Current Events in February 2023

It may sound like a carnival act, but new research shows that if someone knows your age, they can probably predict whether or not you’ve ever dropped and broken your cell phone.

Most of that onus is squarely on the shoulders of Americans under age 44, Recon Analytics found in a consumer study done in partnership with AT&T.

Out of those who self-admitted their oopses, 77% were between ages 18-29. Seventy-four percent of consumers between the ages 30 and 44 also fit into that category.

When it comes to furthering the fault-finding, those people in those demographics admitted that they had dropped their phone in the toilet or bathtub, thrown it against the wall, or were just a complete oaf and dropped their phone while removing it from their purse or pocket.

“Most people are clumsy,” Roger Entner, founder and analyst at Recon Analytics, told ConsumerAffairs. He said that for something people can spend as much as $1,000 on, they sure don’t take care of it.

But, does this mean you should get phone insurance?

With an estimated 1.5 phones being lost, stolen, or damaged every second, is the situation important enough that consumers should have phone insurance to protect against lost or stolen devices, accidental damage from handling physical or liquid damage, and out-of-warranty malfunctions?

Maybe.

If you paid good money for your phone and if having to repair or replace it would be very expensive for you, then it’s a “yes” if you can afford it, Todd Stern at The Money Manual told ConsumerAffairs.

Entner agrees. “If you’ve dropped your phone more than one time a year, insurance makes sense. On the other hand, phone insurance isn’t cheap. The younger you are, the more careless you are with your device which means that device insurance pays off,” he said.

Plus, if you’ve got small kids who handle your phone – or you could use some peace of mind – the extra protection could come in handy.

“As the mom of three young kids, I can tell you first hand - a smartphone is never out of arm’s reach for this generation,” Emily Wiper, vice president and general manager of AT&T New England, told ConsumerAffairs.

“Phones aren’t just a mechanism enabling traditional connection, they’re mobile research devices, calculators, and entertainment screens. One in four people lose or damage their device every year and that number is growing with a smartphone in exponentially more hands!”  

What should consumers look for – and how to get a good deal – on phone insurance

Stern agreed with Wiper, saying that at a minimum, consumers should look for an insurance plan that covers damage, lost phones, and theft. And if consumers take part in the insurance that the major carriers offer, they might get a wide number of devices covered under one umbrella.

For example, Wiper noted that AT&T’s plan covers connected laptops, tablets, and smartwatches – and all that does with those devices like battery chargers and SIM cards. 

Stern said that consumers might be surprised to find phone insurance might be already built into things they’d never even think about. He recommends that phone owners ask their credit card providers if there’s phone damage insurance that’s part of their arrangement.

One he pointed to was the Chase Freedom Flex card which provides a maximum of $800 per claim, with a limit of two claims per 12-month period, and a $50 deductible per claim.

“The catch is that you must use that credit card to pay your monthly phone bill,” he said.

There are other places consumers should look, too – especially renters.

“A lot of people don’t realize it, but many renters insurance policies will cover a cell phone under certain circumstances,” Sean Burgess, Lemonade's chief claims officer, told ConsumerAffairs.

“While theft is probably the most common, your phone is also covered for things like vandalism, fire, or other damages—even if you’re traveling abroad. If you’ve simply lost or misplaced your phone, however, your insurance policy isn’t likely to cover it.” 

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked for more information from Tesla and California authorities who are investing a weekend accident in which a Tesla plowed into a firetruck parked on a freeway.

One person was killed and another critically injured in the accident that occurred just days after a recall of nearly 363 thousand Tesla vehicles equipped with the company’s advanced driver assistance feature, which Tesla markets as Full Self-Driving Beta.

That followed a notice by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warning that in rare cases cars equipped with the technology could be in violation of state and local traffic laws. It said there could be an increased risk of an accident if the driver fails to intervene.

According to the most recent reports, it is not known what caused the accident or if the car was being operated in self-driving mode. While suspicion has focused on self-driving technology in other Tesla crashes, Matas Buzelis, the president of the Association of Automotive Intelligence and an automotive expert at carVertical, says it’s a complicated issue.

Safer than human drivers

He cites data provided by Tesla, along with government safety statistics, that show vehicles using a self-driving system caused 9.6 times fewer accidents than cars driven by humans.

“Perhaps there are situations when the autonomous system can’t really match the human driver in certain environmental perceptions,” Buzelis told ConsumerAffairs. “However, computers and sensors monitor so much more processes simultaneously when compared to human drivers. And that is the key to safer traffic.”

