Uber is now in the business of leasing cars to its drivers.  But is it a good deal?

Tiffany Arthur’s career as an Uber driver begins and ends with a used 2015 Chevy Malibu she leased through the company’s subsidiary, Xchange leasing.

“On their website it said only $99 a week.  I felt, yeah, I could swing that.  Later on, I found out it was more,” explained Arthur.

It was a lot more. Arthur was paying $660 a month to lease a car that had more than 25,000 miles on it.  She only had to pay $250 up front.  At the same time Chevrolet has an offer to lease a 2016 Chevy Malibu for $199 a month for $500 down and a couple thousand in tax and document fees.

Drivers also need a specific type of car insurance.  Arthur said that’s been as high as $250 a month. When you add that to the lease payment, it can be tough to break even.  I’ve seen surveys showing Uber drivers making $13-$19 per hour. Splitting the difference at $16 bucks per hour, the lease payments cost drivers around 25% of their pay.

“I’m not happy about it,” said Arthur.  “I’m trying to make a living and keep a roof over my head at the same time and a car payment.”

According to the lease contract at the end of 3 years of payments drivers do not have the option to purchase the car.   However after 30 days you can also return the car to Xchange with a 14 day notice plus $250.  But it’s confusing because the contract also says that drivers may have to pay thousands of dollars to end their lease early.

When we spoke to Tiffany, she had just moved to the Seattle area from Ohio. She was just trying to start a life in the northwest.   That car connected her to an income and transportation.  Two days later, Tiffany said she couldn’t make the payments.  That car and the job are gone.

“They are making their money and I’m barely hanging on,” said Arthur.

In a statement to KIRO 7 Uber said:

“We often hear from drivers that they want to join Uber, but don’t have access to a car or traditional vehicle financing. That’s why we’ve developed a number of new leasing options and vehicle discount programs. With the Xchange Leasing option, drivers choose from a variety of cars and prices and have the flexibility to return their vehicle easily if they change their mind. Our goal is to give drivers options they never had before, and drivers choose what works best for them.”

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Most big box hardware stores offer to do big jobs on your home – plumbing, kitchen installs and roofing, they promise to do it all.  But what happens when the work isn’t done right the first time? 

Cynde Lund has a bad roof.  Unfortunately, it was just installed.  The company responsible for this leaky situation is Home Depot.

 “This has been a full time job for the last month and a half, trying to contact people, call people take time off work it’s been horrible, stressful,” explained Lund.

 Lund spent $8,000 for the roof in late November.   From day one there were issues.

 “They had water leaking all over because they didn’t put a tarp up,” said Lund.

 More than two months later Lund’s skylights are still leaking.  She called Home Depot to fix the issues and file a claim for her wet dining room.

 “I just seem to go round and round and round and get absolutely nowhere with anyone who can possibly give me a solution or help me at home depot,” recalled Lund.

 I learned the roof hadn’t even been properly permitted by the state. I called Labor and Industries and it sent an inspector over right away.  The inspection listed five corrections from skylights being installed incorrectly to exposed roofing nails.  The permit was denied.  I called Home Depot with the inspection results and it decided to do the right thing, agreeing to replace the roof again and install new skylights at no additional charge.

 “They are going over and above what was done originally and what really they probably need to do,” said Lund.

 In a statement a spokesman from Home Depot said,

 “We never want a customer to be dissatisfied, so we apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate the opportunity to make it right.”

 Here are some takeaways for consumers:

• Make sure the company has done the type of job previously.
• Check contractors on the Labor and Industries website. 
• Ask if workers are getting permits for jobs performed at your home.
• Demand to see inspection reports.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

After enduring weeks of withering attacks by customers about its troubled estimated billing system, Snohomish County PUD is now looking at ways to change.

Jim West, Assistant General Manager for the utility said customer complaints are the driving force of the decision.

