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Posted
Oct 02 2007, 09:31 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Banks will collect a record high $4.4 billion in ATM fees this year. That's one of several findings in a new survey by Bankrate.com . Most banks now charge $2 each time a nonaccountholder uses one of their ATMs, and Bank of America raised its fee to $3. The average bounced-check fee is now a record high $28.23. Thankfully, you can take steps to avoid bank fees .
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Posted
Oct 03 2007, 09:01 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
You have until Oct. 12 to chime in on Federal Reserve proposals to make credit card companies clearly disclose important information like what rates and fees you'll actually pay, and when and why they'll take the liberty to raise them. Meanwhile, Congress is expected to consider credit card legislation in October. MSN Money's Liz Pulliam Weston explains why a crackdown is overdue.
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Posted
Oct 08 2007, 09:57 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Nickel at Five Cent Nickel got home last night to find two calls from a collection agency on his answering machine. That's a scary thing. He has always paid his bills on time, so he wondered if he's been a victim of -- even scarier -- identity theft . He checked his credit reports and found no discrepancies. Now he's left to wonder why two folks with generic names left urgent but vague messages on his phone.
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Posted
Oct 09 2007, 06:53 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Five Cent Nickel got voice mail from an errant bill collector the other night, which prompted him to look into what rights consumers have if they've fallen behind on their debt. (Nickel hasn't and figures it was a case of mistaken identity.) Collection agencies can't threaten you with a baseball bat, a la Tony Soprano. They can't call you at work if you've told them not to or harass you in other ways. The Federal Debt Collection Practices Act spells out your rights.
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Posted
Oct 18 2007, 12:25 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from James Wood at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com . The wireless phone might be one of the greatest inventions of all time, but these little gadgets also are the cause of massive confusion and financial trouble. It is not a pretty sight to look at the number of complaints filed against cellular companies, especially over the issues of contracts and termination fees. Although court cases and potential legislation are challenging early-termination fees and other horrors, they are all most likely years away from completion. But there's one step you can take today to avoid the hassles of a contract: Choose a prepaid wireless plan. Prepaid plans -- also called pay-as-you-go plans -- allow you to purchase minutes in advance, as you need them. There is no contract, credit check or deposit, and most plans won't make you pay an activation fee. Prepaid wireless isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re a heavy wireless user or want certain types of phones. However, you should consider
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Posted
Nov 07 2007, 07:06 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog FiveCentNickel . We've been on the receiving end of our fair share of customer-service problems recently, so I thought I'd write about how best to get satisfaction when you're faced with a company that seemingly doesn't care. Before we get started, here are a couple of rules: When dealing with customer-service representatives, always keep your cool. Be firm but polite. Write everything down, including dates, times, names, operator identification numbers, phone extensions and direct phone numbers. With that said, let's get rolling. The usual channels I always give the regular customer-service reps a chance to solve any problems that arise. Unfortunately, CSRs seem nearly powerless to fix problems. Still, it's worth a shot, and you've got to start somewhere. The contact also gives you ammunition for when you need to escalate your complaint to the next level. When you're writing down details, make sure you note what, if anything, the CSR promised to do to
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Posted
Nov 08 2007, 05:50 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post is from David Wood at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com . As an expectant mom, Kendra of Brooklyn, N.Y., wanted the best for herself and her baby. Part of that care was a prenatal vitamin. "My doctor gave me a prescription for the prenatal vitamin Primacare One," wrote Kendra. "I dropped off my prescription at the CVS pharmacy and when I returned to pick up the prescription, I was instead given Prednisone." The problem Kendra encountered is one of the most common prescription errors -- the kind that occurs when a pharmacist can't read the prescription properly. Instead of contacting the authorizing physician to confirm the prescription, the pharmacist plays Russian roulette with someone else's life. Kimberly, of Hudsonville, Mich., ran into a similar problem at Walgreens . Kim wrote that the pharmacist couldn't read the prescription and assumed it said Corgard, a blood-pressure drug. However, Kimberly's husband didn't need a blood-pressure drug. He needed Cortef, a drug to treat
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Posted
Nov 27 2007, 06:45 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Joseph S. Enoch at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com . With so much scrutiny of the toy industry, some consumer advocates say toys may actually be safer this holiday season than they have been for years, but they are still warning that dangerous toys are almost certainly on store shelves. "Given all the attention that has happened over the last few months with recalls, I am assuming and I gather that manufacturers, retailers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and consumer groups are all redoubling focus on the consumer marketplace," said Alan Korn, director of public policy at Safe Kids USA, a nonprofit that aims to protect children from consumer dangers. "I'm fairly certain that this year is not going to be perfect, but a lot of the lead-related toys and other dangerous toys are going to be washed out of the marketplace," Korn said. Sally Greenberg, director of the nonprofit National Consumers League, agreed. "I think ... the testing from retailers in combination
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Posted
Dec 04 2007, 09:36 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Joseph S. Enoch at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com. After numerous complaints about Video Professor's sales tactics, ConsumerAffairs.com decided to try the lessons ourselves. For 20 years, John Scherer, otherwise known as the Video Professor, has advertised on cable TV the wonders of his educational software. "I am so confident that I'm going to give you one free disc," he says in his "limited-time- offer" advertisements. In actuality, it appears impossible to get just one free disc. Instead, it is a packaged bundle of three discs that costs $6.95 for shipping and handling. If the customer doesn't return one of the discs, at the customer's expense, within 10 days, that person will be enrolled in an automatic-renewal service that sends new three-disc bundles every month for $79.95.
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Posted
Dec 06 2007, 07:35 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Mark Huffman at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com. Job seekers responding to classified ads or postings on Internet job sites have become a favorite target for scammers. The results can be not only financial loss, but possible criminal charges and the legal expenses associated with defending against them. Ellen, of Elgin, Ill., learned this the hard way.
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