Home / consumerist.com rss archive / September-18-2007


Saving Money: Get Moving Boxes On The Cheap With Box Exchange
We're going to say something positive about U-Haul! No, not about the company (it has a rich history of complaints on our blog), but about the community trading service they've enabled on their "U-Haul Box Exchange" forum where people give away or sell their boxes after they've moved—although hopefully you won't find an unpacked baby in any used boxes you get your hands on.You have to register to post, and as Kevin Kelly points out on his blog, it's no CraigsList in terms of size or reach, but moving boxes are so expensive that "it's worth having another resource in your arsenal."U-Haul Box Exchange [Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools]RELATEDU-Haul Box Exchange Forum(Photo: Getty)

Food: Find a Farmers Market Near You
Farmers markets are a happening thing right now—everyone who's anyone knows that if you don't buy your mud-covered carrots from a sleepy teenager who just drove four hours into the city that very morning, then your carrots will taste like sawdust, the dinner party will be ruined, and you won't get that promotion. But how do you know where the nearest farmers market is located? You could ask around, or you could hit up this handy farmers market locator from the USDA, which lets you search by market name, state, city, county, zip code, or forms of payment.The directory lists 4,385 farmers markets throughout the U.S., and it's a good resource for locating nearby "direct to consumers" markets. It's also got a lot of other "fun" information. For instance, 94% of all U.S. farmers fit into the "small farmers" category of less than $250k in annual receipts, and for them, farmers markets are a good revenue generator. Also: did you know that low-income mothers and senior citizens...

Recalls: Chrysler Recalls 300,000 Vehicles Due To Potential Braking Problem
Chrysler has announced a recall of over 300,000 vehicles due to a potential problem with the car's ability to break while coasting uphill. Affected vehicles include: 156,796 model-year 2006-2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander SUVs; 90,383 model year 2007 Jeep Wrangler SUVs; and 49,371 model year 2007 Dodge Nitro SUVs.Chrysler says the defect may have caused one accident, but no injuries were reported. They're also recalling "72,333 model year 2008 Dodge Avenger sedans and Chrysler Sebring convertibles to ensure proper function of driver and passenger front door latches and locks," according to the Wall Street Journal.Nobody managed to hurt themselves with the door latches either, just in case you were wondering.Chrysler to Recall 300,000 Vehicles Over Potential Braking Problem [WSJ]

Charlie And The Tub Of Crisco: Mars Breaks Rank, Promises Consumers It Will Keep Using Real Chocolate
On Monday, Mars Snackfoods US—makers of "pokin' at you pokin' at you" Snickers bars, M&Ms, and other popular office meal replacement systems—announced that it would not seek FDA permission to replace its cocoa butter with cheaper vegetable oil, which is what the rest of the industry is lobbying for. Okay, first of all, yech, just... vegetable oil? But second of all, yay for Mars for drawing a line somewhere on poor product quality.The replacement ingredients would cost 25% to 33% of what it costs today to use cocoa butter, which is why Hershey Co. and the major industry trade group in the U.S. are in favor of changing the "legal definition" of it. Mars, however, said that it doesn't think consumers want the definition of chocolate changed. (Note to Hershey: they're right—we don't. We don't want slaves harvesting it, but we don't want it made out of corn or soy, either.)Says the president of Mars, "Our Snickers bar tastes the same as it did...

Assistance: Low-Income Mothers & Senior Citizens: WIC Provides "Farmers Market Food Coupons"
You may already know about WIC—"Women, Infants, and Children," the government program that provides nutritional assistance to "low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women," and to their children up to age five. But a lot of people don't know that if you receive WIC or if you're a low-income senior, you may also qualify for their farmers market program, which means you can take advantage of the same fresh-from-the-farm bounty as those coke-snorting yuppies who'll buy anything with the word "heirloom" stamped across it. Both the regular and senior versions of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) distribute coupons, which "can be used to buy fresh, unprepared fruits, vegetables and herbs from farmers, farmers' markets or roadside stands that have been approved by the State agency to accept FMNP coupons." Sorry, no prunes, raisins, nuts, honey, maple syrup, or cider. (You can still sign whatever wacky petition is being circulated...