“What we did not anticipate was how big a deal it would be for the customers that it does not work well for, so we do want to work towards a recommendation as quickly as possible,” said West.

The sudden change of heart comes on the heels of a trip I made to Chelan County PUD.  10 years ago it did the same thing Snohomish County PUD is attempting now – switching from bi-monthly billing to monthly billing. That means the utility reads meters one month but charges customers an estimate the next. Customer have complained about bills doubling or tripling their usual amounts.

John Stoll from Chelan County PUD said the switch wasn’t well received by its customers.

“Frankly right out of the chute it didn’t go so well. It was complicated people didn’t like paying on an estimate, they wanted to pay for their actual usage that was a pretty consistent message,” recalled Stoll.

Stoll and his team listened to complaints and changed things up.  It hired more meter readers and kept monthly billing.

“The customers appreciated they were going to monthly meter reading,” said Stoll.

So what will it cost Snohomish PUD to double its meter reading staff so it can move to monthly reads for its customers? Currently the utility has 34 meter readers. The pay and operating costs for them fluctuates between $3 – 5 million a year.  When you divide that between the PUD’s 300 thousand customers that means each customer would pay just four cents a day for an accurate read.

I also learned the money is available right now because the PUD has $171 million in a Power Market Volatility Reserve Fund (PMVRF).   West told me the PUD hasn’t talked specifically about using any kind of rainy day fund like that specifically for that purpose.  He said the fund is needed to offset any sudden changes in the power market and can also help the utility’s bond rating.

West says the Board is working through solutions including going back to bi-monthly billing, keeping estimated billing or hiring more meter readers and billing monthly. The Board is also considering an advisory bill system that would allow customers to choose if they want an estimated bill but would require payment when the meter is read.  There was no timetable as to when any decision would be made.

Here’s a timeline of Snohomish PUD events regarding the billing concerns:

• At the end of January, customers of the Snohomish County Public Utility District demanded answers about why their bills have gone up drastically over the past few months.
• Jim West at Snohomish PUD said the issue began when the utility changed from bi-monthly billing to monthly in the fall. It then began to read meters every other month. One bill is customers’ real usage. The next is an estimate from the previous year. But customers aren’t buying what the PUD is selling.
• Snohomish County PUD customers outraged by recent bills had a chance to voice frustrations at a Feb. 2 utility commissioners meeting. Unfortunately, the meeting was the same old questions with the same old answers.
• A utility scam took advantage of Snohomish PDU, even though it was a utility scam that’s been around for a while. Click here for more information.
• A local solar energy customer was in for a surprise: For years David Velez didn’t have to pay a power bill. Each month he’d receive a Renewable Energy Credit from Snohomish PUD for having solar power. On top of that cash, David would also earn a sizable yearly refund. But now the Snohomish PUD has decided not to give the credit monthly. Instead it will hand out one big refund a year. That means David will now have to budget for a bill he thought he’d never have to pay. Read more here.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

It was victory day for nearly two dozen homeowners in Fife.  After nearly two years of fighting their homebuilder, Highmark Homes, and its owner, Tom Tollen, they’re one step closer to justice.

“We’ve finally have gotten to a point where, ok.  They’re responsible.  They’re going to have to fix this,” exclaimed homeowner Tracy Berg.

The homeowners sued Highmark and Tollen after their new construction homes started falling apart.  Water was seeping through exterior walls.  The excessive moisture caused black mold and mushrooms to grow.  One home even had centipedes under the carpet.

“My house is unsafe. The structural integrity of my home is not there,” explained Berg.

All the houses have a warranty but the homeowners didn’t feel comfortable having Highmark perform the repairs.  So while Tollen was busy cruising his other developments in his Lamborghini, the homeowners hired Chris Casey to take their case to court

“I see an absolute pattern with regard to the quality of construction.  Absolutely slip-shod and I’ve said it in my briefings,” said Casey.

