Current Events in January 2023

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2023

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    Attention, AT&T customers: Did you have an 'unlimited data' plan? You might be due some money.

    Time is wasting, though. You have until May 18 to file a claim.

    If you’re a former AT&T customer who may have been bit by an unlimited data plan and haven’t cashed a check from the carrier to settle claims made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), time is wasting. To help out, the FTC has announced a new claims process to return money to thousands of former AT&T customers who had those plans in place anytime between October 2011 and June 2015.

    However, what if you are a current AT&T customer who had an unlimited data plan during this time? No need to file a claim — you should have gotten a bill credit from AT&T in early 2020.

    The settlement goes back to the FTC’s claim that AT&T throttled their data, slowing down their internet speed after they used a certain amount of data in a billing cycle. The limits on this “unlimited” plan made it hard — and, in some cases, impossible — to browse the internet or stream videos. And, before people signed a long-term contract, AT&T didn’t adequately disclose to customers that it would slow down their internet.

    Throttling has been a thorn in the side of the FTC for years now. In addition to AT&T, it also went after TracFone for the same thing.

    AT&T's response? "While we continue to dispute the allegations in this lawsuit from 2014, we elected to settle in 2019 rather than continue with drawn-out litigation," the company said in an email to ConsumerAffairs.

    Here’s what to know

    If you think you meet the AT&T settlement criteria and want to move forward with a claim, here’s what you need to do:

    • Determine if you’re eligible and file your claim at ftc.gov/ATT.

    • You have until May 18, 2023, to file a claim.

    • Questions about filing a claim? Call the refund administrator at 1-877-654-1982 or email info@ATTDataThrottling.com.

    If you’re a former AT&T; customer who may have been bit by an unlimited data plan and haven’t cashed a check from the carrier to settle claims made by the...

    Warning to grocery shoppers: you can expect prices of some items to go even higher in 2023

    Farmers are hoping that higher temperatures subside so they can correct things

    Get ready, grocery shoppers. More items -- including farm-fresh staples from Old MacDonald -- are joining eggs in the high-priced section of your grocery. E-i-e-i-o.

    Overall, inflation is easing a bit, but the annualized food-price inflation rate when it was last reported was 10.4% – nearly four points higher than everything else a consumer comes in contact with. And experts say that it could get worse before it gets better.

    For one thing, in the stuff-rolls-downhill department, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is still playing havoc with fertilizer and feed prices. Then, there’s the typically ugly winter weather that can hamper food production.

    But, there are also factors that consumers aren’t privy to like continuing supply chain challenges and the prices and wages that grocers are having to absorb to get things on their shelves.

    ConsumerAffairs surveyed the situation and found two cost factors that grocery shoppers can expect in the coming months.

    Vegetable oil and all its cousins

    According to data from FoodMarket.com, vegetable oil – and all its tentacles – is on a trajectory that may be hard to corral because it has so many tentacles. One of those is margarine, whose price grew by 43.8% in December compared with a year before.

    Count that as yet another connection to the war in Ukraine. Oils are made from soybeans, sunflower seeds, and corn, and Ukraine is the world’s third-biggest exporter of vegetable oil and dominates the world’s supply of sunflower oil.

    Another dynamic is also at play, analysts suggest. Because nearly 40% of vegetable oil is used in the production of biofuels and those are turned into transportation fuels, and drivers of heating and electricity generation, there’s a separate non-grocery segment trying to lay its hands on sunflower oil.

    So where exactly are you going to get hit in the wallet because of the vegetable oil issue? 

    • Packaged snacks

    • Potato chips

    • Margarine

    • Fried foods

    • Coffee creamer

    • Baked goods and things like crackers

    • Vegetable shortening. Yep, FoodDive reported that Crisco raised prices by 23% to cover the higher cost of production on shortening and cooking oil.

    • Microwave popcorn

    In the dairy aisle

    FoodMarket also reports that Americans are paying nearly $1.50 more for a pound of butter than they did a year ago. 

    The driver in this situation is that a farmer's cow herds are smaller and also face higher-than-normal temperatures. The dots connecting those two factors are that cows eat less and, therefore, produce less milk in the heat. And when the cost of maintaining milk production zoomed in 2022, farmers stood their ground and pulled back on expanding their herds.

    However, a new report from CoBank suggests that when it comes to milk alone, suppliers and producers aren’t anywhere close to gouging consumers and that milk prices should be lower this year if the prime milk-producing season for cows – March through May – goes as well as some think it will.

    Get ready, grocery shoppers. Other farm-fresh staples from Old MacDonald are joining eggs in the high-priced section of your grocery. E-i-e-i-o.Overall...

    Mortgage rates log the biggest decline in months

    The average FHA rate dropped 13 basis points to 6.23%

    Photo (c) Andrii Yalanskyi - Getty Images

    Thanks to a significant drop in the 10-year Treasury bond yield, the average mortgage rate also fell over the last seven days, making a home mortgage slightly more affordable.

    The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($726,200 or less) decreased to 6.23% from 6.42%. The rate on more expensive homes is even lower. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with jumbo loan balances (greater than $726,200) decreased to 6.08%.

    The average rate on FHA loans, often used by first-time buyers, dropped 13 basis points in the last week to 6.26%. While those rates are much higher than they were a year ago, they’re down from October’s highs when the rate went over 7%.

    If you think that falling rates may be a signal to start house-hunting again, you aren’t alone. MBA says lenders had a busy week.

    “Mortgage application activity rebounded strongly in the first full week of January, with both refinance and purchase activity increasing by double-digit percentages compared to last week, which included the New Year’s holiday observance,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s senior vice president and chief economist. 

    But despite those gains, Fratantoni says refinance activity remains more than 80% below last year’s pace because anyone considering refinancing their mortgage probably did so last year when rates were around 3%.

    Builders are offering rate buy-downs

    Still, those interested in buying may find the trend encouraging. If the average mortgage rate falls to 6% it would save a buyer $237 a month on a monthly payment, compared to October’s high.

    People buying new homes are finding they can save even more. Many home builders are “buying down” the mortgage rate by as much as 2% to entice buyers. In November, the National Association of Home Builders said a survey of builders showed 59% of builders were offering incentives, a significant increase from September.

    Specifically, 25% of builders reported paying buyers’ points, an increase from 13% in September. Twenty-seven percent of builders reported paying mortgage rate buy-downs, an increase from 19% in September.

    New home buyers who secure a 2% rate buy-down from their builder would save around $376 a month on a $300,000 mortgage. Builders as well as lenders are optimistic that incentives, coupled with falling rates, will draw some prospective buyers back to the market.

    “Mortgage rates are now at their lowest level since September 2022, and about a percentage point below the peak mortgage rate last fall,” Fratantoni said. “As we enter the beginning of the spring buying season, lower mortgage rates and more homes on the market will help affordability for first-time homebuyers.”

    Photo (c) Andrii Yalanskyi - Getty ImagesThanks to a significant drop in the 10-year Treasury bond yield, the average mortgage rate also fell over the...

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      Buying a car isn't as much fun as it used to be

      This is the second year in a row that overall satisfaction with buying a car has decreased

      Buying a car has proven to be difficult in the last few years, and consumers aren’t happy. 

      According to the Cox Automotive 2022 Car Buyer Journey Study, last year marked the second consecutive year that consumers expressed frustration and general disappointment related to the car buying process. 

      “...We think it is more important than ever to showcase the current state of vehicle buying in America,” said Isabelle Helms, vice president of research and market intelligence at Cox Automotive. “While buying a vehicle is a complicated transaction, with financing required, trade-in valuations to consider, and plenty of research required, it does not have to be frustrating for the consumer. With the right digital tools and systems in place, car buying can be a highly satisfying activity, and as efficient and streamlined as consumers want it to be.” 

      What went wrong? 

      Overall, consumer satisfaction with the car buying process dropped from 66% in 2021 to 61% in 2022. Both years are a significant drop from the 72% consumer satisfaction rate in 2020. However, new car sales were likely to yield greater satisfaction from consumers than used car sales. 

      So, what went wrong? Experts identified three primary factors that influenced how consumers felt about the car buying process: limited inventory, the time it took to make the purchase, and high prices. 

      Because cars were so hard to come by, sticking to a beloved brand or dealership wasn’t possible for many consumers. Instead, car shoppers were forced to go wherever the inventory was. Nearly 40% of all new car shoppers bought from a brand they had never used before, which was up from just over 30% in 2021. 

      The time commitment necessary to buy a car also went up by nearly 20% between 2021 and 2022. That included both research time and time spent in dealerships.

      From start to finish, the process took about two full hours longer this past year than in the year before, while time at the dealership went up roughly 20 minutes, and research time went up more than an hour. 

      Prices of cars also created frustration for shoppers. Overall price satisfaction was under 50% in 2022, while it was over 60% in 2021. Similarly, nearly 65% of car shoppers said that they spent more on cars than they intended this year. 

      Were there any bright spots? 

      The survey did uncover some positives. The greatest area of satisfaction came from car shoppers who ordered their vehicles online. 

      Not only did online orders of cars increase between 2021 and 2022, but the process was easier and more streamlined than those who went into dealerships. These shoppers typically got their cars faster, were able to track their orders, and were able to be more specific with the type of car they purchased. 

      This trend was not only more popular this year, but those who went through the process online said that they’d likely repeat it again in the future. 

      To read Cox Automotive’s full report, click here

      Buying a car has proven to be difficult in the last few years, and consumers aren’t happy. According to the Cox Automotive 2022 Car Buyer Journey Study...

      Starbucks and DoorDash join forces to get food orders to customers more efficiently

      Everything is in-app just like everything else in world is becoming

      As American foodies become more dependent on drive-thru service, fast-food operators are starting to grasp that efficiency is number one on a customer’s pecking order.

      A major part of that efficiency is how quickly the restaurant gets the customer in and out of its drive-thru lanes – a metric that research shows Starbucks, for one, could perform better in its customers’ minds. But with the footprint of its locations packed to every available square inch, the coffee chain has decided to go all out to make things easier for customers.

      The first foray Starbucks made came last year when it cut a deal with Target to deliver coffee curbside to Target shoppers. With that initiative in the books, the Big Barista has a new pact with DoorDash which will make delivery service available in all 50 states by the end of March. The service got its first rollout this week in Northern California, Texas, Georgia, Florida and other select markets. 

      The goal, the company says, is “enable increased, convenient access” for its customers. DoorDash, with its recent commitment to ramping up its delivery speed, seems like a good fit.

      “As customer behaviors evolve, we continue to innovate the Starbucks experience to connect with them through meaningful and valuable digital experiences. Our partnership with DoorDash allows us to provide our customers with another convenient way to enjoy Starbucks wherever they are," said Brooke O’Berry, Starbucks senior vice president of digital experiences. 

      Get ready to fire up the Starbucks app

      In today’s digital world, there’s barely a food-related business short of some mom-and-pop places that take orders over the phone. The same holds true with the Starbucks/DoorDash setup. But, there are advantages to doing that. For example, customers can track their orders through DoorDash from preparation to drop-off. 

      And that half-decaf-nonfat-one scoop of matcha-195 degrees-no foam that’s your go-to? You should be OK. Starbucks said it will offer approximately 95% of its core menu items on DoorDash, and just as they would at Starbucks, customers can customize their orders within the DoorDash app, including the ability to choose the amount of syrup, type of milk, and espresso roasts.    

      Starbucks also realizes that for coffee drinkers the temperature of their cup of Joe is of the utmost importance and has developed packaging solutions to help ensure the quality of hot and cold menu items including stickers for beverages to avoid spilling, tamper-evident packaging, and delivery-specific cup holders. 

      The service isn’t free but it does have a “free” component. In the announcement, the company said that consumers who are members of DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program, will pay zero in “delivery fees,” but indicated that there will be “service fees” which it couched as “the lowest service fees available on each order of $12 or more. Standard delivery and service fees apply to all other orders.”

