Current Events in November 2017

Ford Motor Company is recalling 65,206 model year 2015-2017 Ford Transit vehicles, equipped with a trailer tow module.

Water can enter the tow modules and corrode the wiring causing issues such as rapidly flashing turn signals, loss of instrument panel display, an electrical short and possibly the deployment of seatbelt pretensioner.

An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire, while turn signal, instrument cluster or seatbelt pretensioner problems can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will add a drainage hole in the driver's door stepwell and incorporate a fuse into the vehicle's wiring harness, free of charge.

Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed in November 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S34.

Health insurers are asking the federal government for billions in subsidies to cover losses they claim they suffered under the ACA, even if they no longer offer participating plans on HealthCare.gov.

The health insurance industry as a whole has already been paid billions in programs meant to encourage their participation in Obamacare.

Insurers have raised premiums or fled the marketplace anyway. Premiums on the individual exchange are rising an average of 37 percent next year, and eight states now offer only one insurer. For consumers who don’t have insurance through their employer, getting covered may become prohibitively expensive.

In a recent announcement touting its profitable third quarter results, Aetna told investors that it is “entitled to receive a total of $314 million” from the Health and Human Services (HHS) department to cover ACA losses from 2014 through 2016.

Humana is taking more aggressive action. The provider recently sued the federal government, demanding $611 million to cover ACA losses, making the company the latest of numerous insurers to file similar lawsuits. “The government's refusal to pay money due … gives rise to significant financial difficulties," Humana said in its complaint.

Both insurers have dropped out of the ACA exchange for 2018, meaning that Aetna and Humana customers currently shopping for individual plans on HealthCare.gov will have to find a new provider. As a result, it’s unclear what, if any, benefit these hefty payments would have for consumers.

Neither Aetna nor Humana have returned messages from ConsumerAffairs asking whether they would have stayed in the marketplace had they received the government subsidies that they want.

Research from the Commonwealth Fund has found that Americans spend more on health care than any other nation, but that the quality of care ranks at the bottom when compared with 25 other nations. Some health workers, like the unions representing nurses, advocate for a health care overhaul that would eliminate the need for the health insurance industry altogether.

After suing, Humana boasts about profits

Five days after Humana sued the government due to “financial difficulties,” the insurer was singing a different tune. Humana told investors that it was continuing “to produce exceptional financial results,” though not as strong as they were last year. On November 8, Humana reported third quarter pre-tax profits of $799 million.

Despite solid profits, the company also announced plans to lay off or buy out 2,700 workers. Humana CEO Bruce Broussard, who earned a $19.7 million compensation package last year, said that the layoffs are intended “to create capacity,” adding that there is a “continued need to invest in the business.”

Insurers negative about ACA customers

Insurers have complained that ACA customers are too sick, unhealthy, and expensive to continue covering. Aetna has been especially negative about the health reform law, as the Hill newspaper reported in May. At the time, Aetna announced it was dropping out of the 2018 exchange due to what it described as $700 million in losses. Aetna anticipated it would lose another $200 million in 2017 thanks to ACA customers.

However, the company continues to share a much more positive message with investors. On September 30, Aetna recorded earning $1.7 billion in profits so far this year. The insurer mentions in that same announcement that it is owed an additional $314 million from Health and Human Services to cover Affordable Care Act losses, though it acknowledges that government funding is uncertain.

Regardless, business appears great, despite the insurer’s brief and unhappy participation in the Obamacare exchange. “Our third-quarter results are a continuation of our momentum from the first half of the year,” said Aetna chairman and CEO Mark T. Bertolini, who earned a $41 million compensation package in 2016.

Justification for demanding more money

Aetna and Humana are just two of many insurers who claim to be owed government money under the Affordable Care Act. The insurers are demanding money specifically from the risk corridor program, which the federal government argues was never supposed to come at the expense of taxpayers.

Risk corridors were a temporary measure that worked by pooling a percentage of money from profitable health insurance plans and paying the funds back to insurers who reported losses in the first three years of the ACA’s implementation. They were one of three programs meant to encourage insurer participation in the marketplace, but critics said the money failed to trickle down to consumers.

Aetna and Humana already received a respective $12.5 million and $30 million in risk corridor money to cover 2014 losses, company documents show. In addition to risk corridor payments, the Center for Medicaid Services has also paid all participating health insurers a total of $7.9 billion in reinsurance and $4.6 billion in risk judgment, two similar risk stabilization programs.

