Consumer Corner: Ohioans may be owed money from website

Classmates.com subscribers have until Wednesday to claim a chunk of a $3 million dollar consumer restitution fund, according to Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine.

People may be eligible for a refund if they have an unresolved complaint against the website, purchased a subscription between Jan. 1, 2008 and June 5, 2015, had difficulty canceling their subscription, or were signed up without authorization.

The online high school directory reached a settlement with DeWine and 21 other state attorneys general in May.

In addition to the $3 million dollar settlement, Classmates.com also agreed to change some of its business practices.

People can file a complaint to see if they qualify for part of the settlement here, or by calling 800-282-0515.

Netflix raising prices

If you are about to sign up for Netflix, you will be paying a bit more than current subscribers.

The movie and TV show streaming service is upping its monthly price by $1 to $10 for new subscribers in the U.S and some other countries.

The company says the move is in anticipation of its programming costs jumping from $3 billion to $5 billion next year, in part due to escalating costs for its original programming like “House of Cards.”

If you are currently paying $8 a month, or $9 a month for your Netflix, your rate is locked in until October of 2016.

Homebuyer toolkit

Buying a new home can be stressful, confusing, and complicated, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is hoping to make the process much more transparent and simple.

The "Know before you owe" mortgage initiative helps to explain the two new forms potential home buyers will be receiving as well as information on how to choose a loan.

According to the CFPB, the new forms “Loan Estimate,” and “Closing Disclosure” started being issued at the beginning of October. They replace four somewhat redundant forms previous home buyers received.

Consumers will now also have three business days to review the “Closing Disclosure,” and ask questions, before making that final decision to sign on the dotted line.

Rachel Murray is a WHIO-TV consumer reporter. You can watch her reports on News Center 7, follow her on Twitter @RMurrayWHIO, and like her fan page on Facebook.

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