on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains. >> reporter: whether it's cable or satellite, subscribersre cutting the cord in record numbers. >> it's too expensive. >> i don't want 100 channels. >> we just keep going to hulu and other free internet service providers. >> reporter: they are not alone. the "associated press" reports nearly 200,000 customers dumped their tv providers between april and june. but some say it's not that they are cutting the cord; they are just not signing up in the first place. >> we have a normal churn of customers all the time but usually they are replaced by new customers and we are not getting that now. >> reporter: the consultant for the cable and satellite industry blames a housing market that has people moving back home with their parents. >> if my son moves back home with me, that's one subscriber where the cable industry has just lost. >> reporter: what about the rest? in a dismal economy many say they can't keep one constant price increases. >> too expensive to keep and it doesn't make sense. >> it will run you near $200 for cable, phone, internet. >

on the consumerwatch today, julie watts explains how volunteering just got a whole lot easier. >>> let'sng i got in at 7:30. i usually leave at 7:30 to 8:00. so i work long hours. >> reporter: she is the public relations manager at linkedin so finding time to volunteer wasn't an option until her employer introduced her to spark.com. >> i have gotten to help every kind of organization from the humane society to a meals on wheels to the united way. >> reporter: with the click of a mouse she uses her pr skills to help nonprofits promote events, come up with slogans, pretty much anything they would have to pay to outsource. >> we wanted to find a way to fit volunteerism into nonprecious time into the little moments in our workday that we have available. >> reporter: ben rigby calls it microvolunteerism and it's the reason he founded sparks.com a website where nonprofit groups ask for help and those looking to volunteer offer their skills around their schedules. >> at their dis,employees can volunteer using their skills, using their high expertise, for nonprofits in these 15-minute to an hour

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains why defaults are up dramatically and why experts think it'sing to get worse. >> reporter: raquel is just starting law school and already having second thoughts about the 15% loan she has taken out to pay for it. >> it's just insane. >> i was in shock. 15% on a $15,000 loan, just to cover her for this first year. >> reporter: her mother says the family had few options. her daughter's school empire college school of law isn't eligible for federal aid. so the family had to resort to a much more expensive private loan for from wells fargo. >> it's not affordable. the finance charge just for the -- for this year is $35,932. we have to do this two more years. >> reporter: raquel's projected payment, $353 a month for 12 years. >> you don't have to pay it off right away. just the fact that it's there lingering is very stressful. >> education debt is enormous. it will surpass credit card debt in its totality this year. >> reporter: the financial education organization says many new graduates aren't earning enough to pay their loans. the median starting

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains why he has learned it's a tough lesson to check your email. >> reporter: it really is. you know, we are quickly moving towards a paperless society so checking email is more important than ever. that's why one desperate father contacted consumerwatch after his son's college dreams were crushed. >> if you sent a letter to accept us, then if you are going to withdraw us, you need to send a letter. >> reporter: but instead, rick found out his son had been unenrolled from san jose state when they showed up at freshman orientation all because the son didn't check email. >> if there was something important i thought they would directly put it in my email instead of their website. >> reporter: instead of saying go check my sjsu account. >> reporter: yes. >> reporter: students are required to regularly check messages on their senior account and they get an email notification that there's a waiting message but when started logging on during the middle of the senior year? >> every time i checked them it was like something not important. >> reporter: the

on the consumerwatch, julie watts with why you should use them already. >> reporter: you know, right? it's estimated that americans hold $30 billion worth of unused gift cards. and some of those cards won't be good for very long. deacon peter knows all about redemption and not just the spiritual kind. last month, he won a $25 blockbuster gift card. >> it was given to us as a prize. >> reporter: but when the anglican leader tried to redeem at the didn't have a prayer. >> i presented it for payment and they said we don't honor those. i said where can i redeem it? they said nobody is redeeming it. >> reporter: well, nobody at blockbuster. earlier this year, the chain was purchased by dish network. and although the company is still alive, the gift card program isn't. >> i got jipped. >> reporter: it's a familiar scenario in these tough economic times. companies change hands or close down and almost overnight their gift cards can become, well, worthless. the latest example is borders. the soon-to-be shut down bookstore's gift cards are only valid until october, something that caught shoppe

on the consumerwatch, julie watts with a new option for people who buy from group upon, living social and some of these other coupon sites. >> reporter: sometimes the deals are tempting. they often expire before you use them. so a harvard law school grad is helping you fight back. it's called vouchercomplaints.org and the site's letter writing tool helps you write a complaint letter to any daily deal company. users just fill in the blankets. for blanks. up pops a california law that should help you make your case. users also check a box for what action they would like the company to take. the site says daily deal companies have a responsibility to consumers. >> they say you're getting a good deal, half priced dinner what are you complaining about? don't ask for more. don't look a gift horse in the mouth, this is good enough. to that i say no consume hers to fight for decades to -- consumers had to fight for years to get their rights. >> reporter: then you consult -- then you cut and paste the information into an email. there are some california laws that can help. there is a good chan

