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Consumer Daily Reports


Trusted reliable news sources from around the web. We offer special news reports, topic news videos, and related content stories. Truly a birds eye view on news.

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

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


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


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


Anyone about to sell their home this year better get ready for a push-and-pull like they’ve never had before.

Now that the homeowner has new negotiation power, they’ll have to get up to speed quickly on what their rights are and what convoluted answers real estate agents may give them back.

“Who really makes the call on commission rates?”

“How low can you go?”

“Who pays for all the stuff like pictures and advertising?”

ConsumerAffairs decided the only way to get ahead of this bowl of spaghetti was to ask real estate professionals what they’re hearing and what they think will be happening as this thing unfurls.

This will be a shakeout for lenders and buyer’s agents, too

Marty Green, a principal at mortgage law firm Polunsky Beitel Green, told ConsumerAffairs that it will take a while for the dust to settle.

For one thing, mortgage underwriters are going to have just as hard of time getting their heads wrapped around this as sellers and agents because mortgage underwriting guidelines haven’t shifted in a long time and are pretty set as to how real estate commissions have historically been paid, Green said. 

Sellers vs. buyers

“We are still in a seller's market, so I can envision some sellers not being prepared to pay the buyer's side agent or limiting the amount they will pay. The question then is whether the buyer has the resources to pay the buyer's portion of the commission,” Green said.

“I am confident that, if the buyer is paying the commission, the amount will be more heavily negotiated and will be reduced. Realtors, though, may now require some payment upfront from the buyer since there will be increased uncertainty about how they will ultimately be paid."

Another potential issue with buyer’s agents could be VA Loans, notes Michael Downer with Coldwell Banker Realty Quesstintial Naples, and those will need to be restructured by law since they do not allow compensation for buyer agents.

You might not have as much leverage as you think

On the surface, the NAR settlement sounds like a dream come true, but one real estate expert ConsumerAffairs spoke with said that home sellers would be foolish to think that they’re going to sit down across the table from a real estate agent with a bottle of wine pushing a legal pad of commission offers back and forth between them until one finally gives in.

“It has been suggested that as a result the amount of commission that has been charged to the seller in the past will be reduced, but I find these predictions to be worth as much as a tarot reading from Ms. Cleo,” said John Graff, CEO of Graff Real Estate, Inc

Graff thinks that since few buyers and sellers actually negotiate the commission they offer to their agent to begin with, not much is likely to change, just because the NAR decided to settle its lawsuit.

“If anything, I have seen confusion reign, from consumers, agents, and journalists alike and confusion begets reliance on experts, not confidence to negotiate down. Plus, how excited are you going to be that you negotiated down the person you are supposedly paying to be a good negotiator?” Graff said. 

Graff predicts that consumers will see a new wave of low-fee brokerages emerging, as agents find themselves increasingly squeezed, either due to declining transactions or tightening commissions.

The leverage sellers have been looking for?

If you’ve sold a house in the last few years and thought your agent was a little lazy, these agents might feel some pressure to perform now. Brian Mollo, CEO, at Trusted House Buyers thinks that those agents are going to have to step up or step out going forward.

"Many real estate agents simply don't effectively market the properties they list. They rely on Zillow and other sites to do that for them via an MLS IDX feed,” Mollo contends. “With this ruling, it gives Realtors more incentive to go the extra mile, because the ones that do will be winning the listing contracts.

“The best part of the settlement is that moving forward, buyer's agents will have to explain what they do to add value to a transaction,” Downer said. 

“The professional agents will do better than ever, and the less professional agents will have a hard time getting clients. This part will serve the consumer better than ever in the long run. There are some types of deals, such as VA Loans, that will need to be restructured by law since they do not allow compensation for buyer agents.”

What can buyers and sellers do?

Now that we see that this situation is muddy for the foreseeable future, what steps can buyers and sellers take to reduce some of the confusion over what they can and can’t expect, and do and not do.

“First, muster your courage to negotiate the commission,” is Joanne Cleaver’s, President at Wilson-Taylor Associates, rallying cry.

“Need motivation? Calculate the savings in listing for 1.5% - which is what discount agents require, and which is reasonable given that consumers are probably using the realty-agent-built MLS to list their houses. Then, think about the results you actually want from a buyer's agent. Remember, if you are still paying the buy-side commission, that agent still works for you!”

Cleaver says to think about what exact services you want – and not just "bring me a buyer," but, a buyer with a certain offer, the time to close, and other contingencies – and then ask the buyer's agent how much time they expect to spend on your deal. 