Insurers have fled the Affordable Care Act marketplace or raised premiums anyway, leaving people who aren’t insured through their employer or by government programs like Medicare with fewer options.

Why the government is fighting claims

Nearly two dozen insurers have sued the federal government in recent years for risk corridor money, with varying success. In February, a judge sided with Oregon-based health insurer Moda, who sued for $214 million in risk corridor payments.

The Center for Medicaid Services has countered that it cannot pay the insurers money it does not have. Health insurers requested a total of $2.9 billion in risk corridor payments for 2014, even though they only contributed $362 million to the risk corridor pool that year. The government paid the insurers what it could afford for 2014, but it has not issued payments for the last two years.

While the federal government contends that risk corridor payments must be “budget-neutral,” meaning that they should not cost taxpayers additional money, insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina have described this stance as “revisionist history.”

The company claims it was promised risk corridor payments regardless of whether there is enough money in the risk corridor pool. This means that additional payments would come at taxpayer expense.

BCBS of North Carolina sued the feds for $147 million in risk corridor payments, but a judge dismissed the case in April on the grounds that the health reform law did not include a deadline of when insurers must be paid.

Controversial subsidies

Government subsidies as a whole are a contested aspect of the Affordable Care Act, dividing Republicans who claim the law is a “bailout” for insurers and Democrats who accuse Republicans of sabotaging the law by purposely choking off funds. The health care industry spent a reported $3.4 billion lobbying both parties before and after the health reform passed.

Risk corridor payments are particularly controversial. Unlike the cost-sharing subsidy program, which subsidized the premiums of low-income Americans, risk corridor payments don’t directly benefit any particular population group. A left-wing doctors’ group, sharing an unlikely viewpoint with Republicans, has criticized the risk corridors as an unnecessary bailout for insurers.

“Risk corridors, risk adjustment, and reinsurance are not for the benefit of patients, rather they are to protect the insurers,” wrote Done McCanne, a doctor and senior policy fellow with the Physicians for a National Health Care Program.

Consumers are increasingly satisfied with their pay TV providers, according to a new study by J.D. Power and Associates. The findings run counter to the prevailing wisdom that consumers are abandoning pay TV in favor of so called "over the top" video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.

J.D. Power researchers discovered that consumers are increasing their consumption of both types of video content. Satisfaction with the overall streaming video service experience improved slightly over last year.

At the same time, consumers are spending nearly an hour more per week watching regularly scheduled television programming than they did two years ago.

Peter Cunningham -- Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Practice Lead at J.D. Power -- says the typical household is watching an average of 17.4 hours of regularly scheduled programming in a typical week, up from 16.6 hours in 2015.

Economic issue?

Several years ago the economy was still struggling to recover. Cunningham says "cord cutting" -- the trend of people giving up pay TV for streaming services like Netflix -- was largely an economic issue. Now that the economy is recovering, consumers are less likely to cut the cord and more likely to obtain content from a variety of sources.

"Our study finds the vast majority of people paying for traditional TV services also subscribe to streaming services," Cunningham told ConsumerAffairs. "So when economic times are tougher, they sometimes are willing to give up the more expensive pay TV services."

When consumers can afford both pay TV and video streaming services, they are more likely to use both.

Technology drives satisfaction

AT&T/DIRECTV scored highest in customer satisfaction among pay TV providers. On a regional basis, Verizon was highest in the East; Dish Network leads the South and North Central Regions; and AT&T DIRECTV took top honors in the West.

Cunningham notes that increased satisfaction with pay TV might have as much to do with technology as content. As an example, he cites Comcast's X1 service, which has a voice activated remote and intuitive menu.

"What we see is customers are much less likely to cut the cord if they have a good experience engaging with a provider's technology and the set top box experience," Cunningham said. "What customers care about the most is just making sure the product works. They just want to make sure the network itself is solid."

Satisfaction with streaming services can also often be influenced by consumers' satisfaction with their internet service providers (ISP). In the East, J.D. Power found ISP satisfaction is highest for Verizon. In the North Central region, AT&T/DIRECTV has the most satisfied customers. Cox Communications ranks highest in the West.

Home prices have returned to the lofty levels they reached 10 years ago, just before the market crashed in a wave of foreclosures. But today's housing market is very different from the one in 2006, according to Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com.

In 2006, the housing market was fueled by plentiful mortgage money and lenient underwriting standards, meaning consumers who couldn't afford homes were still able to borrow money to buy them.