John Uustal, a founding partner of Kelley | Uustal Trial Attorneys, is a good bit more skeptical of the technology and says that the safety of consumers needs more attention. He says labeling the driver-assist technology as Autopilot is dangerously misleading.

"It’s crazy because Tesla admits that the driver needs to maintain control,” Uustal told us. “It’s not Autopilot. Tesla calls it Autopilot to drive sales, but this technology is killing innocent people."

Time will tell

Buzelis says the truth may become clearer as Tesla sales grow and there are more of these vehicles on American highways. He says if there is a direct correlation between more cars on the road and accidents, he expects accidents to go down, not increase.

In the latest crash, the Tesla Model S slammed into a firetruck that was parked in one lane of the freeway to protect first responders who were working another accident scene behind it. The Tesla did not change lanes to avoid the truck.

The NHSTA is currently looking into how Tesla’s autopilot system detects and responds to vehicles parked on highways and has opened a number of investigations into Tesla car accidents where Autopilot was suspected of being used.

If there’s any question about how important pet parents take responsibility for their pets, there there shouldn't be -- pet love is at an all-time high. A new survey of 2,000 dog owners confirms that, too, showing that four in five pet "parents" claim their dog’s wellness is every bit as important as their child’s. 

Many of those owners say they’re so in tune with their pet’s feelings that they know when they're happy, when they want to be petted, and is good to go energy-wise and mood-wise. 

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of pet food subscription company Ollie, the survey found that pet owners are used to their dog’s strange antics, like “trying to keep a neat environment,” “does a twirl when she’s begging for house food” and “sneezes for treats.”

Stressing out when things don’t seem right

Wholehearted pet love expands to concern, too – probably because unexpected pet illnesses can be very costly. Owners pay so much attention to their dog’s behavior, the average respondent said they get worried they’ll lose their dog four times every year.

Some of that starts the moment a pet parent detects something is wrong – 24% said they know their dog is sad when they stop eating, have low energy (23%) or cry or whine (22%).

The survey analysts said that, on average, pups exhibit even stranger “abnormal behavior” five times over a 12-month period. One pet owner said their dog was “constantly licking elbows,” while another said theirs “became lethargic and did not eat for a few days” and a third noticed their dog was “spinning around nonstop.”

“Your dog is uniquely yours; no one knows their quirks the way you do! This puts you, the pet parent, in an incomparable position to quickly identify changes in your pup’s normal behavior,” said Nicole Sumner, senior brand manager at Ollie. “These behavioral nuances could indicate something more serious.”

Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite

This prompts constant diligence for their pet’s wellness — even when it comes to sleeping. Many respondents said they try to ensure that their dog gets enough rest and do so by giving their dog a potty break before bed (39%), cuddle time before bed (37%) or a sleep supplement (34%). In fact, 35% are just as concerned about getting ready for their pet to go to bed as they are – implementing a bedtime/”lights out” time (69% said by 9pm for most dogs).

Nearly a fourth of the surveyed pet parents said their primary reason Fido gets a good night’s sleep is to make sure the pup has enough rest so they can be fully active the next day – a goal no matter how tired they personally are from their day.

Taking cues from the surveyed pet owners

What can dog owners take away from their fellow pet parents? ConsumerAffairs gleaned these three things from the survey that might come in handy:

Exercise: More than a third of owners also help their pup work up an appetite by exercising before meals (38%).

Meals: Caring for their canine carries over to mealtime where pet parents shared their tricks for getting their dog to eat, like giving them a variety of foods (43%) and having in-between snack times. 

Snacks: Owners see treat time as another way to care for their dog’s well-being by bonding and showing affection (50%), helping them manage stress or anxiety (46%) and boosting their nutrition (48%).

“Every dog is different, and every day contains slight deviations from the structure dogs crave,” Sumner said. “Dogs need a healthy mealtime and exercise routine to feel their best. We support pet parents and make it as easy as possible for them to give their dogs solid foundations for healthy lives.”

For those of us who’ve never donned a housekeeper’s uniform, we might assume that the precision and crispness of how a bed is made might be repeated at every other spot in a hotel room.

But, a new narrative by former hotel housekeeper Tara Richardson for Well + Good might have you bringing your own sanitary wipes and disinfectants the next time you head out on vacation.

Richardson says that when you consider that a housekeeper is expected to clean 15 to 20 rooms in an eight-hour shift, they’ve only got 30 minutes per room, tops. And once the bed is turned into a masterpiece, that leaves restocking the mini-bar, putting up new towels, dumping out the trash cans, refreshing the soap and shampoo supplies, vacuuming the floor, etc.

