Watchdog Nation

How to fight the electric company

My open letter to the electric company: Dear Oncor, I can’t think of another product we buy each month that we understand less about how you bill and whether the price and quantity are correct. People are supposed to trust your systems and equipment. Yet people feel a loss of power and control of their lives when it comes to electrical power. People don’t trust you. The reason is because you….

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How to be a smart valet parking customer

Imagine that you use valet parking at one of your city’s best known hotels. When it comes time to fetch your car, the valet pulls your vehicle under the overhang, steps out and walks away. As you step toward your car, another man swoops in from nowhere, jumps into the driver’s seat and speeds away. This happened twice at the same hotel in recent months — the same way.

Your car is stolen.

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Would you buy a used car from Christopher Miller? Don’t!

One of the best parts of Watchdog Nation’s blog is the ability to share the latest and not-so-greatest scams with you. Take the easy pickin’s when it comes to cars for sale, new cars, used cars, any and all.

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Will U.S. consumers get the protection we need?

President Barack Obama’s proposal to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency came in with a bang. But it appears to be going out with a whimper. Before the proposal was introduced in Congress last year, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said of the economic meltdown. “This crisis was caused, in part, by a lack of consumer protections.” And? Watchdog Nation checked in with several Washington, D.C., sources last week to learn what’s happening to the proposal in Congress. The answer? Not much.

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Funky lamp leads him to a billionaire

Our 21st century lives are filled with the worst examples of “customer” service. Yet in this short tale, we learn about how one company — and its billionaire founder — can run against the grain. Ikea sells more than furniture, according to WatchdogNation.com guest columnist Monty Snow. Ikea also sells good attitude.

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