5 Consumer Trends that Will Prevail in 2023
Consumer trends for 2023 will not follow the rules of the past. Spanish version Consumer trends are changing. Not only digital natives are making changes, but everyone. That also means that the old rules no longer apply to today’s consumers. The first thing to keep in mind is that consumers are now more aware of […]
Follow These Tips to Avoid Being Abused on Black Friday
Spanish version Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. On this day, stores offer deep discounts on products to attract customers. The name comes from the activities that stores and stores deploy by opening their operations at midnight on the Thursday (or sometimes later) before Thanksgiving […]
¿Reclamación de los consumidores? ¡Llévela a la cima!
Con demasiada frecuencia, llamamos a un banco o a un comerciante o a un minorista, incluso a un laboratorio médico, y nos acaban diciendo que “debido a un volumen de llamadas superior al normal” tardarán horas en hablar con alguien. En otros casos, parece que no hay nadie a cargo, y si tenemos una queja, […]
Consumer Complaint? Take It to the Top
Have a complaint? Don’t just stew about it, do something! Veteran consumer reporter Ted David shares his secrets.
California Spells Out Tenant Rights; Does Your State?
More than a third (34.7%) of homes in the U.S. are rented, and as a group, renters tend to be younger, less white and lower-income than those who own their homes. It also makes them susceptible to disputes with landlords who are often much better informed about rental laws than tenants.
Covid-19 Side Effect: Speeding
Drivers put the hammer down as the COVID-19 lockdown cut into traffic on the nation’s highways – and they’re showing no signs of returning to normal, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) finds.
Opendoor Tricked Homeowners, FTC Charges
Does it make sense that you could make more money selling your home to a middleman than through the usual process of hiring a Realtor and selling directly to a buyer? Many homeowners thought so and sold their homes to Opendoor Labs Inc., thinking they would come out ahead of the game. But the Federal […]
Cheap Oximeters Removed from Online Sites after Accuracy Questioned
Amazon and eBay are among companies that removed a number of blood oxygen testing devices from their sites after the British consumer group Which? raised questions about whether the devices could be legally sold in the UK. The consumer champion found 11 out of 15 cheap pulse oximeters bought from online marketplaces failed to comply […]
Hungry College Students Missing Out on SNAP Benefits
You might not think of college students going hungry but in fact many do, including thousands of low-income students who might qualify for federal food-buying assistance but don’t know it’s available or think they would have to be employed fulltime to qualify. A group of U.S. senators led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is trying […]
Making Your Home Safer for Seniors
We’re all getting older. There are more seniors in the U.S. than ever and many of them are choosing to stay in their longtime homes. That can be a wise decision but it may require some upgrades to make those homes safer. Considering that a month in a nursing home costs about $8,000, it’s well […]
Rogue Movers Ordered to Pay $13 Million for Using Competitor’s Name
Picking a mover can often be more stressful than moving. There are nearly constant complaints of movers who don’t show up, who hold customers’ goods hostage and who engage in any number of slippery business practices. But tracking down the bad guys can be difficult. Consumers are in a vulnerable position when their family belongings […]
Boost Customers Face Service Disruption in January
Nine million U.S. consumers rely on the prepaid cellphone service Boost, formerly a division of Sprint. But a complex series of maneuvers by T-Mobile, AT&T and Dish Network may leave those customers without service early next year. Officials at the U.S. Justice Department have expressed “grave concern” over the possibility of a Boost shutdown in […]
Traffic Fell But Traffic Deaths Rose in 2020
Less traffic but more fatal accidents. That’s the quickest way to sum up the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on traffic safety. Federal safety regulators say the increases came mostly in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, as a nationwide lockdown cut commuter traffic to a fraction of its normal volume. Just why this […]
FCC Building A Case Against Robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission is building a file on robocallers, in hopes of eradicating them. The agency today launched its Robocall Mitigation Database, which requires phone companies to document their efforts to stamp out illegal robocalls. After a September 28, 2021, deadline, phone companies will have to refuse traffic from voice service providers not listed […]
Proflowers Tops Online Satisfaction Study
The COVID-19 pandemic has limited personal interactions, but that hasn’t stopped consumers from saying it with flowers. And, according to the J.D. Power 2021 Online Flower Satisfaction Report, consumers remain satisfied with online florists’ offerings. The study pegged overall satisfaction at 828 (on a 1,000-point scale), down from 831 in 2020, decreasing slightly for a […]