Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Consumer News, Tips & Updates

Blogs

Consumer Smarts
By the P-I's Phuong Cat Le
· Con artists posing as City Light bill collectors
· Download Nine Inch Nails latest album for free
· Proposed credit card and overdraft protections

Secret Ingredients
On food safety and public health by the P-I's Andrew Schneider
· Food groups warned that imported seafood labeled "organic," could be loaded with antibiotics and parasiticides.
· Congressional investigators demand that private testing labs fess up and identify importers of unsafe food.
· Professional chefs and BBQ competitors show that Keta - the least expensive type of wild salmon - can offer a fine meal.

From the Blogosphere

All Consuming
From the Washington State Office of the Attorney General
· Traveling sales - the job ad might not tell the full story
· Free pizza for a VISA? College kids wooed by offers

Consumer Reports Shopping Blog
· Please visit the Consumer Reports Money & Shopping Blog!
· Drink a toast to good value

The Consumerist
Shoppers bite back
· Subway Sandwiches Now With Rusty Bolt Goodness! [Complaints]
· Friday Consumerist Flickr Pool Finds [Flickr]

KOMO consumer news
· Don't get caught with resume fibs
· Some credit card users due a refund

Recalls

FDA
Recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts
· Blount Fine Foods Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Shrimp in All Natural New England Clam Chowder, 20 Oz Cup (May 6)
· Updated Press Release: Lezza Blue Raspberry Italian Ice Recalled

Product recalls
From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
· Baby Bottle and Food Warmers Recalled by Munchkin Due to Fire Hazard
· American Honda Motor Co. Recalls ATVs Due to Loss of Steering Control

TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2008
Consumer Smarts: Life insurance can buy peace of mind
Buying life insurance can provide you with peace of mind knowing your debts, expenses and survivors will be taken care of in the event of your early death.

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2008
No easy access to fresh groceries in many parts of Seattle
A recent UW study found many Seattle neighborhoods lack grocery stores within walking distance or a 30-minute bus ride. Around the country, other cities are leading the way toward healthy food access for all residents.

'Free' TVs weren't; 2 firms fined
Online companies promoted "free" big-ticket items that really weren't free.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008
Fruit crops cut by cold
Killing April frosts could reduce Washington's cherry crop by 30 percent and affect apples, pears and other fruits. But it's unclear how much that could raise grocery store prices.

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2008
Restaurants raise prices on rice; Costco, Sam's limit sales
Anxiety about rice prices has permeated Asian restaurants in Seattle's International District, forcing some to reluctantly charge customers more for rice and others to worry about hoarding and shortages.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008
One in five Seattle residents may be affected by TV change
One in five Seattle residents could be affected when full-power broadcast television stations in the U.S. stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and switch to digital in February.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2008
Mortgage rescue company will refund customers in settlement
A company that offered rescue services to homeowners struggling with their mortgages will refund about $75,000 to 200 Washington consumers under a settlement announced Monday by the state Attorney General's Office.

Consumer Smarts: Make this the month you get 'financially literate'
April is Financial Literacy month in Washington, and one woman's story offers a valuable lesson in how to manage your money and build wealth.

MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2008
Rent at an all-time high -- if you can find a place
A new report affirms that apartments are about as hard to find as they have been at any time in the past 27 years and rents are on the rise, but it also offers some hope for renters.

Credit crunch puts some student loans in jeopardy
A tumultuous credit market has Congress scrambling to head off what some say is the start of a crisis for student loans, but so far students in Washington state have yet to experience any unusual financial-aid shortage.

Move to digital TV could cost some cable customers
For months, TV viewers have been told by government, by industry and by the media that if they already subscribe to cable, there's no need to worry about the coming transition to digital broadcasting. Unless, of course, they're among the 28 million who get analog-only service.

Many viewers confused about digital broadcasting
Feb. 17 will mark the start of the federal ban on traditional over-the-air TV broadcasts and the start of digital-only transmissions, which consume less of the broadcast spectrum.

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