i'm investigator chris chmura.bc bay area responds next. >>> happening now, police in the philippines blocking the towns near taal. a volcano has been erupting and now it's shaking the ground opening up cracks in roads. police are stopping villagers from sneaking back to retrieve their belongings trying to get to poultry and cattle as well. the thick ash is damaging farms. no deaths or major injuries reported but tens of thousands of people are evacuated. a lot more news ahead. [baby crying] pampers is the first and only diaper with air dry channels they stay up to 3 times drier, so babies can sleep soundly...all night. pampers. >>> 4:55 for you on this thursday morning. nbc bay area responds to more complaints about one topic more than any other. >> can you guess what it is? chris chmura is here with the answer. >> reporter: good morning. we've mention this had before but it bears repeating our number one source of complaints since we launched in 2016 is your phone. that means we have a lot of practice resolving p

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.rs when "nbc bay area responds," next. >>> kim jong-un is boasting about possessing a new strategic weapon of some kind that the world has yet to see. it comes as his nation faces new sanctions and pressure from the united states. >>> plus us trailian ships are helping those trapped at a shoreline as they ran from a wildfire that surrounded one town in the state of victoria. 17 people's deaths are confirmed because of the string of wildfires. >>> 4:54 on this new year 2020. taking a live look at sfo, a new year, a new decade. >> we're five hours in, not too shabby so far. >> not too bad at all. nbc pay area responds to viewers like you every year. >> our goal is to help you solve consumer problems and when you're owed money to try to get it back. consumer investigator chris chmura is here with the results we got in 2019 >> it was a great year for us and you. we responded to more than 3,000 complaints and helped viewers recover $1.3 million. our most common cases in 2019 were cell phone

chris chmura has a habit that you'll want to form to put in the back of your head to avoid potentialroblems when you sign and date an important document. >> good morning. many of us are are conditioned to abbreviate dates with just the last two digits of the year like this year here. but doing that this year might pose a security risk if you stop at just 20. cyber experts warn that scammers could manipulate those numbers to say 2019 or 2018 or 2021 and to open it to frustrating issues. clever crooks could manipulate when a check clears. just write out the full year, 2020, for all of 2020. we take consumer complaints no matter the date. head to nbcbayarea.com and tap responds in the menu or just call us at 888-996-tips. >>> well later today the 49ers return to the practice field ahead of sunday's big nfc championship game against the green bay packers at levi's stadium. the winners punch the ticket to the super bowl but one 49er and raider have hit it big when it it comes to rookie honors handed out each year. nick bosa was named defensive rookie of the year and raiders squok jacobs w

they are delicious. >>> nbc bay area responds. >> consumer investigator chris chmura here to explain.hen we saw a case involving a frig and satellite tv. well it turns on some dish network technicians do appliance repair for samsung as was the kay with sohill. down at the bottom it was leaking so he wanted a replacement from samsung plus previous repair work. samsung and dish worked everything out and he got a new frig for a total of $3,151. hats off to him. he kept a detailed log of everything going on including photos. that made it easy for us and the companies, we heilly recommend details for a high ticket item like a $3,000 african-american. for more visit nbcbayarea.com/responds. it only takes a second for an everyday item to become dangerous. tide pods child-guard pack helps keep your laundry pacs in a safe place and your child safer. align, press and unzip. tide pods. keep them up. keep them closed. keep them safe. >>> right now at 5:00, iran's new overnight warnings of retaliation against the united states for the killing of its top general. and a deadly stampede during his fu

i'm chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next. >>> a developing story in china. a search for survivors going offer an a sinkhole swallows a bus and pedestrians. six people are dead and ten others are missing. surveillance footage shows people at a bus stop running from the collapsed road. the bus could be see standing almost vertically sunk halfway into the ground. sinkholes are are not uncommon in china when they are blamed on construction work and the rapid pace of development. 4:52 now. stick around. a lot more ahead. america isn't just sick of donald trump, america's getting sicker. there are one million more uninsured americans every year under trump. and he's repeatedly tried to repeal obamacare. mike bloomberg will make sure everyone without health coverage can get it, and everyone who likes theirs, keep it. while capping fees to lower costs. as mayor, he helped expand coverage to seven hundred thousand more people. and championed women's reproductive health. as president, he'll give access to everyone. i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. is tha

i'm chris chmura.e'll show you the money we've gotten back for people recently. >>> but first mike pence is in rome. he touched down in the country this morning with second lady karen pence. pence plans to meet with italy president and prime minister. according to italian media the talks will focus on tensions between iran and the u.s. pence is also expected to meet with pope francis at the vatican. this comes after a visit to israel yesterday at the world holocaust forum. we'll be right back. tom steyer: no child should have to worry about finding good food in school. so, when my wife kat and i learned california public school children couldn't get fresh produce in the cafeteria, we took action. we partnered with local farmers, school kitchens, a non-profit. that program now serves over 300 million alth the difference between words and actions matters. that's a lesson washington dc could use, right now. mesg. my money should work as hard as i do. that's why i use my freedom unlimited card every time i

i'm chris chmura. we'll show you how to prevent it from happening when nbc bay area responds next. >>> welcome back. ready to bring in 2020, bout party hats, put champagne on ice, and checked your fsa ballot, right? >> if not, chris chmura recommends one more task for you to 2019. >> flexible spending account, aka, fsa lets you stash away pretax money for medical expenses, commuter expenses, and other stuff. some plans require you to spend all of the money each year before the clock strikes 12:00 on december 31st. whatever you don't spend goes back to your employer. now, some fsa's might have a grace period or a rollover period into 2020, but not necessarily all of them. so, here's the bottom line. if you have an fsa, now is the time to figure out what is left in it and what happens if you don't spend it today. after all, it's your money. >> if you have a consumer complaint, head to our website or call us, 888-996-tips. happy new year. >> happy new year chris chmura. thanks so much. >>> the coffee cup

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds, next. >>> and a family terrorized by their ring camera by a hacker. suing the company. how it's promising to tighten security. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. it's all about a friday warm-up. i'll show you which cities reach 70 degrees and the colder change coming our way super bowl sunday in about six minutes. we tried to get the politicians to deal with the problem. but they wouldn't. so we took it to the voters and forced big tobacco to pay its share of healthcare costs. we fought oil companies for new clean air laws and closed a billion dollar corporate tax loophole to fund public schools. by going directly to the people we got results. that's not something you see a lot of from washington these days. i'm tom steyer and i approve this message. let's make change happen. looking to get your business off to a fast start in the new year? it's go time! switch to comcast business and get fast internet on the nation's largest gig-speed network. plus, comp

i'm chris chmura nbc bay area responds next. >>> welcome back. 7:49.ng news in the south bay this morning. san jose police are at quincy road and capital expressway. this is in east san jose. police have shut down surrounding roads, you can see on the top of your screen, in orange, they have shut down east capital expressway, between quincy and tully roads and advising people to avoid that area. we have a crew on the way and we will update you on our web site and on our app as we learn more. >>> now, to a common scam that tricks two bay area families, costing them each thousands of dollars. let's turn to consumer investigator chris chmura as he warns others about the con job. >> reporter: this scam is where impostors tell you a family member is in trouble. they prey on your desire to help. and they make millions in gift cards. the families you're about to meet feel this scam could be stopped though, at the cash register. when the u.s. first launched into space, max atkinson's electronic handiwork was often aboard. >> any program that i ever worked on.

chris chmura is here with the answer. >> reporter: good morning. it bears repeating our number one source of complaints since we launched in 2016 is your phone. that means we have a lot of practice resolving phone fights including rajat in fremont. he did not get the gift card he was promised until he dialed us. that's $250 right there. tony found his phone bill contained calls he didn't make to afghanistan and pakistan. they did talk with us and tony got $342.60 back. finally rosa and mamod were pointing fingers at a wireless company over tablet troubles. maybe we could help with your phones, go to nbcbayarea.com. tap the menu and respond or call us 888-996-tips. >> thanks, chris. 6:25. new details this morning, the pilots of the delta plane that dumped fuel on schools didn't tell air traffic controllers. >> listen to this exchange. >> you don't need to hold to dump fuel or anything like that? >> negative. >> you can hear the pilot saying no. the faa says that they had air traffic controllers known this they would have told the pilots to dump fuel