Free Stuff: Google Adds Presentations To Documents
Need some free presentation software? Google announced today that they're added presentations to their free document suite. Yay, free sh*t.From the Official Google Blog:Starting today, presentations -- whether imported from existing files or created using the new slide editor -- are listed alongside documents and spreadsheets in the Google Docs document list. They can be edited, shared, and published using the familiar Google Docs interface, with several collaborators working on a slide deck simultaneously, in real time. When it's time to present, participants can simply click a link to follow along as the presenter takes the audience through the slideshow. Participants are connected through Google Talk and can chat about the presentation as they're watching. Now you can bore your coworkers to death for free!Our feature presentation[Official Google Blog]

Tax Tip: IRS Launches Special Website Section For People Facing Foreclosure
The IRS has launched a special section of its website aimed at helping people who are facing foreclosure navigate the tax issues that surround debt forgiveness.If debt is discharged and the amount totals more than what the home was worth, the difference is normally considered taxable income. The good news is that there is an exception to the rule for those who are really, truly broke. From the IRS:Borrowers whose debt is reduced or eliminated receive a year-end statement (Form 1099-C) from their lender. By law, this form must show the amount of debt forgiven and the fair market value of property given up through foreclosure. Though the winning bid at a foreclosure auction is normally a property's fair market value, it may not necessarily reflect its true value in some cases.The IRS urges borrowers to check the Form 1099-C carefully. They should notify the lender immediately if any of the information shown on their form is incorrect. Borrowers should pay particular attention...

Budgets: Mint.com - A New Free Personal Finance Management SIte
The free personal finance management site Mint.com opened to the public today.Via a pleasing interface, Mint allows users to add their credit card and account information, then autosyncing with your financial institutions to grab every single one of your transactions. Each purchase is automatically categorized by type, a significant timesaver when getting started with a budget. From there, Mint tracks your spending habits, identifies areas you can find savings, and allows a complete at-a-glance overview of your personal finances, along with a slew of other features.Looks to be a great site for getting an easy handle on your money.Mint.com [Official Site]

Complaints: Helio's "Total Happiness Guarantee" Evidently Uses Alternative Understanding Of The English Language
Helio offers a "Total Happiness Guarantee" which says that if you don't like their phone or service for any reason you can return it within 30 days for your money back, no questions asked. However, their customer service staff is poorly trained and could try to tell you don't get sales tax refunded, blogs LifeClever. It's also going to take at least four months for the refund to process, he found, along with other annoying fun plot points. We've had our suspicions and this latest story all but confirms them: Helio and its amazingly incompetent customer service staff are a plot to undermine the will of the American people in preparation for the forthcoming Scientologist uprising and takeover.5 reasons why Helio's "Total Happiness Guarantee" is baloney [LifeClever]

On The Cheap: Tips For A "Greener" Autumn
LighterFootprint has compiled a list of things you can do during the fall to help lower your impact during the winter. Lowering your impact usually means lowering your energy costs, so it's a good idea to pay attention to these tips even if you hate the planet and want it to melt.Nothing groundbreaking here—just a friendly reminder that acting now will save you money later. A Dozen Tips for a Greener Autumn [Lighter Footprint via Digg](Photo:Clearly Ambiguous)

Fico: One Unpaid Bill Is Not Going To Ruin Your Credit Score
We get many tales of consumer disputes and a common situation we hear of us is where customers are dissatisfied with a product or service, refuse to pay until its fixed, and the business, usually a small business, threatens to "ruin" the customer's credit score over the item. (For some reason, the word "ruin" is always used).Now, FICO is notoriously cagey about what goes into the credit score black box but they have revealed the different factors that go into a score and their proportional influence. Payment history only accounts for 35% of your credit score. The "burn" from the dispute represents a then smaller part of that 35%. How big a threat are they making really? "I'm sorry, sir, we're going to have to deny your mortgage. I can see here that you never returned Good Will Hunting."Don't think it's without repercussions, though. Your score dropping to 620 from 659 could result in $163 more monthly for a 30 year mortgage. However, the small amounts that we usually hear about...

Chinese Poison Train: Hey, Why Aren't Your Toys Made In China?
The New York Times took a look at some European toy makers who decided to let the Chinese Poison Train pass them by. Why didn't they outsource their manufacturing to China?Playmobil: "Looking back, it feels like it was right to make that decision," said Andrea Schauer, managing director of Geobra Brandsttter, which makes Playmobil toys. "At the level of quality we need," she said, "we didn't have enough manpower to inspect factories in China."...Ms. Schauer said Playmobil, a family-owned company in Zirndorf, Germany, faced intense pressure to move production to China. Most of the industry was moving there, she said, and German banks did not want to lend money to companies to build toy factories at home.What the companies discovered, though, was while China's unit labor costs were a fraction of those in the West -- the equivalent of $1.50 an hour compared with $30 an hour in western Germany -- the distance between China and the companies' biggest markets eroded some of that cost...

