Reader Jeffrey Hudson thought I was being quite clever when I ended my Sunday column on Hank Larsen and his beef with the Oregon Grille in Hunt Valley by letting readers decide who was being petty and wrong in this complaint.

Upon reading the ending again, I have to agree with Jeffrey that it may lead people to interpret it differently. I really wasn't trying to be clever. It was unintentional. Here's what I wrote:

But the bottom line in this case is that Larsen could have chosen to dine anywhere that night. Given that he chose the Oregon Grille, that he has consistently visited the restaurant every year for eight years, and that he spent $350 on dinner that night, one would think that quibbling over a $7 price difference for a drink is more than just petty.

It's downright ridiculous.

While some read that to mean that I was criticizing Mr. Larsen for speaking up about the change in price for that drink, I want to clear it up by saying that I was, in fact, criticizing the restaurant.

As a consumer, you have every right to expect the advertised price to be correct. While the restaurant did inform him about the price difference before the drink came to the table and before he was charged, it is still Mr. Larsen's right as a consumer to ask that the listed price be honored. That's Maryland law. They restaurant doesn't have to sell it to you at its listed price, as I said in the column, but Maryland law allows you to ask for it and then file a complaint if it is not honored. While the money in this complaint is small, think about how you would feel if they told you at the counter that a TV you wanted to buy wasn't $1,000 like it said on the display case, but really $1,200. Would you feel like you were misled?

To lose a customer, who just spent $350 on dinner, over a $7 dispute is crazy. Any restaurant worth its salt would have owned up to the mistake (they did, after all, give him the incorrect menu to start with) and given him the drink on the house or honored the price listed. A happy customer will keep coming back and recommend it to friends and family. An angry customer will tell everyone they know and don't know about the bad experience. Why risk bad word of mouth?

Mr. Larsen's experience hit a nerve with other readers, too, who shared their own bad experience there, including Valerie Earwood who said:

A few years ago, my husband and I were celebrating our 25 anniversary in early August. I called the Oregon Grille and told them that my husband has a severe hearing problem and we that we needed to sit side by side so that he could hear me. I also told the restaurant that we could dine at any time, but preferred when the restaurant would be the least crowded.

 

We arrived when the restaurant opened for dinner and were dressed appropriately for our special occasion. We were the only patrons in the restaurant. We were offered the option of having a cocktail in the bar and decided to do so. When we entered the dining room for dinner, we were shown a small table with 2 chairs across from each other. I explained about my husband’s hearing problem and that I had requested side by side seating. Again, we were standing in a deserted dining room and were the only ones in the restaurant. I was told that all the other tables on the main dining floor were booked, but that they could accommodate our seating request upstairs.

The air conditioning was not turned on upstairs and it was very hot and muggy. My husband and I had a debate as to whether to leave and we mistakenly decided to stay and make the best of it.

However, when we finished our meal (around 6:30pm) and descended the stairs, we saw an empty dining room! I was livid! We had endured the heat upstairs when there was plenty of room downstairs. Again, I asked about the main floor seating and was told that it was booked. My husband and I frequent other upscale restaurants and all are usually very accommodating, especially when we arrive early and leave by the time the main dinner service is starting.

Later in the week, I wrote a letter to the manager at the Oregon Grille. We were not as lucky as Mr. Larsen, as we never received a reply or an apology.

So, when I read your article, I understood immediately how Mr. Larsen was treated and how he felt. Apparently, both initial and return customer satisfaction is not a high priority at the Oregon Grille.

Here's how the Oregon Grille should have handled this incident, says reader Doug Robinson who wrote:

Amazing these days that a restaurant would risk losing a customer.   I am a firm believer of speaking up for poor service or poor food quality and sending letters to the owners or corporate offices. But seven dollars, how stupid is that.

I frequent, among other favorites, the Wine Market on Fort.  

At a brunch with family and friends, the listed special my wife ordered turned out to not be available after she ordered it.  So she picked something else. When it came time to pay, the Wine Market had not charged for her meal and dessert and drink.

Needless to say we were surprised and continue to spend money there.

(Sun Photographer Algerina Perna)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Complaints
        

High fuel costs have driven airlines to tack on fees for lots of things travelers take for granted.

You've heard many airlines such as Continental and JetBlue are now charging to check a second bag. You know American Airlines and United Airlines will even charge you $15 to check a first bag!

Here are the latest airline fees due to fuel increases: Delta charges up to $50 to redeem frequent flier miles, for flights booked on or after Aug. 15. That's a $25 charge for domestic flights and $50 for international.

This isn't unheard of --- American charges $10, and US Airways will charge up to $50 for flights booked on or after Aug. 6.

Check out the links to the best guides to airline fees over at What's the Deal?, the Sun's travel blog.  

And if you have a bunch of miles you know you'll never use ...  

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Travel
        

I cannot divulge how many calories I took in this past weekend because you just wouldn' t believe me if I told you. I'm only sorta kidding. C'mon, you must have seen the story last week about how The Sun will cut 100 of people from the newsroom here. It's been a rough few weeks for everyone at the paper and it will get tougher. But let's not dwell on pain.

Let's talk about how the Consumer Federation of America has been fighting to require standardized labeling on alcoholic beverages. Since that hasn't happened yet, CFA is attempting to fill the void by releasing Alcohol Facts, a side-by-side comparison of the alcohol, calorie and carbohydrate content per serving of the top 26 domestic and imported alcoholic beverage brands sold in the US.

I just realized that the graphic turned up pretty fuzzy and I am not sure how to fix it from home (writing this on a very late Sunday night), so if you can be patient, I'll post a better, less fuzzy graphic when I get into wrk tomorrow. There's one for wine and liquor, too.

Alcohol Facts, according to the CFA, is designed to help consumers follow the Dietary Guidelines’ advice that men limit their consumption to two drinks a day and that women restrict their consumption to one drink per day.

Alcohol Facts also tries to explain what constitutes a “standard drink” -- 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof (40%) distilled spirits. (eesh. so those drinks I've been pouring are like two in one). According to the Dietary Guidelines, these amounts represent moderate drinking. Public health officials warn that consuming too much alcohol contributes to dependence, obesity and a range of diseases, such as liver cirrhosis and cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

“Right now, consumers really have no way of knowing the most basic information about alcoholic beverages,” said Chris Waldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America. “It’s time to end the confusion so consumers can make informed and responsible purchasing and consumption decisions. We’re making information available today on some of the top selling brands, but the federal government needs to require standardized and complete alcohol labeling on all alcoholic beverages.”

So if you're reminded with a label on your beverage of choice that tells you how many calories you're consuming, would you consume less, think twice about consuming more or ignore it? I have to say that when McDs started sharing how many calories each tasty morsel packed, I was far more thoughtful about what I was eating there and how often. (sigh)... sometimes, I miss those blissfully ignorant days when their french fries called out to me.

Stay tuned, a less fuzzy graphic to come... OK. I gotta say, I've been fiddling with this graphic all morning and the DT magic just isn't working for me. If you go to this CFA Web page and click on the Alcohol Facts poster link, it'll take you to a clear graphic so you can figure out how many calories you consumed this weekend. I'm still not sure about my calorie count since I'm not exactly sure what went into Fantastic Fred's (yes, Mr. Rasmussen of the famed obit desk and historical column) Marvelous Manhattans on Friday night.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Food
        

Interested in saving energy and money by switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, but worried about what you'd do with them when they burn out?

Home Depot just announced that they will recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs for free.  Just bring the unbroken bulbs to the returns desk at any store. 

Each swirly-headed bulb uses a fraction of the electricity of a traditional incandescent light bulb. However, they contain a small amount of mercury --- 100 times less than the amount inside an old mercury thermometer. This still presents a disposal conundrum, however. Different communities have rules about whether they should be collected with normal household trash or saved for hazardous waste collection.

Because the bulbs contain mercury, you should take precautions if one breaks, such as these steps recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for cleaning up broken CFLs.

Seriously, give them a try. The bulbs will help you save on energy costs so you'll have more green to pay for all those other rising bills.

And remember you can pick up discounted CFLs at these Home Depot, Giant and Costco stores. All BG&E ratepayers are subsidizing the cost of these bulbs for other consumers, so you should take advantage!

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Greenies
        

Holy Schmoley, consumers spent their tax rebates after all! While it really should not be a surprise, the tax rebate checks provided a huge boost to after-tax income and helped drive spending sharply higher in May. After-tax income surged 5.7 percent and spending increased 0.8 percent. The personal saving rate surged to 5.0 percent.

That wasn't me talking. That was Economic Commentary from the Wachovia Economic Group. Even the Holy Schmoley part, I swear.

I have seen quite a few reports that the rebates gave a nice boost to retailers. It's a shame it won't last.

But let's not dwell on the down note because I know how much you want this, need this, live for this...

(drumroll)

The Treas sent out 9.674 million economic stimulus payments to American households totaling $7.522 billion this week. The grand total so far? 94.849 million total economic stimulus payments totaling $78.304 billion.

(whew) Was that as good for you as it was for me? 

(AP Photo)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Shopping, Tax rebates
        

I have no experience with Virgin. I've never tried Virgin. I don't know of anyone, personally, who uses Virgin. (heck, I don't even like virgin daquiris or daquiris for that matter... but I digress)

I thought I'd put this offer out there for those of you looking for cell phone deals. Everyone out there has an unlimited plan offer out there, it seems. Now Virgin's throwing its hat into the ring, too.

 Virgin Mobile USA will unveil its new "Totally Unlimited" calling plan for $79.99 on July 1, the lowest priced and first unlimited nationwide calling plan without roaming charges or an annual contract that can be purchased by cash or credit. Bob Stohrer, chief marketing officer of Virgin Mobile USA, said, "It is simply not necessary to sign a two-year contract to get real worth with your wireless plan. This offer surpasses the regional carriers unlimited calling plans as well, as most addd on roaming charges that can cost customers as much as 79 cents per minute."

That's refreshing, isn't it?

To find out more on Tuesday, click on Virgin Mobile USA's link for the Totally Unlimited plan.

Since I'm not familiar with Virgin myself, I'd love to hear from anyone who likes or dislikes the service. Help the rest of us make an informed decision. Thanks.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Budgeting, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal
        

Here's a cheap weekend tip: if you find yourself in Annapolis, you can borrow a bike for free through the Free Wheelin' program organized by the Annapolis Department of Transportation, according to this Washington Post story.

The bikes, maintained by Capital Bicycles, are available for 24 hours from the harbor master's office.

The funniest part? The bikes are free, but you have to leave a credit card and ... a driver's license.

And don't worry about riding too far. Anyone borrowing a bike can hop on board an Annapolis Transit bus for free, and put their bus on the rack in front.

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

 
... via food blogger extraordinaire Elizabeth Large: a free medium iced coffee at Au Bon Pain, from 2 p.m. until close. Thanks to faithful reader Bob for pointing it out. 

(photo: Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun) 

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Food
        

During a recent visit I was suitably impressed by the collection of designer jeans at Plato's Closet, a resale store in Towson, although again, the selection varies. A friend picked up a fabulous pair of Joe's Jeans  --- which usually retail at nearly $200  --- for about $35. Not bad!

You can also supplement your shopping dollars by culling your wardrobe of gently worn but recent fashions and selling them to Plato's Closet or consignment shops such as Fashion Attic in Fells Point or Newbury and Smith in Mount Washington Village. Call first to make an appointment at those last two options, though! 

Shop online: Enhance your hunter-gatherer skills with the help of a search engine. You can shop for current name-brand clothes and accessories on eBay or Craigslist. You'll pick up the vocabulary quickly, such as NWT (new with tags). Pricier designers are also bringing their sample sales online. Finding them can be difficult, but sites like hautelook.com promise to connect fashion mavens with the coveted information.

And check sites like Bargainist for hints and coupons and coupon codes for sales at your favorite shop's online site.

Craft: You can always refresh your clothes by altering them, especially if you know your way around a sewing machine. Change a hem, add some detailing or do a complete overhaul. Check out burdastyle.com or craftycrafty.com for ideas and patterns.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Shopping
        

Please please please verify IDs before you let anyone into your home or open the door to anyone asking to enter your home.

If you missed this little blurb yesterday, the Associated Press reported that three men posing as utility workers entered a home in Westminster yesterday and stole money and other items.

Maryland State Police said it occurred about 12:30 p.m. The men, who kept in contact with one another with portable radios, diverted the victims' attention to steal from them. Police said the men then fled in a minivan onto Route 140.

It's happening more and more. Baltimore County Police issued a warning on similar deception scams running in their jurisdiction recently.

I recently spoke to Baltimore County's police spokesman Bill Toohey, who had experienced a disturbing, personal run-in with a utility worker in his yard recently. The utility worker didn't announce himself, didn't knock on Toohey's door or explain what he was doing in the area. It made him look suspicious.

Turned out that the utility worker was there for legitimate reasons, but did a lousy job of letting residents know that. If you find yourself in a similar situation or if someone knocks on your door claiming to be from a utility company and asks for access to your home, please think twice.

In fact, follow these steps I found on the Brown County Sheriff's Department Web site in Wisconsin:

Stop and think: Are you expecting anyone to come to your home?

Remember that most utility companies won’t send a worker to your home unannounced. They usually will make an appointment before showing up.

Before opening the door, use your peephole or intercom to identify visitors.

If your door has a chain, put it on before answering your door. It will create a barrier between you and the caller.

Always ask to see the caller’s employee identification.

Look for a company logo on the person’s uniform and vehicle.

Call the utility company to verify the person’s identification. Make sure you have the person wait outside behind a locked door while you do this. A legitimate worker won’t mind waiting while you verify their employment information. The utility company will be able to tell you whether the person is an employee and whether they’ve dispatched a service call to your home or neighborhood.

If the person is an imposter, contact law enforcement immediately.

Be safe!

p.s. The Cheap Trick Thursday will post later, I promise. I just need to finish Sunday's column involving a complaint about a local restaurant.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer protection, Consumer safety
        

It may be a once-in-a-lifetime situation, but here's proof that thrift stores can be a place to shop for very valuable stuff!

Check out John Woestendiek's story about a painting by French Impressionist Edouard-Leon Cortes that was donated to a Goodwill Super Store in Easton, on the Eastern Shore.

Employees set it aside for a closer look, and the item ended up sold at Sotheby's for $40,000.

The moral of this story:  

one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Makes shopping at thrift stores seem that much more tempting.

(photo: Monica Lopossay/Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Shopping
        

Tamara Granger feels like the belle of the ball now.

Do you remember Granger? I wrote about the 38-year-old account executive in Sunday's paper when AT&T sent her a Dear John letter, asking her to please take her business elsewhere.

To paraphrase the letter, AT&T basically told her: It's not you. It's not me. It's no one's fault. These things happen. Our relationship just isn't working anymore. We think you should move on. You'll find a better relationship with someone else. Call us if you need closure.

Needless to say, after five relatively good years together, Granger felt snubbed and unloved. Unloved, that is, until Verizon started wooing her this week.

If you didn't read my column (which you should!), AT&T said Granger's pattern of use had changed when she moved temporarily to Montana. Since she was in a territory outside of the carrier's service area, it was costing AT&T more money to connect her calls through another carrier than the $50-plus Granger was paying them monthly.

In other words, it was nice knowing you, but Hasta la vista, baby.

