Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?
Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:
My best consumer experience: Balancing my checkbook
My paycheck came in this week and so did my mortgage payment. I balanced my checkbook.
I sat down and paid my bills. Then I balanced my checkbook again.
There wasn’t much money left. A good thing to know to keep from getting overdraft charges.
I belong to a credit union and have an overdraft protection plan. The fee for checks is only $2, but I still want to avoid a series of those charges.
Many banks are hiking overdraft fees along with other fees and interest rates.
Some banks charge as much as $39 when customers overdraw their bank account by even a few dollars.
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My worst consumer experience: Trying to figure out Verizon’s cell phone offers
When I learned that my cell phone is on the high end of the scale in terms of the radiation it emits, I decided it’s time for a new cell phone. See the article “Are You Using a Cell Phone That Emits High Levels of Radiation?” for information about cell phone ratings by the Environmental Working Group.
I checked out the iPhones, and disappointedly, they’re also on the high end of the scale. Beside, if I bought an iPhone, I’d have to deal with AT&T.
Verizon has given me good service, so I’d like to stay with them.
When I saw I could get a Blackberry for free if I signed up a two-year Verizon contract, I was excited. And, more importantly, the BlackBerry in the ad was on the low end of the radiation emissions scale.
When I called Verizon, my hopes were dashed. You have to pay a $30 monthly charge for a data package if you get a BlackBerry. That would make my cell phone costs about $75 a month, which is too costly.
Verizon should certainly put this information in its ads. It felt like “bait and switch” advertising.
