Consumerism

(whatatravisty)You might not be surprised to find that a sketchy dive bar is refilling its empty bottles of liquor with cheaper booze, but many consumers probably don’t expect a chain restaurant to get involved in such underhanded hanky-panky. And yet, 15 of the 29 places caught in yesterday’s sting by New Jersey liquor regulators are outlets of national chain eateries — and almost all of those were TGI Fridays. Dubbed “Operation Swill,” investigators in New Jersey raided establishments alleged to be deceiving consumers by putting less-expensive alcohol in bottles for top-shelf brands. “The customer paid for the premium brand but was instead, unbeknownst to the customer, poured the non-premium brand,” said authorities in a statement. Among the places caught in the sting were one Ruby Tuesday’s restaurant and one Applebee’s — and a whopping 13 TGI Fridays, accounting for nearly half of the raided establishments. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, all of the Fridays caught up in the raid are owned by the same New Jersey franchisee group. The corporate office for the Texas-based chain is, of course, taking this matter very seriously. “TGI Fridays was just made aware of this issue and is working closely with the franchisee and owner of the cited locations to review and investigate these serious allegations,” reads a statement from TGIF HQ. “We have one of the most extensive bar and beverage programs in the industry, which sets a very high standard in the quality and service of our beverages.” A rep for Ruby Tuesday’s tells the Star-Ledger that the company is “still in the process of collecting more details, but we are cooperating fully.” You can see the whole list of accused establishments — some of whom deny the charges — at NJ.com.

How our cities will function in the future, with particular reference to the movement of people, is emerging as one of the big challenges ahead - particularly with the rising rate of urbanisation around the world and the creation of so-called 'megacities'. And of course, there's the potentially thorny question of how personal mobility and the car fit in. I'm attending a Frost & Sullivan event on this subject in London next month (details here). I have also come across a resource from Audi on this subject that surprised me for the breadth of the content therein. Well worth a browse and very far removed from the 'subtle propaganda' about the wonders of the brand that a cynic might expect to find.Audi Urban Future Initiative

(Bob Reck) After a number of high-profile and embarrassing Twitter feed hackings, the tweeps over at Twitter realized that they need to join every other online service that has moderate importance in users’ lives and implement two-factor authentication already. If it’s good enough for our bank accounts and our Gmail, it’s good enough for our joke-delivery service, right? Two-factor authentication is what you should have turned on for important things like…well, like your personal e-mail and your bank accounts, like I said in that last sentence. The idea is that you log in using a regular old password, and then a second piece of ID that proves you have access to something other than a regular old password. You might have to produce a code from a smartphone app, or a numeric code sent to your authenticated phone number or e-mail address. Twitter has the advantage that it began as a phone-based service. They produced a handy video showing users how to set up two-factor. Of course, the service isn’t meant for regular old Twitter users like you or me with just a few dozen or a few hundred followers, some of whom may not even be spambots. It’s for high-profile accounts with lots and lots of followers like The Onion or the Associated Press. There’s a flaw inherent in this: accounts that belong to companies and to media outlets are usually shared, and it’s sort of hard to set up two-factor authentication for an account that a bunch of people share. Twitter Introduces Two-Step Authentication [Mashable]

Behold, the agony and the ecstasy. Yes, the people in Japan want fries with that — lots and lots and lots of fries, apparently, as McDonald’s is serving up its (reportedly) highest-calorie count item ever: A 1,142 calorie container of fries double the size of a regular large fries, dubbed The Mega Potato. What, not the McMega Potato or Mega McPotato? According to Japan Today, the serving of three-quarters of a pound of fries is being marketed as “perfect for sharing,” and we should hope so as it clocks in at about half of what an average person should be consuming per day, calorie-wise. The things is, while some U.S. media outlets are noting that Mickey D’s is “unveiling” this item, it’s actually a limited-edition option that’s simply returning to restaurants across the Pacific. The nationwide release in Japan starts May 24, but Japan Today found a location that already had the new menu. It reports that just using an eyeball measurement, it looks to be about three times your standard hamburger. It’s only on the menu through June, so if you haven’t booked your ticket yet, now could be a good time to visit Japan. I’m just having fun imagining New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg trying to keep this thing out of McDonald’s over here. That thing is probably his arch nemesis. Mega Potato to go back on sale at McDonald’s Japan [Japan Today]