I'm being a little cavalier about it, but in AT&T's defense, they did have a good business reason for taking that action. Even Granger said she understood after they explained it to her, although she was still sore about the letter coming out of the blue and the tone of the communique being somewhat abrupt.

Granger said she was ready to move on. But then AT&T discovered that she had moved back to Baltimore. Perhaps, AT&T said, they could give the relationship another shot.

But just to make sure she wasn't making any hasty decisions and rushing back into a union that might be taking her for granted, Verizon said, AT&T's rival wanted to toss in its hat, too.

Upon reading about her unfortunate dumping in the paper, Verizon Wireless' John Johnson contacted me and asked if I could please pass along his name and number to Granger. He wants to make sure she knows there are others out there who are eager to commit to her.

When last I left her, Granger was still mulling over both suitors, feeling ever so wanted again.

(Coverage map courtesy of AT&T)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

Eileen left us with one final tip from her discussion with Mary Hunt, founder of the Debt-Proof Living newsletter and Web site: a link to MommySavesBig.com, our Consumer Web site of the Week.

Hunt said she uses the site as a great source of printable coupons.  

I was convinced by the complex online shopping deals that site users shared with each other and rated. Act fast, because supplies --- and valid coupon codes --- expire quickly.

Also, there were an impressive collection of free magazine subscription offers, including Saveur, Ebony and Woman's Day.

And they had a long list of sweepstakes and contest links, as well as free sample offers, although I'm not sure how enthusiastic I can be about these ...

just because nothing is really free.

Although you'll never be billed for these magazines or chances to win, you'll likely pay by trading your valuable personal information (name, address, possibly a phone number or shoe size) to enter.

Forget the do-not-mail list: sign up for a few more catalogs and enter a few prize drawings and you will see your junk mail quadruple, I reckon. Not a terrible price to pay, I suppose ...  

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

At Consuming Interests, we're usually urging you to avoid retail therapy. The surest way to keep the money in your pocket is to not spend it in the first place.

But sometimes ... when the seasons change, when a buckle breaks, when a special occasion looms on the horizon ... you've just got to go shopping.

Ladies and gentlemen, how do you satisfy the hunter-gatherer urges for new clothes when they well up inside of you?

Are there particular consignment shops or thrift stores or outlets that you target? Do you rummage online through pages and pages of discounted merchandise at specific Web sites? Have you signed up for coupons for every clothing store you have ever shopped at? 

Share your tips below and we'll feature the best ideas as part of the extreme makeover edition of Cheap Trick Thursday.

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

Hey Maryland. There's at least $29 million out there waiting for you.

According to some startling statistics released by the IRS, about 5.2 million retirees and disabled veterans who are potentially eligible for a tax rebate haven't yet filed a tax return to get their money. Not only that, rebates may be owed to more than 97,000 Marylanders.

Baltimore has more than 21,000 retirees and disabled veterans who still need to file a return before Oct. 15 to get a rebate this year.

If you know of anyone who might fit that description, let them know what they may be missing out on: $300 to $600 for an individual or $600 to $1,200 for a married couple filing jointly.

Read my column in today's newspaper about who qualifies.

Also, if you are a retiree or disabled vet - or are trying to help a retiree or veteran file a return - check out the online tool offered by AARP. You answer 10 questions and the program puts all the  information on the correct line of a 1040 form. All you have to do then is print it out, sign it and mail it in.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Tax rebates
        

As if Countrywide Financial Corp. doesn't have enough trouble on its hands, now comes a report from Conde Nast's Portfolio magazine investigation, which revealed that two U.S. senators, two former Cabinet members, and a former ambassador to the United Nations received loans from Countrywide through a select and fairly secret program that waived points, lender fees, and company borrowing rules for prominent people.

Yea, yea. I'm thinking the same thing. Why do prominent, wealthy, famous people get all the freebies and deals? They're the only ones who can afford the stuff that companies throw at them, right?

Anyhow, you've probably heard Sen. Christopher Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut and chairman of the banking committee over there to your right, telling everyone this month that the special favor would not influence his decision-making in banking matters.

But, er, isn't Dodd the same guy who is behind the big $300 billion mortgage bailout package, which would allow lenders like Countrywide to dump bad loans at taxpayer expense?

Others who took advantage of the V.I.P. program, which mostly benefited F.O.A. (Friends of Angelo Mozilo, Countrywide's CEO), were: Kent Conrad, Democrat from North Dakota, chairman of the Budget Committee and a member of the Finance Committee,; former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson, who was deputy H.U.D. secretary in the Bush admin when he received the loans in 2003; former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, who received two loans in 2002 after she left the Clinton admin; and former U.N. ambassador and assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke.

We should give everyone in this murky tale the benefit of the doubt (innocent before proven guilty yadda yadda yadda), but if it's all true then we should smack everyone involved in the back of the head (virtually, not physically... please, commit no real acts of violence) since they should all know better.

(AP Photo)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Loans, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

If you plan on speeding in the Atlanta area, you better brace yourself for a fuel surcharge on that speeding ticket you got slapped with, too.

Under the "Here's something interesting about how high fuel prices are affecting us" category, MSNMoney is reporting that speeders in the Atlanta suburb of Holly Springs, Ga., will soon face a $12 "fuel fee" when the motorist is pulled over and ticketed. According to the law, $8 from every fine will go to fuel costs for the police department.

Apparently, the idea has gone over so well with city government types that Atlanta may not be far behind in adopting the practice and other jurisdictions in Florida and California are thinking about it, too.

Holly Springs police were worried that they'd use up their $38,050 budget for gas by November due to high gas prices so the new fee was created to generate about $26,000 a year.

The new fee goes into effect July 1.

In Atlanta, the city council is thinking about using the same tactic to make up for a $140 million budget shortfall. As many as 300 Atlanta police and firefighter jobs could be cut if the city doesn't make up its shortfall. The measure was passed by a 13-0 vote.

An Atlanta councilman said "If you run a red light, stop sign, DUI or other ordinances -- break our ordinances -- there is a possibility there will be an additional $10 to $15 surcharge added to your fines." The Atlanta fee could raise a half-million additional dollars a year.

That's quite a fuel surcharge and a possible incentive to slow down, I'd think. As if citizens don't already accuse the police of writing more tickets to make their monthly budget numbers, now, the accusations might actually be entirely true.

What do you think? Would it make you slow down? Or is this just another outrageous way for government to stick it to you? Me? Unless officers find a way to abuse the law, I sorta think it might not be a bad idea. If you don't want to pay that surcharge, don't violate traffic laws.

(Sun Photographer Doug Kapustin)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

Consumer Reports led us to the Better Business Bureau's warning to consumers not to fall for advertisements promising free TV, without a government coupon.

The company, Ohio-based Universal Techtronics, is running full-page newspaper advertisements for converter boxes that translate digital television signals to analog ones.

That's what consumers who rely on over-the-air television signals will need to watch television after February 2009, but Universal Techtronics is charging a $59 fee for a 'five-year warranty' as well as shipping costs for the equipment.

Don't be fooled. The federal government is offering two $40 coupons toward the cost of converters, which retail at about $60!

Your total cost for this transaction would be about $20 now, and less when cheaper models hit the market.

Be sure to read our other tips and information about the digital television transition, and let us know if you're having trouble finding a converter box in stores.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Digital television, Naughty businesses/NBotW, Scams
        

Do your eyeballs pop out of your head every time you fill up the gas tank? Are you afraid to look at the price signs to see how much fuel is going to cost you next time you pull up to a pump? Do you need a release for some of that anger?

Settle down, people. I am NOT advocating violence.

ConsumerWatchDog, formerly The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, launched a campaign last week to get you to send a consumer letter to elected officials to let them know what each driver paid for the last fill-up, the price per gallon paid, and the family’s estimated monthly fuel bill.

The idea, CWD says, is to get the attention of "Washington’s elected officials, who rarely have to use their own money at the gas pump. With gasoline prices at or within a penny of their all-time highs, families are at the breaking point, while elected officials are in a bubble until they hear from constituents."

So the consumer letter (read below for a copy that you can find on the CWD Web site) lets "lawmakers and the White House know that $4.00 and $5.00 fuel prices are unbearable. It demands action right now, to control oil market speculation and cut pump prices. Drivers can send Washington this dose of reality just by filling in a simple form that tells elected officials what the real cost of fuel is doing to individual American families."

I do believe we should let our elected officials know when we're not happy with something, but I'm so jaded I'm not sure if this will do any good. Anyone out there have an opinion on this type of action from consumers? I don't think it's as useless as those one-day or month-long boycotts people tell you to do against particular gas stations.

Here's the letter:

Dear (President Bush, Senator, Representative, by zip code):

Here's what I paid for my last fill-up: $85.62

This is where I bought it: Conoco Station, Mars

And this is my unbearable monthly fuel bill: $400

My family can't stand these outrageous gas prices much longer. We want you to do something about it.

Please don't tell me you can't, or that it's the way the free market works. You can regulate energy trading markets. You can regulate refineries, and demand that they increase the fuel supply on hand. You can take back the subsidies we taxpayers are giving to Exxon, Chevron and friends, then use these billions to expand renewable energy, build the public transportation we lack and cut our petroleum dependence.

You have to prove that you're listening to us, not the oil companies and the hedge fund traders.

We have cut back on using gas, but can't put off buying it altogether, like we can with a car or a new couch. Fuel is as
necessary as electricity or running water. We must have cleaner energy that we can afford.

Do something now. We can't wait until next year, or 10 years from now, for affordable fuel or for real action against global warming.

Additional comments:

Sincerely,
Name, Address, Zip Code

(AP Photo)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Complaints, Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

The pen manager who oversaw some of the worst documented abuses of downed animals in the Hallmark Meat Company case pled guilty today to two counts of felony animal cruelty and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to downed animals.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos charged Daniel Navarro with animal cruelty, which was uncovered by in an investigation by The Humane Society of the United States.

HSUS says that Hallmark principally slaughtered “spent” dairy cows for the Westland Meat Co., which was the nation’s No. 2 supplier of ground beef for the National School Lunch Program.

The HSUS investigation found that many of the animals were unable to stand and walk. An HSUS investigator filmed slaughter plant employees routinely beating cows to try to make them rise. Cows were repeatedly shocked in the face and eyes with electric prods, and even rammed with the blades of a forklift.

The mistreatment occurred just long enough to make the animals get up on their feet to be slaughtered — this, HSUS says, despite the known risks that such animals may be harboring foodborne pathogens such as E. coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella, or even infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”).

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer protection, Consumer safety, Food, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

For those of you who thought I was being too tough on Sears when I wrote about Michael Burnett and his problem TV, and then I wrote a follow up column about all the Sears complaints that flowed in after the first column ran, and then all those blog entries on more Sears complaints, well OK... I admit it. I did give them a pretty good drubbing.

But, to be fair, I have since received some e-mails about good experiences at Sears and I will now share those with you. (although to be really fair, I'm still receiving more and more bad experiences, but you're probably tired of those so I'll keep them to myself).

Jim from Ellicott City said:

After someone pointed out your recent articles I thought Sears needed a positive boost, so, "Knock on wood" I would like to share a positive customer service experience.

I recently purchased both a high end Kenmore Refrigerator and Microwave from Sears Grand in Ellicott City. Within 30 mins of the delivery man leaving the house the Ice Through The Door feature quit working. I called and like most was upset to hear that it would take about 3 weeks to get part and have the refrigerator fixed.

I returned to the Sears Grand and visited the Customer Service Desk to explain my disatisfaction. The customer service rep immediately called headquarters and put me on the phone with regional rep. The regional rep immediately offered me two (2) options. One was to immediately have new identical fridge delivered and the other was to wait for the repair and they would give me $175.00 in gift cards. Being that the fridge itself was working I opted for the latter. I thought this situation was handled quite well.

I am now pursuing a much smaller complaint with them. This past weekend I went looking for a chainsaw that was part of their 3 day Fathers Day sale. I visited the same Sears Grand only to find out it was already out of stock (not sure if it ever was in stock). They checked local Columbia store where it was also out of stock. I then had them check Glen Burnie where they said they would have them. After driving the extra 20 miles to Glen Burnie I was told that they also where out of stock. I again contacted them via E-mail and they have already been back in touch and I am waiting to hear how they will resolve. I am again "knocking on wood"

Wallace Knapp, also of Ellicott City, had a pretty good experience:

I read with interest, your article about problems with purchasing Sears appliances. Our experience was 100 percent the opposite. Very briefly, we found a salesperson who knew the ropes and in total spent at least six hours with us on two occasions selecting six appliances for a kitchen renovation (cook top, downdraft fan, convection oven, warming drawer, refrigerator and dish washer). (All best of breed from three different manufacturers).

With the cash rebate, Sears prices couldn't be touched and the rebate was issued to us immediately after the purchase and actually months before delivery of the items.

As to delivery, you might imagine the kitchen project took on a life of it's own and delivery of the appliances that were scheduled for July of last year, became August and then mid-October. Calling their 800 number and providing our telephone number was all that was needed to change the delivery date - no questions asked. When we finally agreed on a day, date and time of day, ALL ITEMS were delivered exactly as specified - even to the agreed upon time - 10 o'clock AM.

I have related this purchasing experience to many friends and neighbors as the best process I have ever gone through for such a complex situation. Frankly, I can't imagine purchasing an appliance from anyone but Sears in the future.

I thought that an experience counter to those you referenced in your article was suggested. And by the way, I don't work for, have never worked for, own no stock in and know no persons who are employed by the company.

Dani Rice wrote in about a terrible water tank experience, but then followed up in a second e-mail with a better Sears story:

You may remember my sob-story about our Sears water tank, but this time we actually had a very good experience with their service department, and it deserves mention as well.

We have a Sears lawn tractor, and when my husband started it up Saturday it ran for about five minutes and then quit. He had the same problem yesterday morning, so after checking the various filters, he replaced the spark plug. Same problem. Five minutes and then he had to push the blasted thing back to the house.

He contacted Sears to arrange a service call. The woman who handled the call asked if Jim had checked the filters. Was the spark plug fouled? Have you checked the gas cap?

"The gas cap?"

Turns out there is a tiny hole in the gas cap to allow air in as the gas is used, and if that hole is clogged, a vacuum forms, and the engine quits. Sure enough, there was a blob of mud on top of the cap, and once it was removed and a fine wire run through just for good luck, off we went.

We've had a riding mower for almost 35 years - heck, any gas powered mower! - and never knew this! Kudos to a Service Rep who actually knew the product!

Barbara Nichols says she plans to continue her relationship with Sears:

After reading your column last week and this past Sunday, I felt I had to respond. My experiences with Sears have been very positive. In fact, I could not believe how costumer friendly they were in both cases.

A couple of years ago, I purchased a cannister vacuum cleaner at the Hunt Valley Sears. I had the machine for three months and grew increasingly dissatisfied with it because of the size. It worked fine.

I took it back and said I just didn't like it. The salesman let me exchange it for a different vacuum. I am very pleased with the upright I chose.

Last summer, I purchased an electric range for my kitchen. After using the range for a couple of weeks, I decided I didn't like the bridge feature and wished I had purchased the gas range. I went back to Sears and spoke to the salesman. He let me choose the one I wanted and arranged for the first one to be picked up and the new one installed.

He didn't even charge a return restocking fee for the first one. I couldn't believe they would actually let me return a major appliance that I had used.

I will continue to do business with Sears.

