Consumer Issues & ID Theft

One of the things I hope you will learn from my website is empowerment. That includes taking charge of your own money and knowing how to fight for your consumer rights. Learn how to protect yourself and effectively battle bureaucracy.

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Top retailers named by American Customer Satisfaction Index

Is there something in the water in Seattle that creates great customer service? Three retailers from the Pacific Northwest make strong showings in the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) tally. In the word of Internet retailing, Amazon continues its reign at the top, where it's been since 2000. And ...

New FCC rules will limit "robocalls"

If you're sick and tired of getting "robocalls" at home, there's some hope in sight for you thanks to a new federal regulation. Under new FCC rules, marketers will have to get your explicit permission before they can bombard you with pre-recorded automated calls on your home phone. This holds ...

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Get automated alerts for auto recalls

If you're concerned with auto safety, the government now has a notification e-mail system that will alert you to recalls for your specific car. Here's how to sign up for this free service.

New website to resolve consumer complaints

Using the Internet to air consumer gripes is an effective tool, but one that's still in the early stages of chaos. Recently there was action taken against the student loan lender Sallie Mae**. When borrowers hit financial troubles and were unable to pay, Sallie Mae was granting temporary deferrments, but ...

Rebates more hassle than they're worth?

My rule for rebates is that I'll buy something with a pain-in-the-rear-end rebate only if it's a decent deal before the rebate and the rebate is just like icing on the cake. But if it's only a deal when you factor in the rebate, that's no deal at all to ...

Target takes on showrooming

Target has a new approach to deal with showrooming that I believe is a step in the wrong direction. Showrooming is the name for what people do when they go to a retailer, browse around and find something they like. Then they take out their smart phone, take a picture ...

Get automatically notified if your vehicle is recalled

If you're concerned with auto safety, the government now has a notification e-mail system that will alert you to recalls for your specific make, model and year of car. There are recalls of cars all the time. Some serious, like braking and steering issues, or sudden acceleration; and others that ...

Your rights when dealing with debt collectors

A leading debt-collecting agency has been fined for a pattern of unlawful attempts to collect on old debts. Asset Acceptance agreed to a $2.5 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The firm had been trying to con people into making partial payments against expired debts. In some states, paying ...

Chase allegedly changed the amounts due on delinquent accounts

Agents of Chase Bank reportedly were jacking up the amount owed on some delinquent accounts before referring them out to third party collectors. This practice is called "pencil whipping." When an account would go delinquent, before it was turned over to a collection agency or outside lawyer to sue against ...

Facebook, Google wrestle with privacy questions

Now that the Supreme Court has ruled you have a Constitutional right to privacy from government when it comes to new technology devices -- but not from companies -- both Facebook and Google are testing the waters with new privacy policies. Facebook came out with a new system that makes ...