Consumer Law

Money back for lemon Lamborghini owner

Posted on August 21, 2009
Proving that price is no object when it comes to Washington?s Lemon Law, a Seattle real estate investor will receive a refund on his 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder convertible.

Been bamboozled by bamboo fabrics?

Posted on August 20, 2009
Bamboo fabrics are really rayon. Bummer. ...

Public Counsel recommends rejection of Avista?s requested rate hikes

Posted on August 18, 2009
The Public Counsel Section of the Washington State Attorney General?s Office is challenging electric and gas rate increases proposed by Avista, saying the Spokane-based utility?s request is not justified and that, in fact, the company might be charging its customers too much for service.

Get the best bang for your buck on textbooks

Posted on August 17, 2009
Textbooks are something all college students need but the prices seem to keep going up with no sign of stopping. Fortunately, many people understand the plight of students and are now offering cost-efficient ways for students to acquire and sell textbooks...

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$10 TV too good to be true

Posted on August 14, 2009
Wednesday morning, BestBuy.com advertised a 52-inch Samsung HDTV for $9.99. Yes, you read that right ? a savings of more than $1,600. Many buyers jumped online and were able to place orders, but the company announced it was a ?pricing error? and cancelled sales...

Cash for Clunkers questions answered

Posted on August 10, 2009
Last week, the feds injected another $2 billion into the "Cash for Clunkers" program. Cars are selling and the Attorney General?s Office is receiving questions from consumers about just how much dealers are supposed to knock off of their trade-in. Hopefully, this helps clear up some of the confusion.

Psst! Bet I can figure out your Social Security number

Posted on August 07, 2009
We?ve repeatedly told consumers to protect their Social Security numbers. Those nine-digit combinations, unique for each of us, are a goldmine for identity thieves who would like to hack your bank account or open credit in your name.

Could you have caused the social media meltdown?

Posted on August 06, 2009
Users of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter expect the services provided to fit their desires. When this fails to happen, as with Thursday?s Twitter outage and sluggish Facebook performance, frustrated consumers often believe the sites are solely at fault...

Bellingham Herald: Sources for Consumer questions about Identity Theft

Posted on July 30, 2009
In this advancing age of technological inquiry, there are many new facets of information that can be used to enable identity thieves. Lots of us think that personal information stored on computers is safe as long as it's password-protected. However, this isn?t true...

KIRO TV: Vast amounts of Personal Identity Recovered in Illegal dumping

Posted on July 30, 2009
It?s your worst nightmare: having files with personal information available for anybody to see, including identity thieves. As time has gone on and awareness of the potential exploitation of this personal information has increased, individuals and companies have become increasingly vigilant...

Worry-Free Guarantee!

Posted on July 28, 2009
Are you in need of an adrenalin boost?  Whatever the reason, the AG's office is here to help.How, you ask?  By offering reading material that is sure to spark your "fight or flight" response.  Specifically, you should note the claims recently filed by our Consumer Protection Division against Rent-A-Center, Inc...

Consumer Protection and Youth

Posted on July 23, 2009
The noted Greek author Diogenes Laertius once famously said "The foundation of every state is the education of its youth." In uncertain and perilous times like these, this quote rings especaially true. As every individual's period of youth turns into young adulthood, it is important that they have been educated on the roles of a consumer and the realities of consumer exploitation.

Consumer Rights in Purchasing Tickets

Posted on July 21, 2009
Consumer exploitation is possible when purchasing tickets.

Hold On My Heart Volume II

Posted on July 20, 2009
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Settlement with Dish Network

Posted on July 20, 2009
"Consumers didn?t realize that, in the fine print of its contract, DISH Network had given itself permission to make automatic debits or charges to their credit cards."Last week, Rob McKenna announced a $6 million settlement with Dish Network for alleged "deceptive and unfair sales practices...

