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the consumerist

Consumer Complaints Websites
consumerism

Feeling Wronged as a Customer? Vent Online to These 6 Sites

One of the things I love about this digital age is that we have more power as consumers, because we now have a public online forum to voice our dissatisfaction.
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One of the things I love about this digital age is that we have more power as consumers, because we now have a public online forum to voice our dissatisfaction. Sometimes you may feel like your complaints are going unheard. Perhaps the firm did not respond to your multiple calls and emails or maybe the customer service rep was just plain rude. As frustrating as it is, we know that the "customer is always right" adage is no longer true for many establishments. But don't worry, there are plenty of places to voice your unhappiness. Here are some of them:

  • Amazon: If you're unhappy with any product you have received, leave a review on Amazon.com to enlighten other customers. Amazon is the largest online retailer in the US so your review will definitely be seen by many pairs of eyes.
  • The Consumerist: A bulk of the posts on consumerist.com come from complaints and tips from readers. The blog also scours the news to find other examples of consumers being wronged. Some of the top posts include a customer getting banned from Best Buy after catching the store doing something illegal.
  • Yelp: Compelling Yelp reviews can really make a difference. I've gotten messages from shop owners thanking me for my positive review and some who requested me to take down a negative one. Remember, you're the one with the upper hand so don't be cowed by store owners who try to threaten you.

For more places to vent, read on.

How to Reduce the National Debt
odd

Not Sure What to Donate To? How About the $14 Trillion National Debt

If you're mulling over what cause to donate to, you can consider chipping in towards the $14 trillion national debt.
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If you're mulling over what cause to donate to, you can consider chipping in towards the $14 trillion national debt. Be warned that the stark contrast between the massive debt and the amount you decide to give may make your donation feel measly, and frustrations may ensue if you disagree with what the government is spending money on.

The Treasury Department has been collecting donations since 1996, and their most fruitful year was in 2009, when they received a total of about $3 million. According to The Consumerist, your monetary goodwill towards the mounting US debt isn't tax deductible, so be sure to keep that in mind as well. To make things convenient, the Treasury Department accepts payments from credit cards, checking and savings accounts. If you want to send in a check, make it out to the "Bureau of the Public Debt," and list "Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public" in the memo section.

Would you consider donating to the US Treasury?

Where's The Meat?
fat

Where's The Meat?

I love bacon, there's something about the smell, texture and flavor that just makes me drool, drool, drool.
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I love bacon, there's something about the smell, texture and flavor that just makes me drool, drool, drool. And as much as I love the fatty portions of the meat, we all know it's about how well they combine. You need a good proportion of meat to fat in order to make it work well. Every person has their own personal ratio, but something tells me that this obviously fatty ratio isn't going to become many people's personal favorite. I mean check it out, this piece of Jamestown Brand bacon is what? 90% fat? Oh god, I think my arteries have just hardened...

Source: The Consumerist

Fast Food Ads Versus Reality
Fast Food

Fast Food Ads Versus Reality

Have you ever gone to some fast food place, taken a look at the pictures on the menu and decided that, despite what you know about fast food, it looks pretty darn good?
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Have you ever gone to some fast food place, taken a look at the pictures on the menu and decided that, despite what you know about fast food, it looks pretty darn good? Then you order it and WTF? Is this the same meal? Well the folks over at The West Virginia Surf Report have decided to start a comparison of fast food ads vs real fast food photographs. There's a lot of debate as to whether or not this is a fair comparison (after all the ads get great lighting and color correction, so maybe the real pictures should have better lighting and color correction), however it is still pretty telling. The picture above shows Taco Bell's Nacho Bell Grande and if you ask me, no amount of lighting, color correction or soft focus lenses would make the one on the right look nearly as good as the one on the left. Some of the ads don't look nearly as terrible as the others - and some look bad no matter what, the fish fillet looks sort of odd and bland even in the ad photo - but don't take my word on it, go ahead and judge for yourself.

What do you guys think? Do you think it's fair to compare them? Is it bad for advertisers to use the images they do?

Also, this isn't the first time this has been done. In fact just last month The Consumerist ran a comparison of the Wendy's 4 Alarm Spicy Chicken ad vs a real picture.