here's rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: tis the season for traveling. when tickets showed up in the mailbox, it may seem like holiday cheer. i'm just going to ask them a couple of questions. tonight, we're on a mission to track the free vacation runaround. so, where it's the free trip? we got this note. our then-executive producer received a letter congratulating him on a dream vacation. you will get two nights at a marriott hotel. the value is up to $1,398. >> sounds pretty good. >> reporter: when we googled their phone number, we got this. complaints. and it all goes to that phone number that we're about to call. so, we decided to schedule an appointment with this mystery company. >> i received a letter about some free tickets. >> reporter: to claim our free trip. >> so, i come, stay for the presentation, i get two tickets. we sent two abc news producers wearing hidden cameras to get the tickets. the location, in brooklyn, new york. >> good afternoon, how is everybody doing? >> all right, all right. >> reporter: it starts with him congratulating every

i'm rebecca jarvis from abc news.but they quickly left, leaving us with this guy, who calls himself thorne. we sent in the money, got these. then we were told if you want the ticket, you have to pay an activation fee for $59 a person. >> which was identified on the bottom of the certificate. >> reporter: that's not complimentary. >> it was the form you were promised for coming in, if you read the small print on the back. >> reporter: according to thorne, it's an outside company that provides the free trip. so, we still don't have that complimentary hotel stay or complimentary tickets that we were promised and now we've been offered a new deal. but still, no tickets. so far, no trip, and no word back from thorne's company, ppv. rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> too good to be true. >>> coming up, why this slick jenga move is going viral tonight. our "instant index," up next. wishful thinking, right? but there is one step you can take to help prevent another serious disease- pneumococcal pneumonia. one dose of the

i'm rebecca jarvis with abc news.aving us with this guy who calls himself thorn. i'm not seeing any free tickets, nothing complimentary here. >> it is complimentary. they are free gifts. they are complimentary. >> reporter: where are the complimentary tickets? >> i'll be forward with you. we give a 90-minute presentation. if you attended the presentation then this form was signed. >> reporter: the company claims that the free gifts are fulfilled by an outside company and they're not responsible for fulfilling the trip. >> reporter: we sent in the money. we got these. then we were told if you want the ticket, you have to pay an activation fee for $59 a person. >> which was identified -- >> that's not complimentary. >> it was the form that you were promised for coming in. if you read the small print on the back -- >> reporter: thorn requested a second interview in his offices but neither he nor anyone else from ppv travel ever got back to us. so we still don't have that complimentary hotel stay for those complimentary t

rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> thank you. the big headline about a nfl star.the big decision about his case. did he win it? >>> and barbara walters, can you guess the most fascinating person of the year. >>> and this question. is your dog going to heaven. tonight pope francis is weighing in and got a lot of attention. in and got a lot of attention. d- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. attack the flu virus at its source with prescription tamiflu. and call your doctor right away. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion o

here's abc's rebecca jarvis, for our series, "realty check." >> reporter: it's 9:00 a.m.mpe, arizona. this modest three bedroom home is being completely gutted. countertops, warms, even an old fireplace torn out. the person calling the shots? this mom of five and former nurse, maria. >> our miracle baby. >> reporter: now, she's a full-time real estate investor in the ever competitive world of flipping. howl many houses have you flipped? >> 28 homes now. >> reporter: 28. on reality tv, they do it under a tight timeline. >> 25 days into our 30-day flip. >> reporter: with shows like "flip it to win it" and "flip or flop." but that's not how you make the most money these days. >> i call reality tv unrealistic television when it comes to real estate. >> reporter: it's not that easy. >> no, it's not. if you are doing an extensive remodel, it's going to take two to three months. >> reporter: in this new market, flipping phenoms like maria are on the rise. they are going that extra mile, reaping the biggest returns. there is definitely a school of thought that says this is just a

here's abc's rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: the gift that keeps on giving.as prices don for 68 straight days. eight states poised to see pryces below $2. and we're already seeing the effects. november the strongest month for car sales in more than a decade. americans back to buying suvs. sales of the lincoln navigator up 88%. the chevy tahoe up 10%. even renewed interest in buying the used hummer h1 which gets about 9 miles to the gallon. americans now saving nearly $250 million a day on cheaper gas. that's $1100 a year for the typical family. savings that can go toward everything from food to travel to holiday gifts. >> a lot of motorists i've talked to have said the added income is going right under the christmas tree. >> reporter: and another gift on the way, prices expected to drop another 10 cents by christmas day. so those prices going to be even lower. another gift under your christmas tree. the first sea to drop below $2 a gallon expected to be oklahoma city. that should come some time next week according to analysts. rebecca jarvis, abc news. >> tha

rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> camel camel camel.ca has so many websites to remember that it's like, you can't keep up, but she's the best. >> seems like it's so much work to get the stuff but it's work to get the deal. >> but i've got lots of deals for you. >> do you now? >> how many lumps of coal can one person put in three boxes? >> it must have been heavy. >> reena, i appreciate getting anything. >> you're welcome. >> i really do. >> i used camel camel camel to get the best coal. >>> don't miss updates on our fan page wnnfans.com. >> announcer: this is "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades. >>> making news in america this morning -- siege in sydney. breaking developments as a gunman takes hostages at a popular cafe, forcing them to hold an islamic flag against the window. some able to escape. ores left inside. >>> breaking overnight, the last escapee from an alabama prison break now captured. the help of a 24-hour tip line led to the catch. >>> a coach grabs the player by the hair and throws her across the floor.

rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> they put some time in and we know -- rebecca is still runningding. clearly she -- >> that's true. >> two hours of a sales pitch. >> have you done one of those before? >> give you a ticket to get me out of here. >> i don't trust anything that's free. >> there you go, folks. that's all you need to know. >> did i say some words of truth? >>> coming up, something to show you here. a hero monkey? yeah, saving his buddy. >> and a kid's latest dream job that may leave you frozen in your tracks. "the mix" is next. that may leave you frozen in your tracks. "the mix" is next. frozen in your tracks. "the mix" is next. [ male announcer ] meet mary. she loves to shop online with her debit card. and so does bill, an identity thief who stole mary's identity, took over her bank accounts, and stole her hard earned money. unfortunately, millions of americans just like you learn all it may take is a little misplaced information to wreak havoc on your life. this is identity theft, and no one helps stop it better than lifelock. lifelock has the most comprehensive id

let's get to rebecca jarvis. >> what is. >> doing sit oil. we have been talking about places at the bump, $2 a gallon now. and for a number of companies that is bad news. if you look at the typical family's 401k, started out around $90,000, it has shrunk in a short period of time. it's important to put it in context f you look at it for the year, stocks up 4%. >>rebecca, thank you. >>> last night, the house nearly passing a $1 trillion spending bill under objections of democrats and republicans. and tonight, president obama calling it a major compromise urging the senate to support it. >>> we turn an abc news investigation, rare video of no holds barred tactics. door to door salesmen in your neighborhood. some customers are pressured into tactics and they have to pay more to cancel. brian ross with the video tonight. >> reporter: this is no place for mr. nice guy. >> guys, nice people in sales, you don't' make any money. go to mcdonald's. >> reporter: rare video of the owner of a home alarm company, reaching hardball tactics to his door-to-do

i fought back, he can't bother me anymore. >> reporter: rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> good for her for fighting back. >>> coming up, a subway commute takes a romantic turn. speak new or forever hold your peace. instant index is up next. kes a romantic turn. speak new or forever hold your peace. instant index is up next. problems to get in the way nt my g of hosting my book club. that's why i asked my doctor about b-r-e-o. once-daily breo ellipta helps increase airflow from the lungs for a full 24 hours. and breo helps reduce symptom flare-ups that last several days and require oral steroids, antibiotics, or hospital stay. breo is not for asthma. breo contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. it is not known if this risk is increased in copd. breo won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden copd symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. breo may increase your risk of pneumonia, thrush, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking breo. ask your doctor about

. >>> and super saturday, rebecca jarvis with the best deals she could find for tomorrow. >> reporter: tonight, the final countdown to the biggest shopping day this year. tomorrow, "super" saturday. sales expected to soar to $10 billion, nearly $1 billion more than black friday. >> we're predicting it will be even bigger than cyber monday and black friday. and that's because the discounts will be so big that a lot of people will come out. >> reporter: kohl's is now open for 24 hours every day between now and christmas eve. toys r us staying open for 183 hours straight until christmas eve in new york. offering buy one get one 50% off my little pony and littlest pet shop in stores. $100 off macbook pros at best buy. and some of the very best deals on clothes, 50% off storewide at banana republic, j. crew factory, and ann taylor. and for the procrastinators among us, google's new shopping express service, now available in six locations. we gave it a try as i finished my shopping list. for $4.99, i can have these sent to me today. the order delivered directly to our door a little over an

rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> you heard her.t -- she was talking to you. >> i know. we make fun of all these delivery services but i want to be in your shoes. i want to work at u.p.s. for a day and see what it's really like. >> these guys have a very tough job, and -- >> yeah. >> -- this is their season. >> i think if you didn't work as a delivery driver and you slept instead of doing this to make a little extra christmas money, it would be better for you. >> which one is the extra -- this is my extra money is the abc. u.p.s. is my main job. >> unless "world news now" is your seasonal job. >> that's what it is. this is my side gig. >>> when we come back, we'll tell you about the director of the big hit "frozen." the director is apologizing to parents. >> and why jennifer aniston is feeling pressured and why it's so unfair. that's straight ahead in "the skinny." you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc ♪ skinny so skinny ♪ >>> topping the headlines, the director of "frozen

rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> you don't approve? >> of which part?'ll give him a moment. i paid $2.43 for gas in new jersey today. >> you look pretty excited about it. >> i'm really excited about it. and it is going right underneath my christmas tree. >> you want to tell us what you drive? it's okay if you don't want to. >> an suv. >> it's good for the economy. >> it's good for the economy. but they're saying one of the down sides are hybrid cars aren't doing so well. >> everyone is excited, i can afford the big suv because i can afford the gas. >> they won't be saying that next summer. >> they get you back. >>> the royals are here. they are riding around in some suvs. they are in new york probably sleeping, but wait until we tell you what they've been up to already. >>> justin bieber, bold new look in "the skinny," next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. ♪ skinny so skinny ♪ >>> time for "the skinny." we start with the young british royals in new york for the first time ever. >> william and kate are staying a

here's rebecca jarvis. where are the jobs? >> what is reassuring, the industries with the jobs tend to pay higher incomes. we've seen wages stagnate for almost a decade. >> thank you, rebecca. >>> now to florida this evening, to a community where they've trapped and killed nine bears. one of them attacking a woman this week. matt gutman with the images of the bears taking over the neighborhood. >> reporter: from the trees to the trash cans. on wednesday night, attacking jean barber, walking her dog. tonight, florida fish and wildlife telling us this is the ninth nuisance bear they've trapped and killed in four weeks. just before that, a photographer capturing pictures of the same group of bears in trees. bear attacks on the rise nationwide, killing six ameri n americaninamerica americans this year. but central florida, ground central for bear attacks. this woman was attacked in her own garage in her hometown. and this man says if you were attacked -- >> cover your face and neck. >> reporter: experts all agree, never run. it tri

here you rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: a view you've probably never seen before. this 320-pound orange robot we outfitted with a go-pro camera offering a rare glimpse inside the busiest day of the year at this gigantic amazon warehouse in tracy, california. 3,000 robots working round the clock here outnumbering the 2,000 human employees. this 1 million square-foot structure the equivalent of nearly 21 football fields housing almost 22 million items. watch as we put amazon's technology to the test. placing an order for one of the hottest gifts of the year. the fitbit from our offices in new york city. a minute later it's off the line, ready to ship. now the company that wrote the book on internet retail is facing serious competition. >> what's different this year is many of the brick and mortar retailers are offering similar advantages. >> reporter: like same-day delivery. macy's and nordstrom using some of their stores as warehouse locations. best buy and toys "r" us teaming up with google offering same day delivery in some markets. mass retailers also competing o

abc's rebecca jarvis unveiling the details on a shocking new study on how few deals really exist. >> reporter: 12 days before christmas, and dazzling deals and discounts everywhere you turn. before you buy, listen to this. there's plenty of offers you can afford to miss. >> we spend more than 54,000 this season, and less than 1% are good deals. >> reporter: product review website the wire cutter has scoured the internet and found thousands of average offers masquerading as the deals of the century. >> we want people to not take the bait. >> reporter: what is the bait? >> the emotional impact of seeing the word deal. >> reporter: take a look at this smart toaster on sale at macy's for $250. compared to the regular price of $417. sounds like a huge discount. but dig a little deeper and you'll find that same toaster available on best buy, crate and barrel and amazon for $250 for the last year. >> there's really great products. but not many good deals. >> reporter: how do you know when a deal is really a deal? track the price action with web sites like camelcamelcamel.com. they let you s