Builders put up new homes at a feverish pace because they would quickly sell. But the housing bubble popped when millions of homes went into foreclosure, creating a sudden glut in the housing market. Hale says today's housing market is completely different because it’s much safer for consumers.

"We've had a lot of household formation in the last few years and that's creating demand," Hale told ConsumerAffairs. "The limited supply from the lack of construction is also helping keep prices high. And the backdrop is a really strong economy, so all the factors that are driving today's market are sound economic fundamentals."

Supply and demand

Last year the U.S. median home price reached $236,000, up two percent from the 2006 housing bubble peak. Most of the nation's largest metro areas have seen home prices get back to pre-recession levels.

Austin, Texas leads the nation with a 63 percent increase in home values over the last decade. The median home value in Denver has risen 54 percent over that time and the median home price in Dallas is now 52 percent higher.

A few of the markets hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis -- Las Vegas, Tucson, Ariz., and Riverside, Calif., -- were still more than 20 percent below 2006 price levels at the end of last year.

Housing shortage

Hale says there is a housing shortage in some parts of the country because builders have not built as many new homes; construction is about 50 percent of what it was in 2006.

Hale says builders may be treading more cautiously or finding it more difficult to get financing. Much of the new construction is for expensive homes, not the entry-level market where there is the most demand.

"It's difficult for builders to target that entry level price point, but the builders who have been able to do so have been successful," Hale said.

Another major difference between the housing market then and now is the screening process. To qualify for a mortgage today, borrowers must be able to document their ability to repay the loan.

Hale thinks the lending standards may be tighter than necessary but says they have contributed to the health of today's housing market. According to Attom Data Solutions, foreclosure activity in April hit its lowest level since 2005.

"As we compare today's market dynamics to those of a decade ago, it's important to remember rising prices didn't cause the housing crash," Hale said.

She says high prices during the housing bubble were fueled by subprime and low documentation mortgages, market conditions that do not exist today.

While it’s important to pay close attention to your dog’s overall health year-round, a few extra precautions are necessary during the winter months. 

Frostbite and hypothermia, cold-weather damage to paws, and excess weight gain are just a few ways harsh winter weather can cause moderate to severe problems for a dog’s health and well-being.

To keep your pet from packing on pounds or suffering other winter-related health complications, it’s critical to stay on track with their nutritional needs and maintain physical activity. Here are a few things you can do to keep your pooch safe, healthy, and warm during the colder months. 

Winter health tips

Prevent problems. Preventative care can help you stay ahead of any health problems that could crop up during the winter months. Take your pet to the vet before winter weather sets in to work on setting winter weight and health care goals, as well as obtain recommendations for how to reach them. 

Maintain physical activity. Exercise is an essential part of your dog’s mental and physical well-being – colder temperatures don’t have to put a halt on physical activity. Indoor exercise is one way to help your pet stay warm while meeting physical activity requirements. You can get your pet moving indoors by racing him up the stairs, setting up an obstacle course, or playing a game of indoor fetch. 

Keep them warm. Remember that if it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for them. Let pets come inside when it’s cold. Additionally, keep your dog comfortable and warm at night by setting up a warm place to sleep. A pet bed with a blanket or pillow will suffice, as long as it’s off the floor and away from drafts. 

Prevent winter weight gain. Just like humans, pets can be prone to living a more sedentary life during the winter months. Keep your pet’s winter activity level in mind when considering how many calories your pet needs. Additionally, avoid giving your dog holiday table scraps or letting him indulge in too many treats. 

Keep pets hydrated. Dogs can dehydrate just as quickly in winter as in summer. Be sure to provide a bowl of fresh water for your dog if they’ll be outside. To prevent your pup’s tongue from getting stuck to the bowl, use plastic instead of metal dishes.

Take care of paws. Cracked pads are common in pets during the winter months, and salt used to de-ice sidewalks can also cause issues. Keep your pets paws healthy by wiping down or washing their feet after a walk. If you notice discomfort, consider using dog booties or applying petroleum jelly to your pet’s paws before venturing out for a winter walk.  

Reduce baths. Baths can strip your dog’s skin of important essential oils, so fully bathe your pooch as little as possible during cold weather. If a bath is necessary, use a moisturizing shampoo and/or rinse. To freshen your pet without using water, consider using dry shampoo.

Researchers at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) say two models of fidget spinners sold at Target -- the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass and the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Metal -- contain high levels of lead.

