Keri M. who works in a retail store discovered that Hershey’s removed over five ounces of candy from the party size bag of dark chocolate snacks. The bags went from 29 ounces to just 23.9 ounces, but they both were priced at $19.99.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Toilet paper is one of the most frequently downsized product categories. Tom G. discovered that Quilted Northern lopped off 40 sheets from each mega roll, going from 295 to just 255 sheets. In a six-pack, that removes almost a full roll of the newly downsized product.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Three years ago, the mega size went from 328 sheets on a roll to 295.

Dry dog food is another category where the bags keep getting smaller and smaller. Brendan B. recently brought to our attention that Iams reduced their XL bags from 44 pounds to 38.5 — a five-and-a-half-pound reduction. (Some stores have a 40 oz. version.)

*MOUSE PRINT:

Bagels keep getting smaller. Factory-produced ones were once 24 ounces in a six-pack. Then they went to 22 ounces, and some reduced to 20 ounces, like Thomas’. Now those are down to 18 ounces with 30 fewer calories. Thanks to Richard G. for this submission.

*MOUSE PRINT:

It seems like frankfurters are getting smaller and smaller too. The latest brand to do that is Oscar Mayer which went from being a pound to 15 ounces.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Even Walmart gets into the downsizing act on their store brands. Here, the old 11.3 ounce cans of ground coffee became just 9.6 ounces. You probably lost about five cups of coffee in the process. Remember when ground coffee used to come in one-pound cans?

If you find a popular product that has been downsized recently, please send a picture of the old and the new version to Edgar(at symbol)MousePrint.org . Thanks

During the Super Bowl, Grubhub advertised a surprising policy change. Going forward, they said they would no longer tack on any delivery fees or service fees for restaurant orders over $50.

Only in the tiniest of type in the last frame of the commercial did the service point viewers to a website with the fine print details.

*MOUSE PRINT:

So is it true? Pretty much, except for certain regional or government imposed fees. But look at this long list of possible extra charges.

Of course, you still have to check whether the price offered for food on Grubhub is the same as the restaurant would charge if you walked in and ordered takeout. Grubhub says it is the restaurant that sets the prices that it offers on its website. So do double-check.

And remember, if your order is under $50, their regular fees still apply.

They also were taking pre-orders of the $499 T1 phone that was to be made in the USA, had a golden back, and would be available in September 2025.

All you had to do was pay $100 to secure your spot.

The terms of the sale were subsequently detailed in the “terms of use” statement on their website.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Some key points from it include:

ALL SALES ARE FINAL AND NON-REFUNDABLE.

Other than as may be required by law, we reserve the right to modify or withdraw, temporarily or permanently, the TrumpSM Mobile Services (or any part of) with or without notice to you, and you confirm that we shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification to withdraw or withdrawal of the TrumpSM Mobile Services or any portion of it.

Nothing on the TrumpSM Mobile Services constitutes a binding offer to sell you any products described on the Services or to make such products available in your area.

You agree that any dispute, claim or lawsuit, regardless of form, that may arise out of or related to these Terms or your use of the TrumpSM Mobile Services, must be filed within ONE (1) YEAR of the action, omission, event or occurrence giving rise to the dispute, claim(s) or lawsuit.

By October 2025, no phones had shipped and they were still asking people to pay $100 to get in line for one.

If we skip ahead to April and May 2026, they are still collecting $100 for the phone and a new section has rules about preorders which says in part:

*MOUSE PRINT:

Trump Mobile does not guarantee that: the Device will be commercially released; regulatory approvals (including FCC authorization) will be obtained; carrier certification will be secured; production will commence or continue; or delivery will occur within any specific timeframe.

They do say if the device is cancelled, customers will get their deposit back. Whewww! But that might not be necessary because just last week, the company told USA Today that shipping was about to begin.