      As American foodies become more dependent on drive-thru service, fast-food operators are starting to grasp that efficiency is number one on a customer’s pe...

      'Sorry, but your flight is canceled due to weather conditions.' Experts say don’t be so quick to accept that excuse.

      Travelers have rights but they need to be clear-headed about their options

      Is blaming the weather for a flight cancelation too easy for an airline to use as an excuse? Some aviation pundits claim it might be.

      During the pandemic, airlines were called out for using weather as an excuse when there was likely a pilot shortage.

      However, in the aftermath of Southwest Airlines' recent implosion and with winter not even halfway through its yearly dance, travelers should know how to interpret what an airline really means when it takes a scheduled flight off the board for weather-related reasons.

      Southwest agents did try the weather excuse as a reason to deny covering costs for stranded passengers, airline travel expert Gary Leff writes at A View from the Wing, but the cop-out didn’t stick with passengers or the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the airline’s hand was forced to cover any reasonable hotel and alternate transportation expenses passengers were facing.

      What airlines are being forced to face now

      Leff said that Southwest’s switcheroo has shifted rhetoric in the travel industry over what consumers are owed – and when. As proof, just take a look at the recent CNBC interview with American Airlines CEO Robert Isom where he went on record saying that when a delay or cancelation is the fault of American “we owe the customers.”

      “That is likely news to American’s Customer Relations team,” Leff said. “If you send in a request for compensation due to a delay that the carrier stretches to call ‘weather-related’, respond with this clip from their boss’s boss’s boss saying ‘not so fast, when you don’t recover your operation Robert Isom says you owe your customers!’”

      ConsumerAffairs reached out to American for comment but did not hear back from the company immediately.

      "Squishy," is how another airline expert puts the industry’s definition of weather.

      "The definition of weather has expanded a bit," Meara McLaughlin, vice president of business development for flight data site FlightStats.com, told Frommers. 

      "It isn't just the conditions at your airport, along the way, or at your destination that count, but weather anywhere in the system that can be invoked. That's because the airlines' so-called ‘hub and spoke’ system relies on aircraft coming from other cities, which could be affected by weather. To my way of thinking, you have to call that something other than weather," she said.

      How travelers can avoid 'weather-related' problems

      In seasons where weather is iffy – like winter and tornadoes/hurricanes – it’s typical for a major airline to issue weather waivers in advance so travelers have an opportunity to make changes in advance, frequently without having to pay a change fee.

      For example, when United Airlines saw nasty forecasts for weather across the Rockies and the Plains, it gave travelers the wherewithal to make changes at no cost. ThriftyTraveler has a list of what waivers other airlines offer, too.

      But if all goes to hell in a handbasket and you find yourself at the airport across the counter from an airline agent who’s telling you that your flight is canceled because of weather, you apparently have rights, but getting something satisfactory might take some doing.

      “Here in the U.S., travelers have shockingly few rights,” ThriftyTraveler’s Kyle Potter said. “Really, there's just this one: If your airline cancels your flight, you can cancel your reservation and get a full refund – not just a voucher or credit that expires in a year, but your money back. And that includes when weather is the cause of the disruption.”

      If the agent is trying to save their hide and their airline the cost of a refund, they might try and rebook you on the next available flight, Potter said. The problem there is that the “next available flight” could be hours – or days – away. Still, “this law means you've got the option to cancel the reservation altogether and get your money back.”

      At that point, travelers need to have a serious talk with themselves because a knee-jerk decision could cause the problem to snowball.

      “Of course, that means you'd have to scrap your entire trip and try again another time. At the very least, if you decide to call it quits on your trip, make sure to request a full refund – don't just settle for a travel voucher,” Potter said.

      Is blaming the weather for a flight cancelation too easy for an airline to use as an excuse? Some aviation pundits claim it might be.During the pandemi...

      Stranger danger! Dating apps strengthen their user protections

      Someone said they love you? Or is it your money they love?

