injuries in 2005. The economic cost of all fatal and nonfatal injuries amounted to $625.5 billion nationally, or $5,500 per household. "Our research shows that when it comes to safety, most Americans are more concerned about being the victim of a random act of violence than they are about being seriously injured in an accident," said [National Safety Council] President and CEO Alan McMillan. "The reality is that while we are at greater risk of experiencing an accidental...

Unsurprising: US Airways Cancels Your Flight, Treats You "Like Dirt"
We're adding to our collection of complaints about US Airways and Philadelphia International Airport. If we collect them all, we may win a set of steak knives! David and Sarah write (to US Airways):September 25th, 2007 US AirwaysAttention: Customer Relations4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.Phoenix, AZ 85034 To Whom It May Concern: We are writing to inform you of a thoroughly unpleasant experience we had with your airline. On July 29, 2007, we were flying back to Connecticut from a vacation to the Bahamas. We flew from Nassau to Philadelphia on flight 1487, and were supposed to get a connecting flight from Philadelphia to Hartford, flight 4097. First, our flight out of Nassau was delayed. We were told it would be delayed by only half an hour. A half hour came and went, and they still weren't calling anyone to board the plane. We didn't start boarding until 45 minutes had passed and by the time we took off, we were already an hour late. When we arrived in Philadelphia at around 5:45...

Drunk With Power: Liquor Store Refuses To Sell Booze To Man Who May Be 12 or 74, Who Can Say?
A shop in England refused to sell two bottles of wine to a white-haired, balding grandfather—you know, the kind with wrinkles on his face—because he balked when the cashier asked him to prove he was over 21. The man, being ornery in that way that old folks just naturally embrace, refused: "I felt like saying 'What do I look like? Are you a fool?'"What particularly upset him was that the store manager refused to intervene—instead, he took the wine away. "He picks up the wine and, in the manner of a child taking home his ball, says 'Well, we won't serve you'. ...I applaud any efforts to stop kids being served and standing on street corners getting drunk. But this was just totally stupid."A spokesperson for the liquor store offered a "them's the rules" explanation which sounds like it was pulled from the script for "Idiocracy" (emphasis is ours): We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously and all our stores operate the...

Shopping: Morning Deals
Sears: Nintendo Wii for $249.99 + Ship +TaxAmazon: Logitech LX 710 Laser Cordless Desktop for $26.99 Shipped After RebateTechnotime: Ohm's Law Watch for $39.95Highlights From DealhackEastern Mountain Sports: Up to 50%+ off Casual & Performance Clothing & GearBest Buy: LG 1080p HD Upconverting DVD Player $70Dell Home: Save 40% off: Magellan eXplorist 100 Portable GPS $54Highlights From BargainistBanana Republic: 30% off all mens jeansBrooks Brothers: 25% off purchases couponEddie Bauer: 20% off $75 + purchases coupon

Online Savings Accounts: HSBC Direct Cuts Rates To 4.5%
We checked HSBC Direct's front page daily after the Fed interest rate cut, in fear that our fave online saving account would also cut its high 5.05% interest rate. We chuckled as complaints rolled in about people's various money market accounts getting their rates trimmed. After we were lulled into a false sense of security and stopped checking, a reader pointed out that HSBC has slashing the rate to 4.5%. Noooooooooooo...No matter, we're thinking of porting all our cash to Emigrant Direct's "American Dream Saving Account," boasting a rate of 5.05%. Will it hold? There's another main contender in this field of fee-less, no minimum deposit required accounts, ING Direct, but we're not fond of the color orange enough to stoop to 4.3%.(Photo: DCvision2006)

Dire Consequences: Why Stores Have To ID Everyone
Our earlier post about carding senior citizens was all well and good, but here's what life's like from the other side of the register, according to Behind the Counter: "Nearly everyone who works a register and is faced with the prospect of selling tobacco and alcohol ought to be very, very afraid. Why? Because the federal government is watching you and will deliberately try to bust your Wal-Mart khaki-clad behind!"Enforcement is strict, and the consequences are severe. Says the author of the blog:A friend of mine who worked at a convenience store actually had that happen to him because he wasn't paying attention on a holiday weekend and sold a pack of Marlboro Lights to a kid that looked 25 but was really 16. The episode cost him his job and almost $4,000 in attorney fees and fines. They don't play.Every single time anyone who does not look old enough to have fought at Normandy tries to buy tobacco or alcohol from me I feel an icy stab of fear grip my chest. "Is this the one?...

