KOMO - News - Consumer News http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer RSS Feed for KOMO - News - Consumer en-us Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:47:03 GMT FTC to ban prerecorded sales messages http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/27222894.html After a barrage of consumer complaints, the government is banning phone calls of prerecorded sales messages unless consumers agree to receive the calls. What seemed like a potential scam wasn't so http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/27206509.html Last week I told you about a local couple who had suspicions about a door-to-door salesman who claimed to represent Qwest, the phone company. After I sounded the alert about the potential scammer, Qwest began investigating. How to make your daily walk even more beneficial http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/21530194.html Dr. John Swartzberg at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter says you can get more out of your walk if you try a few things. Kidney disease is on the rise http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/17848644.html In fact, it's now more common than diabetes. I was surprised to learn that about 26 million Americans have kidney disease. Small SUVs improve in crash tests http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/27163159.html Four small sport utility vehicles received top scores in crash tests to be released Wednesday by the insurance industry, a sign of improvement compared with SUVs built earlier in the decade. When buying an international driving permit, skip the Internet http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/27157949.html Online shopping has been a boon to consumers looking for lower prices, but there are some things you're still better off buying in person. Timing is everything when buying appliances http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/26053369.html The editors at Consumer Reports say look for price breaks in September and October on cooking appliances. Refrigerators tend to go on sale in May. New sites offer privacy while looking for mortgages http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/27089964.html Where mortgage-scouting Web sites traditionally required users to enter a swath of personal information to generate rate estimates, the newest sites offer users a way to comparison shop for a loan under the cozy blanket of anonymity. Warranty scams continue to find victims http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/16695186.html We've warned you about the bogus telemarketing scheme that involves a shady extended car service contract. The Missouri state attorney general sued several of those companies, claiming they used "misrepresentation and deception" to generate sales. How does your bank handle overdraft fees? http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/27039254.html If you have a checking account or if you use a debit card, you might want to make a call to your bank and ask about overdraft fees. Major banks are under attack for what consumer advocates call hefty fees on unauthorized loans.