Insurance

EDITORIAL: Our View: Transparency Sorely Lacking at CPUC and in Sacramento

April 26, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span class="byline-item">By Daily Press Editorial Board </span></p> <p>The California Public Utilities Commission and the public’s right to know will collide on Thursday when the CPUC will vote on a staff recommendation to withhold and redact documents related to the now closed San Onofre nuclear power plant on the Southern California coast.</p>

Lawmakers Seek Stronger Monitoring of Racial Disparities in Car Insurance Premiums

April 26, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>In response to our report that minority neighborhoods pay higher premiums than white areas with the same risk, six members of Congress and two Illinois state senators are pushing for closer scrutiny of insurance practices</strong></p> <p>Six Democratic members of Congress are urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to appoint a director for the Federal Insurance Office, which monitors access of minority and low-income Americans to affordable insurance, and has been targeted for elimination by House Republicans.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Calls On Insurance Commissioner To Investigate If Insurers Are Violating Prop 103 By Pricing Based On Zip-Code

April 21, 2017  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

Santa Monica, CA – An analysis released today by non-profit journalists at ProPublica finds that four auto insurance companies in California mark up prices by...

Who’s At Fault Unclear In Driverless Car Crashes

April 17, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p style=""><i>Washington</i> — Automakers are rushing to put self-driving cars on the road, but questions remain about who will be responsible for accidents that occur when vehicles are in control of primary driving tasks.</p>

Watchdog Group Wants California To Look Into Claims In Propublica Report

April 7, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p>Consumer Watchdog, a California-based advocacy group, is asking the state’s insurance commissioner Jones to open an investigation into the potential redlining uncovered by a ProPublica report that finds that four auto insurance companies in California mark up prices by as much as 32 percent for drivers in minority neighborhoods compared to white neighborhoods with similar risk.</p>

Uber Gives Autonomous Cars a Reality Check

March 30, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<div class="articleBody"> <p> </p> <p>Even if Uber's latest autonomous automobile accident is a timely reminder that we're still some way off truly self-driving cars, a new Harris Poll gauging the opinions of 3,000 U.S. drivers finds that most people are already dreaming about what to do with all the spare time they'll have when their cars are capable of driving themselves.</p>

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>