Consumerist
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resources
University Launches Free Financial Education Website
We love free, and we love attempts to make people savvier about personal finance, so we really like this new personal finance website from the University of Idaho. It's got all the basics covered, and there are things like checklists and downloadable worksheets so you can practice what they're preaching. Some of the information is geared specifically to Idaho residents, but for the most part this is useful content that anyone can take advantage of.
Idaho Personal Finance [University of Idaho Extension via Idaho Business Review]
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spy on yourself
Seven Free Sites To Track Your Personal Information
The Consumer Reports Money Adviser has compiled a great list of sites that store your personal information and will provide free copies of their reports to you if you ask. More » -
Emergency Alert System
Comcast: In Case Of Emergency, Remain Calm, Watch QVC
When Comcast activates the emergency alert system, Jim's cable box snaps into action and tunes itself to QVC. The locked cable box refuses to tune to any other channel, so Jim is left wondering what emergency information he's missing while staring at the latest deals on cubic zirconia bracelets. More » -
security gaps
American Express Keeps Emailing Sensitive Customer Info To A Random Stranger
We're starting to think Amex doesn't take this whole "data security" thing very seriously. First they confused a customer, and us, a few months ago with their random confirmation phone call, where they demanded a customer turn over bank account information over the phone without giving him a way to verify they were really Amex. Now a reader says the company has "for years" been sending him someone else's account info via email, including the customer's name and the last 5 digits of his account number. J.R. writes, "Seriously, I've seen better security on a video game forum." More » -
your health
Menu Labeling Controversy Reaches Congress
California and New York City already require chains to display calorie counts alongside menu items, but if two Members of Congress have their way, menu labeling legislation will soon apply to chains and fast food restaurants throughout the nation. The Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) would go even farther than existing state and local regulations by requiring chains to disclose fat, carbohydrate and salt content on their printed menus. The food industry, of course, is supporting a more palatable bill with an equally snappy acronym... More » -
follow up
Metrolink Addresses Confusing Wording Regarding Monthly Passes
It looks like someone at Metrolink in Southern California reads The Consumerist, because their communications manager responded today to yesterday's post about some potentially confusing language on their website. He even posted a suggested revision to the language in an attempt to clear it up, and is asking for reader feedback. More » -
Metrolink
SoCal's Metrolink Monthly Pass Doesn't Work The Way You Probably Think
Dillon is in college, and he tried to save money by buying a monthly pass on the Metrolink transit system in Southern California. The problem is that Metrolink does a terrible job of explaining how the monthly pass works, and their own staff gives out incorrect information to customers buying the pass for the first time. Now Dillon faces a $250 citation for fare evasion because it turns out he could only use his pass for the upcoming month. More » -
insane
Knowledge Is Power?
Self-proclaimed leading contemporary critic of the Internet Andrew Keen says that increased broadband access will lead to a second Holocaust. Seriously. -
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netflix
Maximize Your Netflix Membership With FeedFlix
We first discovered the very useful FeedFlix back in May, and since then the site's been updated to present more data on how well you utilize your Netflix membership. By pasting in any of your private Netflix RSS feeds, you'll see a breakdown of your activity stats, like how long on average you keep titles and your average cost-per-rental. A handy new feature is the "email alerts" function, where you'll receive a weekly reminder if you've kept a title past a certain number of days. We've included a screenshot below. More » -
cvs
How To Reach Someone At CVS
An anonymous tipster sent us the following information today on how to reach the executive level at CVS. Remember, don't use this to be a jerk to anyone—use it when you have a valid complaint that you can't get resolved through the recommended paths. More » -
greyhound
Contact Info For Greyhound Bus Lines
There's not a lot of contact info on the web for Greyhound or its executives, but one determined customer has put a lot of effort into documenting what there is. Here are mailing addresses and a few unpublished phone numbers for people in the Greyhound executive offices. More » -
privacy
Pop Quiz: Can The Pizza Delivery Place Sell Your Personal Information Without Your Consent?
You need the express written consent of Major League Baseball to do pretty much anything to a baseball game, but does your pizza place need your permission to sell your personal information (name, address and phone number) to the highest bidder? Take a guess. The answer is inside. Cheating is easy, but in poor taste. (For the purposes of this quiz, you live in California.)
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surveys
ConsumerSay Wants All Your Data, Will Give You $20 For It
Pssst, wanna make an easy $20? Just give all your bank account and personal data over to ConsumerSay, a consumer opinion and behavior tracking firm owned by Lightspeed Research. Jen, who sometimes fills out surveys for freebies and cash, got an email from them offering her $20 for only 5 to 10 minutes of her time. Oh, and all of her financial transaction data. More » -
privacy
Build-A-Bear Teaches Your Kids To Disclose Personal Information?
Over at ZDnet an interesting point has been raised: Why does Build-A-Bear workshop need to know so much information about your children? Just to help return a lost bear? Should kids be encouraged to give out so much information? More » -
If you're serious about keeping your personal information safe, then make sure you wipe your computer's hard drive with something like Eraser or Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) (both free) before handing it off to a friend, family member, or random stranger. [New York Times]
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"They are the secret language of the gadget world: mysterious icons that are printed, stamped, and engraved on every electronic device and the packaging it comes in." Wired explains the meanings behind eight commonly used symbols you find on today's electronics. [Wired]
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fun with labeling
Greater Need For Allergy Warnings?
The Wall Street Journal has a poll that says 1 in 5 US households have a member with a food allergy and that 1 in 3 of those households say the allergy is serious. A third of those with serious food allergies say they've experienced allergic reaction because they weren't informed about an ingredient in a restaurant. One third also said they'd experienced reactions because of incorrectly labeled foods. More »
information
New York, 2:59 PM
Mon Nov 9
11 posts in the last 24 hours
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