And what about those original “made in the USA” claims? The company now uses tricky phraseology to make you think it is American made, but no longer uses “made in the USA” language:

In that interview with USA Today last week, the Trump Mobile CEO revealed that while the first Trump T1 phones were assembled in the United States, going forward the phones “will use components primarily manufactured in the United States.” So the use of crafty language continues.

Feel free to add your comments about Trump Mobile’s advertising, but this is not an opportunity to either bash or extol the president.

*MOUSE PRINT:

The AG asserts:

When Defendants schedule a BOGO promotion, they artificially increase the price of the BOGO item in the run-up to the promotion, only to bring the price back down to the pre-BOGO level after the promotion is over.

…on August 20, 2020, the price of a 16.9 oz bottle of O Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil was $6.99 at the Albertsons on 51st Avenue in Gig Harbor, WA, but Defendants raised the price over 57% (to $10.99) for a BOGO promotion that started a week later. After the BOGO promotion ended, Defendants brought the price back down to $6.99.

Over a five-year period, the lawsuit alleges that Albertson’s overcharged consumers on more than three-million transactions, netting the company almost $20-million.

And this is not the first time the supermarket company has faced charges like this. In 2016, they paid $107-million to settle a similar class action lawsuit, and an unspecified amount in 2023 after a similar suit was settled.

The AG asserts various law violations under the state consumer protection act and seeks restitution for shoppers.

Albertsons Companies operates supermarkets under many different nameplates around the country, including Acme, Carr’s, Haggen, Jewel Osco, Lucky, Pavilions, Randall, Star Market, Shaw’s, Tom Thumb, Von’s, and more. There is no reason to believe that some of these alleged shenanigans are limited to their stores just in Washington state.

However, don’t jump to the conclusion that all their BOGO sales are bogus. There is not a single “regular” price for groceries at supermarkets. Stores offer a variety of sale prices throughout the year. The olive oil above, for example, might be offered at various sale prices during the year, such as $6.99, $9.99, or even buy one, get one free.

Certainly if the store jacks up the price the week before the BOGO sale just to discount it the next week, that is a problem. But retail and advertising laws generally allow stores to establish a “regular” by offering the product in good faith for a reasonable period of time before being allowed to discount it (and make savings claims comparing that sale price to its former price). Washington state does not appear to have specific regulations in this regard.

However, the Federal Trade Commission’s Deceptive Pricing guidelines make clear this prohibition:

Where the seller, in making such an offer, [like BOGO] increases his regular price of the article required to be bought … the consumer may be deceived.

And in a move not good for shoppers just last month, the Washington state supreme court ruled against a consumer who claimed they didn’t really save as much money as they were led to believe when the seller used a misleading regular price. The court found against the consumer saying he/she suffered no actual loss of money despite the misrepresentation.

If I had to guess, Albertsons will settle this case with the WA-AG eventually for a lot of money.

Case in point: When searching for “florists near me” in Google, here are the search results I got for Somerville, Massachusetts:

Photo Illustration

The results above were sponsored, with the first two being national flower networks. The third result, Avas Flowers, was seemingly a local florist right in my town. Clicking on that brings up their website, showing it is indeed in Somerville.

Clicking on their boast of having five-star ratings, reveals their summary.

Looking good, but checking the actual Google reviews brings a big surprise.

*MOUSE PRINT:

It was not 4.7 stars as Avas Flowers boasted, but at least in the Boston area, they only garnered 1.2 stars based on 183 reviews! And they also have a “C” rating from the Better Business Bureau.

More telling… they are not even located in Massachusetts!

*MOUSE PRINT:

Deep in their FAQs, they reveal their company is in Delaware. But according to the BBB, they are actually in New Jersey (the Delaware address is just probably where the company filed its corporation papers).

So, be careful trying to find a local florist in a town where you don’t live. Look for a real street address and local phone number. Double-check the address in Google Maps street view to see if there is an actual florist at the location. Be careful of florists listed in sponsored search results. Even consider calling a local supermarket with a floral department near where the recipient lives. You may find lower prices and reasonable delivery charges.

Happy Mother’s Day.