i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. since we started "responds" here in 2016, we've helped viewers like you save or get back more than $5.7 million right there on the tote board, and we do that by speaking up when viewers aren't

. >>> i'm chris chmura live. i'll show you how you can cash in, next. >>> how outbreaks are now jipdizing non-covid patients. another important device that's about to become obsolete. when the company will soon pull you off at 3:00 a.m. tonight. this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. >>> well, a new proposal could change the face of san jose's coyote valley. they are planning to build mega houses right on the edge of the open space reserve. they said it would credit the open space zone. supporters say the land is already zoned for industry and the warehouses would bring jobs. sam ricardo thinks the council woul

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. since we started "responds" here in 2016, we've helped viewers like you save or get back more than $5.7 million right there on the tote board, and we do that by speaking up when viewers aren't getting anywhere on their own. well, tonight we're gonna share some of our more recent stories, how we helped, and what we learned along the way that can help you too. one type of complaint we've seen over and over again lately, air travel, and it doesn't look like things are gonna get better anytime soon. there's a possible collision course at the country's airports this holiday season with passengers caught in the middle. if you're flying over the holidays, i have some advice to highlight pitfalls and help navigate detours. female: i lost 2 days of work because of this. chris: passengers are learning firsthand. female: they don't have flights available. chris: the airlines' covid rebound-- male: just seems like a mess. chris: --is turbulent. female: everybody is just on standby. chris: today t

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll explain several problems and share some solutions. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri, and we do have the clouds, also the chance of a little bit of drizzle, and we're talking about that next storm system. a new update in less than ten minutes. >>> so we've seen a lot of airline meltdowns recently, right? >> yes, we have. so are big delays and cancellations on the radar for the holidays as well. >> southwest airlines had problems, our consumer investigator, chris chmura says, yes, brace yourself. he's here to explain why and to help us avoid getting stuck. just make sure none of our flights the get canceled. >> i'll work on it. you're number two and number three. so analysts say many airlines are packing their holiday schedules full, even though thousands of their workers who were sidelined during the pandemic aren't back on the job yet. so if you booked a holiday flight, here's what you can do right now just in case. research the airline's schedules and save backup info,

consumer investigator chris chmura is here. you went undercover. you actually brought a little friend with you. so, this is underneath the car? >> yep. >> and it's worth a lot of money in the black market. >> yeah, exactly. that is solid gold for criminals, technically it's actually platinum. some police departments have caught crooks with dozens of sawed-off converters. i can show you some pictures here of some of the busts but many more are leaching on to a black market. tonight, we are going to expose a gap and help you protect your car. >> reporter: from this east bay warehouse, kids against hunger volunteers fill bags with rice and dried vegetables to fulfill one mission. feed needy children. >> most of our meals go to haiti for orphanages there. >> reporter: but over the summer, the charity hit an expensive roadblock when thieves stole their truck's catalytic converter. the part under your car that helps reduce emissions. without it? >> like a sherman tank. >> if it sounds like this, your cat's missing. >> that unmistakable noise is echoing e

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura, we'll show you how, next. . >>> welcome back, 5:25, for a lot of us after today, the biggest question is typically what's in that beautifully wrapped box. but this year, the big question is will supply chain even get your gift to you in time for the holidays. >> it's so stressful to think about it. consumer investigator chris chmura is here to help us navigate around the detours. >> the usual pipeline of presents from factory to store to home isn't flowing as usual. not enough chips for electronics, not enough people at ports. not enough truck drivers, what can you do, here's our bottom line device, if you have something specific in mind for someone, consider grabbing it now before it's possibly out of stock. also, ship it now. i have good news. the gift people want the most is not in short supply, and ships pretty easily. gift cards, you can buy them online, and they deliver almost instantly, electronically. as for good old fashioned gifts you can hold in your hands, we have seen some stores showing out of stock messages. to guarantee you get y

