Stores
Ratings & Advice
The latest ratings and advice for Puget Sound area stores.
Advice
- 30 Tricks Sellers Use to Make You Pay Up
- 65 Things You (Probably) Shouldn't Pay For
- About Checkbook: Why We're Unique
- Buy Now, Pay Later Often a Debt Trap
- Buying Used Stuff
- Car Buying Strategies
- CarBargains - Checkbook's Shopping Service for New Cars
- Cashback Shopping Portals
- Cell Phone Services
- Checkbook’s Top Shopping Tips
- Closet Organizers
- Clothing Rental
- Clothing Resale Options
- Complaining: How to Get Results
- Consumers’ Notebook
- Credit Cards Provide Strong Protections for Consumers
- Defective Products: Strategies to Get a Refund or Replacement
- Diamonds Shopping Guide
- Diaper Prices
- eRead for Free
- Extended Product Warranties: Should You Buy Them?
- Free Perks You Didn't Know You Have
- Gift Card Tips
- Identity and Cyber Theft: How to Protect Yourself
- Locally Grown Food Sources
- Over-the-Counter Drug Prices
- Pet Food Prices
- Price Matching: What's the Deal?
- Prices: Where Have All the Bargains Gone?
- Product Recall Information
- Recycling Electronics
- Returning Items to Retailers: Tips for Smooth Transactions
- Right-to-Repair Fight
- Sale Prices Are Rarely Real Deals
- Wallpaper Help
- Wine Prices
Current Issue
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HVAC Contractors
Ratings of area heating and air-conditioning services so you’ll know who’s cool, who’s hot...and who’s not.
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Are Heat Pumps the Future of HVAC?
Improved technology, generous tax credits and rebates, and lower utility bills might have us reconsider how to heat and cool our homes.
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Checking Out Area Grocery Stores for Price and Quality
Where can you find the best produce and meat? Which stores offer the lowest prices? How much more will you pay for delivery?
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‘Sale’ Prices Are Rarely Real Deals
Our researchers tracked prices at 25 major retailers for 33 weeks and found most advertised discounts are bogus. Stores are increasingly using fake sales to mislead consumers.
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Safe at Home
Home security strategies, gadgets, and installers.
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Locks and Locksmiths
Battening down your hatches and latches.
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Don’t Hire Duct Cleaning Companies
Ignore deceptive ads and claims; you likely don’t need their services.
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Hardware Stores
Do it yourself but don’t go it alone.
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Can a Chiropractor Really Cure Your Back Pain?
Before taking a crack at chiropractic, talk to your doctor and try other treatment options.
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Closet Calls
Finding and installing closet systems.
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Auto Detailers
Restoring pride in your ride.
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Ready to Hit the Gym Again?
How COVID changed the fitness industry, possibly forever.