And Richardson claims that by the time the 30-minute limit dings, there are a number of things that are qualifiable “we’ll do that later” items that could send a clean freak overboard.

The five things that guests should avoid

The first item that Richardson says a germaphobe should avoid is the coffeemaker.

“Coffee makers are generally only superficially cleaned (a quick spray and wipe), as most hotels care more about appearance and speed as opposed to actual cleanliness,” Richardson said. “Coffee makers are rarely deep cleaned, meaning there are lots of bacteria and sometimes even mold growing inside because of stagnant water and improper cleaning.”

Avoiding the ice bucket might be a good move, too, because that plastic liner is nothing more than a prophylactic.

“I’ve personally seen ice buckets used as dog dishes, puke buckets, etc., and generally, the buckets are only superficially cleaned,” she said. “The water or ice is dumped, and then it’s just a quick dry with your dusting rag and maybe a spray with whatever all-purpose cleaner the hotel provides housekeeping staff with.”

And what goes hand in hand with the ice bucket? Glasses! And, those, too, made Richardson’s things-to-avoid list.

“Where I worked, drinking glasses and coffee cups were simply rinsed and wiped in the bathroom sink,” says Richardson. “We were not given dish soap nor was the glassware collected and taken to be properly washed in a dishwasher.”

Insider secrets

One insider secret that might have you bringing your own towel is that – at least in Richardson’s experience – housekeepers are often told not to replace them if they look clean so as to prevent them from getting overwashed and the laundry doesn’t get overwhelmed.

If this is concerning, Richardson suggests tracking down the housekeeper on your floor and asking for fresh towels and robes directly off of the cart because those are almost guaranteed to be clean.

While the appearance of a bed might look fresh as a daisy, Richardson warns that in most hotels, blankets and duvets/comforters are very rarely cleaned and changed out.

“Where I worked, unless there was a visible stain, blankets, duvets, and bedspreads were only taken down to laundry once a year,” Richardson said.

That once-a-year factoid spills over into cleaning “extras” like the mattress and pillow protectors, too, not to mention the mattresses getting flipped and the walls and curtains getting cleaned.

Bring your own cleaner? Really?

It may seem over the top, but Richardson suggests that if anyone is feeling her insights are a little alarming, then they should bring their own cleaning products the next time they travel.

“I always bring some disinfectant wipes with me and give anything I’ll be using in the room a quick wipe—light switches, remotes, phones, table tops, and doorknobs especially,” she says. 

Just in time for Spring Break travels, United Airlines announced its new system that will allow families to book seats next to each other for no additional cost. 

The new process is geared toward families with children under the age of 12 years old. Travelers will now be able to book adjoining seats for themselves and their young children without paying extra. 

“In an era where more families are working in a hybrid environment, they’re traveling more often – and they’re flying United,” said Linda Jojo, chief customer officer for United. “We’re focused on delivering a great experience for our younger passengers and their parents and know it often starts with the right seat. We look forward to rolling out more family-friendly features this year.” 

Updated seat maps will help families sit together

With this update, fliers will be automatically directed to a new seat map that will highlight seats that are next to each other. This will make it easier for parents to see where there are openings and where they’ll be able to sit with their kids. 

The new policy will also give travelers options when adjoining seats aren’t available. When traveling with kids on a flight that is full or when an aircraft gets changed, consumers will have the opportunity to switch their flight – at no cost – to get seats that are next to each other. 

The goal of this new system is for parents to avoid having to ask flight attendants or their fellow travelers to switch seats so their children can be next to them. 

Additionally, parents won’t have to worry about getting randomly assigned seats. The new policy will be available for travelers who purchase Basic Economy seats – a tier where seats are usually not assigned until fliers check in or get to their gates. 

There are a few tiers of tickets that won’t fall under this new policy, including: Economy Plus, United Polaris, and United First Class. 

United will begin rolling out these updates immediately, and all travelers will have access to them starting in the first week of March. 

In spite of a doubling of mortgage rates over the last 12 months, pricing millions of people out of the housing market, home prices have yet to crater. In fact, an industry report shows they’re still going up.

In its report on the fourth quarter of 2022, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found average U.S. home values went up 4% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 when mortgage rates were around 3%.

While that’s a smaller annual increase than the 8.6% rise in the third quarter, the median home value of $378,700 continues to put homeownership out of reach for many people. Home values have yet to fall except in a handful of housing markets.

Unfortunately, unless you are very affluent, that might not help much. According to the NAR report, San Francisco suffered the largest decline in median home values in the last quarter, with values falling 6.1%. However, even with the decline the median home value in that market is $1.23 million.

