Current Events in March 2024

How many “smart” devices are in your home? And how many are vulnerable to hackers?

Those are not questions many consumers ask themselves but should. Thermostats, garage door openers – anything that can be controlled using your smartphone – are connected to the internet.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is creating a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for Internet of Things (IoT) devices and other consumer-facing products that rely on an internet connection. The idea is to make consumers more aware that these devices are connected to the internet and, just like PCs and tablets, need protection.

Dominic Chorafaklis, a principal at cybersecurity firm Akouto, says the FCC’s move is a step in the right direction but that a lot more needs to be done.

How concerned are manufacturers about security?

“The companies that make consumer IoT devices tend to be more concerned about keeping their products cheap and simple than about making them secure, which does come at a cost,” he told ConsumerAffairs. “Even when security features are built in, they often rely on consumers taking steps to enable them and configure them correctly.”

And many times, consumers don’t. They often keep the default login, which tends to be very simple and very hackable.

Tim Mackey, head of Software Supply Chain Risk Strategy at Synopsys Software Integrity Group, says the U.S. is just catching up with the rest of the developed world by taking this step.

“From a consumer perspective, this new program is completely voluntary,” Mackey said. “That means that we won’t suddenly see an influx of certified devices on store shelves or from online retailers. Instead, consumers should expect to see manufacturers who take cybersecurity seriously aggressively pursuing certification.”

Some will and some won’t. Mackey says consumers should look for the certification label and QR code when shopping for smart devices because their security will be the most robust.

The weakest link

Maria-Kristina Hayden is CEO and founder of OUTFOXM, a cyber hygiene and resiliency company. She comes from a background in U.S. intelligence, where cybersecurity is a top priority. She points out that one weak IoT device in a home can grant an attacker access to all other devices on that home network.

“Consumers must be provided with easy-to-understand instructions about choosing secure IoT devices and how to configure settings,” she told us. “This is where the FCC's proposal should really help.”

The FCC says the smart products covered by its new rule and that meet certain requirements will be able to use the label on packaging and advertising, similar to the ENERGY STAR label that shows that a product is energy efficient. Outside, accredited research labs will perform the testing.

Consumers dealing with sticky inflation for a number of everyday purchases are finding no relief at the gas pump. Fuel prices have risen sharply over the last four weeks.

According to AAA, the national average price of regular gas is $3.49 a gallon. That's about 10 cents higher than a week ago but the price is nearly 20 cents higher than a month ago. A 15 gallon fillup costs $3 more than it did in mid-February.

The only saving grace is the fact that regular gas costs about the same as it did a year ago. Even so, nearly everything else costs more.

“The national average price of gasoline has risen for the third straight week,” Patrick DeHaan, head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, wrote in a post on X. “We're about two cents above a year ago, and are likely to keep heading higher.”

DeHaan points out that the U.S. has entered the period when oil refineries begin making summer-grade fuel, which is more costly than the gasoline used during the winter months. At the same time, oil prices have been moving steadily higher.

Now that spring has arrived, motorists are driving a little more. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports gasoline demand is slowly rising. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks recently dropped by 5.6 million barrels to 234.1 million barrels, which is also putting pressure on prices.

Prices are rising fastest in Michigan. The statewide average price of regular gas there has increased by 10 cents in the last week and 40 cents a gallon over the last month.

Here are the states with the most expensive regular gasoline:

These are the states with the lowest prices for regular gasoline:

As Target plans to release its new membership program and revamp the store experience for shoppers, the retailer has also announced its plans to update the checkout process. 

From now on, there will be Express Self-Checkout. Previously, customers could self-checkout with any number of items. Now, shoppers will be limited to 10 or fewer items. 

“Today, ease and convenience are top of mind, so to learn more about guests’ self-checkout preferences, we piloted the concept of Express Self-Checkout with limits of 10 items or fewer at about 200 stores last fall,” the company wrote in a statement. “The result: self-checkout was twice as fast at our pilot stores. 

“By having the option to pick self-checkout for a quick trip, or a traditional, staffed lane when their cart is full, guests who were surveyed told us the overall checkout experience was better, too.” 

The new checkout experience

Target will update the self-checkout experience at most of its 2,000 stores across the country. This means that shoppers will no longer be able to go to the self-checkout lanes with a full cart. 

However, Target explained that individual stores will have the freedom to gauge traffic and determine how they want to handle self-checkout during less busy times. While the goal is to have Express Self-Checkout in effect during peak hours to speed up the checkout process, when stores are less busy, employees can decide whether or not to keep self-checkout as it's always been. 