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll show you the money we've gotten back recently for people. next. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ in 2016 i warned thatt donald trump was a dangerous demagogue, and when the republican congress wouldn't hold him accountable, i went to work helping run winning campaigns in twenty-one house seats. it's time for the senate to act and remove trump from office, and if they won't do their jobs, this november you and i will. i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. >>> as mentioned earlier, six months until the s of the olympic games. 2020 organizers are entering the final stretch of a decades worth of planning. they've had fewer issues to deal with compared to their counterparts at the rio games. but organizers have still had to overcome a handful of challenge. the main one being construction. work on the stadium started more than a year late. other difficulties including dealing with the hot weather as well as the resignation of the japanese olympic president over suspected corruption. >>> had enough

here's chris chmura. >> they are constant. the company estimates we all get 167 million robo calls per day. every day. it's got to stop. because sadly some robo calls dupe people into costly scams. >> my father was the victim of a gift card scam. >> reporter: just last week we introduced you to lisa in oakland whose dad sent robo calling scammers vulnerable. >> reporter: jenny and max in santa clara who gave the guys bad guys 12 grand by phone. >> i regret it ever since. >> reporter: we also shared them with representative anna in palo alto. >> i'm subjected as well. >> reporter: the congresswoman says washington needs to focus on our country's outdated caller i.d. system. >> when your phone rings and something pops up on the caller i.d. -- >> reporter: caller i.d. is easily faked. simple hacks let bad guys put whatever they want on your display and fool you. the federal communication commission says they're working with phone companies on improvement that we'll see in 2020. the fcc fix falls flat, she'll push congress to step

i'm chris chmura, nbc bay area responds next. >>> but first, happening now vice president mike pencee world holocaust forum. they hope to show a united front against the spike in semitism. and the liberation of the auschwitz death camp. i'm tom steyer and i approve this message. climate is the number 1 priority. i would declare a state of emergency on day 1. congress has never passed an important climate bill, ever. this is a problem that continues to get worse. i've spent a decade fighting and beating oil companies... stopping pipelines... stopping fossil fuel plants, ensuring clean energy across the country. how are we going to pull this country together? we take on the biggest challenge in history, we save the world and do it together. >>> and a good morning to you. taking a live look out at san jose. a beautiful start to our morning. dark and early it is but beautiful. 4:54. all right, so it's tax eager to those refunds. that's something you like, right? >> i like the refund. scammers, though, they like -- getting a refund much earlier than expected which could be a con job. >> r

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds, next.r and i approve this message. climate is the number 1 priority. i would declare a state of emergency on day 1. congress has never passed an important climate bill, ever. this is a problem that continues to get worse. i've spent a decade fighting and beating oil companies... stopping pipelines... stopping fossil fuel plants, ensuring clean energy across the country. how are we going to pull this country together? we take on the biggest challenge in history, we save the world and do it together. >>> is it cellphones, maybe airlines, or auto shops? nbc bay area responds to more complaints about one topic more than any the other. >> i'm going to guess airlines. consumer investigator chris chmura is here with the actual answer. >> reporter: we've mentioned this before, our number one source of complaints since we launched in 2016 is your phone. that means we have a lot of practice resolving phone fights. a man in fremont did not get the gift card he was promised when he bought a new phone u

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we've got the answers when nbc bay area responds, next.mp: obamacare is a complete and total disaster. let obamacare implode. nurse: these wild attacks on healthcare hurt the patients i care for. i've been a nurse in new york for thirty years. i know the difference leadership can make because i saw what mike bloomberg did as mayor. vo: mayor bloomberg helped lower the number of uninsured by 40%, covering 700,000 more new yorkers, life expectancy increased. he helped expand health coverage to 200,000 more kids and upgraded pediatric care--- infant mortality rates dropped to record lows. and as mayor, mike bloomberg always championed reproductive health for women. so when you hear mike bloomberg on health care... mrb: this is america. we can certainly afford to make sure that everybody that needs to see a doctor can see a doctor, everybody that needs medicines to stay healthy can get those medicines. nurse: you should know, he did it as mayor, he'll get it done as president. mrb: i'm mike bloomberg >>> a new law could crowd the carpool lanes