San Jose and Anaheim, Calif., have also seen home prices decline but the median home sale price is still north of $1 million.

Where prices are rising

Elsewhere, prices are still rising – especially in Florida. NAR reports the median home price in Sarasota is up 19.5% year-over-year. Prices are up 17.2% in Naples, 15.2% in Punta Gorda, and 14.5% in Daytona Beach.

But if fewer people are buying houses, how can prices keep going up? It’s a matter of supply and demand, according to NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

“Even with a projected reduction in home sales this year, prices are expected to remain stable in the vast majority of the markets due to extremely limited supply,” Yun said. “Moreover, there are signs that buyers are returning as mortgage rates decline, even with inventory levels near historic lows.”

Why most prices aren't falling

In short, new home construction has lagged behind demand for years. Now, with mortgage rates over 6%, current homeowners with low mortgage rates are less likely to plant a “for sale” sign in their front yard.

If there is any good news for would-be buyers it is this: even with double-digit price increases some attractive housing markets are still affordable. According to Redfin, January’s median home value in Myrtle Beach, S.C., was $270,500, well below the national median home price.

Meanwhile, buyers willing to wait a few months may be rewarded. As we recently reported,  Aaron Wagner, CEO of Development at Axia Partners and founder and managing partner at Wags Capital, believes home prices will begin to reset in the second quarter of this year, with some dramatic price reductions before the end of 2023.

If you’re paying more money each month to keep your credit card account current, but are seeing the loan balance continuing to rise, you’re in good company. A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said that’s the situation for a growing number of people.

By the end of 2022, credit card balances totaled $986 billion – an increase of $61 billion over the previous quarter. If that seems like a big number, it is. It’s the largest increase in credit card debt from one quarter to the next since the Fed began collecting that data in 1999.

It doesn’t stop with credit card debt. The report shows overall household debt, which includes mortgages, car loans and student loans – combined with credit card balances – surged to $16.9 trillion by the end of the year.

"Credit card balances grew robustly in the fourth quarter, while mortgage and auto loan balances grew at a more moderate pace, reflecting activity consistent with pre-pandemic levels," said Wilbert van der Klaauw, economic research advisor at the New York Fed. "Although historically low unemployment has kept consumers' financial footing generally strong, stubbornly high prices and climbing interest rates may be testing some borrowers' ability to repay their debts."

It’s happening

Actually, there’s evidence that is happening. A report by Moody’s Analytics shows that by the end of the year, nearly 10% of car loans extended to people with subprime credit scores were 30 days or more behind on payments at the end of 2022.

Car prices inflated last year and auto loan rates rise every time the Fed raises its federal funds rate, putting the squeeze on more people.

“The households that were on the financial ledge to begin with might have been tipped to the point where it’s hard to keep up on the car loan and everything else, and people have to make some very hard decisions,” Pamela Foohey, a professor at Cardozo School of Law, told the Wall Street Journal.

Sandwich generation

While fears of a recession have begun to recede, it doesn’t help the growing number of people who are struggling under a mountain of debt. A study by New York Life shows members of Gen X – a demographic that usually has older children and aging parents – use their credit cards the most. 

“While financial health and confidence for Americans may differ for myriad factors, it’s worth noting that women and Gen Xers, or those within the “Sandwich Generation,” are likely parent-caregivers, handling both parent or guardian and unpaid adult caregiving roles, often leading to greater levels of stress,” said Suzanne Schmitt, head of Financial Wellness at New York Life. 

Balance transfer credit cards with several months of 0% interest are a good option to quickly put a dent in a credit card balance. So is a personal loan, which often has an interest rate half of what credit cards charge.

The ConsumerAffairs Research Team has checked out both. Here’s what he found out about balance transfer cards and here’s the scoop on personal loans.

Spring Break 2023 will be nothing like what we’ve seen for the past three years. With the pandemic gone, students and families are going all in to recoup what they’ve lost – and they’re not being shy about paying for it.

Travel experts at Hopper told ConsumerAffairs that 60% of travelers expect to spend $500 or more on their trip this year and another 33% plan to spend over $1,000!

Where will a dollar produce the best return? The first thing Hopper’s team said needs to be done is book now if you’re taking a trip in March. If you’re not going until April, then, booking needs to be done no later than the end of February.

How much can you expect to pay this year?

In its new analysis, Spring Break Travel Outlook, Hopper’s team pored through historical data on airfares and hotel prices to determine just how much travelers are going to have to fork over to make Spring Break worthwhile. 

