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Consumer Daily Reports
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Consumers dealing with sticky inflation for a number of everyday purchases are finding no relief at the gas pump. Fuel prices have risen sharply over the last four weeks.
According to AAA, the national average price of regular gas is $3.49 a gallon. That's about 10 cents higher than a week ago but the price is nearly 20 cents higher than a month ago. A 15 gallon fillup costs $3 more than it did in mid-February.
The only saving grace is the fact that regular gas costs about the same as it did a year ago. Even so, nearly everything else costs more.
“The national average price of gasoline has risen for the third straight week,” Patrick DeHaan, head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, wrote in a post on X. “We're about two cents above a year ago, and are likely to keep heading higher.”
DeHaan points out that the U.S. has entered the period when oil refineries begin making summer-grade fuel, which is more costly than the gasoline used during the winter months. At the same time, oil prices have been moving steadily higher.
Now that spring has arrived, motorists are driving a little more. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports gasoline demand is slowly rising. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks recently dropped by 5.6 million barrels to 234.1 million barrels, which is also putting pressure on prices.
Prices are rising fastest in Michigan. The statewide average price of regular gas there has increased by 10 cents in the last week and 40 cents a gallon over the last month.
Here are the states with the most expensive regular gasoline:
California | $4.90 |
Hawaii | $4.69 |
Washington | $4.30 |
Nevada | $4.19 |
Oregon | $4.07 |
Alaska | $3.80 |
Arizona | $3.71 |
Illinois | $3.71 |
Michigan | $3.65 |
Pennsylvania | $3.58 |
These are the states with the lowest prices for regular gasoline:
Mississippi | $3.03 |
Texas | $3.06 |
Colorado | $3.06 |
Oklahoma | $3.07 |
Tennessee | $3.09 |
Wyoming | $3.11 |
Louisiana | $3.13 |
Kentucky | $3.13 |
Kansas | $3.15 |
Nebraska | $3.16 |
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
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Gone are the days of hidden fees on cable bills!
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to require all cable and satellite TV companies to make their pricing transparent on customers’ bills. The goal is to eliminate hidden fees that many consumers are stuck paying, and instead show one clear total of what customers will pay each month.
“The advertised price for a cable or satellite TV subscription should be the price you see on your bill,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said in a statement. “That’s why I’ve long called for eliminating predatory fees that unfairly hide the actual cost of goods and services, like TV event tickets, hotel rooms, and housing.
“This action will remove hidden fees on cable and satellite TV bills and bolster transparency from service providers.”
The transition to ‘all-in’ pricing
The FCC explained that as much as 33% of a monthly cable bill is made up of fees that are tacked onto the monthly price – many of which have obscure titles and are intended to confuse consumers. However, with this decision, the agency is requiring cable and satellite providers to follow what they call “all-in” pricing.
This means that consumers will have access to the total price of their monthly subscription, including all the extras, programming fees, sports packages, etc. in one single total. This price will be easily accessible and clearly displayed, giving consumers the opportunity to choose the provider and package that best fits their budget.
All-in pricing will also give consumers the chance to directly compare cable providers side-by-side based on the total monthly fees. The goal is to put the choice back in the consumers’ hands, eliminate junk fees, and eliminate the confusion that often comes with cable bills.
“No one likes surprises on their bill,” said FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel. “The advertised price for a service should be the price you pay when your bill arrives. It shouldn’t include a bunch of unexpected junk fees that are separate from the top-line price you were told when you signed up.”
Cable companies have a different story
The NCTA – Internet and Television Association, a trade association representing cable companies, responded to the FCC’s decision, and the organization ultimately feels that the work is already being done when it comes to bill transparency.
“Cable providers offer clear and accurate pricing information to attract and retain subscribers, including ‘all-in’ pricing information before signing up for service," the NCTA said in a statement.
“The FCC’s micromanagement of advertising in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace will force operators to either clutter their ads with confusing disclosures or leave pricing information out entirely. For consumers, it’s a lose-lose proposition.”
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
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As Target plans to release its new membership program and revamp the store experience for shoppers, the retailer has also announced its plans to update the checkout process.
From now on, there will be Express Self-Checkout. Previously, customers could self-checkout with any number of items. Now, shoppers will be limited to 10 or fewer items.
“Today, ease and convenience are top of mind, so to learn more about guests’ self-checkout preferences, we piloted the concept of Express Self-Checkout with limits of 10 items or fewer at about 200 stores last fall,” the company wrote in a statement. “The result: self-checkout was twice as fast at our pilot stores.
“By having the option to pick self-checkout for a quick trip, or a traditional, staffed lane when their cart is full, guests who were surveyed told us the overall checkout experience was better, too.”