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we've got those answers when "nbc bay area responds," next.ooking to get your business off to a fast start in the new year? it's go time! switch to comcast business and get fast internet on the nation's largest gig-speed network. plus, complete reliability with 4g lte backup. and, cloud-based security to help protect the devices on your network. greenlight your business in 2020 with fast internet and voice for $64.90 per month. switch now and get a $100 prepaid card when you add comcast business securityedge. call today. comcast business. beyond fast. >>> 6:24 for you this morning. nbc bay area responds to viewers like you every day of the year. >> we help you solve consumer problems and when you're owed money we want to get it back for you. consumer investigator chris chmura is here with the results we had in 2019. >> it was a great year for us and you. we responded to more than 3,000 complaints and helped viewers recover $1.3 million. our most common cases in 2019 were cell phone problems, car complaints, and health care billing errors. this

i'm chris chmura, nbc bay area responds next. denny's is making 2020 a super duper new year with a new super duper deal! now you get bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, and all you can eat pancakes for only $7.99. the new super duper slam! happy new year, from denny's. >>> welcome back, everyone. good wednesday morning to you. 6:24 now. nbc bay area responds to a palo alto's woman patio furniture problem. >> she wasn't going to take it sitting down so she asked chris chmura and his team to stand up for her. >> good morning. karen o'connell hired a milpitas company to replace the the seating straps on her patio furniture and the new straps were to last five years. but this is what they looked like after just a few months. she said they were discolored and she asked the furniture repair company to make things right. but she didn't get anywhere so we went straight to the owner and he was delayed by family emergencies but would fix karen's chair right away and he did. about a week later karen sent us this after photo. karen said our e

. >> chris chmura and his team made the discovery. >> reporter: good morning, if you collect your canstles to get your deposit back you know crv is a mess. lots of recycling centers have closed and that means families are struggling to get their deposits back. >> why are we paying a tax or recycling for the bottles that we buye're unable to get that money back? >> reporter: he's right. consumers are continuing to pay crv every day but many stores aren't paying out any refunds and haven't for years. we found hundreds of them around the state with past due accounts. some balances are huge. so tonight at 11:00 we'll tally up how much money those stores owe and ask the state why it's letting some businesses run up red ink while families keep paying. changing up for good so you get your money back. go to our website and then the option respond. you >>> a massive expansion of the sharks practice. the size and ae rings. it's hoped the minor league team will be able to play its games there as well. the expansion is scheduled to wrap up in 2022. >> a big bettor putting his money on the niners o

consumer investigator chris chmura is here to explain how they're all connected. >> good morning. we were confused when we saw a case involving a frig and satellite tv. well it turns out some dish network technicians also do appliance repair for samsung as was the case. a new frig where it split into four pieces and at the bottom it was leaking and he wanted a replacement frig from samsung plus a refund of the dish to previous repair work. so we contacted samsung and dish and worked it out and got repair work of $211 and a new frig for total $3,151. hats off to him. he kept a detailed long of everything going on including photos in a made it easy for us and the companies, we highly recommend detailed record keeping when you are troubleshooting a high ticket item like a $3,000 frig. call us at 888-996-tips or visit nbcbayarea.com/responds. >> thanks, chris. >>> 6:24 now. a close call for a 7-year-old vacaville boy who was nearly kidnapped yesterday afternoon when he was walking toward his guardian's car when a man held a knife to the child's face and told him to do to a nearby loca

i'm chris chmura as nbc bay area responds next. >>> and first, happening now, another wildfire sparkedn australia near the capitol of canberra and now they are warning those into the neighborhood to be on alert. the fire started from the heat of story as it unlds. it is 4:52 right now. america isn't just sick of donald trump, america's getting sicker. there are one million more uninsured americans every year under trump. and he's repeatedly tried to repeal obamacare. mike bloomberg will make sure everyone without health coverage can get it, and everyone who likes theirs, keep it. while capping fees to lower costs. as mayor, he helped expand coverage to seven hundred thousand more people. and championed women's reproductive health. as president, he'll giveces. i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. with the jimmy dean delights breadless egg'wich. we got rid of the bread, and replaced it with two egg frittatas. for a protein packed start to your day. and that is somethin else... kinda makes ya hungry don't it? a live look car. for the most part. for this morning. >> it does look

