Steve Says

This morning on Good Day I had a segment about back to school computers.  We discussed many options for consumers.

During the segment I misspoke.  We were talking about whether or not a PC will update your iPod.  I said it won't update it. 

I should have been more clear and said that a PC will not AUTOMATICALLY update your iPod when you plug it in, you have to search for updates (as opposed to with a Mac which gives notification of updates automatically). 

Additionally, a PC will require you to download the iTunes software (which is free, and required to use your iPod) to get full software updates for your iPod - this software is standard on a Mac.

There were two viewers who wrote in to clarify the error.

Thank you for bringing that to my attention.

I had a feeling there would be a price difference, but just HOW MUCH of a price difference really surprised me.

We shopped three stores- Walmart, Office Max and Kroger.   Each chosen to represent ONE segment of the shopping market- a deep discounter, office supply store, and supermarket.  We certainly know our list of sources is not comprehensive.

ON THE DAY THAT WE SHOPPED prices were as follows:  (PLEASE NOTE: penny prices at Office Max were part of a promotional sale- Walmart has indicated they would match the advertised penny price.  an * indicates that the item was not the same brand name, but instead the cheapest item we could find.)

#2 Pencils:

Walmart- $.50/10

Office Max- $1.49/10

Kroger- $.99/10

Crayola Crayons (24 count)

Walmart- $.22

Office Max- $1.29

Kroger- $1.99

Crayola Markers (10 count)

Walmart- $.88

Office Max- $2.99

Kroger- $3.49

*Ruler

Walmart- $.97

Office Max- $.01

Kroger- $.99

Westcott Scissors

Walmart- $1.97

Office Max- $2.49

Kroger- $2.49

4 Pack Highlighters

Walmart- $1.50

Office Max- $1.49

Kroger- $2.49

Construction Paper

Walmart- $1.43

Office Max- $1.99

Kroger- $1.99

Mead 5 Star 1 subject Spiral Notebook

Walmart- $1.97

Office Max- $4.99

Kroger- $4.99

*150 count notebook paper- wide ruled

Walmart- $.50

Office Max- $.15

Kroger- $1.00

11/2" 3 Avery 3 Ring Binder

Walmart- $3.67

Office Max- $4.79

Kroger $6.79

PROS FOR EACH STORE:

Walmart- Cheapest prices plus price match guarantee

Office Max- Perks program where teachers get paid back for student spending, plus specializes sales staff and penny promotions which change weekly.

Kroger- Pre-bundled school supplies.  everything on your child's list comes pre packaged at no extra cost- very convenient.

AGAIN PLEASE NOTE: these were prices we found in each store on the day we shopped.  Not responsible for outdated signage or incorrect shelf/scanner pricing.

As promised here is some advice from the mortgage broker in tonight's story.  Below is HIS advice.  Remember in any large transaction to ask plenty of questions and make sure YOU are comfortable with the details.

First Time Home Buyers and Newlyweds

One of the most important things I tell first time homebuyers, and those getting married, is to plan well in advance of the time period you will want to purchase a home. I suggest sitting down with a mortgage consultant at least 6 months to one year in advance to discuss credit scores, establishing credit lines and the amount of money needed to close the loan. For instance, lenders normally require 4 established lines of credit that show at least a 12 month history. It is important to evaluate what credit lines you currently have and if additional lines of credit are needed you will have the required 12 months to count them in your loan application.

Also, it is important to discuss with your lender the different types of loans and which one may be best for you. As the market place continues to change rapidly we are seeing a return to the long standing FHA loan. This is because many first time homebuyers are finding that they no longer qualify for a conventional loan because of more stringent criteria and the higher credit scores needed.

Another advantage of the FHA loan is that it usually requires a lesser amount for the down payment, and 100% of that money can be gifted from a family member, a governmental agency, or non-profit organization. Additionally, most conventional loans require the borrower to have an amount of up to 6 months payments in liquid assets in reserves AFTER paying the down payment and closing costs, FHA loans require NO reserves. Also keep in mind is that the seller of a property may pay up to 6% of the purchase price toward the buyer’s closing costs, this can help reduce the buyer amount needed to close.