Economy: Fed Cuts Rate by Half Percentage Point
The Fed cut interest rates by half a percentage point this afternoon, citing "tightening of credit conditions" that have the potential to "intensify the housing correction." For consumers, the half point cut could mean lower rates for mortgages, auto loans and HELOCs. Here's the Fed's statement: The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 50 basis points to 4-3/4 percent.Economic growth was moderate during the first half of the year, but the tightening of credit conditions has the potential to intensify the housing correction and to restrain economic growth more generally. Today's action is intended to help forestall some of the adverse effects on the broader economy that might otherwise arise from the disruptions in financial markets and to promote moderate growth over time. Readings on core inflation have improved modestly this year. However, the Committee judges that some inflation risks remain, and it will continue to...

Advice: 4 Tips For Keeping Your Digital Pictures Safe
Where would we be without photos? We'd have no blackmail, no things to cut up after a divorce, no US Weekly, and no pictures to stare at on The Consumerist. And now that there are digital cameras, anyone can take 'em. But like emails, thesis statements, and that Great American Novel you've been working on for years, they're prone to digital oblivion if you don't take some precautions. The Associated Press has four basic tips that you should already be following to keep your digital pics safe.Keep backups at multiple locations. Use more than one computer, and don't rely on your work PC (we're amazed at how many family members and friends do this). Also, use external drives or storage media. For the best preservation security (but least privacy), look at online storage services that will let you store original files for a yearly fee.Manage your CDs and DVDs. Don't burn a backup once and forget it. Migrate your backups to new discs every few years so that you never worry about...

Tax Tip: Attention All Coaches: Belichick's Cheating Is A Business Expense
According to the WSJ Law Blog, the common consensus is that Patriots coach Bill Belichick will be able to deduct his $500,000 cheating fine as an "ordinary and necessary business expense." Hooray?From the TaxProf Blog, where the question first arose: If Bill were my client, I would advise him to claim the fine as a deduction subject to the 2% miscellaneous itemized deduction rules (under 162). A few considerations: 1. If it is ordinary and necessary, he may negotiate to turn the fine into his employer (the Pats) as an expense reimbursement under an accountable plan. I think Kraft would tell him to get out of his office, though. 2. It's been reported Bill has an annual salary of about $5 million, so let's use that as a rough approximation of AGI. Assuming no other miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to limit, that shaves $100,000 off his deduction right there, leaving him with $400,000. 3. The Pease phaseout will get him, as well. Assuming $5...

Sad: Joyriding Jerks Steal Food Bank Truck, Ruin 1 Ton Of Food For No Reason
Two jerks stole a food bank truck and let 1 ton of food that was about to be delivered to hungry people spoil, according to 9News in Denver:A local non-profit wants to know who would steal food from the hungry. A thief took a refrigerated Food Bank of the Rockies truck Monday that was stocked with enough food to feed 1,500 families.The truck was clearly marked with the food bank's logo, so Denver Police say the thief knew what they were taking.It happened at a Pizza Hut near the intersection of Federal and Mississippi in Denver on Monday.Jamil Mathis works at the restaurant."I thought it was horrible that somebody would steal any kind of vehicle especially one going to the hungry. It is just ridiculous," said Mathis.The driver of the Food Bank truck was at the Pizza Hut to pick up pizzas he would then distribute to families in need. He left the keys under the driver's seat while he quickly went in the back door of the restaurant.In the moment he was inside, someone took the...

News From The Swamp: The House may soon discharge the Passengers ...
The House may soon discharge the Passengers Bill of Rights to the floor. The powerful Rules Committee will meet tomorrow to decide which amendments are worthy of floor consideration. Members have until 10 a.m. to file an amendment granting passengers the right to deplane.

Executive Customer Service: Email The CEO Of Sears
The current email address for Aylwin B. Lewis, President & Chief Executive Officer of Sears, is alewis1@searshc.com. An anonymous Sears employee provided this information after reading our post, "Sears Left Me Without A Refrigerator For 18 Days," a complaint letter written by a man who had to chill his familiy's insulin with bags of ice while waiting for a repair.RELATED: Contact Sears Executive Customer Service

Cell Phones: New Legislation Would Limit Wireless Contract Termination Penalties
Two advocacy groups, the Consumer Federation of America and the Consumers Unions, endorsed a bill yesterday that would limit the amount that wireless, cable, and telephone companies could charge customers for early cancellation of their contract. Specifically, it would require companies to waive cancellation fees for the first 30 days, and pro-rate any fees after the first 30 days (something Verizon already does, but no other mobile carrier that we know of).A lawyer for the Consumers Union sums it up quite nicely:Contract extensions and early termination fees are the #1 consumer annoyance with the wireless industry. Consumers are powerless to negotiate better terms with their cell phone carrier, but this bill would help to level the playing field.The wireless industry's major trade organization sent forth a lesser demon to announce that this counts as unnecessary interference, and that consumers can already avoid this whole issue by purchasing pre-paid wireless plans. Funny,...