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds, next. >>> but first, happening now, heavy rains trigger flooding in part of washington state. classes in one school district are starting two hours later than normal and severe mudslides have closed roads with more rain forecast for today. experts say the additional rain may leave some areas at rick for mudslides. we'll be right back. upbeat music♪ no cover-up spray here. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors in a flowery fog. but febreze air effects eliminates odors. with a 100% natural propellent. it leaves behind a pleasant scent you'll love. [ deep inhale] freshen up. don't cover up. febreze. fthe prilosec otc two-weekymore. challenge is helping people love what they love again. just one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. because life starts when heartburn stops. take the challenge at prilosecotc dot com. los altos woman )s patio furniture problem. >>> welcome back, everyone. we continue to monitor what is happening in iran this morning. expect to hear from

chris chmura and his team will spot you. >> reporter: we came to the 49ers public gym for expert advice, how to make sure you're not squaundering your monthly membership fees. here it's about $50 per month. second, how to work out any potential issues with the contract you're likely to have to sign. >> we have dumb bells and weightlifting, lots of fun stuff. >> reporter: the trainers are pumped at 49ers fit gym in san jose, hardly because of their namesake season. and also because this time of year membership surges. >> you're coming here to better yourself. >> reporter: you're eager and paying dues. the trainer concedes many new gym members quickly might give up squaundering their fees by spring. however, she insists you can avoid that with one step. >> make a plan. give yourself realistic goals you can stick to so you're still coming in february and march. >> reporter: and not wasting your money. we're asked to tackle gym complaints year round. most involve contract disputes. you have to know what you're getting into. are you getting a free trial or is it a long-term commitment? what

chris chmura looks at how we might see improvement. >> reporter: kira, good morning.s. if you have a consumer story to check out, head to our website and clip the menu and then nbc bay area responds or call us at 888-996-tips. i'll joining you again tonight after the golden globes. >> we can't wait for it. well, as chris mentioned, it is party time in hollywood tonight. the 77th annual golden globes will honor the best in tv and movies with one very familiar face serving as ring master. mark barger has this preview. >> if you do win tonight, remember that no one cares about in a award as much as you do. >> reporter: it is ricky gervais unleashed at the golden globes. >> i'm in this for my amusement. no one else's. >> reporter: but the host's unpredictability. >> i haven't seen the tour -- >> reporter: could be rifled by the awards themself. >> there is close races and that is exciting. >> reporter: the best drama was another netflix film, "the irishman". >> the lead actor robert de niro wasn't nominated and -- >> reporter: but dave karger does see marriage story earni

i'm chris chmura. nbc bay area responds, next. >>> are you ready for a few puns. area respond to a san jose woman who wasn't seeing eye to eye with her eye doctor. >> she acler look and focus on co-pay. >> cindy had a routine eye appointment. she paid a $25 co-pay for the visit. when she reviewed her bill, she noticed her co-pay should have been been $15. here's what she did. she called theffic three times about being overcharged. she said they promised a refund each time. but she got zero back. she called us. we contacted the doctor's office for clarity. it then sent cindy i a check for ten bucks without further explanation. medical billing complaints are sometimes for tens of thousands of dollars. whether it's $10,000 or $10. it's your money. scrutinize your medical bills like cindy did. if you spot an error, contact them. go to nbcbayarea.com and click responds in the menu. call 888-996-tips. >>> the largest coffee chain in the world wants in on taking care of our planet. starbucks says it includes planned-based foods and drinks to the starbucks menu. it's test

consumer investigator chris chmura shows us. >> and they are constant, the company u mail estimates we 167 million robocalls per day. every day. it's got to stop. because sadly, some robocalls duke people into costly scams. >> my father was the victim of a gift card scam. >> just last week, we introduced you to lisa in oakland whose dad sent robocalling scammers $8,000. >> they hit him at his most vulnerable. >> and jenny and max in santa clara who gave the bad guys 12 grand by phone. >> i fell for it and regretted it ever since. >> before we broadcast their robocall stories to you, we shared them with representative anna in colorado. >> i'm subjected to the harassment as well. >> eshoo says washington needs to focus on our country's outdated caller id system. >> when your phone rings and something pops up on the caller id, do you trust the caller id. >> not anymore, i don't. >> caller id is easily hacked, the federal communications commission says it's working with phone companies on improvements that we'll see in 2020. herb e she says she'll push congress to step in. does the america

