let's bring in our consumer investigator chris chmura. ris, this is interesting because a lot of people are impacted here just going to vegas for a quick weekend. >> it's not necessarily vegas because these casino operators operate casinos in other states. and the loyalty programs aren't separated by state. the group involved here, raj, is one that's notorious in cybersecurity as being exceptionally good at what's called social engineering. essentially it seems what they did is they got on the phone with somebody in the i.t. department or on some help desk and did a really good job of selling them on giving them access into the systems that allowed them to get this data to be held hostage. like you said, raj, there's no guarantee. it looks like a lot of money was paid, but that's a pinkie promise to keep this data secure. i think it's a really big deal for consumers that these hack attacks are happening with programs in general that have potentially millions upon millions of records in them. >> and tourism is -- las vegas is all tourism he

there's a grocery store in petaluma that took us behind the scenes and let consumer investigator chris chmura test out the technology. that's coming up in 12 minutes. what happened when the computer tried to catch chris red-handed? we'll show it to you. >>> also tonight, this would be a big deal for the bay area. the all sports new site the athletic is reporting that the warriors are close to bringing a wnba franchise to the bay area. now, the deal is reportedly not complete but the athletic says the team would be based at the warriors' practice facility in oakland and would play at chase center in san francisco. the wnba currently has 12 teams. earlier this year the league commissioner said the wnba would like to add two teams by 2025. >>> okay. in less than an hour from now at 12:01 a.m. the writers' strike will be over. leaders of the writers guild of america voted unanimously to approve the deal reached with studios. the strike lasted 148 days, one of the longest in hollywood history. streaming residuals reportedly a big part of those negotiations along with protections from artificial in

chris chmura has an up close look at how the new technology works. chris? >> reporter: let me take you inside a local store that is fed up with stealing. it's confronting the very real daily threat with artificial intelligence. this petaluma grocery store opened closed doors to let us see how new ai is watching its security cameras around the clock, looking for telltale signs someone is stealing. the owner toll us it's working and only cost as couple hundred dollars a month. >> i mean, this is a fraction of what a security guard would cost. >> reporter: the owner let me test out the ai. i played the thief. coming up at 11:00, what happened when the computer tried to catch me in the act. we're also taking you to the east coast to visit a lab like nowhere in the world. engineers in florida gave us a behind the scenes glimpse how they're working to cut shoplifting losses, and we'll tie it back to your grocery bill. we'll see you at 11:00. >> thank you, chris. >>> tonight we're taking a look at one nicaraguan dance group. meet the kids from here and there. at 1

why you may want to set sale next summer according to customer investigator chris chmura. >>> a chief meteorologist jeff ranieri, fog is back in the morning, clearing out by 10:30. details on the temperatures and the >>> a win for the city at a critical time, a highly anticipated a.i. conference is coming. chatgpt is coming november 6th. it will bring in hundreds of developers from around the world to san francisco. this comes after google moved the google cloud conference from the moscone center to las vegas. the largest convention venue in the city booked 21 events for next year, down 20% from this year and half as many as the last two years before the pandemic. >>> summer break just ended, time to talk about your family's next summer vacation. if you plan early, you could save money. >> instead of expensive flights, maybe you cruise into the next holiday. chris chmura. >> reporter: at the port of san francisco, smith, miller and their husbands are about to set sail to mexico. >> it's a lot of fun, party, party, party. >> reporter: a five-day cruise getaway, wasting no money. >> it

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.xt. >>> and as we head to break, we want to share this photo that kari hall shared online. she filled in over the weekend and she's getting some much-needed rest. keep up on kari online. keep up on kari online. you ca j.p. morgan wealth management knows it's easy to get lost in investment research. get help with j.p morgan personal advisors. hey, david! ready to get started? work with advisors who create a plan with you, and help you find the right investments. so great getting to know you, let's take a look at your new investment plan. ok, great! this should have you moving in the right direction. thanks jen. get ongoing advice; and manage your investments in the chase mobile app. 5:25 right now. our identities are under attack. a recent report found many i.d. theft victims have had their identities stolen more than once and some crooks took more than 100 grand. >> you need a strong password, and while it might be annoying, you need to change it often. consumer investigator chris chmu

i'm chris chmura, nbc bay area responds next. >>> and take a look at this, some rainfall in the pa civil. some rainfall in the pa civil. the updated timing and t alaska airlines $99 companion fare means that you can bring your best friend... you know, one of us is gonna have to change? but we're twinning? oh yay. ♪♪ ♪ we care a lot. ♪ you know, my friend funshine would have loved this trip. ♪♪ well our companion fare is just $99 with the alaska airlines visa card, so your friend can come along with you! next time you're the legs! ♪ ♪ we care a lot ♪ >>> welcome back. nbc bay area responds to a south bay woman on the hook for more than $1,000, and she blamed her bank. >> she asked chris chmura's team to check it out. here is chris. >> reporter: she told us her cell phone lit up with a text alert from bank of america, a fraudster tried to charge $2,600 at an electronics store. the bank asked if it was legitimate. she said, no, and the bank stopped that scam. which is great news. but seven minutes later a bank rep called and asked if she was trying again at the same store for $1,300, exactl

