The Complaints Department
All-You-Can-Eat Doesn't Mean All-You-Can-Waste
A buffet in Switzerland now charges by the plate for what you don't finish. A London restaurant will fine you 32 cents. Somewhere, a tray is being loaded like a dare.
Paris Bans Rental E-Scooters After Residents Vote 89% to Remove Them
The scooters arrived in 2018 promising a micromobility revolution. By 2023, Parisians voted them out by a margin most elections only dream of.
Panera Cares, the Pay-What-You-Want Cafe Experiment (2010–2019)
Founder Ron Shaich called it a "test of humanity." After nine years and five locations, the results came back.
Costco Ends Unlimited Returns on Electronics After Decades of Super Bowl TVs
For years, you could buy a TV, watch the game, and return it. In 2007, Costco decided that wasn't really a rental program.
American Airlines' Unlimited Lifetime First-Class Pass (1981–2008)
Steven Rothstein flew 30 million miles for free. American Airlines flew into a $21 million hole. Only one of them saw it coming.