This goes to show you that companies do right and do wrong every day. While a majority of the e-mails I received about Sears were bad, I did get some good ones, too, which means that despite a lack of vision or focus from above, there are employees there who work hard to help customers. Call me an optimist (ha. ok. I'm not at all.), but there could be hope for Sears.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Shopping
        

What would a Friday be like without a Tax Rebate Wrap-Up?

Would the sun seem less bright? Would the birds continue chirping? Would the coming Happy Hours be as happy? Would your life feel less complete?

pshaw

Have no fear. The Treasury is here.

This week, 9.071 million economic stimulus payments made it to American households totaling $6.919 billion. So far, the Treas has sent out 85.174 million total economic stimulus payments totaling $70.782 billion.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Tax rebates
        

The high price of gas might make you stop paying at the pump.

Some gas station owners have banned credit-card transactions entirely. Others are charging more for the privilege of paying with plastic.

I have heard of stations locally --- on Falls Road in Hampden, on York Road in Timonium and near Taylor Avenue in Towson --- that have set two different prices per gallon of gas: one for those paying with cash and another for credit cards.

The difference can be as much as 10 or 12 cents a gallon. One of my friends, faced with the prospect of paying nine cents more per gallon, said she got back in her car and drove to another station.

She wisely did not pay the extra fees to use the ATM at the station, which would have charged her a fee --- along with her bank.

Why the difference?

Credit card companies don't just make money from interest rates on revolving balances.

They also charge merchants a percentage of the purchase price on each transaction --- usually about two to three percent.

Gas stations are one of the few businesses allowed to set different prices for credit card purchases --- most businesses aren't allowed to set minimum purchases, according to a column Dan Thanh wrote earlier this year.

(photo: Monica Lopossay/Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Credit cards, Gas prices
        

Computerworld reported this week that Dell Inc. will charge customers up to $50 for factory-installed Windows XP on some PCs after Wednesday, June 18.

For those out there who aren't crazy about Vista, you're going to have to pay up if you want to install the older XP on your new computer.

Computerworld says, "Buyers of the low-priced Vostro line of desktops and notebooks will pay $20 to $50 more for Windows XP Professional installed as a 'downgrade' from Windows Vista Business or Vista Ultimate than they would for Vista only."

Check out the story for more details.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Complaints, Computers, Technology
        

Here's some disturbing news from a new report called Generations of Struggle from the AARP.

Researchers Deborah Thorne of Ohio University, Elizabeth Warren of Harvard Law School, and Teresa A. Sullivan of the University of Michigan say that the "rate of bankruptcy filings among those ages 65 and older has more than doubled since 1991, and the average age for filing bankruptcy has increased."

Other findings in the report include:

Americans age 55 or older have experienced the sharpest increase in bankruptcy filings.

Americans age 34 or younger have experienced the greatest decrease in bankruptcy filings.

The influence of Baby Boomers on bankruptcy filings has moderated substantially.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Debt
        

Got a Rite Aid near you?

They're offering a sweet deal: switch a prescription to their pharmacy, get a $30 gift card.

The prescription transfer offer comes with another bonus: you get a chance to win $2,600 worth of gas for every prescription you switch ... although you only get one gift card. :]

I've also heard that other local drugstore chains may have prescription-transfer deals going as well, but still waiting on confirmation on the details before I can put them up.

Here's more tips, courtesy of Get Rich Slowly:

1. Freakonomics sez to be sure to compare prices for prescription drugs --- different pharmacies may offer wildly different prices for drugs, even for generics. And you don't have to pay Costco's annual membership fee to buy prescription drugs there, according to Consumer Reports.

2. Search the Internet for prescription drug coupons or rebates before you get your 'scrips filled.

The discounts can really help, especially if you're using a brand name medication. But be sure to compare prices if a generic is available, particularly for over-the-counter meds.

Get Rich Slowly included links to discounts for allergy medications such as Nasonex, Astelin, Nasacort and Zyrtec. I found another site, internetdrugcoupons.com, that also compiles tips for redeeming prescription drug rebates and coupons.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

All right! Here are some good ways to cut the spending when you use your cell phone to reach out and touch someone.

--- Analyze your bill. If you're paying for too many minutes, if you make most of your calls during the day, if you're calling someone all the time who does not use the same provider ... maybe you should change things up. Want an automated way to analyze your cell phone patterns? Try billshrink.com, which we told you about before.

the catch? You have to give up your cell phone password to play.

--- Block text spam. New York Times tech blogger David Pogue compiled this list of ways to stop text message spam, much of it generated on the Internet. You'll want to stop this waste of your valuable cents,  whether you're on a limited text plan or if you pay by the message.

the catch? Not every provider makes it easy to block the numbers. 

--- Cut down on the extra fees. Forget the fun ring tones and extra insurance, and don't call directory assistance. Instead call Goog411, by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411, to answer your questions, and it will connect you to your number. You can also try TellMe, another free directory assistance service, by dialing 1-800-555-TELL (you have to download the program onto a mobile phone)(updated: you can download it as a mobile application on some phones). That one offers more information, including news, stock quotes and even directions. One commenter at Lifehacker called it "Poor Man's GPS."

the catch: TellMe is only available on certain mobile phones. Goog411 doesn't have the best voice recognition.  

--- Visual voicemail for any phone. I was so surprised when a friend mentioned she got charged 10 cents for every voice mail she listens to. There are two Visual Voicemail programs --- a feature already enjoyed by iPhone lovers --- that allow you to see who has called you before you dial in: Google's GrandCentral for phones that play mp3s, and and YouMail, for people with smart phones.

the catch? Check to make sure you don't also get charged to forward calls, however.

--- Ask about discounts. Commenter airhead mentioned she benefits from a sibling's educator discount. Ask and you shall receive, whether it be an employer discount or discount for being a longtime customer. You won't know if there's something out there unless you ask.

the catch: You might have to extend your contract if you agree to a discount. 

--- Consider all-encompassing plans carefully. To avoid overage fees, diggy recommended the Sprint Simply Everything plan, which costs $100 a month for unlimited texting, data and calls.

the catch? According to Consumer Reports, however, most users could make do with some of the standard plans offered by cell phone companies.

As always, we're always eager to hear how you shave a few cents off your cell phone spending ... feel free to share below.

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

Electricity is expensive, but this item from Friday's police blotter about an incident in White Marsh still surprised me:

Burglary/arrest A man, 32, was arrested Tuesday and accused of using electricity from a neighbor's house in the first block of Glasshouse Garth to power his computer. When Stephen Rooker was arrested about 2:40 p.m. by police responding to the complaint, he was powering his computer through an electrical cord plugged into his neighbor's exterior outlet, police said. Rooker was charged with fourth-degree burglary, theft of electrical service and trespassing.

Before I make a joke about people who live in Glasshouses, Dan Thanh sez much more elaborate versions of this electrical theft happens all the time --- and she knows, because she wrote a story about it in 2001. Here's an excerpt from that story:

"To stop them, Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.'s power police - known more politely as revenue protection investigators - patrol the metro area in search of their elusive and often stubborn adversaries who are young, old, male, female, rich and poor.

... BGE estimates that it loses millions of dollars a year to theft, but the company said it can't determine the exact amount. Some theft is never discovered, BGE said, and it's difficult to separate how much is stolen from how much is never paid for.

    There are also no statistics on how many people die or get severely burned from electricity theft - after all, such activity is not the first thing injured parties volunteer at hospitals. But a good clue for investigators that someone was probably hurt in a theft attempt are scorch marks around a meter. Fatalities can occur from jolts as low as 24 volts. Home meters typically carry a load of about 240 volts."

All this reminds me of an interesting etiquette/ethical question about electrical grazing rights:

When is it okay to plug a charger or electrical adapter into an outlet that you don't pay the bills to power?

You often see people camping out with computers near outlets in coffee shops and airports, but I've occasionally been so low on cell phone juice that I've packed my charger in my purse on the way to a friend's house knowing I'm going to have to plug it in once I get there.

The Air Power Wiki has tips for folks looking for power at BWI (the observation deck and the new Vino Volo restaurant in the Southwest terminal). This 2005 story from the New York Times details the hunt for an open outlet in that metro area.

Posted by Liz Kay at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Odds & Ends
        

Ameriprise Financial's chief economist Dan Laufenberg stopped by the newspaper this week and gave his outlook for the economy.

It won't make you happy.

Laufenberg figures we're headed into a recession -- next year. Next year? It certainly feels like we're in one now. Companies are cutting back on staff and benefits. Money is tight and food and fuel prices keep going up. Next year?

Laufenberg says right now we're in an economic slowdown, and the tax rebates have helped keep the recession at bay. But once the recession hits, we'll know it.

It won't be like the last recession in 2001, which was so mild because inflation didn't kick up and bite us, he says. That recession was over over in about six months, shorter than the average recession which lasts 10 months, he says.

Laufenberg says the interest rate cuts by Federal Reserve policymakers is heating up inflation. He predicts inflation might rise to 5 percent, significantly higher than we've been used to for so many years. Inflation will affect the price of everything we buy, not just food and fuel, so the pain will be widespread. Laufenberg says the upcoming recession will feel more like the recession of the early 1990s.

That one helped sweep Bill Clinton into office with the unofficial slogan of "It's the economy, stupid."

Laufenberg also predicts the next recession could last up to twice as long as the the one in 2001, too.

One bright spot in his outlook:

If you want to do your own analysis on the economy, the statistic to look at is the Employment Situation report that comes out the first Friday of every month, he says.

The last report showed that May's unemployment rate jumped a half point to 5.5 percent, the biggest one-month increase in 22 years.

If the unemployment rate goes up even further in next month's report, Laufenberg says, then that would be a signal that we are in a recession now. If it improves, the recession will likely be ahead of us yet, he says.

We had nine recessions since the 1950s, and they can't be avoided, Laufenberg says.  "Business cycles have not been repealed," he says.

If it's any consolation, at least the 2009 recession, assuming Laufenberg is right on the timing, will not be as bad as the one in the 1970s, when inflation reached around 12 or 13 percent.

(AP Photo)

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Economy
        

After ten consecutive days of record breaking gas prices...

... get ready for it...this is big.........you're going to feel sooOOOoooo much richer....

The average cost of self-serve regular in Maryland fell two tenths of a penny today to $4.051 a gallon. According to AAA, this price is 35 percent or nearly $1.06 more for a gallon of gas compared to last year at this time.

AAA found that almost all metro areas throughout the state that are surveyed on gas prices are above $4 a gallon for gas on average. Salisbury is still the lowest in Maryland at an average $3.99 a gallon for self-serve regular gas.

Two-tenths of a penny. Gadzooks. Just think of all I'm saving at the pumps now. Where ever am I gonna spend it all?

But before you get too giddy about gas prices falling again, curb your enthusiasm, please.

“On the horizon, the massive flooding now underway in the corn belt of the United States will have a negative effect on the availability and price of ethanol in the second half of this year as the country is rapidly displacing 10 percent of its oil-derived gasoline with ethanol," says Ragina C. Averella, public and government affairs manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "As higher ethanol costs are expected given the probability of shortages, these increases will eventually make their way to prices at the pump. This could result in increased demand for conventional gasoline made from oil, thus possibly driving up the cost for oil again."

“With these factors as a backdrop, the nationwide average for self-serve regular gasoline will likely remain close to $4.10 per gallon as the Fourth of July holiday approaches.”

(AP Photo)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

One of the more confusing money issues is college financial aid.

 Even if you're a parent who has even gone through college, the way aid works today can be difficult to understand. And it's worse for high school and college students with little life experience but who must make major financial decisions that can haunt them for a decade or more.

A site that cuts through some of the confusion, and our Consumer Web Site of the Week, is FinAid. It's the site that financial aid officers go to when they don't know the answer to some intricacy of financial aid. That's not to say that it's too technical. The information is easy to understand.

FinAid explains the basic of loans and how the whole aid process works. It also offers dozens of calculators. So you can figure out, say, how much your family will be expected to contribute to college under aid formulas, how much you need to earn to comfortably handle the debt you've accrued and how much college will cost in the future, whether you're a high school freshman now or an infant.

The site is published by Mark Kantrowitz. He's the guy that reporters go to if they want to know the impact of new aid legislation or some obscure aid detail from years ago.  

Kantrowitz has an amazing store of knowledge. He once told me that he doesn't have a

photographic memory, but he remembers the gist of anything he reads.

Kantrowitz also publishes FastWeb, which is a free scholarship search site. You can plug in information about yourself and FastWeb will notify you by e-mail alerts about scholarships that fit you.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

In this case, it's not naughty businesses, but individuals.

Paris G. George, 54, of the 1100 block of Dulaney Gate Circle in Cockeysville, pled guilty to charges of felony theft and felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult last week, according to the Office of the Attorney General.

George entered his guilty pleas before Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Cavanaugh, just before the start of a week-long jury trial. Judge Cavanaugh imposed the disposition agreed upon by the State and Defendant’s counsel, and sentenced George to five years in prison with all but three years suspended.

The OAG says that George committed 15 thefts, amounting to $33,210, between Dec. 2000 and May 2006. Homeowners and one church in need of wheelchair lifts and stairlifts responded to local newspaper ads placed by George using various company names.

George responded to each sales call, agreed to provide the necessary medical equipment and required a large deposit prior to delivery. George never supplied the equipment, but kept the money he received from 15 customers, the OAG says.

Kudos to Assistant Attorney General Kate O’Donnell for her work on the case.

Over on the other side of the Bay, Renald Nelo Orneus was charged by Criminal Information in the Circuit Court of Wicomico County with one count of neglect of a vulnerable adult for leaving a developmentally disabled individual who was in his care alone and unattended from the evening of Sept. 5, 2007 through the early morning of Sept. 6, 2007, the OAG says.

The OAG says that the former awake overnight caregiver, of the 700 block of Division Street in Salisbury, was charged with intentionally failing to provide the necessary assistance and resources for a developmentally disabled individual who resided in a group home run by Bay Shore Services, Inc. in Wicomico County.

Bay Shore Services, Inc. is a nonprofit organization designed to enable people with disabilities be independent in their community.

Neglect of a vulnerable adult is a misdemeanor punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. A Criminal Information is merely an allegation of criminal conduct and all persons are considered innocent unless they are proven guilty. An arraignment is scheduled in Wicomico County Circuit Court for June 13, 2008.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Healthcare, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

Remember when we told you that the Humane Society of the United States found downer cows at auctions in Maryland, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Texas?

And then we told you that the Westminster Livestock Auction Market owner, James Horak, was charged with four counts of violating State Animal Health regulations?

Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson said in response to those charges, Horak signed a consent agreement regarding violations of the Maryland Animal Health law at the auction on April 22 and 23.

“A very deliberate investigation has revealed that a ‘downer’ cow was not treated in a humane manner and the market was not prepared to handle downer animals that night,” said Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson. “Under the terms of the consent agreement, Mr. Horak, while not admitting guilt, is not contesting the charges filed against him and has agreed to a number of actions to assure that animals in his custody will be treated humanely and in accordance with State law. Even before signing the agreement, Mr. Horak already had instituted a number of these actions.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Horak’s license was suspended for two weeks, which was stayed, and he is on probation for nine months and must do the following:

Obey all laws and regulations governing the sale of livestock in this State;

Humanely treat all animals in his custody as a licensed market operator;

Have immediately available for use at the market facility equipment and vehicles necessary for the proper handling, moving, and euthanizing of down livestock;

Provide training, approved by MDA, to market personnel specifically addressing the humane treatment of livestock at market facilities;

Have at least one trained market personnel on-site on market day, from the time that the market operator allows livestock to enter the facility’s premises for sale, and until the market closes;

Notify the inspector within 15 minutes if an animal becomes a downer when an MDA Animal Health Inspector is on-site, or within 15 minutes of the inspector’s arrival, and if an MDA Animal Health Inspector is not available, he shall notify the Office of the State Veterinarian by 11:00 a.m., the next business day;

and Stop animal traffic in the immediate area where an animal goes down if trafficked with other livestock until (i) portable corrals are in-place around the downer, or (ii) the animal is either humanely moved from the area or euthanized.

