Personal Services
Ratings & Advice
The latest ratings and advice for San Francisco Bay Area personal services.
Advice
- 30 Tricks Sellers Use to Manipulate You
- 60 Travel Booking Tips
- 65 Things You (Probably) Shouldn't Pay For
- About Checkbook: Why We're Unique
- Aging In Place
- Airlines that Allow Free Stopovers Let You Design a Vacation with Variety
- Amazon Floods Search Results with Ads
- Buy Nothing, Get What You Need Anyway
- Buying Used Stuff
- Cell Phone Services
- Cell Phone Services: How to Avoid a Big Bill When Traveling Abroad
- Cell Phones: Protecting Yours
- Checkbook’s Top Shopping Tips
- Child Care: Tips for Saving
- Closet Organizers
- Clothing Rental
- Clothing Resale Options
- Complaining: How to Get Results
- Computer Backup Options
- Computer Problems: Can You Get Your Data Back After a Device Failure?
- Computers & Devices: How to Keep Yours Safe from Hacks
- Consumer News
- Consumer Quiz
- Credit Cards Have Consumer Protection Superpowers
- Credit Cards: How to Choose the Best One
- Dealing with Your Digital Clutter
- Decluttering Strategies
- Defective Products: Strategies to Get a Refund or Replacement
- DNA Ancestry Services
- E-Read for Free
- Elder Villages
- Email Addresses for Temporary Use
- Extended Product Warranties: Should You Buy Them?
- Fitness Industry Changed by COVID
- Free Perks You Didn't Know You Have
- Getting Rid of Your Unwanted Stuff
- Grilling Safety
- Grocery Delivery
- Help at Home for Seniors
- Home Title Monitoring Services Mislead About a Rare Crime
- Hotel Intel: How to Find the Best Rates for Rooms
- Hotels Gouge Guests With Absurd Resort Fees
- Hotels’ ‘Refundable’ and ‘Flexible’ Rates Often Not What They Seem
- How to Make a New Fitness Plan
- Identity Theft and Fraud: How to Protect Yourself
- Is it Safe to Eat It? Understanding Dates on Food Labels
- Junk Removal Services
- Kids' Activity-Kit Services
- Medical Alert Devices
- Mend Your Clothes: Why Fashion Fixes Save Money and Help the Planet
- Nannies: Hiring Tips
- Online Privacy: How to Guard Yours
- Organizers
- Our Editors’ Favorite Websites and Apps
- Parking: Finding the Best Rates
- Passwords: How to Choose Safe Ones
- Recycling Electronics
- Rental Car Insurance: Should You Buy It?
- Restaurants Pay Steep Commissions and Fees to Order-and-Delivery Services
- Right-to-Repair Fight
- Sale Prices Are Usually Fake Discounts
- Self-Storage Facilities
- Shopping for the Best Deal? These Retailers Price Match or Make Price Adjustments
- Social Media Headshots: Dos and Don'ts
- Social Media Privacy Tips
- Stop Unwanted Calls, Mail, and More
- Taxes: Free Preparation and Filing Options
- Tickets: Saving on Seats for Shows and Sports
- Timeshare Exit Companies Deserve a Time Out
- Tipping Tips
- Travel Insurance
- Travel Websites Mislead by Falsely Declaring Few Hotel Rooms Remain
- Travel: Health and Safety Info for International Trips
- Travel: Help Finding Cheap Flights
- Vehicle Service Contracts
- Want to Save Money and the Planet? Stop Buying New Things
- Water-Saving Tips
Current Issue
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Dentists
Open wide! How to find a great dentist.
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HVAC Contractors
Need help maintaining the comforts of home?
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‘Sale’ Prices Are Usually Fake Discounts
Our researchers tracked prices at 25 major retailers for six months; most of their advertised markdowns were bogus.
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Grocery Stores & Delivery Services
Use our latest ratings to find out where to spend your bread.
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Avoid a Vacation Rental Nightmare
The industry is plagued by problems, including fake listings and stolen deposits; many victims get little help from Booking.com or Vrbo.
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Don’t Hire Duct Cleaners
Ignore deceptive ads and claims; you likely don’t need their services.
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Watch Out for Shady Home Improvement Financing Schemes
Plans offered by contractors are often horrible deals.
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Tree Care Services
How to find a good tree care outfit—and how to know if your leafy friends need work in the first place.
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Kennels
Where pets can stay while you’re away.
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Understanding Urgent Care
These convenient clinics are thriving, but watch out for a big bill.
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What Does It Really Take to ‘Shop Local’?
Our director of content tried to shop local for 30 days. It didn’t go as planned.
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Find a Great Deck Builder
Planks for the memories!
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