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Online buyers should carefully examine the vehicle, seller, and financing terms

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Autotrader has recruited comedian Kenan Thompson for a campaign promoting its online car-buying tools.

• Shoppers can complete an eligible purchase online or combine digital steps with an in-person visit to a local dealership.

• Consumers should compare total prices, independently inspect used vehicles, and avoid sending money before verifying the seller.

For many consumers, going to an auto dealership to buy a car is not the most pleasant experience. Autotrader is launching an ad campaign presenting online purchases as a more pleasant option, enlisting a comedian to lighten the mood.

The Cox Automotive brand has teamed up with actor and comedian Kenan Thompson for advertisements demonstrating how shoppers can search inventory, compare vehicles, and complete some or all of a purchase online.

Autotrader said its system gives consumers a choice: They can complete an eligible transaction entirely online or move between digital and in-person steps with a local dealership. However, available features and transaction options vary by dealer and vehicle.

Our goal for this campaign is to show consumers that buying a car online is easier, more intuitive, and more flexible than they may think, Greta Crowley, vice president of marketing at Cox Automotive, said in the companys announcement.

Thompson appears in three new 15- and 30-second commercials. It is his fourth appearance in an Autotrader campaign.

One commercial, titled Coffee Shop, compares purchasing a vehicle online with ordering coffee. Autotrader is extending that theme to a one-day promotional event in New York City.

The Autotrader Coffeehouse is scheduled to open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time on July 23 at 109 W. 25th St. Visitors can receive free coffee, learn about the companys online purchasing tools, and potentially see Thompson, who is expected to make a special appearance.

Sweepstakes offers $10,000

Autotrader is also launching a sweepstakes offering $10,000 in total cash prizes. Ten winners will each receive $1,000 to put toward a vehicle purchase.

Consumers can enter by following the official rules, which include an option to post a photograph of their coffee or car on Instagram, tag Autotrader, and use the campaign hashtag. An alternate entry method is available, and no purchase is required.

The sweepstakes is open to legal residents of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., who are at least 18 years old. It begins July 23 and ends Aug. 14.

The broader advertising campaign will appear on television, streaming services, podcasts, social media, and digital and outdoor platforms. It will also include rideshare promotions.

Dos and donts when buying a car online

Online shopping may reduce the hours spent at a dealership, but it doesnt eliminate the need for research. Here are some precautions:

Do:

• Compare the vehicles total out-the-door price, including taxes, documentation charges, delivery costs, and dealer-added products.

• Obtain financing offers from a bank or credit union before accepting dealer financing.

• Check the vehicle identification number, or VIN, against the listing and all purchase documents.

• Get a vehicle-history report and arrange an independent mechanical inspection before buying a used car.

• Verify the dealership or seller independently, using a phone number and website you locate yourself.

• Read the cancellation, return, warranty, and delivery policies before signing or paying.

• Save copies of the listing, messages, disclosures, financing agreement, and final sales contract.

Dont:

• Dont focus only on the monthly payment. A longer loan term can lower the payment while substantially increasing the total cost.

• Dont assume an advertised price includes every mandatory fee or that you automatically qualify for all listed discounts.

• Dont rely solely on photographs, videos, or a seller-provided inspection.

• Dont send money by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or payment app to an unverified seller.

• Dont provide a Social Security number or banking information before confirming that the website and seller are legitimate.

• Dont let claims that another buyer is waiting pressure you into skipping inspections or paperwork.

• Dont take delivery until the vehicle, VIN, price, and financing terms match the agreement.

Consumers should also remember that buying a car online generally does not provide an automatic federal three-day right to cancel. Any return option will usually depend on the sellers written policy or applicable state law.

Scammers use fake charges to frighten consumers into becoming victims

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Scammers send alarming texts, emails, or calls claiming that an expensive purchase has been charged to the recipients account.

• The supposed fraud alert is bait designed to make the victim call a fake customer service number, disclose account information, or transfer money.

• Consumers should verify suspicious purchases through the companys official app, website, or a phone number printed on their payment card.

An unexpected message says someone just charged a costly laptop, television, or smartphone to your account. To cancel the purchase, it instructs you to call a phone number or click a link immediately.

The purchase probably never even happened. Instead, the message may be the opening move in an increasingly elaborate impersonation scam.

Fraudsters often pose as Amazon, PayPal, a bank, credit card issuer, or another familiar company. By naming an expensive product and creating a sense of urgency, they hope the recipient will react before stopping to verify the warning.

