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More water rate increases on the way? The San Diego County Water Authority board of directors approved an 8.1% rate increase for calendar year 2008. UCAN disclosed this pending rate increase back in Feb. when the City of San Diego approved the current three year 35% rate increase. The new rates will represent an average residential increase of $2.25 per month per household. http://www.sdcwa.org/news/2007_0728_BudgetApproved.phtml
The technology for this is still under development at UCAN's Consumer laboratories, but we are perilously close to developing special X-Ray Truth Goggles ....
It appears that Time Warner Cable may have recently charged a number of Southern California customers an additional $5 on their monthy bill. According to a story at Consumerist.com, a Time Warner Cable service representative acknowledged that there had been a "billing glitch," and that customers were required to call in to receive a credit, rather than Time Warner automatically crediting the affected customers.
If you are a Time Warner Cable customer, double-check your last couple of bills to make sure you were not overcharged and look closely at this month's bill. If you find anything suspicious, contact the UCAN Fraud Squad by calling 619-696-6966, or filling out our online Complaint Form.
Effective June 1st, T-Mobile's text message rates will increase from $0.10 to $0.15 per message. Consumer advocacy groups like UCAN maintain that such changes constitute a materially adverse affect to a wireless customer's contract, thereby allowing the customer to terminate his/her contract without penalty as provided by standard contract law and the cell phone company's terms and conditions (except Cingular). T-Mobile has acknowledged this publicly. As reported by www.consumerist.org, T-Mobile spokesman Peter Dobrow told RCR Wireless News that, " Customers may terminate their contract without incurring an ETF soon after receiving their notification of the pricing change." Read more.
Verizon customers may be able to terminate their service without penalty. The material change is effective June 24, 2007, when there will be a $0.15 per minute surcharge added for calling Mexican numbers using the dial pattern of 011+52+1+Area Code+telephone number for customers of the International Long Distance and
International Long Distance Value Plan. Read more.
AT&T just issued notice of 4 rate increases. The California Public Utilities Commission has given AT&T carte blanche to raise rates not mandated by the government---rates that go in the company's pockets. Why? Because the CPUC claims there is so much competition that people are free to change carriers. With all of the mergers allowed, there are fewer carriers. Plus, not all carriers serve all areas. So, where's the market competition in our choice of companies? We have SBC/AT&T and Cingular as one company, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon/MCI. That pretty much sums up the major carriers. When you find out where the market competition is, please let us know. Read more.
Why the Great Gas Out scheduled for May 15 is a slacker's boycott.
Today, San Diego gas prices reached an all-time high of $3.29 for April. In the history of California, gasoline has never cost this much, this early in the year ... (more)
A raccoon and opussum have been reported as the culprits behind the downing of two major LA refineries. The outages created extreme shortages on the spot market, driving prices to new record highs for April. At this point, the only excuse the Oilies haven't used is "The dog ate my oil well."
The witty and sometimes informational consumer blog, Consumerist.com, recently posted a story entitled "7 Confessions of a Cingular Sales Rep." The article is playful, claiming that another sales rep has come forward to "cleanse themselves in the healing waters of the Consumerist." But in claiming that the article offers "tips for the readers," the Consumersist does a disservice to cell phone consumers. The Cingular rep's comments are largely promotional, not confessional. The so-called "tips" are at best questionable and at worst downright absurd. In the future, the Consumerist should do some fact checking before posting such dubious information. Read the entire review here.
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UCAN's affiliate New Media Rights is hosting a discussion forum on the future of media and journalism in San Diego. Join in on the discussion now!
How to protect your own blog or website from liability for user generated content
Is Youtube putting advertisements on user videos without permission?
Essential free and open software toolkit for consumers
How to find free music, images, and video you can use or remix in your own creative works
How to Listen to Music on the Internet for Free...Legally
How to make a Podcast... for free
Visit NewMediaRights.org
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What are you packin? Is it anything like UCAN's new and improved Consumer Complaint Directory? If not, you should really pick up a copy. This thing is chock-full of hard-hitting consumer punch.
