DRIVER'S ED: Avoiding gas gimmicks

Don’t let your desperation for a cheaper tank of gas fool you into becoming the victim of a gas station ripoff. As gas prices continue to rise, some unsavory con artists are trying to turn their own illegitimate profits.

CBS News reports that more consumers are being duped into buying products that claim to increase a car’s fuel efficiency. These products are often chemicals you put into your gas tank or mechanical devices applied directly to your engine. Unfortunately, they’re useless.

Even worse, Kelli Grant of smartmoney.com tells CBS News, that "the really scary part is that they actually void your manufacturer's warranty. If your car is damaged by these products, you'll have to foot the bill.”

Another pitfall consumers should avoid in the quest to save on gasoline is buying coupons online. While many coupons and gift cards offered on popular auction sites are legitimate, not all of them are the real thing.

As a result, it’s advisable to check whether the company associated with the coupon is in fact willing to redeem it. In addition, beware of offers that claim to provide free gift cards for gas. Read carefully because the fine print often makes these offers seem much less valuable.

More and more drivers are also being hit with hidden fees when they try to pay with credit cards. Even worse, it might not always be clear that you will be charged. “You won't find out about the surcharges until you swipe your credit card," says Grant.

Visa and Mastercard don’t permit such charges to be assessed, the article reports, but you still have to read the fine print. Many cards that offer rewards for gasoline often stipulate a lot of restrictions that make it difficult to redeem those rewards.

Click here for the lowdown.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

Progressive powers its way into Mass. market

The Massachusetts auto insurance market got a big shake up this spring when companies became eligible to set their own managed rates. The Ohio-based insurance company Progressive has made headlines by selling over 10,000 policies in Massachusetts since they set up shop on May 1.

Jeffrey Krasner, a business writer with the Boston Globe, reports on some of the reasons why Progressive may be getting so much attention. When customers contact them for a quote, they receive a comparison quote from three other major auto insurers in the state. What these comparisons don’t take into account, however, is any group discount the driver could be eligible for.

"Clearly, the rate from a competitor will be lower than what we quote you on the Web site," Cathy Wilton-Bransch, Progressive’s product manager for Massachusetts tells the Boston Globe.
Another practice that has drawn criticism is Progressive’s quoting of six-month policies. These may seem much cheaper to drivers who are familiar with 12-month policies, the only kind written in Massachusetts prior to Progressive’s arrival.

"If it isn't outright deception, there's certainly a misunderstanding of the quotes consumers are receiving," Doug Bailey, a spokesman for Arbella Insurance Group of Quincy remarks.

Other Bay Staters worry that Progressive has entered the market with low-priced policies hoping to attract a large customer base early on. Once the introductory period is over, some fear that rates could go up.

Wilton-Bransch, the brand manager, disagreed. "We definitely don't price where we give away insurance and lose money," she says. "We're priced where we need to be for the long term."

Click here for the complete article.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

Ebags: Up to 38% off North Face backpacks

Apple.com: $300 to $900 off refurbished MacBook Pro Notebooks

Macys: Extra 25% to 45% off clearance

Office Depot: Extra 10% off school and office supplies

Consumer United: Save 20% off home insurance if you have auto insurance with our service provider, Plymouth Rock Assurance

CONSUMER WOES: Digging deep into the debt hole

Why do Americans continue to dig themselves into a hole?

Back in the day, people set money aside for personal purchases and saved for surprise expenses. Today, the average American household carries $8,565 in credit card debt, a 15% increase from the year 2000.

In total Americans have $2.56 trillion in consumer debt, up 22% since the year 2000 according to the Federal Reserve Board. For some reason, debt is increasing as most American's incomes are not. We have grown into a consuming society that believes it is OK to be in debt, in order to have that new phone, new outfit, or new car.

Disposable income that must be used for debt (credit card payments, car loans, mortgage interest, principle) is up to 14.5% from 11% just 15 years ago.

The New York Times tells the story of Diane McLeod and her debt hole.

McLeod began debt free, but a divorce caused her to spend and rack up $25,000 in credit card debt. She bought a home soon after with a $135,000 mortgage. Five years later illness and irresponsibility caused McLeod to owe $237,000 on her mortgage.

Now in foreclosure, it is hard for her to see light at the end of the tunnel.

