Friday, March 31, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Fight Back Against Phishers with Fake Data
There is an old ploy to get even with conventional junk mailers: send back the prepaid business reply envelope empty, so they have to pay the postage for nothing. Now security experts are flooding phishing sites with fake data. So, if for example a bunch of fake emails are sent out from what purports to be Chase bank, the experts flood the fake Chase site with phony login and account information. That makes it harder for the crooks to figure out which are real account numbers and which are fakes. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Phishers Hack Bank Sites; Redirect Users
In a bold new phishing scam, three banks' websites were hacked by scammers, and then users were redirected to phony sites where their personal login information was stolen. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Is Bottled Water Worth the Cost?
Sales of bottled water (on a volume basis) now exceed that of coffee, milk or beer. One bottled water executive says that some bottled water is no better than tap. What do you think? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Cloning Pigs May Lead to Healthy Bacon
Finally, science is being put to good use. Can you imagine eating pork or bacon and it is good for your heart? Scientists says the discovery is theoretical at the moment, however. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Is Your Dog Raising Your Insurance Premiums?
Dog lovers are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. Instead, they are taking their beef to legislators, asking that insurance companies not be able to raise homeowner insurance rates for owners of certain breeds of dogs. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
When to Get a Will
The smart-alec answer is before you die. If you have kids or any valuable possessions (and you care where they go after you die), then you need a will now. This WSJ story gives you an idea of costs and complexity. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Will Your Tax Return Info be For Sale?
The IRS is mulling rules that would allow tax preparers to share the information on your tax returns with other companies, not just with affiliates. Consumer groups are outraged at the privacy intrusion and possible ID theft threat. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Microsoft to Delay New Windows Vista
Originally, the new version of Windows called "Vista" was going to be introduced in time for the holiday shopping season later this year. Yesterday, however, Microsoft said it was delaying introduction of the consumer version of the new software until January 2007. That will certainly have adverse affects on computer sellers' busy season. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.FL Mulls Early Termination Fees for Tenants
The Florida legislature is considering a bill that would allow landlords to charge tenants up to two months rent as a termination fee if they wish to break their lease. The fee would even apply if the tenant found a replacement tenant. Consumer groups are opposed to the bill. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Buyer Beware: Some eBay Seller Accounts Hijacked
Savvy eBay buyers know to check a seller's reputation before bidding and buying. Now some scamsters have found a way to hijack a seller's account with a good rating, and thereby cheat prospective buyers. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Car Rental Companies No Longer Cover Acts of Nature
Previously, if an act of nature damaged your rent a car, you probably were not going to be held responsible. Now Hertz leaves you in the driver's seat to pay for these unforeseen acts. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Pros & Cons of Freezing Your Credit Report
The big three credit bureaus are asking Congress to step in and stop states from passing laws allowing consumers to freeze their credit reports. Here is more on the debate of the best ways to protect oneself from ID fraud. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
7 Common Financial Misconceptions
This WSJ columnist looks at some common financial pitfalls and helps set you and your pocketbook straight. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Doctors Say Atkins Diet Not Safe
If you are planning going on a diet, a study just published in the medical journal, Lancet, says the popular Atkins diet is not safe. They also found no significant weight loss benefit after a year compared to traditional low fat diets. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Today is World Consumer Rights Day
March 15 is the day that consumer folks around the world celebrate consumerism. The theme this year is "sustainable access to energy". If you would like to participate, Consumers International shows you the way. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Uniform Credit Scores Intro'd by Credit Bureaus
Until now, depending on which credit bureau was checked, you could be given a different credit score. This happened because each bureau used its own proprietary formula for coming up with the score. Now they will all use the same method, and that should cut down on, but not eliminate any variance. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
NY-AG Fines Macy's for Ad Violations
The NY Attorney General says the fine print used by Federated Department Stores (Macy's, Filene's, Kaufmann's) altered the meaning of the phrases it modified, and misled consumers as what was on sale. The settled lawsuit also alleged that one of the chains compared prices to regular prices that were rarely charged. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Northwest to Charge Extra for Choice Aisle Seats