In the past year we have seen Mortgage Insurance, an insurance policy that protects the lender in the event the borrower defaults, going up at an alarming rate. Mortgage Insurance is calculated on the loan balance and can range from .55% to 4.18% on conventional loans, this amount is added to the monthly payment. In comparison FHA charges 0.5% of the loan amount, although they do charge a one time upfront fee of 1.5% at the time the loan is closed, but that amount can be rolled into the loan.

The home buying process can seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!

Nine steps to buying a home

1. Figure out how much you can afford

    

2. Know your rights

    

3. Shop for a loan

    

4. Learn about home buying programs

    

5. Shop for a home

    

6. Make an offer

    

7. Get a home inspection

    

8. Shop for homeowners insurance

    

9. Sign papers

    

If you would like more suggestions about preparing to purchase your first home please visit us on the web at www.swfdallas.com

John Collins is a Mortgage Broker and Branch Manager with Southwest Funding located in Dallas, Texas. He currently specializes in FHA and conventional loans, credit consulting and hard money investor loans.

It is said that when a consumer is happy with an experience they tell just a couple of people- when they are UNHAPPY they tell anyone who will listen.

It's a theory I use when sifting through viewer email.  I figure someone who hated a story I did is MUCH more likely to write me and tell me about it.  The "hate mail" doesn't come too often, and when it does, the author is usually straight forward- sometimes offering polite suggestions.

Well.. hold on to your hat!  This is the most "spirited" piece of viewer email I have ever received. It is SO verbally colorful- that I just had to share it with you.

Looks like someone saw my story run in Atlanta and didn't very much care for it.

(just a quick note, I have removed some of the most colorful language- and although tempting- did not correct his grammar, spelling or lack of punctuation and capitalization.   Additionally, he makes reference to experts we hired- we did not hire any experts for this story)

hey steve,

I'm sorry to tell you this but I honestly can't believe you did a story on the save a blade, had so much trouble with one type of blade which the unit was not designed to work well with, and had the (expletive) to end the segment with "we didnt test any other blades". oh gee. how so very helpful steve you MORON!!! you may be a wonderful person, I have no idea - I live in Atlanta and we have Clark Howard. But this story was a joke!!! how could you go to all that trouble and expense of hiring an expert and getting the film crew together and going to a school of mechanical engineering. did it ever occur to you to maybe try a gillette and a schick and maybe a few different ones of each?? I've read about three different stories from local/regional "investigative reporters" and they came to the exact opposite conclusion as you. also, how about trying to shave with it you assclown?!?!?! "of course, we didnt actually try shaving with it, we just looked at it reeeeeeeeeeeeal close"

seriously dude, go do a little bit of research on the internet - it'll take you all of five minutes. maybe have one of your gophers do it and then test a few more blades and this time, screw the engineer guy, actually SHAVE with it. novel idea eh?

your (expletive) reporting annoyed me so much that i had to track you down and tell you how much it sucked. THAT's how annoying it was. and if you look at comments on aol, you'll find I'm not the only one who thinks that story blew. you may be a great reporter in general, but from the one piece I saw, you blow.

sorry, just giving you honest feedback

Alex

Many of us know this search is not limited to individual airline websites, but now travel websites as well.  I often use them because they are a central location for all of my options on a variety of carriers.  I also know that they don't always offer a more competitive rate than the airline itself, but I like that I can see all of my options and then compare.

Well... not anymore. 

According to the folks at kayak.com, American  Airlines is asking for exclusivity when it comes to their fares.  For example, if I search Kayak for a ticket from Dallas to New York, American wants Kayak to ONLY list the aa.com fares and exclude fares from other travel sites like Orbitz or Cheap Tickets offering American fares.  They are not asking Kayak to exclude fares from competing airlines, but instead want any potential American Airlines customers to be directed only to the AA.com website for a direct purchase (I would assumer that this would work to increase American's revenue- but who knows)

They have given a date of August 1st for Kayak to meet their request.  If Kayak doesn't agree American will not allow them access to any AA.com fares.  In short- you can show our direct fares ONLY if you show ONLY our direct fares.  Since you won't, YOU are technically denying US access to show results on your site.

In response, Kayak has denied American's request saying that it is not appropriate for any carrier to dictate which fares are shown.   They compare it to an electronics company telling a retailer which brands they can carry.

So what will happen?  Well, apparently (and this is where it gets a little confusing) part of American's request is that if kayak DOESN'T show only aa.com fares for American flights, American Airlines will no longer allow Kayak access to aa.com web fares AT ALL.

So let me get this straight- Publish ONLY my airline's direct  website fares, or I'll deny you access to my website's direct fares all together? 

The only logic I can imagine here is that AA feels that their direct web fares are SO competitive that consumers will be driven away from Kayak.com when they are left only with sites like Orbitz and Cheap Tickets to book AA travel through on Kayak.

As per the folks at Kayak, this is all just talk until the August 1st date rolls around- but we'll see. 

What I find most interesting is American's statement regarding this issue:

American Airlines statement on Kayak Content Discontinuation

Kayak/Sidestep has advised American Airlines that they will no longer display American’s content effective August 1, 2008. Following is American Airlines’ statement:

“We are disappointed and hopeful that this issue can be resolved in the near future so that American Airlines will again display on the Kayak/Sidestep sites.

“Our schedules and fares remain available through many other Meta-Search Engines such as Mobissimo and Farecast for purchase through our award-winning website, AA.com.  Tickets already purchased remain valid for customers traveling on American."

I'm thinking the conversation went something like this:

American: "We want you to show only our direct aa.com fares for American travelers- and eliminate AA fares offered by competing travel websites."

Kayak: "Sorry we won't do that"

American: "Ok, then we won't give you access to our aa.com fares at all!"

Kayak: "Ok.. well then I guess we won't be showing your fares at all."

American: "Hey everybody!  Kayak won't show our fares!"

Good gosh.. I'd hate to see what would happen if Kayak took American's last crayon on the playground!

In case you are wondering, Kayak.com makes their money through referral fees from their travel partners, as well as advertisements on their website.

Your thoughts? 

Bottom line?

The airline industry needs to find new ways to generate additional revenue- and this one is my favorite BY FAR!

Why?  Because after a seemingly endless cycle of nickel and diming customers, the latest idea looks like it might benefit consumers at no cost to the traveling public... let's hope.

All of the major players in the airline industry (American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Air) have joined forces to bring you, what are essentially,  boarding-pass advertisements.

The new ads come courtesy of an independently owned company called Sojern Inc and are being billed as valuable information and offers for airline passengers to use when they get to their destination.  Everything from the weather report to info on area shows and attractions and yes, coupons- all custom tailored to feature the city you are traveling to.

Sounds pretty good so far- it's the equivalent of finding that every time you travel the free magazine in the seat-back pocket has a cover story on your destination.   Let's just hope it's not TOO successful.. otherwise I foresee these ads, info and offers becoming the paper equivalent of an in-flight movie "available for a nominal fee". UGGG! 

Delta is the first to launch the service (earlier this month) for passengers traveling to Las Vegas and will roll out the service for passengers to all of its domestic destinations shortly.  The other partnering airlines will roll out service later this year.

This might mean more money for the struggling airline industry and one more reason to hold onto your boarding pass.

Want to see a demo? Click here. 

Did you happen to catch the story this week on the Batman Cake Hoax gone bad?  I mean REAL bad.

A PR firm in San Antonio thought everyone was on board with their publicity stunt to attract movie watchers to the opening of the new Batman film.  Part of the pitch?  Deliver cakes to every radio and TV station in town along with instructions to call a phone number. 