abc's chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis tonight. rebecca? >> reporter: david, these prices have been falling every day for 82 days straight. tonight, the national average, $2.51. that is the 73 cents cheaper than it was this time last year. prices expected to drop another 10 to 20 cents by christmas and continue falling into next year, when the typical american family will spend $550 less on those gas pills. now, there is a downside to falling gas. it is lower oil prices, which are now raising concerns about the health of the overall global economy, dade. >> rebecca, thank you. affected by dropping oil prices, the russian rubble. look at the dramatic fall. plummeting 20% more in just the past 24 hours. the collapse being blamed on western sanctions and that falling price of oil. >>> from the rubel to the money in your wallet tonight. here in washington, stutough questions after taxpayer dollars, your dollars, were spent on a nasa project that never took off. we're talking $350 million. behind that scaffolding tonight, a rocket testing tower

abc's chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis tonight on who is next. rebecca? >> reporter: david, we told you it would happen and now it's here. oklahoma city, the first in the country to pay below $2 for a gallon of gas at two separate gas stations, these prices being offered right now tonight. this one, $1.99, and another, $1.98. not answering their phones, probably they're busy. houston, texas, the next in the nation to cross below that $2 mark. but seven other states on their way to paying below $2 a gallon. and if you don't live in one of those, have no fear. because the whole nation is on track to pay 15 to 20 cents less for a gallon of gas by new-year-old's. david? >> all right, we'll take it. reck becca, thank you. >>> there are new developments tonight in the fight against isis. their powerful leader, al baghdadi, and the woman who may have been one of his wives. she's being questioned tonight, captured trying to capture the border into lebanon with fake i.d.s. a child with her. so, let's get right to abc's chief global affairs correspondent martha rad

abc chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: this was the best day for stocks, david. dow is now up 7%. now cancelling all of those volatility last week. retirement savings account tonight, it's up more than 10,000 on the year. what's behind all of this -- you have the federal reserve which says they're keeping interest rates stead into next year and you also have oil, those prices going forward will drive stocks. >> thank you. >>> there was also a major development today in that case that shocked the country. two young girls allegedly stabbing their 12-year-old friend leaving her to die in the woods. she survived. they did it for a fictional character on the internet. what the judge has decided. abc's alex perez now. >> reporter: they are just 12 and 13. today, a judge ruled they will stand trial for allegedly leading their friend into the woods and stabbing 19 times and leaving her for dead, all to please a fictional character known as slender man. one lawyer saying she doesn't understand the legal proceedings. the judge wouldn't let cameras show her face. >> she's

here's rebecca jarvis. where are the jobs? >> so, we are seeing them being created in seasonal jobs. but what's particularly reass e reassurireassur reassuring is manufactu manufacturing, health care, jobs that tend to pay higher incomes. this couldn't come at a better time. we've seen wages stagnate for almost a decade. >> thank you, rebecca. >>> now to florida this evening, to a community where they've trapped and killed nine bears. one of them attacking a woman this week. matt gutman with the images of the bears taking over the neighborhood. >> reporter: from the trees to the trash cans. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: this video showing bears descending. on wednesday night, attacking jean barber, walking her dog. >> a bear approached her, bit her on the arm, exited. >> reporter: tonight, florida fish and wildlife telling us this is the ninth nuisance bear they've trapped and killed in just the past few weeks. just before that, a photographer capturing pictures of the same group of bears in trees. in driveways, neighbors appare

for "this week," rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> and the experts now, paul krugman, nobel prizeconomist from princeton and the new york times. and megan o'sullivan, now a professor of international affairs of a harvard. start with you. obviously the drop in gas prices, an immediate booster shot for consumers. how do you analyze the broader global exact? >> well, there's win skpners an losers. most advanced countries are big winners, except fors up. >> not us? >> russia loses, saudi arabia loses, venezuela loses. we're -- you know, consumers here gain. but a lot of the reason why this is happening is the u.s. oil boom, fracking. and the trouble is from our point of view, that has been a boost to the u.s. economy, it generates a lot of investment. that's going to come down as the prices go down. >> are the prices of oil low enough it's going to start to hurt states? ohio, and alaska a big producer as well. >> there's a significant number of projects that are either underway or on the books that are not profitable at these prices. it does the u.s. nascent, our shale, our fracking i