The group says the products contain higher levels of lead than are allowed in children's toys; the legal limit for lead in toys is 100 parts per million (ppm), but the U.S. PIRG says the center circle of the versions it tested had 33,000 ppm.

The group provided the information to Target and product distributor Bulls i Toy but says neither company has acted to recall the popular toys.

Not covered by lead limits

Fidget spinners are small, three-pronged objects with a ball-bearing in the center. Users rotate the devices between their fingers in a way that is said to relieve stress.

In a statement to the Washington Post, Target said fidget spinners are not classified as "toys" by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) but rather as "general use products."

As such, both the regulator and the two companies say the models in question are not covered by lead limits on toys. Target says the labels on the two models in question clearly state the products are appropriate for children 14 or older.

Asking for revised guidelines

Dev Gowda, Toxics Advocate at U.S. PIRG Education Fund, tells ConsumerAffairs that the age-related distinction between fidget spinners is likely lost on parents shopping for their children.

"There are hundreds of fidget spinners on the market," Gowda said. "Some are labeled three and up, some six and older, and others 14 and older. But they're often all on the same shelf in the toy aisles of stores."

Gowda says U.S. PIRG researchers found the two high-lead fidget spinners next to other similar products bearing labels designating them for children 12 and under. He contends all fidget spinners should be treated as children's toys and has reached out to the CPSC to revise its guidance concerning the products.

"Any parent or teacher would agree that fidget spinners are primarily meant for children 12 years and younger," Gowda asserts. "We urge Target to stop selling these fidget spinners and issue a recall for those that have already been sold."

Parents shopping for their children should read labels carefully when purchasing a fidget spinner to make sure the product is appropriate for the age of the child.

The holidays are a busy time for buying gifts and other items, but unfortunately it’s also a time when consumers need to be on the lookout for potential scams.

Phishing scams, in particular, tend to flourish during the holidays. In this type of con, a scammer will send malicious emails and messages to consumers to try to obtain credit card details, usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information.

To avoid being taken advantage of, it’s important for consumers to recognize the telltale signs of a phishing scam and only shop at trusted sites.

Phishing scams on the rise

Cyber criminals tend to be more active during the holiday season because of the increase in online purchases. A study found that consumers spent over $3.45 billion last year on Cyber Monday alone, and a third of shoppers plan to spend upwards of $500 over the holidays this year.

Tim Helming, a product manager at threat intelligence company DomainTools, says phishing attempts have increased exponentially over the years, with scammers focusing even more on stealing banking and credit card information.

“What can be really alarming is what happens after the data is stolen,” Helming tells ConsumerAffairs. “[This information] becomes a platform from which cybercriminals can launch further criminal activities, such as targeted attacks which operate as a gateway for malware or other malicious software.”

“According the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), in November of 2016, over 64,000 unique phishing email campaigns were reported targeting more than 330 different brands.”

How to avoid phishing scams

Helming says that many shoppers are more concerned with snagging a good deal than avoiding phishing scams. A DomainTools survey found that even though 91 percent of consumers know that phishing scams are dangerous, 38 percent have still fallen prey to them. An additional 19 percent of those surveyed have fallen for scams more than once.

Of consumers who followed phishing links, 31 percent downloaded a computer virus, 30 percent had their financial information stolen, 7 percent lost money, and 6 percent were tricked into buying a fake product.

Here are some tips on how to avoid falling for one of these scams:

• Pay close attention to the web address. Scammers will often misspell words in a URL to make it seem like you are going to a trusted website. Be on the lookout for extra letters, odd combinations, and extra affixes at the end of URLs.

• Don’t click links in suspicious messages or emails. Sometimes all it takes for a phishing attack to be successful is for the recipient to click on a malicious link.

• Only shop at trusted online retailers. Shopping at trusted sites will greatly reduce your risk of falling for a phishing attack.

• Look out for poor grammar. In addition to misspelled words, phishing emails are often riddled with other grammatical errors. If the email does not look like something that was professionally edited, you could be looking at a scam.

What to do if you fall for a phishing scam

Even if you've fallen victim to a phishing attack, there are still steps you can take to protect yourself. “If you feel that you have been phished, and especially if you believe it may have led to identity theft, you should file a police report,” said Helming.

Another step you can take is to update your antivirus software and use it to run a full system scan to see if your computer has a virus.

You’ll also want to change your email and account passwords to ensure that the hackers don’t have access to your information. Just make sure you change your password on a different computer or phone than the one you used to follow the phishing link.