In the past year, MDA has worked to strengthen its laws and regulations. House Bill 227, proposed by MDA and passed by the 2008 General Assembly, gives the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to issue administrative fines of up to $10,000 in cases where these laws and regulations are broken. This law goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2008. In addition, MDA is currently reviewing its livestock market and dealer regulations to determine what actions are needed to strengthen them.

In response to the Westminster Livestock Auction Market situation, MDA has reviewed and revised its protocols for inspectors at livestock auctions to report and track downed animals; officially inform the livestock auction management of action that must be taken; and follow up the day after a sale to make sure that the appropriate disposition of any downed animals has taken place.

(Photo courtesy of stockxchng.com)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Complaints, Consumer protection, Consumer safety, Food, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

This week's Cheap Trick Thursday will be inspired by Kevin Martin, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Martin recently lead a hearing on the early termination fees charged by mobile phone service providers and made some remarks that really deserve some applause.

According to his prepared statement, Martin noted in his remarks that cell phone early termination fees, which can range from $150 to $225, are "a significant sum for a subscriber to pay who is dissatisfied with the quality of service. In practice, it can lock people into a service they really want to leave."

"I believe early termination fees can be a legitimate means of recovering legitimate costs," he said. "But they shouldn’t be abused."

Here's more:

"The hallmark of a free market is the ability of consumers to choose from a variety of services and service providers.  I am concerned that early termination fees are being used not as a means of recovering legitimate costs but as a means of locking consumers into a service provider.  Early termination fees shouldn’t function as a hindrance to consumers’ ability to choose, or switch to, the service or provider they want."

Right now there are a bunch of class action lawsuits on early termination fees on the state level but the chairman said not all consumers benefit from class action suits and developing 50 different sets of regulations isn't good for consumers or for business.

Martin proposed five changes to the current system that make my heart go aflutter:

1. ETFs should be tied to the cost of the handset purchased by the consumer --- "for example, a $500 phone shouldn’t have the same early termination fee as a $50 phone."

2. ETFs should be prorated over the life of the contract. (note --- both Verizon and AT&T already do this.)
 
3. Contracts should last a reasonable period of time.

4. If a consumer renews a contract without receiving new equipment, the ETF should not be extended.

5. Finally, consumers should be able to take the phone home and receive their first bill to make sure the service and bill are consistent with what they expected, before an early termination fee kicks in. 

And didja know at least one government agency doesn't pay early termination fees, according to the Associated Press?

But ETFs are not the only billing component that irks me ... I just learned that my friend gets charged to listen to voice mail on her cell phone, and last month I exceeded the maximum number of text messages permitted monthly by my plan.

So please share, readers, any method you're using to ease the cost of using a cell phone. Do you instruct your close friends and relatives not to leave you voice mail or text messages? Do you only call your mother after 9 p.m. or before 7 a.m.? Have you used any online services to mimic cell phone features or otherwise enhance your experience?

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Technology
        

We've told you about shrinking ice cream containers and peanut butter jars --- even though the prices for these items remain the same. Websites like Mouseprint and Consumerist exist just to chronicle such attempts by businesses to get more of our money. And the latest product to get this treatment? Pints of beer, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But how can a beverage dispensed in a standard unit of measurement decrease in size?

You might think it's just the natural variation in the way humans pour a beer, but no. Some bars and restaurants have been serving the drinks in glasses with thicker bottoms, holding only 14 ounces compared to the traditional American 16-ounce pint (in the U.K, pints are about 19 ounces). According to the article, some bartenders comically describe these vessels as falsies.  

The article mentions a couple of chain restaurants that practice this, including some Romano's Macaroni Grill locations. Here are some others:

Some restaurants make no apology for reducing their beer-glass size. The Damon's Grill restaurant chain switched to 14 ouncers from 16-ounce glasses two years ago and didn't lower prices. "Someone who comes in and wants a beer doesn't want a huge glass," says Tanny Feerer, vice president for purchasing at Damon's International. "Fourteen ounces is enough." Since then, the chain has held draft beer prices steady.

The Hooters chain serves draft beer in 14-ounce glasses at franchised locations in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, and 16-ounce glasses in other states. "We can get 20 more beers out of a keg that way," says Archie Gleason, director of marketing for the franchisee, RMD Corp.

There's also some dispute about how much room to attribute to the head, or foam, that bubbles up when pouring a glass of draft beer.

Don't discount how the shape of the glass affects your perception --- and the bartender's --- of how much beverage they have served to you. According to this study by the author of Mindless Eating, bartenders tended to pour more alcohol into short, wide glasses as opposed to tall, thin glasses.

To me, it's not a question of greed --- if you've ordered a pint of beer, you should get a full pint of beer. If it costs more to make or sell a product, then change the price accordingly --- and let the buyer decide if it's right for him or her. Don't cheat them by cutting portions, at least while keeping prices the same.

Updated: for more examples of outrageous product shrink, check out mouseprint.org and consumerist.com. 

(ed note: Liz, this is outrageous. Less ice cream, ok. Less peanut butter, ok. But beer? Is nothing sacred?  If you give us less beer, charge us less money, goshdarnit. -- DTD)

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer protection
        

To keep up-to-date on the latest with traditional pensions and 401(k)s, check out a new blog from the Pension Rights Center. The nonprofit has been advocating for a secure retirement for workers for more than 30 years.

“This blog is a way to highlight things that might have slipped under the radar – under your radar, under policymakers’ radar, under the media’s radar – but that are worthy of discussion. It’s also a way for us to talk about things that are all over the radar – the big issues of the day in pensions,” writes the Center’s Karen Ferguson. “We might alert you to a recent court decision that affects your pension. We might publicize a protest by workers who are trying to protect their pensions. We might explain a recent pension problem that we helped a worker with because it illustrates a loophole in the pension system.”

It also will feature the latest company to freeze its pension. Right now, that’s Gannett.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Retirement
        

 
If you work in downtown Baltimore, get out of the office during Employee Appreciation Week and enjoy entertainment and free samples from local restaurants. sponsored by the Downtown Partnership.

The events and giveaways kick off today (Monday) from noon to 2 p.m. at Hopkins Plaza with games, limited samples by Pepsi, Pretzel Twist and 7-Eleven and free ice cream.

On Wednesday, there's a lunch party from noon to 2 p.m. at Center Plaza with limited free samples from Mex, Pizzeria Speranza, Sofi’s Crepes and Taharka Brothers Ice Cream. Additional sampling by Pepsi and The Peanut Shoppe.  Rain Location: BGE Building in Center Plaza.

The events wrap up Thursday, with a networking event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Power Plant Live! at Blue Door Bar (Plaza Bar). Mex will be serving a complimentary buffet and there will also be $2.50 beer, wine, sangria, and margaritas.

You can also stop by the Downtown Partnership booth each day for free stuff and to enter your name in drawings for a chance to win tickets to the Baltimore Chefs and Wine Experience, membership to Mt. Vernon Fitness, gift certificates to Edible Arrangements and CENTERSTAGE, passes to the Aquarium, B&O Railroad Museum and the Science Center, and more.

(photo: Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun) 

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

A judge has ordered a Tennessee man undergo a mental evaluation after he was accused of holding a Comcast technician hostage until he fixed his television (via Consumerist).   

John Weatherly disputes the claim that he deadbolted the door of his home and threatened the repairman with a German Shepherd. He was charged with kidnapping and resisting arrest, according to the Tennessean. Weatherly says he was mad that the technician had disconnected his surround-sound system but told him to leave it alone because the set was still under warranty.

That's what Bob Garfield --- yes, that Bob Garfield, from AdAge and NPR --- did last year, founding comcastmustdie.com. Read more about Garfield and other consumer vigilantes in this BusinessWeek article. 

Bad PR gets attention, but it makes sense to keep your cool and give companies a chance to rectify their customer service snafus first. Be specific and realistic when speaking with representatives about what happened and how things should be resolved.

If that doesn't work, consider escalating your concerns  --- but not to the point of going Comcast on someone, like the infamous retired woman who wielded a hammer in a Comcast office after waiting two hours to see a manager.  

(ed note: I gotta agree with Liz on this. These stories may make you chuckle or wish you could go ballistic on your cable, phone, electric or whatever other company is driving you mad, but doing so could land you in jail and make the relationship between companies and consumers even more adversarial.

As consumers, we lose all leverage and power when we lose our temper and cross the line. If you've done everything you should do to resolve a problem and it's still not resolved, take your complaint public or contact an agency or news organization -- someone like me, for instance -- who can help you get heard. -- DTD)

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: How To, Odds & Ends
        

I won't be buying any gifts for this coming Father's Day, but I have been thinking about it a lot.

If my Dad were still around, I'd thank him for having the courage and strength to bring (with my Mama's amazing assistance, of course) his seven children to America when Saigon fell in 1975.

If Dad were still around, I'd thank him for teaching himself how to be a car mechanic so he could provide for his family of 10 (including my cousin who came to live with us a few years later).

If Dad were still around, I'd thank him for scraping together enough money every year to pile all his little rugrats into the used Studebaker and drive us to the beach for one weekend each summer.

If Dad were still around, I'd ask him if he was stretching the truth a tad when he said he taught Mama everything she knows about cooking and applying makeup (she insists he was fibbing).

If Dad were still around, I'd take him for a ride all around Baltimore City so he can see the little home I bought, walk along the waterfront neighborhoods, eat at some of the wonderful restaurants here and see how much this great city has changed. We could both share a good laugh about how he always managed to take the wrong turn when ever he drove through the New Tunnel (it willl always be the old and new tunnels to us) and end up lost in the city.

If Dad were still around, I'd take him for a tour through the newsroom. Being a long-time lover of newspapers and magazines, he was pretty excited when I started working for The Sun 18 years ago. He'd get a real kick out of reading the column I write for the paper now.

If Dad were still around, I'd buy him a computer and show him how to use it so he could read this blog, too.

If Dad were still around, I'd tell him he was right: I'm not going to get rich from writing for a living and I should have kept up with my piano lessons because I do miss playing.

If Dad were still around, we could go scour flea markets together with my younger brother like we used to when I was a kid. If Dad were still around, I'd tell him I am sorry for nodding off in the pews when ever he would occasionally wake me to go to church with him on Sundays (again, I was maybe 5- or 6-years-old). If Dad were around, I'd also tell him I'm really sorry I still can't change a tire (that lesson he gave me stuck, but I can't get the wheel lugs to budge without help).

If Dad were still around, I'd take him back to visit Vietnam since he was right when, standing on that ship all those years ago, he said he probably would never see his homeland again. I'd tell him it's still as pretty as ever, but there's a big high-rise hotel where our home in Saigon once stood.

And if Dad were still around, I'd want to just sit a spell with him on Sunday, pour him a nice glass of wine, turn on some classical music, enjoy the beautiful garden he used to spend hours working on and soak up his company one more time while we quietly talked until the wee hours of the night so that I can share with him all the things he has missed since he died in 1991.

If you read this far, thanks for indulging me. Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there and all you soon-to-be fathers. For those of you who aren't, go hug a Dad today.

(image courtesy of stockxchng)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Odds & Ends
        

Here's the Treasury Department's update on the tax rebates:

This week - Week 7 - Uncle Sam sent out 9.526 million payments worth a total of $7.032 billion.

The total number of payments: 76.526 million payments worth $63.863 billion. (How many gallons of gas is that?)

Direct deposit payments were supposed to be sent out by May 16th. Checks are still going on up until July 11.

But Treasury warns that a "small percentage" of payments will need additional time to process and won't arrive on schedule.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Tax rebates
        

Apparently, PB plumbing was installed in about six million homes between between January 1, 1978 and July 31, 1995, the dates for installations covered by the settlement.

More than 330,000 homeowners have had their plumbing systems replaced under the free program so far, but tens of thousands more may be eligible for the free plumbing replacement.

Who knew? Established in 1995, the $1.1 billion PB pipe Settlement Fund has spent over $976 million in homeowner relief. There is no cost for homeowners. The Consumer Plumbing Recover Center (CPRC), established by the Court to administer the Fund, has received more than 2.1 million inquiries.

PB pipe, often called plastic pipe, is sorta flexible and usually gray. PVC or CPVC products are rigid and usually white or off-white. The pipes are joined by plastic or metal fittings held in place by aluminum or copper bands. You might find PB pipes in the attic, crawl space, or water heater closet. It's not normally used for drains, waste or vent piping, yard sprinkler systems, irrigation systems, fire sprinkler systems, sewer lines, faucets or fixtures.

Homeowners with PB pipe should call the CPRC at 1-800-392-7591 or visit www.pbpipe.com for information about filing a claim and to access claim forms. Because all claims must be filed by May 1, 2009, "homeowners with leaking PB pipe should call the CPRC or access the website as soon as possible," says Tim Taylor, general manager of the CPRC.

Also, the CPRC says homeowners who purchased their homes after September 12, 2005, have the right to exclude themselves from the Court-supervised replacement program and pursue their own claims. The home purchase date is earlier in certain counties in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas that were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. There, homeowners can exclude themselves if their home was purchased after August 12, 2002. Exclusion request forms must be filed before September 1, 2008 and are available at www.pbpipe.com.

If you're still not sure what PB pipe is, check out www.replumbs.com. They do a pretty good job of explaning things.

(photo from www.replumbs.com)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Complaints, How To
        

... because a free doughnut can make all commuting inconveniences melt away.

For Light Rail Customer Appreciation Day, the Maryland Transit Administration is giving away free refreshments at the Timonium Fairgrounds stop from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday.

Customer Appreciation Day coincides with the first business day that light rail will stop running north of the Timonium Road stop due to construction of a new rail crossing on Warren Road, according to MTA.

From the press release: 

“We would like to thank our Light Rail customers for their loyalty, patience, and continued patronage,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, MTA Administrator. “We especially thank those customers who will be inconvenienced while rails are updated.” 

The MTA will set up shuttles to ferry passengers to light rail stops north of Timonium Road to Hunt Valley Towne Centre. Construction is expected to continue into August, MTA officials say. 

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Most people probably knew you would pay a premium when you let the car rental place fill up the tank of the car you rented over a weekend. But $8 for a $4 gallon of gas? That's pretty unreasonable.

Now, after the state attorney general's office threatened to sue or fine the companies, the major car rental companies agreed to charge no more than 42 percent more than what local gas stations are charging.

That will cut fill-up rates by more than a third, but it will still be expensive, according to the story by Laura McCandlish: 

Beginning July 1, the state's eight major rental car companies will charge customers returning cars in Maryland no more than 42 percent over local pump prices. Hertz, the largest rental car company, agreed to charge no more than 35 percent more - or $5.40 when pump prices are $4 - or a $10 flat fee.

Hertz now charges BWI customers $7.99 a gallon, the highest in Maryland and around the country, Gansler said.