Warm will attract throngs: If you need a break from winter, then you’re going to be part of the throngs in the five most booked destinations: Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Miami. As for the Caribbean, Mexico (warning!) and Central American destinations, Hopper’s team says it's seen a 25% surge in demand. 

The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) says that travelers can expect throngs of people going through U.S. airports, too. The agency advises anyone who’s not big on standing in line that if they enroll in TSA PreCheck, most can expect to wait less than five minutes at TSA checkpoints. 

Flights: Demand has pushed domestic airfare for trips in March and April to $264 per ticket; an increase of 20% compared to 2022. 

Hopper’s analysts shared an inside tip with ConsumerAffairs that booking your getaway to depart on Wednesday can save as much as 33% (or $92 per ticket!) off of peak weekend prices. 

Cars: Car rentals this Spring Break will average $56 per day.

Homes and Hotels: Rental homes in markets like New York City, Atlanta, and Tampa are all averaging under $300 per night. 

Hotels for Spring Break are currently averaging $316 per night, a 64% increase over last year. However, Hopper offered two tips that could save you money:

• Book your hotel at the last minute to save 30% in big cities: “Hotels in large cities have to compete with many other, similar hotels to capture your reservation,” Hopper’s lead economist, Hayley Berg said. However, keep in mind that holding out for a last-minute deal is a gamble. 

• Stay on off-peak days: Hopper analysts say you can save $45 per night on average by checking in on off-peak days like Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. You’ll pay a 25% premium on average to check in over the weekend. 

Should you insure your trip?

With all the weather-related cancelations and meltdowns the travel industry has suffered in the past few months, travel insurance might be something worth considering. However, you need to ask questions and be prepared for if, and, or but scenarios.

Take the Southwest fiasco, for example. Travel insurance experts at Squaremouth said that when it comes to flight delays, “trip delay benefits can reimburse for things like meals, and even a hotel stay, if a traveler is unexpectedly delayed or has a flight canceled, as long as the length of the delay satisfies the policy's requirement.”

They also point out that most travel insurance providers require a delay ranging from three to 12 hours before benefits become eligible, and most policies provide between $500 and $2,000 per traveler.

And baggage delays? The benefit that travel insurance provides is that the traveler “may” be reimbursed for “replacement items” while their luggage is being retrieved – clothing, toiletries, phone chargers, etc.

The wrinkle is that most travel insurance providers require a delay of between 12 and 24 hours, with benefit limits from $250 to $1,000. Squaremouth also noted that baggage delay benefits are sometimes subject to daily limitations, depending on the plan. 

However, if a bag is permanently lost or damaged, there’s a coverage limit, a per-item limit, and a specific item limit. This benefit may not necessarily cover expensive items, such as cameras or jewelry.

Lent will be here before you know it (February 22-April 5) and fast food chains across the country are gearing up for foodies looking for seafood on-the-go. 

Popeye’s isn’t forsaking chicken for fish, but it is bringing back its Flounder Fish sandwich and the Shrimp Tackle Box has returned to its menu board at its U.S. locations. They're available in both Classic or Spicy varieties. 

Diners also have the option of mixing things up by requesting a Surf and Turf box, which comes with four crispy butterfly shrimp, two chicken tenders, a biscuit, and a regular side.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers and 7-Eleven are also bringing back fish sandwiches. Freddy’s version will be available throughout Lent, but 7-Eleven’s fried pollock sandwich is available for $2 on Fridays.

Going beyond Lent with tater tots and cauliflower

Chains are also thinking outside the fish box. Hardee’s and its sister chain Carl’s Jr. are bringing Philly cheesesteak-themed items for a return engagement.

In a major detour from being pizza-dependent, Domino’s has introduced a line of loaded potato tots in Philly Cheese Steak, Cheddar Bacon, and Melty 3-Cheese configurations.

After a successful trial in Alabama, Taco Bell is also jumping on the melty bandwagon by introducing a Crispy Melt Taco. Not to be left out of having its footprint in cheesy things, Cracker Barrel says it’s permanently added a bacon, egg, and cheese “pancake taco.” 

Chick-fil-A is going off-ramp, too, testing – of all things – a fried cauliflower sandwich. The company said that it’s part of the plant-forward movement that places vegetables at the center of the entrée but is trying to stay on course so its chicken sandwich lovers might find it enticing enough to try.

In a company announcement, Chick-fil-A said the preparation of the cauliflower sandwich is similar to the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich – marinated, breaded with a signature seasoning, pressure-cooked, and served on a toasted buttery bun with two dill pickle chips.

