Junk Mail is Costly Consumer News Junk Mail is Costly Ever wonder how much junk mail actually costs? In just one state – Massachusetts, the estimated cost to cities and towns to dispose of the catalogs, flyers, phone books, and…
When is Zero Trans Fat Really Zero? Consumer News When is Zero Trans Fat Really Zero? You have probably seen the “0 grams trans fat” label on everything from spreads to chips at the supermarket. Trans fats are now known to raise your bad cholesterol, increasing…
Skechers Settlement Leaves Few Real Cash Gains for Consumers Consumer News Skechers Settlement Leaves Few Real Cash Gains for Consumers When the FTC announced (with much fanfare) in May 2012 that it had reached a $40 million settlement with Skechers over the deceptive marketing of Skechers’ toning shoes, everyone ooed…
Cast a Wary Eye when Scanning Craigslist and Classifieds Consumer News Cast a Wary Eye when Scanning Craigslist and Classifieds More than 50 million Americans are using Craigslist for everything from bartering for services to finding a roommate. Unlike your local newspaper or magazine, Craigslist ads are generally free, which…
Are Funeral Homes Following the Rules? FTC Investigates Consumer News Are Funeral Homes Following the Rules? FTC Investigates Every year, the FTC goes incognito to make sure funeral homes across the country are complying with the agency’s Funeral Rule. Among other things, the Funeral Rule requires funeral homes…
Vacation Time: Great Deal or Ticket to a Time-Share Pitch? Consumer News Vacation Time: Great Deal or Ticket to a Time-Share Pitch? The travel website My Holiday Break advertises a variety of vacations packages at incredible prices. How does this service get away with offering such low prices? According to the front…
Don’t Fall for Faux Navajo Jewelry Consumer News Don’t Fall for Faux Navajo Jewelry Though there are laws in place to protect artists and consumers from misrepresentation of Native American arts and crafts products, it doesn’t always protect buyers from scam artists. An investigation…
Check Out that For-Profit College Before Enrolling Consumer News Check Out that For-Profit College Before Enrolling Before enrolling in a for-profit college, check out this government investigation of 15 colleges that revealed questionable practices that potential students should be mindful of when considering where to enroll. …
Preventing Kids from Smoking is Still a Battle Consumer News Preventing Kids from Smoking is Still a Battle According to the FDA, every day almost 3,500 kids pick up their first cigarette. What’s worse is that a quarter of those kids (850 of them) become daily cigarette smokers.…
Energy Star Asks for a Mulligan Consumer News Energy Star Asks for a Mulligan If you’ve ever shopped around for a household appliance or new heating system, you’ve probably seen this sticker: Energy Star was created in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…
Are Apple’s Ads about Siri Misleading? Consumer News Are Apple’s Ads about Siri Misleading? A lawsuit filed against Apple claims that the company “. . . has conveyed the misleading and deceptive message that the iPhone 4S’s Siri feature, a so-called voice-activated assistant…
Scareware Suit Settled but Consumers Don’t Really Win Consumer News Scareware Suit Settled but Consumers Don’t Really Win A little over a year after being sued for “falsely identify[ing] computer problems and characteriz[ing] them as “severe” in an attempt to scare consumers into purchasing its software,” Ascentive, the…
APR? HECM? KNOW YOUR FINANCING Consumer News APR? HECM? KNOW YOUR FINANCING Perhaps no segment of our economy is more confusing to the normal, everyday consumer than financial services. Whether it’s the lingo, such as Annual percentage rate; the amount of interest…
Doggie Fountain of Youth? Consumer News Doggie Fountain of Youth? Will feeding Fido Purina really extend his life? Better check the facts first.
Don’t Let Some Ads Get the Best of Your Pet Consumer News Don’t Let Some Ads Get the Best of Your Pet The market for pet-related products has soared in the past decade. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) estimates that the industry now generates over $50 billion in sales annually, an…
It’s Not Just a Phone, It’s a Medical Device Consumer News It’s Not Just a Phone, It’s a Medical Device Close to 15,000 people were duped into buying phone apps that were touted as curing acne. Using deceptive advertising, the marketers of two different apps were able to convince acne…
Best Bets for Buying a Car or Truck Consumer News Best Bets for Buying a Car or Truck Over $10 billion a year is spent on advertising cars and trucks, which results in an endless stream of television, Internet, and print ads promoting the almighty auto. Some of…
Maintenance Plans Consumer News Maintenance Plans Maintenance plans – also commonly referred to as “service plans” – are sold by car dealerships at the time of purchase (leases include a scheduled maintenance plan) and are sometimes…
To lease or to buy? The Age-Old Auto Debate Consumer News To lease or to buy? The Age-Old Auto Debate The age-old debate: to lease or to buy? We could go on and on about depreciation and interest costs, what you’re paying for in a lease versus what you’re paying…
Ameriquest: Success or Scam? Consumer News Ameriquest: Success or Scam? An American Success Story Between 1990 and 2008, Spectacularly-successful financial services company whose business model was based on selling mortgages to families that couldn’t afford them, then selling those worthless…