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains how what sounds like a good deal can cost you big time. >>et 0% apr financing. >> 0% financing. >> that's right 0% forrive full years. >> reporter: the ads can be enticing but as stella found out it can have a hefty fee. >> i'm upset. >> reporter: when she offered to pay cash at the dealership they dropped the price to $7,500. >> then i said well we also have the option of doing 0% apr. and then your payments would be about 350 and i said okay, that sounds good. >> how are you today? >> reporter: but after a meeting with car lawyer lou liberty she realized when she agreed to the 0% financing, she also agreed to pay about $2,000 more than she expected. it's illegal. >> totally illegal. >> reporter: what's the law? >> you can't charge a credit cuss more more for a vehicle than a cash customer. >> reporter: if i negotiate a cash price and decide to finance my car, they can't charge me more? >> correct. >> reporter: but the owner of alberto's auto sales contends he didn't. he says never agreed to give stella a cash price of $7,500. on the consume

on the consumerwatch, julie watts shows us one woman's fight for an airbag. >> reporter: according to national highway traffic safety administration, airbags should be deactivated for passengers between 52 and 108 pounds due to the risk of injury from the airbag itself. but some car makers set those limits even higher causing concern for some full-grown adults classified as children. >> i am 5'3" with my boots on and i'm approximately 103 pounds. >> reporter: she may be small but when she sits in the passenger seat of her 2011 nissan frontier, she doesn't think the air bags should deactivate. >> i'm not a child. i'm an adult. i need an airbag. >> reporter: and she doesn't like what she has been told. >> here are the suggestion. gain some weight and don't ever be a passenger in a truck. >> reporter: initially she says her dealership was concerned. >> it's a major safety issue. we need to take care of it for you. >> reporter: she says they replaced part of her seat and it didn't work so now she rides around in fear. >> that i'm going to get in an accident and i'm going to get killed bec

who is paying the price coming up. ,,,,,,,,,,,, on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains, defaults are up dramatically, and some experts >>> a growing number of college graduates are having trouble paying student loans. julie watts explains defaults are up dramatically and it will only get worse. >> reporter: americans are chipping away at debt but outstanding student debt is up 25% since the start of the financial crisis in 2008. raquel is just starting law school but is already having second thoughts about the 15% loan she took out to pay for it. >> it's insane. >> i was in shock. 15% on a $15,000 loan just to cover her first year. >> reporter: raquel's mother said the family had few option. her daughter's school, empire college school of law, isn't eligible for federal aid. so the family had to resort to a much more expensive private loan from wells fargo. >> it's no affordable. the finance charge just for this year is 35,932 and we have to do this two more years. >> reporter: raquel's projected payment, $353 a month for 12 years. >> you don't have to pay it off right away but j

julie watts reports from oakland where there is an effort to fight real estate and mortgage fraud. >> reporter: with 30% of california homes under water, real estate scams are at an all- time high. but today, the alameda county d.a. joined with law enforcement agencies and financial institutions from all over the state for help. >> it was a sense of a feeling of betrayal, anger. >> reporter: and mrs. roberts isn't alone. she is just one of thousands in the bay area who have fallen victim to real estate fraud. >> he even forged my name. she had a forged power of attorney. >> reporter: for mrs. roberts it was a childhood friend who stole the title to her property but in most cases it's a stranger like this woman, who promised to help with short sales but instead transferred properties to her name. or worse, fraudulent loan modification companies like american financial funding wisconsin shut down thanks to a consumerwatch investigation. we are looking for corey hill? these are some of the scams cited today by the alameda county d.a. as the catalyst for help. the new home owner education

we're going to have that in two minutes. ,, ,,,,,,,, ,,,,,, consumer watch, julie watts explains how - what sounds like >>> buy a new car? be careful how you finance. on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains how what sounds like a good deal could actually cost you. >> get 0% teenager. >> 0% financing. >> that's right, 0% financing for 5 years. >> reporter: the ads are enticing but 0% financing comes with a hefty fee. >> i'm upset. >> reporter: when stella offered to pay cash for a car at this dealership they dropped the price to $7,500. >> and we also have the option of 0% apr and then your payments will be about $350 and i said okay, well that sounds good. >> reporter: but after meeting with car lawyer lou liberty she realized when she agreed to that 0% financing, she also agreed to pay about $2,000 more than she expected. >> it's illegal. >> totally illegal. >> reporter: what does the california legal code say? >> it basically says you can't charge a credit customer more than a cash customer for a vehicle. >> reporter: if i negotiate a cash price and decide to finance my car, the

but not for one student, who failed to do something very on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains why he has learned it's a tough lesson to check your email. >> if you sent a letter to accept us, then if you are going to withdraw us, you need to send a letter. >> reporter: but instead, rick found out his son had been unenrolled from san jose state when they showed up at freshman orientation all because the son didn't check email. >> if there was something important i thought they would directly put it in my email instead of their website. >> reporter: instead of saying go check my sjsu account. >> reporter: yes. >> reporter: students are required to regularly check messages on their senior account and they get an email notification that there's a waiting message but when started logging on during the middle of the senior year? >> every time i checked them it was like something not important. >> reporter: then after taking his english placement test, he got this email. >> if you already signed up for or taken an ept test, please disregard this reminder. >> reporter: so after he saw e-

as julie watts shows us, those people are still watching. how are they doing it without cable? >> reporter: in an effort to save money, many are dumping their cable and satellite and turning to their computer screens to watch their favorite shows. but some say when it comes to cancelled cable subscriptions, it's not hulu but the housing market that's to blame. whether it's cable or satellite, subscribers are cutting the cord in record numbers. >> too expensive. >> i don't want 100 channels. >> we keep going to hulu. >> reporter: nearly 200,000 customers dumped their tv programs . >> we are not getting new customers. >> reporter: he blames a housing market with people moving home with their parents. >> if my son moves home, that's one subscribe the cable industry lost. >> reporter: many can't keep up with constant price increases. >> too expensive to keep and doesn't make sense. >> it will run near $200 for cable, phone, net. >> reporter: according to the fcc, the average price of a cable bill was 22.35. by 2009, it rose to more than $52. and today, dish network tells us its ave

on the consumerwatch, julie watts, cbs 5. >>> now, drivers caught using cell phones behind the wheel are about to pay more. governor jerry brown is expected to sign a new bill that would significantly increase fines. right now first time offenders are hit with a $208 penalty. that will jump to $328. repeat offenders may face a $528 fine along with a point on their driver's license. drivers say they are not sure if the fees will be enough to break the habit. >> they are trying to get more money because of the economy. i don't think it's a safety issue. >> probably trying to get more money. >> the new bill will impact cyclists. $20 for the first ticket, $50 for the second. >>> well, he went against his party. now his office is closing, his staff being let go. the california politician some say is a victim of political payback. >>> and if you want to be commander-in-chief come 2013, now is the time to hit the road. the politicians driving their message to potential voters and the attacks flying across state lines. >> the threats turned to actual cuts. now it's time to see what happens a

on the consumer watch, julie watts explains how volunteering just got a whole lot easier. >> this morning i got in at 7:30, i usually leave around 7:30, 8:00, so i work long hours. >> reporter: 12 hours days are the norm for krista canfield, so finding time to volunteer wasn't really an option until her employer introduced her to spark.com. >> i've gotten to help every kind of organization from humane society to the males u.n. wheels. >> reporter: with the click of a mouse, kristin uses her pr skills to help any organization with advertising and marketing. >> we have to find ways to get them in the workday. >> reporter: he founded sparks.com, a website where nonprofit groups ask for help and those looking to volunteer offers their skills around their schedule. >> at their desks, employees can volunteer using their skills, using their high expertise for nonprofits in these 15-minute to hour chunks of time. >> reporter: companies like linked in love the idea. they're among a group like google and class foods that encourage employees to donate. >> they'll send their employees out to go clean

