Steve Says

...but on the web?   Well....

Did you happen to catch the story this week on the Batman Cake Hoax gone bad?  I mean REAL bad.

A PR firm in San Antonio thought everyone was on board with their publicity stunt to attract movie watchers to the opening of the new Batman film.  Part of the pitch?  Deliver cakes to every radio and TV station in town along with instructions to call a phone number. 

You dial the number and the cake starts "ringing" (actually the phone buried in the cake rings).  It was enough to call out the bomb squad to one TV station that 'didn't-get-the-message' so to speak.

Here's the story in case you missed it:

It got me thinking about all of the crazy things that show up on my desk each week from PR firms and manufacturers who are trying to get their product some publicity on TV.  Some are simple.  Some are very creative. SOME ARE OUTRAGEOUS!  Some of the stuff you are about to see would NEVER make it into a TV segment (others would), but the pitches from those that represent the products were memorable enough to at least grab my attention and make it into my blog.  These PR folks stood out enough that I thought their pitches shouldn't be kept a secret.

(What you can't hear when I open the Batman-themed box is a pre-recorded message from the Joker which automatically plays when the box is opened.  We tried again, but my mic didn't pick it up.)

Click play to see what I'm talking about:

You might be wondering, what happens to all of this stuff?  at the end of each year I hold a free raffle for everyone who works in the building and it is all given away.  You'd be AMAZED at some of the junk people can't wait to "sign up" to "win". 

The internet is packed with promises from authors of do-it-yourself manuals designed to teach you to EASILY convert your car to run on hydrogen extracted from water.

If you caught our story tonight at 9 you know what our experience was like trying to complete the task.

During the process, we searched for someone in North Texas who has successfully done so. 

Have you tried?

Have you succeeded?

Sound off and let me know.  We'd love to follow up.

In the meantime many thanks to the many MANY MANY viewers who wrote in requesting that we put such an instruction manual to the test.  

Keep those story ideas coming!

It's billed as the website that can give women a beautiful beach body without busting their budget.   And speaking of "busts"- that's exactly what those behind the site have in mind.

Myfreeimplants.com connects women who wish they had a few more curves with anonymous donors willing to bankroll their surgery.  When each woman who registers on line raises the money she needs to complete the surgery (through paid-per email exchanges and flat donations), a check is cut directly to her surgeon for her breast augmentation procedure.

Wondering how this all works?  Tune in to FOX4 News tonight at 9.   Maybe you have a comment on this one?

Sound off below- how do you feel about myfreeimplants.com.

You slather it on to protect your skin as you try to find a balance between sun and safety, but the products that are meant to make you glow a golden brown aren't getting very glowing reviews.

In an investigation of 952 name brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group found that 4 out of 5 sunscreen products offer low levels of protection from the sun- or contain ingredients that may make them unsafe to use.

4 out of 5!  That's A LOT!  So, chances are you may use one of the products they have investigated- especially when you consider that the investigation found that NOT ONE of the market leader Coppertone's 41 sunscreen products met EWG's criteria for safety and effectiveness. 

OK- you're asking- just who are these EWG people and why is it they know so much about how sunscreen works?

Their testing looked at UVB Protection, UVA Protection and stability (how fast the components in the sunscreen break down).  The EWG cites in its study the FDA, the CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association) and CHPA (Consumer Healthcare Products Association).

For a full summary of their report including a look at the sunscreen that may be in your beach bag visit the cosmeticsdatabase.com website.

If you're ready for the next generation of iPhone, here is the latest from AT&T.  It will give you a look at pricing, contract commitments and phone models (including some non-contract plans that are in the works).

You'll notice that while the price of the iPhone has dropped significantly, the OVERALL COST OF OWNERSHIP is up. New service on a 3G phone will be $20 more per year.  Over the life of the 2 year contract commitment that's 240 bucks.  Add that to the new $199 "discounted" price, and overall the new 3G will actually cost you more to own than its more expensive 1st generation counterpart. 

