Consumer Law

Is your coupon a fake?

Posted on August 27, 2008
Fake online coupons are becoming a growing problem, shortchanging both shoppers and businesses ...Talk about it: Have you had any trouble redeeming printable coupons? Does your business accept them?

To reach a human, press ?

Posted on August 26, 2008
These are two of the coolest Web sites we?ve seen in a while! They offer ?cheat sheets? of prompts to help you circumvent a potentially maddening or time-consuming phone tree and speak to an actual human ...

A warning about used car ?curbstoners?

Posted on August 26, 2008
Q13 TV recently aired a story about a man who bought a car he found on Craigslist. He thought it was a good deal until he went to the Department of Licensing to get his title. Turned out the VIN number didn?t match up with the license plate.

Buying winter heating oil now may not save much

Posted on August 25, 2008
Americans will pay more to heat their homes this winter, analysts predict, and buying your heating oil in advance may not save you much. Locking in a preseason rate for winter fuel comes with risks ...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

What?s on your mind?

Posted on August 22, 2008
You can now post your comments to ?All Consuming.? We welcome your thoughts on tidbits you read here and related consumer protection issues. 

Power of compromise: proposed pact would mean smaller rate hikes for PSE customers

Posted on August 22, 2008
Our Public Counsel Section today announced a proposed pact that would mean smaller electric and gas rate increases for Puget Sound Energy customers than those originally requested by the company.

Salem car dealership nabbed for illegally packing contracts

Posted on August 22, 2008
Here is another important lesson to remember when buying a car ? beware of ?packing? or ?loading.?  ?Packing? or ?loading? payments is a practice used in the auto industry to get consumers to pay for additional products, such as warranties or service contracts by hiding the costs, or not revealing that consumers were not required to purchase these additional items.

Parents pay the price for teens? cell use

Posted on August 20, 2008
Yet another Puget Sound parent was hit with a whopping cell phone bill. ... Does your kid have a cell phone? How do you regulate use?

FTC pulls plug on telemarketer robocalls

Posted on August 19, 2008
The agency that brought you the enormously popular ?Do Not Call? registry today announced new rules banning ?robocalls? from telemarketers.

Spoofed MSNBC and CNN headlines will infect computers

Posted on August 18, 2008
Spammers are using e-mails that appear to be from MSNBC.com and CNN to try to trick recipients into visiting Web sites laden with malware.

Lemon drop costs Fife dealership

Posted on August 12, 2008
Lemon aid is on its way to 79 car buyers whose secondhand Hummers and Cadillac Escalades didn?t come equipped with a must-have feature ? a notice that the cars were reacquired by their manufacturer under California?s Lemon Law then resold in Washington.

I spy spyware, spam and scams

Posted on August 12, 2008
The Washington Attorney General?s Office is at the frontlines in the fight against online fraud, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress and the Center for Democracy and Technology. ...

Be wise- don't false advertise!

Posted on August 08, 2008
Washington's Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) are cracking down on false advertisers- make sure you don't become a victim of it!

Olympic ticket scam

Posted on August 08, 2008
Be careful where you purchase your Olympic tickets, they may turn out to be bogus.

Watch your meter!

Posted on August 07, 2008
It is important to check your meter to avoid confusion and billing issues with your utility.

Telephone scammers pretending to represent Kitsap Credit Union

Posted on August 07, 2008
Telephone scammers are on the loose again, this time pretending to represent Kitsap Credit Union and calling hundreds of Washington residents asking for card numbers, expiration dates, and PIN numbers.

New web content on foreclosures

Posted on August 01, 2008
There is now new content here on our AGO website regarding foreclosure!  ... This fall, the Consumer Protection Division will be sending out an official letter to homeowners facing foreclosure warning them about foreclosure rescue scams. ...

Teens as major consumers?

Posted on August 01, 2008
Teens are considered major consumers these days, so it's important to read up on some tips on how to protect yourself from consumer fraud!

Is an online degree legit or worthwhile?

Posted on July 31, 2008
Several news stories have us thinking about the future of online education and how consumers may be impacted. ? With both legitimate colleges and diploma mills heavily advertising heavily online, how is the average Joe or Jill to know which courses are worthwhile?  ?

Personal documents ? Keep or Shred?

Posted on July 30, 2008
When sorting through dusty file boxes or the pile of papers on your desk, it?s easy to become confused as to which records you need to keep and those you should shred.

FWD: FWD: WARNING! Tell Everyone!

Posted on July 29, 2008
This week, a well-meaning relative forwarded me a widely circulated e-mail warning about robbers who use ether-filled perfume bottles to render their victims unconscious.

Scam alert: ID thief poses as debt repairer

Posted on July 29, 2008
A Kent woman called this morning about a phone call she received from someone claiming to help her repair her debt.

Lemon Law celebrates 21 years

Posted on July 23, 2008
Washington has arguably the best Lemon Law in the nation. Staff in the Attorney General?s Seattle office celebrated the program's 21st anniversary today with a citrus-themed social featuring lemon tarts, lemonade and a contest to create the best lemon car...

Four years for 'Spam King' Soloway

Posted on July 22, 2008
"Spam King" Robert Soloway was sentenced to nearly four years in prison today.

When buying cars or goods in other states, remember Washington?s use tax

Posted on July 22, 2008
You might have seen recent news reports about the new so-called ?Internet tax.? Starting July 1, Washington joined 18 other states in requiring some e-commerce businesses to collect sales tax. Tax will be collected based on the location of the buyer, not the seller...

AG's new Internet safety site covers online gaming to senior dating

Posted on July 22, 2008
The Attorney General?s Office, in partnership with national Internet safety expert Linda Criddle, recently updated its Internet Safety Web pages to better inform youth, adults, teachers and seniors about how to reduce risk online. ...

FDA lifts warning on tomatoes

Posted on July 18, 2008
According to the FDA, it is now safe to eat all kinds of tomatoes again. 

Free ring tones may come with hidden costs

Posted on July 17, 2008
Many Web sites advertise free ring tones. But are they really free?

Free website lets you know if car was stolen or totaled

Posted on July 16, 2008
The National Insurance Crime Bureau recently unveiled a database of vehicles that were stolen, but not recovered, or declared totaled by insurers. And you can search it for free! ...

Saving on Rx drugs -- risks and deals

Posted on July 15, 2008
A recent study found that 85 percent of Web sites that sold prescription drugs directly to consumers didn?t require a doctor?s prescription. ... The Attorney General?s Office has a new Prescription Drug Pricing site...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.