12 On Your Side: Higher gas prices, tire pressure check, fake rental listings

This week’s consumer roundup from Marilyn Moritz

KSAT OTT 12 On Your Side title graphic

Happy hotter-than-heck weekend, everybody!

I hope you’re finding ways to keep cool in these dog days of summer.  According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac the “dog days” end Aug. 11. Think that means rain and a cool front? I don’t either.

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If you’re hitting the road before school starts, expect to pay more at the pump.  A gallon of gas is 20 cents more than it was just one week ago, according to GasBuddy and AAA. On the bright side, it’s 22 cents cheaper than last year.

Keep an eye on your tire pressure, too. Have you noticed all of the shreds and treads littering the highway shoulders?  That’s because it’s blowout season. Heat is not your car’s friend. I visited with the folks at Thousand Oaks automotive to get a few car care tips in this weather.

Scammers preying on people looking for a house to rent are working overtime. They clone actual listings from real estate websites and post them elsewhere, changing the contact number. More than that, they are taking advantage of the convenient lockboxes many companies use so people can view homes on their own. I decided to call on a listing we knew was fake to see what would happen. You can check it out here.

In case you missed it, there are a few recalls to know about. For starters, some Trader Joe’s cookies were reported to have rocks in them.  We have a few more recalls here.

Finally, it’s about time for back-to-school shopping.  The tax-free holiday weekend is Aug. 11-13 this year, so perhaps a little late for some folks.  If you have an innovative way to save money on school supplies, I’d love to hear from you. Just send an email at mmoritz@ksat.com

Enjoy your weekend!

Marilyn


About the Authors

Marilyn Moritz is an award-winning journalist dedicated to digging up information that can make people’s lives a little bit better. As KSAT’S 12 On Your Side Consumer reporter, she focuses on exposing scams and dangerous products and helping people save money.

David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.

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