If you recall our coverage from last year when the iPhone was first introduced, there were lines of people around the block waiting to get their hands on one.  Do you think it will be the same scene when the new model goes on sale?

AT&T ANNOUNCES iPHONE 3G PRICING AND TIPS TO BE iREADY

Online Resources Available to Help Customers Prepare for Purchase

Variety of Attractive Plans Combine Voice and Unlimited Data

DALLAS, July 1, 2008 — AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced iPhone 3G pricing for new and existing AT&T customers, several attractive voice and data plans, and tips on how to be “iReady” when iPhone 3G goes on sale at AT&T retail stores at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, July 11. 

“We can’t wait to offer iPhone 3G to our customers, and we want to make sure the buying process is as easy as possible,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T’s wireless unit. “Considering all the great new features of iPhone 3G, we think our pricing and monthly plans present a tremendous value for consumers and businesses alike.”  

Pricing and Eligibility

AT&T is making it easy for customers to prepare for their iPhone 3G purchase by posting “Get iReady” tips and frequently asked questions at www.att.com/iphone. The site also will include a link for customers to check their upgrade eligibility and other wireless account information. 

iPhone 3G will be available for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to the following customers:

·         iPhone customers who purchased before July 11

·         Customers activating a new line with AT&T

·         Current AT&T customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount

Existing AT&T customers who are not currently eligible for an upgrade discount can purchase iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model. Both options require a new two-year service agreement. In the future, AT&T will offer a no-contract-required option for $599 (8GB) or $699 (16GB).

Current customers may also choose to wait until they become eligible for an upgrade discount.  Eligibility is generally determined by amount of time remaining on a current contract and payment history. 

Current AT&T customers who are upgrading to iPhone 3G will pay an $18 upgrade fee and new AT&T customers will pay the standard $36 activation fee.

Voice, Data and Text Messaging Plans

AT&T brings iPhone 3G customers the best coverage on the globe and the largest mobile-to-mobile calling community with unlimited calling to AT&T’s 71.4 million wireless customers. iPhone 3G customers can choose from four individual AT&T Nation plans, which bundle voice and unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing). 

• AT&T NationSM Unlimited: Includes unlimited Anytime Minutes for $129.99 a month.

   

• AT&T Nation 1350: Includes 1350 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $109.99 a month. 

   

• AT&T Nation 900: Includes 900 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $89.99 a month.

   

• AT&T Nation 450: Includes 450 Anytime Minutes and 5,000 Night & Weekend Minutes for $69.99 a month.

   

All AT&T Nation and AT&T FamilyTalk® plans for iPhone 3G include nationwide long distance and roaming, Visual Voicemail, Rollover®, unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling and Caller ID. 

AT&T will offer FamilyTalk plans, with bundled voice and unlimited data, starting as low as $129.99 a month for two iPhone 3G lines. Up to three additional iPhone lines can be added for $39.99 each. 

Unlimited text messaging can be added for an additional $20 ($30 for FamilyTalk plans of up to five lines); $15 (1,500 messages), or $5 (200 messages).

iPhone for Business

Business customers interested in iPhone 3G should contact an AT&T business sales representative or review their account information online to determine their eligibility for upgrade pricing. Corporate e-mail and other business applications require the Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone, which is $45 a month and bundled with an eligible voice plan. Small business customers may qualify for AT&T BusinessTalk, the industry’s only shared plan specifically for small businesses. Additional details on iPhone business offerings are available at www.att.com/iphoneforbusiness.

iPhone 2.0 Software

All iPhone customers will benefit from the iPhone 2.0 software, which will be pre-loaded on all iPhone 3Gs and available as a free download for current iPhone customers. The new software will include numerous enhancements, such as business-class e-mail access via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync; the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows a business to easily create applications customized to its needs; and the App Store, which offers a wide-range of applications — from games to business, education to entertainment and productivity to social networking. For example, AT&T has developed YELLOWPAGES.COM Mobile for iPhone, which takes local mobile search to a new level by allowing users to discover businesses and local events based on their popularity among other iPhone users, get directions and access business reviews. 

** iPhone 3G is available to customers who are currently prepaid customers; however, there is no prepaid plan for iPhone 3G.  Additionally, customers’ accounts must be in good standing.

You can all it cheap.

I call it frugal.

Either way the news from American Airlines has me in a tailspin!

Let's just for a minute forget about the millions in executive bonuses (and correct me if I'm wrong here, but I haven't anything about those bonuses being cut to save money).  No, instead it looks like you and I will be supplementing AA's bottom line by .. yes.. FEES!

I get it- some things are extra.  Food costs money, not a problem.  As long as I can bring my own food on the plane, I'm not complaining. (look for a later blog entry on the "reasonable" pricing of airport food- I can feel it coming)

There are even some things that I am WILLING to pay extra for. 

At 6'3" I am MORE THAN WILLING to pay for an emergency exit row or bulkhead seat- the extra leg room is a luxury.  I am fully aware that this is an extra- that when I book a ticket I do so with the knowledge that I am paying for a coach seat (lack of leg room and all).  If I want extra.. I should pay extra.  I call the exit row the "poor man's first class" and I'm willing to pay extra for it.

What I am not willing to pay for is my luggage!  Much like I understand the expectation that airline seats are a certain size and that if I want more room I have to pay more money, I think it is a reasonable expectation on the airline's behalf that, unless I am traveling to a nudist colony, I will be traveling with AT LEAST one bag.

To be honest I think the folks at AA are FULLY aware of this.  Apparently all of those other "paid-for" extras haven't been generating enough money, so they have finally found the one thing that most all of us will have- luggage- and now they are charging us for it.

My disclaimer here- I am aware that FULL FARE ticket holders will not be subject to this charge, and that some international and business travelers are exempt too- but I (as a frugal minded consumer who doesn't pay the outrageous full fare) am not exempt.  In fact I think that exemption is basically lip service.  Of course those full fare people are exempt- first off there aren't too many of them, second- if they are paying that outrageous price for a ticket they deserve a little break.

I believe that carry on luggage is also exempt from this fee.  Cut to a plane full of people battling it out for the last spot in the overhead bin.  Can I still check my bag planeside when the overhead bins are full?  Or will the flight attendants now have credit card swipe machines and insist on my $15 bucks? YIKES!

Ok.. back to me. 

I am leaving for a vacation on Sunday- luckily the new fees won't be in effect until mid June.  However, I ALSO think that those who have booked and paid for future tickets already (pre the AA announcement yesterday) should ALSO be exempt from this fee.  Here's why:

I'm headed to a wedding this July- I spent weeks scouring all of my favorite discount airline websites looking for the very best deal.  Am I willing to wake up extra early or arrive a little late to save some money?  YOU BET!  However now my "better deal" on American (which I will be flying to the wedding) is really no good deal at all.

Consider this: I booked my flight on American because it saved me 60 bucks (multiply by two for all of the people in my party and that's 120 bucks). Now, provided each of us bring two bags that's an extra $80 each round trip- ($15 for each of our first bags $25 for each of our second bags).  That's an added cost of $160 dollars round trip.  In short the schedule sacrifice we made in the name of saving money and flying American is now costing us 40 dollars.

Thanks a lot American.  I hope you have enjoyed my business, because I will be thinking twice before I give it to you again.  You have made it clear that your first choice is to put people out of work and pad your own pockets by passing the cost of doing your business on to me! 

On the plus side, yes this may keep the airline in business and without American it would be very hard for me to fly anywhere at all.  And, yes, thank god it's summer- that means clothes that are not too bulky and don't take up too much room.  Yes, I know I can cut down my luggage load to just one bag- that would only cost me $30 roundtrip. 

I ask how many round trip luggage fees and airline employee salaries could a hefty American Exec's bonus pay for?

Clearly this one has struck a nerve.

I get all kinds of email each day from viewers.  Some want advice, some want help, some want to share their story, some just want to vent.

This has got to be one of the BEST emails I have gotten lately - a story well told and action well taken. 

WELL DONE!!!

PRINT THIS BEFORE YOUR NEXT FLIGHT:

This morning on Good Day we talked about airline travel secrets- Here are two you should never leave home without.  Print this out and take it with you when you fly- keeping in mind that pulling these rules out of your bag of tricks should be your SECOND option- after you have calmly tried to settle things wit the airline.  (Remember ultimately you are at these people's mercy- you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar)

Rule 240 is a term describing what individual airlines will do to compensate stranded or delayed passengers in the event of delays caused by airlines. The specific reference here is to a federal requirement before airline deregulation in 1978.  The requirements of each airline differs under rule 240 - so best to check your flight contract.  In general the rule 240 provision requires airlines to get you where you need to go EVEN ON ANOTHER CARRIER. 

The provision applies ONLY to delays that are ABSOLUTELY the airline's fault (mechanical delays for example)- and never to things like weather delays, strikes or acts of God (or mother nature). 

Simply put, Rule 240 (and some airlines call this rule by another name i.e. rule 18 or rule 24) states that an airline facing a delayed or canceled flight has to transfer you to another carrier if 1) the second carrier could get you to your destination more quickly than the original and 2) it has available seats.  (yes there are varying degrees depending on which airline you fly)

What about if you get bumped from your flight?  The Federal Government is bumping up the compensation you are owed. Airline passengers are now eligible to receive as much as $800.  This rule is part of a new package introduced by the Transportation Department to strengthen consumer protection and ease flight delays and doubles the former maximum compensation for bumped passengers

Here's the breakdown: 

How much you get is determined by how much you spent on your original ticket to begin with and how long you are delayed. 

LENGTH OF YOUR DELAY: If you are bumped involuntarily you will receive up to $400 if you reach your destination within two hours of your original arrival time (this length of time doubles to four hours for international destinations). If the delay is longer, the maximum compensation increases to $800.

HOW MUCH YOU SPENT: The amount of compensation is double a traveler's one-way fare, up to the maximum amounts. If you are involuntarily bumped from a domestic flight (which you spent $300 on) AND you are delayed for more than two hours- you get $600.

The payment is in addition to the value of the passenger's ticket, which you can use for alternate transportation or have refunded if not used. The compensation must be paid in cash, although you can accept a travel voucher.

Remember- be nice.. but be prepared by knowing your rights!

We are at it again!  Wednesday, May 14th we will be taking you on a behind the scenes tour of FOX4 News at 9.

It's your exclusive sneak peak behind the scenes and will be exclusively on myfoxdfw.com during the FOX4 9 o'clock news.

The live webcast will be accompanied by a live chat and I'll be answering viewer questions during the webcast.

So... do you have any questions for us?  About us?  Post them below and we'll get them answered on the air!

See you Wednesday at 9 right here on myfoxdfw.com

You may have also caught up with me (it's been a busy couple of weeks) at Wish Night- the annual Make A Wish fundraising event.  My special thanks to those of you who came over and said hi (don't be shy- I LOVE hearing from and meeting viewers).  Wish Night is an incredible event that I am fortunate to spend with one of my favorite people in DFW- Good Day Anchor Megan Henderson.  

Megan co-hosted the evening with Steve Eager (FOX4 news at 5:30, 9)- an event that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars to make wishes come true for children with life threatening illnesses. 

We were extremely fortunate this year to have a wish family at our table this year.  Their spirit and strength was inspirational- it really puts things in perspective.  The bravery each one of them showed (from their adorable 4 and 6 year old sons to mom and dad) was truly heart warming.  Just back from their trip to Disney World (their son's wish was to ride a REAL roller coaster) - they were filled with love when they reported their son, who'd had a 6 pound tumor on his kidney, is currently cancer free. 

