Michael Finney's Consumer Blog

Free personalized Hallmark Mother’s Day card

I don’t know how long this is going to last, but if you know the secret code you can go to the Hallmark web site and personalize a paper card for your mom. Hallmark will even send it out free of charge, and that includes the postage. These cards are good looking and allow you to add a personal message and get it there before the holiday.

1) Go to Hallmark.com

2) Register as a user

3) Select the Mother’s Day car you want to send

4) Personalize it

5) Address it

6) When checking out use the promotional code: CARD4MOM

I just did this myself and it says I owe nothing and the card will arrive within days.

Ouch! 211,000 athletic cup recalls

Here’s a type of recall I have never seen before: athletic cups, 211,000 of them.  The company is recalling all of its cups in all of its sizes -- adult, teen and child.

The company, Under Amour, is being proactive and really working for the consumer. 

Here’s the information from the company’s web site:
www.underarmour.com/productsafety/index.cfm

Huge slump for car dealers

California car dealers in the biggest slump in more than 30 years.  Many dealerships have sold half as many cars so far this year, than they did by this time last year. The organization that represents dealerships, The California New Car Dealers Association, says the average dealership’s sales are down 43%. These are all first quarter figures.

Those numbers actually make the sales figures sound better than they really are, here’s how. Last year sales were off 20% from the year before, so what we are really looking at is 43% off 20% off. Ouch! Many car dealerships are struggling to stay open, about 500 have shut down so far.

For consumers in the market for a car, there are great deals out there. That’s the good news. The bad news? Many local governments rely heavily on the sales tax generated by car dealerships. Look for deep cuts in local services because of the car sales slow down.

Beware of swine flu scams

Swine flu scam -- the bad guys are all over this one. Conmen are setting up fake online pharmacies selling fake cures and vaccines for the swine flu.

Consumers who fall for the scam will have their credit card numbers stolen.  Also, old school rip-off artists are working the phones looking for donations to help swine flu “victims.”  They will actually pocket the money raised or simply rip off your identity.

Bottom line -- warn those around you who could fall prey to these guys. Tell them the only good source for swine flu news are the major news outlets, others should not be trusted. Don’t give to charities you don’t know and trust.

Best day to buy a plane ticket is Tuesday

Here is an easy way to control your travel costs, buy your plane tickets on Tuesday.

The airlines are keeping close track and know second by second how many seats have been sold on every flight. They also know how many should have been sold if that jet is to fly with a full load of passengers.
If the plane is filling up quickly, the price of a seat goes up.  If seats are going unsold, the price moves down. This happens on an hour by hour basis.

A quirk in the system has been now found that shows buying patterns and airline computer models sync up in such a way that the best airfares are often offered between late Monday afternoon and Wednesday night. Consumers buying tickets during that time tend to get the best deals.

There are no guarantees, but booking on a Tuesday gives you a headstart to finding an air fare deal.

Pre-paid legal benefits from your employer

Pre-paid legal benefits are often offered by employers, however many workers don't take advantage of the programs. Here’s why you should subscribe, FOR ONE YEAR ONLY.

Most of these plans cost $15 - $30 a month. Most offer one Living Trust or Will. Most attorneys charge about $1,500 for a will or trust.   You do the math.

I am only talking about the ones offered through your employer and even then there are concerns:

1) When talking with the attorney about the will or trust, be on alert. Many attorneys will attempt to sell you additional services.

2) Check the small print. Many of these programs have small print that takes away a lot of the good you read in the large print.

3) Some plans are total rip-offs that have run into problems with the authorities for fraud and misrepresentation.

Some of the plans are good enough you may want to hang on to them over the years, for instance some offer juvenile criminal defense (if you have a teenager this could be cheap insurance), again read the offer and see if it works for your family.

Tip: Shop for your own car insurance policy

When most 16-year-olds begin driving, they are added to their parent’s insurance policy. Later, when those same young adults buy their first car or go out on their own and need to buy their first auto insurance policy, they ask their parents for advice. The parents generally say," go to my company." The new insurance buyer does that and is covered.

End of story and beginning of problem.

You see, often the parents picked that particular company not after comparing rates and policies but because when they were 16 they asked their parents where to buy auto insurance. Making matters worse, many times that is how the grandparents picked their auto insurance company.

Studies have shown about half of all Americans have the same insurance companies as their parents and that shows very little shopping is getting done.  So, if you have the same company as your parents, you could have the very best deal going, but maybe not. Shop around, and who knows, you could save some major money by breaking a family tradition.

Two great airfare deals

There are two different airfare deals to tell you about today. American Airlines is having a sale: Fly from San Francisco to LA for $36! There are also other cheap deals for many other cities.
Link:  
http://www.aa.com/aa/netsaaver/viewNetSAAverSpecialsDetails.do?contentId=16119643&saleId=&itemDescriptor=FareToolSpecialContent&fileName=DOMFare.Sale.xml&?Log=1&c_id=79702784

The second deal is half price flights into and out of the San Francisco Bay area on Southwest, but your flights must be booked today on Southwest.

Link: http://luv.southwest.com/servlet/campaignrespondent?_ID_=swair.345&src=MAILCNSWKND000000090424

Finney's Thursday Free Stuff

Airborne is a health supplement that many travelers swear by. They say the vitamins and minerals keep them from catching a cold when stuck inside a commercial jet, breathing recycled air.  Others say the concoction does not work.

Check it out for yourself for free: 
http://airbornehealth.com/promotions_index.php

Additional rebates with credit union car loans

There are huge discounts and kickbacks for those buying cars and trucks right now.  The government is giving out tax incentives, manufacturers are kicking in rebates, and dealerships are offering discounts.

Now this: Finance your purchase through a credit union and get another huge discount/rebate. The "Driving the Discount" program is offered on most GM, Chrysler, and Jeep vehicles.  Ford is said to be about to join the program. 

To get in on this start by finding a participating Credit Union here:  www.lovemycreditunion.org

Don't be concerned if you are not a member, some CU out there is just waiting to have you sign up.