Consumer World Blog by MrConsumer

Some might call it marketing hype, while others like MrConsumer call it misrepresentation. The major cell companies now offer "unlimited" Internet access through their cell towers, but the fine print, if you can find it, tends to cut back on that claim. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

So maybe the speed claims for Netgear's wireless cards and routers was a bit overly optimistic, based on ideal conditions. They have now settled a class action lawsuit, and lucky consumers will get a 15% discount on more gear for the net. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Why let ticket scalpers make all the money, say concert promoters and sports venues? So now they are going to auction off a portion of their own tickets at whatever price the market will command. Sounds like a formula for higher prices (and fewer poor kids being able to attend events). For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Don't be surprised if sometime soon your plumber, golf instructor, or cabbie swipes your credit card on the spot in a portable device. The cash register of the future is wireless. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

If someone picks your pocket at the mall, your wallet is gone... and you discover it pretty quickly. If some epickpockets you, it may be a month before you know it, if then. Here are tips to thwart the cybercriminals. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Are all those gorgeous guys and gals real who have online profiles at date/matching sites? Several lawsuits suggest not. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Searching for a bargain? Froogle.com will not only show you what a variety of online sellers are charging, they will map the locations of stores near you that carry the item. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Some of you may have received a disturbing email purportedly from the FBI today saying you have visited a number of illegal websites. THIS EMAIL IS A SCAM. Ignore it, and don't open any attachments. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Michael Brim is the 18 year old boy behind one of the most popular Black Friday preview sites, BFADS.net. The site posts lists of the items that will be on sale the day after Thanksgiving, and he even displays some of the actual advertising circulars that have leaked out. Here is the front page NY Times story about him.

Office Depot sent a lawyer letter late last week demanding he take down their name, sale items, etc. claiming copyright infringement, etc. (A week or two earlier, Sears and Kmart made similar demands.) Dissatisfied with Michael's comments and actions after getting the letter, Office Depot has sent a second letter further threatening Michael. (See the actual documents here. )

My take: Hey, retailers, wake up. BFADS.com and BlackFriday.GottaDeal.com are giving you the BEST publicity one could ever ask for: free promotion of your sales to an audience of millions of eager shoppers. These sites create BUZZ about your products and prices -- and buzz marketing is one of the hottest methods currently being used by savvy companies to promote themselves. You should be thanking Michael, rather than threatening legal action.

If YOU want to let Office Depot know how YOU feel, their contact information is on the BFADS.net site.

Bargain hunters are gearing up for Black Friday by sharing tips online, and doing what they alway do: search for deeply discounted items, use coupons to lower prices even more, and get additional money back through rebates. What... they are calling this a disease now? Hurrumph. For more consumer news (and bargains), visit Consumer World.

They say you can find everything on eBay. Now it seems that services from accountants to car repair shops are going to made available through their website. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Between the annual privacy notices and the credit card agreements, there is a ton of fine print read... and most consumers don't bother. What you don't know, however, can hurt you. Here is what is lurking in some of those documents. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Sony is now recalling millions of CDs from leading artists because the copy protection scheme contained on the discs can pose a threat to computers they are used on. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

As Black Friday approaches (Nov. 25), shoppers are being advised to prepare now for the best bargain shopping day of the year. Consumer World offers a preview of the bargains that will be available then, and provides 10 tips to make sure you get the best deals. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Starting today, eligible consumers can sign up for Medicare drug coverage. Many drugstores are inviting seniors to come to the store to get information about the various plans being offered (which vary by state). Now comes a warning that some of the people in the drugstores are salespeople for insurance companies and may not necessarily advise the senior citizen that their plan is NOT the best for them. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

It's 8pm. Time to turn off the TV and turn on the computer. Doesn't that sound backwards? Starting in 2006, AOL and Warner Bros. will start offering reruns of popular old TV shows online at AOL. And the price is right: free. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

You may think you are entitled to just compensation when your airline flight is cancelled... but that may not be the case. Except in the case of overbooking, you have few statutory rights in case of flight cancellation. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Wouldn't it be nice not have to pay the minimum balance on your credit card, or be able to postpone a loan payment if you get sick or lose your job? New "credit protection" services by lenders will do that, at a (high) price. Consumer advocates suggest saying "no thanks." For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Ending two weeks of controversy, Sony BMG has stopped including copy protection software on certain of its music CDs for now. When these CDs were played on a computer's cdrom drive, a stealth program was installed on the user's computer. That was bad enough, but soon hackers had begun exploiting that program to take control of the user's computer. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

Consumers love free shipping. Retailers know that, and many are giving shoppers that benefit this holiday season, including LL Bean. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

The FDA has decided to only allow very limited health claims for tomato products (which contain lycopene). Companies will not be able to make any anti-cancer claims. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

You may think the hurricanes didn't affect you because you don't live in the gulf region. Think again. Insurance companies are going to have to raise rates nationally to help compensate them for the losses they have had to pay due to all the hurricane damage. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

The latest technology advance in smoke detectors are ones that are interconnected. If one unit is triggered, all the other ones in the house will go off. It is hoped that this will alert more people in more places, and thus save lives. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

It used to be so simple when you bought eggs: brown or white; large, extra large or jumbo. Now you have so-called "healthy" eggs with all kinds of marketing claims. This story tries to unscramble the mumbo jumbo. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

For some people, the amount of mercury found in fresh fish, can be a problem. Now a California company has come up with a quick way find the actual mercury level in any given piece of fish. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

If you are in a pinch financially, you may jump at the chance to get a loan no matter what the terms. STOP! These are 20 tipoffs to a ripoff. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

At least you will be able to get your Christmas and Chanukkah cards mailed before postage rates go up in January. The new rate is 39 cents for letters and 24 cents for postcards. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

There is new a recommendation that the mortgage deduction which now covers most residential mortgages in full be reduced to about $300,000 in urban areas. Will this pass? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

It is an old ploy, but it still works. If you see an envelope that looks like it came from Uncle Sam, you are more likely to open it -- and that is what junk mail senders count. Don't fall for it. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.