Below are some pictures from the event- a special thanks to Make-A-Wish for having us and for the work that they do to bring smiles into the world.

With Megan Henderson at Wish Night

Thank you to Miss Grapevine, Julia Anderson and Miss Colleyville, Paige Jones for being such good sports as we pretend to "steal" their crowns!

People ask me all the time what I like most about my job.  It can be summed up in one word- service.

Sometimes it's testing products and being of service to our viewers during a newscast, but one of the great fringe benefits is being asked to be of service to local organizations.  Sometimes it's Career Day at a local school, sometimes it's judging a contest- most recently it was on behalf of  The Family Place for their annual Polo On The Lawn event.

I first met the folks at The Family Place a couple of  years ago while reporting on the benefits of their holiday Partner's Card program (an INCREDIBLE way to save money at hundreds of stores during the busy holiday shopping season <--- you KNOW I love a good deal).  Last year they approached me about acting as M.C. for their Polo event.  I had an out of town wedding, so I was unable to- but this year they asked again.  I was honored to accept.

The Family Place is the largest family violence service provider in the Dallas area. They reach out to THOUSANDS of victims each year.  They provide crisis counseling, emergency shelter and more than 150-thousand hours of service each year. It is an organization I am proud to lend my name and my time to.

The Polo event was FANTASTIC!  I had never been to a polo match before.  Below are some pictures from the day that I want to share with you.  You can learn more about the family place on line at www.thefamilyplace.org My thanks to the staff there for allowing me to be part of their event.

Me and Jason Sheeler from F!DLuxe

Our Best Dressed Tailgate Winners

The polo match

According to the National Retail Federation 41% of consumers getting a stimulus check plan on going out and spending it.  That's a pretty hefty helping of the 168 billion dollars being forked over to stimulate the economy. 

In the race to earn your business retailers are adding more money to your stimulus check either by topping it off with extra cash or waiving check cashing fees.

Here are a few on my radar.

What deals do you know of?  Are you planning on spending your check or paying off debt?

KROGER- Customers WITH OR WITHOUT a stimulus check can come into a Kroger store and buy $300, $600, or $1200 gift cards and Kroger will add 10% to the value for FREE!  That's up to $120 in free groceries.  Not a bad deal considering.. you have to eat!

WAL*MART/SAM'S CLUB- offering free check cashing services - they are waiving the $3 fee.  Sam's Club is also offering a gift membership of $40 on certain purchases.

RADIO SHACK- Get 10% off a purchase of $50 or more, OR if you're not looking to make a big purchase you can come in and buy something small (I recommend the batteries for $3.99).  The balance of your check will be put on a prepaid Master Card for free (there is usually a $9.95 fee).  You can then use the card to get cash or to buy stuff wherever Master Card is accepted.

ALBERTSON'S- You need to have a check in hand to take advantage of 10% added to the value of your gift card that you purchase with your stimulus check.

SEARS- 10% bonus when you turn your stimulus check into a Sears Gift Card .

STAPLES AND HOME DEPOT- offering special sales to entice consumers- no direct benefit to stimulus check holders.

 As more of these checks come rolling out- more incentives are sure to roll in.  Consumers can also pair their money with other offers.  This Memorial Day weekend is the Texas tax break on Energy Star appliances.  Shoppers will get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on select energy efficient products.  The 2008 Energy Star tax holiday begins at 12:01am on Saturday, May 24th and end at 11:59 pm on Monday, May 26th.

The products qualifying for the exemption are:

-Air conditioners priced under $6,000 (room and central units)

-clothes washers

-ceiling fans

-dehumidifiers

-dishwashers

-light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)

-programmable thermostats

-refrigerators priced under $2,000

Qualifying products will display the Energy Star logo- there is no limit on how many items you can purchase.  An exemption certificate is not required.  Internet and layaway plans are also eligible for the tax break.  Full details are at http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx98_836