Despite inflation starting to slow down, we shouldn’t expect the entire spectrum to cave and get back to days of a dozen eggs or loaf of bread for 99 cents. In fact, the world’s biggest food company – Nestlé – says the price that consumers will pay for staples will jump even higher this year.

In an earnings call, company CEO Mark Schneider said that consumers aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch, either.

“We are still in a situation where we’re repairing our gross margin and, like all the consumers around the world, we’ve been hit by inflation and now we’re trying to repair the damage that has been done,” he said.

Schneider didn't let Nestlé off the hook, either. He was candid in saying that the company boosted prices by 8.2% in 2022, but it could’ve been worse because that eight-point jump was far from offsetting Nestlé’s own costs.

Schneider didn’t go through a punch list of how his company’s 2,000 products would be priced going forward, but did say that it’s not making broad-based price increases, but very targeted by category and situation. 

Grocers trying to stem the tide

Grocers are walking on eggshells, too. Whole Foods, Hy-Vee, and Walmart are reportedly encouraging their major suppliers to bring prices back down to an acceptable level. The much smaller regional grocer Hy-Vee said it and some of its peers are doing the same.

Some of the grocer-side assistance will likely include private label brands – such as the “Kirkland” brands that Costco offers and almost everything inside an Aldi or Trader Joe’s. Bank of America Research said private labels accounted for 21.9% of total food sales at the end of 2022, up a tad from 2021.

Inflation is making everyday expenses more costly and pet care is no exception. Not only are food and grooming costs rising but so are veterinarian bills.

Pet experts say the national average cost for a dog’s routine check-up at the vet can run between $50 to $250. On an annual basis, Americans spend as much as $1,500 on their dogs’ routine wellness check-ups, along with dental care, lab tests and vaccines. With inflation, those costs are likely to move higher.

Pet insurance can limit the financial risk for pet owners, as well as guarantee quality care for their furry family members. Sean Burgess, chief claims officer at Lemonade, a pet insurance provider, says pet treatment costs have risen sharply in the last decade. 

“Treatments for illnesses like cancer and chronic conditions like diabetes can end up costing pet owners tens of thousands of dollars without pet insurance,” Burgess told ConsumerAffairs. “Plus, emergency medical treatments and hospital stays can set pet owners back thousands of dollars in a flash.”

There are lots of options

When shopping for pet insurance, you should know that it’s a lot like health care coverage for people. Different plans cover different things.

For example, some policies cover unexpected vet bills, such as an injury to your pet. Others cover routine health services. Some cover both. Being able to customize the coverage you want usually helps make sure your pet gets expert care while saving you money.

“Lemonade allows you to customize policies by including optional preventative care packages and add-ons, plus, when you apply you can adjust your annual deductible, co-insurance, and annual limit to find the premium price and coverage that works for you,” Burgess said.

For example, Lemonade’s policy add-ons include:

• Vet visit fees

• Physical therapy

• Dental Illness

• End of life & remembrance

• Behavioral conditions

More pets are being insured each year

According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), around 3.45 million pets were insured across the United States and Canada by the end of 2020. Increasing vet bills is likely a significant driver of the growth. 

But Burgess says it’s also indicative of the strong bond between people and their pets, who are often considered a member of the family.

“Pet insurance gives you the peace of mind that you'll have coverage when big-ticket vet bills come up, so you aren't left making decisions based on cost when it comes to your pet's care,” he said. “As opposed to a dedicated pet savings account, pet insurance offsets the costs so you aren't left draining your savings on veterinary care, so you can save towards other things that matter.”

The ConsumerAffairs Research Team has done a deep dive into pet insurance to help you pick the right coverage. Check out our findings here.

As tax season continues to ramp up, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is preparing for an influx of calls from taxpayers looking for assistance on their returns. 

The agency explained that President’s Day weekend marks one of the busiest times of the tax season, and to try to get ahead of this, the IRS is encouraging taxpayers to utilize online tax resources – rather than calling the IRS phone lines. 

“The IRS continues to see improvements this tax season compared to previous years, including better phone service,” said Doug O’Donnell, IRS acting commissioner. “But we always see a significant surge in phone traffic around Presidents Day. 

“With the calendar advancing, millions of people turn their attention to taxes during this period. To avoid potential delays, we encourage people to check IRS.gov first, which can provide much of the same information instantly to taxpayers.” 

Some of the online resources available to taxpayers include: 

• The IRS’ frequently asked questions page

• The Tax Withholding Estimator

• The Interactive Tax Assistant

• Where’s My Refund?

• The IRS Services Guide

• IRS Free File 

• The Let Us Help You page 

New online features make the filing process easier

In addition to trying to help taxpayers get assistance with their tax returns as quickly as possible, the IRS also announced that taxpayers will be able to upload more documents to their online accounts. 