The retailer also said that it’s tweaking its checkout structure in other ways, including the addition of  more cashier lanes, also speeding up the process.

Additionally, store managers will be able to open up more cashier lanes at any time depending on store traffic each day. 

“Checking out is one of the most important moments of the Target run, and we know that a fast, easy experience – whether at self-checkout or the lanes staffed by our friendly team members – is critical to getting guests on their way quickly,” the company said. “We’ll continue evolving to match guests with the right checkout options so they can get what they need.” 

February’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose more than expected but inflation over the last 12 months has moderated, rising at a rate of 3.2%. But some things that consumers pay for regularly have gone up a lot more, and these expenses may be causing the most pain.

Car insurance, car repair and maintenance, renting or owning a home, pet care and child care are steadily increasing, putting a dent in most household budgets.

One of the biggest pain points is car insurance. Over the last 12 months, the cost of insuring a motor vehicle has shot up by 20%. It didn’t go down in February, rising 0.9%.

Industry experts point to several reasons for the increase. They say there are more serious traffic accidents and the costs of parts and labor to have risen. When vehicles are a total loss, the costs of replacing them are also higher.

And it costs more to keep them running

Not only is it costing more to insure cars and trucks, but repair and maintenance costs have risen 6.7% since February 2023. Those costs were up 0.4% in February.

Next is shelter, which rose in cost by 0.4% last month and is 5.7% higher than February 2023. Renters faced a 0.4% one-month increase with rents up 5.8% year-over-year. 

Shelter wasn’t any cheaper for homeowners. Owners’ equivalent of rent expense rose 0.4% for the month and is 6% higher than a year ago.

The cost of caring for a pet is also still rising. Veterinarian services rose 0.9% last month and are up 7.9% yearly.

Caring for children also costs more. Childcare services are lumped in with tuition and school fees, all of which went up 0.4% in February and are 3% higher on the year.

While it’s true that some costs have actually gone down – like airfares – they aren’t costs that consumers usually have to pay each month.

When puppy parents go away for a few hours, they usually feel safe leaving their dog to their own devices. Maybe the same thing goes for a night if the pet has enough food and water to hold them over.

But, when multiple nights are a factor, the pet owners face a different problem: take their pet with them, get a sitter or board the pet.

Taking your pooch along for the ride can be involved and not every trip, be it on the road or in the air, is as easy as everyone would like. 

Recently, CertaPet investigated the costs of boarding a dog at a sitter’s home vs. hiring a dog sitter to come to your own home in the 50 most populous cities around the U.S. would shake out.

So, the company’s researchers jumped into Rover.com with both – er, all four – paws to find out. They searched the costs of boarding vs. sitting for one medium-sized dog (16-40lbs) in 50 of the largest U.S. cities and collected the average cost of the first 20 listings.

Then, using the nightly cost of boarding vs. sitting, they calculated an overall annual cost, based on a standard two weeks of paid vacation time.

The bigger the town, the better the deal

You might think that the bigger the place you live in, the more likely you are to pay more for boarding, but actually, out of 50 of the largest U.S. cities cited in the study, 10 came out on top for saving the most annually from boarding vs. sitting, based on a two-week vacation. 

Philadelphia and Los Angeles were within a dollar of each other as the two cities with the largest annual savings going the boarding route. Philadelphia landed the number one spot for saving $336.70 per year by boarding vs. sitting, and Los Angeles came in second place for saving $335.30 per year. 

Things drop about $40 at that point. Atlanta, San Francisco, Tampa, and St. Louis are all members of the $200 savings club, and Denver, Detroit, Houston, and Providence all came in with annual savings somewhere between $180-$200.

“Overall, every city shows some amount of savings for boarding over sitting except for one, Minneapolis,” the researchers noted. “In Minneapolis, the average cost to board your furry friend in a sitter’s home matches the cost of a pet sitter watching your pup at your house; so, Minneapolis folks should take advantage of Rover’s sitting option, where your dog can be cared for in a familiar environment.”

Things change when the boarding time is shorter

If you only need to board your pet for a night, then you should move to Oklahoma City, Memphis, St. Louis, or Jacksonville. Averaging $30.45 per night, Oklahoma City has the cheapest rate for boarding your pooch at a sitter’s house. Then, in a near three-way tie for second, St. Louis, Jacksonville, and Memphis all come in at under $32 per night. 

On the high end, it’s New York City and the Bay Area with the highest costs per night for boarding your pooch – $61 a night for the Big Apple and $59.25 per night in San Jose and San Francisco. 

Dog owners who would prefer their pet to stay in the comfort of their own homes can find sitters in a few cities who offer cost-effective services.

