All Consuming

Today Show spotlights post-transaction marketing

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:18:06 GMT

Following up on yesterday's blog post about Attorney General Rob McKenna's testimony to Congress about deceptive online sales tactics, I thought I'd share this report from the Today Show ...

Wells Fargo agrees to buy back auction rate securities

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:03:36 GMT

Wells Fargo will buy back an estimated $1.3 billion in auction rate securities that have been frozen since February 2008, the state Department of Financial Institutions announced yesterday.

Should you buy extra coverage for electronics?

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:38:14 GMT

Consumers will spend $1.3 billion on extended warranties this holiday season, says one industry report. Is the extra coverage worth it? ...

Shop online? Watch out for sneaky charges

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:31:16 GMT

Shop online? If you don't scrutinize each step of the checkout process, you may end buying more than you wanted. Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna took a leading role in encouraging Congress to get tough on companies that engage in deceptive online sales tactics. ...

Settlement fixes alleged hang-ups with Vonage’s billing practices

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:09:15 GMT

Vonage, one of the nation’s largest providers of Internet-based phone service, will refund eligible customers and pay $3 million to the states to resolve concerns about its billing and cancellation policies.

One bad email drains $500,000 from victim's bank account

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:14:57 GMT

Beware of an email that claims you need to reset your Facebook password. It carries a nasty virus that wiped out $500,000 from a Maple Valley computing business’ bank account ...

10 ways fake check scammers find you

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:06:26 GMT

According to the Consumer Federation of America, 1 in 3 American adults has received a counterfeit check, and of those, 2 percent actually deposit the checks and send money to the scammers. KOMO reporter Connie Thompson reports on 10 ways that phony check scammers track you down ...

Biz Tip: Cut credit card processing fees with 'interchange plus'

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:35:12 GMT

Hey, business owners, are you spending too much to swipe a customer's credit card? One possible way to whittle down those processing fees is to switch from tiered pricing, which most merchants use, to "interchange plus." ...

Bellevue forum offers free small biz tips

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:03:27 GMT

The IRS and the City of Bellevue's Office of Economic Development are hosting a Washington Small Business Forum from 9 to noon on Friday, Dec. 4, at Bellevue City Hall ...

U.S. House wants to speed up new credit card rules

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:56:05 GMT

The U.S. House voted today to freeze credit card interest rates and fees for nine months. The bill, approved 331-92, would accelerate the February enactment date of legislation already passed by Congress that restricts when and how banks can charge credit card customers ...

AGs tell Congress: Don't limit states' authority to protect consumers

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:06:33 GMT

As Congress considers legislation to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna is leading a group of 40 state attorneys general in urging federal lawmakers to uphold the role of the states in enforcing consumer protection laws ...

Grandparents still falling for 'wire me some $' scam

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:43:33 GMT

Cons in Canada are still preying on grandparents. Since All Consuming first alerted readers about the "grandparent scam" (also called the "grandchild scam") in summer 2008, people continue to tell us how they or their loved ones fell victim to the ploy. Attorney General Rob McKenna joined Consumerman Herb Weisbaum at the KOMO TV newsroom yesterday to issue another warning ...

Thumbs Up: Lynden restaurant owner thwarts scam

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:31:35 GMT

John Stark, consumer blogger for the Bellingham Herald, passed along this news release from a Lynden business. It's a good reminder that businesses are targets of wire transfer scams too.

Latinos at risk of being exploited by notarios

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:39:02 GMT

In most Latin American countries, a “notario” is a licensed attorney. But the similar-sounding English word “notary public,” which translates to “notario publico,” means something entirely different ...

New AGO Events Calendar

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:42:41 GMT

Where can I find a shred event? Where is Attorney General Rob McKenna speaking? Our new events calendar gives you the scoop ...

Lowdown on all those free credit report sites

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:21:43 GMT

By now, you should know that you’re entitled to a free annual credit report from each of three major bureaus – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. All Consuming recommends one Web site to obtain your free credit reports, Annualcreditreport.com. But what about all those other sites touting free credit reports?

Attorney General prepared to hammer dishonest home remodelers

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:22:20 GMT

Window sellers need to be transparent in their marketing. Roofers need to stay on top of the law. And home siding installers shouldn’t sidle up to consumers with inappropriately high-pressure sales pitches. That’s the gist of a letter sent Tuesday by the Washington Attorney General’s Office to more than 30 home remodelers around the state.