The message may arrive by text or email. In other cases, an automated telephone call asks the recipient to press a number to dispute the charge.

What the scammers want

The immediate goal is to start a conversation. When the victim calls the number in the message, a person posing as a fraud specialist may ask for a credit card number, online banking password, Social Security number, or one-time security code.

The scammer may claim the information is needed to confirm the victims identity or reverse the transaction. In reality, it can be used to enter the persons financial accounts or authorize new transactions.

Some scammers direct victims to install software that supposedly allows a technician to issue a refund. That software may give the criminal remote access to the victims computer, including information displayed during an online banking session.

More elaborate versions take the deception further. The fake representative may say the purchase is evidence that criminals have stolen the victims identity and compromised other accounts. The victim is then transferred to another imposter posing as a bank employee or government investigator.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned that these schemes can end with victims being told to protect their savings by moving money to a supposedly secure account. There is no secure account the money goes to the scammers. Some victims are instructed to withdraw cash or buy gold, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.

How to check the purchase safely

Do not click a link, call the included number, press a button or reply to the message even if replying no appears to be the way to reject the purchase.

Instead, open the companys official app or type its familiar web address into your browser.

Check your order history and account activity there. If the warning names a bank or credit card company, call the number printed on the back of your card or on a recent statement.

Do not rely on caller ID, since scammers can make a call appear to come from a legitimate company. Consumers should also be careful when searching online for a customer service number because fraudulent paid advertisements can place fake numbers near the top of search results. The FTC recommends using an official app, website, statement, or the number on the card.

Other protective steps include:

• Never give an unexpected caller a password, PIN, or one-time authentication code.

• Do not install remote-access software at the direction of someone who contacted you.

• Never transfer money to protect it or help with an investigation.

• Treat demands for gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash, or gold as unmistakable warning signs.

• Enable multifactor authentication and account alerts, preferably through an authenticator app when available.

• Report fraudulent messages to the company being impersonated and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

What to do

Finally, ask yourself this: Have I ever gotten a question about a real online purchase I have made in the past? For example, why would Apple think an online purchase of an iPhone might not be legitimate? People buy expensive iPhones every day of the week.

If you get one of these alerts, go into the account in question and see if there is actually a purchase you didnt make. There probably wont be.

If a real unauthorized charge appears, contact the bank or card issuer immediately using a verified number. Change any compromised passwords and review other accounts for suspicious activity.

The most important safeguard is to slow down. A genuine fraud department will not object if a customer hangs up and calls back through an independently verified number. A scammer, on the other hand, depends on panic to keep the victim from doing exactly that.

Federal officials continue to warn consumers against recalled Taylor Farms lettuce

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that the Cyclospora outbreak is under control and that investigators have identified its source.

• Federal health officials continue to link a five-state cluster to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico, despite the FDA withdrawing a positive laboratory result as a false positive.

• The lettuce recall remains in effect, and consumers should discard affected products or return them for a refund.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that the nations unusually large Cyclospora outbreak is under control, even as federal and state health officials continue investigating thousands of reported illnesses.

We have the outbreak under control, Kennedy said during a July 21 press briefing. He said federal investigators had conducted extensive forensics and epidemiological work, identified the outbreaks source, and obtained recalls from the companies involved.

Kennedys comments follow several confusing developments involving iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico.

One cluster linked to Taco Bell

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say epidemiological and product-tracing evidence links a five-state cluster of illnesses to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

On July 17, Taylor Farms de Mexico recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. The recall covers products distributed to restaurants and other food-service customers as well as Marketside-brand iceberg salad and shredded lettuce sold at Walmart.

Taco Bell told regulators that its restaurants stopped using lettuce from the supplier on July 17.

False positive did not end the recall

The FDA initially reported that a lettuce sample from Taylor Farms de Mexico had tested positive for Cyclospora. However, agency laboratory specialists reviewed the results again and determined that the finding did not represent a true positive.

As of July 19, the FDA said it had no confirmed positive product samples.

That reversal does not mean the recall has been canceled or that investigators have cleared the lettuce. The FDA said its traceback investigation found that a single supplier Taylor Farms de Mexico provided shredded iceberg lettuce to Taco Bell locations where customers reported eating before they became ill.

The CDC similarly says epidemiological and traceback evidence implicates the lettuce. Federal officials continue to advise consumers not to eat the recalled products while the investigation proceeds.

