Consumerist
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rate decreases
Michigan Utility Company Must Refund $39 Million To Overcharged Customers
In Michigan, utilities can increase rates without first getting approval, but that means the Michigan Public Service Commission can later reduce them. That's what happened on Monday, when the Commission ordered Consumers Energy to refund about $39.6 million to customers it overcharged since last May. More » -
fee traps
Chase Sets Early Payment Trap, Customer Falls Into It
Daniel's Providian/WaMu credit card was recently absorbed into Chase's swollen belly, and they welcomed him to their family by catching him in a technicality that cost him $39. Here's a good example of why you need to pay attention to statement cycles, even if your bank won't tell you to. More » -
verizon
Verizon Won't Give Elderly Couple Their $600 Back
Bonnie's elderly parents switched from Verizon dial-up to Verizon DSL, but Verizon didn't turn off their dial-up account when switching them to DSL. They somehow failed to notice when they continued to be charged for dialup. For two years. More » -
electricity bills
Energy Star Program Relies On Honor System For Some Products
Your new washer, dryer, fridge, monitor, or TV set may have an Energy Star label on it, but it turns out that nobody is making sure that means anything, reports the New York Times. Our parent organization Consumer Reports pointed out that this was a problem a year ago. More » -
pranks
Guy Who Invented Spider Currency Wrote Fake McDonalds Memo
This will probably come as a surprise to no one, but the fake McDonalds memo that went viral last month was written by David Thorne, the same guy who tried to pay for a bill with a drawing of a spider. He is a very silly man. More » -
how it works
The Consumer Financial Protection Agency And You
Legislation to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) is making its way through Congress. Interested parties have spoken out ("It sucks!" "It's awesome!"). Now the White House wants to know what you think. More » -
etfs
Frontier Communications Has To Pay Back Early Termination Fees
If you signed up for Frontier Communications' Price Protection Plan—a combo phone and broadband package—between January 2007 and September 2008, and you canceled the agreement and were charged an early termination fee (ETF), you may be getting some cash back. More » -
gouging
Comcast Raising Cable Modem Rental Fees This Fall
Comcast is going to start rolling out a $2 fee hike across the country this fall, which means your cable modem rental fee will go from $3 to $5 by the end of the year. Comcast says they absolutely have to do this or they'll never be able to pay for service and equipment upgrades, which makes us wonder how the poor underfunded company manages to stay afloat at all. More » -
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plastic only
NYC Restaurant Stops Accepting Cash
If you decide to eat at Commerce, an unpleasantly named upscale restaurant in New York City that charges nearly $25 for spaghetti, your cash is no longer welcome.
More »"If you don't have a credit card, you can use a debit card," said the restaurant's co-owner, Tony Zazula. "If you don't have a debit card, you probably don't have a checking account. And if you don't have a checking account, you probably shouldn't be eating at Commerce to begin with."
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electricity
Lower Energy Prices Could Mean Lower Electric Bills For Consumers, Or Maybe Not
Having trouble paying your high power bill? The law of supply and demand may be your friend. Americans' electricity use is decreasing for the first time since 1949. (Maybe it's all those compact fluorescent bulbs.) This means that your electric bill could be slightly lower in the coming months...or at least not increase as much as usual. More » -
suckas
Congratulations Americans, We Pay The Most For Cellphone Service
A new survey from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) compared annual costs around the world for consumers who have cellphones, and the U.S. is in the top three for most expensive. How expensive? DSLReports notes that "on average, the OECD found that Americans pay $635.85 on cell phone service, compared to $131.44 per year in the Netherlands or $137.94 per year in Sweden." More » -
double billing
AT&T Charges Customer Twice, Refuses To Investigate It
We think AT&T just stole about $157 from commenter Spoco. They applied the payment as always via his Amex card, but then said that it was declined and auto-debited it a second time a month later (+ late fees, of course). The only problem is, it wasn't declined, and Spoco has proof. He just can't get anyone at AT&T to care. More » -
money-saving tips
Look Out For These Ways Money Slips Down The Drain
Like water swirling a drain, it's in your money's inert nature to flow away from you. Blogger Fabulously Broke identifies several ways in which people waste funds without realizing what they're doing. More » -
overcharged
What To Do When You Discover You've Been Overcharged At A Restaurant
James discovered that the waiter at a steakhouse he and his wife ate at padded his bill by 4 extra dollars, but also ran through the charge a second time with no tip at all. Now he's wondering what to do next. More » -
money saving tips
Bail Yourself Out By Draining Water Costs
If Kevin Costner's epic cinematic vision is to be trusted, water will only continue to get more rare and pricey, even as we move closer to a world of melted polar ice caps. More » -
aol
Zombie AOL Account Plague Spreads To Wall Street Journal Columnist
Our reader Jennifer isn't the only former Time Warner employee whose AOL account has risen from the dead, prompting collection notices and confusion. Wall Street Journal investing columnist Jason Zweig, a former Time Warner employee, found himself in precisely the same situation, and wrote about his epic customer service adventure. More » -
cancel the account
What, You Expect Comcast To Stop Billing You Just Because You Canceled Your Account?
Look, Comcast, when you take back someone's equipment and give them a receipt confirming that their account has no balance, it's not unreasonable for them to think that their account is canceled. Don't keep billing them for service and equipment rentals, and don't tell them that you "can keep [the account] active and [bill] indefinitely until [you] decide to disconnect it." Because if you do, they're going to call their state Attorney General's office. At least that's how Paul convinced Comcast to finally cancel his account. More » -
aol
Zombie AOL Account Crawls Out Of The Grave Nine Years Later
Jennifer, like many people, one subscribed to AOL. She paid for the service originally, then received a free account while employed with Time Warner. Then she joined the 21st century and didn't use AOL at all, but her free account remained in the system. Until AOL started billing her. Nine years later. More »
bills
New York, 5:12 AM
Sun Nov 8
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