Michael Finney's Consumer Blog

Has your Best Buy account been hacked?

Our friends over at The Consumerist are asking this question: Has your Best Buy account been hacked? "Have phantom orders been placed using your Best Buy website account that you had nothing to do with? Since the wee hours of this morning, we've heard from two separate readers who write that their accounts and credit cards were used to order downloadable content that was delivered to another person's email address."

Details --> http://consumerist.com/2012/05/has-your-best-buy-account-been-hacked.html

 

The big box stores next frontier

Best Buy has announced it is closing another 50 of its giant stores, but that doesn't mean the retailer plans on going away. Best Buy says it will continue to build its huge stores when necessary, but is looking more towards smaller neighborhood stores. Best Buy is competing with online retailers by bringing its merchandise closer to its customers. Best Buy isn't the only big box retailer to think small is good. Walmart is now expanding into urban neighborhoods and small towns with smaller stores. other major retailers are following the same retail road. Soon there may be no reason to drive across town to get the best deals.

GameCube owners better move fast

Attention GameCube owners! On April 3rd your game becomes 'vintage'. Why? On April 2nd Game Stop will no longer accept the trade of GameCube systems, games or accessories.

Quick tips to make your wardrobe last

Gasoline isn’t the only thing going up in price. Clothing jumped nearly 5% in January alone. With increases like that it is important to make your clothes last. Apparel Strategist is an online business journal of the US apparel and textile industry. It recently laid out some simple tips to follow if you want to keep the clothes you have.

Here are three.
1 Follow care instructions, they are not a suggestion, but a necessity.

2 Washing items inside out helps reduce fading.

3 Hanging up most clothes will make them last longer.

AT&T slowing down smart phones on purpose

Can AT&T really slow down my smart phone just because I use it? I get that question fairly often these days. Here is an answer from the courts. A Judge says it isn't fair for AT&T to sell a consumer an unlimited plan and then purposely slow down his phone because he uses it. AT&T ordered to pay $850.

>>Here's more info: http://consumerist.com/2012/02/man-sues-att-for-throttling-his-iphone-service----and-wins.html

Tips to make your smartphone battery last

Want your smartphone battery to last. Don't use the phone till it runs out of power. The new style batteries last much longer if you use a little, then charge a little, then use a little again. Here's the science behind charging and discharging, as explained by Battery University.  

Super Bowl Sunday is a great day to avoid the crowds

If you want to ski without crowds or get into the finest restaurants without reservations, this Sunday is your day. However, there is one drawback: you'll miss the Super Bowl. While sports bars are packed and supermarkets are shoulder to shoulder with customers pregame, the rest of the world is pretty quiet. You can almost hear the crickets chirping. So if you are willing to miss the big game and chance having nothing to talk about on Monday this is a great day to get into that restaurant, play that round of golf, or visit Disneyland with fewer fellow travelers.

Wear red to Macy's and save 20%

It is always a party at Macy's! The department store is fighting heart disease by pairing up with the American Heart Association over the next few days. Wear red clothing into the store -- a scarf or sneakers will do -- and you get an extra 20% off. If you forget red and see something you want, buy a fundraising $2 Red Dress Pin. The American Heart Association gets a donation and you get a discount. Sale runs Feb. 2-6.

>> More on Macy's Wear Red Sale

Paying more for less at the grocery store

You have no doubt noticed cereal boxes are skinnier and your candy bars are smaller, but the package isn’t. Quarts of ice cream aren’t really quarts anymore and that pound of coffee, isn’t a pound either.  If you are thinking you are paying more at the grocery store you are right, you just aren’t paying more per item… the items are getting smaller.  

>>Here’s one columnist’s take from Watsonville

What to buy/not buy in September

September is an odd month for making purchases. Back to school sales are done and the holiday’s are still months away. So is it a good time to buy or not? The folks over at dealnews.com have been looking into that question and are making recommendations. If you are looking to buy clothes, now is the time to go shopping. The price of cotton and labor has jumped up, but those increases haven’t yet reached the stores. Come October you’ll be paying as much as 110% more.  A purchase you might want to put off is a big screen TV. Dealnews.com says last year TV prices increased during September and dropped in October. The best deals this year are expected in November and December.