i'm chris chmura. >> a tropical system that will cause some delays this weekend. the latest track on this in the latest track on this in that fore we made it! bmo has arrived. hello? you said it. hello to more ways to save money, grow your wealth, grow your business. just what we needed, another big bank. not so fast. how many banks do you know that reward you for saving every month? he's got a good point. did i mention bmo has more fee-free atms than the two largest us banks combined? uh, b-m-o? just "bee-mo", actually. quick question, will all this stuff fit in your car? ( ♪♪ ) should i get rid of the mug? ♪ bmo ♪ >>> the seasons change, we're turning into fall tom o'brien officially the first first day, but our mission to help viewers stays the same. >> so consumer investigator chris chmura is here. >> he switched his newspaper subscription to paper delivery in the driveway, old school, to online. buzz those physical papers kept arriving. gary says he called several times and asked to stop those deliveries, and reps promised they would, but they didn't. gary ta

i'm consumer investigator, crist -- chris chmura, i'll show you how next. >>> i'm meteorologist jeff ranieri. the fog is back for the early morning commute. i'll show you what that means as you >>> plenty of local counties have seen a rise in covid cases. people are digging out their at-home test kits. >> i have a bunch at home. if you have old ones, are they good to use? our consumer investigator, chris chmura shows us how to find out. >> the food and drug administration says you shouldn't use an expires covid-19 test kit because the components inside could degrade or break down over time, and that could mean invalid or inaccurate test results, but some expiration dates have been extended because the manufacturers have proven the tests still work. so let's find the expiration date on your test and then see if it's the actual expiration date. first, grab the box, on these rapid tests we found the expiration date on the side, along with the lot number. you're looking for this hourglass icon, that is the expiration date. if the date next to the hourglass is passed. don't just toss the

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll explain how their move and your next flight intersect, next. >> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri with the latest update on the drought and what i'm seeing about rain chances. >>> this time of year our consumer team hears a lot of complaints about moving. >> everyone just moved and now they're complaining about it. >> yes. >> let's bring in our consumer investigator chris chmura. moving and usually a truck or van and now an airport. >> we are connecting these dots. a complaint from the south bay that involves the airport. first, please welcome ken morris to california. he and his wife just moved here from chicago. they asked for our help because an important piece of electronics mysteriously did not make the move. >> we down sized tremendously, next to nothing to move. >> reporter: still enough stuff to stuff one of those shipping cubes but as soon as ken sent his cube west from chicago to los gatos a realization. >> ooh i forgot to pack the router. >> reporter: that internet

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds, next. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. check it out, we've got rain on the radar. i'll show you where we're seeing the most rain i californnia >>> nbc bay area responds to a north bay woman whose brand new washing machine was pretty much collecting dust. >> she asked consumer investigator chris chmura's team to snap a cycle of frustration. okay. chris. >> myra in fairfax bought a $1,500 box washing machine online from a home improvement store. it arrived just fine, except this. the power cord had an international plug. look, the prongs are turned sideways. they're not going in the socket right there. myra couldn't plug in her brand new washer. she says she spent hours on the phone with reps but still couldn't find a solution. myra felt powerless and reached out to us. we contacted the store and the manufacturer. bosch told myra the store should have sold her an adapter to plug in the washer. they told us its customer care team has connected with the con

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll show you how next. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. we're tracking some storms to the south on the satellite radar. i'll show you what's moving in >>> our identities are under attack. a recent report found many i.d. theft vic strims had their identities stolen more than once. >> you need a stronger password and, yes, you need to change it often. our consume earl investigator chris chmura compiles five other ways to protect yourself. >> reporter: let's establish something. identity theft is more than just a nuisance. identity theft resource center says it triggers anxiety, causes sleeplessness and in some cases people have trouble passing a background check for a new job. >> this doesn't just go on for a day or a week or a month or a year this. can be lifelong. >> reporter: so let's prevent identity theft. first, protect your paperwork, like your tax and financial documents. each is a puzzle piece for a thief. steve mcfarlane at the better business bureau says do not jus

