Michelle_Williams's Blog

Want to be a tester for our weekly Deal or Dud segment!

Have you ever seen the Billy Mays pitching the 'Awesome Auger'?

https://www.buytheauger.com/ver9/index.asp?refcode=
Auger9&did=&aid=

Or the infomercial for 'Listen Up'?

https://www.getlistenup.com/ver7/index.asp?id=&refc
ode=GLU1002

If you are interested in testing either of these products or you have a better idea, email me at my new email address michelle.buckman@foxtv.com and let me know if you want to be on TV as an official Deal or Dud teter!

About a month ago I was up bright and early at the AT&T store in Center City with so many of you anxious Apple lovers who lined up to get your hands on the new iPhone.  The 3G is sleek, sexy, has a handy GPS system and internet downloads are twice as fast.  This phone is only missing one thing - the ability to receive and accept calls!  Well that's an exaggeration but I have heard from iPhone 3G owners who say they never had a problem getting a call on their old iPhone but now can't manage to get a signal on their new phone.  Many complaints on Apple's website talk about not being able to get a signal when the 3G is on but have better luck when the 3G is off.  (Since the phone is named after this technology shouldn't it work?)

I was tipped off to this problem by a viewer named Mike from New Jersey who says he gave his old iPhone to his wife and now they can stand side-by-side in their house and she will have 5 bars and he will have none!  He is a loyal Apple customer but now he is frustrated beyond belief when he calls customer service and gets nothing but the runaround.  I'll let him tell you more, hopefully he'll visit this blog to write about his experience.  If you are having similar troubles, please chime in as well!

In the meantime I will see if I can get any answers from Apple myself, I'll keep you posted!

How’s your auto aptitude?  It’s time to separate the fact from fiction when it comes to car buying and lemon laws.  Grab a #2 pencil and let’s see how you fare:

1) True or False: If I buy a car and something goes wrong with it, I have three days to return the car. It's a law.

Answer: False. It's one of the most common misconceptions around. This 3-day rule applies to home sales such as vacuum cleaners and cutlery. It is not for cars. Once you sign the papers, once you drive the car off the lot, it is yours no matter if the check engine light turns on when you are driving home or if the tire falls off. This is more of a reason why you should test drive the exact car you are planning to buy BEFORE you sign the final papers. Also, if you are buying a used car, pay to have a private mechanic look at the car prior to purchase. There is a worksheet available online, Lemon Dodger Worksheet, which you can take with you when purchasing a used car. Also, check out on-line car reporting services, such as www.carfax.com, which can provide the history of the vehicle.

2) True or False: Once I have driven a car off the lot and signed a sales agreement, there is no way a dealer can change the price on me.

Answer: True. Once you sign a retail sales agreement, the sale is binding and the car is yours for the amount of money agreed upon. If a salesman tries to call you later and tell you that your financing didn't go through, or they forgot to add in the commission for the salesperson, and they need you to come back to the dealership, be very weary. You could end up the victim of "spot delivery" a practice some shadier dealers commit to get you to buy the car on the spot. Then, they pressure or threaten you to come back 3 or 4 weeks later and pay more money. If this happens to you, hold on to all of your original paperwork. You could file a lawsuit against the dealer.

3) True or False: If I buy a used car and the car has been in an accident, the dealer must tell me that prior to sale.

Answer: False. When it comes to accidents, it's a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. if you buy a used car and you never ask the dealer about the history of the vehicle, he is not required to tell you. However, if you ask if the car has been in an accident, the dealer is now liable if he gives you wrong information. This is very important to know and another reason why you should use carfax to research a vin number prior to purchase of a used car. Also, if you buy a new car, the dealer is not responsible for telling you about any damage that cost less than $500 to fix, so if the door was scratched and they buffed it out prior to you buying the car, they do not have to tell you.

4) True or False: The Lemon Law not only applies to major problems such as the transmission and engine, but also to electrical problems, water leaks, rattles, and paint problems.

Answer: True. When many people think of lemons, they think that it has to a major catastrophe, but problems such as mold, lights flickering, knocking in the front end, and electrical sliding doors could all be a basis for a lemon law claim, provided the car has been in three times for the same problem or for the same part. Keep track of your invoices. In addition, if you notice a severe paint problem, a manufacturer normally has only one chance to fix that problem and if it's not fixed to your liking, you can file a claim. For more information on the Lemon Law, you can visit www.lemonlaw.com or contact another consumer attorney.

5) True or False: If a new car is in the shop for 20 days in the first year, regardless of whether it's for the same problem or different problems, the driver can file a lemon law claim.