Hertz announced this week a nationwide program beginning July 1 to charge market rates plus a $6.99 service charge to refuel.

But even with this agreement, making refueling rates among the lowest in the nation, you save the most money if you pump it yourself, consumer experts say. 

"The bottom line is you're always going to pay a penalty if you don't refuel yourself," said Jack Gillis, the Consumer Federation of America's director of public affairs.

Enterprise/National/ Alamo, up to 133 percent of average price per gallon of gasoline

Hertz, up to 135 percent of market price, or flat rate of up to $10 per vehicle

Thrifty/Dollar Rent A Car, up to 135 percent, or up to $10 per vehicle

Avis/Budget, up to 142 percent of market price

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

Maybe it’s because we loved our jobs so much. Or, maybe we realize we just don’t have enough money.

But workers from ages of 25 and up today all expect to retire later than their counterparts polled a decade ago.

In 1998, nearly a quarter of workers expected to retire before the age of 60. Now, only 11 percent are that optimistic.

Back then, only 9 percent envisioned retiring at 66 or later. Now, 30 percent expect that. In fact, no matter what age group - 25 , 35, 45, 55 or older – workers were about three times more likely to say today that they will be retiring after 65 than a decade ago.

These are some interesting findings in the Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

One reason for such a change may be the economic climate. In 1998, we were in raging bull market. Remember when everyone bragged about the size of their 401(k)s? Since then, we’ve had a recession, a bear market and perhaps another recession. These are dimmer times.

The EBRI survey also noted that nearly two-thirds of workers under 55 expect to work for pay in retirement, compared to 54 percent of those 55 and up. Mostly, they said they wanted to stay active and involved in retirement. But health insurance benefits and needing money to make ends meet played a big role, too.

So what age do you expect to retire and why?

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Retirement
        

I can't remember where I read it or saw it, but I remember someone talking about how they found bugs in their cereal because they let the box sit for too long in their cupboard and to this day, I always always always check my cereal first before I eat it. I like to get protein in my diet, but not through buggy cereal, thanks.

So to help you avoid finding critters in your corn pops, or to help you stop wasting money because you can't eat your food before it spoils, ShopSmart (the sister mag to Consumer Reports) is offering you tips to help you store everything from butter to whole wheat flour.

BREAD. It can go stale or get moldy left out on a counter or stored in the fridge. If you’re not going to eat it fast, you can keep bread in the freezer for up to three months. To refresh thawed baguettes, rolls, and other breads, unwrap and heat them in the microwave for a few seconds.

BROWN SUGAR. It can get as hard as a rock because of moisture loss during storage. Storing it in an airtight container will help keep moisture in. If you’ve already got hardened sugar, heat it in a 250° F oven until it’s soft and use it right away or it will turn rock-solid again, fast.

BUTTER. All fats are fragile and can go rancid. To preserve freshness, wrap and freeze what you don’t use; unsalted butter will last about four to five months, salted butter, about six to nine.

CHEESE. When it comes to storing cheese, ShopSmart found conflicting advice. Fancy cheese shops advise storing it in a porous wrap like wax paper so the cheese can breathe. The dairy and packaging pros said to take a tip from how supermarket cheeses are packaged and keep cheese as airtight as possible, which will prevent mold. ShopSmart’s advice: Wrap it first in wax paper, then wrap it tightly in plastic.

COOKING OIL. Buy oil in opaque or dark containers if possible and store it in a cool, dark place to protect it from damaging light. Buy only what you can use within three to six months—or one month for very fragile walnut and other nut oils. Like all fats, oil can go rancid, giving recipes an off flavor. If you’re not using it fast enough, keep the oil in the fridge. Since oil congeals when it gets cold, bring it to room temperature before using.

CRACKERS. Crackers and chips can get soggy fast if they’re not sufficiently protected in a humid environment. So be sure to wrap the package in an airtight container or use a plastic clip or Quick Seals.

WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR. Unlike white flour, whole-wheat flour (also wheat germ, brown rice, and other whole-grain foods) contains higher levels of fat that gives it a brief one- to three-month shelf life. If you use whole grain ingredients only occasionally, they’ll keep about six months in the fridge and 12 months in the freezer.

GROUND MEAT. It’ll keep one to two days in the fridge. After that, put it in the freezer. For the best flavor and texture, use frozen ground meat within three months.

ICE CREAM. To prevent ice crystals from forming, keep the surface of ice cream level and cover it with plastic wrap before putting the lid back on.

NUTS AND SEEDS. To protect them from going rancid, store them in the fridge; they’ll last up to six months. In the freezer they’ll last up to 12 months. Keep them in airtight, snack- or recipe-size portions so you can thaw only what you want to use. Toasting refrigerated or thawed nuts in a skillet or the oven for a few minutes will bring out the flavor.

POWDERED SUGAR. Because it can absorb odors from spices, and any strong flavored foods around it, keep it in an airtight container.

SPICES. Ground spices typically have a two-to-three-year shelf life, but light, heat, and moisture can cause them to lose their oomph much faster. Keep them airtight in a dark place, away from sunlight, the heat of the stove, and heat generating lighting—and not near the sink. Properly stored, whole spices will last longer than ground.

TEA. If stored next to spices and other strong-flavored foods, tea can absorb these flavors, which can affect its taste. So store tea in air-tight containers, away from smelly foods.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, How To
        

Anyone hear about the Grand Opening of a Sears store in Annapolis Mall -- known as Westfield Shopping Town to its owners -- this Saturday?

In light of the Sears complaint columns I've been writing and the countless e-mails I've received about bad service at Sears (some of which I've posted on this blog, I found it pretty interesting that Excellent Reader Joe wrote in yesterday to tell me that a little birdie told him that "the president of Sears was coming from Chicago for a ribbon cutting on Saturday."

Joe's not sure if it's Eddie Lampert, the chairman of Sears Holdings, or if it's W. Bruce Johnson, Sears Holdings' interim president and CEO. He's only heard that it's a head honcho.

I'm out of the office today, but if I get a chance I'll try to make a call to see if I confirm this.

If it's true, I wonder if any of the readers who complained about service want to be part of the welcoming party on Saturday? And if so, do you want to report back to us about the glorious event?

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Shopping
        

(photo: Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun) 

Finding a cool place to hang out is one thing, but you're gonna have to go home sometime. 

Room-darkening curtains or shades are a good option for preventing sunlight from turning your home into an oven. Or, you could tack up some aluminum foil, shiny side out, to your windows, to keep the rays inside to a minimum.

This blogger used foil-like emergency blankets and white sheets to fashion window treatments that keep things from heating up indoors.

Here are some tips from the folks at Angie's List for keeping your home cool more efficiently:
 

1. Lower your air conditioner thermostat!  Every degree below 78  increases energy consumption 8 percent, they say. Also! Don't think that setting your AC colder than you'd like will help cool your house any faster ...

2. Use a programmable thermostat to keep your home warmer when you're not there and cooler when you are. And set your water heater temps lower, too ... you'll get just as comfy a shower at 120 degrees, according to Angie's List.

3. Open up your windows at night if the outside temperature is cooler than inside your home.

4. Plant trees around your home to shade it from the sun --- and around your central air conditioning unit as well, so it's pulling in cooler air.

5. Use heat-producing appliances like ovens, clothes dryers and dishwashers at night or in the early morning, when things are cooler ... and keep heat-producing appliances like televisions  and lamps away from ACs, which can throw off their thermostats.

As for ceiling fans, Consumer Reports recommends that you use them in conjunction with an air conditioner --- rotating clockwise --- to cool anyone in the room.  

And here is Mark Bittman's famous list of 101 quick summer meals, most of which do not require firing up the oven.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

Well, thankfully the high temperatures have come down to more tolerable levels --- tolerable, at least, if you don't spend your days directing traffic at a sunny intersection.

Still, there are bound to be other warm days this summer, and how will you beat the heat?

Bob Dewey shared links to Baltimore County beaches such as Miami Beach in southeast Baltimore County  --- all places to have fun on a shore without paying a Bay Bridge toll.

Over at Charm City Moms, Kate points out that museums such as the Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Museum are free to the public. She also offered a link to free movies for families at some Regal Theatres, 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Participating Regal theaters are located in Bel Air, Glen Burnie, Hunt Valley and Westminster.

Those aren't the only movie houses with similar deals:

Participating AMC theaters in Owings Mills and Columbia offer children's films for $1 at 10 a.m. Wednesdays --- and the money goes to a children's charity.

These tips might offer some limited relief if your house is a hotbox. Later today, I'll share some tips to keep your abode a few degrees below sweltering.

(photo: Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

Remember way back when gas prices were almost $2 a gallon and people were really mad and said they'd stop driving as much? Maybe they'd walk or bike more and stop taking so many trips? But that didn't really happen, right?

Well, noted consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow of Golden Gate University says that as consumers prepare themselves for another big spike in gas prices (some areas are close to $5 a gallon as that photo from a Chicago station shows), this jump will finally "mark a tipping point in the way that consumers psychologically respond to gas prices and begin major shifts in behavior."

Our prior optimism about prices eventually falling allowed us to avoid changing our behavior in the hopes of a decline, Yarrow says. But now, she says that we consumers have wrapped our brains around the fact that prices aren't just temporarily high, but that prices are continuously rising and the days of seeing low gas prices are over.

Faced with that realization, Yarrow says we'll have to decide to devote more of our income to gas or we're going to find ways to reduce our consumption.

Yarrow says there are four stages of how consumers psychologically respond to gas price increases:

First, there's a lot of consumer huff and hysteria, which made us feel like we were taking action without actually changing our behavior. Yarrow said this started nearly two years ago. Then we started driving a bit less to reduce consumption about a year ago. Now we're entering a stage where we are finding more aggressive ways to reduce consumption by driving even less and finding ways to consume less gas while driving. (hello. did you read Liz's hypermilling story today and tips on hypermilling blog post?)

In the last and final phase that Yarrow says we're about to enter, we will reconceptualize the role of transportation in our lives.

Reconceptualize is just a fancy way of saying that people who never took transportation or car-pooled will start; mainstream consumers will reject gas guzzlers and invest in more fuel efficient cars; people and companies will explore new ways to reduce commutes by reducing the work week to four days and telecommuting will become more common; more shopping and errands will be done online; and socializing will become more localized (instead of driving down to D.C., we'll have block parties, entertain at home and walk to neigborhood restaurants).

Yarrow also predicts that travel for vacations will be more special and less taken-for-granted.

I think a lot of us are already there, aren't we? I don't have much of a commute to work since I live and work in the city, but I've been thinking more and more about finding a used moped or bike to work (although I have to confess I fear for my life among some of our.. er... not so observant drivers). If I could convince my boss I wasn't at home watching Jerry Springer and eating cheesy poofs, I'd probably telecommute more. And most of my socializing is already done in my 'hood.

How have gas prices changed your habits?

(Getty Images)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Gas prices
        

Two regulators are accusing credit card marketer CompuCredit Corp. of deceptive practices in the selling of credit cards to subprime consumers.

Yesterday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said it wants the Atlanta-based credit card marketer along with two banks to pay restitution of more than $200 million to consumers.

The FDIC also seeks civil penalties of $6.2 million from CompuCredit and a total of $431,000 from the company’s two banking partners – First Bank of Delaware in Wilimington and First Bank & Trust in Brookings, S.D.

On top of that, the Federal Trade Commission also yesterday announced it is suing CompuCredit and its debt-collection subsidiary, Jefferson Capital Systems, for deceptive practices.

The FDIC and FTC conducted a joint investigation on CompuCredit.

Regulators object to the marketing of three types of cards, offered under such names as Aspire, FreedomCard, Tribute, Majestic and Advantage. Basically, regulators say CompuCredit failed to adequately disclose terms and consumers ended up with

For example, a cared marketed to consumers with low credit scores promised a $300 line of credit. But regulators say once fees were factored in, the line of credit was as low as $115.

CompuCredit denied the allegations in a statement, saying: “The claims asserted by the FTC and FDIC regarding CompuCredit’s past credit card marketing practices are untrue and without merit. The credit card programs at issue complied with applicable laws and regulations and have exemplified best practices in credit card marketing.”

First Bank of Delaware "believes that the FDIC’s claims are unfounded and unfair," Harry Madonna, the lender’s chairman and chief executive officer told Bloomberg News. "The bank will vigorously defend its programs through the administrative hearings process afforded to banks by federal law."

David Waligoske, executive vice president at First Bank & Trust, declined to comment on the charges, Bloomberg reported.

A third CompuCredit partner – Columbus Bank and Trust in Georgia – settled with the FDIC. It paid a $2.4 million penalty and agreed to set aside $7.5 million for restitution.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Credit cards
        

 
June 11's timely Urban Word of the Day (courtesy of Urban Dictionary) is

hypermiling: driving techniques and car mods aimed at increasing your gas mileage to the absolute max. Often practiced with a Toyota Prius or other hybrid vehicle.

Yoshi is hypermiling cross country this week. He is trying to go from Chicago to LA on one tank of gas!

The hypermilers in my story today were able to eek extra miles out of each gallon by making simple adjustments that frankly most driving instructors would approve of: driving at the speed limit and accelerating and braking gently, keeping tires inflated and decreasing other demands on energy such as idling, air conditioning and heavy loads.

And the savings eases all the pain sometimes felt from the rude gestures from their fellow motorists, although most hypermilers say they stay to the right and yield to faster drivers.

But on a week like this one, how do hypermilers survive the heat without AC?

They minimize it. Here are tips from Wayne Gerdes, of cleanmpg.com:

Don't let your car heat up while you're not in it: he recommends keeping the windows cracked about half an inch, to allow the car to remain close to ambient temperature. Most people also try to park in shade if possible.

1. On a 68 or 70-degree day, crack the driver's side window while driving to create some negative pressure to draw cool air through your ventilation system. And use the vent fans!
   
2. On a slightly warmer day, crack the right rear passenger window, to create some cross breeze. Use the vent fans as well.
   
3. On an even hotter day, take a few minutes to open your car windows and doors so the inside temperature regulates to the outside temperature --- you'll expend less energy trying to cool your car from 102 degrees or so than 160 degrees.
4. When you get in the car, keep the windows down but turn on the AC for a few minutes to push out the hot air and drive the hot air out of your vents.
5. Then close the windows and let the car cool.
6. And use the recirculation button to move the cool, dehumidified air around the car.
7. Turn the AC off if you need to accelerate, such as merging onto a highway or leaving a stop light.

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

When I'm shopping for something and I'm worried about plopping down a chunk of change on something that might not last, or something I'm not familiar with or something I'm not entirely sure about, I try to do a lot of legwork beforehand to reassure myself.

And when I say legwork, sometimes it literally means legwork and lots of time invested. For instance, when I purchased a laptop last year, I drove from store to store to check out quality, prices and features. I talked to friends about what they recommended. I scoured the Web to find different reviews of the laptops I was leaning toward. I searched for complaints about each model.

It took me almost a year to research and compare data to make a decision. In the time it took me to do all that, I bet several of the models I was looking at became obsolete. OK. I exaggerate, but you know what I mean. It took a lot of time.

That's why I was so jazzed when my good friend Gus turned me on to consumersearch.com, which is our Consumer Web Site of the Week pick.

Owned by The New York Times, ConsumerSearch pulls reports, reviews and other data together and puts it all in one easy place so you can quickly read up on anything you might want to buy from acne treatments to webcams.