Rather than having to send in any of these forms by mail, taxpayers can upload them, and work to get an answer and their problem solved much faster than it would typically take. 

Effective for the 2022 tax season, taxpayers will be able to upload the following documents digitally to their IRS accounts: 

• CP75 and CP75a, relating to the Earned Income Tax Credit

• CP75d, relating to the Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits

• CP09, related to claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit 

• CP06 and C096a, relating to the Premium Tax Credit

• CP04, relating to combat zone status 

• CP05a, information request related to a refund

• CP08, relating to the Child Tax Credit 

When the IRS sends a request for more information, the letter will contain a link and an access code. Once taxpayers open the link, they’ll have to provide the access code and personal information – like their Social Security number or tax identification number – to ensure their identity is legitimate. From there, they’ll be able to upload the necessary documentation. 

“This provides immediate benefit to taxpayers, who have nearly instant confirmation that documents were received by the IRS,” O’Donnell said. “This means people can have their issues resolved much faster, including getting refunds to affected taxpayers faster.” 

If anyone needs proof that cybercriminals leave no stone unturned, all they need to do is check out this claim from MakingUseOf (MUO): Clicking on Google search results could cost you all your passwords!

This new twist on phishing is built around attracting eyeballs to the very top of Google’s search results where Google’s algorithms attempt to reflect the things someone is looking for or a paid placement by a company.

MUO said that these evil-doers might include an excerpt taken from a dictionary or a website, a range of similar questions to your query, two or three ads, and then the actual search results from Google.

And if someone clicks on one of the fabricated links or ads, they’re immediately transported to a brilliantly spoofed website where a hacker will gladly take passwords, personally identifiable information, and other important digital credentials off their hands.

MUO’s David Rutland pointed to Microsoft Outlook as a prime example. He said that if a user was searching for “Outlook help” and clicked on a malicious link, they could easily wind up at what they think is a real Microsoft-driven site where they put in their Outlook username and password to log in.

“The visual style of most of these elements is different enough from the meat of the results that it's easy to scan past them and scroll down,” Rutland wrote. “The adverts, however, are not immediately recognizable. They use the same link color as regular results, and have the same length of summary and selection of site links to URLs within the website.” 

And to an unassuming user, that could spell trouble – particularly for older users.

“Clicking adverts by accident is a familiar and frustrating feeling. It's made worse by the fact that there's a tendency among older computer users to simply type the name of the service they want to use into the search field and then click on the top result, rather than type in the actual URL,” Rutland said.

Google comments

When ConsumerAffairs asked Google to verify MUO’s claims, a spokesperson said it is, indeed, aware of what’s going on, and it’s voluminous – to the tune of blocking over 100 million phishing attempts every day. Nonetheless, the company said it’s doing everything it can to get these hackers out of its – and our – lives.

“Bad actors often employ sophisticated measures to conceal their identities and evade our policies and enforcement. To combat this over the past few years, we’ve launched new certification policies, ramped up advertiser verification, and increased our capacity to detect and prevent coordinated scams. We are aware of the recent uptick in fraudulent ad activity. Addressing it is a critical priority and we are working to resolve these incidents as quickly as possible.”

Safety suggestions for consumers

Google said that even though it’s the company’s job to do everything it can to block bad ads on its platform, “sometimes bad actors can temporarily evade our detection.” 

To help consumers prevent being sucked up in this fake ad vortex, Google shared some tips and tools. 

Learn more about the ads you see and the advertisers behind them: Google said that by clicking on the three dots that appear next to an ad, a user can go to My Ad Center which includes basic information about the advertiser, including whether or not they are a verified business. 

When ConsumerAffairs tried out that trick, we have to admit it was pretty impressive. Not only were we shown when the source was first indexed by Google, but also if our connection to the site was secure or not.

It also has a nifty feature where a user can remove a specific search result so it doesn’t pop up in the future.

In the coming months, Google said it will be rolling out additional transparency tools so that searchers can learn even more about the advertisers behind an ad.

Spot malicious behavior and double-check URLs: Hackers love big brands because if someone is in a hurry to get something fixed or a question answered, they may not take the time to fully inspect the validity of a site’s URL or whether a phone number is real or not. And, being careless can lead to being fleeced by a cybercrook pretending to be one of those big brands.

To get around that issue, Google recently started adding site names to search results and ads on mobile, so users can more easily identify the website that’s associated with each result at a glance.

