Some shoppers have felt the need to stealthily scan items in stores with their smartphones. They'd rather not be accused of "showrooming," the practice in which one scopes out merchandise in a brick-and-mortar store, only to purchase it online—at Amazon, likely—for less money. This week, though, Target began actively encouraging mobile phone scans nationwide.
Entrepreneurial techies have been selling thousands of smartphone apps that claim to treat acne for 99¢ and $1.99 a pop (excuse the pun). Now, however, a Federal Trade Commission investigation reveals that (shocker!) the claims have no scientific basis.
Most consumers like the idea of pay per channel cable TV, in which the customer would select a la carte the channels he actually watches, rather than pay for a bundled service with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of channels that are quickly skipped past with the clicker. Cable providers obviously prefer selling channels in bundles, ensuring [...]
Spotify arrived in the U.S. on July 14. The initial reviews were generally positive. And best of all, it ought to save me money.
How can a consumer navigate in today’s increasingly digital retail universe without a credit card? It’s a legitimate concern, considering many people today have either sworn off credit cards in an effort to live more frugally or have had their access to credit restricted or even cut off due to the recession.
The brilliant thing about money is that it’s entirely interchangeable. A hundred pennies equals a dollar, and 40 quarters has the same value as a $10 bill. So why would people be willing to give away nearly 10% of the value of one kind of money just to have it swapped into another form of [...]
Parents want their children to become comfortable with technology. But in the course of amusing themselves with apps and games, kids can unknowingly (or perhaps knowingly) pile up huge bills on their parent’s credit cards.
Most gift lists focus on what to buy. Just as important, however, is avoiding gifts that are useless or annoying, or that, worst of all, will wind up featured on some Worst Gift You Ever Received discussion.
“Cable TV was always a bad model for the consumer because, in a sense, you’re paying twice. When you watch The Daily Show, for example, you pay the cable company to bring Comedy Central’s programming into your home. But you also contribute to Comedy Central’s bottom line by watching its ads. However, the Internet allows [...]
Here’s a mini round-up of stories of interest to consumers of the value-conscious persuasion.
A collection of holiday songs from Amy Grant, Barry Manilow, Toby Keith, Weezer, Aretha Franklin, and even Stephen Colbert are available free for the downloading via iTunes.