For each product category, ConsumerSearch presents to you a description and ranking of the top reviews, a complete analysis of who the experts are and what they say, a list of the top-rated products and prices and links to retailers that offer the recommended products.

If you're worried the site is all fluff and no substance, click on a couple products and read the analysis and ratings of reviewers. Under webcams, for example, ConsumerSearch ranks Laptop magazine reviews on webcams poorly because the magazine reviews the product only occasionally and "While ratings are given, the discussion is disappointingly short."

Check it out. You might find that ConsumerSearch saves you a lot of time on-line so all you mostly have to do is check the product out in the stores to see up close what you want to buy.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Shopping
        

As of today, Maryland, like 23 other American states, is home to $4+ gas, AAA Mid-Atlantic reports. The higher prices can be found in the Washington suburbs and Hagerstown.

Gas Prices as of June 10, 2008

(Self-Serve Regular)

The Environmental Protection Agency has some tips for you to improve your gas mileage, complete with estimates of how much you could benefit by making some simple changes.

For example, changing your air filters regularly could save you up to 37 cents a gallon.

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

Usually here at Consuming Interests we try to focus on ways to pinch pennies, but if you're looking for a way to waste your money, the SomethingStore probably has Something for you.

Since October, more than 11,000 people have paid $10 to order something from the SomethingStore, which i first learned about via Unclutterer. 

What did they get? Oh, lots of radio-controlled cars, but sometimes an iPod Nano or perfume or a necktie. You just never know!

According to the site, they won't get something inappropriate for minors or illegal, like porn or drugs or body parts. But it kind of seems like the point of the game is to get something inappropriate, because you didn't request anything specific Or, maybe everybody like R/C cars.

This kind of reminds me of those toy vending machines you can find outside the supermarket or the prize in the bottom of cereal boxes. For every secret decoder ring, there are probably loads of boxes filled with limp (and lame) friendship bracelets.

But surprisingly people seem pretty positive about the potential rewards. Apparently, everyone loves a surprise!

So as one commenter elsewhere on unclutterer suggested, flea market vendors should capitalize on people's curiosity. Pile a bunch of items that aren't moving at face value into a box, slap some question marks on it and let the bidding begin.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Odds & Ends
        

Are you a Liberty Mutual policy holder? If the answer is yes, you might be pleased to hear that the Maryland Insurance Administration took action against Liberty Mutual and some associated companies for failure to issue proper notices of proposed rate increases to customers.

In our Naughty Business of the Week, Liberty Mutual was fined $25,000 and returned nearly $450,000 to consumers as a result of sending these improper notices.

“The MIA received a series of complaints and contacted Liberty Mutual about the problem,” said MD Insurance Comissioner Ralph Tyler. "The company cooperated in identifying that there was a computer error, fixed the problem and agreed to the sanctions we imposed.”

Apparently, more than 800 notices were issued by Liberty Insurance Corporation, Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company and The First Liberty Insurance Corporation between Nov. 15, 2007, and March 6, 2008, in which the companies failed to include the name of the driver that contributed to the increase as required by Maryland law. State law provides that any error or omission in such premium increase notices makes the notice invalid and prohibits the carrier from collecting the increased premium amount.

Refunds are made with interest to the complainants and all other affected customers identified by Liberty Mutual.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

Ladies and gents, how are you folks handling the high temperatures?

Given the sweltering weather, I'm looking for your best ideas on staying cool while not spending outrageous amounts of money. 

Therefore, buying tickets to back-to-back movies is probably not an option.

But cheap ice cream, free places to splash with the kids, smart ways to lower the temperature in your house? Let us know!

(photo: Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun) 

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto... Either way, they're still yummy and a staple of my diet. Problem is, I was out grocery shopping on Sunday at the Shopper's Food on Eastern Avenue and searched high and low for some juicy red tomatoes. To my great disappointment, there wasn't a single tomato in the entire store. WTH? (er... that's the PG-version of WTF).

Now, don't scold me for not knowing about this sooner. I've already told you I don't go food shopping often. Also, on weekends, I will occasionally enforce a news blackout just so I can relax (hey, if you were a mathematician, you wouldn't want to solve math equations all weekend, would you?).

Anyhow, that's my sorry excuse for missing the fact that over the weekend, the Food and Drug Administration expanded its nationwide warning that a salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to consumption of certain raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes, and products containing these raw, red tomatoes.

The FDA recommends that consumers not eat raw red Roma, raw red plum, raw red round tomatoes, or products that contain these types of raw red tomatoes unless the tomatoes are from the sources listed below. If you're not sure where the tomatoes are grown or harvested, you should contact the store where the tomato purchase was made.

You can still eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home, the FDA says.

In a traceback review, in addition to production and distribution pattern information, the FDA found that tomatoes from the following sources are NOT associated with the outbreak: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico.

Since mid April, the FDA logged 145 reported cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Saintpaul nationwide, including at least 23 hospitalizations. States reporting illnesses linked to the outbreak include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Salmonella Saintpaul is an uncommon type of Salmonella.

The FDA says the source of the contaminated tomatoes may be limited to a single grower or packer or tomatoes from a specific geographic area. As tomato crops across the country and in foreign countries become, or will become, ready for harvest in the coming months, the FDA is working with the states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service, and various food industry trade associations to determine the source of the tomatoes associated with the outbreak.

FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators not offer for sale and service raw red Roma, raw red plum, and raw red round tomatoes unless they are from the sources listed above. That explains why my grilled chicken sandwich from McDonald's (hey. don't judge. I was in a hurry) only had lettuce on it.

Anyone else notice restaurants or other stores where tomatoes have disappeared? Is the great disappearing tomato becoming a problem for recipes you're making at home? How are you making do? And if you're growing your own tomatoes at home, do you want to sell me some?

Oh yea. And I don't really pronounce it toMAHto.

(AP Photo)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Consumer protection, Consumer safety, Food
        

Money can be funny, I guess, but you probably shouldn't use it. Using funny money could make the government come knocking. With the economy down in the dumps, the dollar doing so poorly against the euro and high consumer prices every where you look, there's not much about money to make us smile lately. Cry, maybe? Or laugh to keep from crying? (sigh)

But to keep from losing all hope, we here at the Consuming Interests blog live to share useful consumer trends, tips, and warnings with you every week to help you stretch or save that dollar.

While our day jobs keep us busy giving you financial tips on how to save and invest from Eileen Ambrose, how to resolve complaints and fight back against problem businesses from yours truly, or help navigating government red tape from Watchdog Liz Kay, we work hard behind the scenes on the blog, too, to be your source for consumer news.

Through the blog, everything we can't cover in the print paper, we try to give you here. Everything we think you may need to know but maybe missed, we try to give you here. Everything we find amusing, interesting or peculiar that we can't tell you about in the columns, we give it to you here. Questions and answers about the tax rebate? Here. Downer cows and our food supply? Here. How to haggle like a pro, how to find a credit counselor, how to find a digital converter box, how to save for the future? Here, here, here and here.

With that said, you may have noticed some recent features we've introduced to the blog to make your life and our lives easier. On Tuesdays, we're sharing one Naughty Business of the Week (NBotW) -- with intentions to pick the Consumer Bozo of the Month from that list. Please, do write in with your nominations and picks. Let's dish. Right now, there seems to be a tie between Sears and Castle Toyota/Scion.

On Wednesdays, we'll share with you one good Consumer Web Site of the Week (CWSotW) you shouldn' t miss out on in your daily spending and saving adventures. Tune in two days from now to find out which Web site based in our very own backyard we really like and want you to use.

If you're a penny pincher, a saver, an eco-friendly Earth lover who gets a kick out of being frugal, tune in to Cheap Trick Thursdays (CTT) when we tell you how to stretch that penny further. If you think you can do better, tell us how to save a penny here or there, conserve gas and find great deals. Your best will be featured in CTT days.

This is not to say that we won't share other pressing consumer news with you. We're just trying to organize our posts to you a little bit better so you'll know what to expect. Throughout the week, and especially on Mondays and Fridays, we'll leave it open for now so we can continue sharing all the other consumer news that's fit to publish.

If there's some other feature you'd like us to add (say, Complaint Mondays where you can vent about your last traumatic customer service experience or Happy Fridays where you can tell us about one good business experience you had), please let us know. Shoot us a comment and we'll add you to the list. If there's something you want to see here or want to see us do more of, share that with us, too. The field is wide open. We appreciate you visiting us so nothing would please us more than to hear about your likes, dislikes, wants and dreams (er... no R- or X-rated dreams, please. this is a family publication).  

As I've said before, we're here for you. Let us know what you're thinking.

(image courtesy of stock.xchng)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Have you had a car loan, credit card, mortgage or student loan in the past 10 years? If so, you may be eligible for free credit monitoring for up to nine months from TransUnion.

It’s all part of a class action suit filed years ago and recently settled for at least $75 million.

Plaintiffs claimed that TransUnion sold lists “containing personal and financial consumer information to third parties for marketing purposes,” says a summary notice of the settlement. TransUnion denies it did anything wrong, and the settlement does not mean the company violated any laws, the notice says.

You can find information on the class action settlement online or by calling toll-free at 866-416-3470.

The settlement applies to consumers who had an open credit account or line of credit — credit card, mortgage loan, student loans and car loans — from a U.S. financial institution between Jan. 1, 1987, and May 28, 2008, the settlement notice says.

The total settlement is worth $75 million. That includes the cost of credit monitoring, a $150,000 donation to nonprofits, any court-ordered payments to consumers who sue the company on their own and lawyers’ fees. Any money remaining, will be distributed to consumers who sign up for payments.

You have several options. Among them: Take six months’ worth of credit monitoring — worth about $60 — plus unlimited daily access to your TransUnion credit report and credit score. You also can sign up to get a possible payment if there is a cash distribution.

Or, take nine months of credit monitoring — worth about $115 – which also entitles you to the same daily access to your report and score. You won’t, though, get any payment from the settlement and can’t file your own lawsuit.

To get free credit monitoring, you must register online by Sept. 24. It will take about six months after that before the credit monitoring service will kick in.

TransUnion says the case arose out of a business that the company discontinued in 2001.

In a press release on its Web site, company spokeswoman Colleen Ryan says, “We understand that many consumers are concerned about privacy and hope that this settlement demonstrates our commitment to empowering consumers to better understand, manage and protect their credit information.”

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Credit cards
        

 (photo: Glenn Fawcett/Baltimore Sun)

Digital TV decisions got you down?

The folks at Consumer Reports want to help you pick the right digital television converter model to best convert the new digital signals that broadcasters will be sending out starting next year.   

If you rely on over-the-air television signals and an older television,  and haven't already cashed in your $40 coupon from the federal government for a converter to turn your broadcast signals into analog ones that your old television can process, check out their digital television converter reviews. Today's models retail for $50 or more, but $40 options are on their way. 

CR's advice?

No one converter will work the same for everyone, but you can try to get one that has above-average picture quality. And any model that qualifies for the government subsidy will have the same basic features but you might consider one that works with a VCR, if you schedule recordings of your favorite shows. 

The Sun's tech columnist Mike Himowitz has also put together a nifty series of digital converter reviews and hints.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Digital television
        

Maybe you’ve thought about lending your niece money for college. Imagine her excitement – and how good you will feel - when she doesn’t have to grovel to some bank for a loan, which might reject her any way because she doesn’t have much of a credit history. (ed note: These are Eileen's sage words. I'm just posting this for her. -- DD)

Maybe then it crosses your mind: “What if she doesn’t pay me back?” How will you ask her for your money? Or, what if you do ask, and she still doesn’t pay and stops taking your calls? Will every Thanksgiving family gathering be spoiled forever?

Maybe you conclude you all would be better off if you didn’t even broach the idea of a loan.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Enter GreenNote, the latest peer-to-peer lending site and one that deals strictly with student loans.

Peer-to-peer sites match people who need money with friends or strangers who are willing to lend small amounts, usually at least $50, in return for interest income. I wrote last month about how such sites are beginning to focus more on student loans, besides the usual borrowing to pay off credit cards or open a business. The story is posted below.

GreenNote is slightly different than some of the other sites, though.

“Basically, it helps students access their social network – friends and families – to help them get money for college,” says GreenNote CEO Akash Agarwal.

Students post on GreenNote how much they need to borrow and why. No need for a credit check. Their friends and families can sign up to fund the loan. GreenNote acts as the intermediary, collecting payments when the student is out of school and forwarding the money to the various lenders. And if students default, GreenNote reports that information to the credit bureaus and a collection agency.

The terms are modeled after federal Stafford student loans, Agarwal says. The interest rate is 6.8 percent, although family and friends can agree to make it lower. The loans are deferred for up to five years while the student is in school, and repayment is made over 10 years. The student also gets a six-month grace period.

Loans must be at least $1,000. Students pay a one-time fee of $49 or 2 percent of the loan, whichever is greater. Lenders pay a 1 percent annual fee.

GreenNote’s site is most similar to Virgin Money’s Student Payback, another new lending program that also acts as a go-between for student borrowers and their families.

Fynanz.com is another new lending site for student loans, although students must have a good credit score and the loans can come from strangers.

The timing of these sites couldn’t be better. They are coming online just when traditional lenders burned by the mortgage mess are bailing out of the student loan program or making it harder for college students to qualify for a private loan.

Students, of course, are always better off taking out federal education loans first. The terms and repayment plans are likely the most generous you can find.

But these sites might be an alternative to high-cost private loans. Check them out and let us know what you think.

Here's the column that ran on May 18:

If your federal student loan doesn't cover all your expenses and banks are making it harder to get private loans, who can you turn to?

How about strangers?

That's what some students are doing at peer-to-peer lending Web sites. These sites typically connect people needing money with dozens of regular folks willing to lend $50 or so at an agreed-upon interest rate.

Usually borrowers at these sites seek several thousand dollars to pay off high-rate credit cards or for a business venture. But there is a growing focus on student loans. One new lending site deals exclusively with student loans. Another site added a service last week to ease tensions when families and friends lend money to students. And more such services are coming.

Peer-to-peer lending won't take the place of the traditional student loan market. Indeed, you should always apply for federal loans before other types. You can't beat the terms.

But student aid experts see potential in peer-to-peer lending.

"These sites are in their infancy and have yet to gain critical mass," says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid, an online provider of student loan information. "As they grow, they will eventually be another source of money for college."

Lending sites vary in their approach and fees, so read the terms carefully if you're looking for a loan. Here is how some sites work:

Fynanz.com is the newest lending site and deals only with student loans. The company is licensed to make loans to residents in seven states. It expects to add Maryland to its network within 60 days and be a national player by January.

Basically, you post how much you need to borrow over five to 10 years and the interest rate you're willing to pay. Lenders bid to fund the loan. The minimum bid is $50. The more lenders competing for your loan, the lower the interest rate you can get.

Fynanz divides borrowers into six risk categories, based on credit score, grades, school, field of study and class, says founder Chirag Chaman. Seniors, for instance, are better credit risks than freshmen. So are students attending colleges with high graduation rates. Fynanz won't accept subprime borrowers, or those with a credit score below 640 on a scale of 850. The higher the risk profile, the higher the interest rate will need to be to attract lenders.

A senior majoring in sociology at the University of North Carolina, with a credit rating in the middle, recently secured a $4,137 loan at a rate of 8.92 percent. The rate is variable and can adjust quarterly.

"These rates are very comparable to private loans," and might even be better, Chaman says.