The new checkout experience
Target will update the self-checkout experience at most of its 2,000 stores across the country. This means that shoppers will no longer be able to go to the self-checkout lanes with a full cart.
However, Target explained that individual stores will have the freedom to gauge traffic and determine how they want to handle self-checkout during less busy times. While the goal is to have Express Self-Checkout in effect during peak hours to speed up the checkout process, when stores are less busy, employees can decide whether or not to keep self-checkout as it's always been.
The retailer also said that it’s tweaking its checkout structure in other ways, including the addition of more cashier lanes, also speeding up the process.
Additionally, store managers will be able to open up more cashier lanes at any time depending on store traffic each day.
“Checking out is one of the most important moments of the Target run, and we know that a fast, easy experience – whether at self-checkout or the lanes staffed by our friendly team members – is critical to getting guests on their way quickly,” the company said. “We’ll continue evolving to match guests with the right checkout options so they can get what they need.”
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
- Details
- Written by Consumer Affairs News
- Category: Consumer Daily Reports
As Target plans to release its new membership program and revamp the store experience for shoppers, the retailer has also announced its plans to update the checkout process.
From now on, there will be Express Self-Checkout. Previously, customers could self-checkout with any number of items. Now, shoppers will be limited to 10 or fewer items.
“Today, ease and convenience are top of mind, so to learn more about guests’ self-checkout preferences, we piloted the concept of Express Self-Checkout with limits of 10 items or fewer at about 200 stores last fall,” the company wrote in a statement. “The result: self-checkout was twice as fast at our pilot stores.
“By having the option to pick self-checkout for a quick trip, or a traditional, staffed lane when their cart is full, guests who were surveyed told us the overall checkout experience was better, too.”
The new checkout experience
Target will update the self-checkout experience at most of its 2,000 stores across the country. This means that shoppers will no longer be able to go to the self-checkout lanes with a full cart.
However, Target explained that individual stores will have the freedom to gauge traffic and determine how they want to handle self-checkout during less busy times. While the goal is to have Express Self-Checkout in effect during peak hours to speed up the checkout process, when stores are less busy, employees can decide whether or not to keep self-checkout as it's always been.
The retailer also said that it’s tweaking its checkout structure in other ways, including the addition of more cashier lanes, also speeding up the process.
Additionally, store managers will be able to open up more cashier lanes at any time depending on store traffic each day.
“Checking out is one of the most important moments of the Target run, and we know that a fast, easy experience – whether at self-checkout or the lanes staffed by our friendly team members – is critical to getting guests on their way quickly,” the company said. “We’ll continue evolving to match guests with the right checkout options so they can get what they need.”
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
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- Category: Consumer Daily Reports
Chrysler is recalling 9,433 model year 2023-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Jeep Grand Cherokee Ls.
When the master headlight switch is set to the AUTO position, the driver may be unable to activate the high beams quickly.
High-beam headlights that do not activate as intended can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
What to do
Dealers will reconfigure the vehicle high beam parameters free of charge.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by April 12, 2024.
Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler’s number for this recall is 12B.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
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February’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose more than expected but inflation over the last 12 months has moderated, rising at a rate of 3.2%. But some things that consumers pay for regularly have gone up a lot more, and these expenses may be causing the most pain.
Car insurance, car repair and maintenance, renting or owning a home, pet care and child care are steadily increasing, putting a dent in most household budgets.
One of the biggest pain points is car insurance. Over the last 12 months, the cost of insuring a motor vehicle has shot up by 20%. It didn’t go down in February, rising 0.9%.
Industry experts point to several reasons for the increase. They say there are more serious traffic accidents and the costs of parts and labor to have risen. When vehicles are a total loss, the costs of replacing them are also higher.
And it costs more to keep them running
Not only is it costing more to insure cars and trucks, but repair and maintenance costs have risen 6.7% since February 2023. Those costs were up 0.4% in February.
Next is shelter, which rose in cost by 0.4% last month and is 5.7% higher than February 2023. Renters faced a 0.4% one-month increase with rents up 5.8% year-over-year.
Shelter wasn’t any cheaper for homeowners. Owners’ equivalent of rent expense rose 0.4% for the month and is 6% higher than a year ago.
The cost of caring for a pet is also still rising. Veterinarian services rose 0.9% last month and are up 7.9% yearly.
Caring for children also costs more. Childcare services are lumped in with tuition and school fees, all of which went up 0.4% in February and are 3% higher on the year.
While it’s true that some costs have actually gone down – like airfares – they aren’t costs that consumers usually have to pay each month.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images