Kennedy said Tuesday that cuts to the CDCs FoodNet surveillance program had not prevented investigators from responding to the outbreak. He said the reductions involved redundant surveillance and that states were still conducting the necessary investigative work.

Thousands of cases under review

The CDC reported last week that it had received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestically acquired cases since May 1. The agency was also reviewing more than 5,100 additional cases to determine whether they met its definition for domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.

Among the confirmed patients for whom information was available, 141 about 9% had been hospitalized. No deaths had been reported.

Federal officials caution that state and national numbers may differ because some states include both probable and confirmed cases. The CDCs national surveillance figures include only confirmed illnesses.

Not every case reported nationally is connected to Taylor Farms lettuce or the five-state restaurant cluster. The CDC is investigating several clusters and illnesses that may have different food sources.

What consumers should do

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite generally spread through food or water contaminated with feces. The most common symptom is frequent, watery diarrhea. Other symptoms may include stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, and increased gas.

Symptoms usually begin about one week after exposure, although the incubation period can range from two days to two weeks. Without treatment, the illness can last for weeks and may appear to improve before returning.

Consumers should check the FDA recall notice for affected package sizes, dates, and lot codes. Recalled lettuce should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.

The FDA also recommends cleaning and sanitizing containers and surfaces that touched the lettuce. Washing contaminated produce may reduce some contamination but is not considered sufficient to eliminate Cyclospora.

Anyone who develops persistent watery diarrhea, particularly after eating iceberg lettuce, should contact a healthcare provider and mention the possible exposure. A specific laboratory test is generally needed to diagnose cyclosporiasis, which can be treated with prescription antibiotics.

A survey shows nearly one in four employees are in that category

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Nearly one in four workers with employer-sponsored health insurance say they remain in jobs they want to leave because they fear losing coverage.

• The share reporting this job lock has increased eight percentage points since 2021, Gallup found.

• Women, workers with chronic conditions, and people struggling with medical bills are significantly more likely to feel trapped.

Hate your job but cant quit because you need health insurance? Welcome to the club.

Gallups new study on healthcare in America found the need for health benefits is preventing millions of Americans from changing jobs, even when they would prefer to work somewhere else.

The survey found that 24% of workers who depend on employer-sponsored health insurance are staying in jobs they want to leave because they are afraid of losing coverage. Gallup estimates that represents about 23 million American adults.

The percentage has risen sharply since 2021, when 16% of workers reported experiencing what researchers call job lock.

The findings suggest that rising healthcare costs are affecting not only household budgets but also career decisions. Workers may hesitate to pursue better pay, start a business, or accept a position that lacks comparable health benefits.

Job lock is on the rise in America, Gallup said in its analysis. With coverage tied to employment, a growing share of American workers report making career decisions based on insurance rather than opportunity.

Medical bills increase the pressure

Workers already struggling with healthcare expenses were much more likely to feel trapped.

Among respondents with personal or household medical debt, 44% said they were remaining in an unwanted job to preserve their health coverage. That compares with 21% of workers without medical debt.

The rate reached 48% among people who described healthcare expenses as a major financial burden. It climbed to 53% among workers who said healthcare costs caused them a lot of daily stress.

Income also played a role. Job lock was most common among workers in households earning from $48,000 to just under $90,000 a year, with 27% saying health insurance kept them from leaving.

Chronic conditions make changing jobs riskier

Workers who need ongoing medical care may face especially high stakes when considering a job change. Losing an employer plan could mean changing doctors, paying more for prescriptions, or facing a gap in coverage.

Gallup found that 29% of workers diagnosed with at least one chronic condition reported job lock, compared with 17% of those without a chronic condition. The survey excluded high blood pressure and high cholesterol from that comparison.

Among workers reporting three or more diagnoses, 41% said they were staying in an unwanted job for the insurance.

The rate was also high among people with immune-compromising conditions, at 36%, depression, at 35%, and anxiety, at 33%.

Women report higher rates of job lock

Women were more likely than men to say health coverage kept them in jobs they wanted to leave 30% compared with 20%.

Gallup said women were also more likely to report medical debt, multiple chronic conditions and financial stress caused by healthcare expenses. Those differences may help explain the gender gap.

Gallup warned that the consequences may extend beyond job dissatisfaction. When workers cannot freely change jobs, the result can be reduced wage growth, less entrepreneurship, and lower productivity, along with poorer personal well-being.