      Some dating app users are getting added help in keeping creeps where they belong. The Match Group – the parent company of Tinder, Match, Hinge, and Plenty of Fish – is now pushing alerts to its users to tip them off to the common behaviors that could help to identify potential scams. 

      Match Group got help from the two sectors that could be of the most benefit – law enforcement and financial exploitation. Even though dating apps have some basic protection under the Communications Decency Act, they run the risk of failing a “duty to inform” if and when the app platform has actual knowledge of dangers. Match Group apparently wants none of that.

      More than any other fraud category, Americans have reported losing an incredible $1.3 billion to romance scams in the last five years, at an average clip of $2,400 per victim.

      "As a former detective and special agent, I know firsthand how scammers lure unsuspecting individuals into giving personal information and ultimately money – including preying on those looking for love or companionship," said Buddy Loomis, senior director of Law Enforcement Operations and Investigations at Match Group.

      "It's the reason we are committed to investing in building the safety tools available to users by leveraging technology and resources that aim to help users protect themselves from the harms in the world around them and make safer connections."

      What app users will now see

      There’s a litany of protective tips the experts that Match Group brought to the game. In the company’s announcement, it said that the most important add-ons are selfie verification and video chat to send popup messages with safety tips if certain language is detected in conversations between users.

      Verification: “Make sure to verify your profile with Photo Verification and also look out for the verification check on your matches to help confirm they are the person in their profile pictures,” Match said. “You can also set up video chats before meeting in person to confirm your match is the person you've been talking to. If your date can't do any of these things, it's a flag.”

      Stay on the app: Scammers don’t like staying in one place too long because it could possibly expose them and diminish their chances of scoring a windfall from a victim. To that end, Match experts say that app users should stay on the app as long as possible.

      “Scammers will attempt to get you on to another platform quickly which can be a common flag for these types of scams. Stay on the app when getting to know a new connection. If the match wants to move platforms but still DOES NOT want to meet up or video call it is a red flag,” they suggest.

      M-O-N-E-Y? Uh, no: Who hasn’t made a bad investment, huh? But, trying to cash in on a promise of a big payday is usually a death knell for any consumer, especially in inflationary times. Match experts say the number one ploy is any love interest who offers crypto or investment advice. And if you get pinged by a potentially enriching Romeo, Match asks that you report those interactions to them. In fact, they suggest doing the same thing no matter what dating app you’re using. Here are some common come-ons and suggested responses:

      “I’m stuck and need help”: “I can’t pay my medical bills and they’re going to put me in jail!”

      Sorry, Charlie.

      “I love you so much I want to meet your family. Can you help me with plane fare to come to America”?

      Uh, no.

      “My daughter’s car broke down and she can’t get to school to finish her nursing degree. Can you loan me the $500 it’ll take to repair the car?”

      Forget it. If a love interest appears desperate and money is involved, this should be a giant red flag.

      Requests for money don’t come early in the relationship, either, so be careful.

      “Scammers can also play the long game and don't just come out and ask for money when first getting to know someone,” Match’s experts said.

      “They often don't start talking about finance until months later after they've gained your trust. As a rule it's best to never send or receive money via a wire transfer, money order, currency exchange, gift card or investment with someone you've never met in person. Not for any reason. Ever."

      Some dating app users are getting added help in keeping creeps where they belong. The Match Group – the parent company of Tinder, Match, Hinge, and Plenty...

      Is that a real parking ticket on your windshield or is it a scam?

      High-tech scammers can print up fake parking tickets on the fly

      Emerging artificial intelligence tools in the hands of scammers may be a near-future threat but the bad guys are already using technology to separate people from their money. The parking ticket scam is a prime example.

      You may find a parking spot downtown to run a few errors. You put plenty of money in the meter, take the receipt and place it on your dashboard as instructed.

      But when you return well within the allotted time period, low and behold there is a parking ticket on your windshield. How could that be?

      A police officer didn’t put it there – a scammer did. With the help of a sophisticated hand-held printer, the scammer printed out a fake ticket that looked every bit as official as the real thing.

      Many people figure “you can’t fight city hall” and pay it as instructed. But instead of being told to pay the fine at the courts building or the police station, the ticket asks for payment through PayPal or some non-governmental website.

      If you pay the fine, you’ll not only pay for something you don’t owe but you will also hand the scammer a lot of personal information, including your name, address, phone number, and maybe even credit card or bank account information.

      "I paid $15 to park in a garage and received a receipt for it, which I displayed on my dashboard,” one recent victim told the Better Business Bureau. “However, I then received a violation notice for $56 for the parking receipt not being visible on the dashboard."

      It’s a widespread scam

      The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) reports the scam appears to be widespread across the U.S. and offers this advice to people who are surprised to find a ticket on their windshield:

      • If you pay any ticket or fine online, verify the website before proceeding.

      • Any legitimate ticket will have a case number or citation number, and will not require outrageous amounts of personal information.

      • When in doubt, contact your law enforcement agency and verify the fine.

      Sometimes police make arrests in these cases. In late December the Santa Cruz, Calif., Police Department arrested a 19-year-old on suspicion of unlawful use of a computer system and attempted fraud. Police say they don’t know how many fake tickets were distributed in the area but said they received “multiple” reports.

      Emerging artificial intelligence tools in the hands of scammers may be a near-future threat but the bad guys are already using technology to separate peopl...

      Where did you go to high school? Scammers want to know.

      Answering an online quiz or survey can lead to trouble

      We’ve all – yes, probably all – have taken some sort of online quiz. What Hollywood star would be a perfect partner for you? What was your first car? Where did you go to high school?

      Guess what – these things have a lot in common: they’re trying to sucker you in so they can get their grubby little hands on your personally identifiable information (PII).

      So, before you take a quiz to find out which Marvel character you’re most like, ask yourself: Do I know who’s gathering this information about me — or what they plan to do with it?

      The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that all those cute little quizzes and surveys are carefully crafted to get innocent people to spill the beans on the answers to security questions that they can turn around and use those answers to try and reset your accounts, then steal your bank and other account information.

      The agency says that some scammers go even further, by hacking social media accounts and sending malware links to friends of the hacked account holder under the guise of sharing a quiz.

      It’s ok to lie!

      Even though they’re tempting, Terri Miller, a consumer education specialist at the FTC, says don’t take the bait.

      “One major way to protect your personal information — in addition to maintaining strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication — is to steer clear of online quizzes -- or just don’t answer them truthfully,” she said.

      Miller had some interesting advice on how to outsmart the tricksters. “As for accounts that require actual security questions, treat them like additional passwords and use random answers, preferably long ones, for those too. Asked to enter your mother’s maiden name? Say it’s something else: Parmesan or another word you’ll remember.

      Or use a password manager to store a unique answer. This way, scammers won’t be able to use the information they find to steal your identity,” she said.

      We’ve all – yes, probably all – have taken some sort of online quiz. What Hollywood star would be a perfect partner for you? What was your first car? Where...

      Considering a gym membership? Here’s what ConsumerAffairs reviewers say

      Our top five gyms draw ratings between 3.8 and 2.8 stars

      When January rolls around and the calendar flips to a new year, parking lots at fitness centers tend to suddenly be very crowded. There are a lot of New Year’s resolutions for improving health and fitness.

      There are also plenty of gyms and fitness centers that can help with that, but which ones are the best? We checked ConsumerAffairs reviews to see how they rate on a 5-star scale and here are our top five. We included only national chains and companies with more than 100 reviews.

      Anytime Fitness

      Anytime Fitness leads the pack. But like all health clubs, it has its share of detractors. Recent 1-star reviews seem to deal with club policies and complaints about local staff. Favorable reviews praise cleanliness, and on many occasions, local staff members.

      The majority of negative reviews have to do with cancelation policies, which seem to be restrictive industry-wide. 

      Planet Fitness

      Planet Fitness is close behind in second place, and a couple of things stand out in customer reviews. At different locations across the country reviewers comment on maintenance and customer support.