You dial the number and the cake starts "ringing" (actually the phone buried in the cake rings).  It was enough to call out the bomb squad to one TV station that 'didn't-get-the-message' so to speak.

Here's the story in case you missed it:

It got me thinking about all of the crazy things that show up on my desk each week from PR firms and manufacturers who are trying to get their product some publicity on TV.  Some are simple.  Some are very creative. SOME ARE OUTRAGEOUS!  Some of the stuff you are about to see would NEVER make it into a TV segment (others would), but the pitches from those that represent the products were memorable enough to at least grab my attention and make it into my blog.  These PR folks stood out enough that I thought their pitches shouldn't be kept a secret.

(What you can't hear when I open the Batman-themed box is a pre-recorded message from the Joker which automatically plays when the box is opened.  We tried again, but my mic didn't pick it up.)

Click play to see what I'm talking about:

You might be wondering, what happens to all of this stuff?  at the end of each year I hold a free raffle for everyone who works in the building and it is all given away.  You'd be AMAZED at some of the junk people can't wait to "sign up" to "win". 

The internet is packed with promises from authors of do-it-yourself manuals designed to teach you to EASILY convert your car to run on hydrogen extracted from water.

If you caught our story tonight at 9 you know what our experience was like trying to complete the task.

During the process, we searched for someone in North Texas who has successfully done so. 

Have you tried?

Have you succeeded?

Sound off and let me know.  We'd love to follow up.

In the meantime many thanks to the many MANY MANY viewers who wrote in requesting that we put such an instruction manual to the test.  

Keep those story ideas coming!

It's billed as the website that can give women a beautiful beach body without busting their budget.   And speaking of "busts"- that's exactly what those behind the site have in mind.

Myfreeimplants.com connects women who wish they had a few more curves with anonymous donors willing to bankroll their surgery.  When each woman who registers on line raises the money she needs to complete the surgery (through paid-per email exchanges and flat donations), a check is cut directly to her surgeon for her breast augmentation procedure.

Wondering how this all works?  Tune in to FOX4 News tonight at 9.   Maybe you have a comment on this one?

Sound off below- how do you feel about myfreeimplants.com.

You slather it on to protect your skin as you try to find a balance between sun and safety, but the products that are meant to make you glow a golden brown aren't getting very glowing reviews.

In an investigation of 952 name brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group found that 4 out of 5 sunscreen products offer low levels of protection from the sun- or contain ingredients that may make them unsafe to use.

4 out of 5!  That's A LOT!  So, chances are you may use one of the products they have investigated- especially when you consider that the investigation found that NOT ONE of the market leader Coppertone's 41 sunscreen products met EWG's criteria for safety and effectiveness. 

OK- you're asking- just who are these EWG people and why is it they know so much about how sunscreen works?

Their testing looked at UVB Protection, UVA Protection and stability (how fast the components in the sunscreen break down).  The EWG cites in its study the FDA, the CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association) and CHPA (Consumer Healthcare Products Association).

For a full summary of their report including a look at the sunscreen that may be in your beach bag visit the cosmeticsdatabase.com website.

If you're ready for the next generation of iPhone, here is the latest from AT&T.  It will give you a look at pricing, contract commitments and phone models (including some non-contract plans that are in the works).

You'll notice that while the price of the iPhone has dropped significantly, the OVERALL COST OF OWNERSHIP is up. New service on a 3G phone will be $20 more per year.  Over the life of the 2 year contract commitment that's 240 bucks.  Add that to the new $199 "discounted" price, and overall the new 3G will actually cost you more to own than its more expensive 1st generation counterpart. 

If you recall our coverage from last year when the iPhone was first introduced, there were lines of people around the block waiting to get their hands on one.  Do you think it will be the same scene when the new model goes on sale?

