Santa’s not the only one with a list. Consumer Reports released its annual “Naughty & Nice” list today, a way to highlight company policies and practices that deserve cheers or jeers. 

The list is based on suggestions from the magazine’s staff as well as Facebook fans. The 100 nominees were whittled down to 10 naughty and 10 nice. 

Tod Marks, Consumer Reports’ senior editor, says the companies on the naughty list have “hidden or tricky fees, fine print or generally unfriendly practices.”  Those on the nice list “went the extra mile” to make sure their customers were happy patrons. 

Consumer Reports stresses that this list is not an evaluation or rating of a company. It’s a thumbs up or down on a specific policy or practice. 

“We have companies that we like a lot when we rate them, but they make the naughty list, and vice versa,” Marks explained. 

In preparing this year’s Naughty & Nice list, Marks read a lot of the comments posted on the Consumer Reports Facebook page. He told me he noticed a lot of angst and aggravation. 

“People are really ticked off because they don’t feel they have a voice,” he said. “When they want to get information or complain about something, they can’t get a live human being on the phone or they’re kept on hold for an inordinate amount of time. They feel like their complaints are falling on deaf ears." 

Here are some of the companies that made the Nice list:  

• Honda got a shout out for putting rearview cameras – a safety feature normally reserved for high-end vehicles – on most of its 2013 models. The cameras are now standard on all Honda trucks and SUVs, as well as the top-selling Accord and Civic. 
• Publix, one of the top-rated supermarket chains in Consumer Reports surveys, won praise for its policy of giving customers an item for free if the scanned price at checkout is more than the shelf price or advertised price. Years ago, this was common practice at many supermarkets. 

Many of the companies won praise for their generous return policy. 

• OXO guarantees all its ergonomically-designed housewares. If you are not completely satisfied, return it for a refund or replacement. 
• Safeway promises “fresh and delicious” produce every time. If you don’t like that mushy melon or bruised apple, bring it back for a refund or replacement. 
• Red Wing Shoe Company offers an unconditional 30-day comfort guarantee. If you don’t like the way those shoes feel, bring them back for a refund or exchange, no questions asked. 
• Nordstrom got a tip of the hat for its free shipping and free returns on all orders. 
• Kohl’s made the list for its “No Questions Asked – Hassle-Free” return policy for all purchases, whether online or in-store. There is no time limit. The editors say such a generous policy is uncommon for middle-of-the road retailers. 

Here are some of the companies on the Naughty list: 

• Spirit Airlines offers super-low prices, but it landed here for its new fee – as much as $100 – for carry-on bags that won’t fit under the seat and must be stowed in the overhead bins. “That’s more than you would pay for a checked bag!” Marks exclaimed. The carry-on fee depends on when you let the airline know you’ll need the over-head bin space: in advance, at the airport or at the gate. 
• Ticketmaster was cited for charging customers $2.50 per order to print their tickets at home. The editors said that charge is “especially hard to justify” since Ticketmaster will mail those same tickets for free if you book far enough in advance. The company says tickets are sent out a leisurely 10 to 14 days after purchase. 
• Forever 21, the apparel store, got dinged for its return policy. If you return an online order to a retail location you can only exchange the item or get a store credit. But if you mail it back, you can get a refund. “It would be nice if the policy was consistent all around,” Marks said. 
• CompUSA was called out for automatically adding a “free” download for antivirus software to some purchases. Consumer Reports shopped the site and found that it was not made clear this free subscription only lasted six months. If it wasn’t cancelled before then, there would be a charge of $49.99. “We have a pet peeve about those freebies that are automatically added to orders that force people to unclick the item so it’s not added to the shopping cart,” Marks explained. 
• Tiger Direct.com got slammed for its restocking policy which is “vague” and has one of the highest penalty fees around. Among other things, Tiger Direct requires returned items to be in the same condition as when sold and in the original packaging. The company says all returns “will be inspected and products found to be non-conforming will be rejected or subject to a restocking fee” of up to 25 percent at the company’s sole discretion.  It’s not clear what triggers that maximum fee. 

Lessons to be learned 
Tod Marks has been watching retail practices for decades, so he doesn’t expect companies to change their policies based on the magazine’s Naughty & Nice list. He does hope it encourages people to be better consumers. 

“If nothing else, this exercise will show people how important it is to read the fine print and understand that companies do have very divergent policies,” he said. “It makes sense to understand them and be an informed shopper before you make the purchase."

Read the complete list of Consumer Reports Naughty & Nice List 2012

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

Reuters file

J. C. Penney is now offering free haircuts for kids to lure parents into its stores.

J.C. Penney made headlines this month by announcing it would offer free kids’ haircuts every Sunday, extending what had been planned as a one-month promotion. This was undoubtedly welcome news to many families struggling to balance their budgets. Of course, J.C. Penney isn’t the first merchant to offer complimentary services in the hopes of bringing more traffic through the door. Savvy shoppers know that many stores offer free products, services and special events. Here are some of our favorites.

Personal shopper. Live like a movie star and enlist the (free) services of a personal shopper to help you look your best. A surprising number of stores offer complimentary personal shopping services — just book an appointment, which you can often do online. Nordstrom, Anthropologie and Macy’s all offer this service to customers. Personal shoppers at J. Crew will even keep the store open late or open early if you’re in a real time crunch.