With an average cost of $36.45 per night, Indianapolis is the cheapest city in the U.S. to hire a pet sitter. Then, Louisville ($36.60), Memphis ($38.25), Kansas City ($38.40), Virginia Beach ($38.45), Jacksonville ($38.70), and Richmond ($39.40). 

San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York hold the highest nightly costs for a pet sitter, with each averaging anywhere from $70-$80 per night. 

You could ask a friend to pet sit, but…

If you think you could share your dog-sitting duties with a friend, “Dear Amy” – syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson – says that there may be a price to pay there, too – the price of friendship.

“Friends ask us regularly to watch their dog, but never offer us any compensation. We are not asking for cash, but a gift card would be nice,” wrote Dog-Tired, one of Dear Amy’s readers.

“They ask us to do this every year for one week in the summer, and then other periods throughout the year, usually lasting for a few days, and sometimes for several days at Christmastime. We live very nearby. As former dog owners, we understand the work and time involved in managing dogs for a week, [but] reciprocity has been minimal at best (a 12-pack beer, for example). While we don’t mind dog-watching, it really bothers us that they don’t realize our time is valuable and that a cursory thank you is not enough.”

Amy didn’t mince words in her response, flat-out telling Dog-Tired that what they call “minimalist,” she calls “cheap.”

“The way to deal with this and also preserve the relationship is to be enthusiastic about your willingness to do this for them, and very straightforward about your terms. Given that you also pet sit for other friends (you’re obviously skilled, trustworthy and responsible), why don’t you go into [the pet sitting] business for yourself? [like at Rover or the DIY way],” Amy wrote. 

“Before the next time they come to you to schedule this ‘favor,’ put the word out with your Friday friend group that you’ve registered with a pet care site as a way to continue to do this thing that you enjoy – and to make some extra income. Offer to send them a link to your page on the site. You can offer them a 'Friend and Fido' discount if you’re inclined. If they decline to book you – no problem!”

Amazon shoppers have gotten used to the surplus of Prime Day sales events – one typically in mid-summer and another in the first weeks of fall. 

Now, Amazon will host a new sales event – the Big Spring Sale. Starting at 3 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 20, and running through 3 a.m. ET on Monday, March 25, the Big Spring Sale is an opportunity for shoppers to save on thousands of items.  

“You’ll find discounts on warm-weather essentials like spring fashion, outdoor furniture, lawn and garden essentials, cleaning and organizing products, and more," the company said in a statement.

The sale is open to all customers

The Big Spring Sale differs from the Prime Day sales in a few ways. For starters, it’s much longer. Prime Day is usually a 48-hour period full of sales for shoppers. The Big Spring Sale will give shoppers six days to make the most of the savings. 

Additionally, this upcoming sale isn’t exclusive to Prime members – all shoppers are encouraged to participate. While there will be exclusive offers for Prime members, all Amazon customers can shop this upcoming sale. 

Some of the early deals Amazon has released ahead of the sale include: 

• Up to 50% off select beauty products

• Up to 50% off select sports and outdoor equipment

• Up to 40% off select home products

• Up to 40% off select spring apparel

• Up to 40% off select electronics

• 19% off Amazon brand coffee pods

• Spend $60, get $15 Amazon Credit on spring cleaning supplies

• Get $15 when you spend $60 on eligible allergy products

• Up to 18% off Samsung tablets

• Up to 40% off Fire TV devices

• Up to 43% off Samsung monitors

• Up to 50% off Blink Outdoor Camera Systems

• Up to 20% off Sonos speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers

• Up to 38% off Sony headphones 

• Up to 37% off iRobot Roomba vacuums and Brava mops

• Up to 50% off Shark Uprights, carpet cleaner, 3-in-1 cleaner, and more

• Up to 50% off Amazon Essentials Men’s and Women’s Apparel and Accessories

Amazon plans to announce new deals during each day of the sales event, and more information on the sale can be found here. 

Taylor Fresh Foods is recalling Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Salad Kits.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There are no reported illnesses to date.

The recalled product comes in a 12.76 oz. container with UPC 681131305440 – Code dates starting with “TFRS” and BEST If Used By dates on or before Feb 21, 2024.

It was sold at Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it, but discard or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with any questions may contact the firm at (855) 455-0098 Monday through Friday, 8am -- 5pm (PST).

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 186,588 model year 2015-2016 Elantras.

The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside.

A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will replace the trunk latch base sub-assembly free of charge.

Notification letters are expected to be mailed to owners by April 15, 2024.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (855) 371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 256.

Gone are the days of Airbnb hosters having indoor security cameras in their rental properties. 

