Some companies try to boost business by doing things that are meant to mislead and manipulate customers. These include pre-checked boxes that obligate you to more than you bargained for, hard-to-find disclosures, and confusing cancellation policies. These practices are called “dark patterns,” and as more commerce moves online, they’re growing in scale and sophistication. The Federal Trade
It takes some extra effort to be a good consumer; to make sure you’re getting a good price on quality merchandise, to find top-notch service providers, and to protect yourself from liars and cheats who want to rip you off or steal your identity. But the time it takes to do it right is nothing compared to
Americans lose billions of dollars each year to fraud. Anyone, even a savvy consumer, can get swindled by professional con artists. The best way to fight back is to understand the tricks fraudsters use to manipulate you. In this episode, Sam Levine, Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, explains how dishonest businesses and
The holiday shopping season is in full swing—and you need a plan. The super shoppers at Checkbook.org are here to help. With inflation driving up prices, it’s more important than ever to be a savvy holiday shopper. The National Retail Federation expects the average shopper to spend about $833 on gifts and other holiday items this year,
Consumers’ Checkbook’s researchers spent 33 weeks tracking sale prices at 25 major retailers and found that most stores’ discount claims aren’t really discounts at all. And the shady sales practice is worse than ever before. Checkbook discovered that most stores’ sale prices—even those that advertise big savings—are bogus discounts, with retailers offering the same “sale price” more
To deal with record inflation, many Americans are making ends meet by piling up record amounts of credit card debt. A trained credit counselor can help you pay down that debt, even if it seems insurmountable, and learn how to have a successful financial future. In this episode, you’ll hear a real-life success story. Cara, who lives
False or deceptive advertising costs American consumer billions of dollars a year. Companies big and small now use blatant lies, clever wording, and fine print to confuse or mislead us. Truth in Advertising (TINA.org), a consumer advocacy group based in Connecticut, points the finger at bad actors and calls them out for their deception. It also works
Most American don’t even have simple wills, and even fewer have living wills or designated healthcare surrogates. While doing this work might seem sobering, once you’ve made an estate plan, you’ll find it calming and reassuring to you and your family. The goal is to communicate your end-of-life healthcare wishes, document what you have and who gets
For years, we’ve been promised that new technology would stop those annoying robocalls. But the phones keep ringing—and now, we’re being flooded with spam texts. Fraudsters use these bogus calls and texts to steal our money and personal information. In this episode, we talk how to spot a robocall scam, how con artists use them to trick
Identity theft is a serious and growing crime—and we’re all at risk. The losses are staggering: By one estimate, identity theft victims in the U.S. lost $56 billion in 2020. Last year, the FTC received more reports about identity theft than any other type of complaint. Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource
