Consumer

Roberto Pagan-Franco didn't have a bank account for decades. His employer paid him in cash or with a check that the Baltimore resident took to a check-cashing store. A few years ago he lost his job after a severe illness and for a time was homeless. Not exactly the type of customer you'd expect a big bank to court. But Pagan-Franco enrolled in a PNC Bank program that targets consumers who otherwise might be shut out of the banking system. And today, the 54-year-old has checking and savings accounts at PNC and is in the process of getting a credit card.

Jonathan Libber likes his analog utility meter just fine. And no amount of debate will convince him that new wireless, digital "smart meters" being installed by Baltimore Gas & Electric and other utilities around the country would help conserve energy, reduce his bill and make service more reliable. "They are a bad idea," said Libber, 59, president of Maryland Smart Meter Awareness, a citizens group opposed to smart meters. "There has been no demonstrated savings for the regulated ratepayer.

The Office of the People's Counsel has recently revamped its website to help Marylanders keep track of upcoming hearings of the state's top utility regulator. The People's Counsel represents consumer interests in utility matters at hearings before the Maryland Public Service Commission and the Maryland General Assembly. The redesigned site, at http://www.opc.state.md.us , also offers tips for consumers with brochures about shopping for an electricity supplier, getting help paying utility bills and more.

Skechers USA, which claimed its shoes could make you thinner and tone your muscles, agreed to pay $40 million to consumers in more than 40 states, including Maryland. Regulators in those states and the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with the California-based company which was accused of making unsupported claims. Skechers made Shape-Ups, Tone-Ups and Resistance Runner athletic shoes.  The shoes cost up to $100 a pair. If you bought a pair of those shoes, get info on how to make a claim for a partial refund online with the FTC  at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/05/consumerrefund.shtm  or by calling 1-866-325-4186.

The Maryland Insurance Administration, a state regulatory agency, offers a variety of consumer materials on all types of insurance products from annuities to title insurance and health, auto and homeowners insurance. Trained staff will be available in the coming weeks in Harford County to answer consumer questions. "A key aspect of the Maryland Insurance Administration's mission involves educating the citizens of our state about the choices available to them as consumers of insurance products," Therese M. Goldsmith, Maryland Insurance Commissioner, said in a press release.

I wrote this open letter to Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin and U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, pointing out what I consider to exemplify the sort of spending that has contributed significantly to the pending insolvency of our wonderful country. I asked them to do whatever possible to cease such profligate spending. Several days ago, I received in the mail a slick, cosmetically impressive and expensively produced 80-page pamphlet entitled "Read Up! How to be an Informed Consumer.

If you as a consumer get defrauded or harmed in dealing with a business, you have some peace of mind in knowing that you are safeguarded by a number of consumer protection laws. You also have allies in various state agencies that can help fight for your rights. But if you as a small-business person get defrauded or harmed by another business, you have to fend for yourself. State consumer laws don't cover business-to-business transactions. This hard truth whacked Diane Geslois after she tried to open an indoor flea market in a building that once housed Seidel's Bowling Center in Baltimore's Gardenville community.

WASHINGTON -- A group representing some of the nation's largest computer makers issued modest guidelines yesterday that are meant to help its members better protect the privacy of consumers' personal data.But some privacy advocates questioned how effective the new rules would be, since they were strictly voluntary and would not be enforced.The Information Technology Industry Council, whose members include household names like IBM Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp., said its members should clearly tell individuals how personal data they collect will be used or disclosed.

Get a credit card, buy a car, or sign up for a cell phone plan, and chances are, if you're unhappy with your transaction, you won't be telling your story to a judge. Many consumer contracts include mandatory arbitration clauses that force individuals to go through arbitration, instead of civil court, if a dispute arises. Some of these clauses also ban customers from joining class action lawsuits. For years, consumer advocates have claimed these clauses are unfair. Now Congress is considering a blanket negation of pre-dispute mandatory arbitration agreements.

The Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Maryland, a non-profit group that helps people straighten out their finances, is expanding its suburban operations by opening offices in Owings Mills and Columbia."

