The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Comcast: Is there anyone in the company that can give me the $99 bundle?

In 2008, I became a Comcast customer. I signed up for the $99 bundle - $33 for telephone, $33 for internet, and $33 for television.

When I was informed that the rates were going up, I always called to see if I could get a reduction. If the sales representative couldn't give me the $99 bundle, I asked to speak to the supervisor. He or she always said yes - until two years ago.

I had almost resigned myself to the fact that the two-tier Comcast pricing was gone. However, I was having problems with Comcast - again. I needed a new modem, so I turned my old one in. When I looked in the box for the new one, there wasn't a cord. So I had to go to the Comcast office again. Very, very frustrating.

When I was there, I mentioned to the sales representative the trouble I was having getting the bundle. He gave me his business card and said when my contract was up, to call him and he'd give me the bundle. Sure enough, it worked.

What to buy and not buy in June

June marks the start of summer, which for most consumers means spending more time outdoors. Add in graduation ceremonies and Father's Day, and June can turn into an expensive month.

To ensure you don't spend your summer budget in the first few weeks, Dealnews.com has created a buying guide of items you should and shouldn't purchase this month. Here are its tips:

Lingerie

June has usually been a great month for lingerie sales, but few stores can match Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale, which often lasts three to four weeks. Discounts get better toward the latter half of the sale.

Free donuts for Donut Day

June 2 is National Donut Day, and you may be able to get a free donut at Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons, or Dunkin' Donuts.

Imposter scams move up to second place on FTC consumer complaint list

Imposter scam complaints rose to second place, overtaking identity theft for the first time as the second most common category of consumer complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission.

Although debt collection complaints declined slightly between 2015 and 2016, they remained the top complaint category, making up 28 percent of all complaints.

The rise in impostor scam reports is due to increased complaints about government imposters. Imposter scams are varied, but work the same way: a scammer pretends to be someone trustworthy, such as a government official or computer technician, to convince a consumer to send money.

What to buy and not buy in March

As the weather warms up in March, you’ll find great deals on frozen food, outerwear, and more. Offers.com offers a guide on what to buy, and not buy, in March to help consumers save money this spring.

Below are items that are bargains and ones that will cost you more:

What to buy

• Frozen food. March 2016 is the 33rd annual National Frozen Food Month. In honor of the holiday, many grocers and supermarkets will offer coupons and discounts on frozen foods.

Super Bowl 2017: Ads mostly unremarkable, but violence takes a new turn

Every year I watch the Super Bowl ads, hoping they’ll get better. I write about the ads because so much attention is paid to them, and they cost huge amounts of money. For Super Bowl 2017, the cost is $5.02 million for 30 seconds.

While last year I saw a small improvement in the ads, fewer sexist and ageist ads, violent ads continued to dominate this year, which along with the violent football game, is questionable TV viewing for kids.

However, one new disturbing type of ad emerged – T-Mobile’s ad featuring pain and sexual pleasure.

Comcast to pay $2.3 million to settle charges it billed for services and equipment consumers didn’t order

Comcast Corp. will pay $2.3 million to resolve charges that the company billed cable TV customers for services and equipment they didn’t ask for.

“It is basic that a cable bill should include charges only for services and equipment ordered by the customer – nothing more and nothing less,” Travis LeBlanc, chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau, said Tuesday. “We expect all cable and phone companies to take responsibility for the accuracy of their bills and to ensure their customers have authorized any charges.”

The commission received complaints from consumers that Comcast added charges to their bills for unordered services or products, such as premium channels, set-top boxes, or digital video recorders. In some complaints, subscribers said that they were billed even if they said no to service or equipment upgrades. Others customers said they didn’t know about the unauthorized charges until they received unordered equipment in the mail, got notices of unrequested changes by email, or looked at their monthly bills.

Facts and figures for Labor Day this year

Labor Day is a holiday that recognizes the social and economic achievements of American workers. It was established in 1894.

What’s happening on Labor Day 2016 and who are American workers today?

Travel

More than 3.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day weekend, according to WalletHub, a personal finance website. Of those, 85.8 percent will travel by car. Seven percent will fly to their destination. It’s the fifth straight year travel volume has increased.

Labor Day: Tips for shopping and learning about the holiday

Labor Day is coming and we have to think about summer ending and school starting soon.

If shopping is one of your favorite Labor Day activies, the report, “Best Labor Day Sales” by WalletHub, a personal finance website, provides helpful information. And, if you’re like me and enjoy holiday information, its “Labor Day 2016 by the Numbers” report is interesting reading.

Highlights from the reports are:

• Tablets, dishwashers, and strollers – The best items to buy in September compared with the rest of the year.

• 5-plus million – The number of Americans who will travel 50 miles or more from home during the upcoming Labor Day weekend. It’s the fifth straight year travel volume has increased.

• $1.4 billion – Cost associated with Labor Day weekend travel congestion caused by infrastructure problems.

• 2 – Average number of vacation days taken by American workers in 2015. Twenty-three percent of workers earn no paid vacation time.

Missing the Olympic Games, but not the commentary

For the last two weeks, I've really enjoyed watching the Olympic Games.

Phenomenal athletes, tremendous challenges, and high drama.

Michael Phelps of Team USA bringing his medal total for swimming to 23. Sprinter Usain Bolt from Jamaica winning three gold medals in three races for the third time. Simone Biles emerging as the world’s top new gymnastic all star. USA newcomer Katie Ledecky winning four gold medals in swimming in her first Olympics.

The Olympics: Why the emphasis on beach volleyball on TV?

I'm really enjoying the Olympics. It's fantastic to see such fabulous American athletes and athletes from other countries doing so well.

But it seems that every other time turn on the television, NBC is showing beach volleyball. I haven't seen archery, fencing, or some of the other less well known sports. Maybe I can find clips on YouTube.

Anyway, congratulations to all the athletes who participate. It's a wonderful opportunity to watch athletes making such a contribution to their sport.

Copyright 2016, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist