I recently helped a friend negotiate and complete a large purchase, in the neighborhood of $10k. However, about a week after we finalized the sale and right before delivery was supposed to take place, I got a call from our sales rep at the store. He said that they forgot to charge a special insurance […]

When I travel, my days are usually pretty hectic. Even with everything planned out in advance, there’s no way to predict when meetings will run long or you’ll get stuck in a line at the security checkpoint. Typically, these events mean that you’ll have to rush a little more on your way to the gate […]

Advertising in airports is a big business. Companies like ClearChannel and JC Decaux sell millions of dollars worth of ads on wall-mounted billboards, digital signs, and other airport media. But one thing has always puzzled me: Why don’t they tailor the advertising at each gate to match where the plane is going? Granted, only a […]

When I book a hotel, I always try to use the hotel’s official website. Unlike those non-refundable reservations at places like hotels.com, booking through the hotel site usually means you can change or cancel the reservation as needed. Plus, many hotels have a low price guarantee to match the travel sites on price. But there’s […]

The last time I checked, most airports have flights arriving and departing well past 8 pm. But I’ve come across numerous airports, such as Denver and Fort Lauderdale, that shut down nearly all the restaurants and shops at 8 o’clock. I know people would buy stuff well past that time, since vendors are busy in […]

Every time I deal with another company’s tech support department, it’s always the same story. I explain the problem to the rep along with what I’ve tried so far. Inevitably, they ask me to try the same thing again, ignoring everything I just told them. Next, they transfer me to another agent, who repeats the […]

I’ve been planning a fairly large purchase from a retailer whose annual “one day sale” is coming up. As the name suggests, they run some big discounts on that day only. Since you can’t find out exactly what the discounts will be in advance, you have to call them or visit the website during that […]

With many online retailers offering free shipping on every order, consumers have arguably come to expect free (or at least low-cost) shipping for all their purchases on the web. Of course, not every retailer plays this game. Some still charge full price for shipping. This seems especially common with clothing stores and others who sell […]