It is not bad enough that you have to pay for snacks, and can't get pillows anymore on some airlines. Now Northwest is testing charging extra for certain premium seats: aisle seats close to the exit and exit row seats with extra legroom. No doubt, soon there will pay toilets. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Buying Real Estate Online "Site Unseen" is Perilous
It is one thing to buy a laptop computer online without being able to test out the keyboard or view the screen quality. It is quite another to buy a house online, never having seen it in person. People do it... and sometimes they are in for the shock of their lives. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
The Starbucks Syndrome: Overpaying for Basics
This WSJ columnist says shopping at Whole Foods or Starbucks is a guilty pleasure because it makes you feel good (although you are buying basic foods that are much cheaper elsewhere). MrConsumer says you can get the same pleasure at less expensive stores knowing in your gut that you have not overpaid. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.New Phishing Method Redirects Users Automatically
From a scammer's standpoint, the worst thing a potential victim can do is report the phishy email to authorities as fraudulent. The phishy site is then shut down, and all those emails sent by the fraudster are wasted. Now phishers are getting smarter, and using a more generic link in their phishy emails that can be automatically redirected to still operating scam sites. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Don't Pay Your Taxes with a Credit Card
You may be tempted to pay your tax bill with your credit card because you get points or miles for every dollar spent. Don't do it! Why? You are charged a convenience fee of 2.49% of the total and that does not outweigh the 1% (or 1 point) you get back. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.House Passes State Food Label Law Ban
In another blow for consumers, the US House passed a bill that would allow the FDA to invalidate state food and labeling laws if they are more strict than federal standards. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Oops. Consumer Reports Miscalculates Hybrids' Savings
In its April issue, Consumer Reports said that hybrids don't save money in the long run because their initial higher costs won't offset gasoline savings. Now they say for two 2006 cars there will in fact be some modest savings. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Google Planning to Store All Your Hard Drive Data
Google is planning a new service to allow you to store the entire contents of your hard drive online, for access anywhere. Word about "GDrive" just leaked out, and Google is mum on the subject. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Consumer Groups Oppose AT&T/BellSouth Merger
Two large consumer groups today urge the federal government not to approve AT&T's takeover of BellSouth. They fear that competition will be reduced, and prices will go up. It also looks like they are trying to recreate MA Bell which was broken up two decades ago. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Is Someone Piggybacking on Your Credit Card?
A not so kosher way to boost your credit score is to have your name added as an "authorized user" on someone else's card with a great score. Now some websites are selling that service. The big question, not answered by this story, is whether the person whose card you are added onto knows about it! For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Before Your Pick a Web Phone Service
If you are thinking of cutting the cord and going with a telephone service via the Internet (VoIP), here are some tips from the Wall Street Journal. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Is Your Financial Planner Qualified?
This article explains the alphabet soup of financial planners' qualifications, and to make an informed choice. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Your Mortgage Application Shared with Other Lenders?
Picture this: you apply for a mortgage, and the very next day you start getting calls from competitors saying they know you are looking for a mortgage. Freaky? Invasive? Illegal? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Net Providers Mull Extras Charges for Certain Uses
If you download music, or watch TV online, or play games, or make long distance calls, you might be soon asked to pay extra for doing those things by the cable or phone company that provides your net service. In essence you will be paying three times: once for the regular net connection, once to buy the extra services, and once as a surcharge to your connection provider for obtaining those extra services. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Verizon Now Reports Payments to Credit Bureaus
Historically, utilities have not reported on time or delinquent payments to credit reporting agencies. Now whether you are on time or late, your Verizon payment history may become part of your credit record since the phone company has begun sharing its data with Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Number on Caller ID Display Easier to Fake
The number you see on your caller ID display may not necessarily display the number of the person calling you. New technology is making it easier for anyone to fake the caller ID of the calling party. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Consumer Reports' Top Cars All Japanese
If you are a US car manufacturer and want to make it onto Consumer Reports list of top cars, you better move to Japan (or make better cars). All ten top picks this year are from Japan. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
