Thanks for Nothing

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Thanks for Nothing – Spring 2024

A few times a year we spotlight offers from companies that are real head-scratchers, are actually less generous than they appear, are just plain outrageous, or may simply elicit a chuckle. Here’s the new crop.

JetBlue Adopts Surge Pricing for Baggage

Jumping on the surge pricing bandwagon, JetBlue just began charging more for checked baggage during peak travel times. This is on top of a higher price for checked bags paid for within 24 hours of your flight. And it is also just after the airline implemented another baggage fee increase only a couple of months ago.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Jet Blue luggage fees

Thanks for nothing, JetBlue.

Rakuten’s 15% Cash Back Offer

On April first, Rakuten sent an email promising 15-percent cash back seemingly at a whole bunch of stores.

Rakuten 15% cash back

But, when visiting the website, the offer all of a sudden changed to only 12-percent back.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Rakuten 12% back at stores

Only about half a dozen stores were offering 15-percent back among the dozens offering 12-percent cash back.

Thanks for nothing, Rakuten, except that this week (May 6 – 13) Rakuten is offering a real 15% back at about 500 stores, and on May 6th only, 20% back at several dozen stores. New members get an extra 10% back for purchases the first week. [Consumer World may earn a commission on certain purchases from this link.]

Russell Stover Valentine’s Heart

Last year before Valentine’s Day, we featured two heart-shaped boxes of candy from Russell Stover and Whitman’s that were about 10-inches high by 9-inches wide, but they only contained between nine and eleven pieces of chocolate inside. This year, we found what looked like the same size box, but for this variety of chocolate, it only had five pieces of candy inside.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Russell Stover heart

Talk about over-packaging to make you think there is more candy inside than there really is. Thanks for nothing, Russell Stover.

90% Off Everything at Temu?

Temu.com has captured bargain hunters’ attention with its incredible low prices. And when they recently sent an email promising that everything was 90-percent off shoppers couldn’t wait to clickthrough. Of course, the old adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” applies here.

*MOUSE PRINT:

temu up to 90% off

“Up to 90% off” is far different, so thanks for nothing, Temu.

Malk – $7.99 a Quart?

Grocery prices have just gotten out of hand. For example, a quart of Malk brand almond milk is $7.99.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Malk - 32 oz.

Eight bucks for a quart of fake milk? MrConsumer paid it but only because he was going to get a full price rebate. What excuse does everyone else have for paying such an outrageous price?

Thanks for nothing, Malk Organics.

Pizza Hut – Any Pizza $12?

Pizza Hut says the word “any” a lot in this emailed advertisement for $12 pizzas. ANY pizza… ANY toppings… ANY recipe.

Pizza Hut $12

But Greg L. complained about the smaller print which excluded extra cheese and also their stuffed crust pizza variety. We guess “any” really doesn’t mean “every” in Pizza Hut-lingo.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Pizza Hut exclusions

If you find an advertisement appropriate for this section, please pass it along to Edgar(at)ConsumerWorld.org .

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Thanks for Nothing – Fall 2023

A few times a year we spotlight offers from companies that are real head-scratchers, are actually less generous than they appear, are just plain outrageous, or may simply elicit a chuckle. Here’s the new crop.

Shake ‘N Bake

It seems like skimpflation has hit the grocery shelf again. This time it’s Shake ‘N Bake. The product is well known for helping to make fried chicken by simply having you put the breading in a bag, adding chicken pieces, and then shaking and baking. Now they have made a significant change to the product.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Shake 'n Bake

They removed the always included bag saying it was an environmental move. The consumer who spotted this, Michael P., said in response to their claim, “All it means is they save money and the consumer has to use one of their own Ziploc or other plastic bags.”

Maybe they need to rename the product now to simply ‘N Bake. Thanks for nothing, Kraft Heinz.

Panera Contest

Mark D., a regular Consumer World reader, got some good news recently. He won a prize in a Panera promotion.

Panera prize

That’s pretty generous winning a $99 membership in their unlimited sip club. But then Mark figured out he had not actually won a prize worth $99 but rather he received a sale solicitation to buy a membership in the club for that price – a $20.99 discount from the usual $119.99 price.

Thanks for nothing, Panera. And please do consider dropping deceptive offers like this.

AfterPay Installment Plan

I know that grocery prices are high because of inflation and greedflation, but when you are even offered the option to put a package of beef stew on the installment plan, something is really wrong.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Buy now, pay later stew

Thanks for nothing, AfterPay.

Prices Gone Wild

Speaking of high prices and beef stew, things are really getting out of hand when you have to pay up to $750 for a single stew pot (and could really use an installment plan to finance it).

Le Creuset pot

And when it costs $39.99 for one package of toilet paper (and that is a Target sale price), something has really gone askew.

Price of Charmin

Thanks for nothing Williams Sonoma, Le Creuset and P&G.

If you find an ad suitable for inclusion in our “Thanks for Nothing” series, please send it to: edgar (at symbol) MousePrint.org . Thanks.

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Thanks for Nothing – Fall 2022

We continue our series of little annoyances about ads, offers, and practices that are often real head-scratchers, might make you grind your teeth, or even chuckle.

Example #1 — Air Conditioners – $50

The Craiglist ad offered a giveaway price for air conditioners — only $50.

air conditioners

In the description, a small detail is disclosed along with a “generous” offer.

*MOUSE PRINT:

air conditioner cardboard

Thanks for nothing, Craigslister.

Example #2 — Kitchen Appreciation Fee

It is not just hotels that are adding junk fees to your bill. Now some restaurants are doing it too and they call it a “kitchen appreciation fee.” This tip goes to employees who don’t generally get tipped, and is automatically added to your bill. While there is a fine print disclosure on the menu in many places about the fee, most diners won’t notice it there, and may not even notice it on their bill until after they leave the restaurant. Of course, you can tell the server to take the charge off your bill, but that puts diners in an awkward position.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Kitchen appreciation fee

So, thanks for nothing to all the restaurants that tack these fees onto your restaurant tab without asking.

Example #3 — Not So Easy Returns

An online women’s clothing site advertises on Facebook and its website that its garments are all made in and shipped from the USA. It certainly is unusual to see clothing made here particularly at the low prices this shop charges.

Ryabe - made in USA

When a friend contacted them about how to make a return, she was offered a partial refund but told it probably wasn’t worth doing for a full refund because of the high cost of return shipping that she would have to pay. Why was shipping so expensive?

*MOUSE PRINT:

Ryabe response

There is no disclosure on their website that returns must be sent to Dubai. Thanks for nothing, Ryabe.

Example #4 — $5 a Month Cell Plan

TwigbyMrConsumer got very excited when he saw this banner ad for a $5 a month cell plan with unlimited calls and texts and one gig of data. He’s paying that for only half a gig of data now.

Upon checking their website for the offer, the truth came out:

*MOUSE PRINT:

Twigby 3 months only

Hey, Twigby, at least you could have disclosed that the $5 plan was only an introductory offer in your ad, but you omitted that fact. Thanks for nothing, Twigby.

Example #5 — Macy’s Sale Exclusions

Macy’s is already advertising discounts good through Black Friday, sending 25% off shopping passes to customers. These cards, approximately 3.5 inches wide and two inches high, have a ton of exclusions from the sale listed on the back of the card. The trouble, according to the ConsumerMan, is that the excluded brands are in such small type as to be unreadable. Thanks for nothing, Macy’s.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Macy's exclusions