Nutrition: 30 Code Words For Sugar
It's yesterday's news that you can eat healthier by avoiding foods full of unnecessary sugars, and that sugars appear on labels under different names, but you might be surprised to see just how many different guises sugar and sugar-related substances can assume. Inside, 30 of them.Brown-rice syrupCorn sweetenerCorn syrup, or corn syrup solidsCane JuiceDehydrated cane juiceDextrinDextroseFructoseFruit juice concentrateGlucoseHigh-fructose corn syrupHoneyInvert sugarLactoseMaltodextrinMalt syrupMaltoseMannitolMaple syrupMolassesRaw sugarRice SyrupSaccharoseSorbitolSorghum or sorghum syrupSucroseSyrupTreacleTurbinado SugarXyloseThings ending in "ose" or "ol" are probably sugars.Not all sugars are created equal, some of these are sugar alcohols which are not absorbed as fully by the body as regular sugar. It all depends on how an item falls on the glycemic index.Sugar's Many Disguises [About.com]RELATED: The Earlier Ingredients Are On A Label, The More There Is Inside

Recalls: Dole "Hearts Delight" Bagged Lettuce Recalled For E. Coli
Dole is recalling bagged lettuce tainted with e. coli today, so you'll want to check your fridge lest you develop bloody diarrhea. The e. coli tainted product is Dole's "Hearts Delight" bagged salad mix. It has a "best if used by (BIUB)" date of September 19, 2007, and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B" stamped on the package. The "best if use by (BIUB)" code date can be located in the upper right hand corner of the front of the bag. The salad was sold in plastic bags of 227 grams in Canada and one-half pound in the U.S., with UPC code 071430-01038."Hearts Delight" was sold in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada and in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and neighboring states in the U.S.. Got questions? Pester the Dole Consumer Center at 800-356-3111. If you've got the salad in your fridge—throw it out. The Consumerist takes this opportunity to remind you that its not difficult to chop...

Unacceptable Food: Applebee's Bruschetta Burger Menu Picture Vs Reality
Reader Megan is troubled by the strange, slimy cylinder of fries she received from Applebee's:I went to dinner at the Applebee's in Woodland, CA a couple nights ago and ordered their bruschetta burger. As soon as I saw my order, I immediately took a picture and thought Consumerist needed to see it because it fits so well in the ad v. reality posts. The burger itself was a bit sloppy, but still looked similar to the menu picture. The fries, however, were a different story. In the menu photo, "garlic parmesan fries" are served in a ramekin and look quite tasty. Instead, I was served a cylinder of slimy, greasy fries with a couple pieces of parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy! Ohh, we know where we're heading for lunch! No, just kidding. (Photo: defective burger)

Free Stuff: New York Times To Discontinue Times Select
Yay! Free New York Times! The NYT will discontinue its pay wall tomorrow, freeing the opinions of various smart people to roam the internet unchecked by that pesky $7.95 per month subscription fee. Oh, happy day."We now believe by opening up all our content and unleashing what will be millions and millions of new documents, combined with phenomenal growth, that that will create a revenue stream that will more than exceed the subscription revenue," the web site's Vice President and General Manager Vivian Schiller said.All visitors to NYTimes.com will have free access to articles dating back to 1987, as well as to the paper's archives from 1851 to 1922. The Times said it will continue to charge a fee for access to its archive from 1923 to 1986. Thankfully, we already know everything that happened during that period of time. Ahem. Those of who you've already paid for the Times will get prorated refunds, or, naturally, you will tell us about it.'All The News That's Fit To Print'...

Complaints: Find Your State Insurance Commissioner
When sending a complaint letter to an insurance company, it can be handy, or necessary, to cc it your state's Insurance Commissioner. The Patient Advocate Foundation has a big list where you can look up insurance commissioner's mailing addresses and phone numbers by state.Insurance Commissioners are tasked with enforcing state insurance laws and investigating their breach. Sending a copy of your complaint to them, and making sure they're listed as a CC on the letter to the insurance company, can help insurance companies take your letter more seriously.Insurance Commissioners By State [Patient Advocate Foundation]