Consumer Alert: Consumer Group Finds Lead In More Children's Toys
Extremely high levels of lead were found in a Go Diego Go backpack, a Superfly monkey and a pair of Circo Lulu boots, the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (a group dedicated to ridding the world of PVC) reported in a new study released yesterday. In all, 11 items they tested contained lead levels and/or heavy metals well over the safety standard, 10 of which contained PVC, or vinyl. The backpack had levels of 4,600 parts per million. The CPSC standard is 600 parts per million.550,000 More Chinese Toys Recalled for Lead [NYT]

Blogs: U.S. News And World Report Launches "Alpha Consumer" Blog
Check out a new blog on the consumer beat, Alpha Consumer, published by U.S. News and World Report and penned by Kimberly Palmer. In long-format style, Palmer tackles reader questions, gets expert quotes, and tries to help people conquer personal financial problems. Recent posts include:How to Pay Off Multiple DebtsHow to Recover From BankruptcyEx-Spouses Can Ruin Each Other's CreditShe's looking for stories to investigate so be sure to send yours to alphaconsumer@usnews.com.Alpha Consumer [U.S. News And World Report]

Recalls: Kolcraft's "Sesame Beginnings" Travel Play ...
Kolcraft's "Sesame Beginnings" Travel Play Yard (strangulation).

News From The Swamp: Lobbying is fierce on both sides as the Senate ...
Lobbying is fierce on both sides as the Senate Commerce Committee prepares to markup an extension of the internet tax moratorium extension. With the support of Ranking Member Ted Stevens, Chairman Inouye will take up the Carper-Alexander proposal, which will extend the ban through 2011. The Administration weighed in yesterday with a letter from Commerce Secretary Gutierrez and Treasury Secretary Paulson supporting the competing Wyden proposal, which would extend the moratorium permanently. The markup is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Insiders: 5 Confessions Of A Comcast Customer Service Rep
"I am writing this because I feel more and more as I work there that I can't sit back and watch Comcast fall flat on its ass when it comes to customer service. I hate to say it like that but Comcast's customer service is amazing. I am going to tell you a few things that you may not believe happens in a call center but it does. I am leaking this information in hopes that Comcast will know that their customers are fully aware of what is going on and that their screwed up actions should be stopped in their tracks."5. SUPERVISORS WILL ONLY STEP IN IF YOU REFUSE TO BE MOLLIFIED Ever wonder why anytime you request a supervisor that the CAE tells you that we will need to get your information and have one call you back, or we ask if you allow us the opportunity to assist yo.? The reason for this is that we have escalation measures set in that a customer cannot speak to a supervisor unless the supervisor feels that he or she must take the call. Beyond that, it's the CAE's problem to...

Cellphones: After first saying no, Verizon decided to ...
After first saying no, Verizon decided to allow a pro-choice group to send text massages, but in so doing, didn't disclaim the right the block text messages they deemed inappropriate in the future. [NYT]

Followups: Man Fixes Unfixable FiOs Account Error By Playing Dumb
Last time we heard from Dan, Verizon wouldn't give him his FiOs account number and kept charging his credit card that he told them not to charge. Now, through a mix of social engineering and knowing some tricks with the Verizon online account system, he was able to get all his problems solved. He tells us how, inside...I called verizon's website tech support line and pretended I was a moron who couldn't figure out how to create a new account or form coherent thoughts. I didn't record this phone call, but it went something like this:CSR: How can I help you today?Me: Um...need to make an account.CSR: Ok, what's your account number?Me: Um...dunno. I have my address.CSR: What about your phone number?Me: No phone...just tv.CSR: Ok...why don't you give me your address.Me: (supplies address)CSR: What username would you like?Me: You pick the username and password and just tell me what they are.*CSR works for about 15 minutes, and rattles off my new credentials**I thank the...