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

Amazon: Cell phone flask for $13.95

Office Max: Soyo 20-inch WS dual input LCD $150 shipped

Wilson's Leather: Entire site up to 75% off

Vera Bradley: 25% off retiring colors and styles

Consumer United: Save at least 10% off car insurance

Inside Consumer United :: Lana Petersson

Lana Petersson, noted author of the book "Quetzalli," recently joined the Consumer United team as one of our advocates.

Petersson is known for her friendly demeanor and ability to navigate through the complexities of switching auto insurance providers with the new managed competition rules.

Petersson graduated from Clark University in May '08 and wrote a book while studying abroad in Mexico. "Quetzalli," (a bird indigenous to Mexico) studies sensory awareness and illustrates one's relationship to their surrounding space.

When she's not busy saving people money, Petersson lives in Arlington, Mass. with her bull dog/bull-mastiff mix named Reina. Out of work, Petersson enjoys playing ice hockey, enjoying the outdoors and hiking with Reina.

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

DealExtreme: iPod/iPhone charger for $3.46

CircuitCity.com: Acer Extensa 15.4" widescreen laptop for $500

Dell.com: Dell V305 all in one printer for $49

Journeys Kidz: Clearance shoes $10 and up

Peapod: First time shoppers with our new service partner, Peapod, will instantly save $10 on their online grocery order. Use the Consumer United promo code CJN10, and click on the promotional link HERE to start saving.

Gas prices hit seven-week low

In the past two weeks, U.S. gasoline prices have dropped significantly. As of last Friday, cost per gallon ended lower than expected with the U.S. crude oil hitting seven-week lows.

This is exciting news for commuters and travelers. The average price fell to $3.9959 per gallon which is 12 cents lower than two weeks ago.

Trilby Lundberg, an oil-industry analyst who surveyed 7,000 stations nationwide, remarks, "The crude oil market has imposed a down price correction on itself, and this oil price slide is rapidly being translated into a gasoline price correction.

According to the report, the sharp gasoline price drop is partially because of a report saying OPEC's oil output is expected to rise significantly in July due to higher supplies from Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

CONSUMER WOES: Gas prices for dummies

Due to the rapid gasoline spike and decline, gasoline stations seem to be selling for extremely different prices. So keep your eyes on the news and the current price at the pumps.

Adam Gaffin from UniversalHub.com had an interesting observation here about the tumultuous fluctuation of prices at the pumps. He points out on his blog here that the gasoline price at a Shell station in West Roxbury, MA was $4.20 a gallon. Meanwhile, the Hess station a mile away on Centre Street was selling gasoline for $3.86 a gallon.

It seems to be a city-wide phenomenon. On Memorial Drive, for example, two stations had gasoline prices at $3.85, and a third station with a price of $4.10 per gallon. The stations listing these prices are all in a row.

Click here for more.

CONSUMER WOES: Bank of America nightmare

Chris Hooley lost his wallet and canceled his Bank of America debit card immediately. Canceling his debit card should have let Bank of America know to freeze his account. However, the bank allegedly sat back as an identity thief withdrew $40,000 dollars from Hooley's account in a single day.

According to his blog here, Bank of America didn't even have a clue of what was happening. Hooley only noticed the massive withdrawals after the identity thief was arrested at Best Buy, trying to purchase multiple computers.

Thankfully, Best Buy caught the thief red handed. As the identity thief attempted to use Hooley's card, Best Buy's register system sent an alert to the police. Luckily for Hooley, if a reported lost or stolen card is in use in the system, the police are alerted instantaneously.

Unfortunately, the thief managed to make five transactions with Hooley's account earlier in the day. The first two were deposits. Two checks were written and a large portion of the checks were less cash received, handing the thief a total of $12,500. The last three were withdrawals. One withdrawal was for $26,000 politely handed over from a Bank of America teller. The last was for $12,500, again left unnoticed.

Keep in mind all five transactions occured inside five different Bank of America centers.

Lesson learned? Watch your account activity and watch your wallet at all times ... especially if you have an account with Bank of America.

DRIVER'S ED: Don't make left turns

UPS has an interesting way of saving gas that may come in quite handy. UPS plans its delivery service routes with only right turns.

That's right.

UPS delivery drivers have saved over 3.3 million gallons of gasoline in 2007 alone. Using this technique takes practice but once mastered, it can save you miles and dollars.

It turns out after testing this right-turn only route UPS can save gas and deliver packages faster than before. "It's a huge amount, and we also shaved off a total of over 30 million travel miles for our drivers," says Laura James, UPS' industrial engineering manager.

