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THE RED TAPE CHRONICLES

Technology has hidden side effects -- we reveal them here

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Gotchas / Consumer

Why aren’t airline ticket prices falling along with fuel prices? A ‘free’ market lesson

February 19, 2015 Bob Sullivan 1

With fuel costs plummeting, why haven’t airlines dropped ticket prices? After all, airfares rise pretty quick when has prices rise.  After all, supply and demand are all that matter in a free market, right? What goes up must come down, right? Ah, were it only that simple.  Here’s another lesson [Keep reading]

No Picture
Gotchas / Consumer

Red Tape Archive: Why prices go up faster than they come down

February 19, 2015 Bob Sullivan 5

APRIL 25, 2011 — You might have heard over the weekend that skyrocketing gas prices have finally “plateaued.” If gas prices were like gravity, you would anticipate they would start plummeting soon. Raise your hand if you expect that. Me neither. While the words “skyrocketing” and “gas prices” often end [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

VIDEO: Yes, your TV really may be watching you

February 19, 2015 Bob Sullivan 3

After we all did Big Brother stories last week about Samsung’s ominous Smart TV privacy policy, more alarming information was found. The biggest “Doh!” — Samsung not only collects what you say in your living room, it uploads the content in the clear, without encrypting it. That means anyone who [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Know the signs: Six horror stories of elder financial abuse (part 2 of a series)

February 17, 2015 Bob Sullivan 1

Elder financial abuse is a big problem that’s getting bigger. Back in 2010, MetLife released a report estimating that $2.9 billion is lost by America’s elderly each year, based on published accounts of fraud, but most observers believed that figure was low. A new survey released last week might be [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

The *real* secret to being sexy? Whispering sweet nothings….about money

February 16, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

“I’m kind of average-looking, but I have a great credit score!” Looking for love post Valentine’s Day? Maybe you should adjust your online personals ad. According to a new study of adults in relationships, having a partner who is good with money is more important than a lover who’s sexy. [Keep reading]

No Picture
Cybercrime / Privacy

A Valentine’s reminder: most dating apps are vulnerable to hackers, IBM says

February 13, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Remember: safe online dating requires good hygiene. Digital hygiene. A new study released this week by IBM found over 60 percent of leading dating Android mobile apps they studied are potentially vulnerable to a variety of cyber-attacks that put personal user information and corporate [Keep reading]

Privacy

New Facebook ‘legacy contact’ feature lets bequeath control of your account after you die

February 12, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

Facebook has added a thoughtful feature today that will make things easier for folks using social media to grieve the loss of a loved one. It’s called “Adding a Legacy Contact,” and it allows users to name a person who has can make limited adjustments to the deceased’s Facebook account [Keep reading]

The Restless Project

The economy is growing, but only for the rich; will robots finish off the middle class?

February 11, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

The U.S. economy has, like so many of life’s big issues, a blind man and the elephant problem.  If you have a good job or you just got a raise, you think America has rebounded nicely.  If you are still struggling to replace income you lost during the Great Recession, [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Annoying quiz might stand between you and your tax return, thanks to ID thieves

February 11, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

Just how bad is the tax ID theft problem?  About half of all filers seeking refunds in the state of Ohio now must answer a series of challenge questions just to prove they are who they say they are.  Ohio has already intercepted nearly 60,000 returns seeking an astonishing $250 [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

Valentine’s flower ads full of gotchas; price can be 50% higher than advertised

February 10, 2015 Bob Sullivan 1

It’s that time of year again, when radio airwaves are full of ads telling men they can charm their significant others with Valentine’s Day flowers for just $30 on websites like ProFlowers.com.  I’m an investigative journalist, and I have 20 years’ experience hunting and pecking my way through the web, [Keep reading]

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About me

BOB SULLIVAN is a veteran journalist and the author of four books, including the 2008 New York Times Best-Seller, Gotcha Capitalism, and the 2010 New York Times Best Seller, Stop Getting Ripped Off! His latest, The Plateau Effect, was published in 2013, and as a paperback, called Getting Unstuck in 2014. He has won the Society of Professional Journalists prestigious Public Service award, a Peabody award, and The Consumer Federation of America Betty Furness award, and been given Consumer Action’s Consumer Excellence Award.

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