uHome Depot Declined My Return, But I’ve Only Returned One Thing Therer

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  (ralph)

  Having returned stuff to Home Depot before, Stephen knew that he could expect to have his driver’s license scanned and the transaction logged by The Retail Equation, a company that logs information about people who return merchandise at a variety of retailers. What he didn’t expect was to be told that his return of some cabinet parts would be denied after he had only ever returned one $10 item to Home Depot before.

  Surely he had a long and mildly sordid pile of returns at other retailers that use TRE, then? Nope. He sent away for his own report, which is a thing that you can do, and the only item on it was that $10 return at Home Depot.

  

  Once his return was flagged in the system as potentially-fraudulent, there was nothing that Home Depot could do for him. “The store manager informed me that store managers do not have the authority to authorize a return if The Retail Equation has rejected them,” he explained to Consumerist. Really? Could that be true?

  Home Depot’s own in-store purchase return policy says:

  We require a valid ID for non-receipted returns and returns generated from purchases made with store credits. The Home Depot uses a refund verification system. All returns are subject to system approval.

  That “system” would be TRE. The company says that less than 1% of the transactions that go through its systems are flagged as potentially fraudulent, All queries to that company result in a representative pointing back at the company’s frequently asked questions page. Specifically, they pointed out the section on disputes, which says that they can “facilitate” between retailers and customers when certain facts are in question.

  TRE offers consumers the ability to dispute their Return Activity Report and facilitate a dialogue between the consumer and retailer to reach a proper resolution. With this process, TRE acts as an advocate, on behalf of the consumer, to ensure the consumer’s request to the retailer is met and resolved within a timely manner, typically within 30 days.

  TRE doesn’t mediate between bloggers and retailers, though, so we took our question back to Home Depot. They checked into the transaction and came back with an answer that makes a lot of sense:

  For security reasons, we don’t discuss the details of the TRE system. I can tell you that we only issue store credits for non-receipted returns, and therefor returns of merchandize originally purchased with a store credit are closely scrutinized. The merchandise this customer returned was purchased with a store credit.

  Aha! Maybe it was even the same store credit from that $10 return. The conclusion that we can draw here is that shoppers should always keep their receipts, possibly gluing them to our foreheads, or hoarding them in an envelope indefinitely.

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uFacebook Testing Shops Built Into Retailers’ Pagesr

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  Facebook shows a fake brand in this mock-up.

  
  Like Google, Twitter and its own Instagram platform, Facebook is toying with the idea of allowing users to buy stuff directly from retailers’ pages, instead of seeing those items in an ad and going outside the social network to purchase them.

  The company is building out shops within Facebook Pages that would function as mini e-commerce sites, reports Buzzfeed News, acting like a second home for retailers and brands who want to not only engage with customers, but get them to buy products while they’re being social.

  “With the shop section on the page, we’re now providing businesses with the ability to showcase their products directly on the page,” Facebook product marketing manager Emma Rodgers told BuzzFeed News.

  Online commerce and digital advertising are both growing, notes Buzzfeed, so it makes sense to partner the two with social media. Go where the people are already posting cat videos and baby photos, advertise to them and then help them buy what you’ve just convinced them they need.

  This move also aligns with Facebook’s recent push into commerce, including a feature for its Messenger app that’s in the works and could help consumers research products they might be interested in buying.

  Facebook says there are shops numbering in the double digits currently, with plans to expand, although it wouldn’t share any of the names of businesses in the pilot program right now. The mock-up shown above is for a fake brand, and shows what future business’ pages could look like.

  The social network says eventually the shop idea could move beyond commerce businesses and spread to public figures, sports teams or groups, though so far it’s too early to tell if that will happen.

  “We’ll continue to add incremental features and capabilities to Pages because they are such an important part of the consumer experience on Facebook,” Facebook’s Rodgers told Buzzfeed.

  Facebook Takes Big Step Forward On Commerce, Builds Shops Into Pages [Buzzfeed]

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uDiner Owner Defends Yelling At Crying “Beast” Of A Childr

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• The owner of a diner in Portland, Maine, does not appear to be terribly concerned about the social media backlash resulting from her admitted hollering at a crying child and then later dubbing that youngster a “beast” and “monster” on Facebook.

  A diner customer recently posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page that the owner is a “lunatic” who is “not suitable to run a business” after she screamed at her 2-year-old daughter.

  In response, the owner unleashed her own version of events, saying the parents had ordered the small child a plate of three full-size pancakes, and while waiting for the order the kid became “cranky.”

  After what she claims was 40 minutes of the little girl crying in the diner, the owner says she began dropping obvious hints for the family to leave, even bringing over to-go boxes for the pancakes that were never eaten.

