Consumer Law

Attorney General warns of bogus employment scams

Posted on January 26, 2009
Unemployed workers in Washington and the rest of the country are targets for crooks posing as headhunters, the Attorney General?s Office warned today. Scams include bogus job offers and realistic-looking e-mail messages that contain links to computer viruses or phishing sites.

Get fit overnight! ... Yeah, right.

Posted on January 26, 2009
Your New Year?s resolution is to get fit. But can you really turn a flabby tummy into ripped abs in a short time, like some product ads claim?

Watch out for flood-related scams

Posted on January 22, 2009
Washington residents whose homes were damaged by recent floods should watch out for cons, unregistered contractors and flood cars.

Macy's, Nordstrom giving away cosmetics today

Posted on January 20, 2009
Macy's and Nordstrom are among the retailers giving away free cosmetics today. The freebies are the result of a 2004 legal settlement in a case that accused cosmetics companies and department stores of price fixing.

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

Free shredding Jan. 24 in Tacoma

Posted on January 15, 2009
The Better Business Bureau is organizing a  free community shred event on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.

Attorney General sues Colfax couple for equity skimming

Posted on January 15, 2009
The Washington Attorney General?s Office is suing a convicted equity skimmer a second time, claiming the Colfax man and his wife ran a real estate investment business that misled distressed homeowners and property investors.

Protect yourself from e-mail hijackers and spoofers

Posted on January 14, 2009
In the past few months, there has been an increase in e-mail accounts being hijacked. Cons then use contact information in the victim?s address book to target their friends and family.

AGs reach deal to debug Dell?s customer service

Posted on January 12, 2009
Dude, you might have a Dell settlement check coming! Attorney General Rob McKenna announced today an agreement between the Attorneys General of 34 states and Dell under which Dell will provide restitution to customers who experienced problems with the company?s financing promotions, rebate offers, technical support and repair policies.

Virtual credit cards may give online shoppers peace of mind

Posted on January 08, 2009
We frequently tell consumers to use a credit card when shopping online and to couple that with a third-party payment service such as PayPal, if possible. But today I learned about a new way to pay. It?s called a single-use, virtual or disposable card.

AG McKenna proposes new consumer protection laws

Posted on January 08, 2009
Attorney General Rob McKenna released his 2009 legislative agenda. Proposals to help safeguard consumers include ...

Teens discuss risky behaviors on MySpace

Posted on January 07, 2009
New studies shows that more than half of teenagers mention drugs, alcohol, sex or violence on their MySpace pages ? information that may hurt their chances of securing a desirable job or being admitted to a choice college. But experts say getting teens to clean up their pages is possible.

AGs urge Congress for more help for hurting homeowners

Posted on January 06, 2009
Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna is joining attorneys general from 21 other states plus the District of Columbia in an effort to convince Congress to loosen bankruptcy rules so judges can modify home loans to help reduce foreclosures.

KB Toys gift cards -- use them, or lose them!

Posted on January 05, 2009
If you have a gift card for KB Toys, shop now. The Washington Attorney General?s Office was notified by legal counsel for KB Toys, Inc., that the company is liquidating its stores and will no longer accept gift cards or store credit after Sunday, Jan...

UTC approves Puget Sound Energy sale

Posted on December 31, 2008
In a 2-1 opinion, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the pending sale of Puget Sound Energy for $7.4 billion. The UTC announced Tuesday afternoon that Washington's largest private utility can be sold to New York-based Puget Holdings LLC, a company held by foreign investors.

Charter Cable drops KING-TV

Posted on December 23, 2008
Charter Cable will no longer provide its customers with KING-TV?s signal because of a contract dispute.

Scammers claiming to be from your credit card provider

Posted on December 22, 2008
Scammers are working the phones yet again, this time identifying themselves as representatives of Quimper Community Federal Credit Union in Port Townsend. ...

Consumer Resource Center phone lines closed

Posted on December 22, 2008
The Washington Attorney General's Consumer Resource Center phone lines are closed today, Dec. 22, due to the winter storms. The center can normally  be reached at 1-800-551-4636 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays. However, cconsumers may still a title="file a complaint online" href="http://atg...

DISH Network drops Fisher Communications channels

Posted on December 22, 2008
The Washington Attorney General?s Office has received complaints from DISH Network customers who are no longer able to receive certain network TV stations in Washington. DISH Network stopped providing their signals as part of a dispute with Seattle-based Fisher Communications after the companies were unable to come to terms on a new contract.

Web scam targets the unemployed

Posted on December 22, 2008
The Washington State Employment Security Department issued a warning about an online scam that preys on  unemployed workers by offering to help file their claim ? for a fee.

#39;Tis the season for mail theft

Posted on December 18, 2008
Thieves are targeting mailboxes this season, hoping to get to your holiday gifts and cash before the intended recipients.

Can I freeze my child?s credit report?

Posted on December 17, 2008
With all the attention on a title="child identity theft" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/21/business/21idtheft.html" target="_blank"child identity theft/a, it?s understandable that parents might want to freeze access to the kids? credit files to thwart any harm...

Grounding Airborne - ?Truth in advertising is nothing to sneeze at,? AG says

Posted on December 16, 2008
Airborne is the top-selling product in the cold and cough aisles of major retailers. But it?s not a cold-buster, say state attorneys general. Just in time for the sniffling season, attorneys general in 32 states and the District of Columbia announced that they, too, have reached a settlement with the makers of the popular effervescent tablet.

Wachovia bank checks are real

Posted on December 16, 2008
Some 740,000 consumers were recently mailed checks for $149 from the U.S. District Court Settlement Administrator in Philadelphia as part of a settlement agreement with Wachovia Bank. They're the real deal.

Wachovia bank settlement - checks are real deal

Posted on December 16, 2008
Some 740,000 consumers were recently mailed checks for $149 from the U.S. District Court Settlement Administrator in Philadelphia as part of a settlement agreement with Wachovia Bank. They're the real deal.

States apply heavy hand concerning lead in toys

Posted on December 15, 2008
Attorneys general for Washington and 38 other states today announced that they reached a $12 million settlement with Mattel, Inc., and its subsidiary, Fisher-Price, Inc., resolving a 16-month investigation into the events that resulted in the voluntary nationwide recall of nearly 2 million toys for excessive lead paint in 2007.

State officials warn about charity scams during economic crunch

Posted on December 10, 2008
Needs are great as the nation faces economic woes. Washington donors looking to help others this season should check a report released today by the Office of Secretary of State and take a good look at where their money is going before they give. 

Best car resale values

Posted on December 09, 2008
Kelley Blue Book published its Best Resale Value Awards for 2009. The awards are broken down into three categories -- overall top 10, best brand and best in category. You can view the complete list of the winners by clicking here.

Computer germs disguised as holiday greetings

Posted on December 04, 2008
Bah Humbug! Or, more specifically, Bah Computer Bug! The FBI reportedly issued a warning about e-mailed holiday cards that contain malware. Such mean-spirited greetings are nothing new; we?ve mentioned them on All Consuming several times.

Some loan modification programs may cost you

Posted on December 04, 2008
In part because of the work of state attorneys general in cracking down on fraud in the mortgage industry, more mortgage providers are offering loan modification programs for their customers to help them keep their homes. But we?re worried that some businesses that claim to help are mostly looking to make a buck.

Fake Web coupons rip off buyers and sellers

Posted on December 02, 2008
KING 5?s Jesse Jones interviewed me for a story about fake coupons you might accidentally download online. It?s especially timely, as many of us are shopping online for deals during this holiday season.

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