abc's chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis reporting in tonight. >>> tonight, a view you've probably never seen before. this 320-pound orange robot we outfitted with a go pro camera, offering a rare glimpse inside the busiest day of the year at this gigantic amazon warehouse in california. 3,000 robots working around the clock here. outnumbers the 2,000 human employees. this 1 million square foot structure, the equivalent of nearly 21 football fields. housing almost 22 million items. watch as we put amazon's technology to the test. placing an order for one of the hottest gifts of the year, the fit bit from our offices in new york city. minutes later, it's off the line, ready to ship. but now, the company that wrote the book on internet retail is facing serious competition. >> what's different this year is many of the brick and mortar retailers are offering similar advantages. >> reporter: like same day delivery. macy'sed a nord stock using some of their stores as warehouse locations. best buy and toys "r" us teaming up with google, offering same-day delivery in select markets. mass r

abc's chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: tonight, the gift that keeps on giving. gas prices now down for 68 straight days. eight states poised to see prices below $2. and tonight, we're already seeing the effects. november, the strongest month for car sales in more than a decade. americans back to buying suvs. sales of the eight-passenger lincoln navigator up 88%. the chevy tahoe up 10%. even a renewed interest in buying the used hummer h1, which gets about nine miles to the gallon. americans now saving nearly $250 million a day on cheaper gas. that's $1,100 a year for the typical family. savings that can go towards everything from food to travel to holiday gifts. >> a lot of motorists i've talked to said the added income is going right under the christmas tree. >> reporter: and another gift on the way, david. these prices expected to drop another 10 cents by christmas day. the first city to drop below $2 a gallon, analysts say, will be oklahoma city, that should happen next week. david? >> oklahoma city first. all right, reba ka, thank you. >>> there's still muc

abc's rebecca jarvis tonight with what you need to know. >> reporter: in the race for holiday party prept you may not have noticed in that shopping cart many of your favorite products shrinking right inside the packages. >> this is just not something that would ever come on my radar. >> reporter: now, mom kristen says she's spotting it in every aisle. edgar has spent his career tracking oversized packaging and shrinking products. this is the new and this is the old. from crackers to cookies to juice, he says the newer packages may look about the same. their weight labeled correctly. but what's inside -- >> we've lost one of those ten boxes in the new package. >> reporter: now, come companies even facing lawsuits. cvs agreeing to redesign packaging to settle charges in california that it misled consumers with oversitzed boxes. and now tonight, johnson & johnson settling a similar suit in california agreeing to change some of its product packaging, too. johnson & johnson telling abc news tonight, it has already updated packaging for some products and additional changes will be introduced o

companies promising your packages will make it there in time, but abc's chief business correspondent rebecca jarviswith a reality check tonight. >> reporter: it's the busiest shipping day of the year for fedex. shoppers placing those last-minute orders. last year, an estimated 2 million packages guaranteed for delivery by christmas eve arrived long after santa did. this year, ups and fedex already announced they can no longer offer money back guaranteed that your packages sent with ground shipping will arrive by christmas. now, retailers hoping to win your business are pushing delivery dates to the brink. more than a quarter noult guaranteeing on-time deliveries as long as you order just three days before christmas. >> they want our dollars and they'll do anything to make us spend. >> reporter: shipping companies are stepping up their game, too. ups hiring 95,000 seasonal workers. fedex expecting to move more than 290 million shipments. and the u.s. postal service delivering seven days a week through the holiday season. >> to be 100% certain that your tree will be full of gifts around it, do click

he can't bother me anymore. >> reporter: rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. >> do you think she callim and harassed him for her money. >> it's interesting. there are a lot of rules governing what they can and can't do. they cannot use the threat of violence or harm in any circumstance. >> and she's right. and that piece, he sounds like a joke or you're being punked. i can't believe those are actual calls. >> i can't believe he'd think someone would pay money? i guess just to get rid of you? >> to scare you enough. that's it. scare you to the point of, hey, just pay them off. >>> we'll be talking about deep discounts coming up on this cybermonday. >> and we've got expert money saving advice on how and where to shop online today. get ready, folks. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our >>> if you didn't head to the stores after your mg dinner over the next day for the contact sport known as black friday, holiday shopping, well, now is your time to point, click and buy. >> this is cybermonday. t