Author: Mike Flacy

    Editor-in-Chief for The CheckOut. During my free time, I love to write about pop culture, home theater, digital photography, social media, mobile technology and cool gadgets!

    If you are interested in having The CheckOut crew review one of your products, send me an email to reviews at bensbargains dot net. (Of course, replace at for @ and dot for .)


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    Check out my most recent posts:

  • brookstone
    Bye Bye Brookstone: Another Mall Retailer Goes Bust

    Earlier today, Brookstone filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced plans to close all 100 remaining mall locations in the United States. Sales declined by one third between 2016 and 2o17, but e-commerce sales did make up...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • jack-ryan-season-1
    What’s new in August 2018 on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu

    Interested in what movies and television shows will be added to your favorite streaming service this month? We’ve compiled an extensive list of everything coming to Netflix and Hulu as well as what’s arriving on Amazon Prime / Instant...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 1
  • Shut Up and Take My Money: Owl Car Cam

    There are tons of dashcams on the market, but there aren’t a ton of dashcams that use 4G LTE to offer a live view at any time. BlackVue is one company that offers those type of Dashcams,...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • castle-rock
    What’s new in July 2018 on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu

    Interested in what movies and television shows will be added to your favorite streaming service this month? We’ve compiled an extensive list of everything coming to Netflix and Hulu as well as what’s arriving on Amazon Prime / Instant...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • online-shopping
    Get ready to pay more at checkout, new online sales taxes are coming

    The Supreme Court overturned an 1992 decision today, specifically related to the collection of sales tax on online purchases. The new decision declares that states can now collect sales tax from all online retailers, even if the...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 1
  • steaM-SALE
    How to Save Money on Expensive Video Game DLC

    One of the most disappointing (and expensive) trends of the last five years in the video game industry is the rise of downloadable content packs. While it’s admirable that a developer and publisher want to continue supporting a...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • Walmart wants you to pay $50 a month for a shopping by text service

    Launching under the Jet brand, Walmart is trying out a personal shopper service that you text whenever you want to make a purchase rather than use an online site. Called JetBlack, the service costs $50-a-month for access. When...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • Thor-Ragnarok
    What’s new in June 2018 on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu

    Interested in what movies and television shows will be added to your favorite streaming service this month? We’ve compiled an extensive list of everything coming to Netflix and Hulu as well as what’s arriving on Amazon Prime / Instant...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • pool-floats
    What Not to Buy on Memorial Day 2018

    If you are looking for deals this holiday weekend, there are definitely certain product categories that you should keep an eye out for. Regarding start times, Kristin Cook, Managing Editor of Ben’s Bargains, says “Early Memorial Day...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • target-store
    Target Restock, a Prime Pantry competitor, launches nationwide

    Originally targeting multiple large metropolitan areas, Target has announced Restock has gone nationwide providing service to about 75 percent of all Americans. Target Restock is basically a competitor to Amazon’s Prime Pantry. Target customers choose from over...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 1
  • cargo_001
    What’s new in May 2018 on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu

    Interested in what movies and television shows will be added to your favorite streaming service this month? We’ve compiled an extensive list of everything coming to Netflix and Hulu as well as what’s arriving on Amazon Prime / Instant...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 0
  • amazon-prime-box
    Amazon is raising the price of Prime to $119 a year, previously $99

    Going into effect on , Amazon will be raising the yearly price of Prime from $99 to $119.  This increase of $20 per year will impact existing customers . The last time Amazon Prime’s yearly price increased was...

    • Posted 8 years ago
    • 2