Lenders are attracted by the rates, but aren't seeking to make the most money possible, he adds.

"It's a different kind of lender," he says. "It's someone who says, 'I want to help students. I want to build a future for them.' "

David Smith is a Fynanz lender. The Chicago financial analyst recently lent $50 to a student. Smith has about 500 outstanding loans totaling $23,000 on another peer-to-peer lending site.

"It's a diversification tool," he explains. "And the returns are pretty decent." Plus, there is satisfaction of helping someone who is starting out, Smith adds.

Borrowers and lenders remain anonymous to each other. Last week, Smith got an e-mail from his Fynanz borrower, Dano34, saying: "This has been a very smooth experience for me and a lot less stressful. Thank you for the faith and trust you have placed in me and I will not let you down."

There are fees, of course. As a borrower, you're charged a fee of 2.9 percent to 6.9 percent when the loan is disbursed, depending on your risk profile. The fee is added to the principal.

Fynanz also tacks on an extra 1 percentage point to the loan's interest rate to finance a guarantee fund. This fund will repay lenders all or part of their money if you default. After you repay 10 percent of the original amount, this 1-point charge is dropped.

You will make payments of $25 to $50 a month on the loan while you're in school. Larger repayments kick in six months after graduation.

Chaman offers a couple of tips to students: Post a well-written, correctly spelled description of you and why you need the money. "Don't be greedy," he adds. Lenders are more likely to fund a small loan for the semester than a giant loan for all four years of college.

Prosper.com, a more established lending site, has seen more interest from student borrowers lately, although education loans make up only 2 percent of all borrowing, says founder Chris Larsen.

As with Fynanz, you make a pitch for a loan on Prosper and lenders bid on it. Your credit score can't be lower than 520. The interest rate is fixed. Repayments start immediately and loans must be paid off in three years. That can be difficult if you don't work while going to school. The fee to borrowers is 1 percent to 3 percent up front.

Peer-to-peer site Zopa.com plans to introduce a student loan product later this summer.

Right now, you can take out a five-year loan for up to $25,000 from one of the credit unions that work with Zopa. The rate is based on your credit history.

Friends, families and even strangers help you by investing in a Zopa certificate of deposit. Currently, the one-year CD interest rate is 3.75 percent.

Every CD investor is awarded 10 basis points of interest - 0.10 percent - to give to a borrower to reduce his or her monthly loan payments, says Zopa's chief executive Douglas Dolton. And investors can agree to accept a lower rate on the CD, and divert even more interest to helping out a borrower.

There are no fees, Dolton says. The credit unions compensate Zopa.Virgin Money helps manage loans between friends and family. Last week, it introduced Student Payback, designed specifically for student borrowers.

For instance, a parent taking out a federal PLUS loan might want the student to help repay a part of the loan but at a lower interest rate, says Su Joun, student loan product manager.

The terms are spelled out in an agreement. Student Payback sends out monthly statements and can make automatic withdrawals from the student's bank account to repay Mom and Dad. And, if borrower and lender agree, Student Payback can report the payments to the credit bureaus.

Unlike Zopa, Prosper and Fynanz, Student Payback won't pursue defaulters through the courts. "Families tend to be more flexible," Joun says. Student Payback will work with both parties to come up with a plan to get a borrower back on track, she says.

The fee is $299 for handling up to 10 loans plus $9 per payment. That's a cost some families might gladly pay to avoid awkward conversations about IOUs.

"It makes the holidays that much easier," Joun says.

(Sun Photographer Lloyd Fox)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: College/Financial aid, Loans
        

Whatever in the world will we do when the U.S. Treasury stops giving us these weekly stimulating stimulus updates? I fear we will all be inconsolable.

There, there.

No need to worry just yet because that dreaded day has not yet come.

This week, the Treas sent out 9.143 million economic stimulus payments to American households totaling $6.789 billion.

The grand total so far? Exactly 66.576 million economic stimulus payments totaling $56.831 billion.

Oh yes, and for those who still haven't seen hide nor hair of your check, the Treas warns that "A small percent of tax returns will require additional time to process and to compute a stimulus payment amount. For these returns, stimulus payments may not be issued in accordance with the schedule above, even if the tax return was processed by April 15. In these cases, the stimulus payment will be issued approximately 2 weeks after the tax return is ultimately processed."

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tax rebates
        

The Hispanic Institute applauded the Federal Trade Commission's recent move to halt sales of fraudulent phone cards distributed by several major calling card companies.

THI President Gus West says, "Hispanics have been an unwitting target for unscrupulous calling-card firms. We at the Hispanic Institute applaud the FTC for acting on behalf of consumers and call on other leaders to do so as well."

Defendents in the case are: Alternatel, Inc.; G.F.G. Enterprises, LLC, also d/b/a Mystic Prepaid; Voice Prepaid, Inc.; Voice Distributors, Inc.; Telecom Express, Inc.; and their principals.

The FTC said the companies marketed their prepaid calling cards through small retailers such as newsstands, kiosks, grocery and convenience stores, and over the Internet. The cards, which sell for between $2 and $10, are marketed under a wide variety of names, including “Aló Mamá,” “Coffee Time,” “Rey de Florida,” “Tree Monkey,” and “Voz do Brasil.”

Using posters for advertising, as well as radio, television and newspapers foreign language ads, the companies made bold claims about the number of minutes the cards would provide for calls to various international locations, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, and Nigeria.

But the FTC said that consumers did not receive the number of minutes advertised. For instance, one calling card offering 360 minutes to Panama, only delivered 23 minutes of calling time. In fact, the FTC said that in 87 tests of the defendants’ cards, the cards delivered an average of only 50 percent of the advertised minutes.

The FTC also said the cards carried hidden fees. While the ads for their cards often boasted that there are “no connection fees,” they failed to clearly disclose there are other random fees, such as “hang-up” and “maintenance” fees and “destination surcharges” that can wipe out the value of the card after even one short call. Such fees are disclosed in tiny font and in vague terms that are mostly incomprehensible in any language. (Gotta love that mouseprint, huh?)

Good job FTC and THI for alerting consumers to the rip-off.

(AP Photo)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’re likely a pennywise consumer. And we need your help. We are looking for innovative ways to save a buck during these times when food, fuel and everything else seems to be going up.

Beyond the usual tips to pack your lunch or buy coffee at McDonald’s rather than Starbucks, have you found creative ideas to keep costs down?

Post your tips on the blog. We’ll also put them in an article in the newspaper so others can learn from your mastery with a pocketbook.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

Yes, everything has a catch. But Starbucks' new offer of free Wi-Fi has so many restrictions that it's really annoying, if not just wrong.

Starting this week, the company is giving away free Internet access, thanks to a new agreement with AT&T.

Well, not really a lot of access. It's only two hours a day. Consecutive hours, even.

And it's making this offer to very special people: its customers!

You have to buy a $5 Starbucks gift card first.

Did I say customers? I meant regular customers. How are they going to ensure you stay a regular customer?

People must use that card at Starbucks at least once a month to keep the kilobytes flowing across their (not-quite-free) gateway to the Intertubes!

Plus you must register for the Rewards program. Okay, so you do get something for free with that: a drink coupon for signing up.

But as you might expect given the way the rest of this deal has gone, you also must agree to receive four e-mails a year from AT&T.

(All this does not apply to existing AT&T wireless and DSL customers, who get unlimited Wi-Fi, because essentially they're paying for it already.)

And even with all the caveats, Starbucks couldn't keep up with the demand to register the cards, according to this PC World article!

Almost makes you want to find really free Wi-Fi elsewhere. I see Caribou Coffee has an offer with far fewer restrictions.

(P.S. I've already admitted I'm not much of a fan of Starbucks coffee, or even coffee in general. Anyone out there think I'm being too hard on them?) 

(Getty Images)

Posted by Liz Kay at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Technology
        

Don't wait until it's too late to take precautions to safeguard your computers and other electronic items from storm damage.

After the tornado watch and other foul weather yesterday, Tech Whiz Mike Himowitz has a very timely story today about protecting against power surges and other potential power mishaps.

According to him, you don't need to spend much to insure your hardware --- and the precious data stored within --- stays functioning through many a surge caused by weather or even the cycling of appliances within your home.

Surge protectors start at $8 and go way up from there, but just make sure you look for a few basic characteristics before you invest: 

• The Underwriters Laboratory label certifying the device is a Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor that complies with UL Standard 1449 is key, Whiz says.
• Check out how much energy the suppressor can absorb --- Whiz recommends a minimum of 700 joules but "More is better."
  
• But you need the lowest clamping voltage --- the voltage at which the suppressor starts to do its job --- possible. Most experts recommend a maximum of 400 volts.
  
• One last thing: opt for the lowest response time possible, like 10 nanoseconds.

Posted by Liz Kay at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Computers, Consumer safety, Technology
        

Tuesday's column focused on the spread of Voice over Internet Protocol phone service, or VoIP as its better known, and the concerns behind relying on a telephone that you might not work when the power goes out or when your Internet service is interrupted.

While the popularity of VoIP has grown, I'm not altogether sure that consumers are aware of the possible drawbacks to using an Internet phone, which the column pointed out that calling emergency services can be problematic. Please remember that if you move your VoIP service, you must change your billing address AND your emergency address with your provider or your 911 call could get directed to the wrong emergency calling center.

Since I haven't tried to sign on for this service myself, I was really interested to hear from Frank Bonomo who told me about what he discovered when he jumped at a triple play offer:

I enjoyed your article "Concerns raised on use of VoIP" from 06.06.2008. As of Monday I was scheduled to have my land-line, Verizon, disconnected and replaced by Comcast's phone service. I was overwhelmed with their offer of the triple play. That's cable TV and Internet, to which I already subscribe, with the addition of phone service for half the cost of Verizon and four times the service, unlimited calls, call waiting etc.

However several important items were never mentioned at all by Comcast's sales rep that I learned about through friends and relatives. All the points that you made in your article and a few that, perhaps,of which you may not be aware:

1. I was offered a new phone number or could retain my old number. I later learned through Comcast that I needed to purchase my old number for $29.99!

2. My home security system might not function or function intermittently. I learned this through my home security company who would gladly come out to check out my system prior to installation by Comcast, for a slight fee. I think your point about 911 is related to how a home security system needs to work with fire, police and emergency services.

3. My home security people recommended an additional bare-bones land line just for the burglar, fire, emergency system. About $10 @ month.

As a homeowner, I feel that too many times by trying to save a few bucks here and there we end up by either sacrificing some important vital services. I also feel that Comcast, at least locally, should spend less time explaining frills and more time explaining service. To make another point, the sales rep from Comcast was unable to explain where the tech was to install the phone modem, or that there was an additional fee for modem rental.

In conclusion, I decided that at this time to retain Verizon as my land-line phone, no frills at high cost.

Thanks to Frank for reminding me about that security system issue. I forgot to mention that in the column. If your system depends on a phone line then I would imagine that if you lose your Internet phone service, you could lose your security system service, too. If any home security experts are out there and can shed some more light on this for us, please let us know.

Anyone else experience this when you signed up for VoIP? Did you understand the limitations of VoIP when you switched over, and if you didn't know beforehand, did someone explain it to you? Or are you surprised to hear all this? Or are you absolutely thrilled with Internet phone service? I want to hear from you.

(photo courtesy of stockxchng.com) 

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection, Consumer safety, Energy/Utilities
        

Consuming Interests has long strived to be a frugal resource, whether we're telling you how to improve your fuel economy, make your own microwave popcorn or host a party for next to nothing.

Starting today, we're embarking on yet another a new weekly adventure: Cheap Trick Thursday.

Each week, we'll feature ways for you to save more, spend less and enjoy what you have --- as well as celebrate the virtues of frugal living.

Since we're also realistic, we'll be sure to point out the downsides to any and all offers we present --- whether a free offer requires a minimum purchase, for example, or could just inspire some emotional spending.

Also, our inboxes are open if you've got tried-and-true methods for pinching pennies --- and dollars! --- and maximizing value. Feel free to share, and we'll credit you here.

Without further ado, here are this week's picks:

1. Kids: Free tokens at Chuck E. Cheese.

Here's how to reward your progeny for good grades. Take them --- and their good report cards --- over to Chuck E. Cheese and receive up to 15 tokens for free. 

The catch? Food purchase required. And how many games can you play with even the maximum award of 15 tokens?

2. Free television and movies at OVguide.com.

The site catalogs the best sites to watch free content, whether you're interested in dorm-room favorites such as Family Guy or the Simpsons or current films and reality television. 

The catch? Some of the sites linked there are completely legit, such as hulu.com ... others may run you the risk of a visit from law enforcement. Read the fine print before you click!

3. Print coupons at Target.

Running to Target? Don't forget to clip coupons from the weekly circular, or print them out from Target.com. But what if you don't own a computer or a printer?

Just stop at the baby/wedding/gift registry kiosk and use it to access Target.com. You can print the coupons at the Target store and redeem them when you check out.

The catch? Coupons are only good at Target, and they may inspire you to spend more time in the store and make some other impulse purchases.

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal
        

Have you ever seen children fight? There's usually a lot of back-and-forth. He started it. No, she started it. A parent or someone steps in and tells them to knock it off. They both end up with hurt feelings. Sometimes, they make up and play nice. Sometimes, one kid storms off in a huff yelling something like, "I'm never playing with you again."

Does anyone else out there feel like this fight between Patterson Park High and Castle Toyota/Scion is like a big hissy fit between two big kids who should know better?

To sum up, Castle promises scholarship money in return for advertising at senior awards ceremony. Patterson's JROTC instructor died. Senior ceremony becomes ad-free somber memorial. Castle ticked off, takes back scholarship money. Four seniors at Patterson left without scholarhship money. That's some bad PR there, yes?

Sara Neufeld tells us today in a follow-up that Patterson Park High Principal Laura D'Anna received dozens of calls offering financial support for the four senior students who were supposed to get  the dealership's $8,400 scholarship offer. Enough was raised to pay for two years of college for each of the four kids.

Congrats to all the people who helped make that happen. But,

we also find out that Marcia Castleman, wife of Howard Castleman (owner of Castle Toyota/Scion), said her husband did not know the scholarships had already been promised to four students. After the dealership was bombarded with angry calls, she called the city school system yesterday to re-offer the money, but D'Anna declined.

You may disagree with me, but in a dispute like this, I always advocate both sides accepting responsibility for their actions and then working out a good resolution for both. In this particular case, we already know Castle behaved horribly. CEO Castleman comes off as petty and short-sighted for making a snap, angry decision that hurts four innocent kids. He also comes off as being a weenie for sending his wife to clean up his mess. With that said, I applaud them for trying to make amends (even if it was only because they got so much bad PR over it) and for recognizing the fact that the money goes to a good cause, educating our kids.

But D'Anna isn't free and clear in this. She had the chance to be the bigger person in this spat. She had an opportunity to show her students that she's an adult who is capable of forgiveness and that she can go beyond what should have been a non-issue between the school and Castle (was Castle even offered an alternative publicity vehicle?). Because, really, if $8,400 is a year of school for four kids, why not accept the peace offering and offer the financial opportunity to four other kids who could use it?

Instead, what lesson do we learn here? That two grown people can behave just as badly as children, if not worse since they're supposed to be adults who should know better.  

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

Remember Verizon, the inaugural Naughty Business of the Week?  The company earned that distinction by selling a list of phone numbers for about 12,500 Washington County residents who had specifically paid not to have their numbers published.

