Following in the footsteps of companies like Blockbuster, Borders, and other retailers that sold or rented books, movies, and video games, Hastings Entertainment is bowing to years of faltering sales, filing for bankruptcy on Monday. [More]
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Twitter Resets Passwords Related To Possible Breach
By 6.10.16
Following reports that the passwords for nearly 33 million Twitter accounts were breached and put up for sale on the dark Web, the social media network has notified potentially affected users and reset their passwords. [More]
Instagram Adding Two-Factor Authentication To Better Protect User Accounts
By 2.17.16
While Instagram may not have endured the same high-profile, embarrassing hacks that Twitter experienced in the past, the photo-sharing site is taking a page from the social media service — and other tech, networking, and retail companies — by enabling two-factor authentication for user accounts. [More]
New Policy Means AutoNation Won’t Sell Vehicles With Open Safety Recalls
By 9.8.15
Although there is no specific federal law prohibiting used car dealers to sell recalled vehicles, nearly a year ago AutoNation – one of the nation’s largest pre-owned vehicle dealers – suspended the sale of cars with potentially deadly Takata airbag defects. Now, the company plans to take things a bit further, announcing it will no longer sell any vehicle that has an open safety recall. [More]
Things Online Shoppers Shouldn't Do
By 2.1.12
You can shop online for years without ever having your information compromised, but not everyone can be so lucky. There are ways to guard yourself against thieves looking to swipe your money and personal information. [More]
Need Sunscreen? Here Are The Ones Consumer Reports Likes
By 5.31.10
It’s Memorial Day! There is sunshine out my window, and it’s calling me to come bathe in it! But before I go get arrested for public nudity in the park, I’m going to apply some decent sunscreen that blocks both UVB rays and UVA rays. Consumer Reports tested sunscreens recently and says these are the top 4 products in terms of effectiveness. All of them are sprays, and fortunately the top scorer is also the second cheapest in the entire test group. [More]
It's National Consumer Protection Week!
By 3.8.10
The FTC has designated this week National Consumer Protection Week, so all scams will be put on hold and businesses won’t overcharge you until next Sunday. What, no? That’s now how it works? Ah… it looks like it’s more about consumer education, which is also a good thing since that will help consumers protect themselves year round. For adults, here’s a whole page of various scam prevention tips, fact sheets, and videos. If you’re an educator, you can enroll in the National Financial Capability Challenge and get an “educator toolkit” to help you teach students how to be smart consumers. There’s a section for businesses too, with information on how to protect customers’ personal info and deter ID theft. [More]
Whistleblower Nurse On Trial For Reporting Doctor To State Board
By 2.8.10
Update: After four days, the nurse was acquitted. [More]
What Makes A Person Good Scam Bait?
By 12.9.09
We all like to think we’re basically scam-proof, and that our reason and skepticism will protect us from even the most talented hustlers. More likely, we just haven’t encountered those hustlers yet. [More]
Maine's Supreme Court To Decide If Consumers Should Be Compensated For Hannaford Security Breach
By 10.12.09
If a retailer doesn’t protect your credit card data and it gets stolen, should you be compensated? Not for any unauthorized charges, which are already covered under banks’ zero-liability protection, but for the time lost dealing with the problem, for the anxiety it causes, and for any future credit history/score issues it might cause?
Wells Fargo Also Pledges To Reduce Overdraft Fees
By 9.24.09
Chase and Bank of America aren’t the only ones suddenly growing pseudo-human faces and reducing their money-sucking overdraft policies. Today Wells Fargo squirted out a press release that says they “will eliminate overdraft fees for customers when they overdraw their accounts by $5 or less and will charge no more than four overdraft fees per day.”
SoCalGas' Password Policy Makes Passwords Pointless
By 9.23.09
We’re not sure why a company would bother with offering a password feature on their customer accounts if they disable them without warning 3 months later as a matter of policy, but that’s how Southern California Gas Company rolls. Does it really matter, you ask? It might if you’re a victim of domestic violence.
5 Ways To Prevent Identity Theft
By 9.14.09
If you’re still not shredding, locking, and canceling, maybe a giant graphic will get the point across. Follow these five tips and you’ll be well on your way to securing your side of things when it comes to ID theft.
Watch Out For Best Buy's Extended Warranties
By 7.30.09
HD Guru took a deeper look at the extended warranties and service plans Best Buy pushes on customers who buy expensive electronics like hi-def TVs. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that the fine print negates a lot of what the person or pamphlet on the sales floor will try to promise you—but you might be surprised at just how useless these plans can be when you get right down to it.
How To Guard Your Identity From Being Stolen
By 7.21.09
Although the threat of identity theft may be a bit overblown, it’s still a good idea to do everything you can within reason to stop yourself from becoming a victim.
How To Load Up Your Kindle With Non-Amazon Ebooks
By 7.20.09
So you’ve got a Kindle, and you have books on it, and you want to keep those books—no matter what Amazon or a publisher decides you deserve in the future. Your legal options are limited, but you do have some.
Free Bike Protection Is Neither Free Nor Protects All Bikes
By 7.8.09
Brian bought a new bike lock recently. What led him to purchase a nice, expensive lock from On Guard was the package’s promise that the lock came with insurance—if his bike was stolen while using the lock, the company would pay for a replacement. He asked a salesperson, who verified the information. Sweet! Then he went online to register his new lock, and learned how the bike lock “protection” really works.
Be Your Own Financial Regulator
By 6.26.09
Any sort of federal agency to protect consumers from abuse from the financial industry is months, or possibly years, away, notes Linda Stern of Reuters. That’s why you shouldn’t depend on such an agency to protect you in the meantime. In fact, you can take her advice and use it no matter what happens at the federal level.
