I used to know a guy who kept his money hidden in his home because he didn't trust banks. Like, all of it. He would never tell me where, obviously, guess though I may (Freezer? Under the mattress? Behind the "secret" DVD collection?). He isn't alone — there are 10 million American households that don't have bank accounts, a number that is increasing every day. More »
There is no such thing as a free trial. Well, sometimes there is, but be wary of any "free" trial that requires you to hand over your credit card or banking information. Craig's wife signed up to try the local Gold's Gym, then decided not to do business with them and end the trial before she ever broke a sweat. More »
Here are ten of the best photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or just plain neatness. More »
You don't need a locksmith right now. That's the best time to look for one, so take some time today to ask your friends and colleagues, search Yelp, and do whatever you can to learn which locksmiths in your area are reliable and reasonable. Then put their numbers in your phone contacts. This will help you in your time of need, so you're not stuck with a scammy, creepy bait-and-switch artist in an emergency situation. That's what happened to Rob's daughter recently in Washington, D.C. More »
In today's best comments, a reader from Oregon explains why pumping gas can be so exciting, and a reader trades a little herb for a restaurant meal right here in the United States. More »
Although federal regulators never caught onto my father's First Bank of Dad, they're totally paying attention to a Pittsburgh man who's set up his own community bank right at his ice cream and coffee shop. He even doles out interest in the form of gift cards to his business, which might go over well with his customers, but there are rules against that sort of thing. More »
(Strupey)
The new leadership at Hooters -- long deemed a restaurant for people who are afraid to be seen at a strip club, and who haven't figured out it's cheaper to just eat at home and watch cable TV -- says it's tired of being a mostly-men joint and wants to make the eatery more appealing to those not drawn in by the allure of women wearing tight T-shirts. More »
After seeing yesterday's iPhone 5 announcement, Consumerist reader Ed thought he'd ask his wife's phone for a little buying assistance. More »
(jking89)
File this one under "Why didn't I think of that?": A student attending Auburn University to get his PhD figured out a way to cut way down on his tuition expenses by amassing thousands of dollars in rebate checks and prepaid debit cards. After punching in the numbers on anywhere from 200 to 250 debit cards he received as rebate payments along with $1,000 in rebate checks, he'll only have to pay $450 out of pocket for this semester's $4,500 tuition. More »
With more than 200 sq. miles in area, the city of Chicago should have plenty of space to set up a temporary clinic for city employees' wellness screenings. And yet some city workers had their blood drawn at a clinic set up inside the same garage where garbage trucks rest between trash pickups. More »
Yesterday, Apple went through its occasional ritual of taking an hour to go over every minute detail of its new phone. But what wasn't mentioned in that overlong introduction to the iPhone 5 was what it means for the folks who still have unlimited data plans from back in the day. More »
Listen, everyone: you might think that eBay's new logo is pretty much the same as its old one, but really it's totally different and is definitely going to launch the company over its competitors. At least, that's the thinking behind the update, which keeps eBay's signature colors but lines up all the letters in a straight line instead of the previous jumbliness it had going on. More »
Navid's idea wasn't bad: he wanted to install wood floors in his condo, and chose to hire installers from the store where he bought the flooring and supplies, Home Depot. This should be a simple transaction: he gives them money, they come over and put floors in his condo. It's just that something that employees assured Navid wouldn't be a problem suddenly became a problem. There's a large dip and some cracks in his subfloor, and Home Depot's original rough estimate for how much it would fix to cost the problem was much lower than it should have been. Navid agreed to pay that expense, and the contractors walked off the job anyway, saying that they wouldn't be able to warranty the work. Now Navid is stuck with a lot of supplies and a ripped-up floor. More »
Buying a refurbished computer can be a way to save a significant amount of money off the retail price. But as one Consumerist reader found out when he bought a refurbed ASUS gaming laptop from Newegg, a small problem can earn you a seat on the customer service terror-go-round, with no one really wanting to take responsibility. More »
(Reva G)
Would you give your right arm for a decent meal? If you're in Florence, Italy you can keep all your limbs intact and just hand over some fruits and vegetables in exchange for a restaurant-quality meal. The restaurant is opening later this month, and is using the barter idea to help out customers who might be feeling like they can't dine out in the current cranky economy. And yes, an economy can be cranky. More »
How much bug spray does one household need? Wasp stings hurt, so it's a good idea to stay protected. Even if buying a two-pack costs more than buying two individual cans. You know, safety. And volume pricing. Important things. More »
While the U.S. economy is arguably inching toward improvement, costs for health insurance continue to climb. Combined with still-high unemployment and a growing number of employers requiring employees to pay a larger share of their insurance premiums, and there are a lot of uninsured and under-insured Americans out there. And according to the Consumer Reports annual prescription drug poll, a growing number of these people are going without needed care or medication. More »
Beef Products Inc. still has a bee in its bonnet about that tiny little pink slime controversy and it's blaming ABC News for starting the media campaign against it. It's feeling defamed to the tune of $1.2 billion and is suing the news network for publishing 200 "false and disparaging statements" about its lean finely textured beef product. More »