And To The Left Of Us, Ask Your Doctor About Ambien CR: New Giant-Sized Ads Visible From Airplane
The next time you fly, if you're going in or out of a major hub you might have the delight and pleasure of seeing an ad 5 acres in size as you take off or land. Ad-Air is launching the new ads at airports in Atlanta, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Geneva, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.The first ads will go up in Abu Dhabi in October, and the company has said it's already secured spaces next to airports in the other cities. The managing director of Ad-Air says the beauty of the ads is that they're being placed in "clutter-free environments and moments free of any other commercial messages."From the site:The Ad-Air product is straightforward, powerful and effective.A unique advertising medium that targets airline passengers in their seats. Ad-Air reaches this highly desirable demographic and captive audience by placing advertisements of 20,000m2, approx 5 acres in size, flat on the ground alongside the flight paths in and out of the world's busiest airports. Therefore, Ad-Air is offering...

Passenger's Bill Of Rights: Airlines Renege On Stranded Passenger Plan Promise
Airlines have broken their promise to make sure passengers are taken care of during long delays, the Transportation Department announced in a report yesterday. Here's how they didn't measure up:No plans for supplying emergency food and drinkNo time limit for how long passengers are kept on planeNo plan of how to get passengers offWill a Passenger's Bill of Rights force the issue?US watchdog says airlines fall short on service [Reuters via Rick Seany](Photo: FlyGuy92586)

Money: 8 Personal Finance Lessons Learned From Monopoly
Remember those cold winter nights when your family stayed up late and fought to bankrupt each other? Recall the number of times you cheered a little metal dog (or hat or thimble) to move around a square board quickly? Recollect regularly screaming "come on seven!" only to roll a six? Who knew that all that time you were really learning about personal finance? Well, Blueprint for Financial Prosperity now knows this was the case. He's detailed eight personal finance lessons he learned from Monopoly.Much of his learnings could be classified as personal finance 101, but lesson #2 is something you don't hear about much in money management circles -- the power of luck. Blueprint describes it as follows:So you hit a few doubles and fly around the board, take advantage of it by snatching up as many properties as you can. In life, you'll often catch lucky breaks, be sure you're in a position to capitalize on those lucky breaks. Sometimes you'll have an opportunity that requires a particular...

The Things You Own End Up Owning You: "He lives cheap because: "Sooner or later ...
"He lives cheap because: "Sooner or later they fire everybody."" [Frugal For Life]

Subprime Meltdown: Worst Month For New Home Sales In 6 Years
Here's a cute but meaningless graphic from ABC News that illustrates a very important statistic: New home sales are down. Way down. 8.3% down. It's the worst month for new home sales in 6 years. Why is this important? Because even though home builders were having so-called "blow out sales," it doesn't seem to be working. The price of a new home is dropping:During the past year, sales of new homes have dropped some 21 percent, which is forcing builders to provide huge incentives to move the houses they've completed.For August, the government said the median price of a new home sold was $225,700 - 7.5 percent lower than the same period last year. That's the biggest drop in 37 years. Inventories are up too, so it seems as if the "blow-out" deals are only going to get more "blown-out," so to speak. Our advice? If you're currently negotiating a deal on a new home—don't settle for a plasma TV or some free appliances. Put on your negotiating pants and your asskicking boots...

Drugs: Walmart Adds More Drugs To The $4 Program, You Can Now Control Your Fungus For Cheap
The New York Times is reporting that Walmart has decided to expand their $4 generic drug program. The program will now include generics of "widely used heart medication Coreg and the anti-fungal drug Lamisil."We're glad. Controlling fungus should be affordable enough for everyone. Lamisil used to cost $337. Also getting a price chop: a fertility drug and two forms of birth control, a move that the NYT says is meant to lure young women into the store. You can now pick up your reproduction related drugs for $9 a month. Other big box stores have similar programs if you're not into Walmart. Kmart has a $15 (for a 90 day supply) program. Meijer offers free antibiotics.The only drawback to Walmart's cheap generics? Controlling your deep urges to buy Walmart's other products. Huge jar of Vlasic pickles... your siren song is impossible to resist. Wal-Mart Adds Drugs to $4 Program [NYT](Photo:Ms. Jessica)