. >> consumer investigator chris chmura and his team made that discovery. >> reporter: good morning. collect your cans and bottles to get your deposit back, you know crv is a mess right now. lots of recycling centers around the state have closed and that means families are struggling to get their deposits back. >> why are we paying a tax or recycling for the bottles that we buy and we're unable to get that money back. >> reporter: he's right. consumers are continuing to pay crv every day but many stores aren't paying out any refunds and haven't for years. we found hundreds of them around the state with past due accounts. some balances are huge. tonight at 11:00 we'll tally up how much money the stores owe and ask the state why it's letting some businesses run up red ink paying. you'll hear from someone who wants to change up crv for good so you get your money back. if you're having trouble, click on respond or call us 888-996-tips. i'll join you again tonight at 11:00. >>> thanks, chris. >>> at 6:00, breaking news in the south bay, a man found shot overnight at a shopping center park

. >> whether the repair work was done properly, consumer investigator chris chmura says a free inspectionht help you. >> when you leave the car repair shop, you don't have to wonder whether they actually did the work they were supposed to. the state will inspect your car for free after you've had auto body work done. the inspector will compare your invoice to the work that was done. if they find a discrepancy, that can trigger an official complaint or even an investigation. you can signed up for your free inspection online. we put a lincoln our website, nbcbayarea.com/responds. it's under the consumer resources section. you can also call us with your consumer complaints the number is 888-996-tips. >> the next time you go to the grocery store take a look at the nutrition label. it's going to look different. the labeling guidelerdaines her is, along with the lfont the labels will have side by side columns. one will show the nutritional information for the single serving, the other will have it for the entire package. manufacturers are now required to include the amount of added sugars. >> o

consumer investigator chris chmura has the story for us. >> reporter: and they are constant.tly scams. >> my father was the victim of a gift card scam. >> reporter: just last week we introduced you to lisa int(ok and jennyt( and max in santa cla gafr the bad guys $12,000 by phone. before we broadcast their stories to you, we alsolp share them with representative anna eshoo in palo alto. >> i'm subjected to the harassment as well. >> reporter: she sits on the technology committee. the congresswoman says washington needs to focus on our country's outd!ued caller i.d. system. when your phone rings and something pops up on the caller i.d., do you trust the callerÑi i.d.? >> no, not anymore, i don't. >> reporter: caller i.d. isxd easily faked. simple hacks let bade1qç:uÑ put display and fool you. the federal%qñw3 communications commission says it'sq working with phone companies on improvements that we'll see in 2020. eshoo says if the fcc's fix to step in. does the american public deserve the ability to be able to trust caller i.d.? restore it to what it was, then they will trust

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next. california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones. - ( phone ringing ) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. visit right now or call during business hours. and accessoriesphones for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program visit right now or call during business hours. >>> and 6:26 right now. an nbc bay area responds to a sunnyvale homeowner whose spill on a scooter. >> good morning. over the summer charles shaw was riding his scooter when he crashed and broke his arm and wound up taking an ambulance to the hospital. he said he paid a $277 co-pay for the ride. but later the ambulance company sent him a bill for more than $2,300. and he couldn't get them to see that his insurance had already paid. charles asked if we could help. we messaged both the ambulance and insurance company about the double billing and another offered an explanat

