“I heard from a friend of a friend that…” How many times have you received an email with this sort of opening? Usually what follows is some sort of urban legend, offers of free money, or dire warnings about the health of your children. But, not everyone might spot an e-hoax as easily as the next person.
That’s why debunking sites, such as Snopes.com and Hoax-Slayer.com, are so important. If I hear a crazy Internet rumor, one of these sites is my first stop to verify what I’ve been told.
For example, “Man Hit by Lightening, Then Mauled by Bear” is true. However, the alert that several women have died from sniffing perfume samples sent to them in the mail is false. Way false.
So, check with reputable sources before you believe what you read. Even people you know and trust can be misinformed.
Debit cards are increasingly popular, and for good reason. It’s the convenience of plastic without the temptation to spend money you don’t really have.
But should you sign or enter your PIN? Although I’m a technologist, I’ll be the first to admit it’s just as much, if not more, of a business issue.
Thankfully both types of concerns land on the side of, in my opinion, only using your PIN when you withdraw cash from an ATM (and make sure it’s a legit ATM at that!).
On the business side, most card issuers offer better fraud protection if you sign for a debit purchase than if you use your PIN. This is at least partly due to the fact that when you sign, the transaction gets processed by the MasterCard or VISA networks, and at minimum you get the fraud protection offered by them. You should check with your card issuer to get the details.
The credit card networks used when you sign also offer better fraud detection, as they can analyze the data from many card issuers.
On the technology side, it’s a question of the risk to your PIN and the impact if it gets compromised. ATMs, especially the major brands like NCR and Diebold used by the big banks, are built with security in mind. The keypad module has built-in encryption and its tamper-proof, for instance.
Other equipment where you use your card and enter your PIN is unlikely to be as secure. Even if it is, a clever person can skim your card in the blink of an eye and have a surreptitious camera recording your PIN.
Once they have your PIN in addition to your card #, they can create a fake card and then carry out the less consumer-protected PIN transactions instead of just being limited to signature transactions if they didn’t have your PIN.
Depending on your bank and what other info they have, they might even be able to access your account(s) through your bank’s web site because they have your PIN as well.
If all that isn’t enough to convince you, consider this: more and more, banks are enrolling their debit card customers in rewards programs similar to the ones offered for credit cards, but you only get rewards for signature transactions.
More protection and free stuff. Sounds like a winning combination to me.
Remember the LifeLock ads where the owner broadcasts his own Social Security Number? Well, after the ads ran, owner Todd Davis’ identity was stolen thirteen times. Crooks opened up credit card accounts, ran up phone bills, and applied for bank loans using Davis’ SSN. Doesn’t do much for the company image, dudes.
Customers pay $10 to $15 a month for their service, which has a $1 million guarantee that your identity is secure with them. The FTC went after them earlier this year, claiming the company was making false advertising claims:
FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz states the Commission’s feelings bluntly: “While LifeLock promised consumers complete protection against all types of identity theft, in truth, the protection it actually provided left enough holes that you could drive a truck through it.”
In the settlement, LifeLock agreed to pay $11 million to the FTC, which will be refunded to consumers. Also, they have been instructed to remove any “100% effective” claims from their advertising.
Bottom line: no one but YOU can protect your SSN. Only give it to those that need it, and then keep it in the lockbox.
Have you seen a Blu-ray player that retails for $200, but comes with a $50 rebate? Sounds good, right? Well, you may never see that $50. Companies love mail-in rebates because consumers jump on them and yet most people never mail them in. Or, the consumer doesn’t fill out the rebate form “correctly,” which gives companies the right to refuse the rebate. Either way, this helps to add up to the $500 million in unclaimed rebates each year.
Rebate redemption rates never hit 100 percent. They rates generally range from 5 percent to 80 percent, depending on the value of the rebate. While vendors have accelerated nearly every other aspect of the purchasing process in recent years — from overnight shipping to 24/7 instant chat support — rebates are still stuck in the stone age to discourage redemption.
Many companies run deceptive or intentionally difficult rebate campaigns. They don’t want you to be able to claim the money because that’s money out of their pocket. So you lose out because you didn’t read the fine print that said your rebate needed to be mailed from a post office within 30 hours of purchase. In recent years, the FTC has taken issue with many big companies, such as Buy.com and Office Depot, for deceptive advertising and delayed delivery on rebate payment.
I was excited to see that New Jersey is considering a measure to eliminate the mail-in rebate altogether. The legislation would, “requires retailers to charge consumers an advertised after-rebate price, rather than making them send in coupons or log on to manufacturer’s websites to claim their savings.” It would then be the retailer’s responsibility to get the rebate from the manufacturer. Rhode Island and Connecticut already have this law in place.
So, manufacturers, stop making consumers jump through hoops for a couple of lousy bucks. Give us the real price from the get-go, and we won’t hate you later when our rebate form is declared invalid. Consumers, if you decide to purchase a rebate product, read the fine print before you buy it. And, make copies of everything before you mail the rebate away for fulfillment.
OK, I admit that we have a Slap Chop in my house. You’ve seen this product advertised, as well as many others, on late-night TV. Sham Wow, Snuggie, Flobee, Shoedini, Topsy Turvy…the list goes on and on. Do they work? Are they worth the money? Well, Boston.com tested a few of these products for you.
