Consumer News & Alerts

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Consumer News & Alerts | May 20, 2012
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Verizon to Phase Out 'Grandfathered' Unlimited Data Plans

Verizon Wireless has rewarded its early and longtime customers by "grandfathering" them into their $30 a month unlimited data plans with the carrier switched to tiered pricing. But that perk is going away.

At some point in the future, Verizon's 3G customers on a grandfathered unlimited data plan will lose that treasured status when they buy a new phone that runs on the company's 4G LTE network. Verizon will then steer them toward a "shared" data plan, for either families or small busine...

Apple Prepares to Dump Google Maps Insider: Apple's new 3D maps will "blow your head off"

Have Mobile Providers Fallen Out of Love With the iPhone? Some may be finding the subsidies just a little too steep

U.S. Cellular Refunds Disputed Third-Party Charges to Wisconsin Consumers "Text cramming" becoming a nationwide problem for consumers

Who's Calling? New Caller ID App May (or May Not) Know ReverseGenie tries to provide reverse look-up information

Couple Dies For Lack of a Cell Phone Signal Elderly New Yorkers die 60 feet from their home

Senate Bill Sets Penalty for Trafficking in Stolen Cell Phones Part of crackdown on growing black market in smartphones

Automotive

Making Sense Of Your Vehicle's Check Engine Light Indicator light tells you something's wrong, but not what it is

Gas Prices Fall Another Two Cents This Week But in western states, prices surged higher in the last seven days

OPEC Member Calls For Lower Oil Prices When someone who sells oil thinks it costs too much, they're probably right

Study: $4 a Gallon Gas Doesn't Change Commuters' Behavior They may drive less, but they don't necessarily take mass transit

Teens Say Texting While Driving Is Common They say they know it's dangerous but do it anyway

Feds Want Electronic Stability Control on Large Trucks, Buses Technology could prevent more than 2,000 accidents per year, NHTSA estimates

Study: Millions of Recalled Cars Still Being Sold Current system doesn't make it easy to keep up to date

New Report Shows Consumers Really Crave Start-Stop Technology for Their Cars It's an easy way to save gas without affecting vehicle performance, at least in theory

Car Dealers Increasingly Slip Service Plans Into Sales Contracts Many car buyers end up financing their oil changes

Class Actions

Judge Rules in Favor of E-book Consumers in Civil Price-fixing Case Federal judge rejects Apple and publishers’ attempt to dismiss case

Social Media

Wall Street Loves Facebook, But Do Users?

Enthusiasm appears to be building among investors for Facebook's impending initial public offering (IPO), when shares of the now privately held company will be sold to the public on Wall Street.

Consumers, on the other hand, are less than thrilled with their Facebook experience. According to a computerized sentiment analysis of more than 88 million comments posted on social media over the last year, Facebook has struggled to maintain a positive net sentiment in the low 30% range -- hard...

GM Cancels Its Facebook Ads; Says They're Ineffective Just one more reason small investors should steer clear of Friday's IPO

Settlement Puts End to Company's Facebook 'Likejacking' Company that impersonated 'friends' settles with Washington State

Education

College Graduates With Heavy Debt Now the Norm More students go into debt to acquire a bachelor's degree

Electronics

Another TV Maker Faces Big Loss Could there be a connection between consumer complaints and set makers' red ink?

The Jawbone Big Jambox Gives Bose a Run For its Money Big sound from small packages continues to be the trend

Employment

Retailers Make Pitch to New Grads – As Employees In a tough job market, retailers say they are eager to hire new college graduates

Entertainment

DISH 'Auto Hop' Banishes TV Commercials

Nobody likes commercials, right? So everybody should be ecstatic about DISH Network's new "Auto Hop" DVR. It lets you automatically "zap" commercials from most recorded primetime HD programs shown on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC when viewed the day after airing.

And maybe everyone will be. But for now, DISH has a relatively lukewarm standing among its customers, at least according to a ConsumerAffairs computerized sentiment analysis of about 180,000 comment...

A New App From MoodMusic and iTunes Just Released Free music sites are popping up everywhere

Yahoo Creates Virtual Board Game to Entice Movie-Goers Moviegoers can win prizes, see new trailers, even buy tickets

Finance

Ally Financial Puts Mortgage Unit Into Bankruptcy A stronger Ally should be good news for car buyers

Debt Collector Agrees to $3 Million to Settle Federal Charges FTC: Luebke Baker & Associates collected debts it should have known were bogus

Consumers Doing Better Job of Paying Mortgage, Other Loans Mortgage delinquency hits lowest level in four years

A Look Back At Famous IPOs A market analyst tries to put Facebook initial public offering in perspective

Health

Is It True? No. Is It Legal? Yes.

Though packaging for Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit by the Foot snacks misleads consumers into believing they are made with real fruit, federal regulations allow for such labeling, even if it's not true, a federal judge has ruled in connection with a class-action lawsuit filed against General Mills.

"A reasonable consumer might make certain assumptions about the type and quantity of fruit in the Fruit Snacks based on the statement 'made with real fruit,' along with other statements promi...