Finally, Helming says to make sure that you share information about the scam to help others avoid it. “The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) partners with the APWG to collect phishing information,” he said.

Consumers can report phishing attempts to the APWG by sending an email to phishing-report@us-cert.gov.

Lowe’s has teamed up with software retailer b8ta to launch smart home learning centers at 70 locations nationwide. 

As we reported, a recent survey found 41 percent of consumers with wifi in their homes plan to purchase a smart home device, such as an appliance or other IoT (Internet of Things) device, within the next 12 months. 

Additionally, research shows many shoppers (especially millennials) still prefer to see, feel, and test out an item before buying it. The home improvement retailer’s new smart home mini stores will let prospective buyers do just that.

Connected-home shopping experience

While looking at a range of top-rated smart home products, shoppers can talk with knowledgeable customer service representatives (known as “b8ta testers”) who can answer any questions they might have. 

"Consumers aspire to live a connected life and crave solutions that make this possible," Ruth Crowley, vice president of customer experience design at Lowe's, said in a statement.

"Smart home products simplify life – but the technology can sometimes be confusing or intimidating," she added. "So, we developed Smart Home powered by b8ta to emulate a 'lab-like' atmosphere that empowers customers to make informed decisions."

More than 60 products will be on display, from brands like Google, Sonos, Nest, and Samsung. All of the items will be displayed out of the box to “encourage hands-on play and enhance product knowledge.” Consumers can test a wide range of smart home products, including thermostats, cameras, speakers, and security systems.

Focus on smart home tech 

Earlier this year, Lowe’s launched a virtual reality experience to help do-it-yourselfers see how a particular home project is done before starting it in real life. 

Prior to that, the home improvement retailer launched two augmented reality apps -- one for measuring an object or distance using a smartphone and one for viewing images of devices as they would look in a user’s own home. 

In addition to its smart home mini stores, 1,000 Lowe’s locations will launch smart home displays ahead of Black Friday. "Smart Home powered by b8ta" is available in major U.S. markets, including New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., Miami, Tampa, Raleigh, and Charlotte. 

If your priority when traveling is to interact with interesting people and stimulate your mind, a trip to one of the earth's Blue Zones should be on your itinerary.

The term was popularized by National Geographic writer Dan Buettner, who wrote a 2005 cover story "The Secrets of a Long Life."

Buettner identified five global locations where statistics and personal observations showed the population to be healthier, happier, and more likely to live longer than the global population as a whole. The five Blue Zones are:

Sardinia, Italy
Okinawa, Japan
Nicoya, Costa Rica
Ikaria, Greece
Loma Linda, California

While none of these locations are especially trendy tourism destinations, people who travel there say they can be spiritually uplifting.

Sardinia

At first glance, this Mediterranean island looks like a typical European vacation spot. Sardinia’s white sandy beaches, museums, and archaeological sites draw visitors from around the world.

But the inland mountain communities are largely unchanged over the centuries. Here, researchers found an above-average number of inhabitants over the age of 100. The village of Seulo had 20 residents over 100 during a period from 1996 to 2016.

Travelers seeking the secrets to longevity will find a people who have remained culturally isolated, yet closely connected to family and friends. Anthropologists say they have also maintained a traditional, healthy lifestyle.

Getting there is fairly easy since the island has three international airports, served by European and international carriers. Ferries also connect the island to mainland Italy.

Okinawa

Okinawa, a Japanese island in the Pacific, also has a record of longevity, especially among its women. Its citizens also display a strong social network, called a "moai."

Visitors to Okinawa enjoy its beaches and coral reefs, which provide excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities. There are also plenty of opportunities to mix with the locals at shops, bars, and restaurants.

Travelers can get to Okinawa through NaHa Airport with connections from Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Nicoya

Latin America's Blue Zone is found in Nicoya, Costa Rica–a small peninsula on the Pacific coast of this central American country. The people of Nicoya are known for their "plan de vida," or "reason to live." Older citizens in particular maintain a positive outlook and active lifestyle.

Barra Honda National Park is known for its dramatic cave tours, including the Cacerna Terciopelo. Nature lovers can book accommodations in the Cura National Wildlife Refuge and take a private eco-adventure tour.

Nicoya is served by Liberia Airport, which is 31 miles away and serves 14 domestic and international airlines.

Ikaria

A tiny Greek island in the Aegean Sea, Ikaria is called "the island where people forget to die." Its long history has given it a rich culture emphasizing tradition and strong family values.

Not only do island residents tend to live longer, there is almost no dementia as people reach their 90s and beyond.

For the traveler, Ikaria offers a picturesque landscape with beautiful beaches and small seaside villages. Visitors enjoy the slow pace and hospitality displayed by the locals. Attractions also include ancient caves and thermal spas.

The airport on Ikaria opened in 1995 and has daily domestic flights from Athens.

Loma Linda, California

The fifth Blue Zone is in the U.S., easier and less expensive for Americans to visit. Loma Linda, in Southern California east of Los Angeles, has a large community of Seventh Day Adventists, who live as much as a decade longer than the average U.S. population.

Visitors who get to know the residents of Loma Linda may discover some common traits. The residents get regular, moderate exercise; they find time for quiet meditation; they maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI); and they eat a healthy diet that includes a lot of nuts.

Visiting any of these five Blue Zones may not guarantee a longer life, but you're sure to gain some valuable lifestyle insights from locals you encounter.

Most pet owners love to sneak their pooch a table scrap or two on Thanksgiving, but pet experts say it’s critical to make sure you know which Thanksgiving foods are safe to give to pets. 

Most of the dishes on your Thanksgiving menu are dangerous to give your furry family member in large amounts, primarily due to their high fat content. 

In an interview with ConsumerAffairs, Petplan’s staff veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Maniet noted that the most common pet hazards during the Thanksgiving holiday are related to the ingestion of dangerous food. 

Health hazards 

Such foods as chocolate, raisins, grapes, and desserts can contain the sugar substitute Xylitol, which is toxic to both dogs and cats and can cause organ failure. 

The potential health effects of allowing pets to eat from your plate include severe pancreatitis, food poisoning, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Additionally, pet owners shouldn’t give pets leftover bones. Brittle bones splinter easily and can cause serious problems for pets including tongue or mouth lacerations or even an obstruction in the stomach or intestines. 

Keeping pets safe

Amid the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving festivities, it can be difficult to make sure pets don’t accidentally eat something they shouldn’t. To help ensure well-meaning guests don’t accidentally sicken your pet, Maniet offered the following advice. 

“Advise your guests and your family to not feed your pets any table scraps. If they cannot resist slipping a few treats, then I recommend using your pet’s regular kibble in small amounts,” she said. 

“Also, I recommend adjusting the time you feed your pets so that as you sit down to eat dinner, your pets can simultaneously be chowing down on their own pet food,” she added. 

And when the meal is over, be sure to clear out remnants of food that may be tempting to your pet. 

Pet-safe Thanksgiving menu 

While many Thanksgiving foods can potentially cause adverse health effects, other Turkey Day treats are perfectly fine to feed Fido in moderation. 

As long as your pet does not have any food allergies or sensitivity (and you keep treats to less than 10 percent of your pet’s daily caloric intake) the following Thanksgiving-themed homemade treats can be given your pet. 

• Pumpkin Smoothies. Just two ingredients are needed to make this creamy, pet-friendly pumpkin drink.
• Peanutty Crudités. Veggies and peanut butter are key ingredients in this treat. 
• Simple Sorbet. A refreshing ice cube treat for pets. 
• Roasted Turkey Medallions. This protein-rich snack is made from turkey, carrots, and oatmeal. 
• Scrumptious Sweet Potato Cookies. Sweet potato and banana are the main ingredients in this low-calorie cookie. 

Click here for the recipes.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 2,098 model year 2015-2016 C63 AMG, model year 2015-2017 C63S and model year 2017 C63S AMG Coupe and C63 AMG Cabrio vehicles.

The rear axle differential mounting flange may fracture from repeated aggressive launches.

A fractured rear axle mounting flange can cause the rear differential to become misaligned, possibly resulting in failure of the driveshaft and a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's stability system software and chassis control unit software, free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin in December 2017.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

Online rental marketplace Apartment List has released new findings centering on rising eviction rates and growing financial struggles of U.S. renters.

The recommended benchmark for living expenses is no more than 25 percent of one’s income. The researchers found that almost half of their respondents spend more than 30 percent on rent, and one-fourth of respondents spend more than 50 percent of income on rent.

While the numbers are distressing, the researchers point out that the percentage of renters who are struggling to pay the rent has leveled off, not because rental rates are going down, but because more households with median to higher income are opting to rent.