The company has announced that moving forward, all indoor security cameras will be banned from rental properties around the globe. 

Before this announcement, hosts were allowed to have security cameras in common spaces, like hallways or living rooms. The main caveat was that cameras weren’t allowed in private areas, like bedrooms or bathrooms, and rental descriptions had to explicitly state the presence of cameras. 

However, that is no longer the case. Starting April 30, indoor cameras will no longer be allowed in Airbnb’s rental properties for any purpose and regardless of any prior warnings. 

“Our goal was to create new, clear rules that provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect on Airbnb,” said Juniper Downs, head of community policy and partnerships at Airbnb. “These changes were made in consultation with our guests, hosts, and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community.” 

New rules on outdoor cameras, too

In addition to the indoor camera ban, Airbnb is also making adjustments to its rules on outdoor security cameras. 

While these are still allowed, hosts will be required to disclose the use and location of any outdoor cameras before guests book their stay. The cameras must also be strictly focused on the outdoor area of the property, without catching any indoor footage. 

Additionally, Airbnb is putting limitations on where hosts can have outdoor cameras. Any outdoor areas like saunas or showers must be free of security cameras. 

As part of these new regulations, hosts will also be required to inform renters if they’re utilizing any noise decibel monitors. These units must only be placed in common areas, and they must only be used as a means of measuring sound – not recording or transmitting conversations. 

Airbnb plans to enact these changes starting on April 30, giving hosts time to get into compliance with the new rules. The company stated that the majority of Airbnb listings don’t have security cameras, and these new regulations aren’t likely to greatly impact renters or hosts. 

Just in time for the spring housing market, conditions for buyers are improving again. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports mortgage rates fell last week after rising toward 8%. Not surprisingly, demand for mortgages increased.

“Mortgage rates dropped below 7% last week for most loan types because of incoming economic data showing a weaker service sector and a less robust job market, with an increase in the unemployment rate and downward revisions to job growth in prior months,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s chief economist. 

Fratantoni said mortgage applications for home purchases increased 7.1% but that was still 11% below last year’s level. 

“By contrast, refinance volume picked up by 12%, with a larger, 24% increase in the government refinance index," he said. "While these percentage increases are large, the level of refinance activity remains quite low, and we expect that most of this activity reflects borrowers who took out a loan at or near the peak of rates in the past two years.”

The average rates

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($766,550 or less) decreased to 6.84% from 7.02%, with points decreasing to 0.65 from 0.67 for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $766,550) decreased to 7.04% from 7.21%, with points increasing to 0.38 from 0.36 for 80% LTV loans.  

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA decreased to 6.77% from 6.86%, with points increasing to 0.95 from 0.90 for 80% LTV loans.

The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 6.37 percent from 6.66 percent, with points increasing to 0.77 from 0.67 for 80% LTV loans. 

The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs was unchanged at 6.38%, with points decreasing to 0.52 from 0.67 for 80% LTV loans. 

Even with inflation, dollar stores are having trouble attracting shoppers. Dollar Tree, which owns the Family Dollar chain, has announced it will close 970 Family Dollar stores after a disappointing fourth quarter.

Budget-conscious shoppers will still have plenty of options. Walmart has gotten more aggressive on prices and even Target has made a play for discount shoppers, launching its dealworthy discount brand.

In an earnings call with analysts, Family Dollar CEO Rick Dreiling said dollar stores, in general, are facing changing shopping habits, and Family Dollar is hampered by the macroeconomic environment.

“Our biggest problem right now is getting enough merchandise into the stores fast enough so the consumer can respond,” Dreiling said. 

Because of inflation, the company said consumers are focusing their spending on necessities and not discretionary items, which make up a significant portion of dollar store inventories.

The announcement follows a record fine

Less than a month ago Family Dollar and its parent company agreed to pay $41.675 million in connection with a rodant-infested product warehouse in West Memphis, Ark. Food, drugs and cosmetics were among the products held in unsanitary conditions.

The companies entered a guilty plea to criminal charges and as a result, received the largest fine in a food safety case.

The plea deal also requires Family Dollar and Dollar Tree to meet robust corporate compliance and reporting requirements for the next three years.

In February 2022 Family Dollar temporarily closed 404 stores served by the warehouse after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered the rodent infestation. It’s not clear whether those stores will be among those that will be closed. The company did not release a list of stores targeted for closing.

Company officials say they plan to shutter 600 Family Dollar stores in the first half of the fiscal year and close another 370 at a later time. They said they also plan to close 30 Dollar Tree locations when leases expire. There are currently 16,774 Family Dollar stores in the U.S.