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll give cruise as second look, next. and that fog is back for tomorrow morning. how much sunshine. when tps warm upem l my name is caron and i'm from brooklyn. i work for the city of new york as a police administrator. i oversee approximately 20 people and my memory just has to be sharp. i always hear people say, you know, when you get older, you know, people lose memory. i didn't want to be that person. i decided to give prevagen a try. my memory became much sharper. i remembered more! i've been taking prevagen for four years now. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. >>> summer is almost over, just a couple of weeks left. but plenty of people are still looking for a vacation bargain. >> whether it's the rest of this summer or maybe next summer. >> yes. >> our consumer investigator chris chmura is already looking ahead to next year and hunting for ways to possibly save you money. >> hello. we're taking a second look at cruises. our team ventured to the port of san francisco recently. cruisers like april

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next. >>> before we go to break, we want to give a shout-out to cinthia pimentel, posting this online yesterday, celebrating her one year work anniversary. congratulations, cinthia! she's brought so much joy to our lives. >> it seems like more than one year. year. >> she fit right in with the you go by lots of titles veteran, son, dad. -it's time to get up. -no. hair stylist and cheerleader. so adding a “student” title might feel overwhelming. what if a school could be there for all of you? career, family, finances and mental health. it's coming along. well, it can. national university. supporting the whole you. >>> nbc bay area responds to a south bay woman who was on the hook for more than $1,000, and she blames her bank. >> she asked consumer investigator chris chmura to check out her problem. >> good morning. she told us her cell phone lit up one morning with a text alert from bank of america. a fraudster tried to charge $2,600 at an electronics store. the ba

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc b area respoaynd wake up, achievers.'re making the most of every hour of your life. except the hours that you're sleeping. so why do we leave so much untapped potential on the table? this is a next level bed, for a next level you. my circadian rhythm is kicking your circadian rhythms butt! it's not a competition. i know, but i'm still winning! so, it is a competition. save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, free home delivery when you add a base. shop now only at sleep number. >>> welcome back. when consumers like you are dealt a bad hand, we have a team to help you deal with it. >> consumer investigator chris chmura is here with a pair of new cases where our teams came up aces. >> the chips were down for herman in san jose. he had been battling an online travel agent since christmas when an airline canceled his family's flight. herman expected a refund and the stakes were high, about $2,500. but after more than six months of asking on his own and no refund in the cards, the responde team joined the

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura.bc bay area responds," next. >>> and then a discussion last night about asian american journal and social justice. we are talking about our special we are talking about our special series, "race in you go by lots of titles veteran, son, dad. -it's time to get up. -no. hair stylist and cheerleader. so adding a “student” title might feel overwhelming. what if a school could be there for all of you? career, family, finances and mental health. it's coming along. well, it can. national university. supporting the whole you. >>> when you travel you want a place to stay that you can count on. >> one of our viewers found the exact opposite. chris chmura's team helped them out and has a warning for everybody out there. >> andrew says he's a regular traveller but never experienced this before, an abandoned motel. he travels to texas often to tend to family lapd, and he booked at a chain hotel, but when he arrived, no staff, no power or furniture. >> it was surreal because i am looking at the park

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next. >>> then, all new at 6:00, san francisco considering relocating its wildly popular ferris wheel drawing crowds at golden gate park. we >>> the seasons change, but certainly our mission to help viewers stays the same. fall kicking off with quite a few wins for our consumer team. >> consumer investigator chris chmura joins us to spotlight just a few of the cases his team has solved. >>> good friday morning. let's start with gary in redwood city. he said he switched his newspaper subscription from the deliveries in his driveway to online only, but the physical papers kept arriving. gary said he called several times and reps promised the deliveries would stop, but they didn't. so gary tagged our team and we talked to the publisher. the headline, no papers in his driveway. then augustine in san jose told us a family member accidently threw out the $350 middle class tax refund the state sent him. he tried contacting the tax board for help but wasn't able to get a

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next. >>> as we head to break, i want to share this photo my sisters and i celebrating my dad's 89th birthday this weekend. it was great. 89 years young. he's got a lot of pep in his step "the doctor will see you now." but do they really? do they see that crick in your neck? that ache in your heart? will they see that funny little thing that wasn't there last year? a new bounce in your step? the way your retinal scan connects to your blood sugar? at kaiser permanente all of us work together to care for all that is you. >>> welcome back. 6:23 right now. new drone video shows the damage from mediterranean storm daniel in labia. this is from the worst hit city of derna, where flooding swept away entire neighborhoods and damaged buildings, including the city's most important mosque. a number of confirmed deaths across libya are now at least 11,000, with thousands more still missing. >> tragic. >>> 6:24 right now. nbc bay area responds to a south bay author who encoun

. >>> i am consumer investigator chris chmura. >>> i am chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. we are seeing improvement and walmart creek, lafayette. even though we have haze there is blue sky and we have an updated look at the air quality and rain chances on the way and just a few minutes. >>> we continue to track our air quality. use the phone to scan the qr code on th e >>> we contacted creative iron parts and the rep told us carolyn had been released from her contract. >> thank you. carolyn told us she was okay with that and luckily she had not paid any money up front so clean break there. a friendly reminder. whenever you hire a contractor the most money they can collect up front is 10% of the cost of the job or $1000. if the contractor demands more than that you should say no and alert the state contractors board. snap the qr code on your screen snap it now to fill out our consumer complaint form online and we will try to clear the air for you $1000 is the max the contractors can take. >> 10% or $1000 whichever is less don't fall for it. $1000. >> okay. that is important

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.>> plus, celebrating hispanic heritage. how some talented ballet dancers in the bay area are keeping their culture alive through dance. >>> and we're no strangers to giant pumpkins here in the bay area. how about a giant squash? we're going to show you the at cretors, we handcraft every batch of our delicious popcorn. like our cretors cheese and caramel mix. great on their own, even better together. try cretors, handcrafted small-batch popcorn. >>> good tuesday morning to you. it is 6:45. let's get a look at foster city and what to expect as you're heading to work. it is a cloudy morning and may be drizzling a bit. as we go through the day it's going to clear out. we're headed for sunshine and mild temperatures. we'll get a look at some more changes ahead in our microclimate forecast coming up. >>> kari, these folks like that forecast. they're heading to foster city across the san mateo bridge. slow drive right now. really kicked in over the last 15 minutes. actually, a number of spots

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next. >>> as we head to break, we want to share these photos that kari posted on instagram. she and her husband enjoyed a wonderful date night when they visited half moon bay. she attended the music festival, relaxed by the water. they even caught a couple getting engaged, and another getting married. a lot of love in the air in half moon bay. ♪ ♪ every day, businesses everywhere are asking: is it possible? with comcast business... it is. is it possible to help keep our online platform safe from cyberthreats? absolutely. can we provide health care virtually anywhere? we can help with that. is it possible to use predictive monitoring to address operations issues? we can help with that, too. with the advanced connectivity and intelligence of global secure networking from comcast business. it's not just possible. it's happening. >>> welcome back. nbc bay area responds to a north bay woman whose brand new washing machine was collecting dust. >> she asked consumer inv

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.e'll give cruises a second look next. >>> who wants to get away? i got the chance to get away with my husband. we celebrated our anniversary this weekend in our favorite place, in lake tahoe. you can find me on facebook and instagram, and of course every morning right here on "today in the bay." david: as we start a new school year, there's something new happening in california's public schools. they're called community schools. leslie: it really is shared leadership with families, students, educators, and communities. jessie: i feel like we're really valued as partners. david: it's a more innovative, holistic approach. grant: in addition to academic services, we look at serving the whole family. narrator: wellness centers, food pantries, and parental education. jessie: they're already making a difference. david: california's community schools: reimagining public education. you know, you've got it pretty good. david: california's community schools: streaming this much stuff was never t

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.xplain how their move and your next flight intersect next. >>> and before we head to break, check out this video. our own kris sanchez shared this on instagram. she spotted a cruise robotaxi making major mistakes on the roads in san francisco. it's an issue we've been continuously covering. find the latest at nbcbayarea.com. nbcbayarea.com. you can flow kris on facebook ol alaska airlines $99 companion fare means that you can bring your best friend... you know, one of us is gonna have to change? but we're twinning? oh yay. ♪♪ ♪ we care a lot. ♪ you know, my friend funshine would have loved this trip. ♪♪ well our companion fare is just $99 with the alaska airlines visa card, so your friend can come along with you! next time you're the legs! ♪ ♪ we care a lot ♪ >>> welcome back. it's 6:25. nbc bay area responds to a south bay family's tsa dispute. >> their experience might change the way you go through airport security. consumer investigator chris chmura explains why. >>> let me tell you

chris chmura even tests out the technology, and you're going to want to watch his story at 11:00. we'll show you what happened when the computer tried to catch chris in the act. >>> all right, it is a case that hasn't been solved for nearly 40 years, but today investigators released more details on the arrest of a man accused of killing a child in solano county. so back in 1987, 6-year-old jeremy stoner was kidnapped near his home in vallejo. he was found dead days later. prosecutors charged shawn melton. he was tried twice but never convicted and died as the only suspect. but last year investigators retested dna from stoner's autopsy and not only did it lead to the arrest of a new suspect, fred cain iii, it proved melton's innocence. >> he died without being able to be here to know he's exonerated. i think it's really important that we are exonerating him here today, and the importance of dna in exonerating him. >> can't bring jeremy back. it's absolutely horrible what the family has gone through for the last 37 years, but hopefully this will bring a slight bit of comfort. >> cain

i am consumer investigator chris chmura. >>> friday evening with blue skies over san jose. this time tomorrow tropical clouds in the skies bringing a chance of showers to parts of the bay area. >>> winner winner our consumer team is approaching a milestone saving people $7 million since their team debuted in 2016. a huge number. >> our consumer investigative reporter is here right now with a couple recent cases which helped viewers get refunds. >> reporter: happy frontal zone. sharing a variety of issues with a certified used car with mismatched tires and dmv registration the dealer botched. the dealer didn't fix all nouri expected until we stepped in and the dealer tossed in a cash bonus for the inconvenience. in all a $3,500 win. next jeffrey in san jose told us an airline owed him 80 bucks for a taxi. the carrier caused a hiccup and to miss his connecting flight in dallas. he said the airline could only fly him to sfo instead of sjc but agreed to reimburse ground transportation to the south bay. he paid 80 bucks out of pocket but didn't get his cash back until he called

yes are and it consumer investigator chris chmura for some help and is now turning the page. >>> thiso withhold his name but he does have a mistreat to tell. he penned and published a digital book on amazon kindle direct publishing. here is the thing. 10 months later, a cliffhanger. the author says katie p closed his account because it said it was related to another account and that it had previously shutdown. the writer said, that is not the case. i only have one account. he appealed with no luck. a lost cause until he contacted us for justice. we reached out to amazon. days later the author said it has reinstated his account. the book is once again available for purchase. amazon didn't tell us what happened but it did say we have processes to investigate concerns raised by publishers and authors and where we have made an error, we correct it. the writer says he contacted katie p four times riss for his account before sharing his story with us. he kept a detailed record and we suggest you follow his lead. when you have a consumer problem, no need to write a novel. just keep concise n

consumer investigator, chris chmura's team helped him out and has a warning for everybody this morningw from san francisco tells us he's a regular traveler but never experienced this before, an abandoned motel. he used an online travel agent to book an eight-day stay at a chain motel, but when he arrived, no staff, no power, no furniture. >> it was surreal because i'm looking at the parking lot and i am saying, where is everybody? >> andrew found another motel on his own and asked the booking company for a refund. no luck. he turned to us. tonight at 5:00, we will explain what happened next and why this empty motel was listed in the first place. bottom line, when use a third party to book a party, and if you are a weary traveller looking for relief from an issue, snap the qr on the screen and fill out the consumer complaint form online. >>> the top stories we are following today include the closure of the dumbarton bridge causing a major backup for that morning commute. mike is tracking alternate routes for you. >>> sad news in the world of entertainment, and the death of a actor perha

. >> so she phoned chris chmura's team to make things right. >> carol ordered two custom handrails fromiron arts in oakland, and she signed a contract and was promised installation in three weeks. well, three weeks later, nothing. she called the company but nobody got back to her, so she contacted us. we contacted creative iron arts, and a rep a few days later told us carol was released from her contract. thank you. she said she was okay with that, and luckily she had not paid any money up front, so a clean break there. whenever you hire a contractor in the state of california, the maximum amount of money they can collect up front is 10% of the cost of the job or $1,000, whichever is less. if a contractor demands more than that you can alert the state contract's board. snap the qr code on your screen to fill out a consumer complaint form online. >>> unhealthy air throughout the bay area, and the >>> breaking right now at 5:30a deadly accident involving a chp cruiser. it leaves one person dead on a peninsula highway. ahead, new details we learned overnight. >>> plus, a spare the air aler

con susmer investigator chris chmura's team just tackled one of those complaints, and it includes a lesson all of us who fly on planes. >> good morning. i promise to connect the dots here. first, please welcome ken morris to california. he and his wife just moved here from chicago. thaw asked for our help, because an important piece of electronics did not make the move. >> we downsized tremendously. we had next to nothing to move. >> enough stuff to stuff one of those shipping cubes. but a realization. >> i forgot to pack the router. >> that internet router. no worry. ken and his wife were booked to fly here. he still had room in his carry on bag. but when he got to california, a mystery. the router was missing. ken says the only time his bag was out of control. >> it was flagged. >> it was at tsa check point in chicago. ken said an agent searched the suitcase but never said anything about taking the router. >> i was told it was all good. >> reporter: tsa check points are a black hole. the tsa says approximately 90,000 to 100,000 items at check points each month. the agency says it holds i

chris chmura explains why. >> let me tell you the story of ken and that internet router next to him.n he arrived, it was missing. he con taktsed tsa and found his router in tsa lost and found. in chicago. ken says tsa expected him to pick it up in person or pay to ship it. ken disagreed because he is confident the agent forgot to put it back in his bag. he contacted us. we con taktsed tsa. >> i get an email from a special person at tsa administration something. verify your address. i said, oh, you guys are good. >> tsa shipped him his router at no cost to him. we asked tsa for a statement. we did not receive one. tsa checkpoints are a black hole. tsa says approximately 90,000 to 100,000 items are left behind each month. ken has a word of advice for all air travellers. keep your eyes on your bags at all times, especially if a tsa agent searches that bag. ken contacted us online. you can, too. scan the code on your screen to fill out our consumer complaint form online. >> chris has how-to videos you can get on our website. that does it for this edition of "the fast forward." my active