Answer: True. The New Jersey Lemon Law  covers cars that are in the shop for 20 days in the first two years. The Pennsylvania and Delaware Lemon Laws cover cars that have been in the shop 30 days in the first year. That includes if the car is waiting for a part on back order. The only thing that normally doesn't count is recalls. The number of days does not have to be consecutive either.

6) True or False: If I have a manufacturers warranty and something goes wrong with my car, I have to take it to the dealer where I purchased the car, even if it's far from my home.

Answer: False. No matter what your dealer tells you, if your car has a manufacturer's warranty, you can take it to any authorized manufacturer service shop for repairs. You do not have to take it back to the dealer you bought the car from. Also, if you are unhappy with the service you are receiving at a particular dealership, you can switch and get your car serviced at another shop at any time.

For more information visit www.lemonlaw.com and if you have a question for Consumer Advocate and Attorney Craig Kimmel, post it here!

Considering the state of our economy it doesn't seem appropriate to talk about shopping for designer duds.  However, if you can't resist a great deal or feel like treating yourself, here is a great way to snag a high-end item without paying the designer price tag!

There are now several new websites that are 'invitation-only' but once you are 'in' you can find designer clothes and accessories with labels like Gucci and Prada at deep discount prices. 

The best part is, you don't have to know someone to be invited - you know me!  The brillant minds behind these fashionable sites have given me special invite codes just for Fox 29 viewers who caught my segment on Good Day Philadelphia (or later on the 5pm news). 

Here's what you need to know:

For Gilt.com simply log onto www.gilt.com/therealdeal

For Ideeli.com log onto www.ideeli.com and enter the invite code 'fox29'

Happy shopping!

It's annoying and it can cost you!
I'm talking about spam that comes across your phone in the form of a text message.
If you don' t have an unlimited text plan with your cell phone carrier, each ad could be costing you 10 to 20 cents!
It's one of the only forms of advertising that costs you more than it costs the spammer and it's not going away any time soon.
The good news is - there is a way to block it!  The best part is, with most cell phone carriers there is a way to block only the messages you want to block so your family and friends can still text you.

Here's how to do it:

Verizon Wireless
Log in at www.vtext.com.
Under text messaging, click preferences.
Click text blocking.
You're offered choices to block text messages from e-mail or from the web.
Here again, you can block specific addresses or web sites.

AT&T
Log in at www.mymessages.wireless.att.com.
Under preferences, you'll see the text-blocking and alias options.
Here's also where you can block messages from specific e-mail addresses or web sites (most spam text comes from the web).

Sprint
No auto-blocking is available at all, but you can block specific phone numbers and addresses.
Log in at www.sprint.com.
On the top navigation bar, click my online tools.
Under communication tools, click text messaging.
On the compose a text message page, under text messaging options, click settings & preferences.
In the text box, you can enter a phone number, email address or domain that you want to block.

T-Mobile
T-Mobile doesn't yet offer a "block text messages from the internet" option.
You can block all messages sent by e-mail, though, or permit only messages sent to your phone's e-mail address or alias, or create filters that block text messages containing certain phrases when you log onto www.t-mobile.com and click communication tools.

You've heard all the negative news about the economy, gas prices, food prices... you know it's bad when even Starbucks is forced to close up some shops! So you just want to get away! But there's a catch! A long road trip will cost you too much gas money and suddenly all airline ticket seem to come with what appears to be first class price tags.

Searching the web used to be the answer when it came to finding cheap flights but even that doesn't seem to work any more... or does it? There is a brand new website called www.Compete4YourSeat.com

Here's how it works, put in your destination and dates (last minute is fine - actually you'll probably do even better) and then travel agents compete for your business. Some travel agents have better connections with certain airlines than others, so this way, you get hooked up with the agent with the best 'hook up' for your particular destination. Shortly after you put in your information, the site tells you which agent came back with the best 'bid.' I wasn't sure it worked but after doing a lot of online comparison shopping, I found Compete4YourSeat came up with the lowest fare every time!

Give it a try and take that summer vacation you deserve but thought you couldn't afford! I know I will! See you after the 4th!

Ok, don't want to pay $300 bucks for a seat at the Linc?

Here's how the Average Joe can get his hands on left-over Eagles tickets for under $100.  All you need is good timing and a little prep work.

Here's what you need to know:

Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 19th at 10am sharp.

Do not line up at the Linc, there are no in-person sales.  To order, fans have to call Ticketmaster or use ticketmaster.com or philadelphiaeagles.com.

Each customer is limited to four tickets total.  Tickets cost $65 to $90 each, plus service charges.

