Costco Connection - April 2009

CONSUMERconnection

Energy-conservation

Ask David

Horowitz

tax breaks available

THIS MAY BE the time to consider buying a new furnace or air conditioner, replacing drafty windows, putting in attic insulation and/or installing solar panels. The new economic recovery package includes more than $50 billion in energy-related grants, tax breaks and loan guarantees to spur solar and wind energy development and to cut energy use in businesses, schools, government and homes.

Consumers will benefit from the tax breaks being offered for residential energy-efficiency improvements, such as more efficient furnaces, heat pumps and air conditioners, as well as draft-tight windows and insulation. States can receive matching grants to promote utility-sponsored rebates for the purchase of more energy-efficient appliances, and tax breaks will be available for people who want to install solar panels to power water heaters.

The big question is whether homeowners will be able to come up with the money to cover the balance of the costs.

Also:

n

Digital TV switch

n

Recalls

Digital TV switch

For those who need to switch from analog to digital TV transmission, there’s now a four-month reprieve, helping millions of people who had not yet obtained the hardware necessary to avoid losing access to television signals. Extending the deadline to June will give people more time to obtain the necessary digital converter boxes, and will also allow the federal government to revamp and replenish its converter-box subsidy program in order to issue coupons to the millions of people on a waiting list.

Critics of the delay, including the powerful Consumer Electronics Association, said the new date will make the transition even more perplexing for some viewers, as some of the TV stations in the U.S. transitioned from analog to digital broadcasting on the old deadline of February 17. The remaining stations will transition from analog to digital broadcasting between March 14 and June 12. For more information, or for a list of the stations and their planned transition dates, check out www.dtv.gov.

automated systems to dial the phone numbers of customers to alert them about product recalls. In fact, the system was activated recently to notify shoppers about salmonella-tainted peanut products.

Price Chopper and Wegmans have been using automated dialing to notify customers for at least a year, and several other large retailers are exploring it. Costco is the largest retailer to date to have launched the system on a large scale, and uses it to phone consumers only about the most severe recalls, such as risks of serious injury or death.

By examining purchase records for a particular product, a membership store can identify which shopper has purchased the item and use membership records to compile a call list for the alert. This way the store can focus notification on only those who might be affected, instead of alarming the membership at large. Costco is also fine-tuning the system to issue e-mails. C

MY HOUSE IS in foreclosure. I
never missed a payment, but
I forgot to renew my home-
owners insurance. In
September my mortgage
company notified me that
they were now providing my
insurance … at an outra-
geous rate. I immediately
reestablished my original
policy and made regular
mortgage payments. But I
was notified I was in foreclo-
sure. My payments were
being applied to the insur-
ance—not my mortgage!
Calling has been useless. I
was told to contact RESOLVE
and HOPE [two dispute reso-
lution organizations], but
they, and a consumer credit
counselor, advised me not to
send the $3,000 owed
because it would not go to
my mortgage. That debt has
ballooned to $12,000 due to
“legal, attorney fees
and other penalties.”
Help!

Elise Talent, OR

Note: If you have recently moved or changed your phone number, please be sure to update your contact information at the membership counter. This way Costco can reach you in case of a product recall or other important notice. Costco does not sell, rent, share or disclose personal information to third parties without members’ prior consent.—Ed.

Stores calling about recalls

Wouldn’t it be great to be notified personally about an important recall of something you purchased? Well, that time has come.

Costco is one of many chain stores now using

AMY CANTRELL

David Horowitz is a leading consumer advocate. His “Fight Back!” commentaries are heard daily on the Jones Radio Network. For stations and times, check the radio page at www.fightback.com.

You must inves-
tigate if there
are actually any
liens on your loan
documents, or if your
agreement stipulated
that the mortgage company
had the right to take over
your insurance cover-
age, particularly without
any warning. Contact the
Oregon Division of Finance
and Corporate Securities
immediately to find out your
rights and the responsibilities
of the insurance company. And
if you are being harassed by
the mortgage company, also
contact the Oregon attorney
general’s office to investigate.

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