Nutrition activists fear the food industry is co-opting so-called “mommy bloggers” with junkets and freebies and, as a result, pulling a fast one on consumers who read the blogs and are unaware of the perks and endorsement deals, the Los…

The trade group representing brokers of extended auto-service contracts today released a 20-page Standards of Conduct guide that prohibits many of the deceptive marketing practices that, according to consumer groups and regulators, have become synonymous with the industry.

The group, called the…

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster’s office announced today that it has filed suits against six companies selling extended auto-service contracts and alleged that the firms, all located in suburban St. Louis, tricked consumers into buying so-called “extended warranties” through unfair…

Reporters being summoned to press conferences in Kansas City and St. Louis tomorrow are told that Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster will announce new enforcement actions his office is taking against companies selling extended auto-service contracts.

Nanci Gonder, a spokeswoman for…

Extended auto-service contracts probably aren’t worth the money, according to a story in the December issue of Car and Driver.

The magazine conducted a secret-shopper sting on St. Charles County’s three biggest brokers of so-called extended warranties: Wentzille-based US Fidelis; St. Peters-based…

A 2007 pitch for AT&T's ValuTrak program.

Consumers who value their privacy might not want to let their fingers do the walking.

AT&T tracks calls to many numbers advertised in the Yellow Pages, and Ma Bell supplies companies with regular reports detailing…

When Louise Precht’s grandson, Greg, called last year to tell her he was locked up in a Canadian jail and needed $5,000 to get out, the Swansea woman didn’t hesitate.

It was just a week before Christmas, but Precht didn’t need…

Attorney General Chris Koster today sued a wealthy Missouri developer and two Florida companies for allegedly calling Missouri consumers whose numbers are listed on the state’s do-not-call registry.

In a press release, Koster’s office said the companies — Summer Bay Sales &…

Updated Thursday at 3:25 p.m. to include a detailed explanation from US Fidelis General Manager Eddie Struckman. For the sake of clarity, I’m putting that explanation at the beginning of this post.

A mysterious blog attributed to US Fidelis owner Darain…

If you can think of a more absurd way to blow $25,000, you need to work for Neiman Marcus.

Holiday shoppers will spend about 1 percent less this year, according to projections released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation. That forecast…