Interior decorator. A lot of furniture stores, including Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Ethan Allen, offer complimentary design services. You need to book your appointment ahead of time, but who wouldn’t appreciate a little free help decorating their house? Most of the stores recommend that you come to your appointment prepared — bring photos of the room you’re looking to furnish, measurements, swatches and pictures of styles you like to help make the most of the experience.

Free workshops and classes. Ready to learn a new skill but not ready to shell out money for an expensive class? Many stores offer free classes and workshops. Want to chop veggies like an Iron Chef? Sign up for a free technique workshop at Williams-Sonoma. Want to know how to host a spooky Halloween party or pick up some decorating tips? Mosey over to Pottery Barn for one of their free classes. DIY’ers can drill into a number of free home improvement workshops at The Home Depot or even get a complimentary kitchen design at Lowe’s. Crafty types can get free product demos and tips at Jo-Ann Fabrics.

Keeping the kids happy.  It might be easier if we just mentioned the stores that didn’t offer special programs for kids. But here’s a sampling of some of what’s out there. You can sign your budding carpenter up for free kids classes at both Lowe’s and Home Depot. Michael’s craft stores also offer free classes for the kids. Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us and Disney Stores routinely have special events for kids; just check their websites to find out what’s coming up. If you and your little one ever find yourselves near a Pottery Barn Kids on a Tuesday morning, drop in for story time at 11 a.m. The stores also host a number of other events, like superhero cape-making workshops and Halloween fashion shows. Lego stores offer a “Mini Model Build” once a month for kids ages 6–14. Not only do kids get to build a mini creation in the store, but they also get to take those Legos home with them. For free. Lakeshore Learning offers free crafts events for kids every Saturday.

You say it’s your birthday. Nearly every chain restaurant out there has some sort of birthday club you can join. Sign up ahead of time and then dine out on your big day — you’ll be a cheap date for your friends and family. Johnny Rockets (which also offers discounts on movie tickets any day of the year) will give you a free hamburger for your birthday when you sign up for their emails, and Baskin-Robbins will give you free ice cream on your big day. Some offer a free entrée, others offer a free dessert, but almost everyone will give you something for having survived another year.

Free baby-sitting. Baby-sitting is expensive. That is, unless you shop at IKEA. The Swedish furniture giant offers a supervised play area and ball pit for the kids. Some other stores and businesses are also offering free child care in the hope it will free up Mom and Dad so they can spend more. Fred Meyer stores, a member of the Kroger family in the West, offers supervised child care while parents shop. Life Time Fitness, a nearly national chain of gyms, offers members two hours of free child care every day. Rock climbing and swimming lessons for the kiddos are part of the package.

Free health screening. Sam’s Club members can get a free health screening every month. This month, they’re offering a diabetes screening, and in October the company promises to offer women’s health screenings.

Recycle. Freecycle. Best Buy stores offer free electronics recycling. Check their website to see what components they’ll accept in your state. Many Starbucks locations offer “Grounds for Your Garden.” They’re yours for the taking, but supplies can be hit or miss.

Car talk. AutoZone will test many of your car’s components, such as batteries, alternators and starters, for free. They’ll also charge up your battery for you, if needed.

There is such a thing as a free lunch. Costco offers free lunch every weekend. Of course, if you ask them, they’ll just call it “samples.”

Casinos. Casinos are the kings of comps. Free drinks, complimentary meals, hotel rooms and free shuttle service. Chances are, if you gamble enough, everything else is on the house.

What are some of your favorite freebies and complimentary services?

Dana Macario is a Seattle-area writer who would love to try out a personal shopper.

Hillery Smith Shay / AP

Getting accidentally bumped by other shoppers can trigger an urge to get the heck out of a store.

Retailers might want to rethink the seasonal strategy of cramming stores so full that customers can barely squeeze down the aisles.

Researchers have discovered that consumers hate rubbing elbows with other shoppers so much that they’ll cut short shopping missions –- or sometimes just stomp out of the store -– when they’re accidentally bumped.

And, as it turns out, it’s not just women who don’t like to be bumped by strangers while browsing, according to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. Men don’t like any stranger -– male or female -– to brush up against them.

“Men do not like being bumped into by women they don’t know,” says Brett A.S. Martin, a professor of marketing at the School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations at the Queensland University of Technology Business School in Brisbane, Australia. “But if it is a man they don’t know, they’ll leave the store fast.”

Figuring that nobody likes to be crowded, Martin set up an experiment with the help of 144 volunteers to look at the impact of customers brushing up against one another.

Martin sent the 72 men and 72 women into the store and asked them to shop as they normally would. The volunteers were also asked to check out a particular purse that was being displayed in the middle of the store. 

Unbeknownst to the volunteers, Martin also sent in two confederates -- both relatively attractive people in their mid-30s -- to casually brush up against half of the volunteers as they were looking at the purse. Martin made sure his helpers understood they were to blend in with the shoppers in the store and to only lightly brush past the volunteers, touching just the shoulder area.

Martin kept track of how long each of his volunteers was in the store. He also had them fill out a questionnaire that asked what the volunteers thought of the store and how much they thought the purse should cost.

No matter whether volunteers were men or women, the ones who were bumped left the store much more quickly than those who’d shopped unhindered. Bumped people also were more likely to set a lower price for the purse and to give the store a bad rating in their evaluations.

Martin’s advice to store owners is simple: “Managers can be tempted to maximize floor space by narrowing aisles and offering as many products as possible. This research suggests that where customers interfere with each other -– even if accidentally -– it can result in lost sales.”