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.l show you how next. >>> and as we head to break, we want to share these photos. meteorologist kari hall shared them online, taking advantage of the cooler weather to enjoy some time outside with her family. >> did you win? >> of course. [ laughter ] >> mama always wins. kari, i have told her that she is always out having fun. i tonight know how she has the energy. don't forget, you, too, can follow kari on instagram and facebook. you don't want to miss it. you're watching "tay in the odba >>> the food and drug administration says you shouldn't use an expired covid-19 test kit, because the components inside could degrade or break down over time, and that could mean invalid or inaccurate test results. but some expiration dates have been extended because the manufacturers have proven the tests still work. so let's find the expiration date on your test and then see if it's the actual expiration date. first, grab the box. on these rapid tests we found the expiration date stamped on the sid

he asked consumer investigator chris chmura's team for help turning the page. >> good morning.ook on amazon's kindle direct publishing. well, ten months later, a cliffhanger, the author says kdp closed his account because it was related to another account it previously shut down. the writer said no, he only has one account. he appealed with no luck. lost cause, until he contacted us for some justice. we reached out to amazon. days later, the author said amazon reinstated his account. his book is once again available for purchase. amazon didn't tell us what happened, but it did say, we have processes to investigate concerns raised by publishers and authors, and where we have made an error, we correct it. we thank them for that. if your consumer saga needs a new chapter, scan the qr code on your screen to fill out our consumer complaint form online. >>> well, more relief for renters trying to make it in the bay. new data from apartmentlist.com shows that rents continued to fall. in august they fell the furthest they have in more than two years. let's show you the numbers. in cont

consumer investigator chris chmura joins us with a few of our recent wins. >> good friday morning.re delivering results for viewers in english and in spanish. let's start with a case from teleimmune doe 48 responding, maria got a dental crown, but also got an extra bill for $450. she filed a claim but not nowhere. after months of arlen's intervention, maria had something to smile about, the clinic cancelled that $450 charge. next, there's mike in san jose. he pre-paid $215 for a full year of newspaper delivery. but mid-year the paper said it would deliver five fewer papers than originally promised. mike didn't think that was fair. so he asked the nbc bay area responds team for help. we contacted the publisher. it then said mike will get the number of papers he originally paid for. if you're stuck in a customer service stand still share your story with us, snap the qr code on your screen right now to fill out our consumer complaint form online. have a great weekend. >> wonderful, good stuff. >>> hispanic heritage month kicks off today and we are celebrating all month long. according

. >> consumer investigator chris chmura is here to share the good news. >> we're proud of the milestonell get to it in just a second. first, let me share some of the cases that helped us get there. first, veronica in gilroy had a $900 hangup with her new cell phone carrier. she says the salesperson who switched her promised a $900 rebate a year ago. veronica called us because the company just wouldn't deliver, so we dialed them up and the carrier gave veronica her 900 bucks. here is what was brewing for jordan in oakland. he ordered a coffeemaker in december and paid 6ds 5.92 for it. nine months later, no delivery and no response from the store. we sent the store an email and 21 minutes later, the store refunded jordan his full $65.92. now to the milestone, we added those cases to our savings board, and this week we surpassed $7 million, refunded or recovered since we debuted seven years ago. please send us your case. snap the qr code on your screen to fill out our consumer complaint form online. on to $8 million. have a great weekend. >>> or maybe not such a great weekend unless you're

chris chmura's team helped him out and they have a warning. >> andrew tells us he is a regular traveller he traveled to texas to tend to family land. he used an online travel agent to book a stay. when he arrived, no staff, no power, no furniture. >> it was surreal. i'm looking at the parking lot. i'm saying, where is everybody? >> he found another motel on his own and asked the booking company for a refund. no luck. he turned to us. tontd at 5:00, we will explain what happened next and why this empty motel was listed in the first place. bottom line, when you use a third party to book travel, call the hotel, airline or whatever directly to confirm you are booked and they are actually open for business. if you are a weary traveller looking for relief from a consumer issue, snap the qr code to fill out our consumer complaint form online. i will join you tonight at 5:00. >> okay. >>> a popular restaurant is expanding, vegan mob. they shut down the oakland location, but they have new spots, one in san francisco and spots, one in san francisco and one in santa when my doctor gave me breztri f

consumer investigator chris chmura has an up-close look at how it works. >> let me take you inside a local store that is fed up with stealing. it's confronting the very real daily threat with artificial intelligence. this petaluma grocery store opened closed doors to let us see how new ai is watching its 36 security cameras around the clock. the unblinking computer looks for tell-tale signs someone is stealing. the owner told us it's working and only costs a couple hundred dollars a month. >> i mean, this is a fraction of what a security guard would cost. >> the owner let me test out the ai. i played the thief. coming up tonight at 11:00, we'll show you what happened when the computer tried to catch me in the act. >> you have a visible camera here. >> we're taking you to the east coast to visit a lab like no other anywhere in the world. engineers in florida gave us a behind the scenes glimpse at how they're working to cut shoplifting losses, and we'll tie it all back to your grocery bill. please join us again tonight at 11:00. see you then. >>> a group of oakland business owners are

but consumer investigator chris chmura says that's not so. >>> the food and drug administration saysuldn't use an expired covid-19 test kit, because the components inside could degrade or break down over time, and that could mean invalid or inaccurate test results. but some expiration dates have been extended because the manufacturers have proven the tests still work. so let's find the expiration date on your test and then see if it's the actual expiration date. first, grab the box. on these rapid tests we found the expiration date stamped on the side, or a sticker along with the lot number, which you might need later. you're looking for this hourglass icon. that is the expiration date. if the date next to the hourglass is passed, don't just toss the test kit. let's see if the fda has extended the expiration date. checking takes a couple of steps. they're easy. let's start by clicking this qr code. it will take you to an fda list of tests. in the first column, scroll until you find your test manufacturer and type. two more steps. first, click the link that says updated expiration dat

chris chmura has an up close look at how it works. >> let me take you inside a local store that is fedfronting the real daily threat with artificial intelligence. this grocery store opened closed doors to let us see how ai is watching its 36 security cameras around the clock. the unblinking computer looks for telltale signs someone is stealing. the owner told us it's working. only costs a couple hundred dollars a month. >> i mean, this is a fraction of what a security guard would cost. >> the owner let me test out the ai. i played the thief. coming up tonight at 11:00, we will show you what happened when the computer tried to catch me in the act. >> a visible camera here. >> we are taking you to the east coast to visit a lab like no other. engineers in florida gave us a look at how they are working to cut shoplifting losses. we will tie it all back to your grocery bill. join us again tonight at 11:00. see you then. >> wow. that is fascinating. thank you so much, chris. >>> get more how-to videos from chris on our website. as well as all the day's news and weather. we will have hourly u

. >> he asked consumer investigator chris chmura's team for help to turn the page. >> good morning.old his name, but he has a mystery to tell. he penned and published a digital book on amazon's kindle direct publishing. well, ten months later, a cliffhanger, the author says kdp closed his account because it was related to another account that previously shut down. the writer said, no, he only has one account. he appealed, with no luck. lost cause, until he contacted us for some justice. we reached out to amazon days later, the author said amazon reinstated his account. his book is once again available for purchase. amazon didn't tell us what happened, but it did say, we have processes to investigate concerns raised by publishers and authors, and where we have made an error, we correct it. if your consumer saga needs a new chapter, scan the qr code on your screen to fill out our consumer complaint form online. >>> coming up next, the top stories, including a big dent in rent prices. sit enough to help people make it in the bay? we crunch the numbers. >>> a mother struck and killed by

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura.l explain how their move and your next flight intersect next. >>> just a moment ago, you were talking about the cybertruck. take a look at this. our own raj mathai sharing this video on instagram. he spotted a tesla cybertruck driving around palo alto. you can keep up with raj by you can keep up with raj by followin alaska airlines $99 companion fare means that you can bring your best friend... you know, one of us is gonna have to change? but we're twinning? oh yay. ♪♪ ♪ we care a lot. ♪ oh ms. flores, what would we do without you? leader of many, and pet wrangler too. you report to your boss, every afternoon. so beautiful. so becoming a student again might seem impossible. hello, mi amor. but what if a school could be there for all of you? career, family, finances and mental health. well, it can. national university. supporting the whole you. i'm orlando and i'm living with hiv. i don't have to worry about daily hiv pills because i switched to every-other-month cabenuva. for adults wh

