It’s the time of year when people look at their bank accounts — and their scales — and resolve to do a bit better next year. There’s more than a coincidental connection between eating healthy and saving money. Researchers have found that, at least in some cases, the same part [Keep reading]
Uber’s critical fare estimate tool seemed to disappear for some consumers during the New Year’s Eve crush — right when it was needed most. I first reported on the problems this weekend. The firm initially said the tool was working normally, but it has now confirmed something was amiss. An Uber spokesperson [Keep reading]
UPDATE, 12:19 p.m., 1/3/2016: Uber has been aware of the disappearing fare estimate button for months. Asked on Twitter if it had removed the button, Uber’s Boston account Tweeter to a consumer in October: “Definitely not. There is currently a bug that is effecting (sic) that feature. Thanks for your [Keep reading]
If you make money charging people for TV access, here’s the latest set of scary numbers. A new Pew Research Center report has found that one out of five young adults between 18 and 29 say they have “severed the ties they once had with cable or satellite service.” They’ve [Keep reading]
A short-term, high-cost lender that tried to collect debts by in-person visits at borrowers’ homes and workplaces has ceased dealing in payday loans, and about 200,000 consumers will get refunds or debt collection relief, federal regulators said Wednesday. Austin-based EZCORP is accused of potentially revealing details about consumers’ debts to third parties during [Keep reading]
While Comcast moves ahead with its plan to add cell-phone-like data usage fees to home Internet service, consumers like Kimberly Richardson are feeling the pain. And if you are a heavy user and part of Comcast’s new fee trial, expect your bills to go up in January. Richardson, who lives [Keep reading]
One out of three U.S. consumers has a debt in collections, but it often seems like three out of three have received a debt collection call recently. That suggests a lot of people are getting calls when they shouldn’t. What can you do if a debt collector is bothering you over a mistake? With 77 [Keep reading]
Some consumers are so annoyed by the new chip-enabled credit cards that they’ve begun avoiding stores that require them, a survey from Mercator Advisory Group, a payment industry research firm, claims. That’s an unwanted headache for small business owners, especially those fighting for shoppers during the busy holiday season. The “avoiders” group is small but [Keep reading]
Ryan Will was shopping at a Loews near his Washington State home recently and got one of those calls from his credit card issuer, USAA. The operator was trying to verify if a pending credit card change was legitimate. In this case, it was $800 at a plastic surgeon’s office somewhere in [Keep reading]
Reports of Black Friday’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, and if you doubt that, show up at a big box retailer at 3 a.m. this Friday. But it’s undeniable that the shine around shopping’s biggest day has dulled a little, and that shows up in the data. Last year, 134 [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan