Carmakers quibble over the obvious: Hands-free is not risk-free

June 14, 2013

It's always amazing that we need academic studies to state the obvious, such as the one in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology a few years ago finding that people are happier during weekends.

Disparity in generic drug prices is a bitter pill to swallow

June 11, 2013

Generic prescription drugs have to meet exacting standards for ingredients and quality, which you'd think would make them uniformly priced at pharmacies.

Spying on Verizon customers: Where's the outrage?

June 6, 2013

Verizon customers have every reason to be outraged that the federal government is spying on them.

Get a discount, then pay extra

June 4, 2013

Sherry Tedeschi is an avid moviegoer, typically hitting a film a week, sometimes two or three.

At Aetna, another example of screwy medical pricing

May 31, 2013

Consumers have been told by insurers again and again that if they want cheaper prices for prescription drugs, they need to order them in bulk from mail-order pharmacies. And typically, it works out that way.

Is event ticket insurance just for chumps?

May 27, 2013

Glenn Egelko used Ticketmaster to buy tickets to a matchup this month at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena between the United States and Iranian wrestling teams.

If this health plan is 'socialism,' we need more of it

May 23, 2013

So this is what socialism looks like: Private companies competing for people's business in an open marketplace.

Is Yahoo's billion-dollar bet on synergy worth it?

May 21, 2013

Travel nightmare: Dakar, Dhaka — what's the difference?

May 17, 2013

Sandy Valdivieso and her husband intended to fly from Los Angeles to Dakar, Senegal. They ended up almost 7,000 miles off-course in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

BofA cuts 2 million customers loose

May 14, 2013

It's long been a basic tenet of the business world: You give us more business, we'll reward your loyalty with better deals.

Is $1,721.75 the bill you'd expect for treating a cut?

May 10, 2013

It was your basic, run-of-the-mill accident. Kim Haselhoff's 9-year-old son got nipped in the finger by one of the family dogs. It didn't seem too serious, but there was a bit of blood.

Give cable TV subscribers more freedom of choice

May 7, 2013

President Obama has nominated venture capitalist Tom Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the cable and the wireless industries, to serve as head of the Federal Communications Commission. "Tom knows this stuff inside and out," Obama said.

BBB looks to regain trust with relaunch of Southland branch

May 2, 2013

The Better Business Bureau wants you to know that it's cleaned up its act in Los Angeles.

Tribes' payday loans under scrutiny

April 29, 2013

A growing number of Indian tribes are getting into the payday loan business, saying they just want to raise revenue for their reservations while helping cash-strapped consumers nationwide.

When the private sector needs a nudge from the public

April 25, 2013

It's a common mantra among free-market-loving conservatives that government regulations hinder business growth and cost workers jobs.

Lazarus: A roadblock to collecting travel insurance benefits

April 23, 2013

Barbara Butkus bought an airline ticket in November to fly from Palm Springs to Washington, D.C., a month later for a family reunion.

Why are prices for medical care such a mystery?

April 18, 2013

Ted Kamp wanted to make sure his daughter received the medical treatment she needed. That was his first priority.

Taxpayers failing to get their fair share of wireless gold rush

April 16, 2013

Satellite TV provider Dish Network says it's thinking only of customers as it offers $25.5 billion to buy Sprint Nextel, the third-biggest U.S. wireless company.

CVS customers say unauthorized prescription refills still occur

April 11, 2013

Barbara De Maria received calls from her local CVS store in Glendale recently saying that her son's prescription had been automatically refilled, as per his instructions.

Blue Shield quick to demand action from policyholder over its mistake

April 9, 2013

Health insurers don't exactly enjoy a reputation for timely payouts when people submit claims. They've been known to make policyholders jump through all sorts of hoops before coming across with a little cash.

Facebook gets more in your face

April 4, 2013

It's hard not to detect a whiff of desperation in Facebook's new please-don't-go interface, which is determined to keep people within the social network as long as it can.

Hungry for a group to safely deliver leftover food to charities

April 2, 2013

On a recent evening, students at Pomona College feasted on chicken pot pie, steamed veggies, biscuits and rice. And, as is often the case, there were plenty of leftovers in the dining hall, enough for about 100 extra meals.

FCC needs to stop 'cramming' on cellphones

March 28, 2013

Wen Chao received a text message on her iPhone the other day from something called Ringtunecloud.com. It offered mobile content, such as ring tones, for $9.99 a month.

An insider's view of generic-drug pricing

March 25, 2013

Bob Toomajian worked for 16 years as Kaiser Permanente's drug purchasing manager for Southern California, giving him an insider's knowledge of how medications are priced before reaching consumers.

Seeking a solution to wasted food

March 22, 2013

Sometimes it's hard to do good. For example, donating leftover banquet food to charity.

Prescription needed to remedy generic drug pricing shenanigans

March 18, 2013

Wanda Ferrin fills her husband's prescription for the generic antibiotic doxycycline at a Target in Simi Valley. For years, the medication has cost her $6 a month.

GOP's effort to roll back healthcare reforms is bad policy

March 14, 2013

Bernie Morse, 65, of Century City retired last year from the aerospace industry and joined the ranks of Medicare beneficiaries. The nearly $8,000 he used to spend annually on drugs for a liver condition now will be cut almost in half.

Firm's extended vehicle warranty offer breaks down under scrutiny

March 12, 2013

It was the sort of letter designed to get attention. "Final attempt to notify," it said on the outside.

When a drug costs 30 times what it once did

March 7, 2013

Diane Shattuck filled a prescription in December for a generic antibiotic called doxycycline. With insurance, she paid $4.30 for 60 pills at a CVS store in Orange.

How many fast ones has FasTrak pulled?

March 5, 2013

If you want to dance, you've got to pay the piper. And if you want to zip along the 91 Express Lanes in Orange County, you have to pay a toll of as much as $9.55 per trip.

Moving, slowly, toward a la carte cable

February 28, 2013

The cable company Cablevision says it's just looking out for consumers in its lawsuit against Viacom, owner of MTV and Nickelodeon, over bundled programming packages that drive monthly bills higher.

Bank of America should just play the tape of disputed sales call

February 25, 2013

It's perhaps not so surprising that a Bank of America customer discovered recurring payments on his credit card bill for a service he swears he never signed up for. This kind of thing happens a lot.

Slow response to tainted product

February 21, 2013

Sue Grey had used the product before, so she knew what to expect when she purchased a bottle of Super Colon Cleanse at a Woodland Hills CVS drugstore. Inside should have been 240 little gray capsules.

Anthem halts plan to require some drug purchases by mail

February 19, 2013

Anthem Blue Cross is backing off a decision to require some policyholders to buy their prescription drugs from a single mail-order pharmacy — a requirement that the California attorney general's office said may be illegal.

Consumers need better way to fix credit reporting errors

February 18, 2013

About 10 million consumers, through no fault of their own, have serious errors on their credit reports, raising troubling questions about people's ability to secure loans and the fairness of interest rates they're charged.

The myth of deregulation's consumer benefits

February 14, 2013

Here's a question for you: Is there a single example of consumer prices going down and market competition increasing after deregulation of a U.S. industry?

Phone rate hikes have landline customers ready to cut the cord

February 12, 2013

Joseph Aguon believes in preparing for the worst. So even though he makes most of his calls using a cellphone, he maintains a landline at his home in the Fairfax neighborhood — just in case an earthquake or storm knocked out wireless service.

A free trip to Rio, with many weird strings attached

February 7, 2013

A sportswriter here at the paper responded to a tweet from basketball star Lamar Odom to enter an online sweepstakes for a free trip to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Going good postal

February 6, 2013

The U.S. Postal Service, in its latest bid to save a few billion bucks, plans to stop delivering mail on Saturdays.

CVS' Medicare drug program causing headaches for enrollees

February 5, 2013

Deborah Shapiro decided a few months ago to switch her prescription drug coverage from her former employer's plan to Medicare. The Medicare literature made clear that she could save hundreds of dollars on the various drugs she and her husband required.

Are razor blade makers just ensuring a big cut?

January 31, 2013

We can put men on the moon. We can make computers small enough to carry around in our pockets. But we can't make a razor blade that stays sharp longer than a week?

Time Warner Cable subscribers, brace for rate hikes

January 29, 2013

Just as Time Warner Cable has cut a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a new baseball channel, which could add $5 to customers' bills regardless of whether they watch the channel, the company is jacking up rates for nearly all its other TV services.

Stock sell-off shows an emotional investment in Apple

January 24, 2013

A friend of mine, a weatherman for a local TV station, always greets me the same way: "Time to sell my Apple stock?"

Seeking preferential treatment with the flash of a card is wrong

January 21, 2013

Brad Newman thinks that people who post lots of reviews on websites such as Yelp or TripAdvisor don't get enough respect from the businesses they write about.

Celebrating a tool of death

January 17, 2013

Saturday is Gun Appreciation Day, an occasion to feel good about a consumer product that is guaranteed to play a role in the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans this year.

First the cat, now the health system puts the bite on me

January 15, 2013

Call it the $55,000 cat bite.

Anthem's mail-order policy may have crossed a legal line

January 10, 2013

Anthem Blue Cross may be breaking California law by requiring some policyholders to buy their prescription drugs from a single mail-order pharmacy, according to the state attorney general's office.

Banks shortchanging consumers in mortgage settlement

January 8, 2013

A mortgage is a contract. You agree to pay a certain amount of money to the bank each month, and the bank, in turn, agrees to finance your purchase, play fair and not jeopardize your ability to keep a roof over your head.

In harmony with Justin Bieber on reckless paparazzi behavior

January 3, 2013

Words I never thought I'd say: Justin Bieber has a point.

Here's to some wishful consumer-friendly resolutions

January 1, 2013

It's a time for new beginnings. So here are some resolutions I'd like to offer on behalf of some of our friends in the business world.

Individual mandate in healthcare was year's top consumer story

December 30, 2012

This was the year of the healthcare mandate. No other consumer story of 2012 comes close.

A costly lesson that your email — and money — aren't safe

December 20, 2012

Think your email, and your money, are safe? Think again.

By catering to 'elite' fliers, American Airlines misleads others

December 17, 2012

Do airlines deliberately withhold seats until the last minute to get you to splurge on pricier options?

Getting the runaround on long-term care insurance

December 13, 2012

Rita Corwin, 90, conscientiously paid her premiums for long-term care insurance for 21 years to make sure that if she needed help as she grew older and more fragile, she'd get it.

Airline fees sap the joy out of flying

December 11, 2012

Remember when you liked to fly? Bill Knauer does.

Appeals court puts 1st Amendment over public health

December 7, 2012

The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act makes it illegal to sell a prescription drug for any purpose other than what's listed on the label.

Collecting on travel insurance is not smooth sailing

December 4, 2012

When it comes to travel, especially involving something as pricey as a cruise, it's wise to take precautions. You never know when you may have to cancel your trip.

Lazarus: Patients' choices narrower, yet cost of insurance rises

November 30, 2012

It's hard enough having a serious condition like cancer or kidney failure. It's even worse, some might think, when your health insurer says you have to buy your medicine from the pharmacy of its choice — or pay the full amount for expensive life-saving drugs elsewhere.

Mortgage lender uses fear as a sales pitch

November 27, 2012

State and federal authorities may have cracked down on unscrupulous mortgage lenders to avoid a repeat of the housing market meltdown, but there are still plenty of companies that are eager to dupe people into taking out bad loans.

Giving thanks for our healthcare system — which needs reform

November 23, 2012

It's a day late, but I'll tell you what I'm thankful for.

Patient trapped in health insurance rate hike

November 13, 2012

It's understandable that car insurance rates can change when you move. One neighborhood might have more accidents or burglaries than another.

Time Warner Cable socks Internet customers with new modem fee

November 9, 2012

Time Warner Cable is seeing growth in its broadband Internet business but steady losses in TV viewers. So how is the company responding?

Anthem clerical error adds anxiety to woman's breast cancer fight

November 6, 2012

Ann Walton-Teter was diagnosed with breast cancer in September. About a month later, she was informed by her health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, that her coverage had been canceled because of a missed payment.

AMC leaves moviegoers in the dark on rewards program change

November 1, 2012

AMC Entertainment wants to thank you for patronizing its movie theaters. But not too much.

Don't be tricked into applying for an online payday loan

October 30, 2012

The envelope looked official enough. "Confidential materials enclosed," it said on the outside. "Unauthorized use strictly prohibited."

Prescription refill pressure bothers CVS pharmacists too

October 25, 2012

Chris Cullum normally gets his prescriptions filled at a CVS Caremark store in San Diego. But, while traveling, he placed orders at a CVS branch in Arizona this year and at a branch in Illinois last year.

Target, Rite Aid, Walgreens refill drugs without OK, patients say

October 23, 2012

Ivor Davis received a call recently from the Target pharmacy near his home in Ventura. He was informed he could pick up a refill of medication for his wife, Sally, who is battling pancreatic cancer.

U.S. investigating CVS prescription refills

October 19, 2012

The U.S. Justice Department's civil fraud division is investigating claims that CVS Caremark wrongly refilled prescriptions and billed insurers without the knowledge or the approval of its customers.

Will SoftBank buy other U.S. telecom firms after Sprint?

October 16, 2012

In a soda market completely dominated by Coke and Pepsi, it wouldn't make much business sense to purchase Royal Crown Cola unless you also had plans to get your hands on Mountain Dew or Dr Pepper.

CVS Caremark prescription refills under scrutiny, source says

October 12, 2012

Medicare is investigating reports that CVS Caremark Corp., the country's second-largest drugstore chain, has refilled prescriptions and submitted insurance claims without patients' approval, according to an official with knowledge of the matter.

CVS customers say prescription refills weren't OKd

October 9, 2012

George Engelke manages his CVS prescriptions online. If he needs more of a medicine, he orders it. If he's going to be away from his Corona del Mar home, he tells the pharmacy where to send the shipment.

Don't need that drug refill? Here it is anyway

October 5, 2012

You already knew that our healthcare system is screwy. But you probably didn't know that at least some pharmacists at CVS, the nation's second-largest drugstore chain, were refilling prescriptions and submitting claims to insurers without patients' approval.

T-Mobile purchase of MetroPCS is good for consumers, for now

October 4, 2012

Consumers would normally shake their heads in dismay at news of yet another market-shrinking telecom merger.

EBay gives buyers, sellers ultimatum on arbitration

October 2, 2012

If you're an EBay user, heads up: The big dog of online auctions says it will take away your right to join class-action lawsuits unless you send in a letter challenging the move.

Do-not-call list is almost like a feel-free-to-call-any-time list

September 28, 2012

Like many people, Marlys Burke was thrilled when federal authorities unveiled a "do-not-call list" in 2003. She signed up immediately in hopes of keeping telemarketers at bay.

A bill for 17 porn films in 4 days? Now that's obscene

September 25, 2012

Carol Scott's idea of unwinding at home is ordering a movie from Time Warner Cable's pay-per-view service, maybe a nice romantic comedy or an engaging mystery.

Anthem's tip for better health: Try this ice cream

September 20, 2012

Anthem Blue Cross wants people to eat better. And to help its members make more healthful food choices, the insurance giant is sending out money-saving coupons.

Stolen identity keeps making trouble, 15 years later

September 4, 2012

The letter from debt collector Resurgent Capital Services arrived at my home the other day. Enclosed was a bill for $2,852.56, originally run up in the 1990s on a Citibank credit card.

Trying to make dollars and sense out of YouTube's partner program

May 28, 2012

Making money from YouTube videos — it's something I've always wondered about. You won't get rich stuffing Mentos into bottles of Diet Pepsi, right?

Utilities have no incentive to scrap pension plans

January 28, 2011

Galen Dean of Yucaipa has worked on and off for Southern California Edison Co. for 29 years. As he puts it, he's done "pretty much everything except climb poles."

Blue Shield hits health insurance policyholder with 54% rate hike

June 14, 2009

Los Angeles resident Ruta Miller, 44, prides herself on keeping fit. "I'm super-healthy," she told me. "I exercise all the time. I eat well. I haven't even had a cold in I don't know how long."

Consumer advocates hope watchdog agencies get more bite

December 28, 2008

You'll be safer in 2009. At least that's the expectation of consumer watchdogs who believe the changing of the guard at the White House in a few weeks will mark the beginning of a new era in protecting people from stuff that can hurt you.

Employer-based health insurance plans no longer work

December 10, 2008

It seems clear that change is coming to the U.S. healthcare system. President-elect Barack Obama wants it. Congress wants it. Even the insurance industry says the time is ripe to do things differently.

Medical pricing makes the head spin

September 7, 2008

It began with a dizzy spell. Before long, though, what really had my head spinning was the inscrutable way that healthcare providers and insurers put a dollar value on medical services -- and how that leaves patients unable to determine a fair price for any treatment.

Medical pricing makes the head spin

September 7, 2008

It began with a dizzy spell. Before long, though, what really had my head spinning was the inscrutable way that healthcare providers and insurers put a dollar value on medical services -- and how that leaves patients unable to determine a fair price for any treatment.

Laboring harder, slipping behind

August 31, 2008

Every day is Labor Day for Ruben Rangel.

Answers, not IOUs, for Social Security

August 24, 2008

Whatever happened to Social Security?

On Rodeo Drive, the economy's booming

August 20, 2008

Steve Thorne, 54, watched approvingly as his girlfriend tried on a pair of boots at the Jimmy Choo boutique on Rodeo Drive last week.

Caution is the right reaction to chemical

August 13, 2008

Maybe you've seen the ad showing an empty shopping cart in the middle of the desert. "Soon, many common, everyday products could disappear from grocery store shelves all across California," it warns.

Give the doctor a checkup before ordering a house call

August 10, 2008

He refers to himself as Dr. House Call. In glossy brochures mailed recently to thousands of well-to-do households from Malibu to Brentwood, he said he was seeking to be a "caring, old-fashioned Marcus Welby kind of good doctor without the office hassles."

Carcinogen worries stick to food packaging

July 30, 2008

The next time you make some microwave popcorn or cook a frozen pizza, consider this: The packaging of many of these products contains a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency considers potentially carcinogenic and wants businesses to voluntarily stop using by 2015.

'Smart meters' may soon be outdated

April 20, 2008

California's three biggest utilities are charging customers nearly $4.6 billion to install millions of "smart meters" at homes and businesses. These newfangled meters, the utilities promise, will revolutionize energy usage by giving consumers far greater control over how much they pay for power.

Too much contact at this Reunion

April 16, 2008

The name of the game for social-networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook is to draw as many users as possible into the fold. Typically that's done by creating a community and features so irresistible that people feel they just have to join.

Mortgage payoff on steroids

April 9, 2008

When Stockton resident Kevin Byrd refinanced his mortgage a couple of years ago, he figured he'd need the full 30 years to pay off more than $300,000 in debt.

ZIP Code still a factor in auto insurance

April 6, 2008

A lot of drivers probably thought they were finally getting a break when then-California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi announced in 2005 that he was requiring insurers to stop using ZIP Codes as a main factor in determining car-insurance rates.

Cellphones may do a number on Cuba

April 2, 2008

The Cuban government made headlines worldwide when it announced the other day that its citizens would finally have unrestricted access to cellphones, ushering in a new era in telecommunications for the economically challenged island.

Things are looking up -- at the pawn shop

March 23, 2008

The economy is tanking, banks are scrambling for cover, the Fed is repeatedly cutting interest rates . . . and business is booming at pawn shop Crown City Loan & Jewelry in Old Pasadena.

Cellphones to keep track of your purchases -- and you

March 16, 2008

You might not know it, but as of January it became illegal in California for companies to require workers to have devices implanted under their skin that would reveal their whereabouts at all times.

Curbing our need for oil

March 12, 2008

With oil prices at record highs and gas heading to the $4-a-gallon level, I was set to come roaring out of the gate today with a proposal that all vehicles be slapped with a conservation-promoting surcharge based on mileage, with proceeds going to public-transit projects.

Renters priced out of L.A.

March 9, 2008

Deanna Corbin, 46, would live in Los Angeles if she could. But she can't, at least not with a modicum of space and safety, not on her $38,000 salary as an administrative secretary.

Cost is the real drug threat

March 5, 2008

In his weekend radio address, President Bush warned of rogue pharmacists making potentially dangerous prescription drugs readily available online.

Housing upheaval: a tale of two homes

February 27, 2008

Just when it was looking like things couldn't get any worse in the housing market, government officials announced Tuesday that home prices had their biggest fourth-quarter drop in 17 years.

Firms round up; we pay the price

February 17, 2008

We live in an age of supercomputer-driven, lightning-fast digital technology that can determine the time of day down to the nanosecond.

Shadow victims of the mortgage crisis: renters

February 13, 2008

The Bush administration's announcement Tuesday that it would put the foreclosure process on hold for 30 days to rescue struggling homeowners came several weeks too late for Mike Salgado.

Columnist roots for Microsoft. Huh??

February 2, 2008

If there's a sentiment that crops up with frequency in this column, it's that bigger is seldom better when it comes to how businesses treat consumers.

The joke is on cellphone users

January 23, 2008

Keith Fitzgerald, a concessions manager for Los Angeles International Airport, was in the middle of a meeting last month when his cellphone suddenly emitted an unfamiliar ring. He'd received his first-ever text message.

Up a tree over dead cat's health plan

January 16, 2008

When Sarah Harper took her cat, Pete, to Banfield, the Pet Hospital, she was encouraged to sign up for one of the company's "optimum wellness plans."

Free news online will cost journalism dearly

December 26, 2007

I don't pretend to understand all the minutiae of the writers strike, but I do know this much: Hollywood scribes want to be compensated fairly when their work is accessed on the Internet, which is increasingly becoming a venue to watch movies and TV shows.

Best Buy kiosks not connected to Internet

December 23, 2007

The Connecticut attorney general's office sued Best Buy in May, charging the electronics heavyweight with using deceptive in-store websites to trick customers into paying higher prices than available on the company's actual site.

Airline descends to a new low: a death fee

December 19, 2007

We all know that some airlines nickel-and-dime you with fees -- fees for baggage, fees for food, fees for blankets and pillows. But fees for death?

Trump's a grump about column on his 'priceless' tips

December 16, 2007

Donald Trump wasn't happy with Wednesday's column about his seminars on profiting from the foreclosure market.

Trump spins in foreclosure game

December 12, 2007

When I heard that President Bush wants to bail out homeowners caught up in the sub-prime mortgage mess, I figured I better move fast if I want to profit from other people's misfortune.

Southland transit is in need of big ideas

December 9, 2007

The traffic in L.A. bites -- you know that. The question is: What are we going to do about it?

Next cell trend lets users hold the phone

November 28, 2007

First people were allowed to take their phone numbers with them whenever they switched wireless providers. Now, Verizon Wireless is handing consumers greater clout by allowing them to use their own handsets, not just Verizon's, on the carrier's network.

Tribal question a matter of dollars

November 2, 2007

The United States Mint -- you know, the guys who make your money -- issued a news release this week declaring that $130 refunds were being offered to anyone who bought a 2004 Lewis and Clark commemorative coin that was accompanied by a handcrafted pouch produced by Ohio's Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band.

I knew you were going to read this

October 28, 2007

I'll call her Crystal. She's 19, dark-featured and really concerned about my aura.

Insurers taking risk out of the equation

October 26, 2007

You buy a Band-Aid. You get a scrape. You use your Band-Aid. And the next time you go to the drugstore, you're told that you have to pay more for Band-Aids. Or maybe they won't sell you another Band-Aid at all.

Insurance claims could haunt houses

October 24, 2007

If past history is any measure, many homeowners affected by the wildfires burning throughout Southern California will find that claims they submit to insurers will result in higher rates or even dropped policies.

Locked in a cell: Wireless users punished for canceling early

October 22, 2007

Lawndale resident Julian Torres' cellphone experience will be familiar to many wireless customers.

Rebate check is not in the mail

September 30, 2007

Let's say you're shopping for a new cellphone. Let's say that, like me, you thought it'd be kind of cool to own one of those sleek Razr handsets. So let's say you go to T-Mobile's website and there it is, for the nifty price of $49.99.

Press 1 if you hate talking to a device

September 9, 2007

As the man generally regarded as the father of the automated switchboard, Peter Theis knows he has a lot to answer for.