(Consumer Reports/WSYR-TV) - It's not just kids who are on the "Naughty and Nice" list this holiday season.
Consumer Reports is out with its annual "Holiday Report Card" that names companies with consumer-friendly policies ... and not-such-consumer-friendly policies. Wait 'til you see who gets a lump of coal!
"We're not giving the thumbs up or thumbs down to these companies for everything they do," said Tod Marks, senior editor and resident shopping expert at
Consumer Reports. "We're really just shining a spotlight on some of the specific policies and practices that we believe help or hurt consumers. Hopefully, we'll encourage shoppers to be more savvy around the holiday season."
"Our list was put together with input from reporters and editors at
Consumer Reports, along with our Facebook fans, and sister site, the Consumerist.com," he said.
Below are some of the businesses on
Consumer Reports' lists:
NAUGHTY
AirTran: Discounted coach and sale-fare tickets don't include the price of a seat, which costs an extra $6 - $20 each way at the time of booking.
Southwest Airlines: "Now with Southwest, they don't have assigned seats. But for ten dollars more than the price of your ticket, you can board early and snag a better seat. The basic cost of a ticket just doesn’t buy you very much these days," Marks says.
RadioShack: Sometimes charges different prices for some items depending on whether it was bought online or at the store, including one instance where the cost of an HDMI cable in-store was nearly twice the cost of the online price.
American Apparel: Offers two different return policies with no explanation - online customers get full refunds while store shoppers only receive merchandise credit.
Game Stop: Has a laundry list of return conditions and this proclamation: "We reserve the right to refuse any return."
NICE
American Express: Can refund the full purchase price of covered items, up to $300, when cardholders are unsuccessful in returning them to a merchant within 90 days.
REI: Accepts returns or exchanges at any time for any reason in-person or by mail, whether you bought it online, in the store or at an REI Outlet.
Live Nation: Gives fans 72 hours to cancel their ticket order and get a refund at many venues, up to one week before the event.
The full "Naughty and Nice" lists can be found at
ConsumerReports.org.