      “I just wanted to let someone know that the staff at PF Fredericksburg Costner Corner are amazing,” Angel, of Stafford, Va., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “They always have smiles and are cleaning some type of equipment. It is refreshing to know that the staff truly cares about fitness and customer service.”

      Curves International

      Curves International is a women-only club – one of the largest fitness franchise chains for women, with over 1,000 locations in the U.S. and internationally. It offers group fitness classes, weight loss support and personal coaching.

      “Very good customer service, clean place, great machines,” Blanca, of Reseda, Calif., told us during the early days of the pandemic. “Not so crowded, respectful crew.”

      Gold’s Gym

      Gold’s Gym, with a 2.9-star rating, is in fourth place. It has its share of gripes about membership and billing policies but gets a thumbs up from some customers for the quality and condition of equipment and the efficiency of the staff.

      24 Hour Fitness

      24 Hour Fitness, has a 2.8-star rating, dragged down in part by membership and cancelation policies. But even when things go wrong, at least one customer said the company made it right.

      “I have had some issue with the billing statement, so I sent an email to 24H (and) within an hour, the location general manager called back and left a void message, explaining the issue and how to fix it. After that, I've received confirmation email that the issue has been resolved,” Don, of Allen, Texas, told us. Impressive!

      According to our research, most gym memberships are paid in monthly dues which can range from around $10 to several hundred dollars a month, depending on the gym’s features and its location. 

      Consumers considering a gym membership should get all the details in writing in an official contract. If it is difficult to cancel, know that going in.

      Gym membership contracts and pricing schedules vary from company to company. Be sure to read the entire contract and ask questions before signing if you’re not sure what something means.

      When January rolls around and the calendar flips to a new year, parking lots at fitness centers tend to suddenly be very crowded. There are a lot of New Ye...

      Taxpayers can officially start filing 2022 taxes on January 23

      The deadline for filing is still set for April 18

      It’s official: tax season will start in just under two weeks. 

      The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that taxpayers can begin filing their 2022 taxes beginning on January 23. 

      In an effort to handle the over 168 million tax returns that are expected to be filed this year, the IRS has hired more support staff and put resources in place to help make the process easier for taxpayers. 

      “This filing season is the first to benefit the IRS and our nation’s tax system from multi-year funding in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Doug O’Donnell, acting IRS commissioner. “With these new additional resources, taxpayers and tax professionals will see improvements in many areas of the agency this year. 

      “We’ve trained thousands of new employees to answer phones and help people. While much work remains after several difficult years, we expect people to experience improvements this tax year. That’s just the start as we work to add new long-term transformation efforts that will make things even smoother in future years. We are very excited to begin to deliver what taxpayers want and our employees know we could do this with funding.” 

      What resources are available for taxpayers? 

      With just about four months to have all of the proper tax paperwork filed, it’s important for taxpayers to know what resources are available to them and what tips the IRS has for a smooth filing. 

      Should any questions come up during the process, the IRS urges taxpayers to first head to its website – IRS.gov. While the agency is taking steps to improve its phone-answering service, experts anticipate that the number of calls will remain higher than normal. To get answers as fast as possible, the website can be accessed at any time without having to wait on hold. 

      According to the IRS, the fastest way for taxpayers to receive their refunds is to file electronically with direct deposit. A prepaid debit card, mobile app, or bank account can all be linked to your 2022 return, which will help speed up the refund process. 

      The IRS explained that most taxpayers will see their refund hit their account within three weeks – as long as they use direct deposit. To track your refund, the Where’s My Refund feature is available. 

      The best way to avoid a delayed refund is to have all of your tax documents (W2s, 1099s, Social Security number, etc.) prepared and ready to go when it comes time to file. Reducing the likelihood that there are any errors on your return will help move the refund process along and avoid any late fees or penalties from the IRS. 

      For more tips, resources, and information on preparing for tax season, the IRS has more resources available here.

      It’s official: tax season will start in just under two weeks. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that taxpayers can begin filing their 2022 t...