Magic Hat is suing Kentucky-based West Sixth Brewing Company over alleged trademark infringement.Most of our stories about trademark disputes — especially when it comes to anything that even vaguely sounds like the word “monster” — involve companies in two completely different industries, like energy drinks vs. fish tanks, or that same beverage vs. an independent movie, or audio cables vs. deer licks. But what about when that trademark to-do is between two beer companies? This story has apparently been brewing — yeah, I wrote it — since last fall. According to the folks at Vermont-based Magic Hat Brewing Company, a wholesaler in Kentucky alerted them to a new beer being sold in the area by a company called West Sixth Brewing Company. Magic Hat claims the wholesaler didn’t want to stock this beer he believed its logo resembled that of Magic Hat’s #9 beer. Both logos feature numerals in circles, with some sort of star next to the numeral: The West Sixth Logo (minus the company name) is on the left; Magic Hat #9 on the right. Magic Hat also took issue with West Sixth’s Amber Ale logo, which uses a more orange tone. It believes that the use of orange confuses the matter further. Here is a side-by-side of the two cans for you to decide: For what it’s worth, the West Sixth logo was chosen by Paste Magazine as one of the 15 best beer label designs in 2012. “Our first step was to reach out to them. We hoped to handle it amicably,” says Magic Hat in a statement. In a post on its site, West Sixth takes issue with the wholesaler anecdote: “Unfortunately, that isn’t true at all. We have two distributors who distribute both us and Magic Hat without any sort of confusion. We’re sorry that this is what you were told. What actually happened between us and your distributor is this: After we had advanced negotiations to sign with your distributor they were told by another brand they carry that they should not distribute our beer.” West Sixth co-founder Ben Self confirms to Consumerist that his company began receiving cease-and-desist letters from Magic Hat. “We replied to all of them — the most recent in March,” Self says. “They have not replied to our letter from March. That was why we were surprised with the lawsuit!” Yes, late last week, Magic Hat filed suit against West Sixth in a U.S. District Court in Lexington, KY. “We had no desire to file a lawsuit against a fellow brewer,” said a rep for the plaintiff. “We thought we had made a lot of progress with West Sixth. They agreed in principle to modify their design. And now they’re going back on their word, and are attempting to tarnish our image instead.” West Sixth maintains that it broke no promises and that Magic Hat simply stopped responding to its letters. Both West Sixth and Magic Hat state that there was progress being made in this back-and-forth, but what exactly was agreed-upon is still up for debate. Magic Hat claims that four points of agreement were reached, and that West Sixth had consented to: 1. Remove the design element that mirrors Magic Hat’s #9 starburst/dingbat star packaging; 2. Use and promote the wording West Sixth Brewing in conjunction with the design; 3. Work in good faith to phase out and replace any existing materials that may contain the prior version of the encircled “6″ design; 4. Amend its current federal trademark application or re-file the application with the new design. West Sixth says it was pretty much fine with all of these but #1. It claims that Magic Hat wanted West Sixth to agree to never using the numeral “6.” “We just don’t think your trademark rights in the numeral ’9′ allow you to keep out any competitor who uses the numeral ’6,’” writes West Sixth. “Our address is 501 West Sixth Street – hence our name. We’re not trying t

(Michelle Rick) Three daughters who recently lost their mother to cancer say they were kicked out of the King of Prussia Mall outside of Philadelphia for sporting a unique tribute to her. Two of the women were wearing black-and-pink hats designed by a family friend that read “F – - K CANCER” with the C in the naughty word replaced by a pink breast-cancer-awareness ribbon. They claim that on Sunday, a security guard told them they had to take of their hats, or leave the mall. The women tell the Daily News they were shopping for a dress for one of their daughters to wear at the mom’s funeral, and two of them stopped with a group of friends to grab a bite in the food court. That’s when, the group says, a security guard approached them and told them to take their hats off. One of the women did, but another works at the mall and told the guard he’d have to put something in writing. “He said, ‘Since you don’t want to take your hat off, you can leave my mall,’ ” one of the women says. “He stood there while we ate and threatened to call the cops.” According to the women, several more security guards showed up, and escorted the group from the food court to a security office, where they were met by a police officer who had been called by the guards. The women say he told them it was offensive that they were wearing the hats, and allegedly added, ”It’s their mall, they want you out, you have to get out.” Since the story hit the news, the King of Prussia Mall is now apologizing for the whole ordeal. A spokesman for the property group that owns the mall reportedly called one of the daughters to apologize, asked for their mother’s name and about her battle with cancer. “Certainly this could have been handled in a much more empathic and sensitive manner,” the spokesman told media. “We’re very sorry about her loss and wanted to apologize for the way her party was treated.” He added that the mall should be flexible in times like this. “I do think this is an entirely different situation than a 16-year-old kid with a swear word on his T-shirt cruising the mall,” he said. “We need to be empathic, sympathetic, and listen and make sure that we’re approaching each situation as it comes up.” While the women had planned a protest at the mall tomorrow night, they now say the event will still go on, complete with controversial clothing on display, but instead it will be an awareness rally against cancer. Did cancer hats go too far? [Daily News]

