Consumer Reports today unveiled its 2011 Naughty & Nice Holiday List. First introduced in 2010 as part of a public-education campaign, the Naughty & Nice Holiday List looks at the good and not-so-good shopping policies and the companies behind them. This year’s List includes high profile companies from a variety of fields including: air travel, electronics, apparel retailing, credit-card lending and concert ticketing.

The Naughty & Nice Holiday List is based on input from Consumer Reports reporters and editors who cover shopping, travel, hospitality and telecommunications. Consumer Reports notes that the Naughty & Nice Holiday List is based on specific policies and is not reflective of a company as a whole.

The success of our roundup--timed to coincide with the holiday season, when travel and shopping are at a peak and shoppers at their most vulnerable--has prompted Consumer Reports to make the campaign an annual event. Our 2011 list once again puts some very visible companies in the hot seat for fine print, befuddling fees, and the like. It gives other companies points for good behavior.

We’ve checked each policy either by direct contact or reading through the details on the company’s website. Although we cite companies by name, other players may engage in similar business practices — for better or worse. And praise or blame for a specific policy doesn’t mean we give a thumbs up or down for everything else that company does or the way it treats customers.

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• Bi-Lo supermarkets. Most supermarkets will refund the purchase price of a product that doesn’t meet expectations, but this Southern chain offers a double-money-back guarantee on every item it sells whatever the reason for the return.





• Cablevision. Telecom companies are a frequent target of consumer displeasure, but this industry giant offers more to subscribers who sign up for its Optimum Triple Play - Internet, phone, and TV service - free movie tickets on Tuesdays and deeply discounted tickets on other days. Customers who sign up for Cablevision’s Optimum Rewards program (it’s free) also get perks like discounted popcorn and soda at participating theaters.

• Live Nation. The world’s largest live-entertainment promoter, ticket distributor, and artist-management firm gives fans three days to cancel their ticket order and get a refund at participating venues (typically until one week before the event). Live Nation also lets customers exchange seats for better ones that become available after a purchase.

• American Express. The company offers peace of mind at no extra cost. If a cardholder buys a covered item with his or her Amex card and unsuccessfully tries to return it to the merchant within 90 days, American Express can refund the full purchase price, up to $300 ($1,000 per account per year).

• Orvis. Many e-commerce companies encourage questions by phone or e-mail. But this seller of fishing gear and outdoorsy clothes offers help if a customer lingers on a product long enough, initiating dialog via live chat.

• Crutchfield. The electronics merchant offers help with installation, setup, troubleshooting 24/7, and tech support at no extra charge for the life of the gear purchased.

• Costco. The chain has a generous return policy and provides free tech support for many electronics products. Less known is that it automatically extends the manufacturer’s original warranty on TVs and computers to two years from the date of purchase.

• Amazon.com. The e-tailing giant has taken a stand against wastefuland hard-to-open product packaging. It encourages customers to share photographs and feedback with manufacturers, who can then modify their package designs and submit them to Amazon’s engineers to see if they qualify as frustration-free. If so, the companies can use the “Certified Frustration-Free” logo as a marketing tool. To date, hundreds of products from companies including Philips, Garmin, and Logitech have met the criteria.

• Microsoft. If someone buys and installs software on his or her computer, most retailers won’t give out a refund, no matter how much the customer hates it. Not so with Microsoft. Consumers dissatisfied with a Microsoft software or hardware purchase from any retailer can send it back to the company within 45 days for a refund and reimbursement of shipping costs up to $7.

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