http://www.ellenroseman.com Straight talk on personal finances and consumer issues Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:41:23 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en That's the headline for my column in tomorrow's paper, which is already online here. I'm annoyed to see Equifax and TransUnion pushing online access to credit reports at their websites (at a $15 fee) and downplaying your right to free access. I'm also concerned about the heightened role that credit reports ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=1016 I know mobile phone companies are going paperless, setting off a lively debate here. But I didn't know that Canada's largest bank had done the same thing. In May, RBC Royal Bank stopped sending paper statements to its personal banking clients. David, who wrote to me, doesn't remember getting any notice. I ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=1012 Home insurance companies offer discounts for a bunch of reasons. Here's an article I found that mentions 15 ways to save, but omits one key fact. If you own your home free and clear, you can save on home insurance. Canadian Capitalist noted this in a recent post. Take If Shari, a ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=1004 A new report by the SeaBoard Group, called Death Grip, says Canada's wireless phone companies bind customers to overly long contracts. As a result, the penalties we're paying are "downright draconian." The cost to cancel your iPhone 4 contract after six months is $256 with AT&T in the United States. Compare ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=997 Geoff, a reader, came up with this slogan in a comment yesterday on truth in labelling. So, let me tell you, Geoff, and other readers too, that I don't think all companies are bad and all customers are good. The problem is that companies have too much power to bamboozle ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=990 I often take guided tours in places where I've never been. It's annoying when you're taken to a souvenir store and forced to wait for everyone in your group to finish shopping. It's an unspoken truth that tour guides get a commission on everything sold in shops where they direct customers. ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=984 You're dying to go to Paul McCartney's concert in Toronto on Aug. 8 and 9, but the seats you want are sold out. So you try the resale market for tickets. You find an ad on Craigslist for four tickets at $150 each. That's a great price, you think. The seller ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=979 It's a hot summer, so why not write about expensive new fridges that don't work? After I did so, I heard from other readers whose kitchen appliances were on the fritz and whose patience was wilting fast. As usual, Sears' name came up. This once mighty department store has ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=972 Edward Carson has a Telus Mobility account. He's not happy that he has to pay $2, starting in September, to get paper bills delivered by mail. Most other wireless carriers already charge for paper bills, says Jim Johannsson, director of media relations at Telus. The paperless revolution has been slow to ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=965 Utilities are not known for great customer service. Since their prices are regulated, they're always trying to cut costs. Enbridge, a gas utility in Ontario, gets many complaints about recurring billing errors and difficulties in getting them corrected. I talk to their executives on a regular basis. But the temperature is soaring ... http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=955