Tag results for: Consumer

Product Downsizing: Are You Paying More and Getting Less at the Grocery Store?

Category: Season 5

Tags:

Mary Bach

Independent Consumer Advocate and Chair, AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force

Mary Bach is a nationally recognized, independent Consumer Advocate. She is also Chair of the AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force. She has taken her knowledge to many television outlets including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Donahue, and Dateline. She has also been featured in the pages of Good Housekeeping, Business Week, Money Magazine, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. Her work is centered around preventing fraud against older consumers.

You may have noticed a trend happening at the grocery store. Everything from bars of soap to cartons of ice cream are shrinking in size. When asked why products are being manufactured in smaller packages, the corporate response can sometimes be laugh out loud funny. Companies downsize to increase profits and most of the time shoppers don’t notice that their favorite product has changed. Consumer Advocate Mary Bach presents tales of outlandish and comical downsizing in hopes of getting viewers to pay greater attention to the products they put in their shopping cart.

Watch this video…

Scanned or Scammed: Are You Getting What You Pay For?

Category: Season 5

Tags:

Mary Bach

Independent Consumer Advocate and Chair, AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force

Mary Bach is a nationally recognized, independent Consumer Advocate. She is also Chair of the AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force. She has taken her knowledge to many television outlets including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Donahue, and Dateline. She has also been featured in the pages of Good Housekeeping, Business Week, Money Magazine, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. Her work is centered around preventing fraud against older consumers.

Do you ever feel “ripped off” in the marketplace? Do you understand Pennsylvania’s amusing and confusing sales tax applications? Have you ever been overcharged with an inaccurate price scan at the checkout register? Consumer Advocate Mary Bach wants you to stand up for your rights as a shopper. Your shopping trips will never be the same after this entertaining and educational presentation packed with important consumer information.

Additional Resources:

Watch this video…

Identity Theft & Imposter Scams

Category: Season 6

Tags: , ,

Mary Bach

AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force

Mary Bach is a nationally recognized, independent Consumer Advocate. She is also Chair of the AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force. She has taken her knowledge to many television outlets including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Donahue, and Dateline. She has also been featured in the pages of Good Housekeeping, Business Week, Money Magazine, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. Her work is centered around preventing fraud against older consumers.

Is your relative really in trouble and calling you for money? Is the person on the phone asking for bank information really from the IRS? Phone scams are on the rise. But if you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam. Learn about techniques criminals use to steal your personal information and get no-nonsense advice on how to avoid identity theft and imposter scams.

Additional Resources:

Watch this video…

Lottery Frauds & Sweepstakes Scams

Category: Season 7

Tags: , ,

Mary Bach

Independent Consumer Advocate and Chair, AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force

Mary Bach is a nationally recognized, independent Consumer Advocate. She is also Chair of the AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force. She has taken her knowledge to many television outlets including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Donahue, and Dateline. She has also been featured in the pages of Good Housekeeping, Business Week, Money Magazine, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. Her work is centered around preventing fraud against older consumers.

That free, all-inclusive vacation —is it too good to be true? Did you really win a lottery you don’t remember entering? Are free contests really free? Pennsylvanians report more than 50,000 cases of fraud to the Federal Trade Commission each year. Don’t fall for these classic phone and mail scams. Get common sense advice and learn to spot “Red Flags” that will help protect you from consumer fraud.

Additional Resources:

Watch this video…

Tips to Help You Save on Your Energy Bills

Category: Season 7

Tags:

Shari A. Williams & Christina Chase-Pettis

Senior Communications Specialists, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

Over the last 24 years, Shari has provided advanced professional public relations work, consumer education and public outreach to Pennsylvania consumers. Additionally, Shari participates in the PUC’s overall communications strategy, specifically related to consumer education and outreach.

Christina is a seasoned and highly respected consumer education leader with over 20 years of experience providing consumer education, outreach and training programs to thousands of consumers, human service agencies and other interested stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Do you want to learn about the many Utility Programs and Services offered by your local Utility Company as well as ways you can save money on your home energy bills? Join us with presenters from the PA PUC’s Consumer Education and Outreach Team to learn about these valuable programs – and to find out about low cost/no cost conservation tips to help you save on your energy bills!

Additional Resources:

Watch this video…

Enhancing Senior Safety

Category: Season 8

Tags: , ,

Trooper Jessica L. Tobin, Community Affairs Officer, Pennsylvania State Police

Trooper Tobin engages with community members and organizations to collaboratively identify and problem-solve local challenges to increase the safety of residents, visitors, and law enforcement. Community Affairs Officers strive to develop relationships within underserved communities across the commonwealth.

What are the best ways to protect yourself against theft and fraud? How can you identify scams that come to your home as innocent looking emails or friendly phone calls? Trooper Jessica Tobin, a Community Affairs Officer with the Pennsylvania State Police will help you learn to recognize common signs of scams and frauds and shares some good agencies to notify when this issue occurs.

Additional Resources:

Watch this video…

Evaluating Dietary Supplements for Seniors

Category: Season 8

Tags: , , ,

Lynn James, MS, RDN, LDN, Senior Extension Educator with Penn State Extension

Lynn James provides educational programs for organizations and the community on improving nutrition, health, and food safety. Her program focus is community nutrition research and program development in food and culture, family chronic disease prevention, Type 2 Diabetes, and food safety.

Did you know seniors can be at risk for spending their limited income on supplements they might not even need? Dietary supplements aren’t regulated like foods, and some can be unsafe and/or not do what they promise. We’ll help you determine whether a supplement has been found to be effective and safe and identify sources of credible information for dietary supplements.

Additional Resources:

Watch this video…