• aig

    AIG's CEO Issues Statement About $343,000 Phoenix Seminar

    Bothered by news reports about another high-priced junket, AIG's CEO Edward M. Liddy issued a public statement to correct the innacuracies he saw. AIG Media Relations emailed it to us and wanted to make sure we shared it with our readers, and since we're all about sharing at The Consumerist, here it is: More »

    9:46 AM on Wed Nov 12 2008
    By Ben Popken
    16,199 views, 110 comments

    Most discussed ADismalScience: This conference was approved because it provides the kind of communication we must conduct with the people who sell our more »

  • taking it seriously

    AIG Spends $343,000 On Secret Seminar

    AIG is hurting so bad that we just gave them another $40 billion, while execs live it up at another luxury junket, this one costing $343,000. KNVX uncovered another high-priced conference taking place at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix, AZ. They reported that AIG made efforts to disguise its presence, making sure no AIG iconography was out in the open. One hotel employee said that staff was forbidden from even saying the word AIG. AIG said seminars like this, which was for independent financial advisers who steer customers to AIG, are essential to its business. They also said that most of the seminar's costs would be picked up by other corporate sponsors. AIG said in a statement, "We take very seriously our commitment to aggressively manage meeting costs."

    Another AIG Resort "Junket": Top Execs Caught on Tape [ABC] (Thanks to Andy!)

    12:12 PM on Tue Nov 11 2008
    By Ben Popken
    7,760 views, 134 comments

    Most discussed ADismalScience: A good analogy for these types of seminars - catalogues. Catalogue mailings are an up-front expense used to draw retail more »

  • crime

    TSA Screener Helped Himself To $200,000 Worth Of Your Stuff

    Meet Pythias Brown. Until recently, he was a TSA screener at Newark airport, and if you're missing any pricey electronics, you might have Mr. Brown to thank for it. He's accused of stealing more than $200,000 worth of electronics, including a $47,000 camera from HBO. Oddly, it was CNN that helped bust the "one man crimewave" when an employee noticed some of their equipment being sold on eBay. More »

    2:58 PM on Tue Oct 14 2008
    By Meg Marco
    23,530 views, 105 comments

    Most discussed The_Red_Monkey: I would be surprised if they were paid more than 10 bucks an hour. You get what you pay more »

  • taking it seriously

    GameStop Takes Buying And Selling Stolen Goods Seriously

    WHO: GameStop
    WHAT:Authorities said today that eight current and former employees of the world's largest video game retailer have pleaded guilty to theft of property charges for buying video games purported to be stolen.
    WHERE: GameStop employees nabbed in undercover sting [Commercial Appeal]
    THE QUOTE: “GameStop takes this situation quite seriously,” said Rory Rhoads, GameStop’s Regional Vice President of Stores. “We are pleased to partner with the ALERT Unit and have taken very deliberate steps to improve our operations. Specifically, we have suspended our cash-for-trade transactions in Shelby County and DeSoto County, Mississippi until February 2009.” More »

    11:53 AM on Thu Oct 2 2008
    By Meg Marco
    7,576 views, 49 comments

    Most discussed Geblah187: This is nothing new - Gamestop/EB Games have been stealing from people for a long, long time. Take the recent World more »

  • taking it seriously

    Vindictive Qwest Employee Slashes Six Phone Lines

    KTVZ in Redmond is reporting that a vindictive Qwest employee is running around slashing phone lines "to get back at" another technician. Six phone lines have already been cut, prompting Qwest to launch an investigation.
    Janine Butler said, "This person could come into my home during the day, during the evening time. They could steal, rob, rape. We live in a scary time."
    More »

    10:00 PM on Sun Sep 21 2008
    By Carey
    6,093 views, 31 comments

    Most discussed Corporate-Shill: OMG, her husband is a diabetic and her telephone is her life line. Let's clear the air hear. If hubby is more »

  • Minerals Management Service Take Pay-For-Offshore-Oil-Play Scandal "Extremely Seriously"

    WHO: Minerals Management Service
    WHAT: A government agency in charge of issuing offshore drilling leases and collecting royalties was accused of getting payola in the form of sex, drugs, money, alcohol and gifts from oil and gas industry representatives.
    WHERE: Oil brokers sex scandal may affect drilling debate [AP]
    THE QUOTE: In an interview, MMS Director Randall Luthi said the agency took the report "extremely seriously"

    (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!) (Photo: zncjmom)

    11:47 AM on Thu Sep 11 2008
    By Ben Popken
    1,745 views, 20 comments

    Most discussed VeeKaChu: Wow, another sordid tale of government malfeasance. And since the criminal politicization of virtually all facets of government, what was more »

  • Palin Takes Protecting Polar Bears "Very Seriously"

    For the sake of balance, vis-à-vis Obama's Taking It Seriously, here's one for Sarah Palin.

    WHO: Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin.
    WHAT: In an op-ed, Palin, who favors opening ANWR to drilling and whose husband got a $46,790 paycheck last year from BP, laid out her reasons for why the Bush administration shouldn't have added polar bears to the endangered species list.
    WHERE: "Bearing Up" [NYT Op-Ed]
    THE QUOTE: "The state takes very seriously its job of protecting polar bears and their habitat..."
    BONUS QUOTE: "If you are not for opening ANWR, in the state of Alaska, you couldn't get elected dogcatcher." - former Alaska state Rep. Ray Metcalfe in an AP article. More »

    11:24 AM on Tue Sep 2 2008
    By Ben Popken
    7,310 views, 151 comments

  • Fire Hazards

    Most Verizon FIOS Installations Violate National Electric Standards

    A two-year investigation has concluded that most Verizon FIOS installations fail to meet national safety standards, and could cause fires or electrocutions. FIOS is famous for house fires, but New York's Public Service Commission first started its investigation back in 2006 after several inspectors discovered improperly grounded installations. More »

    6:00 PM on Sat Aug 30 2008
    By Carey
    19,219 views, 32 comments

    Most discussed Ragman: Man, what kind of techs are they hiring that think PVC is conductive? Besides, you can't always attach it more »

  • taking it seriously

    Obama Took Hillary As VP "Very Seriously"

    I like to keep it pretty apolitical here at The Consumerist, but when Obama uttered the very same PR-double-speak phrase, "taking it seriously," that we've been skewering for eight months, I had to post it.

    WHO: Barack Obama
    WHAT: Shortly before the opening of the Democratic National Convention, Obama assured America that Hillary was always a viable candidate in his VP search.
    WHERE: Obama Dismisses Worries About Clinton Fallout [New York Times]
    THE QUOTE: "'I've tried not to have long discussions about short lists, long lists...But I’ve said publicly before and I will repeat again that Senator Clinton would be on anybody’s short list, so I took her very seriously." More »

    9:16 PM on Mon Aug 25 2008
    By Ben Popken
    5,453 views, 69 comments

  • unacceptable food

    Now In Applebee's Salads: Lizards!

    Applebee's served a four-inch dead lizard as part of a salad last week. The McLean County Health Department investigated the surprise garnish and found that while "management confirmed it did happen," "it’s just one of those extraordinary circumstances," and that the restaurant was not at fault. More »

    7:00 PM on Sun Aug 10 2008
    By Carey
    24,879 views, 34 comments

    Latest by busydoingnothing: This just in: shit happens! Things outside of the realm of our imagination happen! Remotely possible incidents occur in real more »