MADISON, Wis. – Holiday shopping begins in earnest Thursday, and there are plenty of scams aimed at consumers.
Many of them have been around for years, but still claim victims.
Newspapers and flyers full of holiday ads will be out through the Thanksgiving weekend.
Michelle Reinen, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, has some advice for shoppers looking for the big bargains in the paper.
She tells consumers to read the ads carefully, including the fine print, to make sure they don't spend time running out to get a great deal and end up disappointed.
"Because maybe that's not on sale until one in the afternoon, it's not the hot buy at that location, or you may have to make a second purchase in order to get the price for the first item," she states.
Reinen says when you're looking at ads for the same item from two different stores, make sure you're comparing apples to apples, regarding the terms of the sale item.
Telephone scams from crooks posing as spokespeople for charitable organizations are a common holiday problem.
Reinen advises consumers to be very wary of unsolicited phone calls.
"Ask them to follow up in writing,” she states. “If you're interested in the spiel that they give you on the phone, can you follow that up in writing and send that to me, so you can check out that charity and make sure that they're registered with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions."
Gift cards are a popular gift option, and Reinen advises checking the packaging of the gift card very carefully. Check for tampering.
"No protective stickers have been removed or that that PIN number cover hasn't been exposed because you want to make sure that it hasn't been accessed and someone isn't just sitting there lurking, waiting for it to be activated, and they'll deplete it before you can ever give it away," she states.
The Internet is full of traps for the unsuspecting consumer, according to Reinen, who says people should be wary of email blasts or text messages that lead you to a website.
"Some of the classified ads take you to links that look legitimate but are imposter websites – they're impersonating a real company,” she explains. “And when you come to making that purchase, making sure that you're now at a secure portion of the website."
The way to be sure it's secure is to make sure the URL starts with https. The s stands for secure. If it isn't there, Reinen advises great caution about giving out any personal information.
get more stories like this via email
Lawmakers in Olympia this session moved to add more protections for consumers against predatory loans.
Washington state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 6025 unanimously in both chambers, closing a loophole companies were using to evade caps on the amount of interest charged on loans.
Sam Leonard, an attorney in Seattle, said tech companies providing financial services such as loans would charter out of state banks, especially in Utah, where lenders can charge unlimited interest rates.
"These fintech lenders a lot of times will charge 150, 200% interest on relatively small dollar loans, $3,000, $5,000 and the like," Leonard explained.
Washington state has a set of protections called the Consumer Loan Act to shield people from predatory loans. Leonard said capping interest rates at the federal level would help people across the country.
However, he emphasized the bill goes a long way to increase protections for Washingtonians.
"Not a lot of states at this time have passed similar legislation," Leonard pointed out. "Washington is out in front of the curve with regard to protecting low-income Washingtonians or other Washingtonians that might enter into these predatory loan products."
Leonard added the issue with predatory loans is they keep people in continuous debt cycles.
"Loan products like these essentially strip low-income individuals' ability to improve their economic situation," Leonard noted.
get more stories like this via email
While there's snow in the immediate forecast, the spring storm season has arrived in Minnesota and state officials said with complaints related to homeowner insurance claims on the rise, it is important to monitor changes in policies.
The Minnesota Commerce Department said complaints from policyholders, largely stemming from their claims being denied, have more than doubled since 2020.
Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner of insurance for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, said under a changing climate, the nation is seeing plenty of extreme weather events resulting in wind and hail damage, and insurance companies are adjusting to what's happening.
"Insurance costs are going to increase," Dreier pointed out. "We do want to make sure that Minnesotans are prepared."
As some carriers narrow what is covered or require higher deductibles, Dreier urged consumers to carefully review their policy when it is up for renewal, to avoid surprises when they have to file a claim. The department acknowledged changes can slip under the radar when consumers rely on paperless statements sent via email, or with busy schedules preventing them from reading all the fine print in documents they receive.
The department emphasized it is a complicated process in getting complaints resolved, noting some can be partially reversed in favor of the homeowner. Dreier noted they work closely with the industry to make sure a company's actions are within the letter of the law.
"One of our jobs is to make sure that insurance companies aren't doing something unethical when they're submitting their policy forms to us and their rates to us for review," Dreier added.
The department does have a new video on its YouTube channel, which offers more details on how to better prepare yourself ahead of any future claims, including knowing whether your policy offers flood protection and assessing the value of items in your home.
get more stories like this via email
Wisconsin has announced a big development in trying to establish more digital equity around the state.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission say Wisconsin's blueprint for digital equity has been accepted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
That means the state is eligible for up to $30 million to implement its approach over the next five years.
Martha Cranley - state director for AARP Wisconsin - called it a robust plan, noting that older populations continue to face challenges in being connected to the digital world.
"We know that at least 15% of people 50-plus in Wisconsin are not connected," said Cranley, "either because the wires simply don't come to their house, or they don't have a device, or they don't know how to use it."
Cranley said the lack of connection is especially concerning in rural areas across northern Wisconsin, where aging communities have limited resources.
Stakeholders also note an infusion of new aid is helpful with the federal government's Affordable Connectivity Program - which provides discounts on monthly internet bills for eligible households - in danger of running out of money.
Cranley said the state's plan came together following extensive public outreach, in which her organization helped convey the need for improved internet access for those 50 and older.
"They certainly heard from older people about how important this is to connect to their doctor," said Cranley, "and to connect to government services, and frankly, find employment."
Overall, Evers says the plan's federal approval means more than 410,000 homes and businesses will be better positioned to be connected to new or improved high-speed internet service.
Disclosure: AARP Wisconsin contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
click here.
get more stories like this via email