Insurance

Is The New “Car of the Year” Hiding Something?

January 12, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>The newly crowned car has lots of complaints about one of its most heavily advertised features</strong><br /> <br /> It has no doubt been a banner week for Hyundai Motors at the Detroit Auto Show, hauling in two big awards for "Car of The Year," and the brand with the highest customer loyalty. But it has its detractors too.<br /> <br />

Allstate Promises To Satisfy Its Auto Insurance Claims Customers

January 8, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Looking for a competitive edge over other car insurance  companies, Allstate is promising that if you buy a policy and are not satisfied with your claims service, you'll get a refund.<br /> <br />

State Consumer Group Proposes New Approach To Health Insurance Rate Hikes

January 8, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd0%2FdZ%2FdK%2FdO%2Fd2%2FZKO2_4.MP3&podcast_name=State+Consumer+Group+Proposes+Fair+Health+Insurance+Rate+Hikes&podcast_artist=KCBS%E2%80%99+Rebecca+Corral&station_id=&audio_link=true&config_file=config.xml&dcid=CBS.SF">Click here to listen to the audio broadcast of this news segment</a>.</p>

Obama’s One-Two Punch for Consumers

January 5, 2012  ·  Carmen Balber

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Kerry Abukhalaf – Alameda, CA

January 5, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

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Lies, Damned Lies and Fuel Economy Numbers

January 4, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<h1 class="gl_headline"> <img alt="" height="232" id="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120104_heather_peters.jpg" src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120104_heather_peters.380;380;7;70.jpg" width="380" /></h1> <div class="inlinePhoto photo_landscape photo_align_right " data-contentid="9953826" id="vine-inlinePhoto__9953826" style="width:380px;"> <div class="photo_credit_container"> <p> Heather Peters with her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid.</p> </div> </div> <p>  </p>

Don’t Let Them Kill Us Too

January 2, 2012  ·  Jamie Court

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2250" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/images_jamiepic-new1.jpg" style="width: 133px; height: 200px;" width="133" height="200" />Congress has shut down President Obama’s financial consumer watchdog agency by refusing to confirm its director. Our Consumer Watchdog has a lot of powerful enemies too and they are trying to put us out of business.</p>

Looking Back and Looking Forward

December 31, 2011  ·  Doug Heller

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2333" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/images_cwd-crewinblue.png" style="width: 272px; height: 131px; float: right; margin: 3px;" width="272" height="131" />At the beginning of this year the advocates, organizers and lawyers at Consumer Watchdog promised to take on insurance and healthcare companies, fight for online privacy and build a community of activists who could spread the word about our work for consumer protection and social change.<br /> <br /> Here’s a quick look at some of Consumer Watchdog’s 2011 successes by the numbers:<br /> <br />

Did South Carolina Insurance Chief Quit Over Fallout?

December 29, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="subhead"> <strong>Insurance chief's exit follows Haley grant controversy</strong></p> <p> South Carolina officials remained tight-lipped Thursday about the abrupt resignation of the state's top insurance regulator less than a year after Gov. Nikki Haley appointed him.</p> <p> But several Democrats and others who worked with the former director said he wants out of an administration embroiled in a controversy that entangles his agency.</p> <p> David Black, director of the S.C. Department of Insurance, resigned Wednesday but hasn't said why.</p>

Best Corporate Flip-Flop of 2011

December 29, 2011  ·  Doug Heller

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2330" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/images_protestblueshield.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 129px; float: right; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px;" width="250" height="129" />It was a shocking figure. Some Blue Shield policyholders were going to pay rate increases of 86%. Consumer Watchdog, together with nurses and patients, showed up at Blue Shield's headquarters in San Francisco to protest the greed that could lead to such an attempted rip-off.</p>

Time Warner Rate Hike Punishes Loyalty

December 27, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p>  Happy holidays. Your cable rates are going up. Again. <br /> <br /> In its most Grinch-like fashion, Time Warner Cable, the dominant cable company in Southern California, is alerting customers that rates for nearly all its services will increase as of the next bill. <br /> <br /> Some rates will be significantly higher, such as a 27.4% increase to $17 from $13.34 just to receive local broadcast channels. <br /> <br />

Consumer Group Hammers Mercury Rate Increase Filing in California

December 22, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A California consumer group is challenging a rate hike bid by Mercury Insurance because the group claims the company is trying to pass along the costs of its political campaigning.</p> <p> But the insurer says those costs are not included in the rate hike.</p> <p> Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog says the costs involve millions of dollars in political contributions for a 2010 campaign the group viewed an “anti-consumer” proposition on the California ballot.</p>