The numbers ended up in 2008-2009 EZ to Use Big Book, published by Ogden Directories Inc., that was mailed to residents last week.

According to a follow-up by Sun business reporter Lorraine Mirabella, the Public Service Commission has called Verizon onto the carpet --- they're meeting at a hearing today to discuss the mistake.

From the story:

"As far as we're concerned, this was totally unacceptable," said LaWanda Edwards, a spokeswoman for the PSC. "This goes to a bigger issue as it relates to public safety."

The PSC will review a range of possible actions that could include a fine, she said.

Law enforcement officials are concerned, even though Verizon offered to change the numbers of those affected for free, as well as offer a free year's worth of unlisted service.

According to Wayne Hose, a Hagerstown police officer and president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3373.

Changing phone numbers might be a solution for some, "but your address is out there. Short of relocating, I don't know what other remedies they can come up with."

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

Edward Lampert has a lot of work to do on his hands. If you don't know, he's the chairman of Kmart, which is the company that bought Sears. If you also don't know, Sears is struggling.

According to CNNMoney's Fortune blog, Sears recorded a first quarter loss as "sales in established U.S. Sears stores dropped nearly 10% from a year ago. The Hoffman Estates, Ill., retailer lost $56 million, or 43 cents a share, for the quarter ended May 3, reversing the year-ago profit of $223 million, or $1.45 a share. Revenue slid to $11.07 billion from $11.75 billion a year earlier."

Blogger Colin Barr says, "Since investor Ed Lampert took control of the company several years ago, Sears has been content to watch sales drop as the company focuses on boosting profit and buying back stock. But weakening consumer spending and tough competition have thrown a wrench into that strategy, and shoppers have grown exasperated with the company’s failure to update its stores - all of which explains why Sears shares have lost half their value over the past year."

That decision to run with a non-customer service strategy also helps explain why Sunday's column on Sears struck such a chord with readers who flooded me with e-mails and calls about their own bad Sears experience.

Reader Judy Romano said:

My mother, my sisters and other family have shopped at Sear. I hope they don't any more. I bought a freezer from them.

It went up and I wanted them to take it back. I lost everything in there. They didn't give me anything for the lost. It was full........crab cakes, roast, ground beef, chicken, vegetables, TV Dinners etc.

I'm on a fixed income. I told them I wanted them to take it back. "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back" .................. RIGHT (Westminster MD)

They wouldn't, said it was passed the 30 or 60 days. But I called before the time was up. I would have to look at my paper to see the amount of days. It may have been 2 or 3 days before the time was up.

Talked with two men from main office. They have watched   to many Hill Street Blues TV show.  They played good cop and bad cop with me on the phone. Which I didn't like at all. Didn't like that I didn't get a energy freezer( Which is what I wanted, didn't know that too when I got it). Everyone who know me knows I do all I can to save energy.

So to Westminster and all Sears I say GOOD BYE.

Reader Megan Shapero shared her own sad tale:

I read the recent article about Sears and customer service issues and it sounded all too familar.  Back in May 2006 my husband and I bought a 32 inch TV with warrentee from Sears.

By October the sound would cut on and off and by January we started having horrific lines all across the TV. We called Sears in Jan asking them to come out to fix it as we were to host a superbowl part in Feb. My husband called to schedule the service and was told they would be out between 9 and 5 on a certain date.  My husband waited all day and no one showed up. He rescheduled the service and this time they did show... at 6:30pm! 

The guy looked at the TV and told us he would need to order the part. We waited 3 weeks (missing the superbowl and never being offered a loaner) and nothing came. We called Sears and they told us the part was on the way. We set up another service time and when the guy came he told us they sent the wrong part and he would have to reorder the part. By now it was March.

We waited and waited and kept calling Sears and then were told the part was on back order. During other calls we were told that the part was no longer under production. Then we would call back again and were told it was on backorder. In April another box arrived with a 'part' so we scheduled another service call. Again they came after 5pm and aparently this time the part ordered was broken. So we had to wait again. Then we got the same story about the part being on back order.  I believe it was in May by now and we had gone 6 months without a TV or any real progress. I called again to find out the status of this part on back order and the response was "oh, you called and cancelled the order" --- WHAT?

I told them that we had been waiting for months and we absolutely did not call and cancel the order. Next they told me that the part no longer existed. After more of these calls I finally got someone to give an autorization to replace the TV. So, my husband and I go to the Sears store on the date and with the code provided by Cust Service. When we got to the store they had no idea what we were talking about, the code did not work and their solution? WE needed to call Sears and talk to them (they did not offer to get on the phone to figure it out).

After several frustration phone calls somehow they finally put the auth through and gave us a new unit.  Then, 4 weeks later a box with a random part arrived in our mail?  It was an extremely frustrating and ridiculous experience.

My husband eagerly showed me your article entitled "Sears fails on service for one customer," I think so I wouldn't feel so alone and personally assaulted by Sears customer relations people (their term, not mine).

The anger discussing the details evokes in me is too great, so I  won't go into those here. The one thing I will mention is the apparent glee that one of their supervisors experienced in telling me "I would just have to wait" (for an indeterminate amount of time) to have my $1,800 worth of laundry appliances repaired, even though I'd already been without them for two weeks at that point.  It really was a power trip for him and he made no effort to hide it.

I will never, EVER, buy anything from Sears again!

I was so disheartened to read your column about the Sears customer service problem. I too have a major service problem with Sears regarding the installation of my hot water heater and charges I paid that are completely unfair, exorbitant, and borderline criminal. I have been making phone calls since the middle of April. I have been blown off, passed around, hung up on, and lied to more times than I care to think about. I have wasted hours of my time. I finally spoke with someone in the Executive Office at the Sears store in Hunt Valley (where I purchased my hot water heater). Unfortunately she was a very kind, sympathetic, part-time, older woman who could do no more for me than put my message on the Store Manager’s desk. (That was Friday & I have not yet heard from anyone.) I can’t even say that Sears’ customer service is reprehensible, for it is non-existent. When I read your article, I basically discovered that there is no way to get a logical person to whom I can complain & get a resolution. I won’t get the satisfaction of speaking with someone who’ll take ownership and help me resolve my problem. So, I now plan to dispute the charges through my credit card company. I’ll get the conditional credit and let Citibank fight with Sears.

When I saw the heading to your column in Sunday’s paper (June 1, 2008), my immediate reaction was "Sears fails ONE customer? – try 340,000!!) I will be curious to see how many other readers identify with and respond to your article. Based on my current complaint with Sears Service, a friend told me to Google the phrase "Sears Service Sucks." I did, and got 340,000 hits. I read several of them and all of the complaints have one common thread: Sears Service DOES suck in every way – the scheduling, the cancellations, the inability to effectively repair appliances, and their poor customer service. And on top of these problems, clearly, Sears management just does not care about any of it!

 

In response to a recall notice, in June of 2007 I purchased a $699 dishwasher from the Westminster Sears. (I will resist going into the rebate mess that I experienced with them here.) Less than four months after its purchase, the "solenoid" failed, causing a major water leak from this appliance. I called to schedule a technician, and someone arrived around 10 days later to repair the machine. Problem solved --? Read on.

In March 2008, I noticed a loud sound similar to pouring water on the floor coming from the dishwasher, and checked the machine. I could not find a leak, but the unsettling water noise continued. Meanwhile, over the next few weeks, I also noticed that the top rack of dishes was not getting clean – you know, heavy-duty things to clean like glassware and cereal bowls. The dishwasher is still under warranty, so I called Sears Service, not knowing the level of frustration I would be facing by taking this route.

I will try to be very brief describing what has transpired since then: over the next few weeks, we have had scheduled appointments cancelled by Sears (note: each appointment takes at least 10 days to get), four different technicians work on our dishwasher, two separate parts deliveries, and now, instead of having it repaired to work the way it should, the dishwasher does not work at all! I am awaiting Friday’s scheduled technician’s visit to see what else happens. (I should add that part of the repair problem, according to the latest technician, is that the first technician who repaired the leak used some unconventional techniques in making this repair. Therefore, the two sets of newly ordered factory parts do not fit.)

Oh, and last week, I called the Sears service number and politely asked to speak to a manager or someone other than a scheduler to discuss my dissatisfaction with Sears Service. I was told that someone would have to call me back, and it would definitely be within 48 hours. The 48-hour time window ended at 9:00 PM Thursday, May 29, still with no call back.

At least Mr. Burnett eventually had his issue resolved within two months, a short period in Sears-time. I can only hope for resolution in my case.

Since then, we purchased a new electric range – from Home Depot. Goodbye forever, Sears.

Sears abandoned Meg DeFries, she said, so now the mother of two small children has abandoned Sears:

Thank you for your recent article about Sears customer service. My husband read the article then ran to me saying, "This is exactly like our experience." I was beginning to think I was the only one who had been treated this way. While I understand the devestation to a male without a big screen television, I am married with 2 small children (one potty trainig) who's Kenmore He front load washer broke on 12/26/07.

It was not repaired until the end of Feb 2008.

Our washer was just about 4 years old. It took about 2 weeks to get a repair man out to tell us the part that needed to be fixed, the tub, was on back order. This story continued for several more weeks.

I tried everything I knew. I called routinely and was very polite. No help. I called and acted like a crazy person. No help. I called corporate. No help. I did get the consistent story that the part was on back order, but the date kept changing. I even threatened legal action (strict liability stating that products should last at least 4 years from date of purchase.)

I did research on the internet to see if I could get the part. It was on backorder. I researched the washer itself. Kenmore is a specific brand made for Sears. I found out that Sears/Kenmore was no longer making the part. Whirlpool was the sole manufactuer. There was no help in sight.

I also asked for a loaner since no one could be specific about the true date of repair. I was told that I didn't have the "Protection Agreement" and therefore was not eligible for a loaner washer.

I was left stranded without a washer for 6 weeks. This may not seem like a big deal to most, but the closest laundry mat is 30 minutes from my home. Not to mention the difficulty in hauling a week's worth of laundry for 4 (again one potty training) to a facility for washing.

The customer service reps I encountered were mostly help-less. The only thing they could say besides "back order" was "Protection Agreement"

followed by "Sorry."

After all of this, Sears starting sending us letters asking us if we wanted to purchase the "Protection Agreement." I threw them out. If the washer breaks again, I will throw it out and purchase from someone else.

I, like the man in the article, bought all of our appliances for our new home from Sears believing that they made quality products and stood by them. I am of a different ilk now and gladly voice my opinion and experience to others.

Thank you, again, for making me feel less individually abuse by a big company.

Coy Brown says he learned his lesson, too:

Thank you for your great article on sears, I bought siding from them 2 years ago and it's falling off of the house, shutters are falling off and the soffitt is hanging down I have called until I am blue in the face to get service and now they want to charge me a service call, what a bite' So not being in sound mind I purchased a gas cook stove from sears and guess what and internal gas leak, Well I called sears because I had insurence to cover emergencies and they told me to turn the gas off and they would see me in 10 days, so needless to say I had to call a plumber and take care of the problem myself. SEARS has lost me as a customer after being a loyal customer for 50 years I guess they just don't care.

This post could go on. The complaints on Sears keep coming in, if you're interested in sharing your own story, comment on it here. If you want to read more complaints, let me know and I'll post some more tomorrow.

(AP Photo)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Complaints, Naughty businesses/NBotW, Shopping
        

Yesterday, we introduced you to the new weekly feature, Naughty Business of the Week (NBotW). Today, we're making every Wednesday the CWSotW, the Consumer Web Site of the Week.

In our day-to-day jobs writing for the print paper, Eileen, Liz and I use an awful lot of different Web sites to do research for our columns, stories and blogging adventures. Some aren't just useful to us media types, but are also very useful to you, our fabulous readers. This idea occurred to us recently after I wrote two columns on a Consumer Resource Checklist of Web sites and agencies to help you avoid hiring blunders before you sign any contract with any business, ranging from plumbers to financial brokers.

Those columns went over awfully well, so every week, barring natural disasters or a pressing case of retailitis, we'll share one consumer Web site with you. It could be useful, informative or just plain fun, but either way, we'll open up our magic bag of tricks and tell you what we use to get the job done.

Today's featured Consumer Web Site is bankrate.com.

Why do we like this site? You can do everything from find the best interest rates on checking and savings products to finding the best credit card (interest rate, rewards, fees-wise) for you. You can search for customer insurance quotes, compare home equity rates or plug in your numbers into budget calculators, retirement calculators, investment calculators and tax calculators (just to name a few).

Financial guru Eileen even stumbled on WTDirect, an online banking firm that has its headquarters based here in Baltimore, thanks to bankrate.com. If you're still doubting its usefulness, check out the list of high-yield savings accounts, which include WTDirect's 3.11 rate offer as of yesterday, June 3. Do check it out. We think you'll find it useful.

And please, we're taking all nominations for future CWSotW picks. If there's a site you like, hate or can't live without, please clue us in. We know you've probably got some hidden gems you rely on, too, to help you make your financial decisions. Don't be selfish. Share.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

As promised, I'm going to share with you many of the emails I received about Sears after my Sunday column ran about Michael Burnett and the frustrating problem he had getting his faulty 2-1/2 month-old Sylvania TV serviced.

As I told you yesterday, Dorene Schmidt scolded me about focusing on the bad side of Sears and complaints instead of sharing good stories about an American company. So I said I'd publish any other good stories that came my way. Out of more than three dozens e-mails and calls I received about the column, I had only two good ones. Dorene's and Mary Coatsolonia's.

Mary said:

I think your Sunday column is irresponsible journalism. In all fairness you should now follow with a "one customer" story about Home Depot, Lowe's and Best Buy.

And there have to be plenty!

As you said in your column,in the present competitive climate, an American company is fighting for survival and certainly doesn't need the notoriety you gave them with one bad example. In all justice, follow up with a balanced article.

I have been a Sears customer since I married in 1961 and have lived in two states. I have always bought Kenmore washers and dryers plus a water softener, a sewing machine, and a freezer and floor polisher, the last two I've had for at least 35 years and I have never had a bad experience with Sears. I had a couple problems over the years but they were handled fairly.Certainly there are policies employees have to follow and some employees handle them better than others, but I found Sears always followed through until I was satisfied. I feel sure they would have done this for Michael without your help.

                            

I now have another reason to want to see Sears survive this economic climate--last year they recruited my granddaughter out of college as a management trainee.

I know how enthusiastic and customer-oriented she is and have emailed your article to her.

Fortunately she's in another state and hopefully won't be hurt by the fallout from your article.

The main source of the problem sounds to me to be Sylvania--first telling Michael that the part was no longer available which apparently wasn't true. Those parts probably come from Taiwan or India or Malaysia or China. I'd stop buying Sylvania.

But it's easier to hit on a company who's still in the USA.

I am glad Mary has had a good experience with Sears. But I do want to explain how things are done here just in case someone walks away with the wrong impression.

I treat all companies the same. Best Buy, Home Depot, Verizon and other companies big and small have shared the negative spotlight in my previous columns. Everyone gets the chance to explain their side and I expect everyone to own up to their mistakes and make compromises to resolve the problem. If I played favorites, you smart readers would see right through it and my columns and advice would be useless to you.

Mary believes that Sears would have resolved Michael's problem to his satisfaction. The only way Michael would have been satisfied was if he got a refund or a new TV. He was repeatedly told that was not going to happen. When I called Sears, they told me it wasn't