The report finds the national median rent increased by 8.5 percent between 2005 and 2015 but the median renter income increased by only 4.6 percent.

'Ideal' properties unaffordable

A survey by the rental search marketplace Hunt found that 62 percent of renters it polled said "ideal" rental properties–those conveniently located with the necessary number of bedrooms and bathrooms–are now out of their price range.

The renters in the survey ranged in age from 18 to 75, with 90 percent between 20 and 45 years old.

"Our respondents were typically younger than the general U.S. population, so a weighting adjustment was applied to make their responses representative of the nation as a whole, researcher Jon Millward told ConsumerAffairs.

In addition to paying a rising rent, consumers in the survey said "avoiding scammers" proved to be a serious problem for one out of four apartment hunters.

Rental scams

"We didn’t specifically ask about which scams renters faced most often, but our findings do show that 18 percent of people experienced misleading listing information and 21 percent felt photos were not representative," Millward said. "These could be considered “soft scams” – often they’re deliberate but sometimes they’re not malicious attempts to defraud renters."

Outright scams include asking for money before seeing the apartment and even fake landlords showing hopeful apartment hunters around properties they don’t even own. These scams have proliferated in the last decade as competition for apartments has heated up.

Apartment searchers say it is also getting harder to find pet-friendly spaces. Willward says that ranks third on the list of problems apartment-searchers mentioned.

"The simple reason for this is that a large proportion of landlords prefer to avoid the potential issues that can stem from tenants who have pets, opting instead for pet-free applicants who, given the shortage of properties, are plentiful," Millward said.

Millward thinks America now has a housing shortage and that lies at the root of many problems renters face. With fewer homes for sale over the last few years, more consumers are renting longer. That has driven up the cost of rents.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 3,620 model year 2016 GLE300d 4Matic, GLE400 4Matic, GLE350 4Matic, GLE63 AMG, GLE63 AMG Coupe, GLE63S AMG and GLE63S AMG Coupe, and 2017 GLS450 4Matic, GLE550 4Matic, and GLE63 AMG 4Matic vehicles.

These vehicles may have excess bulkhead insulation extending into the lower windshield area, possibly affecting the windshield bonding and the deployment of the passenger's front airbag in the event of a crash.

As a result, the front seat passenger would have an increased risk of injury.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will remove any excess bulkhead insulation and rework the windshield bonding, as necessary, free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin in December 2017.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

Google's driverless car project, Waymo, is now road testing vehicles with consumer passengers–and no test drivers–in a suburb of Phoenix.

Several companies have been road testing autonomous vehicles with mixed results, but consumers riding around in a fully driverless vehicle is a new step.

"Google’s Waymo has taken another giant step into the future by ditching the test driver and letting its fleet of vehicles go fully autonomous," Autotrader analyst Michelle Krebs said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. "Central to this effort is Waymo’s push to address the critical need of public trust through experience with consumer test drives and on-demand services."

The tests began in mid October and Waymo says they have gone extremely well. It says a small number of Phoenix-area residents have been driven to work, soccer practice and social events in a test minivan. In the coming weeks, Waymo plans to expand the test.

"Over the course of this trial, we’ll be accepting hundreds of people with diverse backgrounds and transportation needs who want to ride in and give feedback about Waymo’s self-driving cars," the company said on its blog.

This new phase of the Waymo test process will give participants daily access to its fleet of driverless vehicles, taking them anywhere they want to go within an area that's about twice the size of San Francisco.

'Another giant step'

In previous testing of driverless cars, there have been some fender-benders. But as we recently reported, most have involved other vehicles rear-ending the driverless car.

In the first nine months of this year, California reported 19 accidents involving self-driving cars, a fraction of the 285 vehicles being tested on public roads.

Kelley Blue Book analyst Akshay Anand says Waymo's early progress is shaking up the automotive industry, but predicts change won't happen overnight.

"Regulations need to be hashed out, unforeseen driving factors need to be figured out, and more," he said.

Consumer group doubts

Some consumer groups have raised questions about the safety and reliability of the technology piloting driverless cars. A coalition of consumer and highway safety groups gathered in Washington last month to urge Congress to tap on the brakes before giving autonomous vehicles a green light.

Joan Claybrook, a former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), said proposed legislation legalizing driverless cars was heavily influenced by auto and tech companies.

"It puts the federal auto safety agency in the back seat in terms of ensuring industry accountability," Claybrook warned.