Insurance: Sample Letter For Appealing Claims Denial Based On Out Of Network Benefits
Bankrate has a good example letter you can use if your health insurance company denies your claim for being out of network. It's in "Madlibs" style, so you'll need to replace all the items in red with your personal information. The argument is based on the premise that the out-of-network provider is the only one within a reasonable distance who can effectively perform the procedure you need. There's no guarantee of its success, but it can at least serve as an initial salvo before escalating your issue elsewhere.Sample letter for appealing claim denial [Bankrate](Photo: evansent)

Subprime Meltdown: Foreclosures Up 115% From Last Year
Foreclosures "zoomed" in August, up 115% from last year and 36% from July according to the newest numbers from RealtyTrac. This is the beginning of one of three remaining waves that will hit the market in the next year. This wave is expected to peak in October as 2 million 2/28 ARMs reset to market rates and an estimated 600,000 homeowners can no longer afford their payments."The jump in foreclosure filings [in August] might be the beginning of the next wave of increased foreclosure activity, as a large number of subprime adjustable rate loans are beginning to reset now," said RealtyTrac Chief Executive James J. Saccacio."Another significant factor in the increased level of foreclosure activity is that the number of REO filings (bank repossessions) is increasing dramatically, which means that a greater percentage of homes entering foreclosure are going back to the banks." With markets flooded with foreclosed properties and the pool of mortgage applicants shrinking rapidly, borrowers...

Recalls: Dole Hearts Delight salad mix (E. coli), ...
Dole Hearts Delight salad mix (E. coli), Braun Normal Saline Flush syringes (particulate matter in the saline), Stone Meats 5 lb lean meat (pieces of metal).

Banks: Bank of America got the final OK it needed ...
Bank of America got the final OK it needed to go ahead with its purchase of LaSalle Bank [Chicago Tribune].

Home Improvement: What Home Improvements Have The Best Rate Of Return?
The home improvement you'll recoup the most from from is replacing siding with fiber cement, according to the 2006 RemodelingOnline report. They say you can expect to get 88% from your investment.The next best value is vinyl siding replacement, with a 87.2% recoup rate, followed by window replacement at 85.3%.The lowest? A sunroom addition garners a paltry 66.3%. Houses it seems, unlike books, are judged by their covers.Cost vs Value 2006 [Remodeling Online via Consumer World Blog](Photo: Getty)

Insiders: Why Stores Love To Force You To Show Your Receipts
A former Best Buy employee and Consumerist tipster in good standing shared some insider insights about why store employees are so zealous in checking your receipt, and so zealously underinformed as to how they have no legal right to make you show it.1. Store managers purposely keep employees unaware receipt check's voluntary nature, ensuring that a manager has to be called each and every time. The last thing they want is somebody with 16 CDs in their pants yelling about his civil rights and cowing a $7.50/hr teenager.2. Major retail store locations get an estimated yearly "shrinkage" budget, is the dollar value of the amount of merchandise they expect to lose to theft. According to a former employee, In Best Buy's case, the difference between the actual and estimated shrinkage is then distributed evenly to each and every worker in that store.Our tipster says the shrinkage budget of the store he used to work at was $50,000.PREVIOUSLY:Adventures In Receipt Check Refusals ContinueCircu...

Negotiations: Ask for Something You Don't Want, Then "Give" On It
Free Money Finance shares a classic negotiation strategy. Ask for something you don't care about along with the list of things you do care about. When the other party counteroffers, you can fold on the point you don't care about while sticking to those you do. Then they feel like you're meeting them in the middle.For instance, when buying a home, ask for:1) Purchase price... 2) A long closing time and 3) Seller paid closing fees Item... Ask for a closing in five months and most sellers sitting on inventory will counter offer 2-3 months. Use this as leverage to keep your position on items #1 and #3 while giving in to #2.The same advice can apply to many kinds of deals.Great Negotiating Tip: Ask for Something You Don't Want, Then "Give" On It [Free Money Finance]

Shopping: Morning Deals
Buy.com: Samsonite Urbanite Laptop Backpack for $23.33 ShippedAmazon: Cuisinart 21 Piece Knife Set for $59.99 ShippedAmazon: Shure E2c Noise Isolating Headphones for $49.99 Shipped (add the earphones listed to the right under "more buying choices)Highlights From BargainistPuma: 20% off purchases coupon +free shippingTravelocity: Caribbean flight + 6 night hotel from $530Amazon.com: Zune 30GB Digital Media Player $160Highlights From DealhackHP Home: Save Extra 20% off HP Pavilion Notebook PCs with CouponPerformance Bike: 10% off All Bike, Gear, & Accessory Orders Store-WideBuy.com: Kingston 2GB USB Flash Drive $17 Shipped