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. >>> also, we'll take a look at what's going on across the bay area to honor those who serve our country. a parade begins at 11:00 this morning at the antioch veterans memorial. >>> this morning the newest inflation report shows consumer prices are rising as inflation hits a 30-year high. >> we asked consumer investigator chris chmura to dive deeper. >> good morning. food and fuel stood out. gas was up 6% from the previous month september to october. the fifth month in a row gas prices climbed. $4.85 a gallon here in the bay area, up from $3.40 a year ago. beef up 3% from september to october. poultry, fish and eggs up by 1.7%. dairy, fruit and vegetable prices were almost flat. some went down. namely airline tickets and alcohol. we run a tight budget at home. here's what we are doing to save money. we are price shopping more, letting the lowest prices determine what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner. we're clipping digital coupons too. you can as well with apps like i bought it, which gives you cash back on supermarket purchases. the savings add

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds," next. [ sfx: ding ding ding ] [ phone buzzing ] [ sfx: bing bing bing ] [ sfx: bing bloop ding ding bloop bing ] the day can wait... enter the golden state, with real california dairy. >>> thanks for sticking around. it's 5:25 this morning. "nbc bay area responds" to a woman whose vacation was ended early. >> when she got to hawaii, the host only had her staying there for three nights. she says the host stopped communicating so she checked out after three nights and stayed elsewhere at her own expense. airbnb gave her a refund to cover the four remaining nights, but that did not add up because the original was $431 a owed m $1,000 and she could not get airbnb to budge. we stepped in and they sent her an additional 1,143 bucks, the full amount of what she was owed. airbnb said it removed the host. speaking of shady hosts, one of the rules for cameras and videos and how to find hidden cameras. we have that on our youtube page and nbcbayarea.com. just look for th

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. we'll show you how, next. >>> first, life is like a box of chocolates. you never know what you will get. mike got a box and his family only left him the dark-colored covered raisins. luckily for him, he likes them. follow him on social media. you're watching "today in the bay." >>> welcome back. it's 5:23. with the fda approval and the my app not fully developed, there's confusion as to who can get a booster shot. >> our consumer reporter, chris chmura, takes you through the steps of getting a booster shot. >> we have good news. getting a vaccine booster appointment is way easier than it used to be. no long road trips like the one i took. to find an appointment ask your doctor or pharmacy. even easier, you can use a federal vaccine locater service. just text your zip code to this number. if you don't want to text you can call the 800-232-0233. the cdc says it's okay to mix and match. when scheduling you will have to specific you are looking for a booster. have your vaccine record card

our consumer investigator, chris chmura, will show how to prepare for this. you can go to nbcbayarea.com during the show if you just can't wait for this. >>> and then storm ranger around the clock, and you can follow kari on twitter. >>> comcast xfinity experienced a widespread outage just before 10:00 last night, and it's unclear if it was weather related. we hear most people were able to reconnect about 11:00 at night. xfinity and nbc bay area are both owned by comcast. >>> developing this morning, a gofundme page has been set up for jasper wu. he's the toddler killed by a stray bullet this weekend on interstate 880 in oakland. >> bob redell is live this morning, and bob, really an emotional message from the boy's family. >> reporter: yeah, they are demanding justice for jasper wu. we spoke to his grandfather, and he describes his a loving and energetic boy, and he's still in disbelief over what happened this weekend. jasper's mother was driving when a stray bullet from the northbound direction hit jasper in the head and killed him. the chp set up a tip lin

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds," next. >>> first, we want to show you this post our kris sanchez shared on instagram. it's the nourishing neighbors food drive. a reminder on how we can all do our part in helping the community during this holiday season. you can make a $10 donation at any local safeway store and that will go right to local food banks. the drive will start november 20th and runs until christmas day. we'll be right back. helen knew exercise could help her diabetes. but she didn't know what was right for her. no. nope. no way. but then helen went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now she knows what activity helps lower her glucose. and can see what works best for her. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. freestyle libre 2. now covered by medicare for those who qualify. hi-fives in our bilingual consumer teams, lately. >> chris chmura is here to help get money back. >> regina in san josÉ asked consumer investigator fernandez for he

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. we'll show you how, next. >>> first, you know, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. mike inouye got a box, and his family left him only the dark chocolate covered raisins. luckily he likes them. follow him on social media. >>> welcome back, everyone. it's 6:24 right now. with fda approval still in the air on the state's my turn app, still not technically available on all adults. >> we wanted to prepare you, and consumer investigator, chris chmura, takes you through the steps to receive a booster shot. >> we have good news. getting a vaccine booster appointment is way easier than it used to be. no midnight web surfing, no stand-by wait lists or long road trips, like the one i took. to find an appointment ask your doctor or pharmacy or you can use a federal location. there's contact information and what boosters they have. if you don't want to text you can call the federal locater service. you don't have to search for a specific booster to match yo

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds," next. i drop off and pick up my kids from school so, i can't work early. or late. and i need to make enough to make it worthwhile. i can only work two days a week. and it can't interfere with my other job. i can do full-time. just not daytime. and i need benefits. good ones. and you know, it would be nice if you paid for my tuition. like all of it. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> bay area crab lovers used to hearing this. you may want to put the butter on hold once again. crab season delayed, and the season was set to start on november 15th but is being delayed to protect humpback whales and sea turtles from being caught in crab netting. the department plans to assess things again on november 22nd, which is too late if you are thinking of serving fresh crab for thanksgiving, which many in the bay area do. >> i love crab. next time. >>> 5:35 for you this morning. a recent storm flooded a lot of cars and that's bad news. >> even worse, a lot of peoples' car insurance won't pay to fix the water damage. consum

we ask consumer investigator chris chmura for a refresher. >> every year we return billions and billions of dollars. here's what's new. some stores got strict with their return policies due to covid. a few stopped accepting returns all together. can they do that? yes. california law does not require stores to have a return policy. the attorney general says don't assume a store will allow you to return an item if you change your mind. let's do some quick q&a. can california stores charge a restocking fee? the answer is yes. can they allow only exchanges? yes. can they offer you store credit instead of cash back? yes. and can they deny you a refund if you don't have an original receipt? the answer is yes. do we see a pattern here? bottom line, if you are not absolutely positively 100% sure you want to keep whatever you have in your hands at that impressionable moment when the doorbuster sign has captivated you, you need to think about the return policy. they don't have to have a return policy. they should be posted in writing at the service desk. if you have trouble, go to nbcbayarea.com,

>> chris chmura is here to help you navigate around those detours. >> the usual pipeline of presents from factory to store to home isn't slowing as usual. not enough chips for electronics and not enough people at the ports and not enough truck drivers. what can you do? here's our bottom line advice. if you have something specific, consider grabbing it now before it is out of stock. also ship it now. i have good news. the gift people want the most is not in short supply and ships pretty easily. gift cards. you can buy them online and they deliver almost instantly electronically. as-fashioned gifts you can, to guarantee you can get your hands on an item buy it yourself in the store and ship it yourself. you have to do that earlier than normal this year. if you want a priority box to arrive in time, you have to ship by december 18th. ideally wrap up your shopping and shipping even earlier this year. >>> well, it's not just winter olympics, we're also counting down until the 2022 paralympics in beijing. today marks 100 days from the start of those games and this morning we're actually he

i'm chris chmura. we'll show you how next. >>> first, check out this photo mike inouye posted. it is super tony, our producer right there. tony ran and got coffee and tea for the team yesterday because our station's coffee machine went down and tony said, you know what, merry christmas to you all. nice of tony. >> great of tony. >> we want to know what you're thankful for ahead of thanksgiving. you can actually post those photos and even video explaining what you're thankful for and share with us so we can post them and share them with you and everyone else in the bay area. make sure you tag us at nbc bay area or tag laura, myself, kari. spread some cheer on this thanksgiving. >> we're thankful for our viewers, too. >> thank you. every morning you guys get up. >> come back after this break. r9 the more questions and worries we have. calhope can help with free covid-19 emotional support. oporg today. ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll show you how, next. >>> 6:23 this morning, and usually the biggest mystery this time of year is what's in that beautifully wrapped box. is it for me? >> that's all you want to know. >> but you know what, the big question for a lot of people, will the supply chain get your gifts to you in time. >> consumer investigator chris chmura has some information to help navigate around these detours. >> the usual pipeline of presents from factory to store to home isn't flowing as usual. not enough chips for electronics, not enough people at the ports, not enough truck drivers. what can you do, here's our bottom line advice, if you have something specific mind for someone, consider grabbing it now, also ship it now. good news, the gift people want the most is not in short supply, gift cards, you can buy them online, and deliver almost instantly electronic. as for good old fashioned gifts you can hold in your hands, we have seen some stores showing out of stock messages. to guarantee you get

