Many of you will be traveling by airplane this summer, and I hope you don’t get into the mess that my friend did. Here’s what happened. Eleanor and her husband booked two roundtrip tickets to Portland at different times, so they each had their own confirmation number. The day before the flight, Eleanor received an email confirming her trip but not her husband’s. Read more

We’re all complaining about problems we’re having in the service sector since the pandemic wreaked havoc on all types of businesses. Have you spent 90 minutes on hold with a utility to clear up an incorrect bill like I have? If you’ve ordered new furniture, you may have been told the wait time is four to six months due to supply chain issues. And if you’ve been out to eat, you’ve probably experienced slower service (due to staffing issues) and higher prices. Read more

Like a lot of you, I haven’t gone anywhere on an airplane in a long, long time, but that’s about to change. With out-of-state trips planned for this month and next, I decided to read up on my rights in case I have to cancel a flight or get bumped or delayed. Read more

We’ve all been hearing about examples of consumer outrage and it has me worried. Are we taking out our frustrations about the pandemic, divisive politics and life in general on whoever can’t solve our problem at a given moment? I’ve heard stories about people melting down because a store has run out of their favorite cheese. It’s obviously not just about the cheese—there’s a lot more going on. Read more

I started thinking about this topic after reading an article about Warren Buffett and his frugal habits. It said he still lives in the same house he bought in 1958, drives older cars, rarely takes out loans and prefers not to spend a lot of money eating out. Buffett still uses a flip phone and doesn’t like designer suits. In the Yahoo Finance article, he’s quoted as saying, “Don’t save what’s left after spending, but spend what’s left after saving.” Read more

Have you ever been lured by an ad for a low-priced ticket to a baseball game or concert? How many times have you seen an exceptional price for a hotel room and were motivated to make an online reservation? What may have stopped you in your tracks (or not) were all the hidden fees that weren’t disclosed at the outset. As you get close to completing the transaction, other hidden charges are added: a service fee, a processing fee, a convenience fee, a COVID-cleaning fee, a parking fee, a resort fee, and a fee to use the gym and even the swimming pool. Read more

One of my proudest moments as a consumer news producer was a story that prompted a national recall. A mother of a 20-month-old had called the TV station where I worked to report that she discovered her toddler had been playing with a dangerous toy. The stuffed bear had a wire protruding from its belly, and luckily, the mom noticed it before the child injured himself. She couldn’t believe the toy manufacturer could get away with selling unsafe stuffed bears nationwide at big retail outlets. Read more