Bank of America Class Action Lawsuit

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If you've had a Bank of America account anytime since 2001, this is a must read-

To settle a class-action suit over reordering transactions to maximize overdraft fees, Bank of America agreed to pay out $410 million months ago. A judge has now approved the settlement, and the bank is going to start distributing funds. Those who had a Bank of America debit card between January 2001 and May 24, 2011 will automatically receive a payment of at least 9 percent of the fees they paid.

Source: Consumerist

Black Friday: Costco

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They include specials on electronics such as HD televisions, cameras and laptops.

Costco will offer a Hannspree 24-inch Class 1080p LED Edge Lit HDVT for $40 off.

As for laptop computers, the $699.99 Dell 17-3-inch Laptop PC will be available for $180.00 off.

The $599.99 HP G6S 15.6-inch Blu-ray laptop is on sale for $250.00 off the original sticker.

Dell’s XPS 8300 Desktop computer that normally goes for $999.99 will be discounted by $500.00 on that day, according to the leak.

Costco will also cut prices on computer accessories including an 8GB SanDisk Ultra SDHC 2 Pack receiving a $17 discount, a 4GB version getting a $13.50 price slash and a 16GB Ultra MicroSD with Adapter discounted by $10.

Flash drive bargains will also be offered with a 16GB USB Cruzer receiving a $11 discount and an 8GB version getting a $15 price cut.

One of the most enticing deals listed for Costco’s Black Friday sales is the Nikon Coolpix S6100 digital camera, a device that will be discounted by 80 percent.

The Canon Elph 310HS digital camera will be available for 60 percent off.

For customers looking to find their way around town the TomTom VIA 1530TM Portable GPS will receive a $55 discount and the Magellan Roadmate 2120T-LM Portable GPS will be available at $30 off.

Finally the $219.99 Garmin Forefunner 410 GPS Enabled Heart Rate Monitor Watch will be available on Black Friday for $60 off sticker.

Source: Christian Post

Help Kraft Raise 100,000 Meals for Feeding America

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Here’s all you have to do to be a part of this great program:

  • Snatch up some delicious Touch of Philly from your local grocery or super-market
  • Film yourself cooking a dish using Touch of Philly in a 3 minute video
  • Dedicate that dish to someone in your video
  • Submit your video worth 200 meals* towards Feeding America

Starting on October 31st, a new cooking theme will be announced each week for a little added inspiration in the kitchen! Along with submitting cooking videos worth 200 meals*, community members may also submit photographs worth 100 meals* towards Feeding America. And the best part is - you can submit as many times as you want. The more you submit, the more meals* we raise!

More info here.

Black Friday Scoop: Amazon Deals- Nov.21-25, 2011

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Black Friday at Amazon isn't just the day after Thanksgiving, it is a week long event of deals on the web site that will run between 21 and 25 November. The online retailer will offer various products at discount prices for a limited period of time.

Amazon said, "Black Friday Deals Week will feature hundreds of time-limited deals over five days from Monday 21 to Friday 25 November. Offers lasting from 15 minutes to four hours will include books, music, electronics, home, sports, fashion, beauty and much more."

Source: Theinquirer.net



Black Friday Scoop: Macy's Deal, Open @ Midnight

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Macy's has announced it will open stores at midnight for the first time this year on Black Friday. Most Macy's stores will open at midnight, but some locations may vary. Macy's will provide a complete list prior to Thanksgiving.