Laurel bought her backpack from Timbuk2 in 2006. While that’s practically the blink of an eye if you’re the person in charge of stocking electronics and video games at Walmart, seven years is kind of a long time as far as product warranties go. Not for Timbuk2, though. When they learned that her bag was no longer water-resistant and had lost the rubber coating its bottom, that would not do. She sent an e-mail asking whether she could send it in for a warranty repair. They couldn’t fix it for her. Instead, they sent her a credit for a replacement bag. Hi there, Consumerist; I first bought a Timbuk2 Track Daypack backpack in 2006. By summer 2012, I had used it daily. The rubberized bottom had started peeling off, and it had lost its water resistance. I wrote to the website asking if I could possibly have my beloved pack repaired- I’d be willing to pay- and they said to mail it in for a warranty examination. A month later I still hadn’t heard back about my backpack, so I wrote asking for an update. Timbuk2 asked for my USPS tracking information, so I sent that along by email. An hour later they offered me a $99 credit for any new bag off their website. I spent a bit more and got two bags. Above and beyond, needless to say, and they’ve certainly made a lifelong customer and Timbuk2 advocate out of me.

(914Studios)24 people are confirmed dead, and many are still missing after a massive tornado destroyed homes and lives outside of Oklahoma City. Don’t let yourself become an indirect victim of the natural disaster by giving money to a fake charity or social media account set up to take advantage of well-meaning and generous people who want to help. There are no confirmed reports of fake tornado charities yet, but surely they’re coming. Scammers popped up to take advantage of the Boston Marathon bombing and the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. How can you make sure that your money is making its way to people who need your help, and not lining the pockets of soulless swindlers? If you’re getting a solicitation from a group you’ve never heard of, it’s best to keep your hand on your wallet. Avoid giving cash donations, which you can’t follow, trace, or cancel if you learn that there’s a scammer behind them. Do homework if you really want to give: check with the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance or with GuideStar. While it isn’t exactly a scam, keep in mind that while it feels really great to gather up cast-off clothes and canned food for people in the aftermath of a disaster, someone has to transport, sort, and deal with your donations. Sending stuff can be a huge waste of everyone’s time. On the ground, it’s easiest to deal with local suppliers, and money is really easy for credible charities to move from place to place. If you feel the need to collect canned food and old clothes, hold a chili cookoff and tag sale, then send the money to an established organization like the Red Cross. If a natural disaster has affected your home, follow the Oklahoma Attorney General’s advice for avoiding repair and cleanup contractor scams. (PDF) $40 for a Case of Bottled Water? ‘Preying’ on Oklahoma Tornado Victims [ABC] Storm after the storm: Consumers warned about fake Oklahoma charities [NBC News]

(Ron Dauphin) We live in a world where the desire for a $37 printer can lead to a scene straight out of an action movie, complete with a high-speed police chase and drugs flying out the car windows. Police say a couple was spotted lifting a printer from a Walmart in Louisiana and tried to make a run for it. And it was all downhill (super fast) from there. A local police spokesman tells WWL News that a loss prevention employee at the Walmart called the cops after allegedly witnessing the couple make off with the merchandise. When the husband saw the police show up and start to approach their vehicles, he apparently put the pedal to the metal and fled, almost hitting the officer. From there it was a race across the city, say cops, which also served as a way for the couple to start “throwing suspected methamphetamine and marijuana out of the vehicle.” Another officer heard the pursuit going on over his police radio and pulled over to place spike trips on the road in case the suspects’ vehicle went that way. The metal obstacles did the trick, deflating the fleeing car’s tires. The couple was arrested, with the wife facing charges of aggravated flight from an officer, resisting by flight, theft of goods under $500, and obstruction of justice. The husband has the same charges against him, as well as possession of marijuana and aggravated assault on a police officer by use of a vehicle. Next time perhaps a trip to Kinko’s is in order, if you’ve got the need to print something that bad. Slidell Police: Printer theft leads to high-speed chase [WWL.com]

When a Minnesota home remodeler decided to plunk down $10,100 for a fixer-upper to rehab, he just assumed it was a no-lose investment. Little did he know about the rare comic book he’d find stashed in the wall of the house. While gutting the house one day, he stumbled upon an Action Comics #1 from 1938, which just happens to be the book that introduced a red-caped hero known as Superman. “The most important comic book in the history of comic books,” writes ComicConnect, the online auction site where the Minnesota man’s find is now up for bid. “I knew it was worth money,” the man tells the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “But I had no idea how much.” Right now, the highest bid is more than $107,000. The value of the found comic book would probably have been even higher if the homeowner’s grabby in-laws hadn’t gotten their hands on it. “They got all excited and tried to take it,” he says about the incident that resulted in a tear of the back cover. “I understand it’s something cool, but told them: ‘You don’t have to act so rude. I brought you in to show you, don’t grab it.’” “That was a $75,000 tear,” the co-owner of ComicConnect explains to the Star-Tribune. The auction continues until June 11. In the end, the homeowner will end up getting half of whatever the highest bid ends up being. Right now, that would still be more than five times what he paid for the house.