  According to the owner, she told them “either all of you need to go or just her,” referring to the child, or “beast,” as she writes in the Facebook post.

  Even that didn’t spur the family to leave, says the owner. Instead, the child — who had apparently gone quiet after being told to leave — started crying again and continued to do so for another ten minutes, claims the owner.

  The owner admits yelling at the family “THAT NEEDS TO STOP!”

  “Why is it OK for that kid to disrupt the experience for 75 people when mommy or daddy could have taken it outside,” she writes.

  As you can guess, the Internet did not respond to this news with a calm and reasonable debate. Instead, folks seem divided into two camps — those carrying pitchforks and calling for the owner to apologize, and those holding the owner up as a champion willing to say the things we wish we could.

  So far, the owner is remaining unapologetic.

  “Life’s full of choices and you’ve got to live with all of them,” she tells WCSH. “I chose to yell at a kid, it made her shut-up, which made me happy, it made my staff happy, it made the 75 other people dining here happy, and they left, they may never come back, other people may not come in. Their loss really.”

  When asked if she felt sorry about her actions she replied, “Sorry isn’t the right word. I might have used poor judgement. I wouldn’t say I was sorry, because it stopped. When things stop, it’s usually a good thing.”

  The mom who posted the complaint is defending her parenting skills to WCSH.

  “I turned to my daughter and I was like ‘Listen, this is how I’m raising you not to be as an adult. Like, you will never be like this when you get older,'” she says. “I felt helpless as a mom that, you know, I couldn’t do anything to help her, because I can’t explain why there’s crazy people in this world that behave like that.”

  [via Eater]

  
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by Chris Morran via Consumerist

uCemetery Issues Rules Of The Road For Bicyclists Who Might Not Realize They’re Being Jerksr

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  (Skakerman)

  Although cemeteries might be an ideal spot for bicyclists seeking long paths and little traffic, one cemetery in Indiana has had to ban bikes from the grounds after a series of incidents. Because for many, having a bicycle racing past while you’re trying to give your loved one a final good-bye isn’t an ideal situation.

  Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis is a go-to spot for many cyclists, with its 25 miles of paved roads, winding trails, smooth pavement and hill that boasts the highest title of highest point in the county, notes the Indianapolis Star. But after a serious bicycling accident and disruptions during two graveside burials, the cemetery has decided it needs to lay down some rules for cyclists for the first time.

  Those limits include a ban on riding down one side of the cemetery’s big hill, a speed limit and no access to the cemetery on Veterans and Memorial Days.

  The cemetery’s president said the purpose of the rules are to respect the privacy of mourners and keep everyone safe.

  “We’ve always been welcoming of competitive cyclers and families, as well, and we’d like to keep it that way,” he said. “But after those few incidents, we decided we needed to make people accountable and protect everyone’s liability.”

  A serious biking accident in February left a cyclist with a broken collar bone and a concussion after she crashed at the bottom of the hill. Two other incidents found pairs of cyclists riding between parked cars lining the narrow roads during graveside ceremonies.

  “I was there both times, and it was unbelievable to me,” the president said. “I was absolutely astounded and humiliated.”

  The cemetery worked with a local biking group to come up with a compromise, with the cycling organization’s president stressing that it would be a shame for all cyclists if a few reckless people ruined it for everyone.

  “We thought it was lack of education and was something we could correct,” he said. “Some of these bicyclists don’t know they’re being jerks and we thought we could address that.”

  In addition to closing the park on Veterans and Memorial day, rules for people who don’t know they’re being jerks also include limits on groups of cyclists (only four people at a time); avoiding memorial services or grieving families; turning aside when coming into contact with funerals; a speed limit of 24 mph and a ban on racing other cyclists.

  Crown Hill Cemetery puts brakes on cyclists [Indianapolis Star]

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uFerrari Latest Automaker To Recall Vehicles For Possible Airbag Defectr

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  (Ian)

  While 11 automakers have already recalled millions of vehicles equipped with potentially deadly Takata-produced airbags, a twelfth car manufacturer announced it would also recall thousands of cars with safety devices supplied by the Japanese auto parts maker, although for a different, but still dangerous, reason.

  Italian sports car maker Ferrari confirmed on Monday that its recall of 2,600 vehicles worldwide was initiated because of a potential safety hazard in airbags supplied by Takata, AFP reports.

  The affected high-end sports cars may be equipped with a driver-side airbag that was improperly assembled and could deploy in a rotated orientation, increasing the risk of injury, Ferrari said.

  “The issue is a possible production defect in a component inside the airbags, which were fitted to around 2,600 cars,” a Ferrari spokesman told AFP.

  According to a notice [PDF] from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 800 of the recalled vehicles are located in North America.