Casey said Highmark and Tollen broke state law by failing to build homes that meet the International Building Code.  He brought in experts who found incorrect siding installation, windows and doors.  But, in a case that has gone on for nearly two years, Tollen’s attorneys still needed time to come up with their expert’s report.  Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip Sorensen opted not to wait and made his ruling.

“I think that liability is established as well,” said Judge Sorensen.  “It’s difficult to conceive that the way these things were put together would measure up to any building code standard.”

The only thing left for debate is how much Highmark and Tollen should have to pay.  Casey’s experts believe repairs could cost over $100,000 per house to make the repairs.  Tollen’s experts say it’s more like $68,000.  That’s a significant difference if you’re the homeowner.

“Can you imagine buying a house for $230,000 and waking up the next day that the defendant, the contractor, agrees that it’s going to cost over $68,000 to do repairs?  Where are you going to find that money Jesse?” said Casey.

“Tom, would you put your family in my home?” asked Berg.  “He would never live in my house.  Never.  Because it’s not safe.  I have to live with putting my family in a home that’s not safe, every day.  And now we’re going to go down the road of finally getting it fixed.”

This decision applies to one of the homes in the Valley Haven development but will likely impact the findings for the other 28 houses.  If both sides don’t reach an agreement on the cost of repairs this will head to trial sometime in August.  In the meantime, we’re talking to homeowners in Lynnwood where a similar lawsuit has been filed and Bremerton where homeowners are facing similar issues.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

When Francis Malone bought his 2004 Hyundai Elantra he expected some delay in getting his registration.  But when month’s passed, he knew something wasn’t right.

“I called motor vehicles and they don’t have me registered as the owner of this car,” explained Malone.

Malone bought the car from Sounder Auto Sales in Puyallup.  He spent five months trying to get the paperwork from the dealer.

“It’s always been the run around,” said Malone.

I went to the dealer to ask about the holdup with the paperwork.  The owner told me his dealership was robbed but that actually happened months after Francis bought the car.

I checked in with the Department of Licensing and according to spokesman Brad Benfield, dealers have 45 days from the sale to produce a title.

“It was taking quite a bit longer than it should have and clearly beyond the 45 days required by state law,” said Benfield.

Benfield said this is the first complaint DOL has received about Sounder Auto.  But the dealership did make a couple of mistakes.  It didn’t give Malone dealer plates while he waited for his registration.  Also, it told Francis and me the purchase paperwork would be good enough for the cops if he got pulled.  The Department of Licensing sent an investigator to the dealership and the truth came out.

“He asked him straight away if he had the title before he sold the vehicle and he said yes he had misplaced it,” explained Benfield.

A few weeks after we got involved, Malone got his new plates, registration and tabs.  Now he can feel good about driving the streets legally.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Earlier this year, Jesse explained how a loophole was leaving unsuspecting people on the hook for towing bills for cars they don’t own.

Lawmakers in Olympia reacted swiftly to the report by passing a bill in both houses that closes that loophole for good.

State Representative Mark Harmsworth believes House Bill 2274 will fundamentally change how vehicle transfers are made.

The bill has passed both houses–Now it’s up to the Governor to sign it.

Watch Jesse’s update above, and check out his original story below.

When George Doughty looks at pictures from his family’s Mediterranean cruise, he notices two things that are missing – he and his wife.

“We were looking forward to it,” said Doughty.

This cruise was meant to celebrate Doughty’s health. He was recovering from a partial leg amputation. He scheduled the cruise almost a year after his procedure and bought travel insurance in case anything went wrong.  The coverage offered by the cruise line was with Allianz Global Assistance.  Allianz is a giant in the world of travel insurance with clients like Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Jet Blue Amtrak.

“I figured 10 months away my leg would be healed,” recalled Doughty.

Unfortunately that didn’t happen.  There was a complication with his original procedure and Doughty had to have another surgery.  It was scheduled two weeks before the big trip which meant he had to cancel.  Doughty thought his insurance would cover the cost of his trim.  Instead, Allianz denied the claim saying his condition was “existing” and not covered under his policy.

“I was dumbfounded.  I didn’t know which way to turn,” exclaimed Doughty.

According to Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, travel insurance can be a good investment for big ticket vacations.  However, it’s imperative that you shop around.  Don’t just go with what’s offered by travel companies.  Instead, check with an agent or broker for a policy that fits your specific needs.

“So you wind up knowing what kind of terms and conditions apply for you in situations that you know may come up,” said Kreidler.

For example, buried in the fine print, Allianz defines an existing condition as anything that exists in the 4 months before the insurance is purchased.  But Doughty’s original surgery was 6 months before his trip so it shouldn’t have mattered.  So I contacted Allianz and within a few days it reversed its decision and sent a refund.

Allianz issued this statement regarding Doughty’s situation:

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay and wish the Doughty’s the best in their future travels.”

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Recent spring storms around the area have left people dealing with more than just home damage.  The Better Business Bureau Northwest is warning homeowners to also be on the lookout for scammers.

The most common scam involves door-to-door solicitors offering home repairs.  The repairmen, known as “storm chasers”, are not always licensed/bonded and often often perform sub-standard work.  They reel people in with hard to beat offers and promises of quick repairs.

Before hiring anyone you should follow these simple steps:

Verify the contractor is licensed/bonded through Labor and Industries.

Ask for references and check the BBB and other online review sites for customer reviews.

Get a contract in writing that includes all the company’s contact information.  Never accept work without a contract.

NEVER pay for the full contract up front.  Pay a percentage in the beginning and the remainder after the work is satisfactorily completed.

Just say NO to high-pressure sales tactics.  Be wary of vague or hesitant answers.

Denise Bodine bought a brand new Jeep Cherokee last September, but the SUV was not complete.

“They put it on the lift and they noticed that there was actually a gap underneath the car,” said Bodine.

The part that was missing was a sealant that’s supposed to deaden road noise.  In an email the dealer said the frame rail needed to be removed and replaced. That would involve welding and cutting the car.

“Anytime you have to cut into something and weld it back, you’re going to weaken the frame,” exclaimed a concerned Bodine.  “My concern is, if you’re missing parts under the vehicle that they can see visually, what else is it missing that we don’t know about?  So is there a safety concern?  I don’t know.  Do I want to run that risk with this vehicle?”

It appears Chrysler didn’t want to unwind the deal and just replace the vehicle.  Bodine called my team and we contacted Chrysler. The company ultimately allowed Bodine to swap out cars.  She’s relieved but still frustrated it had to get to this point.

“This should have been handled immediately.  This car should have been taken back and another one should have been replaced right from the start.  No one should have to go through what it takes when something’s not completed on a car.  They should just automatically step up and take care of it,” said Bodine.

The law can be difficult in cases like this. First, be the squeaky wheel and file your complaint with the automaker and the dealer.  The Attorney General’s office also has a department which deals strictly with auto cases.  Click here for more information.

We’ve all done it before. Typing a website and forgetting the “c” in .com.

Today I’ve learned making that simple mistake could cause big trouble for your computer.

Press enter on that “.om” website and you could be sent to a website that may install malware con your computer.

The website Endgame was the first to report this.  They call it typosquatting. Scammers register Netflix.om and users are redirected to the infected site.

House of Cards Season 4 debuted on Netflix this past weekend, much to the joy of millions of fans, including many Endgamers. One particular Endgamer made an innocent, but potentially damaging mistake. He mistyped the domain “http://www.netflix.com” as “netflix.om” in his browser, accidentally dropping the “c” in “.com”. He did not get a DNS resolution error, which would have indicated the domain he typed doesn’t exist. Instead, due to the registration of “netflix.om” by a malicious actor, the domain resolved successfully. His browser was immediately redirected several times, and eventually landed on a “Flash Updater” page with all the usual annoying (and to an untrained user, terrifying) scareware pop-ups.

According to Endgame, the malware goes after MAC’s and PC’s. So be careful before blazing through that URL and hitting enter!

The walls to Raneisha Winchester’s apartment look like a Petri dish.  Mold is everywhere and so are the leaks.

“Why should I have to pay to live like this?” wondered Winchester.  “I just don’t understand this.”

Winchester’s apartment at Laurel Gardens in Lakewood has been this way since December when winter rains moved in.   The solution management offered Winchester was surprising.

“He brought me this bucket and that was it. That’s what they call resolving my problem, but they darn sure wanted their rent every month on time,” said Winchester.

In January, the living room ceiling started buckling and mold was growing.  She reported the issue to management and when she returned home from work there was a huge gaping hole in her ceiling.  She would soon discover that someone from maintenance did the damage. She told the manager and called corporate but nothing was ever done.

“I don’t think they think of me at all. They think like hey ain’t nothing going on. They don’t have to live in it,” exclaimed Winchester.  “They don’t give a damn they truly don’t.”

Winchester called me and I got in contact with Frank Hornung who represents the apartment ownership group.  He admitted his company dropped the ball explaining it had plans to install new roofs but the rain prevented the work.

“The problem is you are dealing with people and you have people making judgments. That’s a poor judgment but it’s beyond because it’s so long. You can’t sit and say this happened for two weeks. This is just too long we need to take care of it,” said Hornung.

A look outside of the Laurel Gardens apartments show blue tarps full of water over many of the buildings which makes me worry for the other residents.

“I’m personally going door to door today to find out that we don’t have these kinds of issues. And absolutely making sure everybody knows who to call if there’s a problem they’re not getting resolved at the site level,” promised Hornung.

Hornung said the company will refund Winchester’s rent back to December. They will also move her into a new apartment. And if she chooses to leave, they will allow her to break the lease without penalty.

Under the law, a landlord must make repairs needed to make sure the house is weather-tight.   If you are in Winchester’s situation, put your repair request in writing.  The landlord has ten days to repair it.  If it doesn’t get done, you can give written notice and move out.

There are other time frames for issues concerning power and providing hot water. If you want the best document on Landlord/Tenant Law check out the Northwest Justice Center.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced details on how consumers can claim their share of a settlement against LCD manufacturers accused of price-fixing.

Last May, the AG recovered $63M from nine LCD manufacturers.  The companies are accused of a price-fixing conspiracy from 1998-2006 that caused consumers worldwide to overpay for electronics with LCD screens.  It’s believed the scheme drove up the price as much as 20% for some items.

Washington consumers and businesses that bought televisions, monitors, notebook computers, color-screen cell phones, or color-screen iPods that contained a flat panel screen may be eligible for a refund. Eligible consumers include those who:

• Purchased an LCD flat panel product between Jan. 1, 1998 and Dec. 1, 2006;
• Resided or had headquarters in Washington at the time of purchase;
• Purchased the LCD flat panel product from a retailer or someone other than the manufacturer of the component screen; and
• Purchased the LCD flat panel product for their own use and not for resale.

BEWARE – –  a third-party agent, Financial Recovery Services, has set up a website to file claims on behalf of consumers but it will charge one-third of the recovery money to do so. Instead, you can file your own claim FOR FREE at the official government website: www.lcdsettlement.atg.wa.gov or by calling 1-866-778-9468. The deadline to submit a claim is June 17, 2016.

Consumers are not required to submit documentation when they file a claim. However, they may be asked to verify their claim during the claims audit process, especially for claims involving a significant number of purchases. This will happen later in the process, and not at the initial filing.

Trish Klosterman’s purse was stolen and some punk used her debit card.   But the Snohomish woman feels her bank has been treating her like the thief.

“I was calling them because I was a victim, and I think they are flipping it around and I feel like I’m the criminal,” said Klosterman.

Klosterman called her bank, U.S. Bank, right away but bank records show stop-pay confirmation didn’t happen until a full day later.  In the meantime, the thieves took off with $900.  Klosterman filed a fraud report with the bank and her case was denied.  She said the fraud department told her it had pictures of her using the card she reported as stolen.

“I said if this is the case and you are thinking through the whole process that I committed the fraud on my account, so prosecute me, let’s go,” challenged Klosterman.

In its denial letter the bank said “you have the right to request the documents that U.S. Bank relied on in our determination of your fraud claim.”

Klosterman asked to see proof of the documents and the bank told her she’d have to get a subpoena.  Finally, after eight months of fighting with the bank, Klosterman asked me to get involved.  In less than a week, the bank reimbursed everything.

Klosterman said U.S. Bank’s fraud department realized the pictures in its investigation were of Klosterman using the temporary card she was issued after the theft and not the bad guys using her stolen card.

The bank said Klosterman amended her claim once she told them some of the transactions were from her. The bank then issued a refund for the remainder of her claim.

One more curious thing: Cell phone records show Klosterman called the bank at 11:30 a.m., immediately after she discovered the card was stolen. But a letter from the bank said the stop-pay confirmation didn’t happen until a full day later.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Savannah Woods and her three kids are looking for a new home.  They feel forced to move out because of mold growing throughout their apartment.

“I’ve cleansed, I’ve sprayed water, I’ve used organic stuff just for it to grow back within days,” explained Woods.

7 months pregnant, Woods said the managers of her complex, The Boulders at Puget Sound in Tacoma, have not done enough to deal with the issue in her apartment.

“It actually seemed like it wasn’t that big of a deal, like it was something that could be fixed, that they weren’t taking my health concerns seriously,” recalled Woods.

Across the complex, Hailey Huffman also has mold as a roommate.

“It was on the walls, the ceilings, the wall in the closet, interior walls, exterior walls.  It was like a mold fest,” said Huffman.

Huffman said she told the Boulders management about the mold for months but much like Woods experience, little was done to permanently fix the problem.

“Every time they came they would paint over it wipe it down, paint it white and call it good,” recalled Huffman.

But the mold would grow back, even coming through her carpet.  Both women blame the mold on water intrusion into their ground floor apartments.  They said managers offered them new apartments but only if they signed new leases.  When they asked to move out, they were told they would have to pay early termination fees of nearly $1500.

“I’m now having to move to a new place, put down a whole new deposit and have to change my sons’ schools.  I’m 7 and a half months pregnant so this is a big stresser,” said Woods.

Real Estate Attorney Mike Larson said renters shouldn’t argue mold with landlords. Instead, talk about water intrusion.  That’s something the law says landlords must repair.

“So really you are smarter if you’re a tenant to point out the problem in the landlord tenant act, the problem the landlord has a legal responsibility to take care of so the landlord takes care of something,” explained Larson.

Also make sure to put your repair request in writing. Larson said landlords then have 72-hours to make repairs.

“You can’t just merely call your landlord, have you landlord come by when you see him walk by your place you need to start the process by giving your landlord a written notice,” said Larson.

The lawyer representing Woods and Huffman told me The Boulders is willing to waive the early termination fees for the women with one catch – they have to sign a waiver releasing the company of all claims.  He said The Boulders changed Woods’ total move out fees from $1300 to more than $6000 and will only dismiss them if she signs a release waiving all future claims for her and her minor children.  The lawyer from The Boulders declined to comment on the record.

Check out this Renters Mold document for a summary of renters rights when dealing with mold and a sample letter of repairs to be presented to a landlord.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Imagine getting a towing bill for a car you never owned!  A Jesse Jones investigation revealed a loophole in the law allowed people to abandon cars in the names of unsuspecting buyers to avoid towing fees.  After his report lawmakers wrote a bill to close that loophole.

