ConsumerWatch Wrap: Goofing With Google, New Driver Warnings

A look at some of the day's top consumer headlines:

New Stickers Prevents Skimming

Pay-at-the-pump gas stations are a favorite target for credit card skimmers. But now, new stickers that have been released by the Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing are hoping to protect gas pumpers from credit card information theft.

The red stickers are placed near fuel dispensers close to the credit/debit card transaction area. If the label is lifted or tampered with, a "void" message will appear and alert the consumer that their information may not be safe. The decal can also be a good signal to gas station owners of possible interference with equipment as well as a deterrent to card skimmers.

The stickers are rolling out in the Bay Area at stations like Shell. The company is offering and encouraging stations to use the labels, but not many have employed them as of now.

Red Flags for Used Vehicles

State lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a measure for used car dealers to put large red warning stickers on cars that are considered junk or salvaged.

This is an important step for consumers because in most cases manufacturers will not honor the warranty for those types of vehicles. The stickers will allow consumers to have a clear forewarning before purchasing a car.

It has been a long fight for consumer advocates to push the stickers into use. The battle isn't quite over, though, as the bill will now go to the governor and he has not indicated if he will sign the bill or not.

"Permanently Closed" on Google Places

Google got a taste of its own medicine when they were virtually shutdown by users of its Google Places program.

Owners complained that their businesses and companies have been wrongly labeled as "reported to be closed" or "permanently closed" when they were actually open. Some establishments hit by the closure misnomer said that they noticed a drop in business while they were listed as closed.

Google Places allows users to edit the company information on the site without verification of ownership. Some owners speculate competing companies would use the site and falsely shut them down.

One owner said she repeatedly try to fix the problem herself via a "not true" button that should lift the closure label, but said it didn't work. She even tried to call Google headquarters and was unsuccessful in getting her business open again on the site.

It was not until a blogger and a friend caught wind of what was happening and shut Google's Mountain View office down using their very own Places website. After this, Google reviewed many consumer complaints about the faulty labels.

Google said it is now working on changes to fix the issues.

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