Check if your email password was hacked

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:26:48 GMT

Thousands of personal e-mail passwords belonging to Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, Earthlink and Comcast users were posted online after a phishing sceme targeted users of Gmail, Hotmail and others, according to news reports. You can check if your account was on the list.

Talking to your kids about inappropriate Web searches

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:18:47 GMT

Miriam, a mother of four, wrote to All Consuming with a sensitive question about talking to her kids about their Internet searches. For advice, we turned to expert Linda Criddle.

New interest-free and stripped-down credit cards

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:07:06 GMT

I confess: I have credit card debt. If you’re like me, you’ve likely found that as soon as you pay down one card you need to use it to buy something else. Due to recent changes in laws regulating credit card companies, many card issuers are raising interest rates and fees for consumers with good credit. At the same time, banks have rolled out new cards including one with an interest-free feature for certain purchases and another with simple, stripped-down rules.

My gym closed. Can I get a refund?

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:26:50 GMT

The closure of several Bally’s health clubs has spurred complaints from consumers who want their money back.

Cookie monsters

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:31:21 GMT

You may have heard of cookies. They’re delicious morsels that come in flavors like chocolate chip and gingerbread, right? In this case, however, I’m talking about the itsy bitsy files that are deposited on your hard drive as you browse the Web. Some are harmless. Some are sleuths, tracking your every virtual move, then reporting that information to marketing companies. And apparently, many consumers who think they know how to delete cookies, are failing to sweep up some important crumbs...

REI sweepstakes scam ... and the origin of 'pulling your leg'

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:57:24 GMT

If you receive a letter in the mail saying you've won $150,000 in REI's "Consumer Promotion Drawing," don't quit your job. It's a scam.

Veterans target of prescription drug scam

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:05:56 GMT

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is warning veterans not to give credit card numbers over the phone to callers claiming to update prescription information.

Do the Puyallup with Rob McKenna!

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:49:19 GMT

Do the Puyallup Fair with Attorney General Rob McKenna on Senior Tuesday to get the lowdown on senior scams and identity theft.

Free fall shredding events

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:45:26 GMT

To avoid a real-life fright night, be sure to shred sensitive documents.

Settlement aims to insulate consumers from future window pains

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:22:12 GMT

Our Consumer Protection Division lifted the curtain on a Seattle-based window installer’s allegedly deceptive sales practices and negotiated a settlement to insulate consumers from future harm.

Sweet sound of silence

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:08:18 GMT

Does dinner time seem more peaceful? The Federal Trade Commission has banned telemarketing pitches known as robocalls unless consumers have agreed in writing to the calls.

Kudos: Walmart employee stops wire fraud

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:33:57 GMT

We need more people like Renton Walmart employee Carrie Smith. Smith, 68, was featured in a recent Seattle Times article for talking people out of sending thousands of dollars by wire transfer to scammers.

How to avoid a repo when you can’t make a car payment

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:24:33 GMT

David, an All Consuming reader, recently wrote for advice: “I cannot make my car payment. If I pay the interest and a little towards the principal, can I keep the car until I get back on my feet?” Attorney General Rob McKenna replied in today's Ask the AG column. I've posted the response below.

Reader questions: overdue traffic fines and credit opt-out

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:21:09 GMT

All Consuming blog moderator Kristin Alexander answers reader questions ...

Dealer to refund consumers who never got their free gas

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:30:03 GMT

Gas vouchers were a hot promotional tool last year, used to lure potential customers to dealerships, furniture stores and seminars. A Vancouver, Wash., car dealer must now reimburse customers who responded to one such promotion that the Washington Attorney General’s Office says was deceptive.

More consumers complaining about credit, AGs report shows

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:17:37 GMT

In a sign of the economic times, credit cards and predatory lending/mortgages cracked the national top 10 list of consumer complaints to state attorneys general offices last year, the National Association of Attorney General announced today.

Consumers juiced by deceptive Açaí and resveratrol product ads

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:55:16 GMT

Washington consumers looking to lose weight or wrinkles have jumped at “free trial” offers for açaí berry and resveratrol products. But the fruity supplements came with unexpected costs.

Money for nothing ...

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:06:42 GMT

... Or nothing for your money. From Ponzi schemes to exotic financial investments, consumers are being conned.

BBB warns of bogus 'survey agent' job offer

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:37:48 GMT

A job ad for a “survey agent” is too good to be true, the Better Business Bureau warned today.

Final call for dealers to file Clunkers papers

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:10:22 GMT

The U.S. Transportation Department has extended the deadline for dealers to file Cash for Clunkers applications once again, this time until 5 PDT tonight (Tuesday, Aug. 25).

