CONSUMERconnection
Avoiding
Also:
Diet myth
Home freezers
Printer savings
computer bloat
THE LAST TIME YOU bought a new computer,
you probably received a wide variety of free software, already preloaded. But you soon may have
realized that those goodies aren’t really a welcome
gift. Some of these programs, dubbed “bloatware,”
are extraneous or have a tie-in to a paid service or
upgrade; they also bog down your computer’s
function and speed. And if you try to delete the
programs, often you end up with corrupted files
and no improvement on sluggish performance.
The solution? Check out electronics stores’
policies on bloatware. Some retailers will get rid of
it for you for a fee. Hewlett-Packard has responded
to customer complaints, and is considering changes
in how it packages software on its new computers.
One idea is a feature that would point users to a
Web site where they can buy and download games,
productivity software and other programs that
they actually want, instead of having to weed out
the “free” bloatware.
Costco buyers are aware of the issue, and are
encouraging manufacturers to come up with a
solution.—Ed.
you to buy bulk food packages through a company
that then “gives” or leases the freezer to you. You’ll
find true savings and better selections buying your
own freezer and stocking it yourself, particularly if
you buy in bulk at a warehouse store.
Ask David
Horowitz
I DONATED A vehicle to
a charity whose Web site
promised a free vacation if
you donate a car. I soon
received a voucher for the
“free vacation,” but had to
pay $50 to process the stay
at the hotel. There we got a
packet of information from
another company, telling
us we had to sit through a
sales presentation or we
would have to pay all
vacation expenses. How
can this “free vacation”
be legitimate?
Regan, California
The diet myth of the 100-calorie pack
Dieters are feeling satisfied and victorious
while munching on the new mini-portions of popular snack foods. But do the 100-calorie packs
actually help dieters control their urges and intake,
and lose weight?
Researchers say no. In fact, chronic dieters tend
to consume more calories when foods and packages are smaller, says a new study from Arizona
State University. On the one hand, consumers see
the mini-packs as a generous portion of food—
numerous small food morsels in each pack and
multiple mini-packs in each box. But on the other
hand, they perceive the packaged snacks to be diet
food. For chronic dieters, these perceptions cause a
tendency to overeat.
Freezing your (food) assets
Homemakers across America are embracing
an old standby: the deep freeze. As food prices soar,
shoppers are pinching pennies by buying in bulk
and stashing meats, precooked meals and staples in
a stand-alone freezer.
In the first half of 2008, freezer sales jumped
more than 7 percent over the same period last year.
Experts expect the trend to continue.
For the best deal, avoid the programs that entice
Printer helps you print less
Everyone wants to save money and eliminate
waste, and at fightback.com we know our computer
printers are wasteful consumers of paper and toner.
Printing Web pages often means squandering
several pages on ads, links, boxes for entering text
and extraneous space. Now, Lexmark International
has developed a We b toolbar that lets users block
such images from coming out of
the printer, saving ink and paper.
While many Web sites offer
a “printer format” with fewer
graphics, the new software
extends that control, allowing
users to eliminate more of
the wasted space still
imbedded on those
pages.
Printer manufacturers admittedly make most
of their profit from
repeat sales of ink
and toner. But Lexmark’s strategy is that
helping consumers
conserve materials
will improve customer satisfaction and
build loyalty. Most of
the toolbar features will
work on any major-brand printer, including, of course, Lexmark’s,
as well as their rivals’. C
AMY CAN TRELL
David Horowitz is a leading consumer advocate.
His “Fight Back!” commentaries are heard daily on
the Dial-Global Radio Networks. For stations and
times, check the radio page at
www.fightback.com.
© 2008 FIGH T BACK! INC. ALL RIGH TS RESERVED.
YOU MAY NOT have been
taken, but you were taken
advantage of. The $50 was
the first tip-off. So, before
making the reservations,
you should have
done some home-
work: I checked
the Web site and
found a fine-print
disclaimer ex-
plaining that the
voucher is a “pro-
motion offered
by a third party,”
and that the
charity takes no
responsibility for the
terms and conditions
of the voucher, plus all
comments or complaints
will be forwarded to the
third party.
This kind of promo-
tion is popular across the
country. Whether or not it
is legal depends on state
laws. To be sure, contact
your state attorney general’s
office. The lesson here is
“When in doubt, check it
out … first!”—DH
More in archives:
On costco.com enter “connection”
At Online Edition, search
“David Horowitz”
Do you have a question for David?
Just log on to
www.fightback.com and “Ask David.” He will personally respond
to your problem if you follow the instructions printed on his Web site. (Costco
members receive a rebate off the normal fee.) Questions and answers of the greatest
interest to Costco members will be used in this column with the permission of the
contributor and will be posted on
www.fightback.com.