Govenor Jay Inslee put pen to paper today, signing House Bill 2274 into law and forever changing the way vehicle transfers are made in Washington.

The new law is the result of our investigation into fraudulently filed reports of sale.  State Representative Mark Harmsworth is the bill’s main sponsor.

“This is one of those bills that makes common sense. It helps everybody on the street. It helps the companies and the consumers this is just common sense legislation,” explained Rep. Harmsworth.

Until now, crafty criminals have been able to abandon cars and file reports in the name of unsuspecting people.  The law held the unwitting buyers, like Kaleb Inwards, responsible for towing and storage fees.  Inwards name was put on a report of sale for a car he didn’t buy.  It left him and his mother Robyn Jensen holding a hefty towing bill.

“At that point I contacted the towing company to see if they could just sort it out but they said that they had followed the law which was to get the last sellers report of the car in question and that it had Kaleb’s name listed as the buyer and so that’s all that they had to do,” recalled Jensen

Inwards and Jensen had to go to Superior Court to unwind the issue.

The new law will require more documentation before towing companies can collect fees if there is no evidence proving the buyer knew of the vehicle transfer.  For example, a signed contract will probably do.  The new law also changes the due date for a report of sale from 21 to 5 days and allows a person to recover towing, storage auction and attorney’s fees from the seller who filed the fraudulent report of sale.

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Snohomish County PUD will change the way it will bill after dozens of customers complained their bills doubled or tripled.

KIRO’s Jesse Jones raised concerns about the billing problems months ago. Commissioners met Tuesday morning and decided they would move to monthly meter readings. The change is expected to begin this fall.

The issue began last fall when Snohomish PUD switched from bi-monthly billing to monthly billing. That means the utility reads meters one month but charges customers an estimate the next.

Since then, customers complained that their bills have doubled, tripled or more, and many angry customers spoke at a PUD meeting in February.

“While bill estimates have worked for most of our customers, we understand that for some of our customers estimated bills have created hardships,” said PUD CEO/General Manager Craig Collar said in a news release Tuesday.. “We’ve heard them and are responding with more frequent meter readings.”

The Herald reports it could cost $13 million to $18 million in the next three years to implement the change.

One option could be a rate increase.

Read the full news release from Snohomish County PUD here.

After months of outrage over Snohomish County PUD’s switch to estimated billing, the utility has announced it will dump the practice and go to monthly meter reads.  Unfortunately, it will take at least six months for PUD to implement the change.  In the meantime, you can read your own meter, calculate your usage and call it into the utility to ensure you’re not overpaying on estimated reads.

Here’s a breakdown of SnoPUD’s basic rules of meter reading:

Most meters have five dials, some only have four.  Not all the dials turn in the same direction (see illustration below).

1.) Start with the dial farthest to the right.  If the dial falls between two numbers, record the smaller number.  The meter below would read as 8.  Continue reading the dials from right to left.

2.) When a dial makes a complete revolution, it moves from 0 to 9 and back to 0.  This causes the dial to the left to move to the next higher number.  As a result, if a dial appears to be directly on a number, read the dial to the right to see if it has made a complete revolution back to zero.  For example, the meter above has not passed zero so the next dial would read as 4, despite appearing to be on 5.

3.) If you’re taking daily readings, try to take them at the same time each day.  That way the reading will indicate a full day’s usage.  The subtract the two to get your daily usage.

Sample Reading: 

Day #1

66,498 kilowatt-hours

Day #2

66,649 kilowatt-hours

Calculate the difference:

66,649 – 66,498 = 151 kilowatt-hours used between readings.

The Better Business Bureau has uncovered two fake car dealerships claiming to be in Spokane, WA.

According to the Bureau, Discoverys TUT RV’s claims to be located off Flint Road in Spokane but a closer look shows the dealership doesn’t exist.  The BBB learned of the scam from a person in Texas who had been in touch with the supposed dealership.  He’d been given the VIN for an RV and after some research, discovered the vehicle had been sold in Florida and California last year.  The BBB also reports a person in Alaska almost fell for the scheme but backed out at the last minute.