but on the consumerwatch, julie watts says some coffee shops are pulling the plug. julie. >> reporter: people are doing more than just drinking coffee at these coffee shops. a lot of them are running businesses out of coffee shops. in fact, the census bureau reports that 2300 people launched single person businesses every day and many of them are working from coffee shops instead of working from home. that has some coffee shops turning off the wi-fi and cutting the juice. >> i run my business out of coffee shops were. >> reporter: and greg isn't alone. in this struggling economy, the coffee shop has become the new mobile office or coffice as it's coined. >> i talk on the phone, e- mails, fax from my computer. stuff i can do as long as i have internet. >> reporter: but greg is exactly the type of customer some big name companies are trying to drive out. this blog starbucks gossip was the first to report some new york stores are now covering their power outlets to get computer camping customers to move along. nationwide, peace coffee pushes them out by limiting wi-fi p

now on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains why you should whip yours out and use them, already. >> reporter: deacon peter towle knows all about redemption not just the spiritual kind. last month he wouldn't a $25 blockbuster gift card. >> it was given to us as a prize. >> reporter: but when the anglican leader tried to redeem it he didn't have a prayer. >> i presented it for payment and they said we didn't honor those. i said, well, where can i redeem it? he says, nobody's redeeming them. >> reporter: well, nobody at blockbuster. earlier this year the chain was purchased by dish network and although the company is still alive, the gift card program isn't. >> i got jipped. >> reporter: it's a familiar scenario in these tough economic times. companies change hands or close down and almost overnight their gift cards can become, well, worthless. the latest example is borders. the soon-to-be shut down bookstores gift cards are only valid until october something that caught shoppers at this san francisco store by surprise. >> oh, no. no. i mean, people should be able to at least send th

retailers not charge us any -- most of us would prefer retailers not charge us any sales tax but julie watts explains some customers are boycotting amazon until it starts charging. >> reporter: this is the first time that amazon has faced backlash for refusing to comply with a new law that requires out of state etailers to collect california sales tax. a group of nonprofits and lawmakers gathered today at the state capital to announce the launch of this. it's think before you click ca.org where consumers are urged to close their amazon account and stein a petition. it's a message echoed by california lawmakers. >> i'm very disappointed that they are not stepping up and helping california with tax compliance. it creates a disadvantage for those willing to locate here, play by the rules and comply with the state tax laws. >> reporter: so far amazon has spent $3 million fighting the new law and is now gathering its own signatures to overturn the law. >> there have to be some businesses that support amazon's fight, for sure? >> reporter: there are definitely some businesses. part of their fight

trying to squeeze those last few drops from our shampoo on toothpaste but on the consumerwatch julie watts gets to the bottom of wasteful packaging. >> reporter: we have all heard the jingle good to the last drop, right? but in many products, you simply can't get to the last drop. from toothpaste to ben-gay, mary rasmussen is a big believer in squeeze last bit out of th tube. so when she ran out of her favorite lotion, she took scissors and cut the bottle open. to her surprise me found nearly half a cup of lotion enough to last another month. >> i was shocked. i knew that, you know, there is bound to be some waste in packaging but to find that much in a relatively small container was pretty much of a shock. >> reporter: and that sparked mary's curiosity so she decided to test other items from personal care to cleaning supplies to find out just how much wasted product a packaging left behind. her results? >> the liquids that are in the bottles or the screw-off tops are generally easy to get at. >> reporter: mary sent her results to consumerwatch and we took them to sacramento. >> we get com

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains. >> reporter: to save money, many are dumping their cabler satellite and turning to their computer screens to watch their favorite shows. but some say when it comes to all this cancelled cable subscriptions, it's not hulu but the housing market that's to blame. whether it's cable or satellite subscribers are cutting the cord in record numbers. >> too expensive. >> we don't want 100 channels. >> we go to hulu and other free service providers. >> reporter: the "associated press" reports nearly 200,000 customers dumped their tv providers between april and june. but some say it's not that they are cutting the cord. they are just not signing up in the first place. >> we have a normal turn of customers all the time but usually they replaced by new customers and we are not getting that now. >> reporter: a consultant for the cable and satellite industry blames a housing market that has people moving back home with their parents. >> if my son moves back home with me, that's one subscriber. >> the cable industry is just lost. >> reporter: what about t

on the consumerwatch, julie watts here to explain why that could mean bad news for the stores. >> yeah. as if finding the right size wasn't hard enough. a new study on dressing room psychology finds the cuter the sales clerk, the less likely you are to buy the dress she is wearing. in fact, a joint study of the journal -- in the journal of consume rear search questions whether it's a good idea to require clerks to wear the store clothing at all. it found shoppers with low body esteem are less likely to purchase an outfit if they see someone more attractive wearing the same thing. and they are even more deterred if the attractive person is a fellow shopper. >> a girl next door to me came out with the same thing i was wearing and looked like a bombshell. so i dropped everything and left. >> in the study the phenomenon only occurred when both parties were actually wearing the same item not just carrying it around. it could be part of the reason an estimated 40% of women shop online. >>> and if you are one of them, you may be happy to hear that nordstrom is growing a number of online retai

. >> on the consumer watch, julie watts, cbs 5. ,, honey...? [ mom ] yes.n't find my internet cord. oh, i'll borrow hailey's. you're downloading movies. fast! from here? where is her cord?! we switched to at&t high speed internet and got wireless access. no more cords. wireless, okay, honestly, can i just get a cord, please? dad, the cord's invisible. [ female announcer ] call at&t today to get high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a 1-year price guarantee. it's the fastest internet for the price. oooh. videos online? here? how much is that? nothing. at&t high speed internet at home includes access here. our invisible cord is really long, dad. oooh. [ female announcer ] get access to the entire national at&t wi-fi hot spot network for no extra charge. so call today to get high sprnet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a 1-year price guarantee. aren't you glad we switched to at&t? yes...but i want my own invisible cord. you already have one. oh. ♪ [ female announcer ] because you never stop improving your recipe... we never s

on the consumerwatch, julie watts shows us how one woman turned her love for philanthropy into a business that also gives back. >>> reporter: she traded in a high-powered career to stay at home raising her son and raising money for charities. >> i was in middle school when i first got involved in philanthropy and i ran a cancer drive at my school. >> reporter: she continued volunteering while earning degrees from stanford and harvard but once in the business world something was missing. >> that other side of my personality where i felt fulfilled by doing philanthropy and i didn't really have time to do that when i was working. >> reporter: so she created social goodies, a daily deal site like groupon where buyers get bargains and give back. >> so i thought to myself, wow, wouldn't it be interesting to take a for-profit business model and use it to fund the good works of charity? >> reporter: she says 20% of each purchase is donated to a 501c3 charity that goes through a rigorous review process. >> right now our featured charities are teach for america, doctors without borders and the natu

on the consumerwatch, julie watts shows us how one community is helping parents beat that high cost of school supplies. one way to do it. >> reporter: yeah. it really is pricy. as kids head back to school this week, parents can expect to spend anywhere from 80 to a couple hundred dollars on back- to-school supplies so the palo alto children's library has come up with a creative way to help parents save. today it held the first annual back-to-school swap. from books to toys to back-to- school clothes, families traded gently used school supplies to help supplement the costly back- to-school season. >> well, it depends on the ages i think for somebody. they can save maybe a few hundred dollars in terms of books and some clothes for young kids especially. >> reporter: events organizers say the back-to-school swap was so successful, they plan on making it an annual events. swaps like these actually go on all over the country. in fact, they also happen throughout the year. there's a group that's in palo alto that holds a halloween costume swap. a great idea if you are looking to save money.

on the consumer watch, julie watts, cbs 5. >> i'm bad that way too.eline intensive care and i will cut it off. >> really? i just give up. >>> whatever you do, don't look down. >> that's right. the heart-stopping moments for this kite rope artist. and how it almost all went wrong. >>> and a reminder, if you've got a consumer problem or a question, give us a call. that's our hot line number there. 888-5-helps-u. volunteers standing by right now. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,, honey...? [ mom ] yes. honey, i can't find my internet cord. oh, i'll borrow hailey's. you're downloading movies. fast! from here? where is her cord?! we switched to at&t high speed internet and got wireless access. no more cords. wireless, okay, honestly, can i just get a cord, please? dad, the cord's invisible. [ female announcer ] call at&t today to get high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a 1-year price guarantee. it's the fastest internet for the price. oooh. videos online? here? how much is that? nothing. at&t high speed internet at home includes acce

on the consumerwatch, julie watts with the story of the investigative work. >> reporter: the investigative work. today the investigators from the usda and the cdc are crediting customer loyalty cards for identifying the source of the salmonella outbreak. it killed a sacramento man and sickened more than 70 others in 26 states. 36million pounds of turkey are now being cleared from store shelves. this is the third largest recall of its kind. all of the products were produced at this cargill plant in springdale, arkansas. the contaminated brands include honeysuckle white, shady brook farms, riverside, safeway store brand. for a full list go to cbssf.com/consumerwatch. what's interesting is it took just three customer loyalty cards to uncover the source of the outbreak. none of the three victims even remembered buying the turkey but their cards did so that may safe lives. >> they got the information where it was from the cards but don't they find out who bought it and notify people? >> reporter: we did a story this year about costco who contacted theirs customers who purchased contaminated can