Hold On My Heart

Posted on July 15, 2009
Hold

New AGO All Consuming Voices

Posted on July 15, 2009
Tired of reading Kristin's trivial tidbits? Well, now you get a break. Please join me in welcoming three new All Consuming voices. Paul Edwards, Alex Binz and Johnie Freatman are helping out this summer and I'm sure you'll enjoy their updates! Read more about them ...

Rip it up at July shred events!

Posted on July 13, 2009
More free shredding events for those of you looking to safely dispose of sensitive documents:

Identity Score: You are a number now

Posted on July 09, 2009
If you read All Consuming regularly, you?re familiar with the concept of a credit score and how it can make a difference when you need a loan, want to open a credit account or need to rent an apartment. But have you heard about your ?identity score?? I hadn?t either, until I read this article by SmartMoney:

Mortgage woes? Free help at July workshops

Posted on July 07, 2009
If you can?t keep up with your mortgage payments and are concerned about foreclosure, you can obtain free help. The Urban League has teamed up with the state Department of Financial Institutions and other organizations to provide three workshops this month in the Puget Sound.

FTC tackles Tacoma debt-repair company

Posted on July 01, 2009
A Tacoma debt-repair company was shut down this week by the Federal Trade Commission for preying on financially strapped consumers.  ... Read the full post for tips to spot a debt-repair scam and where to find legitimate help.

Casual bLAWging at the AGO

Posted on July 01, 2009
All Consuming has an interesting niche. We?re a government blog. We?re a consumer blog. We?re a chameleon, of sorts. A horse of many colors. A wearer of multiple hats. A proud manipulator/abuser of clichés ?Anyway, we received a nice mention in this month?s Washington State Bar News because we?re also a law blog ...

Pierce County businesses claiming to help homeless aren?t charities

Posted on June 29, 2009
The telemarketers? pitch seems innocent enough: They want you to buy trash bags, light bulbs or gift cards at jacked-up prices. They claim your cash will help the homeless or support employment for those with disabilities. But state officials and consumer advocates are warning residents not to be misled by these sales calls...

Driving home the meaning of Do Not Call to car warranty telemarketers

Posted on June 24, 2009
The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys have declared war, so to speak, on a number of companies that advertise so-called extended vehicle warranties through the use of deceptive ?robo-calls? ...Have you received any robo-calls lately advertising car warranties/service contracts?

TJX?s data breach a costly lesson

Posted on June 23, 2009
TJX  agreed to pay $9.75 million to 41 attorneys general as a part of settlement that follows the states? investigation concerning the retailer?s data security practices. ... Info on the new "Red Flags Rule." ...

Happy birthday to us!

Posted on June 19, 2009
We're 2! Our first story posted June 20, 2007, highlighted new technology to help prevent auto theft (think GPS!). Since then, we?ve written about 450 other snippets covering everything from modern-day pirates to Zombie PC attacks; hot urban legends to love scams; unsavory spam to credit reports, including some that aren't so free and one you probably didn?t know about...

Free legal advice for those facing foreclosure

Posted on June 18, 2009
Homeowners facing foreclosure can receive free legal help thanks to a new program launched by the Washington State Bar Association. ...

Consumer options are limited when businesses go bankrupt

Posted on June 16, 2009
In today's Ask the AG column, Attorney General Rob McKenna talks about what boarded-up stores and bankruptcies mean for consumers and explains how you can avoid common pitfalls.Share your thoughts:As a consumer, are you more careful about where and how you shop? As a business owner, what are you doing to reassure your customers that it's a good time to buy?

Work-at-home offers are often scams

Posted on June 15, 2009
For many people, working from home sounds ideal: Be your own boss. Set your own hours. Make money. But before you pounce on a work-at-home offer, wait. Many employment offers are scams.

KOMO and KIMA back on DISH Network

Posted on June 11, 2009
DISH Network and Fisher Communications have ended their contract dispute that kept Fisher stations including KOMO and KIMA off the satellite service since December. DISH resumed broadcasts of Fisher stations at 10:25 p.m. Wednesday.

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