Earlier this month, the BBB learned of a similar scheme involving a website for an auto dealership that had gone out of business.  Information on website www.costlowautomotive made it appear the dealership was still operating in Spokane and was selling cars below market value.

Here are some tips to protect yourself when buying a vehicle online:

*View the vehicle – you or someone you know should take the vehicle on a test drive and see it in-person before buying

*Reasearch – check the vehicle value on Kelley Blue Book.  If the deal appears too good to be true, it probably is.  Also research the dealership.  In Washington, the Department of Licensing handles dealer licenses.

*Exchanging money – avoid businesses that require you to wire money instead of using a check or credit card.

It’s the season for credit card balance transfer offers. With so many offers hitting your mailbox, how do you know which ones have the least risks and hidden fees?

“There are really a lot of really low rate balance transfer offers in the marketplace right now including a lot of zero percent offers that extend for 18 or even 21 months,” explained Greg McBride with Bankrate.com

McBridge said the first order of business when considering a transfer is to get a detail of all possible fees.

“How much is the fee is it going to be?  3% of the balance you are transferring and is it capped is it going to be capped at 75 bucks?” said McBride.

Also find out if the card to which you’re transferring carries two different interest rates – one for the transfer and one for purchases.  If so, don’t use the card for purchases because over time you’ll be trading away the low balance rate for the higher one!

McBride’s best advice – use the balance transfer as a lifeline and not a credit line.  That way you can avoid future financial trouble.

“You are continuing to rack up interest charges and you pay a balance transfer fee every time you transfer that balance to another card so really important to use that low rate as an opportunity to pay off that debt once and for all,” said McBride.

Balance Transfer Resources:

Bankrate offers on 5 features to look for when considering a balance transfer

How to negotiate down transfer fees

Nerd Wallet outlines some of the top cards for balance transfers

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.

Diane Hjalseth is a courier of medical supplies who was the recipient of a surprise bill from Good to Go!

“I opened it up – $1,001 and change. And that’s where the heart attack came in,” exclaimed Hjalseth.

Out of nowhere Good to Go charged Hjalseth for nearly a year’s worth of trips on the 520 bridge. During all of this, she repeatedly tried to find out her account balance.

“The guy on the telephone told me, ‘I see that you have a zero balance, you owe nothing.’ I said, ‘I know I owe something because I’ve gone across the bridge,” said Hjalseth.

In total close to 8200 license plates involved in 126 thousand transactions are involved in the snafu. Good to Go blames this all on its vendor, Electronic Transaction Consultants Corporation. Good to Go said ETCC had a problem processing tolls in March of last year. Basically, accounts were not being charged. Last month the vendor discovered the issue and sent customers the previously uncharged tolls.

One of Good to Go most outspoken critics, state Representative Mark Harmsworth feels the whole tolling system needs an overhaul.

“This just shows the gross incompetence of this agency,” said Rep. Harmsworth.

Harmsworth said ETCC also should be jettisoned as the vendor. He said the legislature is taking those steps, asking for proposals to make that happen.

“It’s time, we need to put this out to bid, this is obviously not working for us, let’s find a vendor that will work,” said Harmsworth.

The glitch wasn’t limited to just 520; the Narrows Bridge and 405 express toll lanes were also part of the all part of the issue. The state is giving drivers six months to pay back its bills.

ETC issued the following statement regarding the error:

“ETC sincerely apologizes for the delay in invoicing and any inconvenience this has caused… We have implemented additional process monitoring and preventative measures to ensure this issue does not happen in the future.”

Do you have a story you want me to check out? Call 1-844-77-JESSE (53773) or send me a message here. I’ll be part of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News most weekdays at 5:15 p.m. You can also check out my Facebook page and click here to follow me on Twitter.