. >> chris chmura says you can get your airlines' attention with one quick note to washington. >> reporter: if you're ever feeling ignored by an airline after a sour experience, consider filing a complaint with the u.s. department of transportation. when you gripe there, the airlines are required to respond to the government and you. a lot of times, airlines then settle the dispute right then. other times the feds step in and open an investigation. we put a link to the complaint form on our website, nbcbayarea.com/responds. look under the heading "consumer resources." if you have a consumer complaint, you can call us. the number is 888-996-tips. >>> well, some of the best female athletes in the world are from right here in the bay area. the next installment of our award winning documentary series shares the journey of some of those women. kerri walsh jennings is a legend in beach volleyball. she says she is is a looking forward to more hardware. the 41-year-old mother of three is training to qualify for her sixth and what she says is her final olympics in tokyo this summer. >> i was always

. >> chris chmura has a habit you want to change when you sign and date important documents. >> good morning. many of us are conditions to abbreviate dates like this right here. but doing that might pose a security risk if you stop at just 20. cyber experts warn that scammers who manipulate those numbers right there to say 2019 or '18 or maybe '21 and open the door to kind of financial legal or frustrating issues. clever crooks for example could make the date earlier to fabricate an unpaid debt or manipulate when a check clears. bottom line write out the full year 2020 for all of 2020. we take consumer complaints no matter the day and head to nbcbayarea.com/responds or call 888-996-tips. >>> 6:26. a new video showing the moment a plane flew over several southern california schools during yesterday's emergency fuel dump. this happened after the pilots on the delta plane were forced to declare a emergency lander and return to nearby l.a.x. 60 people suffered minor injuries, mostly skin and young people. the plane landed without any problems and the faa is now investigating. >>> 6:26. a

. >> they asked chris chmura and his team for help for the unexplained charge. >> reporter: good morningl said their typical water bill was $150 a month and imagine the bill for $960. look at this chart. it showed the sudden spike. here are the months before the spike and then the spike and then afterwards. the eaglesons said that never happened before and hasn't since. so they contacted the city. it sent a technician to look for leaks but he didn't find anything. the couple eventually paid that $960 balance but something just didn't sit right. so they turned to us for help. we reached out to the city of petaluma. a manager agreed to review the-year-old case and credited them with $353 billiecause it it clear what happened. they were glad to reach a compromise. if you're getting soaks maybe we could help. visit nbcbayarea.com/responds or give us a call at 888-996-tips. >>> new video to show you. way too close for comfort or a lot of people. a man who had just dropped his daughter off at school took this video yesterday morning. you see a train narrowly moving past a school bus. this happ

lets bring in our consumer investigator, chris chmura. you were telling us about this. it's hard to get our heads around. >> it's the scammers getting creative because they've been shut down in so many other places. they've come up with something new. it starts with an east bay man who asked us about getting this refund check from the irs, quite the mystery because he hadn't filed yet. that deliver y set off our alar bells. the bad guys are hacking into the computers of tax preparers and accountants. what they do then is they steal your personal information. they file bogus returns in your name where you get an actual check from the irs. well, a few weeks later the crooks call you, pretend to be the irs, claim there's been a mistake and demand you wire that money they know you just got. don't cash the check, immediately take it to your nearest irs office and file a report. alert your tax preparer. it isn't always paper checks. the irs says the unexpected money sometimes arrives in people's bank accounts by direct deposit. it's a different route, but it is the same scam

consumer investigator chris chmura is look at our recent wins in english and spanish. >> we're less than a month in 2020 and responds teams have already fielded more than 270 complaints for viewers like you. here are some of the recent success stories. starting with hilda in san jose. she was hung up with the phone company over an international call on her land line phone bill and we helped her get back 562 had t 562$.48. and arlen fernandez recently worked with margarita in oakland to settle a funeral home dispute. that results in a savings of 99 like to try to help you too.lp ienglish call 888-996-tips and in spanish dial 844-408-4848. have a great weekend. >>> you too, chris. and you could see inside of us as of today we are six months out from the start of the summer olympic games in tokyo. and it all started with the opening ceremony july 24th. and you could be sure everyone around here, we're all excited. >> we're are pretty excited. they are excited in tokyo where that happened a few hours ago. city lit up the emblem as fireworks lit up the nighttime sky. this summer 33 competitio