Here is the sneak peek list of Black Friday deals released from Macy's:

  • 50% off Sharper Image iPhone/iPod Docking Stations
  • $19.99 Rampage Boots
  • $99.99 Kenneth Cole NY & Nautica Overcoats
  • With any $65 Fragrance Purchase, Receive a Digital Video Camera Free (One per customer, while supplies last)
  • Buy One American Rag Sweater ($34-$49), Get One American Rag Pair of Jeans Free
  • Extra 20% off dresses
  • $199 One-half Ct Diamond Suds in 14k White Gold
  • $79.99 Designer Down Coat from DKNY, Laundry, Calvin Klein and more
  • $99.99 Young Contemporary Wool Coat From Esprit, Steve Madden and more
  • $16.99 Puffer Jacket (Boys 2-20, Girls 2-16, Infants)
  • 40% off Select Regular Price Coffee Makers, Tea Kettles and Espresso Makers
  • $68.99 Cuisinart 7-Cup Food Processor
  • $179.99 Kitchenaid Classic Stand Mixer (After $20 Mail-In-Rebate)
  • $49.99 Tag Fairfield 5-Piece Luggage Set
  • $65 Justin Bieber Limited-Edition Holiday Fragrance Gift Set (Includes 3.4 Oz. Eau De Parfum Spray And Justin Bieber's new holiday CD with an exclusive downloadable bonus track. Also, receive a free scented poster, while supplies Last.) Macy's will donate $2 from every purchase to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $100,000.



Skipping Black Friday?

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According to Time magazine, more people are opting to stay home and shop online.

"More likely, consumers are coming to realize that, considering that the holiday shopping season now stretches three-plus months, that deals can and do pop up throughout the season, and that more and more shoppers are browsing for deals online instead of at the mall, Black Friday is a lot of hype and not much payoff.

Increasingly Black Friday seems like just another day to shop, not the day to shop. And considering how crowded it is, the argument looks better and better to just stay home and live to shop another day."

 

Will you be heading out on Black Friday?



15 Black Friday Myths

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Some of my favorites from the Dealnews article:

You need to camp out for the good deals--These days, more and more Black Friday deals are available online as well as in-store. In fact, last year, Target offered several of their doorbusters online, where a stacking 10% off coupon also applied. That means that select items were actually cheaper if you just stayed home and shopped online. It may not be worth camping out for Black Friday sales, where you'll likely just get shoved around as the 500 people behind you rush in at your tail.

Lowest prices on Black Friday--Although many Black Friday deals offer the lowest prices of the year so far, we will eventually see many sales matched or beaten later on; it just depends on whether you're willing to wait. Also keep in mind that retailers will often sprinkle in mediocre discounts with their doorbuster deals, in the hopes that shoppers will bite on high-profit items.

Easy returns--Not so fast! Stores tighten their return policies considerably during the holidays, making it harder to return items. Some retailers will only give you store credit even if you have a receipt. A handful of stores are now also keeping track of serial returners and banning them. If you don't remember to ask for a gift receipt for each item you purchase, your recipients might be doubly unhappy: they'll likely be offered store credit for only a limited portion of the return. Bah humbug!

Source: 15 Black Friday Myths

Toys R Us 10% Discount

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Toys R Us is again planning to give its loyalty rewards members 10% back on holiday purchases made from Oct. 30 through Christmas Eve.

New for this year is a 2012 Super Savers Pass, which rewards members can earn when they spend $200 or more during the designated period. The pass gives rewards members more than $100 in savings, including exclusive coupons that will be emailed monthly next year.

The privately held toy company said Tuesday that its more than 24 million existing rewards members and new participants will be able to get 10% back in R Us dollars for each dollar spent on qualifying purchases. Shoppers can also earn holiday rewards with layaway purchases, but they don't qualify until fully paid. Layaway orders for toys must be paid in full by Dec. 4.

Source: USAToday.com



Walmart Holiday Price Guarantee Program

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Wal-Mart Stores are now offering up a holiday price guarantee program starting November 1st and running through December 25th! Basically this means that you can score a refund (in the form of a Wal-Mart gift card) on the difference if you find the same product purchased at a Wal-Mart store advertised for a lower price elsewhere.

To get a gift card for the difference, customers must bring in their original receipt and the local competitor’s printed ad before December 25th. Items placed on layaway are also eligible for the Christmas price guarantee! All the info here.

* The offer excludes Black Friday ads and Internet pricing, among other restrictions.

Source: I Heart the Mart



New Blockbuster Unlimited Rental Plans

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As reported by Consumerist:

Hoping to scoop up some customers who have fled Netflix and Redbox due to recent price increases, Blockbuster has launched a monthly subscription plan that provides unlimited, one-at-a-time rentals of games and movies, plus an additional film by mail each month. The challenge is to find a Blockbuster that's still open.

Home Media Magazine reports the plan, dubbed Blockbuster Movie Combo, costs $7.49 the first month, than $14.99 monthly afterward. Movie Combo will exist alongside movie and game rent-by-mail Blockbuster Total Access, which ranges from $9.99 to $19.99 a month.

 

Think this is a good deal?



Netflix Phishing Scam

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There's an email that's been going around that pretends like it's from Netflix and they're having trouble with your credit card. Actually, it's from scammers and they want to steal your credit card.

A .zip file is attached to the email which says it's from "netflix@accounts.com." The instructions say that your credit card was declined and they need you to download the .zip, open the .zip in your browser, and enter your info.

Here's the full text of the email:

"Dear Netflix Member,

Your payment method was declined for one of several reasons, such as insufficient funds or an expired credit card.

To correct the problem, please update your credit card or add a new one in order to be able to use your Netflix account in the future.

This is a reminder to update your credit card as soon as possible.

Please download the form attached to this email, unzip it and open it in a web browser.
Once opened, you will be provided with steps to update your account.

We appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure your account safety.

Sincerely,
Netflix Member Service,"


Source: Consumerist.com



Target's New Black Friday Policy?

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This may be for only the store mentioned but I wonder if it's going to be a nationwide rule. Only letting in 30 people at a time? Those 30 people could still tramble each other. It doesn't seem fair to let the 30 (who probably camped out for 3 days), get everything. I think a more fair system would be to hold a lottery and the winning tickets get to buy the merchandise. Not whoever can stand being outside for days.

As reported by Consumerist:

Here's a crazy idea: let's construct a Black Friday sale in such a way as shoppers aren't hospitalized in a mad dash for deals. That's what one Target store in Indiana is doing, where the plan is to only let 30 people in the store at a time on the sale day after Thanksgiving.

"I work for a Target store in Indiana. A couple weeks ago, I was informed we will be opening at 4AM on Black Friday," writes our inside tipster. "Furthermore, we will be letting 30 people in at a time, so as to avoid a horrible mad rush."

I like it. Maybe the store won't get that pent-up fury as people compete for so-so deals like monkeys at a banana tree, but they'll probably also avoid the risk of a costly lawsuit. Plus, if your customers are stretched out in the hospital recovering from contusions, they're not shopping.

News: Chase Class Action Lawsuit

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You can file to get $12 because of a settlement in a class action lawsuit against Chase which alleged the bank enticed customers with promo interest rates on balance transfers, but then didn't do a good enough job of telling them when the rates would expire.

If you were a Chase credit card customer who took a promotional check or balance transfer offer between Jan 15, 2006 and Feb 28, 2010 and got hit with finance charges due to the promo period expiring, you're eligible to file over at MilgramSettlement.com. You have until 11/03/11 to make your claim.

You can also mail your form to

Milgram v. Chase Bank Settlement Administrator
c/o Gilardi & Co. LLC
P.O. Box 808061
Petaluma, CA 94975-8061

Source: Consumerist

News: Black Friday Early Start

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The first Black Friday ad -- from hardware chain Harbor Freight Tools -- was leaked to deal sites earlier this week, officially kicking off the start of what has now become Black Friday season on the Web, a period where the nation's largest retailers leak their post-Thanksgiving shopping ads to different sites to try and entice shoppers out to their stores on the traditional holiday shopping kickoff.

This year, however, retail analysts are expecting a tougher sell, with only 44% of consumers saying they are likely to shop on Black Friday, down from 47% last year and 52% in 2009, according to a survey by Accenture.

Source: MSNMoney.com