on the consumerwatch julie watts explains why and how one consumer learned the hard way. >> reporter: no one expects their car to be problem-free, right? but you do expect manufacturers to notify you about defects. well, it turns out that rarely happens. >> this is my like fourth chevy that i have owned. >> reporter: for charles, chevy is more than the heartbeat of america. it's the automaker he has depended on for years. all that changed the day this truck began making strange sounds. >> click, click, click, click. when you first start it up it would go away. >> reporter: a mechanic explained the noise was due to defective cylinder heads. >> the heads got a hole in it would leak antifreeze into the oil and then you lose your lubrication and you get lifters and rods wearing. >> reporter: needless to say it was a big deal and cost charles $4,500. but what's worse, chevy knew about the defective part four years ago and never issued a recall. instead, it sent a service bulletin to dealer ships notifying them the cylinders should be replaced. but owners like charles were never notified. >

julie watts has her story and the details of that. >> reporter: one of the most overwhelming stories have ever experienced since i have taken on this job. now, most people in jeopardy of losing their homes don't have a job or means to pay. but that's not the case with a brentwood woman who just couldn't get anyone to pay attention to her case. >> sammy, come on, sleepy boy. >> reporter: building this animal rescue was a dream come true but keeping it turned into a nightmare. >> i have always been good with my bills, paying on time. i have never had problems financially. >> reporter: that's because the rescue is funded by her successful pampered pet boarding business. unfortunately, the property was funded by an interest-only loan. >> i was very adamant that i wanted your standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and i don't know what possessed me to agree with this. i got roped into it and learned my lesson the hard way. >> reporter: so like many, when her payments ballooned she applied for a loan mod and sent in the requested documents. month after month. but while she waited, her health

on the consumerwatch, julie watts shows us how it could help some hard hit neighborhoods and the economy recover. julie. >> reporter: yeah, allen. investors are buying up distressed properties and homes like this one. they are fixing up the landscape and they're improving the landscape of the rental market. it looks like any other house in the neighborhood, but this modest home in concord could be part of the solution to the mortgage crisis. two years ago, it was in foreclosure. now it's for rent. >> we saw this problem and saw an opportunity. >> reporter: colin wheel is a cofounder of an oakland company that's scooping up short sales and foreclosed homes. >> we are taking rundown homes in blighted communities, renovating them, improving the neighborhood. >> reporter: in the past two years, they purchased about 700 homes in areas with high foreclosure rates like antioch, pittsburg, san pablo, and vallejo. the company fixes them up then rents them out at market prices. and while many choose the typical rental arrangement, there's also a lease-to-own option. >> they still need to get finan

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains the idea has been floated before but this time it has more support. >> reporter: imagine, a 4% across the board mortgage rate for struggling homeowners. that's the plan being considered by the obama administration. the plan would help millions of strapped homeowners take advantage of current low interest rates. refinancing would mean hundreds of dollars in savings each month for homeowners with government-backed mortgages. that's the vast majority of home loans. the logistics are under discussion but it would reportedly not need congressional approval. >>> the irs has a heads up this evening for seniors. a nationwide tax refund scheme that targets elderly asian communities has hit the bay area. low income seniors are being charged large fees to file tax returns for a bogus refunneled. scammers found easy prey at local communities centers. >> what we are seeing is the scammers are really coming from the communities that they are trying to put one over on so they're vietnamese, laotians and others to prey on these immigrants. >> thousands of do

julie watts reports. >> reporter: one credit expert says cases like this actually make up 10% of thes he sees on every 1,000. being dead doesn't necessarily hurt your credit. having creditors close accounts because they think you're dead certainly can. she dabbles in the world of the dead, reading up on ghosts and take a class on psychic and spiritual knowledge. so it's a little ironic that someone in the credit world thinks glenda is dead. >> reporter: i'm sure i'm alive. >> reporter: but a recent rejection letter from a credit card company says otherwise. >> credit report bureau applicant is deceased. >> reporter: her bank shows the same thing. >> i need credit for something, i won't be able to get it. >> reporter: according to her credit record, several cards are reporting her as dead. how does this happen? >> it could be transposed social security number, similar name and address. >> reporter: this credit expert and author says you have to get on it right away or your credit cards could dry up. >> they see that you're deceased, they may shut off your credit line which could come

julie watts with pet planning option. >>> reporter: rosie has it good. she gets lots of walks, plenty of kisses, and she will always have a good home. >> i made sure that she would be taken care of incasion the people that are offering to take her would not be available. >> reporter: rosie is enrolled in the san francisco spca program named after a dog that bears a resemblance to rosie. pet owners fill out an extensive questionnaire about their pets, habits, likes and dislikes and they agree to make a financial contribution. in return, the spca looks out for their little ones long after they are gone. >> we ensure that it's taken care of. we find a new loving home that its medical conditions are treated. >> reporter: another option a pet trust similar to the multi- million dollar fund hotel owner leona helmsley left for her dog, trouble. >> you can set forth everything you want to happen with your pet. >> reporter: a pet trusses usually included as part of a will but can be set up separately. pet owners designate a caretaker and put aside funds typically

julie watts joins us with that and more. >> reporter: we reported that if you bought a ticket before the july 23rd shutdown and you flew during the partial faa shutdown, you may be entitled to a tax refund. but there's been some confusion on how to get it. delta and u.s. airways have decided to directly refund their customers. both airlines are working with the irs to get the refunds out. a delta spokesman says it should be relatively soon. now, the irs has asked all airlines to issue refunds, but passengers who fly those carriers which are refusing to comply can actually file for a refund directly with the irs. >>> on a side note, alaska airlines ticket sales are soaring. it's one of only a handful of carriers that opted not to raise ticket prices and let consumers keep that tax savings from the faa shutdown. >>> good news for consumers tired of waiting around for slow internet. a new fcc study found download speeds are up and are almost as good as what companies advertise. so on average, the fcc found dsl services like at&t and verizon deliver download speeds at 82% of what they adv

probably guilty of it, sitting at a coffee shop for hours using afree wi-fi but on the consumerwatch julie watts says some coffee shops are pulling the plug. >> reporter: you know, people do more than just drink coffee at coffee shops. in fact, in some cases, people are actually running businesses. the census bureau reports that about a little over 2,000 people launched single-person day and they are not working from home. many of them are working from coffee shops. now some of those coffee shops are turning off the wi-fi and cutting the juice. >> i run my business out of coffee shops. >> reporter: and greg rosenstein isn't alone. in this struggling economy, the coffee shop has become the new mobile office, or "coffice," as it's now been coined. >> i talk on the phone, he send e-mails, faxes from my computer. stuff that i can do as long as i have internet. >> reporter: but greg is exactly the type of customer some coffee companies are trying to drive out. this blog was the first to report some new york stores are now covering their power outlets in an effort to get computer camping customers to

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains what happened to one woman from the east bay. >> reporter: you imagine? so their family moved to hungary and when they did they took their four cars with them but when they moved back two years later and tried to reregister the cars the dmv forced them to pay more than $200,000 in registration fees for the years they were out of the country. now, that's against the law. so this person spent the next three years fighting to get the money back. here she is on the dmv website. she says she was asked to send in the same information over and over again including documents which proved her cars were out of the country. >> it was like they didn't even read our mailings. they didn't even look at what we were sending. so then my husband said, why don't you contact cbs 5? they help a lot of people. >> that's when our volunteer david got to work. he contacted the dmv for her and finally got her money back. >> i didn't believe it. after all these months and years of trying to do something with the dmv ourselves and we couldn't, and you guys resolve it in

but on the consumerwatch, julie watts says the battle is already taking its toll on some small businesses. >> reporter: you know, this isn't a new tax. californians have long been required to track, report and pay taxes on all of their out of state internet purchases. but few do. so the state is shifting that burden to etailers like amazon and it's small business paying the price. packing up the family home is fun. explaining to the kids why they have to move to oregon is not. >> i understand that amazon can't work with my mom so we are losing money so we have to move out of the state so we can work with amazon. >> reporter: her parents run the frugal find a popular money saving blog. ad dollars from out of state etailers like amazon support the family of six or at least they did until the governor signed the new amazon tax into law prompting etailers to cut ties with california companies and the family lost 40% of their income overnight. >> it's devastating to some aspects because all our families -- we have never left the bay area. >> what an incredibly sad california story, isn't it? >