Ticketmaster's Philadelphia number is 215-336-2000, but if that line gets jammed try an out-of-state Ticketmaster number.  You'll find a complete list here:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/h/orderbyphone.htmla>

Are the gift cards you received for the holidays still sitting in the bottom of your purse or kitchen drawer?

Millions of dollars of gift cards go unused every year.  That's like throwing your money right out the window!  If you don't think you are going to use them, trade them for one you will use or them turn them into cold hard cash!  Hey we could all use extra gas money!  Here are some websites that can help:

If you want to use your gift cards but need a friendly reminder before they expire, www.giftcardtracker.com lets you register your cards and set up email reminders for expiration dates or sales that would make good use of the gift.  Remeber, many cards expire or start losing their value after a certain period of time.  That $50 gift card can end up being worth $5 if you don't use it fast enough.

Another option is to trade a card you don't want for one you do!  Check out www.leveragecard.com for that!

The coolest site I found lets you sell, trade or buy gift cards.  This is how you turn your cards into cash!  You won't get the full amount but you can get up to 70% of it's value.  The same goes for buying a card.  I found a $100 Old Navy gift card for sale for only $85.  So start digging through your purse and log onto www.plasticjungle.com

Are your at risk of having your identity stolen?

Take this Identity Theft IQ Test: http://www.privacyrights.org/itrc-quiz1.htm

Test your knowledge of Identity Theft:  http://onguardonline.gov/quiz/idtheft_quiz.html>

The so-called 'upside-down' mortgage is just another part of the national mortgage crisis, and this one can hit even the most savvy homeowner.

An 'upside-down' mortgage occurs when the value of your home has decreased and you now owe more than your home is worth.   At this point your adjustable mortgage rate hs probably adjusted up and you're having a tough time making the payments.  So you try to refinance.  But because the value of the home has decreased, your request to refinance has been rejected.  Now what? 

Your options are limited but don't give up.

If you can't afford to make up the difference in the amount of money lost from the depreciation, try other banks to see if someone besides your lender will help you refinance. 

Some lenders (encouraged by regulators and politicians) are now making more of an effort to lend a hand.  Fannie Mae and it's smaller government-sponsored sibling, Freddie Mac, are providing billions of dollars in new funding for at-risk homeowners.  Under Fannie Mae's new plan, the firms that collect payments for its mortgages will allow more cases involving delinquent borrowers so-called "short sales" of homes for less than the amount owed on the loan.  Fannie, as the mortgage guarantor, takes a hit on such sales, but can avoid the potentially larger loss from a home going to foreclosure.

There are also new state-funded programs designed to help people in these circumstances and yes, there is state money out there that could bail you out, so check out these sites, be patient and don't get discouraged, be persistent.

In New Jersey - call 800-NJ-HOME or log onto www.nj-hmfa.com

If you live in Pennsylvania log onto www.phfa.org/consumers/homeowners/real.aspx

And don't forget Delaware- check out http://www.destatehousing.com/services/hb_demap.shtml<
/a>

I just made veggie kabobs on the grill last night and yes, tomatoes were included!  Luckily they were grape tomatoes and those are on the 'safe' list (more on what's safe and what's not below).  

More than likely you ate a tomato slice on your burger this weekend or are even growing them in your own backyard garden!  Well now the FDA has a warning about tomatoes after a strange salmonella outbreak made 145 people sick, sending 23 to the hospital.

Some are safe, others are not, depending on their size and where they are from.  All the info you need to sort through this health scare is below.  Plus you'll find links that will be constantly updated while they continue to look for a source.

The Food and Drug Administration is expanding its warning to consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to consumption of certain raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes, and products containing these raw, red tomatoes.

FDA recommends that consumers not eat raw red Roma, raw red plum, raw red round tomatoes, or products that contain these types of raw red tomatoes unless the tomatoes are from the sources listed below. If unsure of where tomatoes are grown or harvested, consumers are encouraged to contact the store where the tomato purchase was made. Consumers should continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home.

Here is a list of states, territories, and countries where tomatoes are grown and harvested which have not been associated with this outbreak. This updated list includes: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico.  If the list changes or is updated it will be available at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html#retai
lers.

FDA’s recommendation does not apply to the following tomatoes from any source: cherry, grape, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.

FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators not offer for sale and service raw red Roma, raw red plum, and raw red round tomatoes unless they are from the sources listed above. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, may continue to be offered from any source.

Information on safe handling of produce can be found at
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodsafe.html

Tomato consumer page can be found at
www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html

Updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found at
www.cdc.gov/

I've never thought much about death.  My own death that is.  I guess that's a healthy attitude considering I'm 33 years old.  Lately however I've been obsessed with death.  I've spent a few months researching more personal, economical and environmentally-friendly ways to be laid to rest.  I've learned you can indeed give back to mother earth even after you are gone. 

The average traditional American funeral and burial costs $10,000.  It also means putting lots of non-biodegradable objects under ground.  The only thing that's truly bio-degradable is the dearly beloved.  The traditional burial tries to prevent the body from breaking down and returning to the earth.  First the body fluids are replaced with embalming fluids which is formaldehyde, a potential carcinogen.  That formaldehyde eventually leaks into the soil.  The body rests in a wooden or metal casket and then entombed in concrete.  The next time you look at a peaceful, perfectly manicured green cemetery imagine the vast amount of 'stuff' that's buried just 6 feet under.  'Stuff' that's not kind to mother nature.

I have to admit most of my research was found in one perfect source, a book called 'Grave Matters' written by local environmental journalist Mark Harris.  If you get a chance, pick it up.  It really opened my mind to the honest idea of 'dust to dust.'  www.gravematters.us

Today there are more eco-conscious options including 'green' or 'natural' cemeteries where the body can return to earth in a true form of recycling.  At a natural cemetery embalming is not allowed, bodies are buried in simple shrouds or plain wooden boxes and the graves are dug by hand.  The only thing marking the 'grave' is a flat natural field stone.  These cemeteries look more like parks or natural preserves, it may even take you awhile to realize you are in a cemetery.  Here, the concept of 'pushing up daisies' is truly possible.  Check out the very first 'green' cemetery in the United States at www.memorialecosystems.com

Finally, I can't say enough about Eternal Reefs www.eternalreefs.com   This concept truly allows the dead to create life.  Cremated remains are mixed in with the concrete that forms artificial reefs.  These reefs are added to already existing reefs in the Atlantic Ocean, including one off the coast of Ocean City, NJ.  Here fish and other marine life can grow and thrive and your loved one is part of that.  I had the privilege of attending a recent Eternal Reefs 'funeral.'  I use that term very loosely because no one wore black and there was lots of laughter mixed in with a few tears.  As a journalist I know I'm obligated to remain objective while covering a story but this experience and the families I met really had an impact on me.  The experience with Eternal Reefs was a moving one for me and I had no personal connection, so I can only imagine how it felt for them.  They were gracious enough to share their stories with me, photojournalist Pete Santo and a camera!  I'm honored I can in turn share their stories with you, the viewer and hope you have a chance to watch the story. 

How you or your family decides to be remembered is important.  It is your own choice.  There is no judgment here.  A traditional funeral and burial is a crucial part of the healing process for many people.  Just know that there are other options out there.  Options that can give back to the planet and the loved ones you leave behind.  Options that may be more memorable, spiritual and generous. 

I don't look forward to death but knowing that my remains could help nourish a tree or feed a fish is a comforting feeling.  My time on earth will use up many of its precious resources.  The least I can do is give back in the afterlife.

Almost every store advertises 'great savings' so I'm always skeptical but since I've always shopped for clothes at 'outlet' stores I figured I'd give a 'grocery outlet' a try. 

Amelia's Grocery Outlet is one of the first in the country and one of only two that I know of in our area.  They are a family business based in Lancaster county with 11 stores in southeast PA.  I traveled to their warehouse for a tour to find out why their prices are so low.

Bottom line?  They sell the food other grocery stores won't.  For example, boxes or cans with dents in them but the food inside is just fine.  Or, one of my favorite examples, Kellogs cereal with a picture of Shrek on the box that sells for 99 cents.  99 cents for a box of cereal that normally goes for $5!  Why?  Because Shrek is out of theaters and not as popular anymore.  A typical grocery store doesn't want to see that on it's shelves, but Amelia's doesn't mind, can get it from Kellogs for next-to-nothing and then sell it to you for cheap!  A small percentage of the non-perishable food is close to or past it's freshness date, not it's safety date, but the recommended freshness date.  It tastes just as good (I did a taste test) and can be up to 80% off.  Most of the food is boxed, canned or frozen, there's not a huge selection of dairy, deli or produce, but I promise you the prices are some of the lowest I've ever seen!  With this high cost of living, this is one place you'll want to check out.

Click on the location nearest you for the address:

Allentown Store

Coatesville Store

Harrisburg Store

Lancaster Store

Manheim Store

New Holland Store

Pottsville Store

Reading Store

Rohrerstown Store

Royersford Store

Woodlyn Store

All stores are open Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 9 pm.

 There is a similar grocery outlet called 'Sharp Shopper' with locations across Lancaster County.  Check them out at www.sharpshopper.net