ConsumerMom

Happy Trick or Treating (not Trick or Tweeting, especially while driving)!

We all think it is horrible, but how many of us have done it – sent or read a text message while driving?  Being distracted behind the wheel can result in injury and death, it is as simple as that.  A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that in 2008, 5,870 people died and more than 514,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes where driver distraction was reported.  

 

Studies also show that younger drivers are more likely to be distracted while driving, and that being distracted for even a few seconds can lead to a crash resulting in injury of death.  To help make consumers – and especially parents (hello, moms) - more aware of the dangers of distracted driving and especially texting while driving, the Federal Communications Commission has put together a new website.  The site includes links to a bunch of resources - from government agencies to private organizations.   The site www.fcc.gov/cgb/driving.html also has links to websites that will help parents and kids talk about risky driving behaviors.

 

Be sure and talk about safety issues with your kids this Halloween weekend! Many kids will be walking outside on Halloween – and many teens will be driving, too.  For the drivers in your family, talk about the dangers of texting while driving and other distracted driving concerns.  

For younger kids, the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) offers these and other great tips:

• When preparing for a night of trick-or-treating, make sure children are accompanied by an adult, and that older kids do not go out alone. 
•   Set a time limit, and plan a safe route, reminding children that it is not a good idea to take shortcuts or alleys, or cut through random backyards.
•  Remember to move any objects from your yard or porch that might be a hazard to visitors, and welcome your trick-or-treaters by turning on your porch light, letting them know you are home.

Bait and Click Bait and Switch

I love online shopping.  It’s convenient and a huge time-saver. I use search engines to help me find products that I want to buy – and to investigate big-ticket items, especially.  But how honest are those search engine results? I learned about a new coalition of businesses and consumer groups (including the National Consumers League) that is trying to raise awareness about search engines results – especially paid results.  You see, currently search engines allow anyone (that pays to advertise, of course) to use another company's name in the text of the ads that appear along with search results. 

 

Sound confusing?

 

If you use Google or other search engines, most likely you have seen these “sponsored links” results along side your “free” listings.  With Google, they  typically appear on the right side of the screen.  Search engines allow other companies – the highest bidders – to use another company’s brand name - to direct consumers to their own - sometimes-shady – websites.  One example:  You Google “Marriott Boston" and see a sponsored ad that says "Save 25 percent on Marriott hotels in Boston!" – you click, and are directed not to Marriott or Boston, but to Joe's Fleabag Motel, who has paid a fee to get the click through.  Companies that oppose these ads – and the use of their brand names in the search – say that it’s unfair and misleading to consumers.  When you Google “Marriott Boston” you expect links to the Marriott in Boston, or at least to sites that mention it!

 

According to John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, National Consumers League, "With American Internet users averaging eight billion searches per month, the potential impact of fraud committed via sponsored search results is very large.”

 

The Coalition offers some good tips to watch out for while during those billion searches at http://www.stopscads.org/searcherbeware.html.  Remember:

  Look before you click
Avoid ads that look suspicious. The less people click on them, the quicker they’ll go away. 

  If it's not what you're looking for when you land, leave
If it looks fishy and you don't immediately see what you are looking for on the website, close the page!  It could be risky to stick around. 

  Look for secure websites

Before you give any personal information to a site you get to through a sponsored link (or any other site for that matter), make sure the site is secure.  You can verify this by looking for https:// in the web address and the small lock symbol, which should pop up in the bottom right portion of your browser

  Talk to your kids and relatives.

Share this information with them too, so they know what to look for when they are online.

Consumer-savvy moms aren’t only people in your household using search engines.  Talk to your kids and older users in your household who may not have as much knowledge about “sponsored links,” and make sure they know to avoid fishy sites.

 

 

Fall weather, Stimulus Money = Scams?

The fall weather, stimulus money for green energy programs and eager environmentally conscious consumers are all good things, translating into new building construction, jobs and energy savings nationwide.  Unfortunately, con artists have also noticed the trend. A recent AARP Bulletin offers a cautionary tale as well as great tips for avoiding energy-related scams. 

 

A few good points to remember:

1 – Don’t pay for something that is free. It seems obvious, but scammers will make you think it is worth it to pay them to process your paperwork to get the tax credit. Do not fall for that.  The federal government has made it easy to get the green tax credits -- you do not need any help (trust us!) with that, and it is so easy, you certainly should not pay any fee.  On top of that, to “file for you,” the con artists will need a lot of your private information, including social security number.  Keep your social security number to yourself.

2 – Ignore any e-mail message claiming to be from the Department of Energy promising a refund. The AARP warns that opening its attachment could unleash computer malware or gather your personal information for identity theft.  The DOE does not send out unsolicited email spam!

3 – Your energy company does not go door to door, either.  Some con artists will come to your door posing as utility company workers.  AARP Reports that it is sometimes a ruse to get into your home.

 

To read the AARP Bulletin article, click here.

For a list of products that qualify for the energy tax credits, click  here.

 

I liked these two simple suggestions to help save energy from NRDC’s website:

1 - Unplug! It will save you money if you unplug appliances you don’t use.  If you aren’t charging a phone, unplug the charger.  NRDC suggests that you use power strips to switch off televisions, home theater equipment, and stereos when you are not using them. I had no clue, but NRDC reports that even when you think these products are off, together, their "standby" consumption can be equivalent to that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously!

2 – Hibernate!  Go to the settings option on your computer and set it up so it will "hibernate" automatically after 30 minutes or so of inactivity. The hibernate “mode” saves energy and is more time-efficient than shutting down and restarting your computer from scratch. When you're done for the day, shut down. 

How do you reduce energy costs in your home?