Consumer

The Latest

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  holiday hiring Oct 27

  UPS to Hire 50,000 People Nationwide in ‘Brown Friday' Event

  UPS is holding a hiring blitz called “Brown Friday” coming up this Friday, Oct. 30.
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  Consumer Reports Oct 26

  Best Bike Helmets That Won't Break the Bank

  The pandemic has reunited many adults with their bicycles. According to a recent survey, nearly 10 percent of American adults rode a bike for the first time in over a year, and 36 percent took their kids for their first bike ride.  But whether you’re biking, scootering, or skating around town, safety should always come first, and that means pr...
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  Consumer Reports Oct 26

  Best Bike Helmets That Won't Break the Bank

  Bike riding has become a popular activity during the pandemic. But not all helmets are designed equally. Susan Hogan has the top picks from Consumer Reports’ tests.
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  BACK TO SCHOOL Oct 26

  News4's Parents Tackle Back-to-School Struggles

  As schools in our area reopen, there’s a lot of anxiety and mixed emotions. News4’s parents are feeling it, too. Some of them are getting together to talk about how getting the kids back to school is going. They’re sharing the good, the bad and the difficulties we all can relate to in an ongoing weekly segment.
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  coronavirus Oct 26

  Parents Share Positives for Their Families During the Pandemic

  The pandemic has created a lot of negatives in our lives, however there are some things that may have gotten better. News4’s parents share some of their pandemic positives.
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  coronavirus Oct 26

  How News4's Parents Are Doing in the Pandemic

  Some of News4’s parents share how they are doing themselves during the pandemic.
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  customer service Oct 23

  Customer Service During COVID-19: Take Our Survey

  NBC4 Responds has teamed up with more than a dozen NBC and Telemundo stations across the country to collect your stories. Susan Hogan reports.
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  customer service Oct 23

  Customer Service During COVID-19: Take Our Survey

  Nobody knows the trials and tribulations of customer service better than the NBC4 Responds team. It’s why we’re committed to helping all of our viewers resolve their consumer issues. But not every customer service experience is a bad one. We just tend to hear those stories more often. Especially with social media, where consumers can put companies ...
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  coronavirus Oct 22

  Parents May Lose Dependent-Care FSA Money Set Aside for Camps

  A lot of us are getting ready to start choosing our benefits for the year 2021. If you use a dependent-care flexible spending account (FSA), you may want to rethink how much you set aside next year. Leif and Lowrey Redmond from Washington, D.C., depend on summer camps to keep their two little girls busy. Each year, they add money…
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  coronavirus Oct 22

  Parents May Lose Dependent-Care FSA Money Set Aside for Camps

  A Washington, D.C., family was surprised to find out that their daughter’s virtual camp isn’t an eligible expense under their dependent-care FSA. Susan Hogan reports.
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  scam Oct 20

  Local Doctor Scammed After Calling Fake Customer Service Number

  You need to call customer service, but don’t have the number, so you do a quick search online. But beware, doing so could cost you thousands of dollars. It happened to Dr. Melanye Maclin, a Bowie, Maryland, dermatologist who was trying to contact Facebook. She says she searched the app for a customer service number and found one and...
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  scam Oct 20

  Local Doctor Scammed After Calling Fake Customer Service Number

  Susan Hogan is Working 4 You with what you need to know before calling another customer service number.
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  coronavirus Oct 20

  Thousands of Families Behind on Utility Payments During COVID-19 Pandemic

  Susan Hogan reports the utility companies are urging customers to contact them immediately to set up payment plans or apply for other assistance.
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  coronavirus Oct 20

  Thousands of Families Behind on Utility Payments During COVID-19 Pandemic

  Seven months into the pandemic, we’re getting a clearer picture of just how many people are falling behind on their bills. Most water, gas and electric providers are reporting a sharp increase in the number of accounts with outstanding balances. The companies are urging customers to contact them immediately to set up payment plans or apply for othe...
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  coronavirus Oct 20

  Caregivers Struggle With Work-Life Balance During Pandemic

  S&P Global and AARP surveyed more than 1,500 full-time workers who also care for children or older adults. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that women are struggling the most when it comes to work-life balance. “Women already did the lion’s share of the child care and the caregiving before the pandemic, as well as the housework, but......
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  coronavirus Oct 19

  Work-Life Balance During the Pandemic

  A new survey finds caregivers who work are feeling more stressed. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan reports.
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  Consumer Reports Oct 19

  Top-Rated Electric Toothbrushes From Consumer Reports

  Dentists agree that brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day is the best thing you can do to keep your teeth healthy. And some studies suggest that an electric toothbrush may help keep your teeth cleaner. Consumer Reports just tested some and tells us which models did the best. An electric toothbrush can cost well over $100. How…...