Supporters of autonomous vehicle technology say the driverless cars hold the potential to greatly reduce traffic deaths, which numbered close to 40,000 in 2016, according to the National Safety Council.

Either way, Anand says, Waymo’s forward motion with testing has positioned it as "a central player in the space.

Finding the lowest price tag on a particular gift, keeping wishlists organized or simply staying on top of sales can wind up feeling like a stressful part-time job.

Luckily, the age of online shopping means there are lots of apps that do the hard part for you and can ultimately help to ensure your holiday shopping budget stays intact.

Whether you’re interested in snagging a deal on electronics or saving big on one of the hottest toys of the holiday season, technology can lend a hand in the form of apps that sniff out the best deals online and in stores. 

Here are a few apps that promise to help consumers keep even more money in their pocket on Black Friday and beyond. 

Black Friday savings apps

• ShopSavvy (iOS and Android). This app will watch for low prices on items you are interested in purchasing and let you know when popular stores are having a sale. It can also be used to scan barcodes while you’re out shopping, so you can compare the price of a particular product across multiple retailers. 
• DealNews (iOS and Android). Deal experts collect information on special Black Friday deals from thousands of websites and retailers and publish the 300 best ones to the DealNews app. Simply select the stores you plan to visit and receive alerts when retailers mark down prices in-store and online.
• Flipp (iOS and Android) This app combs through local weekly ads and matches them with hundreds of coupons from over 800 retailers. With Flipp, consumers can ‘clip out’ coupons for a specific store, item, or brand. You can even highlight deals that are relevant to you and save them for easy access later on. 
• Amazon (iOS and Android). Avoid the remorse of realizing you could have gotten an item for cheaper online by downloading the Amazon’s price comparison app. This app (available for iOS and Android) lets you pull up the Amazon price of any item you see in a store simply by scanning its barcode. If you’re among those who would prefer to stay home this Black Friday, the Amazon app can help you accomplish your shopping from the comfort of home. 
• Santa’s Bag (iOS) or Christmas Gift List (Android). Between making your list and purchasing all the gifts on it, holiday shopping can feel like a huge undertaking -- but these apps can help simplify the process. You can use them to set a shopping budget, keep a log of gift ideas for people on your list, and keep track of items you’ve already bought. You can also keep track of how much you spent on each gift.

New research from Parks Associates shows 41 percent of U.S. homes with wifi plan to purchase a smart appliance or other wifi-connected household device in the next 12 months.

The international research firm says the most commonly purchased devices will include smart smoke/CO detectors, thermostats, and lights. These products will join the billions of devices that make up the increasingly popular Internet of Things (IoT).

Each of these devices has its own internet protocol (IP) address and is connected to the internet, just like a PC or tablet. While they offer lots of benefits in terms of better energy efficiency and convenience, they also pose a silent risk: minimal to no security.

Denial-of-service attack

Just over a year ago, hackers harnessed tens of millions of unsecured smart devices like thermostats, home security systems and even printers to launch a massive denial-of-service (DOS) attack against major web sites like Amazon, Netflix, and Twitter. The attack prevented consumers from reaching these sites for several hours.

Dyn, the sites' common DNS provider, said its investigation showed that many of the compromised smart devices had been infected with a malware called Mirai, which is a botnet.

This attack was directed at Dyn, but the threat to individual consumers is just as possible and in many ways, more invasive. 

Security software firm Trend Micro reported a steady increase in the number of attacks on smart appliances–interfering with individuals’ use of their lights, home security systems, thermostats and even TVs and baby monitors.

Additionally, the company expressed concern for voice controlled devices such as Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and Google Assistant, which can also retrieve information and control household appliances if connected. 

Perhaps most concerning of all, Trend Micro cautions that device manufacturers can collect and store data and create online user profiles that could be vulnerable to hacks.

In testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence earlier this year, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats said too many IoT devices come from unregulated, low-cost foreign manufacturers that skimp on security to stay competitive.

Worse, he said some devices do not have a way to be “patched” to retrofit security measures and make them less vulnerable.

What to do

To protect themselves, Trend Micro experts say smart device users should not anything that does not have some means of authentication, such as a username and password. 

When setting up their new device, users should be prompted to change the factory settings default username and password. Default passwords like "admin" are incredibly easy for a hacker to figure out.

Encryption is another important feature to protect your smart device. The manufacturer will probably spell out the type of encryption it uses, but Trend Micro recommends Googling the model number for any possible security issues consumers have reported.