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds, next. >>> and first our team here at nbc bay area and our partners at telemundo 48 teaming up with safeway to help fight hunger in the bay area. we kicked off this weekend our drive. laura and i, we spent the morning at the safeway. you can see right here helping collect those donations. so far we've collected nearly $230,000 in donations thanks to you and can make that number even greater. go to a safeway, make that donation and you have until christmas day to do so. the money will go right to our local food banks. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ if you're working from home, you're probably driving less. maybe a lot less. at metromile, we think you should be paying less for your car insurance; a lot less. and paying less doesn't mean getting less. with metromile's per-mile pricing... what you pay is based on how many miles you actual

i'm chris chmura, we'll show you how next. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. storm ranger showing just a few spotty showers. the new weather trend moving in tomorrow. and then the rain surplus we're dealing with. that's all great news. i'll see you back in about eight minutes. >>> well, it's now just part of living here. power outages. some are surprises, but more often we get a warning about the lights about to go out. >> it seems elementary, but it's worth a refresher course. consumer tips on how to prepare. >> let's talk about how to protect yourself, your electronics and your food, also how abe lincoln might be able to help. make sure you have a flashlight handy. ideally, it's part of your emergency go bag, you have one, right? charge your smartphone and leave it charged in until the power goes out. if you have a backup battery, make sure it's charged. if you don't have one, make sure you have one, the public safety outages can go on for days. make sure your car has a full tank of gas. don't let it get stuck in the garage. move it out of the garage before

. >> chris chmura says not all leather is created equal. >> shoppers can't just assume that a label that reads "leather" is 100% leather. before you spend a whole wufrngs of money on new furniture, scrutinize what it's really made of. if you have a complaint, go to nbcbayarea.com/responds. >> ooh, okay. happy monday. it's raining and a little chilly but we're ready for the week. >> perfect timing, came in right after everybody went trick or treating. >> we got halloween to fit right in between our storms. you can see the bulk of the activity, the widespread consistent activity we had earlier this morning is beginning to break up. so we're on the tail end of this, as we get a closer look here at storm ranger mobile doppler radar. spotty rainfall through the bay. and we'll put a track on this. we can continue to expect rainfall here over moraga, lafayette, walnut creek over the next 30-40 minutes. as we move into tomorrow's forecast, we'll see a change. that storm system is gone. we'll see high pressure nudge its way to the south. temperatures about ten degrees hotter. i think it will and

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll show you how next. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. no airport delays due to weather. we'll talk about what's happening tomorrow if you're traveling and get you all ready for bay area thanksgiving coming up in about eight minutes. >>> okay. the holidays are here. that means presents and gifts. but with the backlog, will you get them on time? >> i admit it, i've been that's correct shopping for hristmas on christmas eve. it was a gamble that worked out more than once. sorry, mom and dad. but their year, not enough chips for electronics, not enough people at the ports, not enough truck drivers. what can you do? if you have something specific in mind for someone, consider grabbing it now before it's possibly out of stock. also ship it now. we'll talk about shipping woes in just a minute. i have good news. the gift people want most is not in short supply and ships pretty easily, gift cards. the national retail federation asks people what they want most, gift cards were numb

chris chmura is here. >> we've got to cut this off. take a look at these photos from a handful of the police raids that we know about. cops have caught crooks with dozens of sawed-off converters. they're getting $100 to $1,000 for them on the black market. say they steal eight in one night. >> you just made a grand. that's a lot more profitable than selling drugs and a whole lot less risk. >> all right. so who's buying them from the thieves? we wanted to find out. so here's what we did. we borrowed a legitimate converter to test how easy it might be to sell right here in our own back yard and elsewhere. tonight at 11:00, see where we got cash offers, no questions asked. and why a top prosecutor says we can't arrest our way out of this problem, and a couple steps you can take right now to protect your car. viewers like you turned us on to this investigation. click the respond options from the main menu or call us, 888-996-tips. you do not need to use your real name, because we know this is a very sensitive matter. >> how long does it ta