Whoops: Verizon Reverses Policy On Pro-Choice Text Messages
Verizon recently rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights group, to make Verizon's network available for their opt-in text message program. Verizon had initially claimed that the text messages violated their policy against messages that were "highly controversial." From the WSJ:In a statement Thursday, Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said, "The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect, and we have fixed the process that led to this isolated incident."He added, "Upon learning about this situation, senior Verizon Wireless executives immediately reviewed the decision and determined it was an incorrect interpretation of a dusty internal policy."Verizon Wireless said Thursday its policy had been developed before text messaging protections such as spam filters "adequately protected customers from unwanted messages." It was designed, the company said, to ward against communications...

Your Health: FDA Issues Public Health Warning About Cancer Pain Drug Fentora
The FDA would like to let you know that a medicine meant to be used to control pain in patients who have become tolerant to morphine and other similar drugs is being used incorrectly and some patients have died as a result.Fentora, a potent opioid pain medication, is used only for treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients receiving opioid treatment and who have become tolerant to it. Breakthrough pain is intense increases in pain that occur with rapid onset, even when opioid pain-control medication is being used. Patients who take narcotic pain medications daily and around-the-clock develop tolerance and are more resistant to the dangerous side effects of these medications than patients who take narcotic pain medication on a less frequent basis.The deaths reported were the result of improper selection of patients, dosing, or improper product substitution."FDA is monitoring this issue very closely," said Steven Galson, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluatio...

Stats Feed: Today's most popular headlines are 5 Confessions ...
Today's most popular headlines are 5 Confessions Of A Comcast Customer Service Rep (10,707 views today), Man Fixes Unfixable FiOs Account Error By Playing Dumb (7,148) and Why Stores Have To ID Everyone (4,262).

Housing: Most Affordable Real Estate Markets By State
Where are the affordable real estate markets in your state? Oh, we don't know. It's a good thing BusinessWeek does. They've made a list of the most and least affordable markets in each of these United States.Without futher ado, some interesting highlights:Kentucky doesn't vary much:Most Affordable: Florence2007 Avg. Sales Price: $209,579Most Expensive: Louisville2007 Avg. Sales Price: $238,000Variance: $28,421California, on the other hand, is all about the neighborhood:Most Affordable: Sacramento2007 Avg. Sales Price: $380,625Most Expensive: Beverly Hills2007 Avg. Sales Price: $2,206,883Variance: $1,826,258Living cheaply in Illinois may require living in Rockford, but we think you can probably find some better deals:Most Affordable: Rockford2007 Avg. Sales Price: $199,875Most Expensive: Chicago2007 Avg. Sales Price: $732,333Variance: $532,458In New York, we should all move to Binghamton:Most Affordable: Binghamton2007 Avg. Sales Price: $193,382Most Expensive: Katonah2007 Avg....

Unintended Acceleration: Toyota To Recall Floor Mats In 2007 Lexus And Camry
Toyota is recalling optional "all-weather" floor mats used in the 2007 Lexus and Camry because they could slip and trap the accelerator pedal. This, quite obviously, would be very, very bad.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would also appreciate it if owners of the Toyota hybrids Prius and Avalon would double-check to make sure their floor mats are installed correctly. The floor mats aren't defective, but when stacked on-top of other floor mats they can come loose and the results are not pretty.There were seven crashes and 12 injuries in connection with crazy pedal trapping evil floor mats. Safety officials said, "drivers traveled for miles and reached speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour before the car stopped." Holy crap.If you have one of these cars, Toyota is going to design a new floor mat and send it to you. Try not to die before then. Make sure your floor mats are gripping the floor! Toyota to recall floor mats in 2007 Lexus, Camrys [Reuters](Photo:NHTSA)

Subprime Meltdown: Will the Fed cut rates again following August's ...
Will the Fed cut rates again following August's depressing home sales numbers? Someone sure thinks so. [Bloomberg]