Surgery Patients May Need Longer Hospital Stays Study finds patients are being sent home before they're ready

Small Batteries an Increasing Threat to Children Study finds big jump in number of children treated after swallowing battieries

Report: Think People Hate Bio-Engineered Food? Think Again Survey finds 69% relatively confident bio-engineered food is safe

New Virtual Colonoscopy Doesn't Require Laxative Preparation More patients may agree to be tested without the onerous preparation

Survey: Americans Are Pro-Pot Poll finds 74% of voters support state medical marijuana laws

Older Coffee Drinkers Have Lower Risk of Death Study finds a link between coffee and lower death risk but can't explain it

FDA Approves Generic Version of Plavix Blood thinner is commonly prescribed after heart attack and stroke

Good For You or Bad For You: The Debate on Sunscreens Continues This year's batch of sunscreens somewhat safer than last year's

Consumers Warned to Avoid Korean Shellfish Tests reveal some of the seafood comes from polluted water

Homeowners

Refinancing Stats Suggest Consumers Are Reducing Debt Nearly a third of borrowers in the first quarter shortened their loan term

Optimism About Housing Recovery Grows Researchers see 2.5 percent growth by 2014

States Using Mortgage Settlement Funds to Plug Budget Holes Money from lenders not being used to help struggling homeowners as it was intended

Insurance

Staying Healthy Costs More, So Does Dying Two reports suggest you're paying more either way

Privacy

Twitter Incorporates 'Do Not Track' While Facebook Gets Sued for Billions Trend appears to be towards at least a little respect for users' privacy

Scams

'Fine Wine' Seller Was a Fraud, Feds Claim Sold cheap wine in expensive bottles, indictment alleges

Feds Shut Down Own-Your-Own-Website Schemes Consumers were told they could make big bucks with little effort

New York Arrests Prominent Accountant In Alleged Ponzi Scheme Scheme allegedly raked in millions of dollars

States Investigating Charity Fund-Raiser Ohio, New Jersey get restraining orders against PJG Enterprises

Shopping & Recreation

Skechers Will Pay $40 Million to Settle Deceptive Advertising Charges

Can shoes really help you lost weight? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) didn't think so and charged Skechers USA with making unfounded claims about its shoes. The company has now agreed to pay $40 million in penalties and refunds to consumers who bought Skechers and its Resistance Runner, Toners and Tone-ups shoes.

Consumers who bought these “toning” shoes will be eligible for refunds either directly from the FTC or through a court-approved class action lawsuit, and ...

Ready for Another Additive? How About Some Meat Glue Like pink slime, the meat industry says it's not a problem

Survey: Consumers Don't Trust Brands 70% of consumers put their trust in online consumer reviews when making a buying decision

Companies Need to Step Up Social Media Efforts With 96% of Americans using social media, it's not somenthing to ignore

Remember the Budweiser SuperFest? Thanks to Jay-Z it's Back! "Made in America" concert comes to Philadelphia this summer

Report: Consumers Want Free Stuff Before Paying First There are risks in "free trials," though, so consumers need to be wary

Consumers Have Done a 180 When it Comes to Food Shopping Shoppers have become much more price-conscious; coupon use increasing

Soda is No Longer King of the Beverage Hill Growing concerns about childhood obesity help drain sales

JCPenney's No-Coupon Strategy is Failing to Catch On JCP suffers a big loss in the first quarter as shoppers look elsewhere

Report: Consumer Spending is Down But Not on Gas, Meds or Groceries Consumers not eager to give up the convenience of driving themselves

Sustainability

Denny's Plans to Spruce Up Pig Pens Pregnant porkers won't be locked in gestation cages

Oh Wait, The World Isn't Going to End in 2012 Researchers find evidence Mayan calendar ends but another starts

Family, Parenting

Prom Time is Here -- and So Are the Exorbitant Costs Lower-income families spend way more than they can afford

Baby Bottles, Pacifiers Can Injure Young Children Once children can walk, they shouldn't use them, doctors say

Travel

Airlines Improve On-Time Performance The mild winter weather helped reduce airport delays

AAA Predicts Increase In Memorial Day Traffic Consumers to take advantage of declining gasoline prices

Ever Think of Using Corporate Housing when Vacationing? It's an alternative to hotels and a bit more structured than Craigslist

Virgin Atlantic to Allow Some In-Flight Cell Phone Use But service will be limited to flights over the Atlantic

Report: Consumers May Be Cutting Back, But Not on Their Summer Trips Fuel prices not dampening families' plans for summer getaways

Airlines Made $3.4 Billion in Baggage Fees Last Year Passengers don't like the fees but they're keeping the airlines in business at the moment

Feds Warn Airlines Against Advertising "Free" Flights A flight's not free if consumers are liable for fees, Transportation Department decrees

Weight Loss

Study: Water With Meals Promotes Better Food Choices Sweet beverages make us want to eat more salty, high-calorie food

Safety Recalls

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