our consumer reporter chris chmura is here with us. what is the lightning round? we do it fast? >> storm the stage. >> give some people some money back. >> let's talk about a $28 order for legging, the company delivered the wrong size, well, she sent them back and expected a replacement. didn't happen. our team got susan the correct size. wrong color. but she was okay with that. still a $28 win. >>> kevin in san francisco rang us up. here's the deal. he said he wanted a covid-19 test lab to refund him $800. he expected it. here's why. he said the lab didn't give him the results of the family of four's covid-19 test in time for a flight. that's a big deal. and they had to get tested again, at a different company, on the spot, for $200 each. kevin's complaint to the first lab, it went nowhere. but we landed him his $800. >>> okay, speaking of covid-19, more and more people are getting boosters and you can, so we made a video about how to walk you through that whole process. how it work, hunting down an appointment and updating your record and you can see it on our web site and str

. >> we asked consumer investigator chris chmura to dive deeper. >> good morning. food and fuel stood out. gas was up 6% from the previous month september to october. the fifth month in a row gas prices climbed. $4.85 a gallon here in the bay area, up from $3.40 a year ago. beef up 3% from september to october. poultry, fish and eggs up by 1.7%. dairy, fruit and vegetable prices were almost flat. some went down. namely airline tickets and alcohol. we run a tight budget at home. here's what we are doing to save money. we are price shopping more, letting the lowest prices determine what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner. we're clipping digital coupons too. you can as well with apps like i bought it, which gives you cash back on supermarket purchases. the savings add up. i got $38 back in august, 31 in september. one last thing. we are aggressive about wasting as little food as possible. we put our most perishable ingredients at eye level in the fridge so we cook with them first. we posted on our website. just look for the how to play list. >>> a global milestone has

chris chmura shows us how. >> if you think cameras are totally forbidden from vacation rentals, i'm afraid you're wrong. the host might be able to have cameras outside the house and in some parts of the inside. vrbo says you can have them outside but not inside. airbnb says we prohibit any cameras or recording devices that observe the interior of certain private spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms. cameras not in certain private spaces might be allowed. airbnb says we require hosts to disclose all security cameras in their listing. say you find a camera that's not supposed to be there. what should you do? airbnb and vrbo said to contact them immediately. you can also contact a lawyer and law enforcement, especially if you think a camera was intentionally concealed to invade your privacy. >>> new red flags for scientists when it comes to our climate in crisis. they predict by 2050 there may be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans. the issue is having world wide effect on our planet. new data indicates people on average ingest credit cards worth of plastic in their food every year.

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds" to both cases, next. susan in san josÉ needed our help with a $28 order for leggings. the company delivered the wrong size. susan sent them back and expected a replacement and it didn't happen. our team got susan the correct size, wrong color, but she was okay with that. a $28 win, nonetheless. >>> kevin in san francisco, he expected the lab to get 800 bucks back. they had to get tested again at a different company. his complaints to the company went nowhere, but we landed him his 800 bucks. we made a how-to video that walks you through the process of hunting down an appointment for the booster to updating your vaccinated. look for the "how-to" play list. >>> a palo alto animal shelter, pets in need, the executive director has decided to resign. this is according to palo alto online. seven puppies died there, and the shelter claimed the city breached its contract. >>> ahead on "today in the bay," will it be two or three? the definition of fully vaccinated may soon be changing with the booster now availab

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds," next. >>> we know one person that did not change the clock on his rice cooker. you can follow mike's mishaps on instagram, facebook and twitter. he doesn't really have that many. you're watching "today in the bay." >>> welcome back. it's 5:25 for you right now. nbc bay area responds to one person taken to the limit. >> good morning. sharon in san mateo planned to live it up in hotel california. she paid ticketmaster to see and hear the aeg eagles in 2020. sharon did not have a peaceful, easy feeling about being in a crowd and requested a refund. and sharon asked us to step in as a last resort. the ticketmaster rep responded, and said i passed this on to a fan support, and then the $1,273 showed up in her account. what a nice surprise. but you can get your money back when any event is postponed, canceled or rescheduled. section 22507. go to nbcbayarea.com and click the responds option from the main menu, or call us at 888-996-tips. >> can never leave that story

i am chris chmura. up next, we'll show you how. >>> here's kris sanchez. look, she posts some of her adventured on social media, so check her out on facebook, instagram and twitter. ♪ ♪ have you seen those small bowl---? oh! careful with the... (dishes break) sorry, mrs. c! excuse me, could we-- ♪ ♪ excuse me, i was wondering could we-- ? bedroom! finding the right person for the job isn't always easy... ...but when you have an insurance question, you can always count on your local geico agent. they can give you personalized advice and could help you save hundreds. who wants some dress shirts!? for expert help with all your insurance needs, get to know your local geico agent today. >>> 6:24 this morning. the radar working over drive this morning, still active in parts of the bay area with the rain and wind, making tricky for the morning commute. meteorologist, kari hall, has the full forecast straight ahead for you coming up at the bottom of the hour. >>> you know what? in just part of our every day lives for people, power outages, sometimes they a

i am consumer reporter, chris chmura for "today in the bay." "nbc bay area responds" is next. >>> top executive out of a job at good samaritan after a series of complaints. you can watch the full report online right now, and you will find it right there on our home page. we'll be right back. alright, here we go, miller in motion. wha — wait, wait, is that a... baby on the field?? it looks like it, craig. and the defensive linemen are playing peek-a-boo. i've never seen anything like that before. harris now appears to be burping the baby. that's a great moment right there. the ref going to the rule book here. what, wait a minute! harris is off to the races! we don't need any more trick plays. touchdown!! but we could all use more ways to save. are you kidding me?? it's going to be a long bus ride home for the defense. switch to geico for more ways to save. >>> good morning. generally for car insurance to cover a flooded car you have to have comprehensive damage coverage. it's optional, and millions of california drivers don't have it. san fran

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds," next. we love our house, been here for years. yeah. but there's an animal in the attic. (loud drumming) yeah yeah yeah yeah!!!! (animal drumming in distance) (loud drumming) drums! drums! aaaaaahhhh! at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. we save a lot. aaaaaahhhh! ohhh! (loud drumming) animal! aaaaaahhhh! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com. uh-oh... >>> good morning. sharon in san mateo planned to live it up in hotel california. she paid ticketmaster $1273 for tickets. she requested a refund when it was rescheduled. ticketmaster said no. we swooped in like hawks, and the ticket rep passed it on to the support. two days later a full $1,273 refund landed in sharon's account. what a nice surprise. but we disagree with ticketmaster's courtesy refund take, and here's why. the california business and professions code said you can get your money back when any california event is cancelled, postponed or rescheduled. you can find it here anytime of year, section 22507.

. >> chris chmura shows how more. >> marking your catalytic converter doesn't guarantee to stop the thief, but hopes it will make them think twice. marking your converter might help police trace it back to you if it gets stolen. that could save you serious money. replacing one could cost you thousands. detectives recommend your vin. next, how do you put your vin on a piece of metal so it stays there? we found companies selling customized heat resistant labels, and the vin stays behind in little dots. you can etch your vin and that's what we tried to do with the $25 engraver, and a couple notes we have taken about safety with a few precautions. the exhaust area can get hot so we did it while it's cool, and i will wear the stylish but functional safety glasses. we did a practice run. it worked out pretty well. we quickly realized this is probably a two-person job, so my colleague, alyssa, is going to read the vin to me while i crawl under using the stencil. this takes a little maneuvering. >> okay. we have 5. t, as in tom. >> i am finding it difficult to actually print the letters on with l

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds," next. when it comes to flooring, i'm hard to please. so, i go to floor & decor where i find every imaginable tile, wood, laminate or stone without compromising my design. cause one aisle doesn't cut it. i need an entire store. explore floor & decor in person or online. >>> good friday morning. regina in san josÉ asked our consumer investigator for help with a home improvement store. the builder says one store charged him ten times more, and she got $1,400 back. and then our team helped matt who had a flight change. long story short, the refund did not happen until our team e-mailed the airline, and that's a $4,083 victory. the first topic is in the first special. hints for holiday travelers, a fire prep refresher, and how to detour thieves from stealing your catalytic converter. >>> thousands of pharmacist threatening to strike. >> then -- >> i am clearing up booster confusion. maybe you thought you had to wait to get your third shot of the covid vaccine. i'll tell you more about it and ho

i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds," next. >>> good morning. teresa in hercules booked a week in oahu at an airbnb. but the host had her staying for three nights after she got there, and the host stopped communicating so she checked out and stayed somewhere else at her own expense. and airbnb gave her back $622, and she was still owed more than $1,000. she couldn't get airbnb to budge, so she asked us to step in. we did, and airbnb sent her an additional $1,143 bucks, and that's what she was owed. airbnb said they removed the host. what are the rules for cameras and microphones at vacation rentals, and how can you find a hidden camera? we made a how-to video on our website. >> thanks, chris. >>> the bay area city now trying to change the way authorities respond to some emergency calls. >>> plus, heated testimony in the elizabeth holmes fraud trial. the defense attorney put one of the witnesses on the spot, and his response to the question if he ignored orders. >>> we will tell you about where it happened. you're watching "today in the bay." wea

and consumer reporter, chris chmura, shows us how. >> marking your converter doesn't guarantee it will stop a thief but may help police trace it back to you if it gets stolen, and that could save you serious money. replacing one could cost thousands. first, what do you put on a catalytic converter to say it's yours. you can put your vin. next, how do you put your vin on a piece of metal so it stays there? you have a few options. some companies sell customized heat-resistant levels. if the thieves try and peel off the sticker, the vin stays behind in little dots. you can etch your vin. this is what we tried to do with the engraver we got at a hardware store. we have read the directions that came with the etcher. we are doing this on the car while it's cool because the exhaust area can get hot, and we set the emergency break and i will wear these stylish safety glasses. we realized it was a two-person job. my colleague will read the vin to me while i crawl under and scratch it into the converter using the stencil. this takes a little bit of maneuvering. >> we have five, "t," as in tom. >

i am chris chmura. we'll show you how you can help, next. >>> good monday morning. we're excited about this year because last year along with our partners including safeway, our campaign collected more than $3 million, and that helped to put 6 million meals on kitchen tables in the bay area. silicon valley second harvest is just several of local food banks. inflation is pinching family budgets, too. the next time you visit safeway look for our display. just tear off a donation sheet, looks like a post-it note, and hand it to the cashier and they will add whatever you choose to your order. i will be live in concord tonight at the safeway on clayton road. i will join folks from the food bank of contra costa and solano. feel free to drop by and say hi, and take part. >>> next, the top stories we are following today, including the breaking news, the kaiser strike called off overnight. what we are learning about the latest deal. >> that and so much more. we'll be right back. can you see my wall of smiles? when i first started using genesys technology i was kind of embarr

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds with the rules for returns next. ♪♪ >>> we wanted snow you this fun video marcus washington dancing with janelle wang with the caption how i plan to dance while cooking on thanksgiving day. you can catch more on instagram. we'll be right back. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ >>> if you're taking advantage of an item on black friday, you may look at it virtually and decide you don't like it. you might want to return it. >> we asked what are the rules for returns. >> every year we return billions upon billions upon billions. it doesn't work or it doesn't fit. some have stopped returns altogether. can they do that? yes. california does not require stores to have a return policy. the attorney general says don't assume a store will allow you to return an item if you change your mind. let's do a quick q & a. can cal stores charge a resto

