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| CONSUMER NEWS & ALERTS October 16, 2000 |
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We sure are glad Bell Atlantic changed its name to Verizon. The new name is just swell, although we hear the folks over at Verisign don't think so. But the company has been spending wildly on new notepads and shirtpocket patches and has to pound every cent it can out of its subscribers, which is why it's after Deborah to pay the phone bill her family left behind when they died in a house fire.
WOLF IN LAMB'S GARB
We never thought we'd feel sorry for AT&T but the fallen Goliath is increasingly desperate to sell something, having sluggishly mired itself in one tar pit after another. Its hot deal of the moment is local telephone service. The beleaguered telemarkters try to make it sound attractive but if you listen carefully, you'll notice something really ominous. It's best described as local long-distance.
BILL OF GOODS
AT&T also appears to be using some very unsavory practices to sell its international service. Frankly, if most of the complaints we receive are true, this onetime paragon of rectitude should come under the gaze of the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and other agencies with more teeth than the federal and state telecommunications regulators.
"FREE" BUT VERY EXPENSIVE
We've carried numerous stories about the dangers of "free" porn sites on the Web. One of the worst scams involves a stealth program, usually called "dialer.exe" that porn sites load onto gents' computers. It takes over their modem and places a call to a very expensive international number, running up phone bill of $1,000 or more. The phone companies are not letting customers off the hook and the results can be quite devastating, as some of our readers have learned.
ANOTHER BAD DAY IN FORD COUNTRY
A California judge ordered Ford to recall 1.7 million cars and trucks, ruling the company had hidden evidence of ignition defects for two decades. It's the first recall ever ordered by a judge and, although it applies only to California, similar class-action suits are pending in several other states as well.
EXPLORER PRONE TO ROLL, STUDY FINDS
Ford has pointed lots of fingers at Firestone but a Washington Post study of accident data finds that, regardless of tire, the Explorer is more likely to roll over than other SUVs. Ford denied it and said the Post uses faulty statistics.
CARDHOLDER SUIT AGAINST FLEET BANK
Like cheap long-distance rates, those low, low credit card rates have a way of disappearing nearly overnight. One cardholder has had enough and has filed suit against FleetBoston, claiming its advertising misled consumers by claiming rates would be forever fixed at 7.99 percent.
JUST THE FAX, PLEASE
Rick is totally steamed about problems he's been having with his BMW, so he decided to check it out in Carfax, a service that examines a car's title history. We recommend this service to anyone buying a used car or truck so when Rick complained about it, we were alarmed and tried it out ourselves.
COLD WATER WALK-UPS
Next to used cars, almost nothing is more trouble than renting an apartment or trying to move out of an apartment without being skinned alive by the property managers, most of whom should be issued a gun and mask when they report for work. We've added quite a few new tales to our expanding rental section. Take a look if you're contemplating a move.
FLORIDIANS MAKING IT HOT FOR ALLSTATE
Florida consumers have filed a potential class-action suit against Allstate, charging it is systematically overcharging drivers who've had accidents or moving violations by failing to review their records at policy-renewal time. MEDICARE BLUES
Insurance companies are pulling out of Medicare HMOs in many parts of the country, leaving subscribers befuddled about their next move. If you or a family member is in this fix, an alert issued by the United Seniors Health Cooperative may be a lifesaver. Though written for subscribers in the Washington, DC area, the information on procedure applies anywhere in the country.
RECALLS
Woods AC Delco and LumaPower extension cords are being recalled because they can come apart, causing electrocution.
DeWalt battery chargers have the same problem. Leads can become exposed, causing a shock hazard.
RockShox bicycle suspension forks can break, throwing the rider to the ground. The shocks are used on many different brands of bikes.
Lawn-Boy mulching mowers are being recalled because the blade can break apart and fly out from under the mower.
Dell laptop batteries sold in certain models can overheat, even when not in use, possibly starting a fire.
I-Tech hockey face guards can fly off on impact, which sort of defeats the purpose of wearing a face guard.
DEPENDS WHOSE BUSH IS GORED
It's interesting -- in a moronic sort of way -- to see how trivially the Presidential campaign is being covered by what used to be called the press. There's lots of blather about who's boastful and who's a little on the slow side but not much substance. It would be worthwhile for consumers to look past all the fluff and examine such issues as which candidate supports "tort reform" (i.e., removing consumers' right to sue companies that eviscerate them). Many industries have now been "deregulated," like, oh, moving, long-distance and cable TV, just to pick a few. This effectively leaves individual consumers as powerful as an insect whose legs have been pulled off. Tort reform amounts to pulling off the wings, which leaves a pretty tasty morsel writhing around the sidewalk just waiting for a passing predator. Easiest way to do this is to follow the money -- see who's throwing the big bucks around.
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