  In all, the campaign covers model year 2015 Ferrari 458 Italia, 458 Spider, 458 Speciale, 458 Speciale A, California T, FF, F12 Berlinetta, and LaFerrari vehicles produced between December 2014 and April 2015. As a result of the issue, Ferrari has asked dealers to stop selling the affected models until repairs can be made.

  Ferrari made it clear in its announcement Monday that the issue differed from problems found in millions of vehicles equipped with the shrapnel-shooting Takata-produced airbags that have been linked to eight deaths and hundreds of injuries.

  “This issue is not related to the other recall made by other manufactures for Takata airbags,” the spokesman for the company tells AFP.

  Ferrari recalls 2,600 cars globally over airbags risk [AFP]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uNow Your Kid Can Enjoy A Disney-Licensed MP3 Player That’s Older Than She Isr

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• The first film in the live-action Disney franchise “High School Musical” was released in 2006. Like all Disney properties, it came with a significant amount of licensed merchandise, since that’s how Disney keeps Mickey Mouse in cheddar. So this movie-branded MP3/WMA player found on a shelf at Walmart wouldn’t really have attracted our attention…if it were still 2007.

  

  The first Disney Mix Stick came out in 2005, it turns out, and they came in varieties featuring popular Disney and Pixar properties from about 2005 to 2010. One appealing feature is that you can both connect the device to a computer and fill it with music, or plug in officially-licensed albums of Disney songs and eliminate the need for substantive hard drive space or a computer to connect it to.

  The problem isn’t that this device exists–there are probably plenty of kids who enjoy this movie, and the player remains usable. The problem is that like most treasures that the Raiders of the Lost Walmart find, it’s priced too high and has been on the shelf too long. How long? Well, here’s a close-up of the price tag. Yes, it’s been languishing in the clearance section since February 2014.

  

  The point of clearance sales is to clear merchandise from the store. There’s probably a kid out there who would love this mp3 player, but not when they can get the same one on Amazon for at least $25 less.

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uSenate Committee Votes Down Several Auto Safety Reformsr

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  (Eric Norris)

  Since automakers began recalling vehicles in force last year – punctuated by the millions of models covered by General Motors’ massive ignition switch defect and Takata’s explosive airbags – lawmakers have been trying to push through reforms that would make it more difficult to keep potentially deadly automobiles on the roadways. But proposed laws such as those that would impose fines on owners of vehicles who don’t follow-through with recall repairs or barring used car dealers from selling vehicles with unrepaired recalls likely won’t see the light of day after being voted down by a Senate committee last week.

  The New York Times reports that a number of auto safety reforms – including one that would impose criminal penalties on auto executives who fail to disclose deadly defects – failed to make it to the latest version of the transportation bill, expected to be seen by the entire Senate floor later this month.

  “Hiding these deadly defects with near impunity is what the industry has succeeded in doing,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, who introduced several provisions that were voted down.

  While a majority of the reforms introduced as attachments to the larger bill went nowhere, some managed to make it through, including those that increase the maximum civil penalty imposed on automakers from $35 million to $70 million and one that would increase funding for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – so long as the agency implements recommendations recently set forth by the Transportation Department’s Inspector General.

  Additionally, lawmakers were successful in adding a measure that would ban rental companies from handing out cars with unrepaired safety recalls to customers. That amendment is a stark contrast to a proposal introduced just two weeks ago that would have allowed companies to rent the potentially dangerous vehicles as long as they simply notified the renter that the repairs hadn’t been made.

  Senator and committee chairman John Thune, of South Dakota, said a similar bill that would have banned used car dealers from selling recall vehicles failed because it would have had “unintended consequences” for the industry, the NYT reports.

  Several national used car dealers – including CarMax – have come under scrutiny by safety advocates for allegedly continuing to sell vehicles with unrepaired recalls, while claiming the “Quality Certified” cars have undergone a “125+ point inspection.”

  The defeat of many of the auto safety reform measures was credited to automakers’ lobbying teams, that helped circulate documents likening some of the bills to “criminalizing the business of manufacturing.”

  Many of the legislators who introduced the reform bills showed their irritation at having their proposals struck down with little negotiation. In fact, some simply removed their bills from consideration before they could be heard in the committee.

  Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, who proposed two bills, said he would likely propose those that he removed during the committee discussion as amendments on the Senate floor, the NYT reports.

  Although the committee’s dismissal of the measures isn’t a great sign for lawmakers and safety advocates, congressional staff tell the NYT that it is possible at least a handful of the defeated proposals could be resurrected before the bill makes it to the full Senate floor.

  Senate Committee’s No Vote Incenses Lawmakers Seeking Auto Safety Reforms [The New York Times]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist