The Consumerist Blog Returns Retail Power To the People

Nick Denton's Gawker Media network of blogs is best known for gossipy postings about the rich and famous from New York (Gawker) to Washington (Wonkette) to Los Angeles (Defamer). But beyond the lineup of snarky stories, there's a blog in his stable that can help keep money in your pocket.

The Consumerist is edited by Ben Popken. The Brooklyn-based journalist and Meghann Marco, associate editor, pump out two dozen posts a day. "Our tag line is 'Where consumers bite back,'" Popken explained. "We're trying to swing the pendulum so that consumers have greater power in the marketplace.

One way Consumerist pushed recently was a series of "Confessions" from employees of cell phone companies. A post from a sales person, offering tips on how to get a better deal, spawned a week of content about Verizon (VZ), Alltel, T-Mobile, and Cingular (T). Stories about Internet service providers and cable companies are also popular.

In the next few days, Popken said there are likely to be a number of items revisiting a previous target, Best Buy's (BBY) Geek Squad. "We're going to be taking a look at their business practices and repair policies. Some insiders have been sharing information with us so we might have more 'confessions'." Circuit City's (CC) new similar service, Firedog, is also coming in for some whacks from readers

The Consumerist is not afraid to publish really useful material. A recently posted essay from someone who worked at Enterprise Car Rental until last month is extremely helpful in telling you how to get the best deal. (Hint: Tell Enterprise your car is in the shop and your reimbursement policy is only good for $25 a day.)