Money back for lemon Lamborghini owner

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:08:19 GMT

Proving that price is no object when it comes to Washington’s Lemon Law, a Seattle real estate investor will receive a refund on his 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder convertible.

Been bamboozled by bamboo fabrics?

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:25:10 GMT

Bamboo fabrics are really rayon. Bummer. ...

Public Counsel recommends rejection of Avista’s requested rate hikes

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:21:50 GMT

The Public Counsel Section of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office is challenging electric and gas rate increases proposed by Avista, saying the Spokane-based utility’s request is not justified and that, in fact, the company might be charging its customers too much for service.

Get the best bang for your buck on textbooks

AGO Intern — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:48:11 GMT

Textbooks are something all college students need but the prices seem to keep going up with no sign of stopping. Fortunately, many people understand the plight of students and are now offering cost-efficient ways for students to acquire and sell textbooks. ...

$10 TV too good to be true

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:32:34 GMT

Wednesday morning, BestBuy.com advertised a 52-inch Samsung HDTV for $9.99. Yes, you read that right – a savings of more than $1,600. Many buyers jumped online and were able to place orders, but the company announced it was a “pricing error” and cancelled sales. One Washington consumer contacted KING 5’s Jesse Jones, who asked me whether merchants are required to honor such deals ...

Cash for Clunkers questions answered

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:59:09 GMT

Last week, the feds injected another $2 billion into the "Cash for Clunkers" program. Cars are selling and the Attorney General’s Office is receiving questions from consumers about just how much dealers are supposed to knock off of their trade-in. Hopefully, this helps clear up some of the confusion.

Psst! Bet I can figure out your Social Security number

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:21:39 GMT

We’ve repeatedly told consumers to protect their Social Security numbers. Those nine-digit combinations, unique for each of us, are a goldmine for identity thieves who would like to hack your bank account or open credit in your name.

Could you have caused the social media meltdown?

AGO Blog Moderator — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:31:01 GMT

Users of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter expect the services provided to fit their desires. When this fails to happen, as with Thursday’s Twitter outage and sluggish Facebook performance, frustrated consumers often believe the sites are solely at fault. However, individuals with inadequate anti-malware software may be unwittingly contributing to certain service deficiencies.

Bellingham Herald: Sources for Consumer questions about Identity Theft

Public Affairs Unit — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:24:16 GMT

In this advancing age of technological inquiry, there are many new facets of information that can be used to enable identity thieves. Lots of us think that personal information stored on computers is safe as long as it's password-protected. However, this isn’t true. Here’s the story from the Bellingham Herald’s “Just Ask Gemalto”:

KIRO TV: Vast amounts of Personal Identity Recovered in Illegal dumping

Public Affairs Unit — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:15:11 GMT

It’s your worst nightmare: having files with personal information available for anybody to see, including identity thieves. As time has gone on and awareness of the potential exploitation of this personal information has increased, individuals and companies have become increasingly vigilant. Occasionally, however, the neglect to safeguard personal information has resulted in catastrophe. One local incident particularly underscores the inherent danger in preserving documents with personal information. KIRO TV's Amy Clancy reports:

Worry-Free Guarantee!

AGO Intern — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:12:38 GMT

Are you in need of an adrenalin boost? Whatever the reason, the AG's office is here to help.

How, you ask? By offering reading material that is sure to spark your "fight or flight" response. Specifically, you should note the claims recently filed by our Consumer Protection Division against Rent-A-Center, Inc. The press release can be found here. For a more intense experience, however, you should read the sworn statements by some of the victims, which document a consistent pattern of terrorizing children, trespassing, attempted home invasion, and all-around intimidation. Rent-A-Center employees would even spread misinformation to third-parties, such as coworkers, bosses, neighbors, clients, and babysitters. In one instance, the employees would falsely claim to have a court order to gain access to a house; in another, they would pretend to call the police and tell children that Child Protective Services would come to take them away from their families.

Consumer Protection and Youth

AGO Intern — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:02:54 GMT

The noted Greek author Diogenes Laertius once famously said "The foundation of every state is the education of its youth." In uncertain and perilous times like these, this quote rings especaially true. As every individual's period of youth turns into young adulthood, it is important that they have been educated on the roles of a consumer and the realities of consumer exploitation.

Consumer Rights in Purchasing Tickets

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:18:26 GMT

It's important to read the fine print when shopping for event tickets.