WFTV Now
A central Florida man stuck with a $12,000 car repair bill after a water bottle spill will no longer have to cover the costs. After an Action 9 investigation made headlines around the world, his insurance company reconsidered and will pay for the costly repairs.
The U.S. Secret Service is warning transnational criminal organizations are targeting shoppers in central Florida. The Action 9 consumer investigative team rode along with federal agents as they worked with local law enforcement to try to track down hidden credit card skimming devices inside stores across Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties. The skimming devices are designed to steal credit and debit card information when you swipe or insert them into point-of-sale machines at stores and gas pumps. The criminals also place them inside ATMs.
Car gas tanks suddenly expanding is an issue Action 9 first brought to light nearly two years ago. Now, two major car companies are issuing a recall. Kia and Hyundai are recalling more than 300,000 newer model cars.
A central Florida driver is stuck with a $12,000 auto repair bill after a bottle of water spilled in the back seat of his SUV. “I was shocked. I was panicked to be honest with you,” said SUV owner Michael McCormick. His Hyundai SUV is just a couple years old, but the carmaker has refused to cover the repairs under warranty. His insurance company has denied coverage as well.
Canned and bottled coffees are a multi-billion dollar a year industry. They are sold at just about every grocery store and convenience store, but Action 9 found the State of Florida has been getting a bigger slice of money from the drinks than it should have, and consumers have been paying the price. Ready-to-drink coffees are more popular than ever, and they’re supposed to be exempt from sales tax if bought from a grocery store or convenience store. The Action 9 team learned many convenience stores have been charging sales tax anyway and it’s likely been happening for decades.
A central Florida woman trying to sell her home, instead had it taken over by a man who she didn’t know and who hasn’t been paying any rent. The man Charlotte Brown describes as a squatter has been in the house more than a year. She hasn’t been able to get him out and the clock is ticking because she could lose the home to foreclosure.
The Action 9 team poured through thousands of inspections to look at restaurants in central Florida with violations so serious they had to close most often over the last few years.
The Action Nine team analyzed two years of data to identify the top restaurant violation offenders in Central Florida.
As people in our community continue to deal with the aftermath of flooding and other storm damage, there could be scammers looking to cash in on this devastation. Even people who didn’t have their homes damaged could be targeted.
Recovery from the storms like we saw in central Florida over the weekend is never easy. When the rain came down Sunday evening, streets flooded, and homes filled with water. It’s a disastrous situation even for those with flood insurance. Orlando insurance agent Tom Cotton with Hugh Cotton Insurance said, “You need to start by asking yourself the question, ‘What if?’”