“You should always be wary if someone is urgently requesting you to do something like send money, provide personal information, or click on a link. Chances are, it could be a scam,” the company said.

Enroll in 2-Step Verification (2SV): Google – as well as Apple and Microsoft – have been working toward a passwordless future, but we’re not there yet, so for now, passwords are here to stay. And that calls for extra precaution.

Google is encouraging everyone to, at minimum, enroll in 2-Step Verification (2SV). Taking that step adds another layer of protection to online accounts by requiring the user to not only enter their password, but an additional piece of information as well. 

“This way, if your password is stolen, a bad actor still needs more information to gain access to your account. And to keep those credentials safe in the first place, we also encourage the use of Google Password Manager,” the company told ConsumerAffairs.

“Google Password Manager will not only create unique passwords that are hard to crack but will also store them all for you so you don’t need to keep that little piece of paper in your drawer you write them all down on.”

There’s finally some good news for Hyundai and Kia owners worried about their cars being stolen.

After a Tik Tok social media challenge last year show that those brands’ vehicles were easy to steal and, therefore, an insurance risk, the automakers have developed theft deterrent software for the millions of their vehicles that lack an immobilizer. The extra good news is that Hyundai and Kia will provide it free of charge to vehicle owners. 

The companies also got brownie points from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because the new software updates the theft alarm software logic to extend the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on.

NHTSA urges owners of these vehicles to contact Hyundai (toll-free at 800-633-5151) or Kia (toll-free at 800-333-4542) for information on the free update.

What Kia and Hyundai owners can expect

The Hyundai rollout begins with model year 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata and 2020-2021Venue vehicles.

Randy Parker, CEO, Hyundai Motor America, said that those were priortized because they are the company's biggest-selling vehicles and those most targeted by thieves. Details on distribution to other models and model years can be found on Hyundai's website.

A spokesperson for Kia told ConsumerAffairs that the automaker has already begun offering and installing the software, and will continue to do so in phases. Kia owners with questions may contact our Customer Care team directly at 1-800-333-4542.

The NHTSA acknowledged that Hyundai owners should be on the lookout for a window sticker alerting would-be thieves that the vehicle is equipped with anti-theft protection. The company will begin sending out the stickers in a phased approach beginning later this month, with subsequent phases over the next several months. The same holds true for software updates.

As a bonus, the companies have also been working with law enforcement agencies to provide steering wheel locks. However, the distribution of those locks has been limited so far according to the agency and to date those locks have been available from 77 law enforcement agencies in 12 states. NHTSA encourages interested vehicle owners to contact local law enforcement to see if a wheel lock is available.

Of all the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, Tesla has been the most aggressive at building a charging infrastructure. But its charging stations will only repower Tesla cars.

Now, that’s about to change. CEO Elon Musk has pledged to the White House that the company will install 7,500 charging stations across the nation by the end of 2024. It’s a jump-start to the Biden administration’s plan to add 500,000 new charging stations by 2030.

In addition to Tesla, Ford, GM, and ChargePoint also committed to supporting the installation of charging stations.

In addition to limited range, one of the knocks on EVs is the time it takes to recharge the vehicle’s battery. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Level 1 charging – using the outlet you might have in your garage, can take 40 to 50 hours to fully charge an empty battery.

As part of Tesla’s agreement with the U.S. government to build 7,500 charging stations, the company plans to install at least 3,500 of the company’s 250-kilowatt Superchargers along interstate highways. The remaining 4,000 stations will be Level 2 chargers that can take several hours.

Used Tesla prices are falling

While the White House is trying to encourage the use of EVs, at least one data point suggests it has its work cut out for it. A study by iSeeCars.com found the price of used Teslas is falling faster than other used cars.

A late model Tesla Model 3 – the company’s entry-level car – lost the most ground. The average price fell from $44,987 to $42,633, a decline of 5.2%. That suggests an oversupply of owners seeking a trade and less than enthusiastic demand.

Americans seem closely divided over the idea of phasing out gasoline engine vehicles by the year 2035 and many are on the fence about whether they themselves would purchase a chief alternative: an electric car or truck.

A recent Pew Research Center report found 47% of U.S. adults support a proposal to phase out the production of gasoline-powered cars and trucks, while 51% oppose it.

A more recent study by J.D. Power found that 80% of people who purchase an EV are happy with their car and said they would do it again.

"Making the initial leap of faith into owning a BEV (battery electric vehicle) is proving to be very satisfying," said Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive at J.D. Power. "We know from our research that many consumers have concerns during the purchase consideration process with aspects like battery range and vehicle charging. However, once someone has purchased a BEV, they're pretty much hooked."