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Consumerman Herb Weisbaum reveals his six tips for being a smarter consumer in this top-notch MSNBC article. Read his sage advice and implant it firmly in your noggin and you’ll cut your risk of being conned ...
Some 25 million toys were recalled last year due to high lead content and other safety problems. Now, the Consumer Product Safety Commission hopes to intercept many of those toys and other potentially hazardous goods before they reach store shelves ...
Washington residents like to shop, but our records show they don’t always have a positive experience. ... Complaint analysts in our Consumer Resource Centers say they frequently hear disputes over refund policies and shipping costs. ... But consumers could avoid many unpleasant surprises if they take the initiative ...
Collections agencies climbed to the No. 2 spot last year on the Attorney General’s list of consumer complaint categories. ... If the trend continues, collections will take over the top spot in 2008. Collection agencies fall into two general categories – legit and deceptive. ... If you truly owe the debt, you have legal rights. ... Time-barred debts are those so old they are beyond the point at which a creditor or collection agency may sue ...
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is urging consumers to check their homeowners insurance. “In the wake of last year’s storms and flooding, many consumers found out the hard way that they did not have adequate insurance coverage,” Kreidler said in a news release. ...
The Washington Insurance Commissioner’s Office announced today that it fined a bunch of insurance companies for a range of violations including overcharging Washington consumers and illegally selling annuitities. ...
The state Department of Financial Institutions recently identified 10 investment scams as the most likely to trap Washington investors ...
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division released its annual Top 20 list of consumer complaint categories today in conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week. Each day this week, we’ll post a tip related to industries that receive the most complaints. Complaints about communications companies, which primarily include phone companies, held onto 1st place for at least the eighth consecutive year. So today we offer tips on selecting a wireless phone plan:
It's tax season again. According to a Better Business Bureau (BBB) analysis, nearly one-third of complaints against tax preparation companies allege that the preparer made an error or mistake in the tax return, often requiring the consumer to pay fines or added fees to rectify the problem.
... The Attorney General’s Office offers this advice to help hire a reputable tax preparer or find free tax help. ...
Watch out for a new scam targeting Washington car owners. Cons posing as Department of Licensing representatives are contacting folks and telling them their vehicle tabs are expired. They then ask for credit card information ...
The manufacturer of Silkies hosiery will pay $455,000 to settle a case with Washington and 14 other states regarding the company’s marketing and sales practices. ... Under an agreement filed late Thursday in Thurston County Superior Court, HCI Direct agreed to pay $455,000 to the states, change its marketing practices and refund consumers who claim they did not order merchandise shipped by the company. ...
A company that allegedly deceived Washington businesses into purchasing labor law and safety posters is prohibited from mailing future advertisements that appear to originate from government-affiliated agencies. Mandatory Poster Agency, Inc., of Lansing, Mich., sent notices under the names Washington Labor Law Poster Company, Washington Food Service Compliance Center and Washington Healthcare Compliance Center. Government-required posters are available for free from government agencies. ...
Attorney General Rob McKenna invites the Latino community to attend a free town hall meeting on Friday, Feb. 22, in Pasco to learn more about the office’s work on identity theft, car sales, notarios and other consumer protection issues. The meeting will be conducted in Spanish and English, with real-time interpreting. Additional presenters from Mexican Consul office in Seattle and the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce ...
A Valentine’s Day e-card that infects your computer, cons who pose as online suitors and a futuristic software program that tricks you into revealing personal information are just a few of the hazards lurking online. The Washington Attorney General’s Office urges Internet users to be skeptical and take precautions to avoid Cupid’s arrow from hitting their wallets or poisoning their PCs. ...
The Federal Trade Commission released its annual fraud and identity theft report today. Washington slipped down the ranks to 13th in the nation for identity theft complaints per capita last year ... but we bumped up to 2nd in the country for overall fraud complaints ...
