Insurance

Self-Driving Car Crash Comes Amid Debate About Regulations

March 29, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p> </p> <p>PHOENIX (AP) — A crash that caused an Uber self-driving SUV to flip onto its side in a Phoenix suburb serves as a stark reminder of the challenges surrounding autonomous vehicles in Arizona, a state that has gone all-in to entice the company by promising minimal government regulation.</p>

Report Claims Amazon’s List Prices Mislead Shoppers About Discounts

March 22, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p>One aspect of shopping on Amazon is that the online retail giant appears to offer significant discounts on many of the items it sells. However, a new report alleges that these markdowns not as generous as they appear, and that many of them are effectively nonexistent.</p>

Study Finds Amazon’s ‘List’ Prices ‘Deceiving’ Consumers

March 22, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p><br /> As retailers get ready to take on Amazon in Australia, the US organization Consumer Watchdog has accused the online retailer of deliberately inflating the recommended retail price of goods on their site, a practice that the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has moved to stamp out in Australia.</p> <p>In one incident Amazon was selling an Acer 12-inch laptop with a crossed-out list price of $799. Acer, however, sells the same device on its website for $749.99.</p>

Amazon Got Caught Being Sketchy But Does It Actually Matter?

March 22, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p><strong>Amazin’ Amazon</strong><br /> I don’t have to tell you that Amazon is crazy convenient. Forgot to get a bunch of random stuff at the store? Order anything from lip balm to groceries and find it on your doorstep within a couple of days.<br /> There are tons of options for basically any category you can think of, whether it’s TVs or mattress covers, and prices are usually competitive.</p> <p><strong>Golden age of e-commerce</strong></p>

Amazon focus of new complaints over ‘List Price’

March 22, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p>A consumer interest group has taken complaints about Amazon’s advertised prices to the California Attorney General, demanding an investigation and saying the company is “ripping consumers off.”</p> <p>The group, Consumer Watchdog, argued that prices sometimes shown as “list” or “was” above the current price -- showing the savings by the buyer -- are often bogus and much higher than what most other retailers are charging, according to a news release.</p>

Consumer Watchdog, the Santa Monica-based consumer rights organization, wants the California Department of Insurance to stop allowing companies to offer auto insurance discounts based on someone’s occupation.

February 17, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p>The group charges that the practice is discriminatory, because discounts are generally given to those in more “elite” professions like lawyers and engineers. Those in lower-skilled professions, Consumer Watchdog says, are hit with higher insurance rates as a result.<br /> Auto insurers say this type of insurance discounts actually doesn't raise rates on other consumers. The state Department of Insurance told the L.A. Times that it’s looking into the issue.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Raises Concerns About Occupation-Based Auto Insurance Discounts

February 8, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: normal; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="font-kerning: none; background-color: #ffffff">Consumer Watchdog is urging the California Department of Insurance to deny auto insurance rate proposals from insurers <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/business/financial-business-services/insurance/geico-ORCRP017257-topic.html"><span style="font-kerning: none; color: #4591b8">Geico</span></a> and Progressive that the consumer group says will dole out unfair discounts based on occupation.</span></p>

L.A. Woman Says She Is Victim Of Insurance Scam

January 26, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —</strong> A Mid-City woman said she was duped by an insurance company that sold her junk insurance.</p> <p>A year and a half ago, DeeAnn Davis lost her health insurance along with her job. “The Cobra insurance they extended was $900 a month. So I had to search for my own policy,” she said.</p> <p>So Davis called the 800 number listed on the <a href="http://www.coveredca.com/">Covered California</a> website.</p>

Consumer Group Criticizes Los Angeles Private Attorney Fees

January 24, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p>A consumer advocacy group is criticizing the city of Los Angeles for paying outside private counsel more than $1.8 million to defend a water mis-billing lawsuit and then taking a cut as plaintiff counsel in another related case.<br /> Consumer Watchdog, advocating on behalf of taxpayers, requested the disclosure of contingency fees regarding two lawsuits in which the city hired private counsel to defend and prosecute its cases, including Paul Kiesel of Kiesel Law and Paul Paradis of the Paradis Law Group PLLC<span style="font-size: 12px;">.</span></p>

Consumers Win $246 Million in Savings From Prop 103 Rate Challenges in 2016

January 19, 2017  ·  Carmen Balber

<p>Santa Monica, CA – California consumers and small business owners saved $246 million dollars on their insurance in 2016 thanks to public rate challenges brought by Consumer Watchdog under insurance reform initiative Proposition 103.</p> <p><img class=" size-full wp-image-21175" alt="" height="296" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/images_2016prop103savings.png" width="569" /></p>

Surprise! Insurance Industry Hands Revealed Behind Prop 103 Attack

January 18, 2017  ·  Carmen Balber

<p style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.360000610351563px;"><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2960" alt="" class="right" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/images_hoinsurance_6.jpg" style="width: 139px; height: 139px; float: right;" width="120" height="120" />California consumers and small business owners saved $246 million dollars on their insurance in 2016 thanks to public rate challenges brought by Consumer Watchdog under insurance reform initiative Proposition 103.</p>

State Farm Could Be Fined Billions; The Firm Isn’t Cutting Rates Fast Enough, California Insurance Regulator Says

January 17, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The California Department of Insurance says State Farm is not moving fast enough to lower its rates for homeowners and renters and it could face billions of dollars in fines if it doesn't speed up the process.</p> <p>The threat of hefty fines, sent Friday to State Farm, escalates an increasingly bitter fight between the department and the Bloomington, Ill., insurance giant.</p> <p><br /> Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones ordered a rate cut as of Dec. 8, but State Farm has challenged that order in court and does not plan on cutting rates until Feb. 13.</p>