If you’re the type of person who already reflexively jiggles every card slot and looks for pinhole cameras whenever you go to swipe your card, despair. There is no 100% foolproof way to protect yourself, as proven by a pair of banditos who stole 3,600 card numbers after installing a credit card skimmer inside several gas pumps, reports the MountainView Voice. [More]
driving
Honda Spokesman Gets Screwed By Honda Dealer
By 5.9.11
An actor who pitches Honda cars in their ads says he got screwed over by a Honda dealership when he tried to get the very same deal he helps sell on TV. [More]
Tire Shop Spits On Investigative TV Crew
By 5.5.11
When CBS Sacramento’s Call Kurtis went to investigate consumer complaints that a tire shop was advertising super low prices and then jacking up the price with the final bill, the store didn’t do a very good job of living down their reputation. Especially when they spit on the camera crew twice and gave them the middle finger. I also enjoyed the part where Kurtis asks who owns the store and the guy behind the counter says, “your mom.” [More]
Bin Laden's Death Greeted By Falling Oil Prices, Market Gains
By 5.2.11
Looks like the death of Osama Bin Laden this Sunday took some “fear factor” out of markets, which greeted the news favorably. Pressure at the pump could be relieved a bit with oil falling 0.7% to $113.23. Gains were seen across several markets, with the Dow Jones up .5%, the S&P up 5 points and the Nasdaq moving forward 7 points. However the surge could evaporate easily, even by end of day, as the euphoria wears off. And if Bin Laden’s death leads to retaliatory attacks, you can be sure those gains will be erased, and then some. [More]
Save On Mid-Grade Gas By Mixing Regular And Premium
By 4.28.11
If you put mid-grade gas in your car, it’s actually cheaper to pump in a mixture of premium and regular to get the same octane level. But how much of each do you use to get the right blend? As will some day be with all things in life, there’s an app for that. [More]
Find Your Car's Most Fuel Economic Speed
By 4.25.11
As a former long-haul trucker, Jason knows a fair amount about saving money vs saving time when it comes to deciding how heavy to put your foot on the pedal. And it all come down to this: ” “Speed destroys your fuel economy,” he writes. “I routinely drove 3,000 plus miles per *week. The faster you go, the more gas you burn.” Here’s some quick math to back up his claim [More]
Don't Fall For These Gas Saving Myths
By 4.16.11
The economic hardship brought on by gas price increases is a spawning ground for silly, ineffective conventional wisdom on how to cut down on fuel use. It’s important to distinguish between genuine gas-saving maneuvers and moronic wastes of time and effort. [More]
The $2,300 Tank Of Gas
By 3.10.11
A man’s eyes popped out his head and went “Awoooga!” when they saw his receipt for pumping 13 gallons of gas: $2297.84! Since he paid with his debit card, that meant real money was immediately drained from his bank account, causing a $1,300 overdraft. At first the gas station manager just shrugged his shoulders and blamed the bank, but he changed his tune after news reporters walked in asking questions about the receipts. [More]
Man Gets Pick Of Hyundais After Threatening To Write "LEMON" On His Rear Window
By 3.4.11
Michael leased a 2010 Hyundai Genesis and found that none of the buttons on the steering wheel worked. No horn, no cruise control, no radio volume. It’s been in and out of the shop several times for steering wheel issues. When he called up the regional office to complain they seemed to take his issue a little more seriously after he said he was planning to get a windshield marker and write that he got a $40,000 lemon from Hyundai. Now he’s getting to pick a new Hyundai of his choice. Here’s the timeline: [More]
Submit Your Questions For Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood!
By 3.2.11
Hey, Consumerist readers, we got an opportunity to ask United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood 3-5 reader submitted questions in connection with “Distracted Driving Shatters Lives: Helping Parents and Educators Reach Teens,” a Consumers Union event taking place at our headquarters Monday, March 7, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET. Please ask about any transportation-related issue that interests you! [More]
Student Uses Smart Phone To Beat Speeding Ticket
By 2.24.11
A student describes how he was able to get out a speeding ticket by whipping out his Android. [More]
New York Drivers Caught Using Phone While Driving Will Be Punished With Points
By 2.18.11
Adding some teeth and uniformity to a law against cell phone use while driving, the state of New York will tack two points onto the driving records of offenders in addition to making them pay a $100 fee. Previously, those who texted while driving were stuck with the points and fee, while drive-and-talkers got off with just a fee. [More]
Gas Prices Rise Amidst Egyptian Turmoil, But Now Holding Steady
By 2.1.11
The upheaval in Egypt is raising prices at the pump, with average prices rising to $3.10 a gallon, according to data from GasBuddy. Though Egypt is not a major supplier of oil, the Egyptian-controlled Suez canal and the nearby Sumed pipeline are key pass-through points for the world’s oil supply, and there are concerns that the civil unrest could spread to other oil-producing countries. As of Tuesday upwards pressure on oil prices eased off as so far back the protests haven’t disrupted transportation. [More]
Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left Turns
By 1.19.11
When you think about it, left turns across two lanes of traffic going in opposite directions are kind of crazy. Only an admixture of luck, skill, and a collective social agreement to, as a general rule, avoid crashing into each other keeps you alive. In fact, left turns increase the potential for an accident and also waste fuel. So traffic engineers have come up with a new street design, called “superstreets” that get rid of left turns from side streets onto major roads. And a new study says they are both faster, and safer. [More]
Government May Use Tech To Stop Cell Phone Use In Cars
By 12.1.10
People are so insistent on driving while using their cell phones that only death in a car accident will stop them from doing so. Spurred by the prevalence of fatal accidents caused by distracted drivers — 5,500 last year — the government is mulling over the concept of using technology to force drivers to put down their phones. [More]
Gas Station Chain Slapped With $30 Million Verdict For Shortchanging Drivers
By 11.10.10
A jury handed down a $30 million verdict agains gas station chain Sun Mart for leaving their customers a little light at the pump. The Texas Department of Agriculture found in an investigation that the chain was routinely shortchanging customers with improperly calibrated pumps. [More]
How To (Maybe) Get Out Of A Traffic Ticket
By 9.25.10
When a cop pulls you over, what you do and say in the next few minutes may well determine whether you get pounded with a ticket for the maximum fee or skate like a celebrity. It’s not so much about being able to talk your way out of a ticket — because let’s face it, the cop has probably decided your fate before he asks for your license — but avoiding digging yourself any deeper. [More]
