The lesson is: Don’t send them money via Western Union and don’t give them personal information unless you’ve checked their credentials.

The state Department of Financial Institutions on Tuesday said it has received complaints from consumers regarding Manchester Capital Trust.

The complaints allege that consumers receive an e-mail or a telephone solicitation announcing that they are pre-qualified to receive an unsecured loan. The consumers then contact the company, which confirms that a term of the loan is that a certain number of months of payment must be provided to the company in advance.

Occasionally, the consumers are told that …

Read more »

What with TV weatherpeople forecasting the worst snowfall since the inauguration of President Coolidge, here’s a few wintertime tips from the folks at Angie’s List.

• Ask if the company accepts credit card payments. Some may require cash. Add the numbers of a couple of reputable towing services to your cell phone so you have good help literally at your fingertips.

• (Or else join AAA.)

• Beware the truck driver who shows up unannounced in an unmarked vehicle offering to drag your car out of the ditch. Reputable towing companies will display their Department of Transportation certification number on …

Read more »

It’s those darn cellphone people. And the Internet people.

The Better Business Bureau on Friday released its list of the Top 20 Western Washington industries that generated the largest number of complaints in 2011.

Cellular telephone service and supplies topped the list, followed by Internet selling services and Internet service access providers.

Rounding out the Top 10 were computer software and services, computer software publishers and developers, travel agencies and bureaus, collection agencies, new car dealers, online networking, and coupon book promotions.

Filling the Bottom 10 of the Top 20 were searchers of records, used car dealers, television cable and …

Read more »

Here’s a financial tip for the New Year: If you’re going to take out a loan online, check the company sending the money.

The state Department of Financial Institutions has issued an alert concerning an outfit called Action Payday, which uses the website actionpayday.com.

A state consumer alleged that Action Payday withdrew excess fees from his account. That’s how it works. You ask for some money, the company asks for access to your checking account. The company sends money and then withdraws the loan repayment.

And sometimes the company withdraws more than you expected.

Action Payday is not licensed by …

Read more »

The Associated Press has a story out today about the details of the U.S. Postal Service’s plans to help it cut costs and avert bankruptcy:

At a news briefing in Washington, postal vice president David Williams said the post office needs to move quickly to cut costs as it seeks to stem five years of red ink amid steadily declining mail volume. … The cuts would close 252 of the nation’s 461 mail processing centers beginning next spring. They would result in the elimination of roughly 28,000 jobs. Because the consolidations typically would lengthen the distance mail travels from

…

Read more »

A Tenino dairy’s raw milk products are being recalled because they may be contaminated with bacteria that can cause severe intestinal distress.

The Cozy Vale Creamery’s whole and skim milk and cream are distributed through seven retail outlets in Pierce, Thurston and King counties.

The products being recalled all have sell-by dates of Dec. 6 or earlier. The company advised buyers to return the suspect milk products to the retailer where they bought it for a refund.

The recall was begun after Washington State Department of Agriculture environmental swabbing at the facility discovered that locations in the milking parlor …

Read more »

San Francisco’s Virgin America airline is waiving change and cancellation fees for the period from Nov. 7 through Friday as it struggles to get a new reservation system working smoothly.

Some Virgin America customers have complained of difficulties entering reservations on the airline’s Web page and of long waits for phone assistance. Others have said that the details of their reservations were altered by the new system, forcing them to make changes.

The airline is also retroactively waiving fees and issuing travel credits to customers who changed or canceled flights between Oct. 28 and Nov. 7.

Details are available …

Read more »

The Tides Tavern is not closing.

Well, it’s closing, unless there’s a big rainstorm – but only for a few days.

Look for the Gig Harbor waterfront icon to shutter its doors beginning next Monday, the 14th, and reopening on Friday afternoon, the 18th.

And when the tavern reopens, look for an expanded parking lot, as the city begins development of the old pier at the Stutz Fuel Dock, formerly the “People’s Dock” and erstwhile site of the city’s ferry landing.

“I think we’ll have 36 spaces when we’re done,” said Peter Stanley, Tides owner, earlier this week. Currently, the …

Read more »