Posts Tagged With ‘ Advertising ’

An “investment opportunity” extremely popular on the social media platform WeChat stole millions from the Chinese community in the United States. Social media posts urged people to “invest” in various household goods and electronics, promising returns of 20-40 percent in one to three months. But it was really a scam, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Using WeChat groups, scammers heavily promoted the investment with pictures and stories about supposed successful investors. To invest, people agreed to over-pay upfront – as much as three times the retail price – to buy items... Continue Reading

For years, research has shown that eating packaged products – such as some breakfast cereals, snack bars, frozen meals, and most packaged sweets, along with other items – is linked to poor health outcomes, like an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and cancer. In addition, more recent studies have shown that highly processed foods are linked to depression and anxiety. And a few studies have suggested a link between eating ultraprocessed food and increased risk of cognitive decline, according to an article in The New York Times. To avoid ultraprocessed food, read labels on food. Don’t... Continue Reading

I’m upset. I was due to have my teeth cleaned in January. Since I’ve been busy taking the Dean Ornish heart health program and working on my writing, I just called a couple of weeks ago to get an appointment. What did I learn? My dentist, Dr. Attila Talaber, was in Europe and the other staff were just in the office now and then. After a week, someone finally called. The next available appointment is in October. I asked to be put on the waiting list, in hopes that I could get in when a cancelation occurs. The answer? There are 100 people on the waiting list. This kind of customer service is... Continue Reading

Although Mother’s Day is highly commercialized, I like remembering my mom on this special day and I enjoy visiting with my daughters over WhatsApp. Maybe next year, I’ll be able to travel to Spain again in May. Since my birthday is May 4 and my daughter’s is May 23, we have so much fun celebrating our birthdays plus American Mother’s Day and Spanish Mother’s Day in May in Spain. The photo is of my mom. It’s her high school graduation photo. She graduated when she was 16. Mother’s Day spending Consumers plan to spend a total of $35.7 billion on Mother’s Day this year, nearly $4... Continue Reading

Paying off student loans is a big job, especially since it usually takes most people years to achieve it. Consumers need to beware of debt relief companies that promise quick loan forgiveness. Scammers claim they’ll help you, for a fee, but their schemes often leave you deeper in debt. The Federal Trade Commission has stopped two student loan debt relief schemes that it said bilked students out of about $12 million by using deceptive claims about repayment programs and loan forgiveness that didn’t exist. “As Americans struggle with massive student loan debt and uncertainty around the... Continue Reading

When I was over by Fred Meyer, I stopped to see if the Canon ink I use was cheaper than what I’ve been paying at Office Depot. I looked at Office Depot’s website to compare its price. Fred Meyer wasn’t cheaper. So, when I went over to Office Depot, I was surprised to see that the store price was more than the online price by $3. I asked one of the sales associates about it and he said to ask for the online price at checkout. I did. And I learned that you have to ask for the cheaper online price. It won’t be given to you automatically. Just another way corporations gouge consumers every... Continue Reading

Things will be looking better for sales in May with Mother’s Day and Memorial coming up. Stores will be stocking up on summer clothing, patio furniture, and outdoor cooking items, so spring inventories will start going on sale in May. Look for deals on appliances and mattresses for Memorial Day sales and for Mother’s Day compare prices for reduced prices on flowers and clothing. Here are some suggestions from Offers.com on what deals to look for in May. Appliances and refrigerators Appliance sales abound in May, especially on refrigerators. Stores reduce their prices in May on the previous... Continue Reading

It’s helpful for consumers to take a look at complaints that are received by agencies and organization to know what to watch out for in their financial lives. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau monitors consumer complaints to determine risks in consumer financial markets and to prioritize agency action. In 2022, the CFPB found: During 2022, the CFPB received about 1,287,000 consumer complaints and sent more than 820,000 complaints to about 3,200 companies for review and response. Complaints about credit or consumer reporting increased, accounting for more than 75 percent of all consumer... Continue Reading

Photo: Hudconja A settlement shows that another huge, well-known corporation has engaged in deceptive practices in how it treats its customers. Prudential Financial denied more than 200 life insurance claims although the company collected life insurance premiums from participants for extended periods, the U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday. Prudential offered group life insurance policies to businesses that allowed plan participants to opt for payroll deductions to pay for additional, supplemental coverage. For this type of insurance, the insured is required to fill out a form indicating... Continue Reading

In 2016, I had H&R Block prepare my taxes. It was upsetting because neither the receptionist nor the tax preparer would give me an estimate of what it would cost to prepare my taxes. The tax preparer said he’d do my taxes, then, at the end, if I thought it was too expensive, I could reject the work. I paid $472, which I thought was too high. However, I paid it and left because I was tired of dealing with my taxes. I wrote in an article on my blog that said I thought H&R Block was using a form of bait and switch advertising; it wanted to get you in the door, then it would spring the... Continue Reading