Fewer Shoppers Seeing Cents in Coupons

Coupon usage continues to plummet, a sign that consumers feel better about the economy, says NCH Promotional Services of Lincolnshire, Ill., a leading coupon processor. The company said redemptions fell 11% during the first half of 1994, deepening a decline that started last year.

NCH attributed the drop in part to an improved economy that is giving consumers less incentive to save. But the company also said that manufacturers have made changes that discourage redemption.

Coupons have shorter expiration dates and increasingly require multiple purchases, the company said. For instance, a shopper might have to buy chicken to redeem a coupon for barbecue sauce.

“The more complex a coupon is, the shorter the expiration date is, the less likely it is to be redeemed,” said Jane Perrin, NCH senior vice president of marketing.

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Phone service refunds: About 150,000 people who had touch-tone service disconnected between May 4, 1987, and May 3, 1990, may be due a refund from Pacific Bell, the California Public Utilities Commission said.

The PUC found that PacBell charged residents of certain communities for touch-tone service even though the company did not have equipment capable of providing the service.

Many of the customers owed refunds have moved or disconnected their service.

According to the PUC, 13 exchanges in both the 619 and 805 area codes are affected. For more information, consumers can call (800) 749-7322.

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Letting down the guard: The makers of Antenna Guard Radiation Shield have agreed to withdraw a claim that it blocks 85% of electromagnetic radiation emitted by cellular phones, after an independent panel said the claim was unfounded.

The National Advertising Review Board, a self-regulatory panel administered by the Better Business Bureau, said Antenna Guard’s manufacturer tested only magnetic radiation--and that in those tests, the shield fell short of the percentage of radiation it claimed to block.

The product, sold through the Sharper Image catalogue, appealed to fears about radiation emitted by cellular phones. Recent studies have shown that radiation from cellular phones is within safe limits.

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Come watch the grass grow: This month’s issue of Money magazine analyzes ticket and parking fees at professional sports events and ranks the best deals for sports fans. Among the top 10 buys are tickets for eight baseball teams, including the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers. Problem is, of course, that the baseball season has been canceled, because of the players’ strike.

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Odds and ends: A Fast Frame store in Arcadia is extending store hours and installing a TV during the O.J. Simpson murder trial so customers won’t miss the court proceedings. . . . Acclaim Entertainment said sales of Mortal Kombat II, the sequel to the popular video game, hit a record $50 million during its first week, despite carrying the equivalent of an R movie rating. The violent game has been condemned by California Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren. . . . Mail-order companies are running out of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Halloween costumes, fashioned after the stars of the popular children’s television show. At one mail order firm, Troll Learn & Play of Mahwah, N.J., customer service representatives are advising callers to try such competitors as J.C. Penney, which carries two Rangers--pink and red--in its catalogue.

The New Phone Rates

The California Public Utilities Commission last week approved an average 39% reduction in toll rates, ushering competition in the so-called local long-distance market. How much of a break consumers will get depends on when a call is placed and the distance it travels. Here’s a sampling of approved rate cuts that take effect on Jan. 1. The rates are the same for Pacific Bell and GTE customers. The PUC said most residential customers will end up with higher phone bills because the cost of basic service is increasing substantially.

For a 5-minute call traveling 21 to 25 miles

Percent Current New change Day $0.89 $0.59 -34% Evening 0.62 0.47 -24% Night 0.36 0.36 n/c

For a 5-minute call traveling 41 to 50 miles

Percent Current New change Day $1.34 $0.65 -51% Evening 0.94 0.52 -45% Night 0.54 0.39 -28%

Note: Day rates in effect 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening rates effective 5 to 11 p.m. Night rates from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. and on weekends and holidays.

Source: California Public Utilities Commission.