“Their time with their buyers is not your concern. Drill down to the services you need from that buyer's agent and negotiate to pay for what you are getting. It's not your job anymore to support the real estate infrastructure. Pay for results!” 

And if you need help, there’s now a Facebook group dedicated to giving sellers a space where they can share ideas and tactics about how to negotiate real estate deals here in the new Wild Wild West.


Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images

March Madness could quickly turn into March Sadness for NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament ticket buyers if they’re not careful.

Now that the pairings have been announced, fans are looking for tickets, but the ticket brokers have beaten many of them to the punch, buying “official” tickets in advance and marking them up.

However, some so-called ticket brokers aren’t ticket brokers at all. They’re scammers sitting at home loading up social media with lures they think they can get desperate fans to bite on and not even worry about filling those orders because they don’t actually have NCAA tickets.

And you can expect those scammers to ask high prices, too. Given what's happened to defending national champion UCONN already during the regular season, anyone in New Mexico who wants to follow their beloved Lobos or the Hilltopper fans in Kentucky who want to roll with Western's Big Red should be prepared to pony up ridiculous amounts like $5,000 per ticket.

The anatomy of a scam

Ticket scams aren’t anything new, but because of artificial intelligence (AI), scammers are getting slicker than ever before. 

ConsumerAffairs took the situation to AI generators to see how much they could help these scammers out in automating social media scams.

We asked AI to write a Facebook post based on this request: “I want to sell four NCAA men's basketball tickets for the Mideast Regional March 20-23 at Madison Square Garden. Price is $55 each. Write me a Facebook post under 150 words that would promote that.”

Here’s what we got back…

'Who's up for March Madness?! Selling 4 tickets to the Mideast Regional at Barclays Center (March 20-23) for $55 each!

See Northwestern take on Florida Atlantic and UConn battle Stetson! These tickets get you into all the games, so come catch the excitement!

DM me if you're interested! #MarchMadness #MideastRegional #Tickets #Barclays

Impressive to say the least, right down to the hashtags.

More AI shiftiness


Creating high-quality forgeries: One of AI’s strengths is the ability to create incredibly realistic, near-perfect fake tickets, down to the holograms and watermarks. 

Beating CAPTCHAs and security checks:  Some scammers are now using AI to bypass CAPTCHAs (where you click on a grid of photos or write back the numbers and letters on a graphic). This allows them to automate large-scale ticket schemes, buying up vast quantities of tickets before anyone else has a chance.

They’ll stalk you, too

On top of using AI for social media, scammers are now targeting fans on social media. They’ll burrow into a Duke Blue Devils fan site and wait for someone who says they’re looking for tickets. TikTok is especially vulnerable to this method where frustration over sold-out events – and desperation – is high. They'll use fake accounts or hijack real ones to offer seemingly good deals.

If someone contacts you, that’s a stop sign if you’ll ever see one.

Don’t use Zelle, don’t use PayPal, don’t use Venmo

The main temptation for ticket buyers this playoff season will be acting in the moment -- buying the available tickets before someone else gets to them. A shotgun wedding if there ever was one.

“I purchased 2 tickets for a concert for the amount of {$380.00},” is how one recent consumer explained being ripped off in a complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). 

“When I didn't receive an email confirmation or any information on my tickets, I became suspicious. I looked up reviews on the company and saw review after review saying it's a scam and that PayPal is in on it. I wasn't worried about a scam because I had used PayPal to purchase the tickets and believed them to be trustworthy. I opened a dispute with PayPal and was denied because they said I received the tickets. I did not.”

There are a couple of reasons why cash apps don't offer purchase protection: Primarily, it’s because they’re designed for person-to-person transactions, not online purchases. Secondly, once you press the button, that transaction is considered “authorized” and that makes it tough to get your money back like you would if you used a credit card.

Remember this about Venmo, Paypal, etc – they act as a facilitator for the transfer and that’s it. They aren't responsible for ensuring the legitimacy of the purchase. If you want protection, only use credit cards, and only use the NCAA’s official “ticket exchange” website.

“NCAA Ticket Exchange is the only 100% guaranteed, NCAA-approved secondary ticket marketplace that allows fans to buy and sell NCAA Championship tickets with other fans,” the group promises.

“Ticket holders who are unable to attend a game have a secure place to safely sell their tickets, and the buyer can be assured that the tickets are authentic and 100% guaranteed.”


Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images