Prepaid debit cards are everywhere these days — and so are their fees. The cards allow you to load cash onto them and are accepted by businesses just like other types of plastic. But you might have to pay a fee to activate the card, make ATM withdrawals, check your balance, talk to customer service or reload money onto the card. Monthly fees can be as high as $14.95, and you could be dinged up to $5.95 if you haven't used the card in a while. "This is sort of a gift card with lots of fees," says Ruth Susswein, a spokeswoman with Consumer Action, which recently published a survey on prepaid card fees.

If local pharmacists could write the regulations, Marylanders probably wouldn't ever have been allowed to get their prescriptions filled at chain stores like Walgreens and Rite-Aid. Independent video stores probably would have liked to outlaw Blockbuster, just as small bookstore owners probably would have been just as happy if the state had a ban on Barnes & Noble. (For that matter, Blockbuster might like an injunction against Netflix and Barnes & Noble on Amazon.com.) And most of all, Main Street merchants everywhere would probably love a world where Walmart was illegal.

The FTC announced it has reached a settlement with Myspace, which was accused of sharing consumers' personal information with advertisers when it promised it wouldn't do so. The FTC says the settlement requires Myspace to adopt a “comprehensive” privacy program and to have a regular independent reviews for the next 20 years to make sure they aren't violating customers' privacy. The agency claims that Myspace promised it wouldn't share personal identifiable information without getting customers' permission first or share their browsing activity.

About a year ago, Matt Venditto hired a builder to construct a house in Westminster. It wasn't long before buyer's remorse set in. In early June, Venditto purchased a lot from Green Builders Inc., which was expected to finish the four-bedroom house within six months. But, Venditto says, progress was slow and the builder difficult to reach. Then, late last year, Venditto started hearing from subcontractors that they hadn't been paid. By mid-March, a few subcontractors had filed lien notices, while others began calling Venditto to complain that they also hadn't been paid.

Finally, a spotlight will be shone on a widespread business practice that forces unhappy customers to settle disputes through binding arbitration — rather than by telling their story in court. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau now is seeking public input about mandatory arbitration clauses in the contracts of financial products and services. More important, the board has the power to limit or even eliminate the clauses if they hurt consumers. For far too long, consumers have been forced to sign away their rights to sue a company should a problem arise.

Americans embrace innovation. It is in our DNA. We are always on the lookout for new ways to do something faster, cheaper, better. From the horse and buggy to the automobile; from the rotary telephone to the iPhone, we're always willing to embrace innovation if it will make our lives more efficient and productive. Unfortunately, the federal government's bureaucratic inertia has stood in the way of one such innovation that would save the country billions of dollars while making things easier for millions of small business owners like myself.

Need to use an ATM? Go to a bank and stay away from stand-alone automated tellers. That's what consumer advocates are telling customers in the wake of the latest fraud, in which a phony ATM in a New York convenience store left victims' wallets thousands of dollars lighter. Advocates say independent automated teller machines, which are not run by banks, are not licensed or regulated and are therefore far riskier to use. "This is a glaring loophole in the law, which has enabled scams like this to happen," said Russ Haven, legislative counsel at the New York Public Interest Research Group.

The Internet is perhaps the only place where first-class fliers are treated like second-class citizens. A report issued last month by Consumer WebWatch, a division of Consumers Union, said that people who spent the most money on airline fares must at times overcome serious technology failures in their quest to book premium tickets. According to Forrester Research, an Internet consulting firm, nearly 19 percent of Americans who booked tickets online last year bought domestic business or first-class tickets.

Let's turn to baseball to sum up the Maryland legislative session's impact on consumers: It had a few singles but no home runs. "We made a lot of progress on some really critical issues," says Marceline White, executive director of the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition. "But there is a lot of work left to do and in some places we had some setbacks. " Last year's legislative session was strong on consumer protections, with Marylanders still reeling from the foreclosure crisis and weak economy, White says.

Could crowdfunding work for entrepreneurs who need capital for their private startup and are willing to sell a stake in it to the masses? Congress seems to think so. Charities and artists successfully raise money for their causes via crowdfunding, a method of soliciting hundreds or thousands of small donations over the Internet. Could it work for entrepreneurs who need capital for their startup and are willing to sell a stake in it to the masses? Congress seems to think so. The bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups — or JOBS — Act loosens restrictions so business can more easily raise capital and, it's hoped, create jobs.