. >> so let's check in with chris chmura. >> our new year's resolution was to continue helping viewersike you resolve your consumer disputes and we're at it full bore. we just helped with a big case in east bay who wants to remain an -- anonymous asked us to hel get things moving. in the end the company reimbursement offer increased by $82,000. at telemundo 48 we just happened nancy in half moon bay. she was fighting her cell phone company. well arlen wrestled a $208 refund out of them. in 2019 more people shook their fist at us about cell phone issues than any other complaint. in english and in spanish. if yo a us a call in other language at 888-996-tips in english or 844-408-4848 in spanish. are have a great weekend. >>> 6:25. san francisco e-cigarette maker juul facing a lawsuit by another school district. san diego schools accused the company of marketing to young people. the suit seeks financial compensation. bay area school districts among many across the nation with similar suits in the pipeline. juul has previously said it is committed to developing new technology to reduce use

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.nbc bay area responds next. >>> but first happening now, a challenge by the florida governor has state residents scrambling to snatch up snakes. today the 2020 python bowl gets off way today. this is an effort to restore the everglades. the governor said the pythons wreak havoc on wildlife because they have no natural predator. participants are are eligible for cash prices for the number and length of snakes caught. this isivi g me the creeps reading it. the challenge goes until january 19th. we'll be t the van gogh. to harrison, the wine collection. to craig, this rock. i leave these things to my heirs, all 39 million of you, on one condition. that you do everything to preserve and protect them. with love, california. >>> 2020 off to a successful start for our consumer team and the people they help out. >> let's turn to consumer investigator chris chmura. >> we want to help you resolve your commuter disputes and we're at it full bore. we helped with a big case with an embarcadero view

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. this is the denny's super slam., two sausage, two eggs hash browns and pancakes and now make those pancakes all you can eat for a buck. that's where the duper comes in. the all new super duper slam just seven ninety nine. see you at denny's. >>> 2020 off to a successful start for our consumer team. >> let's turn things over to chris chmura. >> people are already sending things in. our resolution is helping you resolve your disputes. an east bay viewer wants to remain anonymous had trouble with a home sharing company and damage claim. they asked us to help get things moving. the offer increased by $82,000. over at telemundo 48, arlen fernandez just assisted nancy vega in half moon bay. she was fighting her cell phone company while arlen wrestled a $208 refund for them. in 2019, more people shook their fists aboutoneompanies than anything else. cell phone issues in general really. and that's in bothngges. if you are hung up, please if i was a call 888-996-tips. or go to our website, tap the menu and go to where it say

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura, nbc bay area responds next. >>> malaysia sent back 150 containersastic waste to the united states and 12 other countries. malaysia like other nations tra sinced the import of plastic. now the country is returning plastic waste back from. malaysian leaders say they will not be turned into the landfill of the world. we'll be right back. as mayor, mike bloomberg slashed carbon emissions and achieved new york city's cleanest air quality in more than 50 years. as a leader in the fight against climate change, he helped shut down over half of the nation's coal plants, then led one of the biggest pollution reduction efforts in history. as president, he intends to reduce emissions by fifty percent within ten years. because if we want to stop climate change, we need to make a change. this is a fight-we can't afford to lose. i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. >>> good morning. cindy had an eye appointment and paid a $25 copay but when she reviewed her bill she noticed it should have been just $15. so here is what shedoctor's offe times about being

. >> she asks chris chmura and his team to take a look at her copay. >> good morning. cindy had a routine eye appointment and paid a $25 co-pay for the visit but when she reviewed her bill she noticed her copay should have been just $15. so here is what she did. she called the doctor's office. three times about being overcharged. she said they promises to refund each time but she got zero back. so she called us. we contacted the doctor's office for some clarity. well it then sent cindy a check for $10 without further explanation to us. medical billing complaints are sometimes for tens of thousands of dollars but no matter whether it is $10,000 or $10, it is your money so always scrutinize your med w medical -- medical bills and if you spot an error call your insurance company asap and if that doesn't work, call us at 888-996-tips. >>> well leaders in berkeley will vote tonight on a proposal to build 120 tents for the homeless. a possible location being considered, the university avenue overpass at second street. berkeley mayor jesse argine is proposing the plan but tel