(In case you’re wondering, I think the Slap Chop is a fine product. It’s great for nuts, and other things that are a bitch to chop. Not an easy product to clean, though. Still, it works.)
Infomercials are big business. Even though we’re in a recession, infomercial sales are still booming to the tune of $150 million per year. Even the pitchmen have become famous in recent years. The purpose of the infomercial is to make the product look fun, easy to use, and indispensable. And let’s not forget a sense of urgency. “Order now and we’ll throw in….” But, what you see isn’t always what you get.
Don’t let yourself get sucked in at 3AM! It’s probably just your insomnia talking, but you don’t really need a Magic Bullet. It’s important to read the reviews and do some research before you buy these products. There are several web sites that have already done the heavy lifting for you, such as Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping, and Honest Infomercial Reviews.
Huffington Post has a great slideshow of the most frivolous lawsuits of all time. The stupidity is mind-numbing, and makes you wonder about humanity in general. The woman who sued McDonald’s for hot coffee is there, but there are plenty more where that came from. Like the woman who sued a haunted house because it was scary. Ummm….duh. Didn’t anyone on this list have a person who could talk some sense in him or her?
Not all claims of environmental friendliness are created equal. In fact, some are outright lies. That’s where Greenwash comes in. Greenwash is a blog in The Guardian that seeks to expose, “the exaggeration, absurd claims or downright lies that big business makes about its green credentials.”
Big companies can always drive a coach and horses through the rules, greening their corporate image by mixing a couple of heavily marketed green products into a range of many more thoroughly un-green products.
Again, oil companies are notorious. This column has returned several times to the greenwash strategies of BP and Shell, plastering the country with posters and double-page adverts extolling their involvement in green energy, which in truth makes up a tiny (and recently diminishing) part of their investment.
Yea! We love it when anyone exposes lies and untruths, whether it’s big business, small business, or no one’s business. A lot of Greenwash’s content relates more to Europe, but the environment is a huge topic worldwide right now. It’s great that someone is sifting through the green spin to find the truth.
If you slipped on a grape while shopping in your local produce department, would you sue the store? Well, two separate women in Chicago have filed suit against two separate grocery stores for this very issue.
In one case the 64-year-old plaintiff is suing a Food 4 Less store in Cicero, IL, and its parent company Kroger for over $50,000 after she claims an errant grape caused her to incur over $21,000 in medical expenses.
The other grape-related incident allegedly occurred last May at a Moo & Oink in Hazel Crest. The plaintiff in that case says she “suffered injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature” and is suing for more than $30,000.
Once you stop laughing over the name “Moo & Oink,” think about the situation. Have you ever slipped on a grape? Yes, they are small and can hide in a number of places. But, first, most of us know to watch where we’re walking in a produce section. Second, it’s not like slipping on ice–or even a banana peel. It’s a small grape. I am skeptical that a run-in with a grape caused such serious bodily damage.
Will it get to the point where grapes are sold from behind plexiglass, like meats at the deli counter?
I’ve always wondered why this doesn’t happen more often.
A Nebraska man test drove a truck, during which he went and had the truck’s keys duplicated. He then came back a few hours later and stole the truck from the dealership. He was caught almost right away when the truck was discovered near his house.
However, it seems like a smarter criminal might have a better chance at getting away with it. The dealers who let folks test drive without a dealership employee along for the ride must know that the only people who would try such a nefarious plot aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer.
It’s a chewing gum that increases breast size. It’s so popular in Japan that it is sold in convenience stores. But, as with anything promising non-surgical enhancement, the jury is out on whether this works effectively. One British nutritionist said you may have to consume/use the product (whether pills, gum, or cream) every day for the rest of your life to maintain the effect. That doesn’t sound cheap. And it’s not known yet what the long-term side effects may be.
Daily Dose of Common Sense cuts through the crap, hype, and pseudoscience to tell it like it is. Part science, part news, and part, er, common sense, this site may be harsh sometimes but it's just tough love.
“I heard from a friend of a friend that…” How many times have you received an email with this sort of opening? Usually what follows is some sort of urban legend, offers of free money, or dire warnings about the health of your children. But, not everyone might spot an e-hoax as easily as the next person.
Debit cards are increasingly popular, and for good reason. It’s the convenience of plastic without the temptation to spend money you don’t really have.
Remember the LifeLock ads where the owner broadcasts his own Social Security Number? Well, after the ads ran, owner Todd Davis’ identity was stolen thirteen times. Crooks opened up credit card accounts, ran up phone bills, and applied for bank loans using Davis’ SSN. Doesn’t do much for the company image, dudes.
Have you seen a Blu-ray player that retails for $200, but comes with a $50 rebate? Sounds good, right? Well, you may never see that $50. Companies love mail-in rebates because consumers jump on them and yet most people never mail them in. Or, the consumer doesn’t fill out the rebate form “correctly,” which gives companies the right to refuse the rebate. Either way, this helps to add up to the $500 million in 
Not all claims of environmental friendliness are created equal. In fact, some are outright lies. That’s where 
If you slipped on a grape while shopping in your local produce department, would you sue the store? Well, 
I’ve always wondered why this doesn’t happen more often.
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