AT&T ANNOUNCES iPHONE 3G PRICING AND TIPS TO BE iREADY

Online Resources Available to Help Customers Prepare for Purchase

Variety of Attractive Plans Combine Voice and Unlimited Data

DALLAS, July 1, 2008 — AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced iPhone 3G pricing for new and existing AT&T customers, several attractive voice and data plans, and tips on how to be “iReady” when iPhone 3G goes on sale at AT&T retail stores at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, July 11. 

“We can’t wait to offer iPhone 3G to our customers, and we want to make sure the buying process is as easy as possible,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T’s wireless unit. “Considering all the great new features of iPhone 3G, we think our pricing and monthly plans present a tremendous value for consumers and businesses alike.”  

Pricing and Eligibility

AT&T is making it easy for customers to prepare for their iPhone 3G purchase by posting “Get iReady” tips and frequently asked questions at www.att.com/iphone. The site also will include a link for customers to check their upgrade eligibility and other wireless account information. 

iPhone 3G will be available for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to the following customers:

·         iPhone customers who purchased before July 11

·         Customers activating a new line with AT&T

·         Current AT&T customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount

Existing AT&T customers who are not currently eligible for an upgrade discount can purchase iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model. Both options require a new two-year service agreement. In the future, AT&T will offer a no-contract-required option for $599 (8GB) or $699 (16GB).

Current customers may also choose to wait until they become eligible for an upgrade discount.  Eligibility is generally determined by amount of time remaining on a current contract and payment history. 

Current AT&T customers who are upgrading to iPhone 3G will pay an $18 upgrade fee and new AT&T customers will pay the standard $36 activation fee.

Voice, Data and Text Messaging Plans

AT&T brings iPhone 3G customers the best coverage on the globe and the largest mobile-to-mobile calling community with unlimited calling to AT&T’s 71.4 million wireless customers. iPhone 3G customers can choose from four individual AT&T Nation plans, which bundle voice and unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing). 

• AT&T NationSM Unlimited: Includes unlimited Anytime Minutes for $129.99 a month.

   

• AT&T Nation 1350: Includes 1350 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $109.99 a month. 

   

• AT&T Nation 900: Includes 900 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $89.99 a month.

   

• AT&T Nation 450: Includes 450 Anytime Minutes and 5,000 Night & Weekend Minutes for $69.99 a month.

   

All AT&T Nation and AT&T FamilyTalk® plans for iPhone 3G include nationwide long distance and roaming, Visual Voicemail, Rollover®, unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling and Caller ID. 

AT&T will offer FamilyTalk plans, with bundled voice and unlimited data, starting as low as $129.99 a month for two iPhone 3G lines. Up to three additional iPhone lines can be added for $39.99 each. 

Unlimited text messaging can be added for an additional $20 ($30 for FamilyTalk plans of up to five lines); $15 (1,500 messages), or $5 (200 messages).

iPhone for Business

Business customers interested in iPhone 3G should contact an AT&T business sales representative or review their account information online to determine their eligibility for upgrade pricing. Corporate e-mail and other business applications require the Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone, which is $45 a month and bundled with an eligible voice plan. Small business customers may qualify for AT&T BusinessTalk, the industry’s only shared plan specifically for small businesses. Additional details on iPhone business offerings are available at www.att.com/iphoneforbusiness.

iPhone 2.0 Software

All iPhone customers will benefit from the iPhone 2.0 software, which will be pre-loaded on all iPhone 3Gs and available as a free download for current iPhone customers. The new software will include numerous enhancements, such as business-class e-mail access via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync; the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows a business to easily create applications customized to its needs; and the App Store, which offers a wide-range of applications — from games to business, education to entertainment and productivity to social networking. For example, AT&T has developed YELLOWPAGES.COM Mobile for iPhone, which takes local mobile search to a new level by allowing users to discover businesses and local events based on their popularity among other iPhone users, get directions and access business reviews. 

** iPhone 3G is available to customers who are currently prepaid customers; however, there is no prepaid plan for iPhone 3G.  Additionally, customers’ accounts must be in good standing.