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next. >>> and check out this flashback friday. that's me singing the "national anthem" for the first time over at oracle park for the giants game. so that was opening day. i posted that because the giants are playing tonight at home, and you can watch that game right here on nbc bay area. they're taking on the rockies at oracle. coverage begins for you right here at 7:00. you don't want to miss that. >> oh, say can you see? >> by the dawn's early light. i know all the words, too. that's an inside joke. we'll be back. it's 6:23. >>> happy friday. nori in pleasanton shared a variety of issues with a pricey certified used car, including mismatched tires and a dmv registration the dealer botched. the dealer didn't fix all nori expected until we stepped in. the dealer also tossed in a cash bonus for the inconvenience, overall a $3,500 win. next, jeffrey in san jose told us an airline owed him 80 bucks for a taxi. the carrier had caused a hiccup, caused him to miss his

chris chmura is here with a pair of new cases where our team came up aces. >> the chips were down forled his family's flight. he expected a refund. the stakes were high, about $2,500. after more than six months of asking on his own, no refund in the cards. we joined the game and turned the tables. herman got his $2,488 back. now to the north bay, carey just graduated from a local health college. congrats. the school wasn't delivering on a $500 tuition credit. she didn't want to fold. she asked us to hold them accountable. we did. the college antd up and credited her the 500. our team is flush with things like that. we recovered just shy of $7 million since we debuted in 2016. jackpot. if you have a case that's stuck, don't fold. we are all in. scan the qr code on the screen right now to fill out our consumer complaint form online. have a great holiday weekend. >> you too. thank you. >>> a reminder for car enthusiasts and lovers of local culture, today is lowrider day in san jose. it's the first of its kind because lowriders were banned for over three decades. san jose was the capital

consumer investigator chris chmura is looking ahead to next summer and hunting for ways to possibly saveu money. >> we're taking a second look at cruises. our team ventured to the port of san francisco recently and cruisers told us they're getting an all-inclusive vacation without spending all the money in their bank accounts. >> very good deal. we paid about 4 something apiece. >> coming up tonight at 11:00, we're going to enlist a cruise veteran who has been on 30 cruises and she'll walk us through your options for 2024 from budget to luxury, especially if you've written off cruises in years past. we'll explain how a travel agent might get you a lower price than a cruise line, and where to book to get the most protection. i'm not talking about travel insurance. full disclosure, we do get some cruise complaints, though they have eased since the pandemic started. if you have one, you can share it with us. scan the qr code on your screen right now to fill out our consumer complaint form online. i'll join you again tonight at 11:00. >> sounds good. thanks, chris. >>> cracking down on organ

chris chmura joins us with a few of our recent wins. >> good friday morning.sh. a case from telemundo. maria got a dental crown at a clinic. she also got an extra bill for 450 bucks. she filed a claim. got nowhere. she asked us to take a closer look. after months of intervention, maria had something to smile about. the clinic canceled that $450 charge. next there's mike in san jose. owe pre-paid $215 for a full year of newspaper delivery. mid-year the paper said it would deliver five fewer papers than originally promised. miami didn't think that was fair. he asked the team for help. we contacted the publisher. it said mike will get the number of papers he originally paid for. if you are stuck in a customer service standstill, fill out our consumer complaint form online. have a great weekend. >> thank you. you too, chris. you too, chris. >>> that does it for "the fast my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for s

. >> consumer investigator chris chmura is here with a pair of cases where our teams came up aces. >>ere down for herman in san jose. he had been battling an online travel agent since christmas when an airline canceled his family's flight. herman expected a refund and the stakes were high, about $2,500. but after more than six months of asking on his own and no refund in the cards, the responde team joined the game and turned the tables. herman got his $2,488 back. to the north bay, carey in antioch just graduated from a local health college. congrats. but the school wasn't delivering on a $500 tuition credit. carey didn't want to fold and asked us to hold them accountable. the college anted up and credited carey the $500. our team is flush with wins like that. we've recovered shy of $7 million for viewers like you since we debuted in 2016. jackpot. if you've got a case that's stuck, don't fold. scan the qr code on the screen to fill out our consumer complaint form online. have a great holiday weekend. >>> if those holidays end up in some sort of problem, you know who to call. >> alwa

chris chmura is here with a couple of recent cases where we helped steer folks to refunds. >> happy fridayar, including mismatched tires and a dmv registration that the dealer botched. that dealer didn't fix all she expected until we stepped in. the dealer also tossed in a cash bonus for the inconvenience. in all, a $3,500 win. jeffrey in san jose told us an airline owed him $80 for a taxi. the carrier caused a hiccup to miss his connecting flight. it agreed to reimburse him for ground transportation. he paid 80 bucks but didn't get his cash back until he called us. before you pay out of pocket for things like a hotel or car when an airline trip goes sideways, ask a rep to give you a voucher to cover the cost up front. visit the ticket counter first. if it's late and it is closed, ask at the baggage service office. it is usually staffed into the night. speaking of airlines, if you have a problem with one and they go silent, you can make a federal case out of it. we made a how to video showing you how to open an official federal airline complaint with the u.s. department of transportation.