Why does left turn avoidance save so much gas and money? By avoiding left turns, you don't have to idle in traffic lights for minutes. You still have to stop, but there's no waiting for traffic coming against you from both sides. This technique keeps drivers moving and delivering without unnecessary stops.

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

Cooking.com: Up to 50% off Henckels four-star cutlery

Nike Store: 20% off shoes and gear

Butterflyphoto.com: Canon Digital Rebel XSi & lens $788 shipped

EB Games: 10% off any new PC title

Dish Network: Free installation and only $29.99

High costs drive up school lunch prices

Boston Public Schools are feeling the same squeeze ordinary consumers are experiencing with their grocery budget this year.

According to an article in The Boston Globe, city schools will raise the price of both breakfast and lunch by 25 cents at the start of the upcoming school year.

Due to the fact that about three quarters of students in the district qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, the savings will only total about $100,000 for the year.

Superintendent Carol Johnson defended the decision in an interview after the School Committee meeting.

“Every dollar we spend over revenue received has to come out of academic programs. We all regret increasing lunch prices, but the price of food is going up," she told the Globe.

A student can now expect to spend about $1.25 for breakfast and between $2.25 and $2.50 for lunch each day. The average price for public school lunch across the nation is expected to rise to $1.98 for the 2008-2009 school year.

The amount that federal government will reimburse city schools for each free lunch, however, has also gone up to $2.56.

In the wake of rising fuel and food prices and a growing emphasis on providing students with fresh, nutritious food, the increases are part of a plan to prevent expanding the school system’s budget deficit.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

Low maintenance? Six easy-to-grow plants

It's summer. A time for flowers, gardens and fresh local produce. You would love to have your own garden but you don't have the time ... or the space.

You're in luck! These six plants are incredibly easy to grow and can live in a window box or a Whiskey barrel. They're also low maintenance. You will be enjoying fresh flowers and produce at a limited cost in no time.

1. Herbs: Parsley and Mint require minimal sun and they will grow almost anywhere. I grow these herbs in my apartment on the window sill. Parsley adds great flavor to any dish and the stems are particularly sweet. Add mint to a pitcher of sun tea for a blast of flavor.

2. Dwarf Evergreens: Evergreens don't require much sunlight and can be grown in a pot or planted around one's home. Dwarf evergreens are delightful and require far less maintenance than a bonsai tree.

3. Cherry Tomatoes: Mmmmm. Cherry tomatoes are delicious and can be grown in a whiskey barrel or planted outside. If you choose an "indeterminate" cherry tomato plant, it will continue to grow throughout the summer. You will receive more yield in far less space.

4. Coreopsis: This beautiful flowering plant can be grown in a window box and is a long blooming perennial. Who wouldn't want a coreopsis plant?

5. Sedum: They are incredibly drought resistant and extremely easy grow. Sedum are rarely bothered by insects or disease.

6. Coral bells: Nothing says summer better than a coral bell. Coral bells will grow almost anywhere and do very well in shade.

CONSUMER WOES: Nightmare at the pump

James stopped for gas at a Kum & Go, in Springfield, MO last night on his way to drive across state to visit his family. On his journey his car was acting increasingly strange and died abruptly in the driveway of his family's home.

The next morning, James had his car towed to the shop. The cause of this automotive disaster? The car had been filled with diesel. It turns out a trucker poured diesel into a gasoline tank at a distribution center. At least one other station was filled with gasoline, however the other station closed down after an hour of pumping out Diesel. Kum & Go pumped out diesel for nearly five hours.

Kum & Go is paying for all repairs, and has claimed full responsibility.

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

Amazon: Save 75% or more on one day sale on July 25

EMS: 40% off all Teva sandals and shoes

Dell.com: Save $250-$375 off Latitude Notebook PCs

Amazon: Logitech V20 notebook speakers $10.24 after rebate

Home Depot: 20% off plus free shipping on Pergo laminate flooring

Mass. heating oil jumps $1,300 higher this winter

According to Mass AREA (Mass. Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance), those who use oil to heat their homes can expect to pay $1,300 more than last year to heat their home.

Here are a few low-cost tips from the group to save:

*Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F).

*Clean or replace furnace and heat-pump filters regularly

*Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators

*Change the five most-used lights in your home to compact fluorescent lamps and you’ll save more than $60 every year in energy costs

*Unplug that second, old refrigerator! Today’s models use at least 40% less energy than even the conventional models sold in 2001.

*Lower your thermostat – for every degree you save about 2 percent off your heating bill.

*Weather strip doors and windows – properly air sealing cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment

*Use Power Strips – plug your electronics into power strips – especially televisions and computers. When you’re done using them, turn the power strip off to prevent the stand-by mode that draws unnecessary electricity

*Use the air dry setting on your dishwasher

*Keep shades and curtains open during the day on the south side of your home to allow solar heating. Close them at night to retain heat.

CU Advocate's Deal of the Day

Creative Labs: Save 50% with their summer electronics sale

TCBY: 99 cent waffle cone Wednesdays

Old Navy: Apparel basics and multiples sale

Best Buy: 10%-12% off selected electronics and games

Crocs: Save 50% on their Sunsational Summer Sale

SAVINGS 101: Turn $5 into $12,000

High gas prices and stagnant wages are making it harder than ever to save money, but Marie Franklin of the Boston Globe has one trick that allowed her to save $12,000 in under three years.

Every single time a cashier hands you a five dollar bill, tuck it into a separate pocket of your purse or wallet and no longer think of it as money you can spend. Open a special bank account—one that you won’t withdraw from – just for this money.

Franklin suggests that each time you’ve accumulated $50 worth of fives, make a deposit. Without easy access to the money, it will be much less tempting to get off track.

The key to this strategy is to stop thinking about five dollar bills in the same way as the rest of the cash in your wallet. Instead, fives should be considered valid only at the bank — where you can put them into your account, but you can’t take them out.

Another saving tip inherent in the five dollar bill strategy is that in order to be able to stash away any sizable amount of money, you have to make most of your purchases in cash.

This allows you to set self-imposed limits because you can only spend as much as you’re carrying at any given time. In addition, studies have shown that people spend less when they physically have to hand over their money instead of just swiping a card.

Following the five dollar bill strategy, you could find $4,000 a year hidden in the money you already make. What would you do with so much extra savings? In her article, Franklin says people often ask her the same question. Her response: “I have no idea. I'm having too much fun watching it grow to want to spend it.”

--Bridget O'Sullivan

STICKER SHOCK: Going somewhere?

If you’ve ever driven to Providence or Manchester to catch a flight, you already know that flying out of Logan Airport can be very expensive. Since the beginning of 2008, however, the price of flights originating out of Boston have risen to levels twice as high as the national average.

As Nicole Wong of the Boston Globe reports, ticket prices everywhere are rising, but Boston has been hit particularly hard because so many flights out of Logan serve a radius of about 1,000 miles around Boston.

Shorter flights tend to cost less, but raising the sticker prices can lead to big jumps in the percentage increase of the cost of the airfare. Additionally, Logan is not serviced by the major discount airline Southwest.

Well-known for their inexpensive short distance flights, the absence of Southwest at Logan could be influencing the increase in fares. Rick Seany, chief executive of farecompare.com, said to the Boston Globe "If Southwest flew to Logan, you'd be in the bottom part of the pack for fare increases."

The good news is some discount providers such as JetBlue and AirTran do fly out of Logan, and they offer many long distance options. "If you didn't have JetBlue flying coast to coast, [the increases] would be a lot higher."

While flying out of Boston is often the most convenient option, doing a quick search of the surrounding airports could be cost effective.

DRIVER'S ED: Ford Motor Goes Compact

Ford Motor Company is known for its huge pickup trucks and SUVs, which are beginning to drive sensible consumers crazy.

SUVs were all the rage when gas was inexpensive. These days we are abandoning our sub-15 miles per gallon Ford Explorer for a brand new Toyota Prius. In 2004, Ford sold 939,000 pickup trucks and earned a profit of $15,000 on each full-size sports utility vehicle.

This year United State's vehicle sales are down 10% and Ford's sales are down 14%. What is Ford's next move? The company has finally decided to get smart, and go compact.

Ford is shifting to cars and by 2010 will be introducing the European Ford Fiesta subcompact to the United States.

This change will begin to take place late 2008, as Ford Production Plants will allow. This is a change consumers seem to be excited about.

SAVINGS 101: New Car Buyers ... Wait

So you're thinking of buying a new car. Is now the time?

* Gas Mileage

What is the gas mileage of y our car? With gas prices rising you may want to take this operating expense into heavy consideration.

* When the Bank Owns Your Car

Who owns the car? Do you own your car or does your bank? If you are done making payments on your car, do you really want to start now? What is the actual value of the car? If you sell the car, will you make any money towards a new one?

*Cost to Insure

If you're thinking about buying a brand new hybrid or compact, you may want to think again. It will save you money in gas expenses however if it is a brand new car it will cost much more to insure.

*What to Buy

When it is time to buy, we recommend you buy a slightly used car that has been well maintained and is in good condition. This way you can forget about the depreciation that comes with buying a new car.

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

Amazon: Save an extra $20 off Kashi cereals and snacks

Best Buy: All Disney-related movies are $6 shipped until 07.26

Apple: Limited-time pricing on refurbished Macs

Geeks.com: Save up to 80% with their Back to School Sale

Mountaingear.com: Save up to 60% with their 25th Anniversary Sale

SAVINGS 101: More Tips To Save Money

It's time to take control of your money. Here are a few ways to save.

*HYPERMILING

Hypermiling takes time to perfect but is capable of improving your gas mileage.

Use cruise control as much as possible and drive like you do not have any brakes. This may sound absurd, however using brakes lowers your fuel efficiency dramatically. Slow acceleration and non aggressive driving gives you a safe distance and more coasting time before a red light.

Keep your windows up and your tires full. Rolled down windows and low air pressure create drag, lowering your fuel efficiency.

*DOUBLE CHECK RECEIPTS

At a Sunoco Station in New Jersey, Matt's gas receipt didn't match up with the station's advertised price. At first Matt thought there was an extra charge for using his credit card, however that was not the case. It turns out the gas station was overcharging at the pumps, adding on a near 10 cents per gallon.

Make sure you check your receipt and if the charge does not match up with the advertised price, snap a photo. Shady gas stations can be stopped by contacting your city's Office of Weights and Measures.

*ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORATION
With gas prices climbing why not ditch your SUV and grab your bike? Bicycling is an excellent way to avoid gas altogether. Not only is bicycling beneficial for your health, it can get you to work faster than realized. A 30 minute commuter traffic ride may take only 15 minutes by bike. You can swerve through traffic, avoid red lights and you can forget about going to the gym.

*CARPOOL

If biking is not in your playing cards, grab a ride from a friend or a neighbor. You can take turns driving in. This will save you money, help the environment, and give you social time before work.

Other alternative ways to get around: long boarding, public transportation, walking and running.

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

Sears: Nearly all refrigerators and freezers on sale this week plus free delivery and haul away.

Borders: Save 30% off any one item at Borders.com

Duracell Direct: 10% off and free shipping for all battery orders

Buy.com: Noise canceling headphones $74.99 shipped

Sam's Club: Free Glad Force Flex trash bag

CU Advocate's Deals of the Day

EMS: All kayaks and bikes up to 15% off. EMS brand bags and tents 30% off. All Thule racks are 15% off.

Jamba Juice: Buy one get one free until July 30.

Compact Alliance: Extra 10% off and free shipping on portable air conditioners

Dell: 25% to 30% off Inspiron Notebook PCs

Verizon: Order FIOS online and get your first month free. If you cancel within 90 days, you pay no cancellation fees

Consumer Prices Spike in June

Consumer prices spiked 1.1 percent last month—the second fastest increase in 26 years with a majority of the surge blamed on soaring energy costs--according to a report released by the Labor Department.

Swelling rates on home heating oil, gasoline and natural gas reflect the largest increase in years with a 6.6 spike upward in June. The report on retail inflation reflected similarly grim news revealing a 1.8 percent increase in wholesale prices.

Democrats in Congress say the new inflation report emphasized the need to pass a second stimulus package.

“We're not seeing danger for the economy on both sides ... growth is too slow and inflation is too high,” says Sen. Charles Schumer in a statement.

The White House expressed concern about the weakening economy in a recent press conference.

"The President is very concerned about the impact high prices are having on Americans, especially those who are on lower incomes,” presidential press secretary Dana Perino tells reporters.

“What the president would reiterate is what he said yesterday ... that the health of the overall economy is dependent on inflation remaining low,” Perino continues.

Click here for more information.

Is Satellite Better Than Cable?

For most people, long gone are the days of TV rabbit ear antennas and adjusting V-hold. But if you think cable TV is the best alternative, you should learn more about the advantages of satellite television. Join the millions who are switching to DISH Network. You'll see why satellite is the fastest growing broadcast sector -- simply, Satellite TV is better than cable.

If you are currently a cable subscriber, consider these satellite TV benefits:

• Better reception
• More channels for the same price
• Free in-home installation by professional DISH Network installers
• Exclusive DISH Network programming
• 100% all-digital signal
• Better customer service

Click here to benefit from Consumer United's DISH Network plan.

Inside Consumer United :: Ryan Clauson

Ryan Clauson, an up-and-coming comic in the Boston market, recently joined the Consumer United team as one of our advocates.

When he's not busy saving people money, he spends his time spearheading an online project for men called Listen Act Attract where he is, what he calls, a transformational entertainer.

Clauson continues, “I believe in transforming people's lives while making the process fun and exciting. That's what attracted me to Consumer United. I spend my days laughing with clients as I work to see just how much money I can save them.”

Clauson says he enjoys taking the stage as a stand-up comic, dancing salsa and ... eating raw food. “That's right. I love raw fruits, vegetables and nuts and that's all I eat,” he jokes. “I drink raw chocolate smoothies everyday and they make me feel unbelievable.”

Click here to get an auto insurance quote from Ryan.

Online Coupon Sites Make The Cut

As inflation of the dollar threatens to hit 25 year highs, shoppers are scrambling to find savings on basic items such as food and clothing. Corporations also want to keep customers from straying toward cheaper, generic or “store brand” products.

The solution? More coupons, especially in the form of online printable coupons.

Some Web sites such as Couponcabin.com and Retailmenot.com have long been devoted to providing customers with discount codes that they can present when checking out at an online retail outlet.

Other sites, such as Eversave.com and CouponMom.com provide shoppers with more traditional coupons that they can print and bring to the grocery store. This type of site in particular has been gaining popularity as more and more households need to stretch their budgets.

Steven Boal, an executive at the parent company of Coupons.com said to The Chicago Tribune : “We're seeing a higher return rate, of people coming back more frequently than ever before.”

The Tribune also reports that online coupon sites had nearly 25 million unique views in May alone, and this suggests that more and more shoppers are making visits to these sites part of their shopping routine.

Despite the popularity of online coupon sites, clipping coupons out the Sunday circulars is in no danger of becoming obsolete. Though many of the sites have significant traffic, printable coupons are estimated to make up only about 5 percent of the number of coupons used in stores of the course of the next year.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

CU Advocate's Deals of the Week

Dish Network: Free installation and only $29.99

Verizon: Order FIOS online and get your first month free. If you cancel within 90 days, you pay no cancellation fees

OfficeMax: $20 off $50 purchase

Wine.com: 1 cent shipping on all wine orders

Amazon.com: Save up to 60% on DVD box sets

MyGallons.com Running on Empty?

With gas threatening to hit $5 a gallon, it’s no wonder that drivers are looking high and low for a better deal. However, if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

MyGallons.com, a membership program which has promised customers that they will be able to lock in today’s prices for gas purchased in the future, has come under scrutiny by the Better Business Bureau.

The BBB began investigating MyGallons.com when they noticed that their advertisements suggested that they had a relationship with US Bank, a major American financial services company.

After looking into the matter more closely, the BBB learned that US Bank had actually turned down the request of MyGallons.com to form a partnership. Despite the fact that they were misleading customers about how they processed transactions, they continued to collect membership fees.

Following the attention from the BBB, MyGallons.com has stopped accepting payments because the company does not have an appropriate contract in place to continue operations. The BBB has since modified their evaluation of MyGallons.com from an “F” to “No Rating."

Click here for the lowdown.

UPDATE: There are reports that MyGallons.com is now refunding membership fees.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

'The Surrogates' filming outside of our office

The film crew for the Disney sci-fi thriller "The Surrogates" is shooting outside of our South Street office in the Leather District this week. The film, set in the near future where humans interact with one another through surrogate robots, stars Bruce Willis as a cop who tracks down murderers.

There's an interesting set that's located next to our office at 181 South Street. From the outside, it looks like a futuristic salon called "Artiface" where surrogates can get a makeover ... or better yet, a tune up (the shelves are stocked with beauty products and what looks like WD-40 style oil treatments).

From the street, "Artiface" appears to be a day spa for robots.

A crew of femmebots--including Moscow-bred hottie Anya Monzikova--stormed the "Artiface" set yesterday on South Street. From our office windows, we're able to see a slew of surrogate extras with bizarre metallic hats (turns out the metal foils are used for robot highlights).

Click here for more information.

UPDATE: Bruce Willis is on set, chatting on his cellphone on the corner of South Street, as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 15.

STICKER SHOCK: Gas Prices Prompt Pump Prayers

With the cost of gas going nowhere but up, consumers are looking for more and more ways to find relief for their wallets. According to a story in The Washington Post, a group of drivers in the DC area are traveling to gas stations and asking their higher power to bring prices down.

Their organization, known as “Pray at the Pump,” holds and organizes prayer sessions at gas stations around the country.

When critics mention that prices have yet to move in the right direction, Rocky Twyman, the group’s leader, has an answer.

"Our pockets are empty, but we're going to hold on to God," Twyman tells the Washington Post. He cautions against expecting any immediate results from the group’s divine requests.

Despite the fact that the average price of gas has gone up about 50 cents since Twyman’s group first began their prayers in April, they’re not discouraged.

It certainly seems like it might take a miracle to get prices back down where they belong.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

DRIVER'S ED: Become A Road Warrior

With gas prices through the roof, it makes sense to pay attention to the hidden pitfalls that can take money out of your wallet. At Consumer United, we want to make sure you’re not spending more than you have to for anything.

Here are a few tips:

*Pay close attention to the fine print. Some gas stations are charging customers more if they pay with credit cards. Make sure no hidden fees are sneaking into your tank, even if it means forking over some old fashioned dollar bills.

*Calm it down. Braking and accelerating quickly use up more gas than if you drive consistently and keep your foot off the pedals.

*Keep the radio low and the windows up. When the windows are down, especially if you’re driving quickly, the car has to work harder to fight the resistance that the flow of air creates. Playing the radio quietly doesn’t save gas by itself, but it’s hard to resist flooring it when you’ve got AC DC blasting.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

Consumer United Newsletter :: July 7, 2008

Check out the archived version of Consumer United's bi-weekly newsletter here.

Here's the intro:

Based on our numbers, we can negotiate lower prices on auto insurance, phone, Internet, cable, personal banking and utilities.We do the initial research and legwork for you. Tap into the power of the masses and get more for your money while making an informed decision in less time.

Highlights:
*Big Chill Expected
*Top 10 Ways To Save
*Auto Insurance 101

Click here to read the Consumer United Newsletter :: July 7, 2008.

Also, click here for our bi-weekly Consumer United Newsletter archive.

Big Chill Expected With Home Heating Oil

Sure, it's July but experts in Boston are already predicting that home heating oil could cost as much as $4.50 per gallon, possibly leading to deaths of the elderly and people on fixed incomes in the upcoming winter months.

The Senate's Post Audit and Oversight Committee released a report on July 1 warning that the spike in home heating oil prices could have a profound impact on low-income New Englanders. “People could literally freeze to death,” says Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), chairman of the Senate committee. “It's a looming crisis.”

Energy experts have been stunned by the rise of heating oil prices this spring, when the cost of the fuel usually drops due to lower seasonal demand. The problem: crude oil prices have continued to set record after record on the wholesale world markets.

“I’ve never seen in 30 years anything like this,”remarks Joe Kennedy, president of Citizens Energy, a fuel-assistance nonprofit program in reports.

Consumer United's solution? We've partnered with Mass Energy where our members can save $150-$300 per year.

Last heating season, Mass Energy members saved an average of 24 cents per gallon compared to the state average--with the biggest per gallon savings occurring in the coldest months when most of the oil was consumed. This amounted to about $175 in savings per household.

Click here to learn more about Consumer United's heating oil solution.

Inside Consumer United :: Joshua Schwartz

Joshua Schwartz is a man with customer service on his mind and music in his heart.

As a consumer advocate, Schwartz is motivated to save his clients money. After graduating from Syracuse University in '07, he has not only played a vital role in building Consumer United but he's in the process of launching an independent record label called Galaxy Smith.

After work, Schwartz is a saxophone player of an 11-piece funk band called Turkuaz.

Schwartz's clients love him for his friendly demeanor and his ability to indentify ways to save them additional money while navigating through the complexities of switching auto insurance providers.

Click here to get an auto insurance quote from Josh.