i am chris chmura. >>> law enforcement across california fails to properly log guns in a state database. watch the full report. click on investigations on our home page. we'll be right back. we love our house, been here for years. yeah. but there's an animal in the attic. (loud drumming) yeah yeah yeah yeah!!!! (animal drumming in distance) (loud drumming) drums! drums! aaaaaahhhh! at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. we save a lot. aaaaaahhhh! ohhh! (loud drumming) animal! aaaaaahhhh! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com. uh-oh... >>> good monday morning. we are excited about this year because last year along with our partners with safeway, our campaign collected more than $3 million and those contributions put 6 million meals on bay area kitchen tables. silicon valley is serving 80% more than before the pandemic. on top of covid-19, inflation is now pinching family budgets, too. here's how you can help feed families. the next time you visit safeway, look for our displays. just tear off a donation sheet, and hand it to the cashier and they will add whatever

. >> yeah, consumer investigator, chris chmura says all leather furniture is created equal. >> shoppers can't assume if it says leather it's 100% leather, and so before you spend a whole bunch of money on new furniture, scrutinize what it's really made of. let us know if you have a consumer complaint, the number is 888-996-tips, or go to nbcbayarea.com/responds. i drop off and pick up my kids from school so, i can't work early. or late. and i need to make enough to make it worthwhile. i can only work two days a week. and it can't interfere with my other job. i can do full-time. just not daytime. and i need benefits. good ones. and you know, it would be nice if you paid for my tuition. like all of it. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> welcome back. retirement here in the bay area is becoming a pipe dream for those that want to make it in the bay. half of bay area residents say the region is a poor place to retire with 40% of residents worrying about having enough money to retire, and 39% worry about the lack of savings. also 70% of the residents say the region is a poor place to buy a home, and the contra

i'm consumer investigator chris chmura, nbc bay area responds, next. >>> first our team here at nbc bay area and our partners at telemundo 48 are teaming up with safeway to help fight hunger. we kicked off -- there you go. laura and me this weekend. we kicked off our helping hands saturday. this was safeway and so far we've collected nearly 230,000 donations so thank you out there. there is still time for you to make a donation. you can make those donations at safeways throughout the bay area. and you have until christmas day to do so. that money will go right to our local food banks. small businesses like yours make gift-giving possible. now, comcast business has an exclusive gift for you. introducing the gift of savings sale. for a limited time, ask how to get a great deal for your business. and get up to a $500 prepaid card with select bundles when you switch to the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. or get started with internet and voice for $64.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee. give your business the gift of savings today. comcast business. poweri

. >> nbc investigator chris chmura went under investigation to see this crime wave and how to stop it. >> crooks have sawed off dozens of catalytic converters but many more are leaching onto a black market. we're going to expose the gap and help you protect your car. from this east bay warehouse, kids against hunger volunteers fill bags with rice and dried vegetables to fulfill one mission, feeding needy children. >> most of our meals go to haiti to orphanages there. >> reporter: but over the summer, the charity hit a financial roadblock, the catalytic converter. >> it sounded like a sherman tank. >> if it sounds like this, your cat's missing. >> reporter: that unmistakable noise is echoing everywhere, sometimes multiple times in the same spot. just ask craig from pleasanton. >> in the past year, my cars have had catalytic converters stolen three times now. >> reporter: but why? >> the thieves are cutting catalytic converters off of vehicles and then selling them for the precious metals inside. >> reporter: specifically rhodium, palladium and platinum. prices shot up recently. >> if y

chris chmura and his team went under cover to see how the black market operates. >> we're going to show you photos from the handful of police raids. cops have caught crooks with dozens of sawed off catalytic converters. >> you just made a grand. that's a lot more profitable than selling drugs, and a whole lot less riv. >> who is buying all those stolen catalytic converters? we wanted to find out. we borrowed a legitimate converter to test how easy it might be to sell. tonight at 11:00, see where we got cash offers. no questions asked. and you'll also hear why a top prosecutor says we can't arrest our way out of the problem. we'll share also a couple steps you can take right now to protect your car. >> viewers like you turned us on to this investigation. share your tips at nbcbayarea.com. click the responds option from the main menu or call us. i'll join you again tonight at 11:00. >> all right, looking forward to it. >> you know, better news for warriors who are already on a roll. and now, klay thompson is back practicing with the team. this is video from yesterday. he's now cleared to